Issue #2651
- WEALTHY: What makes a business successful – and a good investment (Andrew Gordon)
- HEALTHY: Do you know the dangers? (Craig Ballantyne)
- WISE: David Ogilvy on creativity
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- 7 secrets to getting your prospects to buy (John Forde)
- A more powerful “upper” than caffeine (John Carlton)
- Add “luculent” to your vocabulary
== Highly Recommended ==
Cash from the Ash
Is it possible to make YOUR fortune from the recession with virtually no cash, no risk AND ethically?
Well, if you call the $3.2 MILLION I made by helping others in distress, then I guess the answer is a resounding ‘YES’!
A ‘robot’ can help make this sort of wealth a reality for you NOW. The worse the economy gets, the more money you make?
Please, I’m not here to tell you the same ol’ same ol’ “buy things cheap in recession”! Sure, that works IF you have the cash. My method involves NO buying at all…
In a few minutes, you’ll understand.
Please read the report below without delay- you deserve to at least be informed about this amazing, low-risk cash-on-demand system VERY few people know about:
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Make Margin Trends Your Friends
When investigating companies to invest in, I look at several margins – gross, operating, pre-tax, and net profit margin. But I focus on operating margin. Operating margin is the difference between how much you make and how much you spend to operate the business. If the “making” is at least 15 percent higher than the “spending,” I’m interested.
But there’s something else I need to know…
Was the operating margin lower or higher last year? And the year before? And the year before that? I like to see margins on an upward trend. It could mean several things, like…
• Strong and/or rising pricing power
• A shortage of products (Think Harley-Davidson, which deliberately makes fewer bikes than they could sell.)
• Technological leadership
• A transition from lower-end to higher-end products
• Rising productivity
• The ability to effectively manage costs
It takes more homework to figure out what is driving higher margins, but all of the above possibilities are good. So with an operating margin on an upward trend, even without doing the homework, you already know the company is running its business from a position of strength.
Profit margins go to the core of what makes a business successful. If you want a reality check, consider retailers.
Many retailers sold more product than ever during the 2008 holiday season. But because they had to slash prices to get customers to buy, their margins were squeezed to the max. So while sales were up, profits were down. That’s what happens when margins go in the wrong direction.
If you want to do the research yourself, the numbers are provided online by Reuters Finance. Just look up a specific company and click on “Ratios.”
[Ed. Note: This June, investment expert Andrew Gordon is just one of 9 investment experts who will show you exactly how you can make a fortune in today's market. Find out how to get their top recommendations for making 2009 the best year ever for your portfolio right here. ]
“In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.”
David Ogilvy
What’s Your Best Offer?
By John Forde
“Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry,” Donald Trump once said. “I like making deals. Preferably big ones.” And, indeed, coming up with appealing deals and powerful offers can be an art form unto itself.
Luckily for those of us who don’t have The Donald’s talent, there are formulas on how to do it. And books that lay out those formulas in simple yet thorough detail. One is Cash Copy by Dr. Jeffrey Lant.
As an example, you could build any number of deals using Lant’s most basic premium offer formula. It goes something like this: Successful Premium Offer = FREE + limited time +stated real benefit.
But you can get even more fancy, with impressive results. Here are some of the offer structures Lant suggests, followed by details on how marketers might use them… along with added details on how to apply them directly in sales copy.
Offer Type #1. The Tension Buster
Challenge: By the time your prospect gets to the sales close, what’s he worried about? He wants to know (a) if you can solve his problems the way you say you can, and (b) if you can’t, can he get his money back.
Solution: Money-back guarantees are standard fare for all kinds of product offers. Trial samples work here, too. Personally, I prefer strong guarantees to weak ones. Marketers sometimes fear a flood of refund requests. But when you’re working with good products and honest sales promises, that shouldn’t be much of a problem… right?
Technique: I usually push for the strongest guarantee possible – 100 percent money back, even 110 percent back for dissatisfied customers. For the extra 10 percent, maybe you could tally that up in the form of freebies the refunded customer gets to keep. Make it look substantial, too. Certificate borders help. So can signatures and a photo next to your guarantee copy. Also, try putting a strong testimonial in your P.S. or on your reply device.
Offer Type #2. The “Instant Gratification” Deal
Challenge: Immediate action-takers want immediate results. They want to see the benefits as soon as possible after deciding to buy.
