A Powerful Persuasion Tool
Issue #2236
- WEALTHY: How to get people to do exactly what you want (Larry Fredericks)
- HEALTHY: 4 ways to maximize your manhood (Craig Ballantyne)
- WISE: Jamie Paolinetti on limitations
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- A fail-proof plan for making extra income - your fourth gift from ETR (Patrick Coffey)
- The 4 top ways to showcase your products in an online catalog (Will Newman)
- 10 little things Charles loves about the holidays
- It’s Fun to Know… why Christmas wouldn’t be the same without China
- Add "capricious" to your vocabulary
The 2007 ETR Year End Sale!
Incredible Bargains on Our 10 Best Programs
As 2007 comes to a close, ETR has compiled its best products and put them into a blowout YEAR END SALE. These are our lowest prices ever, guaranteed, so there’s no better time for you to begin working on your goals for 2008.
Whether you want to start your own profitable business, become a better and more persuasive communicator, or simply become more productive and proficient at the things you’re already doing - there are programs to help you get there faster.
These crazy bargains will move fast - and when we run out of products, we cannot guarantee you’ll ever get the chance to buy at these prices again.
Stop by ETR’s YEAR END SALE now.
"Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless."
Jamie Paolinetti
A Powerful Persuasion Tool That’s as Simple as "Imagine This…"
You’ve got a big meeting with a potential client. If you can reel in this one for the company, you’ve been promised a corner office and the bump in salary and perks that go with it.
You’ve done your research. You know that this client sees himself as a "Donald Trump." So, during your meeting, you don’t spend much time on the "nuts and bolts" of his project. Instead, you help him imagine what it will be like for him if he chooses your firm to help him bring it to fruition. He’ll be a major player in the industry… possibly even a household name. He’s no fool, so he asks a lot of questions. But you’ve got the right answers. Everyone is smiling and shaking hands as you close the deal.
If you would like to have this kind of influence over the decisions people make, read on. Because I’m going to share the details of a persuasion technique that can make it happen.
Before we dive in, keep in mind that people aren’t always open to being persuaded.
Think about yourself when you go car shopping. You may have an idea of what model you want. You may (in fact, you should) also have an idea of what the car will cost and how much you can afford to pay for it. You might even know what color you want it to be. But despite your genuine interest in buying that car, you are probably wary of being pushed into it. So if the salesman is too aggressive, you’re likely to leave without making the purchase.
The point is, people are leery of being manipulated. If you want to persuade someone to do something, you need to remember just how easy it is to scare them away. That’s why one of the most effective persuasion techniques isn’t at all aggressive.
Salespeople often use this technique. It’s called "visualization."
Take a car salesman, for example. Once he has determined that you are a serious and qualified buyer, he’s going to want to get you into a car for a test drive. You see, an emotional change takes place when you’re behind the wheel of a car you like. An even bigger change occurs when you drive it. You start to imagine what it would be like if you owned that car. You see yourself driving it to work. You picture other people admiring it. And if the salesman is any good, he’ll give the visualization process a nudge. ("Wouldn’t it be fun to run into an old friend when you pull up to the gas pump in this baby?")
Marketers use visualization all the time. Think about the "big promise" of a good direct-mail piece. Quite often, the headline will evoke an image of how the reader’s life can change. ("Feel Like You Did When You Were 21 in Only 30 Minutes a Day!") Or it could be even subtler: showing a photo of a well-muscled middle-aged man with his arms around an attractive woman, for example.
A good salesperson or marketer doesn’t rely only on visualization to make the sale. They want to make sure you know all about their product’s benefits. For instance, our car salesman would tell you about the technical superiority of the car’s fuel injection system. He’d explain that with this fuel injection system, you’ll be able to tap the gas and be going 60 miles an hour in four seconds. And, as he’d point out, that speed will allow for safer entry onto the highway. That’s a major benefit - and a good, logical reason to buy the car.
But visualization draws out a powerful, primitive emotional response - a desire for the car that’s not based on reason. And you can use it in your personal life as well as in business. If, for example, you want to talk your spouse into going out for dinner, you might say something like, "Fifteen minutes from now, we could be sitting in our favorite booth, sipping wine and waiting for a piping hot steak." While a logic-based argument might work ("We’re both really tired and deserve a break"), visualization is more likely to get an instant, "Let’s do it!"
Here are the basic steps:
- Figure out what kind of image will create a powerful emotional desire in the other person to do what you want them to do.
This first step is all about knowing your prospect.
Let’s say you want to convince your supervisor to let you buy some new equipment for your office. In this case, you almost certainly understand what makes him tick, so you should have no trouble coming up with an effective image. (Maybe picturing you churning out more work, and, as a result, him posting incredible productivity numbers for his department.)
