Don't Ever Offer Great Service, Great Value or a Great Product

Not too long ago a mortgage agent in Lone-Star State asked if I'd compose a Pb coevals bundle for his company-actually helium just wanted me to compose a letter. I think he didn't necessitate an envelope. More about that in a moment.

So my first inquiry was: who is your mark market? State me a small about the clients you're looking to attract.

"Anyone that demands to refinance an adjustable mortgage," he laughed.

Anyone? Now that's A tightly defined demographic if I ever heard one.

So I politely educated this immature grasshopper about why he necessitates to contract his alkali of opportunities-just truthful he doesn't mail 50 million letters to all householders in United States with an adjustable charge per unit mortgage.

I suggested, therefore, that he aim a defined geographical area, and maybe householders with a house valued at over $300,000 and who refinanced or purchased their place more than two old age ago.

"Sure, sure," he said.

"Great. So what's your offer?" Iodine asked.

"You mean, how much I can pay you?"

"No," I said, "what are you offering your prospects so they'll immediately hotfoot to the telephone and phone call you?"

I heard then what I have got heard sol many modern times before...

An ardent trashing of the competition:

...They' rhenium only in it for the money; they don't care about their customers; they don't understand the merchandises out there and how to utilize them, they got their licence and immediately began selling-and then most of them are out of concern in a twelvemonth or two... So on and so forth.

And then I heard the obligatory self-praise oratory:

That is... how much he cares about his clients; how many old age he's been in business; how much continuing-ed preparation he's had; how much value he brings to the table; how much great service he provides. So on and so forth.

"Great, so what are you offering your prospects so they'll immediately hotfoot to the telephone and phone phone call you?" I repeated.

"...What make you mean?"

"Well," I asked, "why should Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner call you and not the other mortgage agent who is saying the exact same thing? After all, they all bash state the same thing-how much great service they provide; how much they care about their clients-don't they?"

"Yeah but..." Sol he then repeated, with even more than than fervor, how much more he cares, how much break service, etc., etc.

"Let me inquire you this," I said, "How is your prospect to cognize that you're better, that you're the good cat and not the bad guy? Telling them that it's so, won't do them believe it-now will it? Somehow you've got to PROVE it."

Then I told him about the importance of testimonials, third-party endorsements, accreditations, etc., etc.

"And all of that volition aid you turn out to your prospects that you are who you state you are. But that's still not enough. Because if the agent down the street have any merchandising savvy, he can and will turn out it too-quoting his track record, his honesty, his competence, blah, blah-in all of his selling promotions.

"So you necessitate a alone selling proposition, don't you," I said.

"Huh?"

"We've got to happen something that's alone about you; about the manner you carry on business, how you honor your clients for their loyalty-how you will make something specific, mensurable and desirable-so that these prospects will desire to pick up the telephone and phone call you."

"Like what?"

"Offer them something that your competition doesn't"

"Like what?"

"Well, certainly not good service, great value and a low involvement rate. But it could be a warrant of some sort, a gift related to place ownership, or a free report, like 'The top 10 Mistakes Homeowners Make When Refinancing a Mortgage-that Always Costs Them thousands of DOLLARS!'"

"Something no other agent is offering-or saying-something that the prospect will happen utile and of value.

"And, you must supply urgency or scarcity, or both. For example, do it a clip or measure limited offer, but explicate why! And not only must it be believable-it must also be true!

"Finally, present your bundle in a manner that volition warrant that it volition be opened and read."

"What make you mean?"

"Well, I can supply you with the best Pb coevals bundle ever written, with the best offering ever imagined-but if the envelope doesn't acquire opened, what good will it make you?"

"So how can we vouch that the envelope will be opened?"

"Now," I said, "you're thinking like a marketer!"

And so I gave him some ideas, of course. And I'll state you what they were... in a hereafter post.

Till then... ain your market.

