We’re going to start a new series of tips on using premiums and Free Gifts in your marketing. We briefly went over them a few weeks ago, and based on the responses I got, you guys want more! So we’ll start with a quote from my mentor, Dan Kennedy: “Too many marketers deal with premiums almost as an afterthought. This is a huge mistake. I know for a fact that premiums …
Most people think their premium needs to be something they sell. This is a myth that needs to be addressed and debunked right now. In almost all instances, a premium unrelated to your product will outperform a premium that IS related to your business. Here are a couple examples. For years in one of our businesses we have sent out a free Big Key Calculator to responders to our direct …
We’re picking up our discussion on premiums. The two-part premium is a great way to increase your response rates, and more importantly, your ROI. Two part premiums are a great way to cut the clutter, AND make sure you get the follow up response you’re looking for. One of the best I ever was for a financial group. It went to a highly selected list of CEO’s and CFO’s. They …
The worry doll is quickly becoming one of our bestselling 3D Mail items, and with the success stories I’m hearing from my clients, it’s easy to see why. The worry doll is designed to be used for lost/inactive client reactivation.From now until March 20, 2011 as a marketing tips reader, you can invest in the COMPLETE worry doll lost client campaign at never before offered prices.I’ve put together a program …
If I asked you who the 3rd easiest client or prospect is to sell to, and I knew of a way to get them to come back to your business, would you be interested? Would you even know who I was talking about? If you said reactivating your lost clients, you’re right! For my money, a lost client is the 3rd easiest client to sell to after you own, active …
…The One Eyed Man is King.” Erasmus (of Rotterdam) We know that Erasmus wasn’t talking about copywriting when he spoke those words some 500 years ago, but he may as well have been. In critiquing many 3D Mail sales letters the past 2 years it’s become obvious that many who do their own copywriting can be blind. Here’s where you’ll find discussions on a bundle of copywriting topics. First an …
After about a week’s hiatus (my apologies for being gone) we’re going to pick up our discussion on the most important elements of copywriting. To review where we left off, check out the blog on copy killers. Your headline needs to answer: Who care? So what? What’s in it for me (WIIFM)? Why are you bothering me? No small task by any means. Keeping those four bullets in mind, how long should …
Last week we hit the tip of the iceberg with headlines. A conversation that, quite frankly, could last a whole year. Here we’ll discuss the vital role that guarantees play in your marketing and direct mail. First some guarantee ‘basics’ that we must address. There are three chief types of guarantees, with a very quick blurb on each. We’ll expand on them later. Satisfaction Guarantee If under any circumstance you …
If your client or prospect doesn’t believe you, you’ll never sell a thing. The best way to use credibility is testimonials (although we’ll talk about a lot more than just testimonials). There are two kinds of testimonials that you want to use: outcome testimonials and testimonials that overcome objections. There are new laws that govern outcome testimonials (passed in 2010), particularly in the money-making/business opportunity and the health/weight loss niche. …
First, one step selling. In one step selling, the only job of your ad, whether that is a sales letter, post card, website, yellow pages ad etc, is to sell your product or service. It requires an immediate “Buy Now” reaction whether that be pick up the phone and order, visit our website and order, come in for an appointment etc. This biggest drawback to one step selling is it …
Lead generation marketing is the ultimate ‘pull’ marketing strategy. It allows people who are interested in your product or service to pull information for themselves about you and your business, rather than the usually ‘push’ marketing that you usually see. Almost all “Madison Avenue” marketing is push marketing. What you need for prospects to ‘pull’ information from you is great bait, or a lead generation magnet. This is something that …
Each month in my printed newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner, which I produce for my 3D Mail Inner Circle Members, I review a fundamental element of copywriting or direct mail which I call Copywriting 101. For our newer members it’s a great place to learn a new skill. For our veterans, it’s a great review and will prompt then to go back to their previous letters to see if they’re using …
As I was preparing this tip, an issue of my Dan Kennedy No B.S. Marketing Newsletter arrived. One of the questions asked of Dan was, “Where you get good ideas.” Dan’s answer: “Raid the museum, go back and look at old direct response ads, to look back before you look forward.” This is exactly what you get here. Long time reader’s know I often reference and show old ads in …
You may be familiar with George Carlin’s bit on the 7 words you can’t say on television. It’s a dirty, but classic bit that just about every comedian or aspiring comedian can recite, or, at the very least get close. In the entrepreneurial world we have something similar. Words that we should live by, words that every entrepreneur should know, recite daily and work towards. I have eight instead of …
