Issue #2644
- WEALTHY: 6 speedy ways to make a sale (Clayton Makepeace)
- HEALTHY: Why you should steer clear of tuna (Kelley Herring)
- WISE: Joe Vitale on speed
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- A recession-proof technique for getting new clients (Paul Lawrence)
- Verizon’s big mistake (Suzanne Richardson)
- It’s Fun to Know… about medical maggots
- Add “jettison” to your vocabulary
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“Money loves speed.”
Joe Vitale
Speedwriting 101
Back in The Day, copywriting was a leisurely business – almost a pastoral pursuit.
The client’s marketing folks got you on the phone, described the product, told you what they’d tried before and how it’d worked… what they’d been learning and thinking lately… and you brainstormed the themes you might use for a new promo.
A week or so later, a big brown truck would deliver a box crammed with the client’s product, past promos and premiums, his competitors’ promos, his testimonial file, and anything else the marketing people thought you might need to create a barn-burner for them.
Usually, the box would languish unopened for a week or more as you completed other projects. And when it was time to dive in, you might spend a week or more just reading, taking notes, and planning the assault.
Entire days were dedicated to thinking alone: Ruminating on the prospect’s mindset… his emotional state… what he’d seen and responded to (or not) in recent months… his prejudices in favor of or against the client and/or others like him… the sales objections that would need to be overcome (either explicitly or implicitly)… and most important, of course, the prospect’s resident fears, frustrations, wants, needs, and desires.
Copywriters had the luxury of staring out the window for hours, contemplating the competitive landscape, considering how to lift the client and his product head and shoulders above every other spokesperson and product in his niche. Or, better yet, to position the client in a way that would establish him as the leader of a new niche – a niche of his own.
Then, it was time to write. Actually, to spend a few days getting ready to prepare to begin to write: to list the engagement and credibility elements needed… to sort out the offer… to create the outline and organize notes. And, in doing these things, to allow the work to slowly, almost imperceptibly, seduce you into the actual writing.
Two, three, or more weeks later, a first draft would wing its way to the client for review and comments. Two, three, or four weeks later, the final copy would land on the designer’s desk for a couple of weeks of layout – and more copy nips, tucks, and enhancements. Then, after two more weeks at the printer and lettershop, the promo would be in the mail.
In all, the process took “as long as it takes to create a winner” – typically, anywhere from one month to three. Sometimes more. And that was perfectly fine with everybody concerned. Because just to field a small test of a new promo, the client would have to spend $100,000 or more. And if it bombed, they could lose a bundle.
So “getting it right” was far more important than “getting it fast.” Each promotion was as meticulously crafted as a Rodin bronze and as patiently aged as a cask of fine wine.
Then, something terrible happened… @#$^%@!!! Internet!
One morning I woke up and some darned fool had invented the World Wide Web – and the game had completely changed for not just one but four big reasons:
1. It suddenly cost businesses zero dollars to blast a sales message to prospects. So some clients assumed that, since they had no skin in the game, the response to each individual e-mail mattered less.
2. Clients could easily afford to e-mail their prospects not just once but several times each day. The quality of the copy became less important than getting something “good enough, fast enough.”
3. The speed of the Internet radically changed our prospects’ expectations. Where once, the most successful promotions addressed permanent (or at least longer-term) situations, fears, frustrations, and/or desires, many prospects came to expect sales messages to connect with the day’s – or even the hour’s - breaking news.
Then, as if to make things even more challenging, the world itself – especially the financial world – began changing faster.
4. Where a successful direct-mail, print, TV, or radio promo might be used for many months or even years, daily e-mail blasts served their purposes for a single day, and sales pages often became obsolete in a couple of weeks at most.
So while the copywriter caught in the act of crafting direct mail and other pay-as-you-go media messages approximated a Michelangelo extracting a David from a block of marble – a thoughtful exercise demanding every skill at the artist’s command applied over many months - cranking out online promos required speed: e-mails slammed out in an hour or two and sales pages as long as any magalog ever written cobbled together in a few days to a week.
And to make things even more difficult, the simple fact that a company is promoting on the free Internet – notoriously, the realm of fakes, frauds, and rip-off artists – has made establishing iron-clad credibility in sales messages critical even while the time to do so has shrunk immeasurably.
It’s not enough to be good. In this wired world, you must also be fast.
I’m hoping that some of the things I do to write strong copy in a fraction of the time will help you do it, too…
1. I cheat.
Every weekday morning, I spring out of bed in the wee hours, brew a pot of joe, plop down at my desk, and begin to fortify myself for the day ahead.
I know I’ll have a conference call with my financial client at 6:00 a.m. I also know I’ll have at least two e-mails to write for him and that they must be final and to the Web guys as early as possible. I can be fairly sure that Jill, my production scheduler, has lined up an afternoon full of meetings with other clients, and that my staff has plenty of copy for me to write, review, critique, or finalize. And I know that a single new promotional idea or a breaking news event could blow my entire schedule to smithereens without a moment’s notice.
