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Do This, Not That...

by max5ty
37 replies
Ever hear the saying, it's more profitable to sell a cure than it is a prevention?

What does that mean?

Here's a very simple example to show the differences:

If Bob is reading a sales piece about your new polar bear spray that is designed to keep bears from eating him...

and he's kicked back in his recliner with his feet propped up sipping coffee...

while your piece is going on and on about how big polar bears are...and how big their teeth are and how big their claws are...and how fast they can eat you...and 115 people get eaten every year by bears...and you should always carry a can of this...

and to get Bob to order right now, today, this minute, like pronto type stuff, you offer him a bonus of free brass knuckles valued at $149.

Then another bonus of a free baseball bat valued at $99.

Then finally a third bonus of a free first aid kit...

then go on for 6 more paragraphs about a guarantee and how anyone can send their obituary and the unused portion of the bear spray back for a full refund...no questions asked...

then recap everything from beginning to end for 12 more pages.

In all reality, Bob probably isn't sitting there in frozen terror while he grips the arms of his chair reading your sales piece.

If, on the other hand...

Bob is actually standing face-to-face with a polar bear on a frozen tundra somewhere in Alaska...

micro thoughts are flashing through his mind -

So tall...big teeth...OMG claws...the smell...my family...tell them I love them...I'm done...

he's trembling, his heart is pounding a million miles an hour - - - -

and suddenly, from a few feet away, you hold up a can of your bear spray and quietly say: "Hey Bob would you like some bear spray? Just wondering. No big deal either way. I don't know, you might like it."

Does anyone think Bob would slowly turn and ask: "Are there any bonuses if I order right now?"

A very simplistic example, but it obviously shows one method is aimed towards prevention and the other is aimed towards a cure.

When you offer a prevention, you need to build desire, motivation, interest, and a ton of other emotions.

When selling a cure, you simply use the emotions your customer already has.

Offering a cure can be very powerful.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jamell
    You nailed it .Market according to the timing the season and mood of the consumer .

    Thanks for sharing .
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    • Profile picture of the author max5ty
      Originally Posted by Jamell View Post

      You nailed it .Market according to the timing the season and mood of the consumer .

      Thanks for sharing .
      Thanks for your comment.

      If I ever decided to take on a project, I determined what problem are we solving and how many people need the problem solved.

      A lot of products are nice to have, but they don't solve a problem. And if the problem isn't evident...can we make it evident?

      Almost any product or service can be positioned to solve a problem with some creative thinking.

      Jeans?

      Yes, these jeans will stop the baggy in the wrong places.

      Hamburgers?

      Yes, this hamburger stops the annoying taste of processed burgers.

      Solve a problem...and you make money...the bigger the problem solved, the more money you make.
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      • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
        Just an observation.

        It seems that many 50+ copywriters/marketers have cut their teeth on research, and problem solving. That is the old school way, and for those youngins, it has made many a person FORTUNES.

        The new, modern idea, as posited by Alen Sultanic (in my opinion, the best there is right now) is...

        Research isn't necessary (as) when you understand the deep motives of human behavior. His take, paraphrased of course is:
        Emotions create filters, filters create justifications and directionality of the mind.
         and
        All purchases contain some level of future prediction in them; otherwise, they would contain no certainty in them.
        ...Knowing all this, I just extrapolate meta-data and then just use copy to punch it.

        Now this is seeing the surface glare of a blue hole which hasn't been plumbed to its deepest point. Sultanic is that deep.

        It might just be a different perspective on seeing the PROBLEM, but the common thing is an EMOTIONAL APPEAL is what works, adding, at the right time, to the right person.

        And maybe (Claude?) we can include the nectar of salesmanship in this too, evoke the emotion of relief, solving the problem, even if we have to educate them first of the problem...and the prospect becomes the buyer.

        I may be wrong, but I like to think that when one puts the avatar of the target against the backdrop of human behavior, the bulls eye becomes clearer and we can then take better aim.

        Or maybe not.

        GordonJ




        QUOTE=max5ty;11740768]Thanks for your comment.

        If I ever decided to take on a project, I determined what problem are we solving and how many people need the problem solved.

        A lot of products are nice to have, but they don't solve a problem. And if the problem isn't evident...can we make it evident?

        Almost any product or service can be positioned to solve a problem with some creative thinking.

        Jeans?

        Yes, these jeans will stop the baggy in the wrong places.

        Hamburgers?

        Yes, this hamburger stops the annoying taste of processed burgers.

        Solve a problem...and you make money...the bigger the problem solved, the more money you make.[/QUOTE]
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post


          It might just be a different perspective on seeing the PROBLEM, but the common thing is an EMOTIONAL APPEAL is what works, adding, at the right time, to the right person.

          And maybe (Claude?) we can include the nectar of salesmanship in this too, evoke the emotion of relief, solving the problem, even if we have to educate them first of the problem...and the prospect becomes the buyer.
          I know in marketing, it's more "Find the people with the problem, clarify and aggravate the problem, make your solution the only one, make now the best time" (more or less).

          I was going to mention this earlier.

          In selling, many times there isn't an obvious urgent need that you can satisfy. After all, nobody is having a "vacuum cleaner emergency"....or a "Life insurance emergency".

          But these things get sold every day to a large percent of the people that are exposed to a great salesperson. Why?

          We know the ancillary wants that everyone has....we want to be seen as smart, want to be seen as kind, want to be loved, want to be understood, we want to be listened to..... We want our life to be easier and we want bragging rights. We want to be thought of as important, good parents, loyal to our friends, tribes, and brands....And we want our past buying decisions to be seen as wise.

          It's been said many times that buying is 100% emotional and defended with logic.

          Sort of. The logic is actually occurring in the buying decision...it's the verbal talk we hear in our brain as we are thinking it through. And rational reasons to buy are also useful, not just emotional reasons. The "emotional" triggers are all happening below our consciousness.

          You said "Evoke the emotion of relief". That's what we are after. We want them to feel relief.

          If we don't have a huge immediate need that we can identify, we can substitute a hundred little emotional needs we can cater to...and as we are doing that, the prospect gets the same feeling we originally sought, that they really need what we have. ..that they have a problem that our offer will solve. Even if that need is not huge and concrete.

          When I sold vacuum cleaners, nobody ever wanted to buy one at first...nobody. But it was a steady slow chipping away at resistance, by solving small problems, offering small conveniences....small advantages.....small emotional triggers....until the weight of all that was enough to sway them.

          A different approach when there is no real problem to solve. With life insurance there really is a problem to solve, but it's almost never one they were thinking about before you called.
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

    Ever hear the saying, it's more profitable to sell a cure than it is a prevention?

