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Does this work with anyone?

by marciayudkin
14 replies
Here's a passage in an email received today for an upcoming seminar whose early registration deadline is closing in:

But we still haven't heard from you.

That can only mean one thing. You either have unanswered questions or you have fears that you have yet to find a way to overcome.
This is so incredibly stupid and illogical that I'm wondering whether this kind of writing succeeds with anyone.

It can and does mean one other thing - I have other plans! I have no intention to attend.

I know that most people don't have their logical minds turned on or turned on full blast, but I'm wondering if this is a *******ization of a technique that does work, or it does work like gangbusters regardless of the poor logic.

What's your view?

Marcia Yudkin
#copy #logic #work
  • Profile picture of the author ample
    It's certainly is no big deal, the way it sounds is just not my cup of coffee. I would just hit the delete key if it's in my inbox.
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  • Profile picture of the author Warren.Richards
    I can imagine how good they would have converted with this e-mail.
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  • Profile picture of the author Cherilyn Woodhouse
    That same *******ized technique is seen all over internet marketing copy, and it is sad... My assumption, after looking for years to find a reason why, is that they're simply taking "don't give the customer a chance to say no" - too far.

    They want to lead into handling objections by sounding like an understanding friend, without mentioning that maybe you haven't bought yet because you just can't/don't want to. Unfortunately for these writers and marketers, not mentioning those possibilities (and tapping into them by getting those buyers onto a wait list to purchase the recording) gets them nowhere - it simply alienates those like you, who have objections that can't be overcome with their existing offer, along with a portion of those who might have gone - but now feel like they're being talked down to like children.

    Of course, the intellectuals who will actually not go for that reason are a small percentage of those who even read marketing emails, so chances are it will hardly have an effect on the conversion rate - but still. Copywriting may be art AND science, but the art of it is lost on pieces like that...
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      those like you, who have objections that can't be overcome with their existing offer,
      Actually I do not have objections that can't be overcome. I simply have a busy life and no interest in attending their seminar this year.

      I don't agree that if people don't buy, they must have some objections.

      If you were saying that this technique is condescending, then I agree with you!

      Marcia Yudkin
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  • Profile picture of the author wcmylife
    The copy is bad because its based on assumptions and does come across as condescending. So it's either being done by a poor copywriter or a marketer who will never find a hat to fit his head.

    I hit SPAM and let google take care of it...
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  • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
    Of course the languaging is awkward.

    But let's keep in mind a couple of things:

    1. Copywriters are always trying new things. It's part of the journey. As in this case, sometimes the journey is two steps backward.

    2. Sometimes, time really is of the essence and getting a mediocre email out the door is better than no email at all. "Good is good enough" is the way some marketers look at things.

    3. What many copywriters lack is a sounding board. Someone to say "What the heck are you trying to accomplish?" to the copywriter. Someone who really gets copy and "calls you out" on things. Unless you've had a top notch copywriter kick you in the a** on every single word of your copy, you have no idea of how high is high. It's amazing, but it's humbling as hell.

    That's how stuff like this slips through the cracks.

    - Rick Duris
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      2. Sometimes, time really is of the essence and getting a mediocre email out the door is better than no email at all. "Good is good enough" is the way some marketers look at things.
      Rick,

      Good points.

      Reason #2 is undoubtedly how this one got through. It was from Glazer/Kennedy.

      It's just frustrating to me to see such crappy "good enough" copy from people who should know better.

      Marcia Yudkin
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin Rogers
      Based on the lines you've shared, Marcia, what's being overlooked here is the fact that this email is clearly not intended for those who have no intention of attending.

      It's for those it addresses; the fence-sitters who are wringing their hands over whether or not to attend.

      Opening the door for questions that their previous messages may have failed to address is a smart move. Backing it with the bold push of the fear assumption, while sure to rub some the wrong way, is a tactic that works well.

      You already admitted you weren't going, but at least they got your attention. Doesn't that make you more likely to read future promotions from this organization?
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        I think there are motives and underpinnings being attached to this that overthink the process.

        If you have no interest - you are no longer of interest to the seller for this particular promotion. If you were rushed when you read the first email or two - or are in a different mood or frame of mind today - the final push might appeal to you.

        The copy is bad because its based on assumptions and does come across as condescending. So it's either being done by a poor copywriter or a marketer who will never find a hat to fit his head.
        This is marketing 101 - you don't just make an offer and go away. You push the offer at different times, in different ways, and there is nothing left to lose by emailing again those who did not sign up. There is no magic copywriting skill that will convert those on your list not interested in your offer - but it's worth an email on the chance of capturing those last few "on the fence" people.

        In sales, you learn to assume you are talking to a buyer (as opposed to a "looker") - and that's what the email does. It's not great copy - but it's a last ditch sales effort and one or two more sales makes the effort worthwhile.

        I hit SPAM and let google take care of it...
        If you hit "spam" when you receive an email you don't like - from a list owner you signed up with - you need to learn what an unsubscribe link is.:rolleyes:

        kay
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  • Profile picture of the author SoftwareProjects
    KevinRogers is absolutely right.

    Does this footer make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? Nope.

    It's designed to push the person sitting on the fence to signup and eliminate the tire kickers.

    It does work very well, conversion wise. Although the lingo could have been better.
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Marcia now that you have devulged it was from Glazer Kennedy, I do have some insight.

      Bill Glazer touched on this briefly in a recent email.

      He said widespread attendance at seminars are down for other promoters.

      There's are up.

      They start their promotions months ahead and they do have a fence sitter strategy which gets "blunt" further into the campaign.

      So the message you quoted was by design.

      They will be teaching their seminar campaign strategy at a upcoming event.

      All the best,
      Ewen
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      Based on the lines you've shared, Marcia, what's being overlooked here is the fact that this email is clearly not intended for those who have no intention of attending.

      It's for those it addresses; the fence-sitters who are wringing their hands over whether or not to attend.
      Kevin, thank you for this observation. This is undoubtedly true. All of my objections would vanish if there had been a couple of words clarifying (indirectly) that the email was speaking to those people rather than assuming everyone reading the email was a fence-sitter, an assumption that seems to be stupid and obnoxious.

      I agree that it's smart to do everything possible to lasso the fence-sitters. It's certainly possible to do so without annoying people who aren't anywhere near the fence this time but might be in future.

      Marcia Yudkin
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  • Profile picture of the author straygoat
    If I were a fence sitter, that would have put me off completely. I find the part about fears really over the top and patronising. If they had put 'You might have some unanswered questions' and then offered to answer them or invited me to call to discuss them, that might have done the trick. It certainly wouldn't have annoyed me, which is exactly what the 'fears' comment did.
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    • Profile picture of the author Hugh Thyer
      Kevin's right. It's targeted at certain people, and people with no intention of attending are not this person's audience.

      And, we're talking about this a) without knowing whether the email worked and b) what the rest of the email said.

      The idea here is to target a certain group of people. However it comes across as egotistical by implying that of course you WANT to attend. There might be other objections that are more common and more easily overcome than this, such as price or location.
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