Speed. As a culture we’re obsessed with it. Say the name Chuck Yeager to WWII veterans and most baby-boomers and the name instantly means something. Over the next several tips, I’m going to reveal to you how you can create and implement at unprecedented speeds in your business. In sports, we clamor to see the fastest-this, and the fastest-that. For years people wondered if anyone could run a sub four-minute …
What you’re about to read was first published in my monthly newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner, and is also published in my 3D Mail Direct Marketing System. To get more information on the newsletter and the System, visit this link. When it comes to direct mail Dr. Nielsen is a legend. The Doc has graciously let me feature him in this series of emails. The first thing you’ll want to do …
It’s the back to school time around the country. But school is never NOT in session around here. What are you going to do this month to improve yourself and your business? This weekly marketing tip is a great place to start. In keeping with the back to school theme, This month we’ll tackle Econ 101, talking specifically about places where you can gain financial leverage in your business. First …
What you’re about to read was first published in my monthly newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner, to get more information on it. Visit this link. I’ve referenced the famous Gary Halbert dollar bill mailer a few times in this newsletter, and have shown you a few examples of how we’ve swiped it, and how some of our members have swiped it. This month, I thought I’d show you just another way that …
We’re going to talk about double readership path and copy cosmetic together this month, as they go hand-in-hand. For both items, it doesn’t matter if you’re using a 4” x 6” postcard, a one page sales letter, or a 48 page magalog, these techniques still apply. As much as I hate to admit it, and as much as it wish it weren’t true, the cosmetics you use to create a …
What you’re about to read was first published in my monthly newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner, September, 2010. To get more information on it, visit this link. Whenever you make an offer, you want it to be believable. People are naturally skeptical, especially when it appears that an offer is too good to be true. You’ll often hear this referred to as “reason why” copy in this newsletter. When you add a …
I catch some flack every now and again that all I show are consumer examples in this newsletter. Frankly, that’s just not true. A lot of examples come from my own businesses, all of which are B2B. Given that this month’s new item is in the B2C world, I thought I’d throw you B2B’ers this one. It comes from Jim Leuty of the Gel-Lite Candles Corp., in Mentor, OH. Jim …
It always amazes me at how few people do real, proactive marketing to trade show attendees at the events they attend. As an exhibitor and attendee at the Direct Marketing Associations (DMA) Conference and Exhibition, I received quite a bit of mail. But not nearly as much as I thought I would have being this was the DIRECT MARKETING trade show. They’re lose I guess. In this month’s example I …
As I was watching SportsCenter one evening a few days before the college football national championship game, the same reporter asked both coaches, Les Miles of LSU and Nick Saban of Alabama, in separate interview (and I’m paraphrasing), “What outside criticism has affected you and your team the most.” Sitting in my chair, I say aloud, “none…” and waited for their answers.With no shock to me they both answered, “None.” …
I had the great fortune about 14 months ago to meet a childhood hero of mine, Cal Ripken, Jr. at a seminar in Baltimore, MD. I was a huge baseball fan growing up and was an avid collector of baseball cards. I have over 5,000 cards up in the attic and can’t wait to share them someday with Carson, my son. Most of you also know I’m a big sports …
What you’re about to read was first published in my monthly newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner, September, 2010. To get more information on it, visit this link. This month’s S&D example comes from Inner Circle Member Pete Mitchell. Pete is a master at product launches, and he’s incredible at creating celebrity status, big pay days, and PR awareness. If you’re interested in a product launch, visit www.BustOutTheBigGuns.com. OK, back to business. This …
In this example, I’m taking you back to one of the first direct mail campaigns I implemented. It’s for Superior Display, a manufacturing shop we own in Bend, OR. They build custom and hardwood display cases (www.SuperiorDisplay.com). You could call this a “grass-roots” or even a Guerrilla Marketing campaign in a sense. They used our successful fake express envelopes. As I was reading over the letter, it was really hard …
What you’re about to read was first published in my monthly newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner, March, 2010. To get more information on it, visit this link. Steve Clark is the CEO and Founder of New School Selling Today (see www.newschoolselling.com) an international business development and marketing firm that consults and coaches thousands of sales executives and business owners annually in Australia, Canada and the US, and after you see what he’s done …
