Cash Cow Gone Wild!

by 225 replies
281
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#main internet marketing discussion forum #cash #cow #wild
  • You rock! That is a great campaign - who would of thought of a vomit bag!

    Cheers, m
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    • Thanks everybody for all the great information on this thread!

      Keep it going.
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  • I love it! Back when I owned a mortgage company in Calif (LOOOOONG time ago!) I used to do a lot of fun stuff - I had custom suckers made in the shape of the foot - with a tag on it that said "Ok - so what's it take to get my foot in the door??" with my contact details on the other side. Another fun promotion - at Thanksgiving, on the rate sheets we delivered to RE offices daily - there was a big turkey graphic, with "Let's Talk Turkey! The first 25 agents that call get a free turkey!"

    You cannot believe how many normally quiet and professional real estate agents called and said "GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!" then burst out laughing! I wound up giving away a LOT more than 25 turkeys - and we tripled our business during the 'slowest' time of the year.

    The point is: think out of the box. Do things that are goofy and unexpected. It works.

    Kudos to a GREAT campaign!!

    Melody
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    • I really hope people reading this forum see all the great advice given on these threads - for free no less.

      The key, just like this post or the one I threw up here a couple of days ago is to get noticed. Do something out of the ordinary that makes you stand apart.

      It would of been really cool if you could figure out a way to put your letter inside the vomit bag and mail it so they see the vomit bag first!

      I did a fax deal last night where I offered $10 cash to anyone who took their time to fill out the survey. I sent it last night thinking it will be there Monday, but I am already getting some in.

      Great post. The only thing I would say is that it is important to have a good list and know as much as you can about the businesses you're sending (if they have a website, mailing address, etc) because it can get costly to get a lot of mailers returned.

      Tim
  • There are definitely some weird and wonderful ideas out there. I'm sure I remember Andrew Reynolds tell us at a Cash On Demand Workshop that he came across a similar one which he copied, a plastic cow in each mailer which he bought for a few cents each.
    It works on the basis of human curiosity because people open the envelope to see what is causing the lump

    Cool eh
  • That has got to be one of the greatest campaigns I've seen.

    And the results are outstanding.

    Excellent use of imagination and sheer nerve in sending those out. You should be pleased with the results. Great Job!

    Now go out and do it again.
  • Even though the letter was very rough around the edges, it's easy to see that it was very effective!

    I've been looking more and more into doing some stuff offline for an additional revenue stream and your example here shows just how easy it can be.

    Jeremy
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    • Wait Jeremy...you can't....there is NO interest in offline remember . Seriously...just busting your chops. Actually, there is incredible money in offline if you approach it correctly....plus the alure of meeting many great people in the process.

      Warmest regards,

      Chris Negro
  • This is awesome!

    Love,
    Shannon
  • Thats a fantastic method, kudos to you!
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    • Excellent results - thanks for sharing.

      Looks like i'll be going to buy some vomit bags tomorrow.

      Baal

      Ps: I would definately chase up the ones that never responded with another mailer or a follow up phone call.
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  • Nicely done lair. Really good tactic you used there. thnx for sharing
  • Brilliant!

    What's next? Put your sales letter in a dirty sock.

    Does your website stink?

    Man, this could get BIG.

    George Wright P.S. Of course you know I meant a envelope designed to look like a sock.
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    • Even better, send them a dirty diaper filled with crap!!!

      I can supply you guys with at least 3 a day!! LOL
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  • <snip>
    REVENUE: $1,800 for AutoResponders + $80/month (4 mailings per month that they write) $1,200 for the website (around 6 pages total with AutoResponder) + $160/month (4 mailings that *I* write for them)...so a total of $3,000 and $240/month recurring. </snip>

    What AutoResponders do you use? Aweber's affiliate program? I like the idea. If your autoresponder has an affiliate program I want to make sure you get the commission.

    __________________________________________________ _____________
    You can get anything you want if you help enough other people get what they want.

    Losers fail and quit. Winners fail until they succeed.
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    • Great post Laird. I am also interested in the answer to Steve's queston <above>. I re-read your post and for some reason it doesn't exactly read like yoiu are talking about Aweber. Of course... that could just be me.
  • Where in the world do you buy vomit bags!?
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  • I wonder how many of this kind of bags will be mailed in the next week heheheh

    Timo
  • That is very creative. I love the vomit bag. . .(VERY COOL) Shocking, AND effective.
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    • How about puzzle pieces in an envelope?

      "Puzzled as to how to make your website better? We have the missing piece to the puzzle!"
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  • Hey Laird you are a warrior's friend.

    You get extra points for being creative and taking lumpy mail to a new level..

    For anyone looking for vomit bags, a Google search will fill the bill quckly. Didn't know so many folks were selling up-chuck catchers.

    Naturally you can find a slew of them on Ebay as well.
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    • Shannon,

      Now THAT is by and far my favorite!

      Shay,
      I like the puzzle pieces too!

      -Marcus
    • As the OP has said, the letter is not the strongest. Therefore I have altered it slightly, and tightened it up. I have used social proof, USP, risk reversal, pressure stacking, and a possible jealousy plot line to make the letter pull harder and faster. I have also shortened it to fit one page.

