Hi

I dont know about the "Best Sales Letter In The World" title. It's ok, It tells a good story and it hooks up well with the offer but not the best for me.

That bloke should read some of the Gary Halbert, John Carlton, Yanik Silver Sales Letters.

I love story telling sales letters so yes I liked it, but the worlds best, Nah.

Just my opinion

Ed

if it is responsible for $1bil in revenue, unless you can find one that is responsible for generating more, it has to be the best.

results are all that matter.

Ed, come on.

That's been a control for umpteen years. And unless it's changed recently, the "new" control is pretty much the same but for an order card change or something like that.

It's this that counts - $$$ - not opinion.

Colm

If I recall correctly the idea for that letter was swiped
from a letter from the 1920s.

As a result a lot of people put swiping on a pedestal as
if it were a magical key to writing great copy. It isn't,
because every situation is unique in timing and marketplace
context, but a lot of writers don't "get" that part and
it's partially why there are so many uninspired
"who else wants..." headlines going around.

You kind of have to, in my own experience, delve deeply
into the copywriting classics to understand the issue
and how to fix it - but that creates a competitive advantage
for writers who've done that reading, doesn't it?

I love that letter. It has a kind of poetic feel to it.

I'd bet Gary Halbert wouldn't with it being the best, unless I'm incorrectly recalling him having written the ad copy that landed him his wife or something?

But otherwise, $1,000,000,000 probably beats any other right now, but it took it 18 years. Who knows where the writings of the aforementioned or other writers could be in 18 years?

That sounded so lame. But it's true, right?

Anyway, don't flame me - I DID agree it's gotta be the best at the moment, lol.

uh... so, how exactly do I subscribe to the wall street journal?

Yeah. Bruce Barton's - The Story of Two Men Who Fought In The Civil War.

Colm

True, it's all about the figures. I wonder how much commission the copywriter received.

Would you guys be able to recommend some top notch copywriters for sales letter copy?


Thanks
Andy

It's definitely not the money that counts!

If I were able to write sales letters that were that effective, I would be the richest copywriter in the world.

The best? No.

Most successful? Yes.

An ad for the WSJ is always going to outsell the salesletter for your ebook on pet rock collecting. Getting people to buy rocks is genius, getting them to carry on buying the Wall St Journal; not so much.

It's a snap-together match for the intended market and very well done but really the best sales letter is...

The one that brings YOU a great income. Self-centered benefits, remember


B.

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well theres a reason people use swipe files, no need to reinvent the wheel is there.

The significance of that sales letter is what makes all our capture pages and sales letters work! I love that stuff.

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I found it interesting that this letter did so well, considering how it basically ignores a lot of the "rules" copywriters have.

For example, no headline! That one really amazed me. And the subheads are kind of ambiguous, as are the benefits for the reader, IMHO.

Yet it still has credibility, a guarantee, and describes the product.

Perhaps some more experienced copywriters would like to chime in and point out WHY they think this ad was such an amazing success (or link to someone who has already done so?)

-Dan

It has a headline, of sorts. The letterhead of WSJ. That gets you a certain level of credibility and attention most swipers can't copy.

(There are ways. But I'll not reveal them here.)

Next, the product is high quality. And most product -- despite the opinion of their creators -- aren't. A gifted product is mightier than a gifted pen.

The swiper mentality usually skews to thinking they can sell anything with the right copy trick.

The story structure has a good flow and important "moral." It plays up the insiders know what outsiders don't angle. What's more, the story plays into a world view about Wall Street Journal readers, and few products or services have established any position with anyone's mind but the developer's.

Successful people read WSJ. That's an accepted belief the letter doesn't have to forge from a cold "I don't know you" start.

Finally, expert list selection. Nearly unheard of in the Internet spam everyone and let the inbox sort it out mindset. Or the "everyone needs what I'm selling" inventor's delusion.

All factors which most swipers neglect to take into account. In other words, the Wall Street Journal can do things and be (amazingly) successful that you can't.

John,

Do you know where this ad was placed? If it was in the journal itself or placed in other magazines, or what the deal was?

Also, would you mind expanding on this statement:

"In other words, the Wall Street Journal can do things and be (amazingly) successful that you can't."

Do you mean that because the product is so established, and the people reading the ad are so targeted, that all it really needs to be is a gentle reminder and, essentially, outline of the offer?

-Dan

P.S. Your posts always rock!

I'm sure I don't know all the placements. Chiefly it's a sales letter format sent through the mail.

As for expanding on the they can do stuff you can't comment, you have to take a look at the context of the situation to understand results, what factors which are not readily apparent contribute to success, and what is easily swiped and what's not.

WSJ has name recognition a lot of people swiping the letter don't. WSJ has a reputation a lot of others don't (they might not have a bad reputation, they're unknowns).

Let's just take plain common sense. The story unfolds over something like 25 years. The people who've been in business three months using this letter ...not exactly thinking things through.

I completely missed my three-month school reunion. How about you?

John,

Thanks for taking the time to help me understand things a little better. I really appreciate it.

I guess what you're saying is that in order to swipe a letter, we have to look at the context in which it was written, right? You're saying that the actual letter itself, existing in a bubble, doesn't tell us much - it's how the elements of the letter "interact", if you will, with other factors.

I can only assume most "swipers" don't try to figure out WHY something works in a particular capacity.

Thanks again for helping me raise my understanding and awareness of copywriting.

-Dan

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