But let’s say you’re a car salesperson. In this case, you don’t know your prospective buyer at all - and you have only a few minutes to strike up a conversation that will give you some clues. Is she conservative or adventurous? Does she have a large discretionary income or is money tight? Is she concerned about the environment or does she care more about power?
The more accurately you assess the kind of image that will motivate your prospect, the more powerful the visualization tool will be.
If, for example, your prospective car buyer is a "stay at home mom" with three children, asking her to visualize beating a sports car at a stoplight won’t work. Instead, you’d want her to picture her twin babies sitting securely in their car seats, while her nine-year-old enjoys the factory-installed DVD player.
- Make sure the picture you are painting is realistic.
Visualization won’t work if the person you are trying to persuade can’t picture himself in the image you are creating.
If, for example, you’re trying to sell a fitness program to a middle-aged man, you wouldn’t ask him to imagine himself being dropped from a military fighter plane by parachute behind enemy lines and taking out a brigade of combat troops in a hand-to-hand battle. Instead, you would want him to see himself ripping off his shirt at a summer barbecue, and picture his buddies scowl with jealousy as their wives eye him with admiration.
When you know how to create the kind of image that will get an emotional response from your prospect… and you get that prospect to accept the image as a potential reality… you will have no trouble at all persuading him to do what you want.
Visualization is an extraordinary persuasion tool to have in your arsenal.
[Ed. Note: Larry Fredericks is an entrepreneur with a history of successful business dealings in retail, direct mail, the Internet, and real estate. He is also the creator of the Master of Persuasion program.]
What Would You Do with a $3,000,000 Payday on a $5,000 Investment?
“You should hear about the ones I missed,” Dr. McDougal said as he pointed to a page on the statement. “I bought this company for less than $1 a share… sold it later for around a 200% gain.
“’I thought I did pretty well, too. But in the years after I sold, the stock ran up to $300 a share AFTER a 2 for 1 split. If you want to lie awake at night… Just play with the numbers on a 60,000% winner.”
He’s right. Wondering what to do with a $3,000,000 payday on a $5,000 investment could certainly keep anyone up at night!
And now he’s ready to lead a group of investors to gains like 3,851%, 2,912%, even 2,445%… returns he has already enjoyed over the past five years.
Read his special report here and find out how you can pick up multi-thousand percent gains while you relax.
You Need A New Set Of Problems!
By Patrick Coffey, ETR’s Director of Internet Marketing
There’s no denying that we all have problems - and the number one cause of most of those problems is money. Here, for example, are some typical problems that the average person might face:
- Coming up short on this month’s rent or mortgage
- Having to tell your daughter that you can’t afford to send her to the college she has her heart set on
- Putting off a necessary medical treatment to save money
Then there are people who have a different set of problems - enjoyable problems like:
- Finding a good mechanic for their BMW
- Learning that the Ritz-Carlton is booked, so the 4 Seasons will have to do
- Having to wait another week for the marble for the dining room floor to arrive from Italy
This year, your friends at Early to Rise would like to help you change your life by changing your problems. The best way to do this is to help you find a way to supplement your income with a side business.
So in your fourth free holiday gift from ETR, we’re going to give you a fail-proof plan for doing it. This special report outlines a variety of opportunities to supplement your income… regardless of your age, knowledge, or technical experience.
Click here to download your free copy of: "Make Up to $100,000 This Year With 12 Practically-Fail-Proof, No-Experience-Necessary Ideas for Extra Income."
[Ed. Note: Whether you want to start your own profitable business, become a better and more persuasive communicator, or simply become more productive and proficient at the things you’re already doing - ETR has programs to help you get there faster. Take advantage of the deep discounts we’re offering in our Year End Sale by clicking here.]
4 Strategies for Effective Web-Catalog Marketing
By Will Newman
Catalogs are big! How big? The huge number of catalogs that swamped your mailbox before Christmas will give you an inkling.
And mailed catalogs are just the beginning of this tidal wave. Almost every mailed catalog leads to a Web page. On top of that, thousands of businesses that are Web-based-only use a catalog-type format to showcase their products.
Why are online catalogs so popular? Because they sell! So if you’re building a Web-based business, you’ve almost certainly considered using this format.
To make your Web catalog a sure winner, here are four strategies that Herschell Gordon Lewis revealed at AWAI’s FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp this year:
1. The three "musts" for an effective landing page: Grab, Shake, Now.
- Grab the prospect’s attention.
- Shake the prospect from his complacency.
- Make him act now.
2. It’s about sales… not ego (your copywriter’s or your company’s).
Your company logo on the "splash" page of your Web catalog will not grab your prospect’s attention. A terrific deal will.