      It is by no means amazing, however will pull harder than the original. : )
      Hope it helps someone.

      JD.



      Dear (Name),


      "Does your website make you sick?"



      And who in the world would send out a sickness bag to you?
      Our names are Mitch & Ryan, and what we do is we work with business owners in (City) who would like to cut their entire ad budget in half, and at the same time increase sales, by simply implementing a system on your current website that attracts leads, and automatically converts them into customers.

      Look. We talk to clients every day that are sick of all the money they spend on marketing, on or offline and are pulling their hair out trying out ways to boost business, free up time and generate a little more pocket cash. There has got to be a better way...

      We know that better way. So confident in fact, that if you choose to avail yourself to our expertise, and we can't slice your ad budget in half and simultaneously increase your sales by at least 25%, we will return to you every penny you invest.

      Please be aware that we are offering this service to only one business in the (salon) industry, and that we have just recently contacted the others as well.

      Here's what we'd like you to do if you wish to avail yourself (name)...

      1) Call Mitch at 1 604 220 5302 and let him know when you are available to meet for a free, low key chat to go over your business, goals, and how we can be of service to you.

      OR

      2) Send us an email at eclipse.marketing1@gmail.com and let us know the best time to contact you.


      Looking forward to your interest,



      Mitchell Miller & Ryan Demchuk
      Phone: (604) 220 5302
      Email: eclipse.marketing1@gmail.com

      P.S. - If you are not interested in more customers and more revenue, please forward this letter to one of your neighboring businesses. If they choose to avail themselves of our services, you will receive a $500 referral fee.
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  • I love the ideas I'm seeing here!

    Let me add a possible:

    If you know someone who owns homing pigeons, have a pigeon delivered to a prospect's store with a message tied to its foot. The message would say:

    "Want merchandise to fly off your shelves? Release the pigeon to see how fast your products can go and then call me. My number is xxx-xxx-xxxx."

    Sincerely,

    Joe Blow
    sig file
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    • This marketing strategy makes me SICK!

      Frank Bruno
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  • Interesting and quite unexpected idea! Usually the unusaul idea that is the most profitable! It would be really interesting if you could figure out a way to put your letter copy enclosed inside your vomit bag and mail it people so they see the vomit bag first! Terrifc post! I would definiteily agree that it is really important to have a good mailing list and then learn as much as you can about the businesses you'd be mailing out to - eg. their website, postal address - because it might get a bit costly to get a lot of mailers returned. Hope this helps!
  • This marketing strategy makes me green with envy!
  • Great great thread. I think there is real possibility in this!

    My problems are:

    I understand the theory behind many things discussed here on the forum (auto-responders, landing pages, news letter sign ups, PPC, articles marketing etc etc) however, I am lost on how to actually DO most of them. (I got article marketing down ok haha)

    If I went to a business owner and presented what is presented in this thread, I could def get some to sign up. I've even been approached by biz owners who THINK I know exactly what to do.

    But I don't.

    I know the basics, but to promise them 25% increase in sales and 50% reduction in advertising costs is pretty big.

    How do I (or anyone else like me) go about doing this stuff? I have outsourced web stuff in the past with good success, but I'm lost on how to do implement what a biz owner wants with my specific skills.

    ANY help/suggestions?

    Thanks

    Lee
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    • Lee, you have two options...

      Learn some of this stuff, or find people you can trust to outsource it to.

      You can learn most of what you need (at least in theory) by searching here and on your favorite search engine. Look for demos, tutorials, etc. Once you have the theory down, the mechanics are easy to acquire.

      Finding trustworthy contractors is something that takes some hit or miss until you find the right ones. I don't do much, so about the only tip I can give you is to have more than one source for everything (graphics, programming, writing, etc.)

      If you look at increasing sales in increments over time, it's not that hard. As a post further up showed, it's a matter of compounding gains in number of sales, average sale value and frequency of purchase.

      As far as reductions in ad spend, if they are making more money selling to existing customers, they don't have to spend as much money acquiring new customers.

      Neither the increase in sales or reduction in costs are going to be instantaneous. It will take time to hone in on the right combination of things that accomplish the objective for a given client. In other words, you still have to test...
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  • I absolutely love this forum! It's always nice to see threads like this. Good work!
  • Several years ago I owned an ad specialty ad agency. So, anything you can put a logo or text on - I sold it. We sold the items through a consultative sales process (Item + Distributution = more sales).

    I'd like to suggest that there are some great ad specialty companies available who'd be happy to supply a catalog or ideas to you.

    You might be sending out a letter to a dentist. "Brush up your website for a healthy shine to your practice".....and don't forget the toothbrush keychain

    You could also take some hair and put it in a baggie. Put together a nice letter and put that in a priority mail envelope. "How to keep from Pulling YOUR hair out online". "Tired of Hair today - gone tomorrow web designers?"

    There are tons of ideas to get peoples attention - but don't forget that the quickest - least expensive way to get peoples attention is the simply make a Phone Call.

    Jay NaPier
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    • Banned
      How about using dirty diapers?

