2, 3, Even 5 New Sales Promotions for the Price of 1
Issue #2357
- WEALTHY: Why would ETR tell you to buy soda? (Rick Pendergraft)
- HEALTHY: Where there’s smoke, there’s danger (Kelley Herring)
- WISE: Philip Dusenberry on making money as a writer
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- How savvy marketers can get the most from their copywriters (Carline Anglade-Cole)
- How to set yourself up for big raises and big promotions (Michael Masterson)
- It’s Good to Know… about the firefighting robot
- Add "fustian" to your vocabulary
== Highly Recommended ==
Looking For a “Rat-Race Escape Plan”?
Millions of U.S.A. commuters are paying through the nose just to get to work and back. And paying, and paying…
Sick of spending upwards of $50 to fill the tank? Tired of life passing you by from behind the steering wheel?
Maybe it’s time to think about your “Plan B.”
Maybe it’s time to vow you’re getting out of the rat race, and you’re going to do something about it RIGHT NOW.
Interested? Well here’s your personal Rat Race Express Escape Plan.
-Charlie Byrne
P.S. If you’re ready to leave the day-to-day behind, you need to hurry… Only a small handful of chances to do so remain.
Cola Wars?
Over the last few months, I have been giving you advice to help you rearrange your portfolio to protect it during these difficult economic times. There is a small sector that I have yet to mention, and that is the soft-drink makers.
Both Pepsi (PEP) and Coca Cola (KO) have been in up trends for the last six years, and have maintained those trends despite the problems with the economy. Even during the bear market of 2000-2002, both outperformed the market.
Another reason to consider these stocks is that both companies have been growing rather than shrinking revenue. In the most recent quarter, PEP and KO reported revenue growth of 13.4 percent and 20.9 percent, respectively. This tells you that Pepsi and Coca Cola are still expanding.
People are creatures of habit. Even when the economy slips a little, there are certain things they will continue to buy - including Coke and Pepsi products. For example, I am personally addicted to Diet Mountain Dew, and regardless of what happens with the economy (or what ETR’s health editors tell me!), I will maintain my usual consumption. (I won’t tell you how much that is. The health group might pass out.)
[Ed. Note: Rick Pendergraft is a professional trader and market analyst. In Rick's new investment service, he gives easy-to-follow, step-by-step advice that you can use to create consistent, automated income. Learn more about how he can help you produce explosive gains - no matter which way the market is trading - by clicking here.]
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"I have always believed that writing advertisements is the second most profitable form of writing. The first, of course, is ransom notes…"
Philip Dusenberry
How to Get 2… 3… Even 5 New Sales Promotions for the Price of 1
My clients shell out big bucks for me to write a single promotion package. But my smart clients can get two… three… even five promotions for the same price. How? By giving me the freedom to create multiple cover tests for them.
Cover tests allow you to change the entire look and feel of your sales promotion just by making changes to the cover. That means you can test different headlines and cover designs for pennies on the dollar. But the better news is:
Cover tests give you - and your copywriter - more chances to get a winner in the mail!
Why put all your creative eggs in one basket, hoping you picked the right headline and cover design? Let your market decide which is best. Here’s an example of how one of my smart clients got a big bang for his creative buck with a health promotion I worked on for him…
The promotion was for a chelation product. We cover-tested four different headlines:
#1: The Ultimate Pac Man for Your Arteries
#2: Now you can REMOVE and SEE the plaque that was clogging your arteries!
#3: The New Chelation Miracle
#4: Meet the folks who said "Bye Bye Bypass!"
So, which one won?
If you picked #3, you’re a pretty smart cookie. That was the strongest headline and became the official new control - the headline my client "rolled out" to his entire list of prospective customers. However, #2 and #4 were also strong - coming in less than a percentage point behind the winner. Which gave my client three sales packages he could rotate in the mail.
That meant he could fight response fatigue and mail the package longer. And, in fact, that original package has been mailing for over two years - and is still going strong. So you can see why the client is happy. (And I’m happy, because it’s meant a long and steady flow of royalty income for me.)