3. Your marketing copy isn’t about ego either.
"Staccato" copy is more likely to hold the attention of your Web visitor than narrative copy. Exceptions: Some first-person copy or explanations in sidebars or deep in the website.
4. "Title caps" in Web-catalog copy damage response.
"Four Virtually Free Upgrades" is more obviously a sales ploy than "Four virtually free upgrades." "We’re Looking Out for You" is more obviously a sales ploy than "We’re looking out for you."
Take advantage of these four Web-catalog strategies, and your Web catalog will fit your busy, fast-moving Internet shopper’s personality, needs, and expectations.
[Ed. Note: Some catalog houses are so short on creative "talent" that they have product managers and general office workers writing their copy… instead of professional copywriters. AWAI teamed up with the "Godfather of Catalog Copywriting," Herschell Gordon Lewis, to create the definitive guide to writing winning catalog copy. Click here to learn how to compete with top-paid catalog copywriters… freelance from your own home… build the reputation of being able to write catalog copy for any item, consumer, or business… and much more.]
Half the Men We Used to Be?
Testosterone isn’t just for young men. As we age, it helps us maintain valuable muscle mass. Plus, it contributes to overall well-being and a positive attitude.
But there is bad news about the typical American male’s testosterone levels. Testosterone in a group of men studied by New England researchers was decreasing with age at a faster rate than expected. What’s worse, the scientists could not explain why.
Here are four natural ways to make sure your testosterone levels stay as high as possible.
- Lose excess body fat. As Dr. Sears has explained, weight gain is associated with a loss of testosterone. Use interval training and resistance training - coupled with a diet of whole, natural foods - to maximize your manhood.
- Avoid extreme low-calorie or low-fat diets. There is no need to starve yourself or eliminate all saturated fat from your diet. If you need to lose fat, the first foods to cut are processed carbohydrates and those containing trans-fats. You can keep grass-fed beef, omega-3-enriched eggs, almonds, and fish in your diet as good sources of protein and healthy fats.
- Eliminate heavy drinking. Alcohol intake can suppress testosterone levels.
- Avoid too much exercise. Men who do a lot of cardio tend to have lower testosterone levels than guys who lift weights and do a small amount of cardio.
[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system. If you want a free online source of information, motivation, and social support to help you improve your health, lose weight, and get fit, sign up for ETR’s free natural health e-letter.]
10 Little Things I Love About the Holidays
By Charles Delvalle, Financial Editor
1. Taking a drive up to Mount Hood and playing in the snow
2. Exercising in 60-70 degree weather
3. The Black Friday discounts
4. The homes and streets that are lit up with gorgeous lights
5. The extra work-free days
6. Being able to go months without needing an air conditioner
7. Playing the new Xbox 360 games I get during Christmas for hours on end
8. The yearly Christmas rally on Wall Street
9. Being able to wear my super-cozy winter clothing
10. The fact that we live in a country that lets us have any religious belief - and celebrate it
It’s Fun to Know: Why Christmas Wouldn’t Be the Same Without China
As with many consumer goods in the United States, the vast majority of the ornaments on your Christmas tree were probably manufactured in China. Between January and August 2006, an estimated $605 million worth of ornaments were imported to the U.S.
China is also a leading source of artificial Christmas trees, with $65 million worth imported to the U.S. during that same period. And China is the top exporter to the U.S. of many popular Christmas gifts, including stuffed toys, electric trains, puzzles, roller skates, sports footwear, golf equipment, and ice skates. (Check the labels on the goodies that were under your tree. You might be surprised.)
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
You CAN learn to become wealthy!
Success is not encoded in an individual’s DNA and does not transfer from father to son or mother to daughter. It is a process - and learning the process is a major KEY to setting up for success.
Today I’d like to offer you two complimentary reports to help you get started: “How To Get What You Need To Succeed In Life" and "Simple Guidelines for Creating Abundance In Your Life."
There will be many steps you take towards your goals where it will feel like you’re taking two steps forward and one step back. You will have breakthroughs, triumphs, and opportunities to overcome adversity.
But to keep moving forward, you just might need a friendly kick-in-the-pants every once in a while. Here’s how to stay energized towards action and success every day of the year.
- Charlie Byrne
Word to the Wise: Capricious
"Capricious" (kuh-PRISH-us) means whimsical or changeable. The word is from the Italian for "shivering" - ultimately from the Latin for hedgehog. Hedgehog? Huh? Think of a head of hair standing on end, like the spines of a hedgehog, and you’ll get the idea.
Example (as used by Saul David in Prince of Pleasure: The Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency): "The Countess was a capricious minx, by turns seductive and aloof."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker … build your self-confidence and intellect … increase your attractiveness to others … just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR’s new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007