      "Do You Have a Crappy Web Site?"
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    • You know, when you think about it, you can do this kind of thing with almost anything.

      I am looking around my house and seeing things that the kids have or I have and came up with these ideas in about 5 minutes:
      1. Plastic toy fish - "Are you FISHING for more customers?" "Are you FISHING for ideas?"
      2. Giant play money - tons of ways to use that. (I mean play money that is about 5 times the normal size for a bill.)
      3. Pens - "We have the "WRITE" ideas to help your website be better..."
      4. Frog stickers - "Are you "HOPPY" with your website? We can make it better!"
      Those were just a few ideas. Use your imagination.
    • Del,

      Thanks for sharing all the detail. The barf bag was a great idea. Pure Dan Kennedy stuff.

      Tom
    • It's amazing how one great idea spurs so many others in just a short time. It might have something to do with all of the creative minds on this blog. Very awesome.
    • interesting idea. sounds very good.Can't imagine how many great ideas are out there
  • Great post Laird,

    1. Do you guys think having a return address makes any difference?
    2. What do you think about printing out lables vs. hand writing the addresses?

    Thanks for sharing.
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    • Hand-written is definitely better IMO. Bear in mind that many people sort their mail over the wastebin, and printed addresses screams "JUNK" loudly. A hand-written address is more likely to get the envelope opened.

      Takes a bit longer, but worth the effort.

      As with everything, your mileage may vary, but this seems to be the consensus of opinion that I have heard on the subject.

      Ta ra
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    • Hand writing is definitely the way to go...huge response rate difference.

      I outsource this to an outside company to do for me - they handwrite the address and stick a real stamp on the envelop.
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  • brilliant use of lumpy mail, you might want to write it up as a quickie course or pose it as opt-in bait.
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  • You probably 'pulled-off' one of the most effective direct mailshots ever
  • This has been amazing to say the least. I've picked up more here in 20 mintues
    than I believed possible.

    Thanks for all the unique and interesting insights.
    Matt
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    • With access to proper information, I can see how you could guarantee increased sales. Without control of the ad spend, though, I don't see how you can guarantee that part. Must be something in your contract...

      Hah! I've been happily married for over 27 years, and there really hasn't been any serious drama in that department in 30...

      It has helped me steer clear of some pretty clever scams and pretty poor deals. When I buy something, I drive the salespeople crazy when I sit there and actually read the contract.

      Had one guy get antsy and just tell me to strike through anything I didn't like. I was tempted to cross out the whole payment section, but stuck with simply crossing out all the little 'gotchas' - extra fees, penalties for very likely things, hidden continuity and insurance stuff - all the usual crapola. He looked at what I crossed out, tore up the contract and threw me out...
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  • cool tactic. Never would have thought a vomit bag would make so much sense.

    Thanks for sharing bro.

    Omar!
  • Hi,
    Chuck one up for some great marketing. Once you get a few sales, you will be more confident and it will be easier to charge more. Businesses really need a lot of help today.
    Thanks,
    Jim
  • hmmm anyone get a chance to respond to my earlier post??
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    • Wow! I wonder if they sell this vomit bag in the supermarket.
      I used to work in the airlines and had plenty of encounters with these bags.

      Did you mail it as normal post or was it hand delivered?
      I didn't know you could do this with the post office.

      hari
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  • I'd like to know where you got the barf bags at that price.

    I've been looking around and most of the ones I see on the net have some type of goofy design.
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    • Do you have an affiliate link for aweber or getresponse? If I'm going to profit from your idea you should too.

      Thanks for the info and the inspiration.
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    • really? WOW I can't wait to try it!!! cough cough
  • Ha. I like that a lot! Maybe you could send them one and say after you visited their website you had to barf so you thought they could use this too! Just Kidding...
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    • What is a brown kraft envelope look like and what does "Official Notice. Forfeiture of Funds." mean? Probably a stupid question but I don't get it.
  • Hi Guys,

    Great thread!

    I love the lumpy mail idea's. If you want to know
    where to get most of this stuff you can visit
    Mitch Carsons website Promotional Products, Dimensional Items and Tradeshow Giveaways!

    Her has some really good stuff there. Like Shredded Money
    boomerangs and a needle in a haystack

    I have some pictures in this thread
    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-gold-try.html

    Take Care,

    Michael Silvester
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    • I just checked out a bit of this site and it is really good, with a
      front page mailing idea right along the lines of this thread. The
      mailer is a bank deposit bag, with suggested slogans like "You'll
      need this to take your money to the bank."
    • Thanks Michael.

      Visited the site quickly and immediately came up with another idea - don't know if someone had already mentioned it here. Send them an empty keyring (maybe with the little key tag attached or not - don't have an opinion here) and the tag line "Missing the key to profiting from your web site?"

      I don't know, this may sound too cheesey. Any thoughts????
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  • Brilliant!
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    • I just whipped up a piece for demo - took about 10 min's

      Im not copywriter - obviously. But this is the piece I could send from the system in a clear envelope - in lumpy mail with 99% certainty that it would get opened. Id take screen shots of the client site and make note on the images with photoshop ... put those on the inside - put the Sales Letter on one of the other 3 available panels - in my own handwriting - system does that for me ... and its signs my name too :-)

      Hit send ... done. Just havin some fun gang ....