So I start by thinking: “What could I do with the hours between now and that 6:00 a.m. conference call that will give me a running head start on my day?”
Because much of my financial client’s messaging is driven by the news, I jump on the Web to sort out what’s happening in the global economy and to look for themes I could use to drive the day’s e-mails.
The idea here is to anticipate the work as much as I can before the assignment gets handed to me. I spend time thinking about the research I’ll need… the engagement and credibility devices I might use… and anything else I can do in advance to speed the writing process once the project is assigned.
2. I start with my prospect.
As I begin to write, I think about my prospect. What has been his recent experience with my client’s company? What have I done with him in the last few days that might provide clues as to how this e-mail or sales page should begin?
What are my prospect’s expectations as he opens my e-mail or jumps over to my sales page? How can I make this communication a seamless continuation of a conversation the two of us are already having? Are there recent developments or news events that he’s already thinking about and that I should address? What touchstones can I use to get the conversation off to a fast start?
3.I tell them what I’m about to tell them… I tell it to them… I tell them what I just told them.
Getting an e-mail that kind of begins out of the blue is disorienting to a prospect. Instead, I give them a clear, easy-to-follow roadmap that lets them know what to expect from this communication.
In addition to making my e-mails easy to read and providing structure that makes them easier to write fast, this subtle cycle of promising, delivering, and reminding prospects that you delivered what you promised is a powerful way of programming them to believe future promises you make.
4. I establish my client’s credibility early in my copy.
Maybe I do it with a collection of accurate forecasts he’s made… or big profits he’s helped his subscribers achieve… or new testimonials from the media.
For a non-financial client, it could be with the reminder of a discount coupon or free bonding gift we’ve sent the reader recently… or something about our 24-hour shipping policy. Anything that demonstrates that my client brings value to the prospect’s life and that he always does what he promises is of great help in moving them to taking the action prescribed later in the copy.
5. I use bobble-head copy.
The sooner I can get my prospect’s head nodding – agreeing with my premise – the better. So I look for an idea he can agree with to get the conversation going.
Something like: “If Wall Street was a fair place, mutual funds would only make money when they made you money.” Or, for a health product, it could be something like, “If everyone ate right and exercised, almost nobody would have heart disease” – or any other statement that puts my prospect and my spokesperson instantly on the same page.
“Hell, YES!” says the prospect! “This guy and I are alike! We believe the same things! He has my values. He can be trusted.”
6. I guide my reader to the action I want him to take.
Beginning with my mutually agreed-upon head-nodder, I then baby-step my reader to the inevitable conclusion: that NOT taking the action I want him to take would be self-defeating. In other words, I help him connect the dots between the proposition we both agree upon and the action I want him to take.
If each one of these steps is already agreed upon, all the better. If not, I’ll need to provide a proof element – ideally, a fact sworn to by an independent third-party source – that proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the next link in my chain of logic is undeniably true:
“If everyone ate right and exercised, almost nobody would have heart disease.”
“But in real life, it’s not always possible to eat right. And Lord knows, there’s not always time to exercise.”
“That’s why Xnutrient is so crucial. Harvard says it…”
If I’ve done a good job with these steps, I’ve made my case. All that’s left is to tell my prospect precisely what I want him to do. After all, he’s already agreed that NOT coming along with me would be self-defeating.
[Ed. Note: Master copywriter Clayton Makepeace publishes the highly acclaimed e-zine The Total Package to help business owners and copywriters accelerate their sales and profits. Claim your 4 free moneymaking e-books - bursting with tips, tricks, and tactics that'll skyrocket your response - at MakepeaceTotalPackage.com.
Writing powerful copy is just one aspect of making your Internet business a success. Discover how to set up a website, get the search engines' attention, create high-quality products, and more with ETR's Internet Money Club Independent Learner Edition. Get all the details now.]
A Recession Days Underdog That Can Churn Out Steady Cash
Where oh where can you make money these days?
Don’t look at the stock market. The Dow’s all over the map. May be up one day – but is that real or the dreaded “sucker rally”?
Don’t look at your boss. According to a survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, 42 percent of employers have instituted a salary freeze – and 14% of those who haven’t, plan to do so.
Don’t look at the government. They have other worries.
BusinessWeek suggests you look at an old standby: the e-mail newsletter.
It’s not fancy or high-tech. But it can bring in serious ad revenues – even today. Better yet, it can help attract investors looking for safer places than the stock market to stow their money.
Look at DailyCandy.com, which sold to ComCast for $125 million just last fall. Then there’s Thrillist, which is making profits on $5 to $10 million a year.
And ETR itself shot up from a little “amateur start-up” to a $25 million company in the past few years!
Start your own Internet business, set up an e-mail newsletter, and you could make $50,000 to $5 million starting this year.
Get the exact blueprint for doing so right now.
