Geniuses Just Try Harder
Have you met any geniuses? Or is it genii?
I’ve met only two.
One was Charlie Chaplin, whom I met – very briefly – when I was writing ads for a film called Fahrenheit 451.
He just happened to be in a studio when I was – and the producer introduced us. Small, quiet, neat white-haired man in a dark blue overcoat looking cozy in a soft white scarf – with a very beautiful wife.
The other, was David Ogilvy. Maybe ours is such a trivial business nobody merits the description “genius”, but if they do I suspect he did.
Painstaking
Somebody once described genius as “An infinite capacity for taking pains.” To illustrate it, here is a true story about David Ogilvy. It gives you some idea about his working practices.
He rang me up one day at home at 10:30 in the morning. I was cooking the Sunday lunch.
This is how the short conversation went.
“Hello, David here.”
“Morning, David.”
“What’s wrong with Ogilvy and Mather?”
“Let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Thank you. Oh – Merry Christmas.”
Yes: it really was Christmas morning. I spent much of Boxing Day writing him a long memo.
Persistence, persistence, persistence
I once asked a man who’d worked with him for 40 years what made Ogilvy remarkable.
He said, “Persistence.”
The man I was talking to was extremely successful and at the top of his profession. He is worth many millions.
He said to me: “I have done extremely well – better than I ever expected. And I think one reason is that I am not a quitter. Other people try something a few times then give up. I keep going for two or even three years. But David never gives up – 10, 20, 30 years, he just keeps going.”
If at first you don’t succeed
Well, you may take this as a good maxim for running your life. But it actually applies equally to small things. Things as small – but vital – as asking for a reply or an order.
This observation may sound so absurdly simple that you may be tempted to laugh at my naivety, but here goes:
- Don’t ask for the reply or order once or even twice. Ask repeatedly.
- If you’re running a TV spot, keep the number on the screen for longer. If you have a website, ask for a response on every page. Same with a catalogue. If it’s an ad, ask in the coupon – ask also outside the coupon. If it’s a direct mail letter or e-mail, don’t just ask once – ask more than once.
- And ask forcefully. None of this limp-wristed “We look forward to hearing from you” waffle. Be serious. Go for the order!
I always try to ask at least three times, using phrases like:
“Why not reply now, while this is on your mind?”
“Make it the very next thing you do.”
“Call me the minute you finish reading this.”
“Don’t delay: your competitors won’t.”
Or in a piece I wrote two days ago: “Why watch others make money you could be making?”
Hardly very strategic, is it? But far more profitable, I promise you.
Contributed by Drayton Bird, Hon. F IDM
Guest Contributor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
For more tips like this, e-mail drayton@draytonbird.com saying “Ideas” (www.draytonbird.com)
Looking for resources related to this article? Try some of these.
Looking for more guest articles? Check these out.
Looking for past issues of The Total Package? Click here for our archives.
 |
Want to share or reprint this article? Feel free. Just give us full attribution and a link to our Home Page when you do. |
Attribution Statement: This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e-books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.
Related posts
2 Comments »
Join the Discussion!
Let us know what you think. Or ask us anything. Or offer your own sage advice.
The only rule: RESPECT THIS HOUSE! Postings that contain abusive language and/or personal attacks will be cheerfully VAPORIZED. One cross word and – POOF! – your well-thought-out post will be gone in a puff of smoke.
– Clayton
Comment by Ron Schmidt — September 6, 2007 @ 9:44 am
Drayton\’s \\\”Geniuses Just Try Harder\\\” article is so poignantly brilliant and eloquently stated via his story.
Too often we completely forget about our mission 1. Continually reminding our prospect to do something, and 2. Keeping pressure on ourselves to be totally consumed with being persistent.
Bravo to Drayton for reminding us of these two necessary ingredients for complete success.
Comment by Chris McMorrow — September 6, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
Thank you, Mr. Bird, for sharing your insights. I have long admired David Ogilvy, have studied his book, Ogilvy on Advertising, and, following the advice of Gary Halbert, have copied a few of his ads out by hand. Considering his stated admiration of Claude Hopkins, it doesn\’t surprise me that hard work and persistence were two of his credos.
Thank you for sharing those fine sentences asking for the order and closing the sale. Somewhere along the line, I will certainly make good use of them.
Sincerely,
Chris H. Mcmorrow
P.S. Thank you, Mr. Makepeace, for making this information available.