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  • Excellent post, and thanks for posting results of the mailing too. This sounds like something right out of the Gary Halbert playbook.
  • You mentioned that this was an endorsed mailing by your CPA.

    Did he/she put an endorsed letter in the package along with your letter then?
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    • Sorry for the misunderstanding...my biggest results have been from the endorsed letter from my CPA. I did the vomit bag independent of it.

      Del
  • I want to do this so bad cause I know it will work! My skills just suck and I want to be able to stand by my services!!

    Could I pay someone to "mentor" me through the first couple??

    PM me if interested.
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    • In reality it's not too difficult to get a business owner to call you by using some form of direct mail or even email.

      Most people will drop the ball in the way they talk to the business owners who do call.

      You do have to learn how to ask questions and build rapport with business owners if you want to get hired and you REALLY have to avoid coming across as a sales person.

      In many cases a business owner's curiosity will be enough to get him to call you but he might make several calls like this a week where he's just trying to find out what the deal is and pretty much eliminate you as having anything valuable to offer.

      The key is in asking intelligent questions and demonstrating that you're genuinely interested in him, his business and what he wants out of his business and helping him get those things with genuine customized solutions that you implement.

      The direct mail letter or first approach is just that...the first step in what can be a lengthy process of getting hired.

      Kindest regards,
      Andrew Cavanagh
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  • Great idea. In the printing industry, at Christmas we printed 4 rolls of nice and exquisite wrapping paper which came in it's own custom case. It was a huge success. Keep the great marketing ideas coming!
  • How about going to the interview with a bit of green makeup to make it look like you are sick? And if he gives you any grief, I can see the "fake" vomit bag being used!

    Ok, well, that may be going a bit too far!

    Scott
  • While the idea of an "endorsed" mailing is great, your "CPA" is taking a tremendous risk. If they did not ask their clients for permission to let you send a letter, before they prepared the tax return, then what they did with you was highly illegal. they should read IRS reg. 7216.

    Anyone else considering this idea should try to either find a different sponsor, or have the accountant get permission before they prepare the tax return. It can cost a bunch in fines. The IRS is concentrating heavily on this reg.

    They even consider the taxpayers name confidential tax information

    Kirk
  • Outstanding!
  • Excellent idea. Also, please note that the domain "barfbagmarketing.com" is still available as of this posting...



    My offline marketing is limited, basically, to my live seminars. Next time I do a mailing, I'm going to grab the "photo processing envelope" idea and include a sales letter that starts:



    and ends with



    Now, rather than ripoff a bunch of envelopes from Walmart, I'm going to buy a case of 1,000 photo envelopes from Mackay Mitchell. Here's a link (NOT an affiliate link, though it looks like it):

    Order Envelope 5 1/2 x 10 x 1: MackayMitchell Photopak a leader in photo envelopes and digital packaging.

    You can get 1,000 for under 7 cents a piece. Worth every penny, because you KNOW people are going to open them. Who could receive a photo mailer and NOT open it?

    Good stuff, thanks OP and Laird.
  • Handwritten address increases the read rate by a HUGE margin.

    I usually put a return address without a name (just the address).

    Brian Boffini is a real estate marketing trainer that teaches people to actually HAND WRITE THE LETTER as well. It really increases the response rate, and actually increases the retention... ie. people will hold on to the letter.

    I have seen some people actually get "interns" from a local college for free to do the writing. They often get some school credit if you do it right. Of course, paying them helps too.

    Putting something else in the letter (like one of the ideas above) is good, and can get people to open/remember the letter.

    The key is to get past their filters by inciting their curiosity.

    Ron
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    • Kirk Ward,

      Back in 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed. Now we are trusting the economy of our country to a pack of nit-wits who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling booze?


      LMAO.....hilarious, but sadly true.....

      great ideas on this thread - thanks to all - how about a single puzzle piece with your picture on it...

      I'm the missing piece to your marketing puzzle....
  • One more thing - Holiday cards!

    You can get them pretty cheaply online, and even have them printed with your message. Everyone knows what a card looks/feels like and if it have a theme and hits around the holidays, it WILL get opened.

    We have some good ones coming up:
    - Valentine's day - Get your customers to spread the LOVE
    - St. Patricks day - You don't have to be LUCKY, you just have to work with us.
    - Easter - There is not need to pay EGGstravagant prices for high quality marketing

    Etc...

    The trick is to put together a good LIST of prospects that fit your niche, and then mail to them repeatedly until they contact you (7 times at least). If you used all major holidays, you would build up some nice momentum.

    Ron
  • Yeah (OP = Laird), I don't know what I was thinking.
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  • Just wanted to thank everyone who has posted to the thread. As a fairly new warrior member I am finding a wealth of information and will be taking the next step. As someone who has been i sales for the last 18 years the relationship is the key. How do you build a relationship? Ask a lot of questions as it shows you care about them and their business.
  • Did anybody find a good place to purchase the barf bags?