    What does that mean?
    This is why selling fire alarms or burglar alarms it a tough sell. There is no immediate need, and no fear before you get there. All of that has to be created by you.

    And selling a cure? The pain already exists...the fear already exists. The urgency already exists.

    Your last three threads are evidence that AI won't replace high end copywriting anytime soon.
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    • Profile picture of the author max5ty
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      This is why selling fire alarms or burglar alarms it a tough sell. There is no immediate need, and no fear before you get there. All of that has to be created by you.

      And selling a cure? The pain already exists...the fear already exists. The urgency already exists.

      Your last three threads are evidence that AI won't replace high end copywriting anytime soon.
      Great analogy!

      I remember Joe Sugarman used to talk about when he sold his "burglar alarms"...

      he said nobody really cared about his alarms until their neighbor's house got broken into, and then it was time for them to take action (I'm paraphrasing here because I can't remember the exact words). Also, back then they called them burglar alarms.

      He made sure his ads were out there without scaring people or quoting statistics...but, he knew when something happened, his ads were top of mind and got results.

      If I remember correctly, I believe he talked about this in his copywriting course?

      Thanks for your comment, insightful as always.
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    • Profile picture of the author DABK
      A brother of mine was visiting an Eastern European country done 15 years ago.
      While he was there, there was talk if their Congress-equivalent passing a law making it mandatory that everyone have a fire alarm within so many yards of a bedroom or stove.

      So, he went on Alibaba, ordered 10k units.

      The law passed, the units came, and sat in storage for years. 5 years later he still had some 1000 units in storage.

      Turns out, where there is a smoke alarm law in place, you still need a burning house or apartment to get people motivated.

      He is still amazed he didn't kill it.
      "Logic says,..." He says.

      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      This is why selling fire alarms or burglar alarms it a tough sell. There is no immediate need, and no fear before you get there. All of that has to be created by you.

      And selling a cure? The pain already exists...the fear already exists. The urgency already exists.

      Your last three threads are evidence that AI won't replace high end copywriting anytime soon.
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    • Profile picture of the author Davey Boy Music
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      This is why selling fire alarms or burglar alarms it a tough sell. There is no immediate need, and no fear before you get there. All of that has to be created by you.

      And selling a cure? The pain already exists...the fear already exists. The urgency already exists.

      Your last three threads are evidence that AI won't replace high end copywriting anytime soon.
      I believe it was Gary Bencivenga who said that he taps into his ideal prospect's already existing motivation. Great advice.
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  • Profile picture of the author Troy Arrandale
    Wow. All my copywriting problems are solved.
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    @ DABK - Your brother was thinking ahead.

    I'd probably just donate the rest and get some advertising yardage.

    We make our renters have rental insurance, which is about 8 bucks a month, and some still bulk - until they need to use it, and then they consider themselves heroes and forward thinkers.

    @ Troy -

    Hopefully, you keep learning. Copywriting is an ongoing profession that changes quickly sometimes.

    When I post something, it's not the only idea you can use...and not the only way you can do something.

    I've known successful copywriters that swear by using anger for everything they write. I agree it's a top emotion, but yes, there are others that work just as well sometimes.

    It's good to have a lot of different ideas you can choose from.

    Myself, I always liked the "cure" angle.
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    @ Gordon -

    Thanks Gordon for bringing up this discussion.

    When I first read:

    "Research isn't necessary (as) when you understand the deep motives of human behavior."...

    I was trying to think how with all my imagination this would work. In my own mind, this was so nonsensical it almost sounds like a joke.

    You were mentioning 50+ copywriters...in today's copywriting world it's called "Voice-Of-Customer"

    Not sure if it was Weibe that coined the phrase a couple of years ago...although some say she did, and I can accept that...

    our goal is to let the customer speak through our work.

    We use their lingo, their way of saying things, their way of looking at a certain problem, etc. That is only learned through researching our customer.

    Our goal is to enter the conversation that's going on in their mind...if we come in and start talking with a southern drawl to people up north, we are instantly considered outsiders...works in sales copy the same way. We need to speak like them and talk like them and use their lingo. We may have the same emotions and process things the same way as someone from a different region...but we won't relate to them until we speak on their level.

    I think it was also Weibe a few years ago that changed a headline that in my opinion sounded like someone with the idea of just following emotions wrote...they wrote "Your Addiction Ends Here"...

    she came along and wrote "If You Think You Need Rehab, You Do"...

    she took that quote from an actual addict (through meticulous research). Other addicts related to it. It increased clicks by 400%.

    How many times have you heard the headline came from research. The bullet points came from research. The whole plot of the piece came from research...

    research that out of the blue made one sentence or phrase stand out?

    Big companies understand people's emotions. They spend billions to study them...yet, when they have a new product they'll have focus groups and study groups and on and on. Most of the lingo they use for their ads comes from these groups. They study and learn how to speak like their potential customers speak.

    Anyways, thanks for your comment. I totally disagree with the guy, but it was an interesting concept that to me makes no sense.
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    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      @ Gordon -

      Thanks Gordon for bringing up this discussion.

      When I first read:

      "Research isn't necessary (as) when you understand the deep motives of human behavior."...

      I was trying to think how with all my imagination this would work. In my own mind, this was so nonsensical it almost sounds like a joke.

      You were mentioning 50+ copywriters...in today's copywriting world it's called "Voice-Of-Customer"

      Not sure if it was Weibe that coined the phrase a couple of years ago...although some say she did, and I can accept that...

      our goal is to let the customer speak through our work.

      We use their lingo, their way of saying things, their way of looking at a certain problem, etc. That is only learned through researching our customer.

      Our goal is to enter the conversation that's going on in their mind...if we come in and start talking with a southern drawl to people up north, we are instantly considered outsiders...works in sales copy the same way. We need to speak like them and talk like them and use their lingo. We may have the same emotions and process things the same way as someone from a different region...but we won't relate to them until we speak on their level.

      I think it was also Weibe a few years ago that changed a headline that in my opinion sounded like someone with the idea of just following emotions wrote...they wrote "Your Addiction Ends Here"...

      she came along and wrote "If You Think You Need Rehab, You Do"...

      she took that quote from an actual addict (through meticulous research). Other addicts related to it. It increased clicks by 400%.

      How many times have you heard the headline came from research. The bullet points came from research. The whole plot of the piece came from research...

      research that out of the blue made one sentence or phrase stand out?

      Big companies understand people's emotions. They spend billions to study them...yet, when they have a new product they'll have focus groups and study groups and on and on. Most of the lingo they use for their ads comes from these groups. They study and learn how to speak like their potential customers speak.