Free Woman

I've written a batch of gross gross sales messages, flyers, sales letters, fourth estate ads, AdWords, Facsimile Broadcasts and what those who don't like it name spam, (the term I used was targeted commercial email). Always searching for an edge, I tried all the thoughts I could happen and believe of. A good 1 was 'lumpy package'. That's where you get off a gross gross sales missive in an envelope, but you set something else in which isn't flat, so that you can experience the physical object through the envelope.

A common point for this is a ballpoint pen pen and the sales transcript then have a line like, 'So you can fill up in our application form, we've included a free pen'. A touching feeble in my low . . .particularly when the pens they utilize for that are the cheapest most useless 1s they can source. Here is what we used instead and it worked far better than that. Since my concern was based in Scotland, we enclosed an individually wrapped, piece of Scots shortbread. The gross sales message said, 'Take a break, do a cup of java and bask the shortbread cookie whilst you read how our concern can assist yours'.

This got us many thank-you short letters from happy recipients, plus tons of orders and goodwill. Easy to accommodate that thought for many other applications. Here's another 1 that I thought was superb at the time. Since most of my clients are applied scientists or techies, and generally speaking they have got a robust sense of humour, I decided to offer a 'free woman' with every trial order of the 'Selling for Engineers' books that I compose and sell. So I wrote a circular with this alluring offering in the postscript line. But it didn't pull, we had about 3 responses, from a couple of hundred sends. That was about a 5th of what we normally get. Nevertheless I kept my word and with every transcript of my book, out went a 'free woman'. I deoxythymidine monophosphate was such as a shame that it didn't convey in business, I'd still be doing it today if it did.

Just conceive of what a delicious surprise my applied scientist clients had when they opened the box and establish along with the Selling for Engineers manual, a transcript of this month's Woman Magazine. There's probably a moral in this somewhere, electronic mail me if you happen it. Joule Cheers,

Robert

Copywriting Tips- 3 Speedy Headline Templates for the Super Busy

Headlines are arguably the most important component to eye-catching copy. If you don't have a compelling headline, odds are you've lost your prospect for good.

Ideally you should write anywhere from 50 to 100 headlines before choosing one. But sometimes you just don't have time. I have the solution. Swipe these 3 templates, fill in the right words and ta dah! Instant headline!

1) How to ___________ (get) __________________ (the biggest benefit your product delivers) Example: "How to Make $87,000 Per Year As A Magazine Writer!" How to headlines are particularly attractive to people looking for information - which is their main activity on the Internet.

2) Quantify it with numbers. Example: "7 Easy Ways to Save Money On Groceries Without Clipping Coupons And Running All Over Town Just For Those Sale Items!" People respond very well to finite numbers in headlines - they want to know exactly how much information they're going to get. (Note that you need to tear up the English teacher rule book here. No number is spelled out - it's all numerals. In other words, forget about the one, two, three - it's 1, 2, 3. There's something psychologically powerful to our eyes when we read a numeral that just isn't there when we read a spelled out number).

3) If ________________________, then __________________!Example: "If You're Looking for One Convenient Source for All Your Business Needs, We Offer a Huge Selection of Office Supplies". This format almost always works because it states a problem and the solution right there in the headline. That's what people are looking for, the solution to some problem.

Are You Embarrasssed To Admit You Need A Copywriter?

It's silly, but some people are embarrassed to admit that they don't write winning copy.

In fact, my best friend is one of them. Every time she calls me for help with a letter or her web page copy, she apologizes for needing help. She, like many others, seems to think that since she's an intelligent person, she should be able to write great copy.

Why? I'm not embarrassed to admit I need her help figuring out debits and credits. I'm also not embarrassed to hire a mechanic for my car or a professional to cut my hair. I didn't study those things and have no talent for them. So what?

Unfortunately, too many people who think they "should" be able to write go ahead and do it. They write their own sales letters and ad copy - with results that are often detrimental to their success. A poorly written letter can be worse than no letter at all.