    I found these ones but they have no "universal symbol for barfing" (LMAO) on it - although good, I suspect the symbol is what makes this.....

    Motion Sickness Bag - White Large 4.5 x 2.5 x 9.25, Paper Bags

    Simon
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    • This is great. I've been having moderate success with the Confidential stamp as mentioned in the original Cash Cow Thread, but this has got my wheels turning...
  • Thanks!

    SImon
  • for the cash cow, do you how much do you guys charge per month to send out their messgages through Aweber?
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    • I would charge anywhere from $50 per month to $250 per month depending on the following:

      1) the package and benefits the owners will be receiving (hint you can offer 3 packages at different price points).

      2) what your market will bare. In the market I'm in, I will be charging $50 per month but in Chicago $150 per month

      3) Your confidence in knowing what your doing.

      Depending on your local market will bare (and because it sounds like your somewhat new to the game), I would charge $50-$75 for a basic management of their autoresponder.

      Hope this helps you !

      Chris Negro
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  • he uses aweber / get response. I saw it written somewhere in the post.
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  • Does sound interesting. I have done 2 different direct email programs and not 1 single sale. Dont use blast4traffic, thats for sure. (my opinion)
  • Update:

    I received 4 more emails and 1 phone call from my initial mailing. None of them resulted in any business. I'm pretty happy with what I managed to get from a sub-$200 investment. Rinse and Repeat Obviously.

    Second mailer DID NOT go out purely due to laziness and time constraints put in place from the "real job".

    Referral-development is the second-tier of my Offline Cash Cow system (get down with the OCC!) and I'm putting into place methods involving "ethical bribes" - $100 for each referral or Free month of service. Most businesses know at least the owners/managers of the businesses to either side of them, so I'm hoping peer (business to business) reviews of my services will build traction and more clients.

    Del
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    • Thanks for the updates Del. Real world results and figures are really appreciated, as is this thread to begin with. I think its brilliant. If anyone else has results from this mailing, please post.
  • This is a GREAT spontaneous online brainstorming session. Super marketing ideas. This forum is so great. Imagine having people worldwide contribute fun ideas like this. I love it!!!!!
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    • Guys,
      i have barf bags, with the letter in em, I am bribing people i know too give it too business owners as a leave behind, i am getting Immediate Referral from my people or recommendation, and when the client calls, I pay em 200.00 if i close them on anything. and 15% of Net earnings on That client for life. Live the life of Abundance rather that lack thereof.

      Now, i gotta SCALE up my PEEPS leave behinds.

      Questions anyone drop me a PM
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  • offline is not the way to go. there is a big investment required to enter the direct mail market. you can easily make $500/day without going offline or investing all that upfront cash!
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    • Ummm.. not the last time i checked villian, unless, that offer u r making at the bottom of your sig line is inaccurate. Big investment, i have nothing invested in marketing til a sale is made, well almost, some time, no investment monetarily. I read your offer ? Do you have noobs who are using it ? R u posting there results anywhere ? I can tell u, offline is just another stream, just like multiple campaings online. U need a bunch of em to get paid correctly, online, offline, inbetweenline , in your home country, out of the country, and inbetween as well.

      Offline is a Goldmine

      Regards,
      Robert Nelson
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    • Well, I guess each to his/her own, but I have been struggling with IM for the past year or more, and have basically made nothing.

      After reading the original Cash Cow thread, I spent around $45 mailing 50 local businesses by letter. This was before I read this thread, using a variation of the original Cash Cow letter. I only got one response, but a 45 minute chat with the business owner turned that one into over $2000/year recurring income.

      A friendly chat with a local shop owner I know (cost=zero) turned into a one-off job for around $1500, PLUS a $3600/year recurring income.

      I had a plumber here the other day, and as I was paying him at the end, we got chatting about how business is, and how he finds new customers. The chat took about 30 minutes, and resulted in a $1500 one-off job, plus a $3240/year recurring income.

      So I guess you're right, there's a huge investment in going offline, and it's not worth it

      I don't think I'll EVER look at IM again! This offline stuff is just too exciting. The upfront costs are incredibly low compared to the results, and people are crying out for this.

      I can't imagine going back to fighting for SE positions, paying through the nose for PPC in the hope that I can beg someone to buy my e-book instead of spending ten minutes searching for the same info free!

      As I said, to each his own, but for me, this idea has been the most exciting thing that's happened to my bank balance for a long time.

      Ta ra
  • Can someone briefly explain to me what steps need to be taken to implement this method (between convincing the business owner and sending out targeted mailings).

    I do understand that you need a program like adweber, but how do you get customers to sign up for the mailinglist? Do you have to change the businessowner website? Is this difficult? Does anyone has an example from how this would look?

    At the moment I'm not seeying this missing link !! Thanks 4 the help !!
    • [2] replies
    • This is an off-shoot of a very popular thread: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-its-free.html.
      If you search the main forum for "cash cow" there are many related threads.