      Anyways, thanks for your comment. I totally disagree with the guy, but it was an interesting concept that to me makes no sense.
      I too, at first, thought it didn't sound right. And my presentation, a filing off a thumbnail, really doesn't do his concept the justice it deserves.

      So I'm not in a position to elaborate on it, just shining some light on it. And maybe it has to do with his market, the Internet Marketer/Copywriter.

      It would be interesting to see it go up against one of the focus groups and maybe with all the current interest in AI, once you trained it to replace the focus group, or to get the avatar and how it speaks/responds...and link to the deeper subconscious motives/rationales that Claude spoke of...

      to see how it would do.

      As of now, it may apply to small spectrum of markets, especially evergreen ones, where the avatar/problem comes around by generation.

      For the newer/younger copywriter, being a part of the niche, may provide enough knowledge to speak the language and the research part is built in??

      Good discussions as always,

      GordonJ
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  • Profile picture of the author rclemente
    Hello, how are all of you doing?

    I feel that research is needed, and when you are able to solve a problem for someone I think it is the best way and whatever you are selling them you can have a consistent customer there because that problem that they had now it's gone. Solve a problem for me is the way to go!
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  • Profile picture of the author BillG56
    Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

    Ever hear the saying, it's more profitable to sell a cure than it is a prevention?

    What does that mean?

    Here's a very simple example to show the differences:

    If Bob is reading a sales piece about your new polar bear spray that is designed to keep bears from eating him...

    and he's kicked back in his recliner with his feet propped up sipping coffee...

    while your piece is going on and on about how big polar bears are...and how big their teeth are and how big their claws are...and how fast they can eat you...and 115 people get eaten every year by bears...and you should always carry a can of this...

    and to get Bob to order right now, today, this minute, like pronto type stuff, you offer him a bonus of free brass knuckles valued at $149.

    Then another bonus of a free baseball bat valued at $99.

    Then finally a third bonus of a free first aid kit...

    then go on for 6 more paragraphs about a guarantee and how anyone can send their obituary and the unused portion of the bear spray back for a full refund...no questions asked...

    then recap everything from beginning to end for 12 more pages.

    In all reality, Bob probably isn't sitting there in frozen terror while he grips the arms of his chair reading your sales piece.

    If, on the other hand...

    Bob is actually standing face-to-face with a polar bear on a frozen tundra somewhere in Alaska...

    micro thoughts are flashing through his mind -

    So tall...big teeth...OMG claws...the smell...my family...tell them I love them...I'm done...

    he's trembling, his heart is pounding a million miles an hour - - - -

    and suddenly, from a few feet away, you hold up a can of your bear spray and quietly say: "Hey Bob would you like some bear spray? Just wondering. No big deal either way. I don't know, you might like it."

    Does anyone think Bob would slowly turn and ask: "Are there any bonuses if I order right now?"

    A very simplistic example, but it obviously shows one method is aimed towards prevention and the other is aimed towards a cure.

    When you offer a prevention, you need to build desire, motivation, interest, and a ton of other emotions.

    When selling a cure, you simply use the emotions your customer already has.

    Offering a cure can be very powerful.
    Well written and an excellent great point. Thanks.
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    Grovers Copywriting

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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Thanks Gordon.

    It seems in about the mid-90s, copywriting forked...one fork was the copywriters that were selling products for companies, and the other fork became the one with the "from the desk of" and "this may be the most important message you've ever read"...

    they became the info selling copywriters that were born from the internet age.

    Mass Dominator 2 and Email Exterminator XXL and...

    I have nothing against the info copywriters. But, I rarely follow them...and there's nothing wrong with those that do follow them. Just not my cup of tea I guess you could say. To each their own.

    We also have the copywriter/SEO/Marketing Specialist/Affiliate/Email List/Funnel Builders...which I understand can create some disagreements when you talk about copywriting principles.

    Many info product copywriters have come and gone quickly. There have also been a few good ones that made some money and I'm not taking anything away from them or knocking them.

    Lots of young copywriters marketing themselves on the internet today. Building lists and selling courses. There are a couple of different ones that claim they're the world's best. One of those just sold a bunch of subscriptions and disappeared, nobody knows what happened. Then, there are the ones that have public conflicts with each other...soap opera type stuff.

    But, what I look at when they preach modern-day tactics is, what are they selling?

    99% of the time they're selling their own info products or someone else's info products to their email list...or they'll swap email lists with a buddy that also has a big email list.

    Most are considered great because they sold tons of courses to their list...or they created the "Imobolizer 2020 Customer Annihilator"...or something like that.

    I've heard some crazy stuff...but then realize for what they're selling, maybe it works.

    There's a whole copywriting world out there that is doing everything from ads to food packaging.

    I know many copywriters that are out there nailing it right now in cosmetics, fashion, health and fitness...and some other fields. Selling real products for companies. Most don't even have a website or advertise. Talked to one such young lady a couple weeks ago...she's so booked she can't even take any more projects this year and probably into most of next year.

    I try to be open-minded about things.

    But, I do think you could take the "company product type" copywriter and put them in the "info world" and they'd be able to prosper there as well...it's happened. If you took the online "info" copywriter and put them in the company product world, I think they would have problems. I think it's one reason there's so much disagreement sometimes. Just my assumption.

    It's early and I don't know if I made my point as clear as I could have, but hopefully, it's clear enough to understand the basic point I'm trying to make.

    I realize what I think works isn't the only thing that will work. How I would do something isn't the only way something should be done.

    Was an interesting concept you mentioned, and I'm glad you did. It's always good to discover what someone else is thinking about copywriting.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      But, I do think you could take the "company product type" copywriter and put them in the "info world" and they'd be able to prosper there as well...it's happened. If you took the online "info" copywriter and put them in the company product world, I think they would have problems. I think it's one reason there's so much disagreement sometimes. Just my assumption.
      I agree. (This is an agreement from a non-copywriter...so take it with a grain of salt)

      When I was in my early 20s, I sold life insurance...and got really good at it.

      Then someone came to my home and sold us a vacuum cleaner. I could instantly tell I would enjoy selling this "thing" much more than life insurance. So I immediately switched.

      I went almost two months before my first vacuum cleaner sale. Every day I had 2 presentations. I didn't quit because I knew;
      1) It wasn't the product
      2) It wasn't the economy or anything to do with money
      3) And I hadn't changed at all.

      I knew that I simply hadn't figured it out yet. Of course, I did figure it out and went on to be...well....great at it.

      Decades later, I understood a few things.