Solution: Bill-me-later options, installment payments, and trial offers can help scratch the “instant-satisfaction” itch.
Technique: Emphasize ease of ordering and speed of delivery, with simple language like “You pay nothing up front. Just let me know where to send your trial sample, and I’ll rush it to your mailbox.” Tell the customer what they’ll get and, if possible, when.
Offer Type #3. The Coupon-Clipper’s Delight
Challenge: Even with good copy and a good product, sticker shock can be a problem.
Solution: Quantity offers, limited-time offers, and trade-in offers are good ways to show prospects that they’re getting a good deal.
Technique: Emphasize the discount with call-out boxes. Do the math in $$ if the savings is a percentage discount. In the body of the sales close, try showing the cost and efficiency of your product compared to similar, more expensive products. If you can make the offer time-limited, do so. And put that deadline in a call-out box on the reply page, too. Another idea: Try emphasizing the savings by creating a “price-off” coupon that gets sent back along with the reply card.
Offer Type #4. The Ticking Timer
Challenge: If you don’t get immediate action on a sales decision, you probably won’t make the sale at all.
Solution: Seasonal offers have a natural time limit, but contrived time limits can work just as well. The “speed-reply” bonus is another common device.
Technique: If there’s a limit on the number of customers who can sign up, give specifics. For example: “Frankly, after these 2,000 slots are filled, I’m going to have to close the doors. If I don’t hear from you by then, you’ll be turned away. I’ll have no choice. Which is why I hope to hear from you soon.” Emphasize benefits the prospect sacrifices by waiting too long. Fax and toll-free ordering can also be used to help speed up orders: “If you want to get started immediately, call or fax your order to…”
Offer Type #5. The EZ Offer
Challenge: Even eager customers can get confused by complex order forms, missing business reply envelopes, elaborate information requests, and worse.
Solution: Multiple ways to place an order help – but more than three options (fax, phone, mail, or e-mail) is probably too much. These days, the ability to take orders around the clock is a big plus.
Technique: Try numbering the steps. (“1. Fill out this invitation below. 2. Put it in the envelope provided. 3. Drop it in your mailbox.”) Add this phrase here and there, too: “It’s that simple.” And if you’ve got a toll-free number, be sure to put it where the prospect can see it. Make it large. Make it easy to find. And put it on every piece in the envelope.
Offer Type #6. The Private Deal
Challenge: People like to feel that they’re getting privileges. “In a world where everyone is as important as everyone else,” says Lant, ”people are dying to feel more important than everyone else.”
Solution: Create limited editions, clubs, and “societies.” Frequent-flier miles and favored-customer incentives work on this principle.
Technique: Use design to make the invitation look exclusive. Write in “whispered” tones. The reply device could be constructed like a real “R.S.V.P.” document. When you start the sales close, make sure you summarize the benefits in the form of privileges for exclusive invitees.
Offer Type #7. The Bachelor’s Offer
Challenge: Some people fear commitment.
Solution: “No-money-down” offers are effective – but for real fence sitters, consider collecting their contact information for future use. E-mail is great for this. Give free information up front. Then keep in touch to deepen the relationship and set the groundwork for future sales.
Technique: Here’s where emphasizing freebies can come in handy. But remember, it’s not worthwhile if (a) the freebie is of no benefit to the prospect and (b) you fail to collect their contact information.
A caveat, says Lant, is that “‘free’ by itself is almost never the strongest possible offer you can make.” However, he says, when you’ve got a really strong offer – no matter what kind it is – one of the best things you can do is bring it out right up front.
Added evidence: Many of the most successful direct-mail letters of all time lead with a strong sales offer right in the headline or on the first page. By the way, Lant himself credits another copywriting expert with some of the best insights in his “offer” chapter – our prolific pal Bob Bly, author of the all-time classic The Copywriter’s Handbook
Pick up a copy if you haven’t already.
[Ed. Note: To get more of copywriting expert John Forde's wisdom and insights into marketing (and much more), sign up for his free e-letter, Copywriter's Roundtable, at http://www.copywritersroundtable.com. Or send an e-mail to signup@jackforde.com. Get a free report about 15 deadly copy mistakes and how to avoid them when you sign up today .
To create a powerful offer, you need to have top-quality products and a list of people to sell them to. Discover how to set up an e-mail list and website, create products the market is hungry for, and much more with ETR's Internet Money Club Independent Learner's Edition. Get all the details here.]