      Kristi

      update: the original cash cow thread has been deleted.
    • maildigger, goo to WSO offers and get scott millions WSO on the CASH cow GOLD, it will be plenty too get u started. Then repost your questions after you have rehashed the material 3 or 4 times.
      Good Luck
      Regards,
      Robert Nelon
      • [1] reply
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  • Excellent idea with the sick bags, i'm going to start my cash cow next week so all ideas are welcome to me.
  • This information is amazing! You guys rock!

    Thank you!

    Sonia
  • This is awesome!
    thanks for inspiring me!
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  • Hey all!

    I was inspired by the vomit bags from the first second I read it last week, and quickly ordered a stack of them. As of last night, I successfully prepared each and every one of them for mailing, and they look FANTASTIC. I know this sounds biased out of my own personal excitement, but seriously, how could someone NOT open one of these things!!??

    My first mailing campaign using the confidential stamp (and I followed directions to the "T") produced ZERO results. Was a little let down...but certainly not out of the game. This time, I'm expecting at least SOME contact, if not a lot. I took my time selecting the business owners who would receive them, so we'll see if it pays off.

    Total vomit bags being sent today - 80.

    I will report back later this week with how many responses I receive from them. I'm expecting at least 10 responses (even if they are "no thanks" ones). Hopefully I can land a few fat gigs out of my efforts!

    Talk soon,

    Ryan
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    • Hi Ryan, it's been about 2 weeks since you mailed out the second batch. Are the results in? Did you get responses?

      Let us know.
      thanks.
  • That's a very creative idea.

    Thanks for sharing....
  • It sounds Great!
    Thanks,
    M.
  • I think these are the bags that people are looking for with the barfing symbol:

    Sick Saver Barf Bags

    Enjoy
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    • I just wanted to bring this up again, John (I did earlier in the thread) - the "SickSaver" bags are pretty awesome, however, there are two things that you might want to consider before ordering:

      1. They are branded with the sicksaver.com website. (Could be confusing to your prospects).
      2. They are quite expensive compared to the plain ones you can get off of ebay from a husband and wife that sell them in lots of 25 or 100.

      Again, just thought I would bring this up. It may not be a big deal for some, but I didn't want my prospects to think it was a promotion from sicksaver.com

      PM me if you want to know where I got mine, I'll dig up a link to their ebay store (they end up being like .30 each). I posted it earlier in this thread but I'm a bit lazy at the moment
      • [1] reply
  • Great brainstorming and thinking outside the box. I love it. A person told me also to look at old flyers you get in the mail and to use something similar for your online marketing strategy, but you guys are being really original and clever. Thumbs up!
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  • Money only exchanges hands when you give something of value. So, no it's not like going to bed and waking up with money in your paypal account, but it took work for that person to create their product and sell it, too. Both methods are still cash cows once the systems are set up. right? I think it's just a matter of how you look at it.

    Here's another idea for lumpy mail - it's a way to brand yourself at the same time, if tying yourself to a barf bag isn't the exact image you want to portray :-) Btw, no offense to those who are using barf bags - I'm all for having fun with marketing, and that idea certainly fits the bill!

    But here's another idea to throw into the mix . . .

    If you make an audio of what you want your business owner to know (basically, you sales letter), you could go to knocki.com, have them put the CD into a DVD case and mail it to your business owners for you - all for under $4 - and it's probably something the owner (or his staff) wouldn't throw away. You'd want to target your audience, of course, because $4 a pop could add up. But, I'm sure it'd be effective - it's worked in other industries!
    • [3] replies
    • Did you mean Kunaki.com?

      As far as the branding goes, I see your point but from the small sample presented it seems the recipients thought the use of material was creative rather than negative. Personally, I've never watched or listened to a dvd or audio cd that was sent unsolicited. They definitely got round-binned.

      Kristi
    • When I was in the financial services industry, I was a "pro voice" on something called an Audio Business Card. This was basically a CD in a DVD type case where we interviewed the financial planner. I provided the prospect with a good overview - in a non threatening manner - of what the planner did, how he worked with people, etc. However, these were not mailed out - they were given to the prospect in person. Funny thing was, people would NOT throw these out - even if they didn't do any business with the planner. I've been in offices years later and the person would still have one of these on their bookshelf. Can't say the all were round binned, but I know that some weren't. These were costing the planner about $15 each (in quantities of 1,000), so the $4 a pop is pretty reasonable. But, I would probably not just mail them out willy-nilly.

      Something I've used in the past - not sure yet how to word the letter to introduce it - is a nice, clean, crisp dollar bill attached to the letter with a gold paper clip (these have become hard to find though). Maybe something like, "Does your web site bring more of these into your business? Or is it costing you money and not bringing anything extra to you?" Kinda lame, but that's just an "off the cuff comment". Could probably spend a little time with it and come up with something good.

      Another thing would be the Golden Dollars - if you could get them. They add bulk to an envelope and their unique. I've used $2 bills when I could get crisp ones. Basically, we've tried tons of things in the financial services business - just to be different from everyone else out there.

      Good luck to everyone. I'm working on this slowly - just getting it going.
      • [1] reply

    • Sounds like a good idea, esp. for $4, but that site is "under construction". What's up with that?
  • Very cool Del!! Thanks for the script...very very helpful!
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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    • By Randy Gage
      February 7th, 2009       I'm doing something unusual today, in that I'm going to post the "Randy's Rants" newsletter that went out today.

