Here's my postcard what do you think?

I might consider using a real picture instead of a drawing. But I am not a pro by any means. Everything else looks good to me

Guys the graphic drawing is meant to look like the ones they do in the Wall Street Journal. He gets linked to it without actually saying anything.

I'd get 4 different postcards made up with 4 different numbers attached to them and test the list and see which one pulls better.

Great card and I love fellow postcard users!

Tim

I'm not real fond of the "Who Else Wants..." opening as it's really overdone, at least in print and especially online. Some might say I feel that way because I'm in the business and see it all the time.

Other than that your headline is decent. I do think you're over the line in the eyes of FTC with that earnings claim. You might want to check that before mailing. Would hate to see you get a call from the Feds. You might just need to put in a 'fine print' disclaimer.

Otherwise, I think you'll get some calls if your list is targeted. So I guess it depends on your recorded message. Good luck.

Hi ~ The postcard looks great, even the graphic, except for one thing: your header/call to action is too long and convoluted (and if it's supposed to be a question, it should end with a question mark).

How about this: Want To Take As Little As $225 And Turn It Into A Whopping $2,875? How About Doing That Up To 3 Times A Month? Learn My Incredible Options Trading System That Lets You Do Just That.

or

Want To Turn As Little As $225 Into A Whopping $2,875? Want To Do That Up To 3 Times A Month? My Incredible Options Trading System Teaches You How.

Short, simple, and to the point is much more effective in my book.

Good luck with it ~

Rebecca

WOW how do I thank all of you. I'm sure you just saved me or made me a small fortune. Either way my hats off to everyone!

The postcard copy aside, I'm a little worried about your strategy here...

I don't know if this is a $9 or $997 system, but I don't care how compelling the recorded message is, the combination of this postcard alone and a recorded message isn't going to drive home a lot of sales.

I'd 2-step it. Create a free report to offer in exchange for a name and address. Sell the **** out of that free report, even if it's free people still need to be sold on it...

And then mail them a free report... Not a sales letter. Blow them away with some solid info. Make it good enough that people would want to buy it.

If you do your job there you're effectively pre-selling your main course. Include a very subtle sales letter for your main product at the end of it. (But keep in mind they called for a free report, not a sales pitch, and if they sense they're reading a sales letter it'll probably just piss 'em off).

Follow up with the people who responded several times.

It's a lot of work. But it'd greatly improve your odds if you pull it off vs. just the postcard and recorded message.

As a caveat let me say that there are plenty of products/services that can be sold with very little copy on a postcard, but when you're talking investment advice, people are VERY skeptical.

You need to do a little relationship building in that niche before you ask for any money.

Good luck with it.

-Scott

Here's what I think...

* Headline is a little confusing, a little wordy and not very unique.

* Bullets seem to lack any real, sexy, obvious benefit. As for that third bullet, I have no idea what you're trying to say.

* Glaring absence of credibility throughout.

* Is "proof" a compelling reason to call your 800 number?

* Looks like your recorded message is 24hrs long.

* "Call now" or some other, specific call to action wouldn't do you any harm.

* I imagine a URL might be quite beneficial too, just in case.

* Splitting the list and testing might be worthwhile, but at 5,000 you'd really be pushing it in terms of getting anything statistically significant.

* Finally, where's the other side of the postcard?

Generally speaking I don't think this will cut it with a cold list. Not by a long shot. Your better bet (as Scott mentioned) is lead gen... Or mailing a 30 page sales letter written by a top gun copywriter.

In any case, if you share info on the list you're mailing too, folks here might be in a better position to help you.

Colm

About the headline. Is it just me or "wants" shouldn't be spelled with an apostrophe...?

Ill post my updated postcard when Im done. Your responses are incredible. I feel like I have a bunch of new friends. :-)

I was just thinking if you'd keep a website address on the postcard to give out more information. It adds credibility as well.

I have received quite many posts cards with website addresses. I'll tell you it makes sense. Though you could have a different strategy altogether.

It's just a thought though it's up to you. I think getting people to buy your course from two sources, toll-free # & website, could probably make it easier for you to get sales.

Just my 2 cents.

Excellent work.

My gut is telling me that I wouldn't rely just on the phone recording..
How about taking the recording turning it into audio, and putting it online behind a squeeze page. You can get the person's email address and do follow-up marketing for less than the cost of postage.

