Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
August 18, 2008
Issue #483
Dear Business-Builder,
The great investor Warren Buffet has a net worth of about $62 billion. That’s sixty-two thousand million dollars.
If your net worth is $10 million, Warren is 6,200 times richer than you.
If you’re worth $1 million, he has 62,000 times more money than you do.
If your net worth is $100,000, Mr. Buffet is 620,000 times richer than you are.
There are people whose businesses grow a hundred, maybe even a thousand times or more faster than yours does. For every new customer you attract, they attract 100, 1,000, maybe even 10,000 or more.
There are people who look, feel and perform ten, twenty, even thirty years younger than you do …
Who have far greater success in love and relationships (OK – maybe just in sex) than you do …
Who live better for less, have greener lawns, clearer skin, more hair, thinner waists and smaller butts, better-behaved or more successful kids, more friends or are more successful in some other area of life than you are.
Sorry – but you know it’s true. And no, I’m not trying to depress you – just trying to make a very important point.
So let me ask you: WHY do you think all those people are doing so much better than you in so many different areas?
Are they all thousands of times smarter than you?
Do they work thousands of times harder?
Are they thousands of times luckier?
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Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
July 28, 2008
Issue #468
How Al Gore, Ted Danson, George Bush and I did it
Dear Business-Builder,
[CAUTION: If you love Al Gore, Ted Danson or global warming, you should definitely click here to go straight to the marketing lesson in today’s issue. Because I have some fun with them but the comments at the end of this issue should be about marketing – NOT tree-hugging.]
When someone said something naughty to me, my mama used to just give me a hug and suggest that I “consider the source.”
Her personal life coach – Jesus – said, “By their fruits, you shall know them.”
So please forgive me if I still think global warming is a steaming bedpan after a big chili dinner.
Because I’ve been watching the people who promote this mania. And frankly, I wouldn’t trust any of them with my wallet or my wife.
Take Al Gore, for instance. He’s been pounding this pulpit for more than a decade. And, well, frankly … the man is unhinged.
According to Al, the book and movie Love Story were based on his love affair with Tipper.
Sadly, according to the book, Tipper tragically passed away more than 40 years ago.
Evidently, her last words were “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Then she croaked – probably from sheer embarrassment after hearing that mind-blowingly sappy and blatantly ridiculous sentiment proceed from her own mouth.
So either that blond hottie Al’s married to now is someone else or Al has also perfected the art of reanimating human corpses. Either way, I have it on good authority that Al is also being seriously considered for The Nobel Prize for Medicine.
… Or was it Mortuary Science? I forget.
No matter – I hear Al has also taken bows for personally inventing the Internet. So I figure the Nobel Prize for Technology can’t be far behind – not to mention the Adult Video Network award for “Greatest Advancements in Porn.”
In fact, after hours of exhaustive research on the subject, I have officially determined that the ONLY thing old Al hasn’t won so far is the Miss America pageant. He was, however, Miss Universe in, oh … let’s say 1997.
I hear his baton twirling sucked, but he won the swimsuit competition hands-down. Unfortunately, he was later disqualified when the judges discovered he had taped his man-boobs together to enhance his cleavage. Returning that tiara must have been the most difficult day of his life.
So what’s next for Al? Well, you can pretty much start an office pool right now on when Albert will announce that he invented Earth Shoes, the WonderBra, Pringles, Maxi-Pads and Hip-Hop.
Face it: Al is the single most infamous “exaggerator” in America. In fact, if you, me or anybody else exaggerated as much as Al does, people would probably stop calling us “exaggerators” and start calling us shameless, bald-faced liars.
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Posted by:
Daniel Levis
August 16, 2006
Issue WMA #11
In this article:
- The real reason your prospects whip out their plastic and BUY NOW!
- The silent connection that bonds you to your prospects …
- What you must do with your landing pages to turn visitors into buyers …
- How your own self-image is both your secret copywriting weapon, and your marketing Achilles heel …
- How to supercharge your creativity, making your writing time infinitely more productive …
- And more!
Dear Web Business Builder,
Why do your prospects buy from you?
I often ask my consulting clients this very question. And the first answers I get usually look something like this:
- Because we’re the most affordable
- Because we offer the best service
- Because our product offers the best value
- Because we have a superior reputation in the marketplace
What do you think of these answers? All of these reasons are putting the cart before the horse, don’t you think?
They can afford it. Great! They’ll never think of whether they can afford it or not until you get them emotionally involved in wanting it!
And who cares if you offer the best service, or the best value, or if your firm has the best reputation, if they don’t want it?
Most often I’ll get several logical reasons why people buy, before I get a single reason that even smells remotely like an emotional one. But that’s not what I’m getting at here.
Today’s article goes beyond the idea that people buy for emotional reasons, and then back up their decisions with logic.
It cuts straight to the core of what gets those emotional wheels turning between your prospect’s ears in the first place, and reveals the real reason people buy.
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