      Mind if I copy and distribute the letter?
  • I like this. The main point is to get their attention right from the beginning. This helps to RETAIN that attention. Love it,
    • [1] reply
    • On what to put on an envelope to get it opened, I got one the other day that definitely got my attention...

      Normal 6x9 mailing envelope, not hand-addressed or anything. Except it had the red 'Confidential' stamp and 'Caution: photograph inside' printed near the address. :confused:

      The contents were pretty worthless, but the envelope went in my swipe file...
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  • You can use priority mail.
  • what ingenuity, I would never thought of using a vomit bag for an envelope. I can't even imagine if I would open it or not if I received one in the mail.
    The main thing is that it worked for you and I am thrilled for your successful campaign
  • clever way to get their attention....kudos to you!
  • Freekin' brilliant - thanks for sharing!
  • How about one of those small magnifying glass items with something along the line of "Having trouble seeing results from your marketing efforts? Call for a free 15 minute consultation."
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    • The local "Dollar Tree" and "Dollar Store" as well as "Dollar General" have tons of great stuff as well. Plus "BigLots" sometimes have some really neat stuff that you can use. I've also found several wholesalers online that sell a TON of little trinket stuff for very little money. My wife is an SMC member (yes, the one that Tom Bosley used to promote) and she's got a catalog full of stuff like that as well. There are tons of sources and tons of ideas that I've seen through the years. I just hate it that this is a marketing technique that "worked so well, I quit using it". I can't tell you how many people I've known that have done that through the years.
  • wow lol that is funny
  • Thats awesome, I think its worth a serious try!
  • This is a bit strange, but since the thread started with "vomit bags" I suppose its worth mentioning.

    A broker I used to work for is a genius at unique marketing techniques... his goal is to get agents to sign up for his 100% commission brokerage (with a monthly fee, etc.). Here are a few of the more zany ideas:

    1) He actually got some blank check sheets (with the check on the top third and the rest is blank for invoice, details, etc.). He would obviously mark the check a "sample" or "invalid" and put XXXX in the price field, and then use the blank page for the sales letter.

    Then he put it into a regular windowed envelope and it looks like a real check. Coupled with some humor to take the "edge" off of the trick, and he got a good response rate. I find it hard to imagine anyone throwing away what looks like a check in the mail.

    2) This was a crazy one... he created a business card coupon for a free seminar and put it in a small envelope. This went into a slightly larger envelope, and then a slightly large one, etc... I think it was like 4 or 5 envelopes total.

    THEN he took the recipient's business card and pasted it to the outside (with the address circled) and no return address. He sent these out a few weeks after collecting the cards.

    Not sure what the response was on that one as I left right after... but its a crazy idea.

    Ron
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    • I like the cheque Idea.. I've got cheques lying around that I've never used but am not sure if I want ppl to know my a/c numbers... but a fake looking cheque printed from my computer with Sample written on it - That's GOLD!

      The curiosity effect would be too much... This is goin in the swipe file for my offline clients to use.
    • This is one of those "obvious" marketing things that we probably miss many times. How many times have you gotten one of these (looks like a check) in the mail? You open if and find it is almost a "REAL" check, but it's only valid to purchase that company's luggage or something like that.

      But, along those lines, you could buy Quick Books (or off brand) 1-up check stock and print your own "check" that the customer can use as a $$$$ off value to your services. That way, it looks and feels like a real check, and actually has value if the business owner decides to "cash" it in. I know that the check stock is fairly expensive, but it is probably no more expensive than all the other ideas we've discussed here.

      Good luck and hope someone comes on with some success stories soon.

      James Dunn
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  • Excellent thread. Fantastic ideas. I am really going to try to find some barf bags.

    @Jay... The dentist thing is great, but HAIR??? I would be really grossed out if someone sent me hair in the mail. Might be a little too far out.

    This is truly a fantastic forum.
  • I was in a toy store yesterday and saw some fake "pirate gold"... I thought is could be a great trick to use - bulky but light.

    Maybe put a few in the envelope and then start the sales letter with something like:

    "Don't miss out on the buried treasure in your business"

    "Do you get the gold?"

    "This is a golden opportunity to get a huge discount on our SEO package"

    "Don't let pirates take your gold - be sure to work with a professional that brings the gold to you!"

    "This letter is a map to online treasure"

    "We will walk the plank if we can't bring you more online gold!"

    etc...
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • An unexpected idea that's for sure! The stranger marketing ideas are great because no one has usually thought of them yet! Many thanks for the inspirational post. Gives us a whole host of weird and wonderful ideas! Thanks!
  • Nice idea. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. I'm sure that grabbed people's attention!
  • That is amazing email marketing campaign. Great job you have done, laird.

    regards
    meisters
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    • Thanks MrYossu, That word document you posted was something I was looking for.
  • great post and great info
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    • In addition to the return address, I usually glance at the postage. If it has a real stamp, it's better than a postage meter (or metre for my UK friends), which is better than a pre-printed postage permit.