Just a thought
Stan

Try this instead:

Viewer lands on the page.
There is nothing but a video that PLAY AUTOMATICALLY and an opt-in.

You spend no more than 1 minute & 15 seconds but no less than 30 seconds
to explain who you are and how you are making bank with all your reasearch

- and then say - But you don't have TIME to do the research

- so just put your email address over there and I will send you my latest
stock pick FREE and in a month's time you'll either be happy that you invested
and come back to me for more - or you'll WISH you had taken my FREE advice!

One you have the email - and some of their trust from performance
( you know where the stock is daily - in 30 days or when a significant increase
so you can say ( you would have earned $5,000 of you'd invested only $XXXX
on my FREE stock pick ... but that's old news -
- Subscribe to my $27 WEEKLY newsletter where I tell you the best places to
invest and when to get out - the ONLY one that I know if that comes with a
gurantee that if my total forecast is not in the POSITIVE, you get you $$$ back.
And you can read the newsletter for a few weeks or even months until you
feel comfortable that my advice is SOUND and my stocks are WINNERS!!!

STOP losing money on the stock market and start EARNING - Join Today!

I love the graphics and as for the picture, I wouldn't worry about it personally but as people have said split test it and test the results. Always try split test, even try a different layout just to see what works best. TEST TEST TEST - testing to me is so important.

I agree with the previous comments about the headline.. it needs to be clearer

the bullets are a little confusing, not clear, and lack benefits (and curisosity)

here are some suggestions

caveat # 1 - i dont know the options market or if you can say what i have below
caveat # 2 - not a professional copywriter..... although i am studying and learning by writing my own sales letters (and propaganda)

i would agree with not dropping 10k postcards on a test like this ..

== here goes ==

I want to share with you my most valuable (and profitable tips)

* The 3 simple market principles that will reveal precisely the EXACT timing you MUST follow when you buy and sell your options and that will almost GUARANTEE you'll never lose money ever again (you'll actually do better than 90% of the world's best traders ...leaving them in the dust with this simple strategy). It's so simple (it only takes me a few minutes to explain) and yet completely the opposite of what you hear from other trainers.

* An unheard of and "never discussed" 4 part underground system for analyzing ANY trade instantly and reliably (you no longer need to spend hours agonizing over a trade ever again) to create returns normally reserved for the pro's (you'll hear how I turned a $200 trade into a $2,875 return) It's easy åenough that even a completely rookie can implement this.

* Why there is only ONE option strategy that I personally use (and recommend to my students) to win almost every time in the options game (violate this and you're guaranteed to fail .. in fact, it's the REAL reason why most beginners fail to make money in the options game). All it takes is one minute and 15 seconds for me to teach you this strategy that you can start using immediately.

Just a quick comment - who else does drawings like yours? Why, the Wall Street Journal - that's who. And of course they're the financial experts. So I would keep it - it psychologically gives you a feeling of credibility and trust although a reader may not realize why.

I would definitely setup a website and stick it under the phone number.

Just set the video/audio to play when they get to the site.

just a quick tip on the mailing first-would suggest mailing smaller amount test first and split between 2 test post cards.

on a marketing tip-i'm not sure if your recorded message is like a buy now kind of thing, but if possible with this type of product you want to do atleast a 2 step=call and get x(free report,free cd) your sales message with some value tied in. Then let the free x sell your product and maintain follow ups with non buyers.

Now I think you pretty much got a lot of things tweeked by now with your copy, but just remember obviously with just sending a postcard you want to make it compelling as possible since small space and continue to test and you'll have a lot better shot

One of the greatest classic John Caples ads:
"The Man in the Hathaway Shirt"

The Heading:
"The Man Who Turned $### into $### in ## days!"
Is a cleaner, more powerful headline in my mind.

Then tell the story,
offer freebies to get details,
then Dan Kennedy's x3 follow ups with grabbers.

I'd be stunned if testing doesn't yield a greater profitability than your Plan A.

All who say "Aye!" raise your hand!
Against? "Nay?" (raise your hand!)

Bill
http://www.billoliver.net/DanSequence.pdf
Ignore 1st 4 pages, just use p5-7 for follow up sequence.

I don't know if I could listen to a message that was 24 hrs long... I'd need some sleep in between!