      I sold lots of life insurance because I simply hit a phenomenal number of doors, and rejection didn't bother me. and I figured out how to sell life insurance to employees of large companies, and they would have their premiums taken out of their paychecks. (That single idea is what drove me to be the 3rd top agent in the company for 1977)

      And I wore a suit.

      But nothing I learned while selling life insurance was transferable to selling vacuum cleaners in people's homes. In fact, it helped kill sales.

      Several years later, the economy tanked, I lost my financing (almost all the sales were financed), and I went back to selling life insurance for a year.

      And I instantly did very well. Everything I learned while selling vacuums, transferred very well to selling life insurance, but the reverse wasn't true at all.

      I've also talked to two sales trainers that sell training to financial service providers. Both have told me that they get poor results when training anyone selling a product.

      And I know a joint venture marketer that also won't do joint ventures with anyone that sells a product, only services. They told me the results simply aren't there selling their information product to lists of physical product buyers...even when the lists are from the same industry.

      Do you have any idea why this crossover works only in one direction? I have my own theory, but I'd like to hear yours.
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  • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
    Let's not forget airhead millennials & GenZers who are so stoopid you could prolly sell 'em their own face.

    That is why, deep down, they seek so to be inflooensahs c/o zero expertise whatsoevah.

    But they also demand sumthin' curious back in response.

    For sure, Max5ty's excellent bear spray analogy nails what is mostly acceptibyool at certain turnin' points of certain narratives ...

    but an emergin' realization 'bout the state of the planit is promptin' many to question the eco-friendliness of most any brand.

    So I would posit how the 'prevention' lasso been cut sum culchrl slack c/o our understandin' of where we at.

    Back in the day, them supah handy plastic stuffs were an instant WIN WIN WIN.

    But now we see diffrent.

    If'n a longah term view can be fostered, it might have valyoo spannin' more time than can be experienced by a single individyool or generayschwaahn.

    (I believe oppressive religions been usin' this kinda methodology since before rhinos evolved horns.)

    Main thing is, relief is always a winnah.

    So bring it on!

    Or is that 'bring it off'?

    Hey -- it is a Noo Year an' I still figurin' the rules.
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    @ Claude -

    That is an interesting question and also a very deep one.

    In my opinion, the company product copywriter takes a more scientific approach to selling a product than someone selling some of the information we see on the internet. They have more responsibility for the product's success...and the company's success (I'll explain below).

    And since they're taking a more scientific approach, they use a broader range of learning...

    they'll study psychology. Story writing. Script writing...and it goes on and on.

    They learn to explore all the emotions when it comes to selling. They know how to write several pieces in different formats that hit different emotions for the same product. Branding, blah blah blah. In a nutshell, their study of the profession has to be deep and from several angles.

    The explanation could go on for probably a whole book...and as we know, there have been books written on it.

    When selling some of the types of info we see online, all the responsibility for the product working is put on the customer.

    You're selling future hopes and dreams and the customer is required to supply the action to make it happen.

    If the info doesn't work, it's the customer's fault. They didn't take action. They were lazy. It's never the owner of the info that is at fault.

    With a real product, the responsibility for it working is on the product itself (and more importantly the company) with no future rituals required from the customer.

    It's real. It's there. It can be used. It can be touched. Within that product lies your promise to the customer that it is the thing that will solve their problem. And, since you sold it, you are responsible in the customer's eyes. The customer has a reason to blame you if it doesn't solve their problem.

    Those are very simplistic explanations without going on for pages.

    Anyways, back to copywriting, a person that takes a more comprehensive view of copywriting and discovers more about the scientific approaches, has a wider angle of expertise.

    We could put them in many different situations and they would prosper.

    The copywriter that limits themselves to only online info (example) is limited in their scope of knowledge and would have problems with more diverse audiences...

    I'm speaking generally and hoping I can explain it in the simplest way possible.

    I would love to hear your thoughts on your sales experience and why it was the way it was.

    I just don't know enough about one on one sales to really be able to give an answer without probably sounding like I had no idea what I was talking about...which I really wouldn't.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      When selling some of the types of info we see online, all the responsibility for the product working is put on the customer.

      You're selling future hopes and dreams and the customer is required to supply the action to make it happen.

      If the info doesn't work, it's the customer's fault. They didn't take action. They were lazy. It's never the owner of the info that is at fault.

      With a real product, the responsibility for it working is on the product itself (and more importantly the company) with no future rituals required from the customer.

      It's real. It's there. It can be used. It can be touched. Within that product lies your promise to the customer that it is the thing that will solve their problem. And, since you sold it, you are responsible in the customer's eyes. The customer has a reason to blame you if it doesn't solve their problem.

      Those are very simplistic explanations without going on for pages.

      Anyways, back to copywriting, a person that takes a more comprehensive view of copywriting and discovers more about the scientific approaches, has a wider angle of expertise.

      We could put them in many different situations and they would prosper.

      The copywriter that limits themselves to only online info (example) is limited in their scope of knowledge and would have problems with more diverse audiences....
      All of that is true, of course, and I thought of a bit of it before...but not all of it. Thanks for the insights.


      My thought is that selling information is a different approach because it has no core to it. No product to sell around. It's conceptual. See below.


      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      I would love to hear your thoughts on your sales experience and why it was the way it was.

      I just don't know enough about one on one sales       to really be able to give an answer without probably sounding like I had no idea what I was talking about...which I really wouldn't.
      The only advantage I have is that I experience a protracted back and forth exchange with buyers, and copywriting is a more repeated appeal, without that engagement. So what you do is more sophisticated...a higher level.. than what I do.

      My reasoning as to why informational sales (or concept sales like life insurance) are different is that....

      With a "Thing", everything revolves around that object. Every appeal, every benefit, every story...is about the product. (or how you interact with the product).

      Conceptual sales are more about trust in the salesperson...certainty about what they are saying...and matching what you say to what the prospect already believes.

      Selling a thing involves all of that of course, but there is an object you can see, feel, experience. Selling a concept is all the peripherals, without the core product.

      In many ways a harder sale.

      When I went from selling life insurance to selling vacuum cleaners, I had no idea that about 80-90% of the sale was determined by what the buyers experienced with the machine while I was there. The demonstrating carried nearly all the weight of the sale.
      And I didn't know that, so I talked and talked about the product without the prospect experiencing the whole thing for themselves.
      Like trying to sell the idea of sex. You can describe it in depth...or you can just experience it for yourself. Two different worlds.

      I think this story is a perfect example of what I mean.

      When I was very young, and worked for my friend Julius Toth, in his retail store (learning how to sell in a retail store)...we had one vacuum cleaner that was small, hand held, sturdy, and was made of metal....unique in the business, and a very good tool.