A Powerful Negotiation Tactic That Can Open New Doors
Just the other day, I had a conversation with a television producer regarding a reality TV project of mine that his group is considering developing. “Rob” told me that they are moving into scripted programming in addition to reality TV. And he mentioned that they have a couple of projects they are excited about, but need rewrites.
I’m a produced writer of a fairly big feature film and have been paid large sums of money for my movie scripts. So you would think I would turn up my nose at the idea of doing a rewrite of someone else’s script. Well, you’d be wrong. I tossed out the idea that to get in the door with them on scripted television, I’d do a rewrite on spec. (This means they would pay me for the rewrite only if they decided to use it.)
Rob was impressed with my confidence in my ability to do a good rewrite. And he ended up agreeing to have me submit an original teleplay that I’m in the process of writing.
Offering your services on spec like this can be a great way to open doors to new business opportunities. (Especially these days, when money is tight.) Sure, you could spend the time to do a great job and – for whatever reason – still lose out on the payoff. But it’s worth the risk.
Give some thought to how you might apply this strategy and give it a shot.
[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and produced screenwriter who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. For more information on his "Street Smart Business Program," click right here.]
Are You Barking Up the Wrong Tree With Your Marketing Efforts?
My phone rings about five minutes before I’m due in a meeting. It’s Verizon – again.
They’ve been calling me at least once a week for the past three months. Every time they do (at least, on the occasions when I pick up), I say the same thing: “Please don’t call me during work hours. I’ll be happy to consider this offer, but I’d rather see it in writing. Can you e-mail me the details?”
I like Verizon. And the offer they want me to accept sounds like a good one. But, aside from the fact that they keep calling me when I’m working, I have a big problem with what they’re doing: They want me to agree to a change in my sales plan over the phone. That doesn’t fly with me. I’d rather get an e-mail or a letter containing all the details, so I know exactly what I’m agreeing to.
Listen, I’m not criticizing Verizon for using the phone to make sales. This is a perfectly good marketing channel that can be an effective way to get people to buy.
But it’s not good for me. And I bet it’s not good for a lot of Verizon’s customers. Instead of relying solely on the phone to make sales, they should be reaching out to me using multiple channels. E-mail. Direct mail. Even text messaging.
This applies to you, too. If you’re trying to attract new customers by using just one marketing channel, you’re probably missing out on a ton of sales. Instead, reach out to them using several different channels. That way, they can respond to you via the method that’s easiest and most convenient for them.
[Ed. Note: Not sure exactly how to reach your prospective customers? Pick up a copy of the Amazon.com bestseller Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business by MaryEllen Tribby and Michael Masterson. In it, you'll find comprehensive guidelines for using 12 proven and effective marketing channels to attract new customers. Get all the details here.]
Bright Sushi, Red Flag
Sushi has health benefits, but also has some hidden health dangers.
This one may shock you.
With its appetizing hue, sushi tuna (ahi) is hard to resist. The fish must be really fresh to have such a bright shade of red. Right?
Not exactly. It is treated with carbon monoxide – the gas that streams from the tailpipe of your car and is deadly when inhaled. When “applied” to tuna, it reacts with the heme proteins in the fish, imparting the cherry color.
Avoid sushi tuna. While the coloring process may be considered “safe” by industry standards, there’s no long-term evidence that it is. And if carbon monoxide is deadly when you breathe it in, that certainly is enough to raise an eyebrow… if not a red flag.
[Ed. Note: One of the best ways to stay healthy and live longer is to eat good foods. Nutrition expert Kelley Herring has collected dozens of her healthiest and most delicious recipes in her e-book, Guilt-Free Desserts. Pick up your copy today.
For more advice about which foods you should - and shouldn't - be eating to stay in top health, sign up for ETR's free natural health newsletter.]
It’s Fun to Know: Medical Maggots
It might sound like something out of the Middle Ages, but it turns out that maggots – yes, icky little fly larvae – are being used to treat hard-to-heal leg ulcers. The maggots feast on the dead tissue surrounding the infection, promoting the growth of healthy cells. And according to University of York researchers, the maggot therapy is as effective as hydrogel dressings, the standard treatment for leg ulcers.
The researchers don’t advocate using maggots in every case, but consider them to be a good alternative when hyrdogel dressings are not available. Meanwhile, they are conducting further research into using them to prepare wounds for surgery.
(Source: Consumer Reports)
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Instead, they’re now taking matters into their own hands by quietly moving portions of their money into previously hidden high-profit investments “off Wall Street”.
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Another is currently offering the chance to gain year-in and year-out returns of 65% with 99.77% certainty – even in today’s economy.
Word to the Wise: Jettison
To “jettison” (JET-uh-zun) – from the Latin for “toss about” – is to throw goods overboard to lighten a ship or aircraft in distress. The word is used figuratively to mean throw away or discard.
Example (as used by Paul Donski in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution): “But with economic anxiety sweeping the public, some banks have decided to jettison traditional ads touting products and instead market traits like stability and security.”
[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, 2009
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