This client lets me do up to five test covers for every new package I create for him. And, many times, if I had to pick only one of those five covers to go with, I would’ve picked the WRONG one. Here’s a perfect example:
For the launch of a probiotic product, we mailed the following five test covers:
#1: When you poop, do you need a…
[photo of a plunger] to unstop clogged bowels…
[photo of a vice] to tighten up loose bowels…
[photo of a gas mask] to keep from passing out afterwards
#2: The Big, Huge Yogurt Hoax
#3: Unclog your colon! [with a before and after graphic shot of what a filthy colon and a clean colon look like]
#4: Why suffer? Now you can put an end to embarrassing gas… bloating… constipation… heartburn… diarrhea… irritable bowels… and other digestive problems [photos of folks experiencing digestive problems]
#5: When your intestines go from: [photo of the Sahara desert] To this: [photo of Ireland's green pasture] You can put an end to your worst digestion problems in record time.
Let me tell you this first: I absolutely LOVED the "poop" and "unclog your colon" covers. I felt they nailed the product’s USP (unique selling proposition) right on the head. I thought the yogurt cover was a solid test too, since most people think yogurt contains a lot of stuff that’s good for the digestion. We almost didn’t test #5. Both my client and I worried that the message was too vague. "Why suffer" was okay, but no one was shouting its praises.
The winner?
Well, let me say this: If I only had two cover tests, using #1 and #3, my package would’ve lost money in the mail.
If I had put all my chips on the yogurt cover - that would’ve lost even MORE money!
The undisputed winner was boring #5 - the one we almost didn’t test. And the close runner-up was #4 - the one that no one was thrilled with.
See what I mean? Sometimes, there’s just no method to the madness when it comes to the right cover for a sales promotion. So why take chances? Ask your copywriters to give you several headlines to test.
One important thing to remember: Make sure your test covers look very different from each other. But don’t waste the opportunity by testing insignificant things or ideas. For example, you don’t need to test whether a red border will be stronger than a blue border … or whether a single word change on the headline will make a difference. What you want to do is test ideas and headlines that have the potential to give you a 20 percent or better lift in your response rate.
I try to test covers that range from safe to scary. So I always include a safe cover - one that nails the USP of the product right on the head. I call that my workhorse cover. Then I go to the other extreme with a crazy idea that will either bomb or blow the roof off.
My clients and I have gotten some great successes by taking this approach - and so can you.
As a business owner, you can get more leverage from every sales package if you do this: Ask your copywriter to create two… three… even five different cover tests with the final copy submission. And make room in your mailing schedule to test as many of them as possible.
Why request five covers when you plan to test only one or two?
Because the best time to get the best ideas from your copywriter is while she’s hot and heavy working on your project. If you wait till two or three months later, she will have purged all the info about your product from her brain and will have to start cold. So strike while she’s sizzlin’ hot. You can always test the unused covers at a later date.
By testing aggressively, you’ll soon discover you have several controls for the same package. Not only does this make "cents" - it can deliver a hefty profit to your bottom line.
[Ed. Note: Carline Anglade-Cole has 20 years of direct-mail experience in mailing-list strategies, new-product development, and creating kick-butt controls. She is the author of How to Write Kick-Butt Copy: Straight Talk From a Million-Dollar Copywriter, Anatomy of a Kick-Butt Control: How to Create a Winning Promo From Start to Finish,and Which One Won? How to Write Kick-Butt Headlines and Boost Response! Contact Carline directly by visiting her website at CarlineCole.com.
For more money-making secrets, check out ETR's comprehensive direct-marketing program here.]
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== Highly Recommended ==
“The Broke, Lazy Man’s Way to Quick and Easy Internet Riches…”
Today, it seems there’s no shortage of ways to make money online. Problem is, some of these programs can be pretty complicated.
I hate complicated… I like quick and easy.
Well, right now… this very minute… there are 3 people in the world using an almost secret method that is just raking in the dough, day in and day out.
They’ve allowed us to take a peek, and we’re gonna spill the beans on what we saw.
For example, how one fellow took $10 and turned into a $500,000 empire.
This method is so simple and so effective, it’s almost scary.