      On our retail counter we had one on display, plugged in, with a small patch of carpet to demonstrate it on. It sold for $59 (At suggested retail).

      My friend saw that we were not selling many of these little machines. We told him it was because the price was too high (This was young very stupid Claude) There were maybe 5 of us "salespeople" in the store that day.

      Julius taught us a lesson that day. We had a contest. Julius told us that he would sell more of these hand held vacuums than all the rest of us combined, and he would sell them for $119...and we could sell them for just $20.

      Only one rule. He could demonstrate them...and we could not touch them, only talk about them.

      We all gave it a go. Begging people to buy these things. Telling them they were buying them for 65% off that day...describing how well they worked. Nothing. Not even a close one.

      Julius sold two for $119 each. He just demonstrated how they worked and had the buyer use them....experience them.

      The difference was in hearing about the product VS experiencing the product.

      A separate idea about why selling courses and sales training is different from selling "Things" to the same audience (My main audience) is that nearly all sales people and business owners buy sales tools of one sort or another...signage, displays, presentation materials, examples....

      But only a small percentage of these people ever pays for sales training...or even studies it when it's free. The information buyer is a separate subspecies.

      The information buyer is buying a Dream. Not a lie...but a dream. The entire sale takes place in their imagination. And matching your words to their imagination is a different thing than matching your words to something concrete, (as real product) surrounded by their imagination.

      Even selling training is different now. I used to be able to show a DVD album, several manuals, and beautiful covers that conveyed value. It all had weight...heft. It could be touched. Now it's all just electrons...downloads. access to membership site. It used to be a pile of stuff, and that was part of the appeal.

      Even books.

      Did you know that I sell about half of my books as Kindle books and half as printed books? And at the end of each book is an offer.

      All the responses to that offer come from the printed books. Without exception. Simply a different buying experience...a different reading experience.

      I could go on and on....And I did.
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Claude -

    Interesting points.

    In the case of the vacuum contest, I think by the customer trying it, it increased their perceived value of the vacuum.

    One last thing about info products...

    and it goes back to a comment you made about trusting the salesperson...

    I've seen some info products sold that were sold the "right" way.

    The seller gave away so much free information that you actually learned something of value and could tell he/she knew what they were talking about.

    Then when they offered their info product, it was an easy decision to decide if it was worth it.

    The whole service-based industry is another example of building trust.

    I've said before, if you're selling a service, one of the best ways to advertise is to send or give a free report that teaches your potential customers something that relates to your service.

    Give them a lot of useful information...even tell them step by step how to do it...then when they need to use a service like yours, you'll be the first place they call because in their mind you know what you're talking about.

    Thanks Claude.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      Claude -

      Interesting points.

      In the case of the vacuum contest, I think by the customer trying it, it increased their perceived value of the vacuum.
      Of course...And it focused the prospect's attention.

      It's impossible to be handling a product, experiencing it...without focusing your attention on it. I think it's that attention and focus that's the difference.

      When you are selling information, there is not that kind of forced engagement and focus by the prospect.

      Another example. I used to sell encyclopedias...

      We used "broadsides" to show the sets of books...large pictures of the books.

      The guy I learned from didn't like using a sample volume from the set to show what the customer actually got. He said it "spoiled the illusion".

      Personally, I found that by showing the sample volume it forced more engagement, and increased my sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
    What steps forward can I take today?

    I ain't speshl in askin' this.

    Prolly evrywan does this.

    Or how else they dress thusselves evry mornin'?

    This ain't no question specific to up-ya-ass WF marketin' theorizin' btw ...

    Illoominated by WF ... or enstoopidsed by any vacuum of consequence you might wanna describe ... we all makin' zackly same steps between our birth & our ultimate demise.

    You might wanna call this OUR MYOOTYBLY & LONESUMLY EXOTIC HOOMAN STORY.

    Or, if'n you no copywritah person, thinka sumthin' else in CAPITAL LETTAHS says ZILCH.

    Mebbe it is impossible to know what our fellow hoomans are thinkin' an' feelin' -- in which case, we pass between usselves like specters more unimaginabyool than actschwl specters.

    (Imagine bein' a specter: what reason you gaht for existin' othah than bcs you unimaginabyool?)

    Yeah, but dontchtya want always to touch on stuff?

    Flesh? Concepts? Shoes?

    Or mebbe frickin' snorkels?

    *niche*

    My point here is:

    We are undiminished seekers gathered altogethah until we decide we ain't.

    So we gotta kiss up sweet often as we can.

    Tellya, my bestie Amy jus' bought a dress I would be unhappy even to DIE IN.

    & she said MWAH.

    Exotica, it seems, is undeniably persnl.

    So the hell I should care 'bout shit irrelevent to Moi.

    Less'n my horizons encompass wild & troo all hearts & minds in view..

    What steps forward can I take today?

    These are mine -- whaddabouchoo?
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Originally Posted by Princess Balestra View Post


    What steps forward can I take today?
    Thanks Princess.

    I'm stealing that one line so I can expand on it.

    A few weeks ago I came across a site that had an article about the lottery. I came across it because it was shared by someone. It was written by a mathematician and it was a very in-depth article...

    first, I'll say this. I rarely play the lottery, but I always wonder if there's a mathematical way someone can play smarter. Is there a science behind it? Are there equations that can be used to your advantage? Turns out that apparently there are, just as I had suspected (?).

    This comment isn't about the lottery, but, I'm using the example to make a point.

    It was a long article but it was captivating. There were charts and examples and on and on.

    A very detailed step-by-step guide that seemed to cover everything about the subject.

    There was more in this article than anyone would find in most books on the subject...

    and actually, several people in the comments made that point. Tons of comments on how much they discovered. How interesting it was. How grateful they were for the author sharing all this. Comments on how it was more than they had learned anywhere else. Just tons of praise in comment after comment.

    At the end of the very long article, you could sign up for his newsletter for new techniques and insights and more detailed information about different games, blah, blah, blah.

    I'm guessing just about every single person that read the article signed up (I did)...

    and I'm guessing that's when the selling will eventually start. But when it does start, you know the guy knows what he's talking about.

    Just that 1 very in-depth article has brought him so much traffic...just from people sharing and commenting about it on other sites.

    If I had landed on this site and the guy was trying to sell an ebook on the subject, I probably would have thought it was just another fluff thing that wasn't worth my time.

    By the way, this has been done by other companies also with a ton of success. The stories are out there.

    So so many think that giving away too much free information hurts them because people won't want to buy anything from them if they can get it for free. Actually, that's not true. It helps you more. There are a ton of ways you can still expand.