      First class postage is better than "standard mail" - the new term for bulk rate. "Presort" also indicates a bulk mailing.

      To be clear, when I say something is "better" in this post, I mean "more likely to get a positive reaction or feeling from me before opening." And that's all it means.
      • [1] reply
  • Question...how do you guys get started doing offline work when you can only spare a little time in the evenings during the week and your weekends? Do you find people care that you have a day job?
    • [2] replies
    • You've got to start somewhere. In some cases, a "job" is the mechanism for meeting tons of business people. Particularly if you are constantly meeting business owners, conversations always end up being about "I noticed your website.... Are you marketing online?... etc.

      I am winding up a project management gig that I took on a favor for a friend of mine. I've been compensated very generously, but I really need to focus on IM (online and off). However, the experience has introduced me to dozens of business owners and every one of them is a prospect for me. They are all very excited to discuss ways to improve their business. Heck, even the workers and employees become prospects. I have worked out trades for everything from painting and carpentry work on my house, to graphic editing.

      As soon as you feel comfortable that you have enough paying clients, you can make a decision to go full time or not.

      Good luck - this stuff can be really fun and rewarding.
      • [1] reply
    • HP,

      I suggest that you "reframe" what a "day job" is in your own mind... that will change the way you think/feel/talk about it.

      For example, I have a broker's license, but don't do much personal production... I mean, I broker a few agents and list some houses, but I don't go looking for real estate work.

      I also do web development, some IM consulting and I have a partnership in a small company (that I devote about 10 hours a week to). So - I have several "part-time" jobs.

      When I have a new client, thats really two things:
      1) a relationship (for referrals, networking and as an ongoing client)
      2) a project

      The project has a beginning and an end... its important to define what constitutes the scope of the project. Even an ongoing project (like website/newsletter maintenance, SEO linking, etc.) is still divided into discrete units based on time (per month for example).

      What does this mean?

      Well, when I get a new client, I immediately begin talking to them about my availability and working their project into my schedule. Sometimes I am booked for 2 weeks, and sometimes I can start today if I get a deposit. But all of my projects are scheduled out on my calendar (with generous time estimates).

      A 9-5 job is simply a long term project with a major client. You make certain concessions for this major client (like a specific schedule, working onsite, etc.), but in return you have certain benefits as compensation.

      I guarantee you that once you start to see your 9-5 "job" as just another client/project (albeit a major one), you will shift your language and the way you think about it.

      Its not a problem if one project is way different than another... being a real estate broker is pretty different from being a web developer, but none of my clients care because I know what I am doing and I produce results either way.

      Change the way you see the world, and the world itself will change!

      regards
      Ron
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Great post, starting to love reading more and more of these
  • Business owners are busy too. Sometimes they take you more seriously when you have a full schedule and communicate only through emails, websites and phone calls. You really don't need to see them in person, only if you want to. With cell phones nowadays, you can call them whenever you get a free moment at work 9 (or you make one).

    I also wanted to share a mailer that got an 85% response, and a 63% conversion rate for me: I used plastic tubes with caps on them, and placed the letter inside. They come in different sizes, and are used by artists and architects. I'm sure you could do the same thing with cardboard tubes if you wanted to save some money.

    The tubes are definitely a novelty when they arrive in the mail, so people DO open them. And that's a big part of the battle - and they show your creativity in a professional way - something business owners appreciate. I found it was well worth the investment!
    • [ 4 ] Thanks
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    • Sheila.

      Thanks for getting my creative juices going. Using your idea and expanding it a little. Use something that is related to the client's business. Examples:

      For a plumber: use a length of PVC pipe with a glued on cap on one end and a screw on cap on the other (I use these to store house plans in so they don't get wet, dirty, or damaged).

      For a painter: use a paint can (small quart can maybe).

      For an electrician: maybe use a plastic electrical junction box that can easily be removed.

      For a pet shop: use one of the hollow plastic "bones" that pet toys come in sometimes - haven't seen too many of these, but how many pet shops would you market to.

      And the list goes on. I could probably sit with a phone book - as most of us could - and come up with something for most of the categories in there. When we were mailing to business owners, our objective was to make the item "stick out" from all the other JUNK that they receive in the mail. That's why we mailed odd shaped items more than just standard #10 envelopes. Bright colors sometimes work, but try to avoid them because that can potentially make something look like junk mail.

      Good luck.

      James Dunn
  • You have a great idea here. Think of other creative ones and I'm sure you'll draw lots more people.

    Congratulations.
  • I'm impressed!

    This thread alone is a small gold vein for those who pay close attention.

    My creative synapses are fired up!

    Many Thanks to all contributors. Keep it coming...

    I look forward to sharing some ideas I come up with as well (working on one now).
  • It's awesome to see all the different ideas out there. With all the emphasis on mlm make money info. a lot of people think that that is all that is online. It is fantastic to see how "telling the story" works so well and people really get engaged. Thanks for sharing the letter!
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  • Hey Del, great job on the campaign, I'm very interested in incorporating some direct mail into my marketing. This was a great post to give me some pointers.

    Thanks!

    - Tommy
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