-Charlie Byrne
Transitioning Over to the "Money" Side of Your Company’s Business
You have the greatest chance of getting big raises, big promotions - and eventually, a six-figure income - if the work you do has a positive impact on your company’s bottom line. In general, that means being a salesperson, marketer, product creator, or profit manager. If you are not currently (or haven’t been trained to be) in one of those positions, don’t despair. You can keep your official job and still make the transition over to the money side
Here’s how to do that: Ask yourself which people in your company make the most money. Identify at least three distinct jobs. Now ask yourself which of those jobs you would most like to do.
It may seem like a stretch at the moment, but it’s entirely possible that you could do that job. So, starting today, learn something about it. Find out what it takes in terms of hours and days. Find out what it typically pays and when it pays more and why. Ask about the daily routine, the common problems, the biggest challenges, and the best rewards. Ask. Observe. Read.
Keep it up, day after day, until you start to feel as if you understand the job. When you feel ready, talk to your boss about your plans. Then approach key people in the department you’re interested in. Tell them (honestly) that you think their field is something you’d be good at. Say you’ve been learning about it in your free time and you’d like to volunteer to help them out whenever you can so you can learn even more.
People will be impressed by your willingness to dive in and give them a hand. If your intentions are sincere and your follow-up is diligent, you’ll soon enjoy a reputation for being an up-and-comer.
[Ed. Note: The above was excerpted from Michael Masterson's New York Times best-seller Automatic Wealth for Grads... and Anyone Else Just Starting Out.
If you know a young person who's graduating this year... or if one of your 2008 goals is to increase your income... pick up a copy. Learn more about this and all of Michael's books at his website.]
Don’t Let Your Health Go Up in Smoke
The next time you see oil smoking in the frying pan, take notice and start over. Heating oils beyond their flash point - the point at which they oxidize and begin to smoke - gives rise to unpleasant flavors (and smells). More important, it creates lipid oxidation products (LOPs) - dangerous byproducts that cause free radical damage to cells.
To eliminate these cellular villains, use culinary oils cold. Drizzle them over fresh organic salads and roasted veggies to add rich, complex flavor and a healthy source of fat.
When you do choose to fry something, do it safely by using coconut oil. It’s a heat-stable, naturally saturated oil that is primarily made up of medium-chain triglycerides. Not only is this "energy fat" metabolized and digested more efficiently than other fats, coconut oil is a significant source of lauric acid - an anti-microbial fatty acid that supports (not suppresses) immune function.
Other heat-stable oils to have on hand for cooking include organic grapeseed oil (which starts to smoke at 420 F), organic extra light olive oil (which starts to smoke at 468 F), organic cold-pressed canola oil (which starts to smoke at 464 F), and organic butter (which starts to smoke at 350 F).
And remember, when in doubt… drizzle.
[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder and CEO of Healing Gourmet (www.healinggourmet.com), and is editor-in-chief of the Healing Gourmet book series. Learn more about how simple lifestyle choices can improve your health by reading ETR's free natural health e-letter.]
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It’s Good to Know: The Firefighting Robot
Only you can prevent forest fires. But in the near future, there could be a better way to fight them. German researchers have designed a dog-sized, insect-shaped robot that can operate independently to fight forest fires. It’s equipped with water tanks, fireproof armor, fire-dousing chemicals, GPS, heat sensors, and other high-tech gizmos. The robot’s six legs - it has no wheels - give it stability.
There are no current plans to roll out the design for widespread use. But firefighters and fire experts around the world are investigating ways they can apply this new technology.
(Source: Popular Science)
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== Highly Recommended ==
Take Charge of Your Future
You don’t have much spare time… you’re not exactly rolling in the bucks… and you’re no Bill Gates when it comes to technology.
We’ve heard you… and that’s why we asked Marc Charles to be our “advance scout” for profit opportunities that you can run from a kitchen table, your desktop, or out on the road.
They’ve got to be inexpensive and easy to start, without a lot of red tape or technical know-how, and still have great income potential.
There’s a reason they call this guy “The King of Business Opportunities”…why not take a look at what he’s got for you?
- Charlie Byrne
Word to the Wise: Fustian
"Fustian" (FUS-chun) - a word of uncertain origin - is pompous or pretentious language.
Example (as used by Richard Dooling in Brain Storm): "Don’t squander the court’s patience puffing your cheeks up on stately bombast and lofty fustian. Speak plainly!"
[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.
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008
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