    I hear those that preach you have to put out content and content every day and you have to keep putting it out...now we've got so many fluff blog pieces and AI written stuff that most of it gets lost in meaning.

    I think there's a better way...and I think it's with a very detailed specialized in-depth report. And when I say in-depth, I mean in-depth with nothing held back...and free.

    After your first report goes viral and gets you a ton of free traffic...do another one if it fits.

    People say: "Nobody really knows me so I don't have much social proof or testimonials"

    A good article that spills all the beans on a subject will give you all the social proof you'll need when it goes viral etc. You're viewed as an expert.

    There are a couple of people I follow that do this and they make a ton of money. They have free reports that tell you just about everything you need to know about certain subjects. And by the way, the funny thing is, a couple of them have mentioned that even though the stuff is free, they still sell a crap load of the reports. Amazing really.

    In my opinion, showing you're an expert will get you further ahead than just building a funnel and asking someone to buy a book or opt-in so they can learn how to make $500 a minute.

    Give and give and you'll get more and more.

    So back to the cure angle which was what the original post was about...

    I've seen detailed reports on various things...

    how to make money if you're broke. A step-by-step guide on starting a window cleaning business...and then sign up for more reports etc. The window cleaning thing is so in-depth and covers everything that you know the guy/gal knows what they're talking about...

    just a ton of stuff.

    You can literally grow a business by leaps and bounds with one good article. It's been done, and you can do it too.

    Be creative.

    Just my opinion. My 2 cents.

    Wouldn't hurt to try it.

    Thanks Princess for your comment
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    • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      Thanks Princess.

      I'm stealing that one line so I can expand on it
      ...
      Thanks Princess for your comment
      Plenty gowin' down here in this comment trail, but as yr nachrl Princess, I gotta doff muh tiara slectively.

      An' I would wanna thank Max5ty for acknowledgin' a yooniversal trooth.

      Applies equally to wisdom dispensed here on WF, plus also all the practical advice they gaht gowin' down on SLUG or SNAIL: Your Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Perfect Gastropod To Mimic The Fortune Telling Possibilities Inherent In The Tossing of Yarrow Sticks.

      An' here this trooth be ...

      What steps forward can I take today?

      Evrywan asks this question, from moment to moment, always.

      From Babes to Souls 'bout to Pass Ovah, 2033 BC to 3033 AD & still gowin' -- less'n we rool out this freein' choice bein' possible for usselves bcs we all gone dun sumthin' so frickin' stoopid we cain't command our own footsteps no mowah.

      Hey, listen, why you wanna frickin' do nuthin' anyways?

      You a nachtrl inhabiteurre of sumthin' nevah existed before it gaht In Real Time feedback on its next moments of propulsive wanna.

      I a kid, I lust flash & zany toys. WHAM! BAM! SCHLAMM! Even if'n I accidentally KILL THE CAT. Or even GRANMA!

      I walked all I can, I may wish for no more than to rest in dignity.

      Stoopederst thing 'bout mortality is how there always gonna be TAMARA.

      & that is happnin' till'n youwain't here no more -- mathematically even speshlier than when youwain't here, kinda timewise.

      So what glories an' smily moments inhabit this place?

      How may you step into nextest evah moment, willingly, in good heart, an' with yr best panties pulled up to yr shouldahs?

      The fyootyoore is always 'bout hope in the absence of immediate promise.

      If promise can reward, that's a bonus.

      That's why ads flow from heart or snuff out at boith.

      The best ads describe yr hope to perfection an' offer an immediate STEPS FORWARD NOW kinda promise.

      You cain't go back, you cain't stand still for too long till'n you rot, an' you cain't cease to exist w/o no kinda Zaaaambie Apocalypse - Deus Ex ****in' Asshole - Sooicide situation.

      So where you steppin' out, Zackly?

      ****in' smartass fitness guys say you makin' 8,000+ voluntary movements of this kind each an' evry day.

      Steps.

      To & from.

      Asya reflect on where ye be, asya make each & evry one.

      So : Where the **** you bound in your deliberation an' intention?

      Ads ain't in step with that fkr deservedly hold no intrest for Voozy Vous.

      Dear Sweet Vegan Biceps Enhancement Stimulant Mercahndisahs: No amount of copywritin' & marketin' firepowah you gaht gonna evah compel me to purchase yr stuff. What you propose is naht a step forward for Moi (minuscule or grand), but a total destruction of all I hold dear. Why I movin' toward that fkr, enthoosiastically, evah? Mebbe try me with SHOES or sumthin'?
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve The Copywriter
    I got a speed bump stop on the burglar alarm posts.

    Because as Max mentioned - both Joe and Dan (Kennedy) say they sell extremely well if a neighbourhood has had a spate of robberies..


    I imagine you would all have concluded the same.


    But...

    Did you know...


    That statistically it's been proven - by Professors of Mathematics no less -

    They painstakingly analysed all the data and saw a dramatic increase in repeat robberies at the same address - within a short time...and made the details available to the police departments.


    So...

    If someone has been burgled - the chances of it happening again - soon after - are very high.

    (the thievers know the entrance points, How to stay "undercover." The layout of the home and there is likely to be new replacements to nab)


    Another ace reason for locksmiths and security firms to do an immediate Postcard Campaign in the area - on the hurry up.


    Steve


    P.S. Helpful hint - have a stock of almost "ready to go" postcards or sales letters - highlighting advanced security (better than the quick "fixes" someone may have done if they have been "hit").


    Bung in the unique benefits and exemplary service - mentioning "even the Police are worried that you'll be burgled again - and they can't be on constant patrol 24/7."


    Tell the companies to "market" to the neighbours as well (may have the same type of property).


    Put on a pair of gloves and don't forget your wallet.

    Your clients may try and bite your hand off - and you'll need somewhere to put the check.


    Done well, it can be a very profitable niche - for your illustrious copywriting portfolio.

    Because it uses one of THE best emotions - " Fear of loss - always beats the possibility of gain"

    This exponentially increases with the agonizing fear of a serious rapid fire second loss.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Steve The Copywriter View Post

      I got a speed bump stop on the burglar alarm posts.

      Because as Max mentioned - both Joe and Dan (Kennedy) say they sell extremely well if a neighbourhood has had a spate of robberies..


      I imagine you would all have concluded the same.


      But...

      Did you know...


      That statistically it's been proven - by Professors of Mathematics no less -

      They painstakingly analysed all the data and saw a dramatic increase in repeat robberies at the same address - within a short time...and made the details available to the police departments.


      So...

      If someone has been burgled - the chances of it happening again - soon after - are very high.