Are You OK With (Smaller) Online Profits That Automatically Flow Into Your Bank Account Every Month?
Seems like everyone’s going for broke and trying to earn a million their first year online. In the meantime, a handful of people are happy as clams with automatic income streams – usually a few thousand dollars – fattening up their bank accounts each month.
Of course, you can set up as many of these income streams you want. So if it’s more money you are after, then go for it! Best part: It only takes about an hour to set up and it’s easy to do. And then imagine yourself sitting back and watching the money roll in.
Sounds too easy, I know. But perhaps everyone is busy trying to make a killing online… and so they’ve overlooked this fast and easy way to make very nice (but not ridiculous) amounts of money. Why not take a peek today and see if this is right for you?
Don’t Sabotage Yourself With All-Nighters
By John Carlton
When you are writing on deadline (or creating a marketing plan, redesigning your website, etc.) and your energy is starting to falter… do not rely on coffee or “power” drinks to stay alert.
If you’re really tired, take a nap. It’s a tactic all top writers know about. Stuff your brain with info, then go sleep for 20 minutes and let your subconscious synthesize and data-mine everything. When you wake up (don’t sleep longer than 20 minutes or you’ll get groggy), you will often be amazed at what’s suddenly ready to be written.
I’ve done my headlines this way for most of my career.
I never force myself to stay awake. If you do, you’ll spend three hours grinding out crap you’ll have to toss anyway. By grabbing some brain-satisfying shut-eye when you require it, you can be more productive in half an hour than you could hope to manage in three bleary-eyed hours of trying to coerce results.
[Ed. Note: Get more unconventional tips for supercharging your career at John Carlton's blog www.john-carlton.com.
Power napping is a technique that works for John Carlton. But there are hundreds of other "secrets" you can use to get out of tough spots in Early to Rise's Unscrew Your Life newsletter. Sign up today.]
Didn’t Ya Know Obesity Is Bad?
It’s hard to believe that so many folks are still overweight. Though the media has covered the risks of obesity (diabetes, heart disease, and even death) in great detail, the sad truth is that people just don’t seem to be aware of the danger. And British researcher Dr. Judy Ann Swift from the University of Nottingham is concerned.
The 104 overweight men and women who participated in Dr. Swift’s study started by taking a survey on how much they knew about the dangers of obesity. Amazingly, most knew very little. And it turned out that the more educated a participant was about the dangers and health costs of obesity, the better chance they had of losing weight.
This is important news for trainers and health professionals, but also for anyone who wants to lose weight. Discover the dangers of obesity and you’ll have more motivation to succeed!
[Ed. Note: Don't know much about the dangers that come with being overweight? Take a look through ETR's health archive for more information, plus get easy nutritional advice and useful weight-loss techniques.
Beat obesity by burning fat with fitness expert Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training program. ]
It’s Good to Know: The m-SPAM Act
The CAN-SPAM Act, passed in 2003, was intended to protect consumers from unwanted commercial e-mails. When it was initiated, it led to rigorous “opt-in” procedures for legitimate businesses that use e-mail to reach their customers – but spammers still found ways to beat the system. (A quick look at your inbox will tell you all you need to know.) And now some legislators are pushing for a companion act, the m-SPAM Act (the m is for “mobile”), to protect cellphone users from spam text messages.
Their intentions may be honorable – but, considering how ineffective CAN-SPAM has been, makes you think their time might be better spent on some other “cause.”
(Source: Internet News)
== Highly Recommended ==
Your “Off Wall Street” Cash Recovery Plan
I don’t know about you, but I’d barely trust Wall Street and the Big Banks with the 63 dollars in my wallet right now, never mind my IRA, 401(k), and life savings!
That’s why thousands of smart Americans are now taking matters into their own hands and quietly moving their money into much smarter positions “off Wall Street”.
One investment of as little as $1,000 has the realistic ability to quickly swell into a full year’s salary in just a few weeks’ time – and then repeat over and over again.
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: Luculent
“Luculent” (LOO-kyuh-lunt) – from the Latin for “light” – means clear, easily understood.
Example (as used by Dan Schnabel in American Mathematical Monthly): “Yet it is always luculent, even when the concepts being expressed become somewhat sophisticated.”
[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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