Business owners often have a second problem: time.

In addition to thinking they should be able to write, some people suffer from thinking that they should be able to write a good letter on the first draft, or turn out a winning ad in 15 minutes -- and they should be able to do it in between other tasks that have their minds spinning seven different directions.

When they're running a small business that might be all the time they have to devote to the task, but it just doesn't work that way.

By the way, time is also one reason why ads produced by a newspaper sales staff or a yellow page ad salesman are often dismal. Even if they've studied copywriting and know what it takes, they don't have time to use that skill. They need to get busy making the next sale.

The truth is good copywriting takes time, study, and plenty of thought. And after that it takes proofreading. Depending upon the subject matter, one simple sales letter could take all day to write. One classified ad could take several hours.

It's a fact that sometimes the shortest copy can take the most time, because each word is so important. Copywriters spend hours considering words and their impact and trying to choose exactly the right ones to evoke the desired emotions in their readers.

Quit feeling guilty because you're not a professional copywriter. Instead, keep on doing your own job exceptionally well - and be thankful that you don't have to do everyone else's job in addition to your own. Find a good copywriter who understands your business and your goals, turn the job over to him or her, and then get ready for increased sales.

Sex and Charisma - How to Write Copy that Uses it to Increase Your Sales

Picture this ...

One summer Sunday afternoon, four guys in their thirties were relaxing with a few beers watching the cricket at the local pub. They were having a great time "downing scooners", yelling out their own play-by-play commentary of the televised proceedings.

When the cricket match stopped for lunch, two beautiful, blonde, promotions girls walked into the bar. They walked up to the guys and the most scantily clad of the two leant over them and said, "Hi fellas. Having a great time?", with a big smile and a flirtatious look. "Would any of you like to buy a can of the new X brand Bourbon?"

Six sets of eyes popped out of their owner's heads and you could hear them all saying, "Yep. Yep. I'll 'ave one." (I've cleaned up the language a little).

After the girls had gone and all of the "ogling" had finished, one of the blokes said to the others, "Anyone want my bourbon? I hate the stuff."

The responses from around the table were ...

"Nahh mate! Can't stomach it either. It's rubbish."


"Nahh, not me either."


"Nope. I'll stick with me beer."

Now, why did six guys each buy a can of Bourbon when they each knew they didn't like the drink?

... because they were attracted to the person selling it.

I'm sure you've seen or been in similar situations before ... when you have bought a product or service simply because you liked the person selling it NOT because it was the best product for your needs.

It's true, sex sells every day of the week and so does charisma.

Have you ever been to a party and seen a certain person walk into the room and the whole crowd stops and takes notice?

Someone who owns the room. Someone who is captivating to listen to. Captivating to watch.

Someone who radiates this aura of power yet approachability and at the same time appears to be really "into you".

Everyone likes this person. You know the type of person I'm talking about.

Now - imagine that person is YOU as seen through the words you write on a page. Your copy exudes charisma.

Charisma is something that works really well in copy.

If you can make your copy so charismatic that your reader thinks of you as their new best friend, how many extra responses do you think your marketing material will produce? A lot.

With direct response copy YOU as the writer have the power to seduce your audience so they want to buy YOU and not just the product.

I'm sure you have seen charismatic or "sexy" businesses that draw in customers like ants to a breadcrumb.

You know the ones ... the businesses that have an intoxicating brand.


Virgin Blue and most of the Virgin companies have a sexy image. Many people want to be Virgin customers just because they love the Virgin brand. The product itself (in many cases) isn't that special. They're buying the cheeky, adventurous Virgin image.

How to Add Charisma to Your Copy

In the last lesson, we talked about how some sales occur purely because of the great level of rapport between the salesperson and the consumer (or in the case of the Bourbon ... sexual attraction).