      (the thievers know the entrance points, How to stay "undercover." The layout of the home and there is likely to be new replacements to nab)


      Another ace reason for locksmiths and security firms to do an immediate Postcard Campaign in the area - on the hurry up.

      Because it uses one of THE best emotions - " Fear of loss - always beats the possibility of gain"

      This exponentially increases with the agonizing fear of a serious rapid fire second loss.
      Damn...
      The point is so very obvious. And yet, it hasn't ever occurred to me....and never would have.

      Kennedy also mentioned that security system dealers would pay police to slowly drive through the area late at night and occasionally flash the lights and turn on the siren....to simulate the idea that something bad was happening in the neighborhood.

      From my own experience...you know the best prospects for coaching gurus? People who just cancelled their coaching program with a different guru.

      And the best prospects for a paid newsletter are people who receive paid newsletters.....but the second best prospect is someone who just cancelled their newsletter from someone else.


      Why? (You already know the answer, I'm sure)...because they are proven buyers of coaching or newsletters...and are now looking for a replacement to plug into.

      But it never occurred to me that the best prospects for security systems was someone who had just been burglarized. Or that the chances now went up for repeated incidents after the first one.

      Now my mind is buzzing as to how this might apply to other businesses.
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    • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
      Originally Posted by Steve The Copywriter View Post


      If someone has been burgled - the chances of it happening again - soon after - are very high.
      Frick burglin' -- let's talk AFFINITY.

      Bcs don't we always gravitate toward THE FAMILYAH?

      See bcs them guys BURGLIN' YOUR HOWISS x2 don't gotta trawl the neighborhood seekin' GOOBERS ain't gaht no GUARD POOCHES bcs they already seen -- an' now they also know what's available in the EXCLOOSIVE CATALOG.

      Tellya, these guys ain't no diffrent from anywan else.

      Thay jus maximisin' their own potential accordin' to a VERY LOW BAR with which they ultimately gonna CLUB UMMSELVES TO DEATH.

      Bcs anyways, ain't desirable AGAINs kinda important?

      See, I sittin' here all RESPONSO in muh best SLACKS, contibyootin' along with my usual combo of warm heart & massively hottah disrellegibility for nowan figures I so stoopid I cain't even speak frickin' hingerleash, an' I would wish for evrywan to perseu DILIGENCE regardin' repeat stuffs in your braino.

      Robert Frost encourages all to take the least trodden path.

      But since when we all dowin' that 24/7, zackly?

      Evah, we will seamlessly drift toward the seemingly proven Nirvanahole where we may seem to be kinda seemin' mostly OK.

      Even if it is crapsy spapsy.

      Burglars are srs fkrs -- but ifya are one, what you gonna do?

      We would wish always for sum secret BURGLAH LOGIC defines 'em as DEVIANT.

      But evry time you sign up for no loyalty scheme or check out your fayvrit LACY PANTY HOTSITE (K, so if'n your thing is CARS or WRESTLIN' GEAR or DENTURES, jus' insert your example insidea my example without gettin' too filtho), aintcha jus followin' a potentially advantageous desire/milieu sityouatchwaahn flowin' outta yr direct experience?

      Pilfer. Rinse. Repeat.

      Tellya, we so often DO THIS bcs we seekin' succor from proven waterin' holes.

      This is equally troo for nowan wanna steal our stuff as it is for anywan baskin' in glories.

      An' ... if'n NAHT THAT ... then you gotta elevate the horizon sumhow.

      So if'n I evah got a POSTCARD through my door, first thing I would wanna see is, yeah, this is FOR MOI.

      It is relevant ... I been this way ... I have AFFINITY for WHAT THIS IS.

      So ima pick it up an' read it.

      Why else would I do that?

      Sadly, the energy inspirin' monkeykind to write out Shakespeah at random pales before the absence of intrest immediately manifestible by kinda evry frickin' hooman on the planit if'n thay decide NAH.

      So my expectation is ... gonna see a reward here (or ima Instatrash).

      Sum aspect of my free choice given SPESHL SHINE.

      (It is at this point that the BURGLAH jus' PEED IN YOUR BATHROOM speeds away with the cool TV your insurance company supplied you with aftah they ran off with the rignl.)

      Familiary. Touchpoints. Info.

      Nowan here don't gaht these reference essentials.

      Your brain erects natchrlly occurin' monuments as it touches on available succor -- an' rn my summit inta the clouds is a stoopid Netflix show I don't wanna watch.

      So I have options.

      An' I would wanna share my distracted focus deep with your communal ass.

      Most times we blundah all ovah without a care in Certaintyland.

      Till'n we prompted by IRL actschwls to DO THIS or DO THAT.

      Anywan here wanna rub catshit in thuh faces?

      No way -- bcs you visited this place before.

      (Less'n you PAID for this service c/o sum kinda CLUB knows more about your capacity to be lame.)

      So, in yr promo, you wanna always be confirmin' BEFORE & amplifyin' out into desirable AFTAH.

      I could naht dress musself evry mornin' othahwise -- an' prolly neithah could you.

      (As your natchrl Princess, I gotta tellya my dressin' & tastin' fees are immodestly considerabyool.)

      HAS ... HAS THIS BEEN
      SOME KIND OF TUTORIAL, O PRINCESS?

      Nah. Affinitorial.

      Prolly that is what lies at the heart of most IRL offahs:

      A recognition of cherished particulahs allied to a promise of fyooture specifics so inevitabyool you cain't bend it outta yr dreams.

      "I unlocked this secret repository an' I may do so again." Evrywan can play: burglahs to saints. Jus' needs the right kinda PROMPT. & an open window is best place to START.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve The Copywriter
    Yes, if you can find a way of finding out who has "returned or "cancelled" virtually anything.

    You have a "hot" prospect - (they are - to a greater or lesser degree "feeling" a sense of loss).



    Also in any Ad I try and hammer home the "loss" the good people will experience if they don't buy.

    So that it's not a ridiculously "over the top" and an obvious "hard sell" tactic...

    This doesn't have to be the product or service that I'm selling - just the "thing" itself.

    (of course later on - I'll highlight - 1,797 give or take times - that my clients phenomenal product is the ultimate choice...).


    The "loss" in not purchasing can be catastrophic, serious, humorous - even slightly silly.

    Loss of ego - is often top of the league by a country mile - of losses.

    And goodness me - as discussed in the above posts - if you can "prompt" the prospects to remember or think about a second loss shortly after a first - and how you'll prevent it happening or occurring again - they are on the Road to Damascus of buying.


    Point is - virtually any "loss" tends to triggers a very visceral effect.