What is 3D Mail? When it comes to 3D Mail, 3D says it all. A regular envelope has length and width, but very little depth. 3D Mail has length, width and depth. It can be an envelope with something in it that makes it lumpy, or it can be a box, or a mini garbage can, or a bank bag, one any one of thousands of items. Why Does 3D …
If you read this marketing tip, you know we usually talk about direct response marketing, direct mail, and copywriting. We’re going to take a little break from that topic over the next couple weeks. Keith, my dad, and the guy I run 3D Mail Results with, recently published his first book on customer service called, “Out-Nordstrom Nordstrom – Creating the World’s Best Customer Service.” In honor of that, we’re going …
If you can get people involved in your copy, it will substantially increase your readership and, more importantly, response. Busy fingers increases response. The more involvement you get from the reader the better. You get an investment of time and readership, and when you get those, your response can only go up! Your challenge is to decide what you can do to get your readers involved in your letter. This …
Over the next tips we’re going to explore proven sales letter formulas. There are many formula’s out there, and we’ll cover the most popular one today, the problem,agitate, solve (PAS). A very basic version of PAS can be seen at this link. This is probably the most widely used formula by copywriters, and quite possibly the most reliable. You’ve probably heard that people are more motivated by fear of lose, or …
This week’s Marketing Tip of the Week is from Jeffrey Gitomer’s book, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless. I absolutely love Jeffrey’s book. It’s one of my favorite 5 customer service books. Here’s a sure-fire way to determine how “what you say” will sound to the customer before you say it… a way to “test your talk” so to speak. PUT “GRANDMA” AT THE END OF EVERYTHING YOU …
What you’re about to read was first published in my monthly newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner, to get more information on it, visit this link. I stepped back a few years to get this month’s S&D example for you. But it’s a good one. Have you ever needed to get the attention of a VIP, big-wig, or important decision maker? It can be brutal. Gatekeepers, voice mail, un-returned phone calls and emails… …
This is a piece that’s doing extremely well for us right now. It’s pulling around a 7:1 return on investment for us. This is a follow-up solicitation for first time buyers of 3D Mail. You’ll notice it’s selling our “how-to” kit of 3D Mail sample letters, “The 3D Mail Sample Kit and Sale Explosion System,” which I’m sure you have (Wait…. You don’t have it? Fix that immediately at www.3DMailSuccess.com). …
I went back a few years in my swipe files to show you this example. It comes from long-time client David Loynd of Grand’s Garage in Escondido, CA. In fact, I think we met him at one of our first speaking engagements with 3D Mail over six years ago. He’s been using our items for a few years now and I finally get an opportunity to highlight him. He’s doing …
As you know I’ve been using the marketing and sales strategies of, arguably the world’s best direct response marketer, Dan Kennedy. He recently wrote the article below as a part of his series I subscribe to on “Renegade Millionaires.” This reveals how truly successful people look at opportunity, success, and even failure differently than the 99% of people out there who’re just scraping by. Anyway, I thought it was worth …
Want to have fun with your direct mail? Here’s a great example where small numbers, and a little bit of elbow grease, can get you great results. It comes from my sister, Jenny, who is a member of a local Business Networking International (BNI) group. She convinced her BNI group to use our very popular and successful shredded money mailer. First, big kudos to Jenny for convincing a group of …
Have you heard about this? I know how everybody “talks the talk” about how they can show regular people can make money out of thin air, but I don’t think anyone with the clout of Dan Kennedy and GKIC has ever done it! Here’s the scoop. Dave Dee, the Chief Marketing Officer of GKIC (he works VERY closely with Dan at GKIC) is going to show you how you can …
If you read my e-mail tips, you know I LOVE using current events in my marketing. There’s a big one coming up in February, the Winter Olympics. What better way to break through all the noise and clutter than by sending your clients, prospects or patients their very own gold medal! This is a great direct mail piece to cut the clutter and increase your response rates! I suggest you …
Remember creating your own 3D Mail letter isn’t Leprechaun Magic! In keeping with the holiday theme and current even from last month (rememberthe Olympic Gold Medals?) and the Collier principle we’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Yeah, I know it seems early to think about St. Patrick’s Day, but we’re only 3 weeks away. You want to start thinking about it NOW so you’re not too late to take advantage of …
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