Obviously, this only happens in some sales situations. In most situations, a combination of both happen ... the consumer buys the benefits of the product as well as the relationship with the salesperson.
In this lesson, you will discover why that is and how you can apply these secrets in your writing.

It's about building rapport on paper.

With that, I'd like to introduce you to the teachings of a man who has done more to influence the way we communicate tha anyone on the face of the planet. He was the father of the self-help movement. In fact, an industry began as a result of his efforts.

The man I'm talking about is Dale Carnegie, the author of the immortal book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People".

Through his public speaking and self-confidence seminars, Dale Carnegie taught people the art of getting people to like them ... the art of communicating in a way that gets heard ... of building rapport and showing respect for others.

Master these principles and use them in your copy and you will have your reader's undivided attention.

Here is an example of just some of Dale Carnegie's teachings as listed in his book (and yes, it's another "must read").

Six Ways to Make People Like You

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.


Principle 2: Smile.


Principle 3: Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.


Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.


Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person's interests.


Principle 6: Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

Source: "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie, Chancellor Press

They make sense, don't they?

Pull away our masks and you will find that underneath it all, we are all the same. We all want the same thing.

After all, we want to know that we matter. We all want to be happy. And we all want to be loved.

As a copywriter, if you can show people that they do matter ... that you do care; you will have won a friend. Simple as that.

For dozens more articles on copywriting and a free copy of Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins go to http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au

The Secret of Determining if Your Advertising is Profitable

As a marketing consultant and owner of a marketing firm, a big mistake I see businesses make is they do not take into consideration the value of repeat sales when they review if their advertising is profitable.

When determining if your advertising is profitable, you need to look at advertising as a long-term investment, just like buying stocks, real estate, or mutual funds. When evaluating your advertising you need to take into consideration repeat sales from each new customer your advertising produces. Nearly all businesses earn the majority of their sales and profits on repeat sales, NOT first time sales. Understanding this concept is one of the secrets to building a successful business.

For example, let's say you run a small quarter page ad in your local shopper coupon magazine. This small ad costs you $300. From that single ad you attract three new customers who each buy $50 worth of your merchandise. From that information you would think that you had a loss of $100 on that ad because you paid $300 for it but you only generated $150 in sales. But let's look at the long-term effect of those three new customers.

Let's say that each of those three new customers purchases an additional $250 of merchandise from you over the next 11-months. When you take that into consideration, your $300 ad has now generated $900 in sales. And, what if each of those three customers purchases an additional $300 of merchandise from you the following year? Now, your original $300 ad has generated $1,800 in sales over a 24-month period. To put that into perspective, if you bought $300 worth of mutual funds and in 2-years your $300 investment was worth $1,800, you would be jumping for joy! That is why you need to view the profitability of your advertising on a long-term scale, not on a short-term 1-2 month scale. Advertising is an investment to generate long-term customers and repeat sales. Your focus as a business owner must always be on generating faithful long-term customers, NOT one-time sales.

Let's broaden the picture even more. Let's say one of your three new customers loved your merchandise so much that she told two of her friends about you, and her two friends each becomes a long-term customer of your business. And, what if those two friends each buys a few hundred dollars worth of merchandise from you over the next couple of years? Do you now see the tremendous long-term value of that $300 ad you placed?

Now that you have a better understanding of advertising as an investment, it is vitally important that you track the source of every new customer (i.e., did they find you in the yellow pages, direct mail, radio, Internet, etc.). Whenever you talk to a new customer you must ask the customer, "How did you hear about us?" Then, you need to track the source of that customer in a spreadsheet or a CRM system and track how many sales that customer makes over time. This is the only way you can truly determine if an advertising strategy is working. Yes, this takes time but it is worth it. And, a good CRM software application can make this tracking very easy.

In summary, before you throw in the towel on your advertising strategies because they are not immediately generating a profit, you must first understand that value of a new customer over time. Stop looking at advertising as a short term expense and start viewing advertising as what it really is, a long-term investment to the success of your business.