    And can multiply x multiply the sales - often by an astonishingly high amount.


    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Steve -

    Great points as always from the postcard king. I've learned so much about postcard marketing...and even copywriting over the years from you. Thanks for your great insights.

    Another thought I have about copywriting from the home security angle...and I think it goes back to the conversation between Claude and yourself when it comes to newsletters, etc.

    I think when someone has their home broken into...yes, there is a sense of loss...but there's also a sense of betrayal...the feeling of being used...the feeling of being taken advantage of.

    Their privacy was invaded. Someone must have been watching them and considered them easy prey. A sucker. Easy to take advantage of. An idiot that couldn't defend their home or family...

    I believe anger also takes over. A lot can be said about the benefits of that angle, but I tend to get long-winded so I'll just throw that out there.

    Then, as far as the fear of loss.

    You said it professionally when you mentioned the fear of losing out on the product or deal.

    Also, remember, a lot of the fear of loss is also the fear of losing their money on a worthless product...

    and when they do, they feel scammed and taken advantage of...and feel like a sucker.

    So, going back to the discussion of those that have a bad experience with a newsletter...

    they feel they were taken advantage of. Maybe lied to. Considered easy prey.

    What I'm trying to say is when following up with the people mentioned...the feeling of being taken advantage of is big and it's important to let the customer know you understand their frustration and feelings.

    Princess -

    The question of what can I do today, is the question that can make or break the rest your life.

    Someone sitting in a recliner at the foot of a very tall mountain might say..."Man, if I could just be on the top of that mountain my life would change"

    Or..."I'm so broke, if I just had $100,000 my life would change"

    Suddenly being on the top of the mountain...or suddenly having $100,000 in your pocket won't change your life, and thinking it will is why so many never succeed at anything.

    It's the journey of getting to the top of the mountain that changes your life. It's all the setbacks and little wins that change your life. By the time you get to the top of the mountain, your life has already been changed...and it was only changed because of the journey to get there.

    Most are unable to understand that the whole journey is what changes you...it's not the final destination...

    so that's my psychology speech for today.

    Thanks for commenting.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve The Copywriter
    Max,

    I do thank you for your kind remarks.

    Unfortunately my last Phenomenal Postcard campaign for "The Purest Home Grown Organic Honey" was a little problematical.

    I praised the nurturing benefits of nature... and put in as many other copy tactics as possible. With a "jokey" mention of the birds and bees.

    Somehow my varifocal glasses went a bit wonky - and I typed in "Honey Birdette" for the website.

    If anyone wonders what I'm rambling on about you can google this "mistake" - ohh and prepare to spend a big chunk of money on your wife or girlfriend. If a lively lass checks - go on - treat yourself!


    Anyway...


    You are so right about the "anger" on being robbed.

    And it's great to "market" the emotion - "No way are those #****** ers EVER doing it again!"


    Rather than guarding their home with a private army of misfit mercenaries - they just need top class security equipment.

    Thieves much prefer far easier options than driving a chieftain tank and throwing hand grenades to force their way in.

    Making everything incredibly difficult to prevent theft is well worth emphasising to the prospects - make that - vital - to point it out.


    (things that works well here in the UK - "indestructible" locks with door reinforcements. And security cameras - that feed to a cellphone - so people can watch their property wherever they are - reassuring them that nobody has broken in)


    Also your point about - the feeling of being ripped off or scammed with a Newsletter etc. is bang on.

    When promoting the "alternative" big thing - it MUST have and ooze with unshakeable credibility.

    So the good people say, "At last - this is what I want"

    And of course it has to deliver - preferably over deliver on its promises.


    I've had many "interesting" chats with clients over all the years to ensure this.


    Client - "Steve, do we really have to make all this effort.?"

    Steve - "Yes".



    Steve


    P.S. I do say this with the utmost empathy - showing, proving, persuading and if necessary cajoling - that it will create and keep the subscriptions flowing in.
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  • Profile picture of the author patrick21
    Really helpful.
    Thanks you for this post
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  • Profile picture of the author spartan14
    Smart poing my friend and who use this strategy in their marketing efforts it will make the diference
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    How I Make 150$ Daily With Free Traffic
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  • Profile picture of the author RMRC
    You hit the nail on the head! It's about solving a problem they already have. Otherwise they move along without thinking twice
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Hooper-Kelly
    Way back in the seventies, before I sensibly traded my direct sales experience for a warm, dry copywriter's office with coffee and music on tap, I was out 'on the knocker' selling burglar alarms.

    Conventional wisdom at our sales meetings was to look out for news of burglaries in our local 'patch' then visit the neighboring homeowners who would greet you like a long lost brother and so selling an alarm system would be like shooting fish in a proverbial barrel.

    Nope.

    I never detected any less sales resistance - even if the home next door had been completely trashed by vandals - with the most frequent justification for doing nothing being: "Lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice".

    As my old copywriting mentor, John Carlton, used to say: "Folks won't spend a dime on prevention, but will clear their bank accounts faster than a hacker to find a cure".

    I have now given up copywriting, although I still coach, because I'm writing a series of books on preventing heart disease and other nasties.

    So I already know I'm facing an uphill struggle! But then, I relish a challenge.


    Paul
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    If you want to stack the copywriting deck in your favor with tricks and hacks producing winners like: "$20K in three days" "650 sold" "30% conversion", then you might like to know I'm retiring and will spill the beans to two people. More info here.
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  • Profile picture of the author rafraf refref
    So many ways:

    Email other webmasters and ask for a link to your site.
    Google "your niche" + links & submit your site to those pages.
    Use socialmonkee.com
    Find blogs in your niche and write useful comments on the post.
    Write guest posts for blogs.
    Start your own blog. Post these articles in directories or create fresh ones for article marketing.
    Turn your content into videos & podcasts. Submit them various places to get links.

    Answer relevant questions on Yahoo answers.
    Try to sneak a link in on various relevant Wikipedia pages.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Hooper-Kelly
    Can't quite see the relevance to either copywriting in general or the question posed by the first post on this thread.
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    If you want to stack the copywriting deck in your favor with tricks and hacks producing winners like: "$20K in three days" "650 sold" "30% conversion", then you might like to know I'm retiring and will spill the beans to two people. More info here.
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  • Profile picture of the author jwrbusiness
    I feel this isnt going to work why? people are numb to it. Everyone grew up and they grandma is even annoyed by this type of thing by now.

    bob wants what he wants and avoiding bears isnt it or he wouldnt be there whear bears go. bob wants to enjoy and the bear aint stopping him ah a bear perfect all i need now is a racoon ah racoon all i need now is ? i dont know what he needs but he needs something
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