Ahhh… the smell of your name in print in a major newspaper

One thing I will never claim to be is an expert on getting good PR. I made some half-hearted attempts at press releases – and that was about it.  I have hired people to help – and saw limited success (more because of their half-hearted attempts than anything else).  For that reason, I am hiring a PR
P-R-O this year - and I look forward to reporting in on what they help me do.

That said, through a couple very helpful connections, I got to see my name in a major Canadian financial newspaper this week (The Financial Post)…. And boy does it feel GOOD! 

I had the privilege speaking with Rick Spence, the columnist and writer, for over an hour discussing my story and some of my accomplishments. Seeing someone else write my story up in their own words feels very warming.

There was the brief one-line mention on Forbes.com a few years ago for this blog I write – but this is a full-blown write-up that I will be leveraging every way I possible can in the coming months...

“Such chutzpah seems almost un-Canadian

-- but it's great marketing...”

Rick Spence, January 21, 208
The Financial Post

It really IS about the marketing in my world.  Live it, breathe it, and love it.  The one thing that I get the biggest kick out of is helping other people make more money in their business.  All I ask is a willingness to learn and a keen eye for taking action.

If you would like to read the write-up Rick gave me (THANK YOU RICK!) - have a look at this doozy...
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=251865

Imagine paying for that type of coverage!  And coming from a third, impartial party, makes it even more incredible.

The moral of the story today: Never, EVER, give up on your dreams - keep on plugging and moving forward and you will break down any self-imposed hurdle you have before you!

I LOVE this quote Rick closed off with, it captures my biggest frustration with Canadian businesses - the lack of "chutzpah" and willness to step outside of yoru comfort zone.  Marketing is ALL about getting your name out there to the right target market - you lack the  "chutzpah" to do it on a grand scale - your results will show it.

Be brave out there - it is a big old busy world and your prospects are bombarded with BAD marketing - be the one that shows them GOOD marketing.

Proof of a simple technique that grows your business by 30%

This morning I took one of our vehicles in to get a flat tired fixed. Luckily, the place is real close – and I knew exactly where to go. This time I had an ulterior motive, besides getting the tire fixed.

 

I walked in and saw the stack of papers on the front desk that I wanted to ask about.

 
After looking after the details of the tire repair, I asked… “are your print newsletters the work of Ron Ipach?” 
 

Brian, the owner, came out and looked quite amazed that I knew who Ipach was. After explaining to him that I work in the direct marketing industry, and that I also send print newsletters to my clients, I asked him how the print newsletters work for him.
 

I love this part! 
 

“Well, this summer we stopped running them to see if it wqould impact our sales numbers. After looking at the before and after numbers, we figured it cost us anywhere from 30-45% of our potential revenues for the summer!”

 

All from a simple 4 page print newsletter that goes out to their clients once a month – and THEY DON’T EVEN WRITE IT. Ron Ipach’s group does this for the automotive repair business - - they write it, and send it to you customized for your business (name and logo throughout). 
 

THAT, is the power of simple print newsletters – similar results that I get. 
 

If you are in my database, having bought any of my products in the past, you would have seen my own print newsletter which ranges from 4 to 8 pages (the November edition is 8 pages – packed with tips and techniques to grow your business). 
 

If you want to see an immediate 30% boost in your sales numbers, pick up a copy of the Wild West Wealth DVD Bundle (http://www.WildWestWealth.com) and you will actually receive the exact same template of the newsletter I use – the same once that typically returns to me $5 - $8 for every $1 I invest in my newsletter. Some months, much more. I will also give you the exact places to look for free content to fill much of your newsletter.
 

Look, if you are like me, email can be overwhelming – and your customers are no different. They appreciate you taking the time to put together a print publication and send it to them - - and they will reciprocate with additional sales you may have never received.
 

If you want 2008 to be a kick @ss year – let me show you how to easily grow your business. The fast action bonuses are gone – but the value is still immense. 
 

Have a look for yourself…

http://www.WildWestWealth.com
 

To your success, 

Troy White
 

PS: Also, if you are anywhere in the close proximity to Calgary, you are crazy to miss out on the amazing lineup of speakers I have at the Wild West Wealth Christmas Party on December 5^th (billions of dollars worth of knowledge being shared that day – http://www.WildWestChristmasParty.com) – if you can’t make the day, the evening is also an amazing time to network with success-minded entrepreneurs like yourself.

Cash Cow Secrets from those darned Canucks

in this issue:

*  Branding 101 from the Canadian Beaver
*  Quarter BILLION dollar empire began with handwritten letters
*  Breaking through the clutter - email vs print... the results are in!
*  Segmentation creates campaign windfall
*  What to test... how to test... and why you MUST be testing
*  And Much More!

Love us or not, Canadians are here to stay.   What's amazing is to look at the disproportionate number of Canadian success stories, especially when you look at the fact that we have 10% of the population of the US.  I have lived both north and south of the border - and I much prefer the southern weather (I moved to Dallas in July and was in heaven at 115 degrees)!  But I also love my Canada.

I am continually amazed at some of the ingenuity that comes from Canadian businesses as well.  Many of them never hit the media south of the border, but have some incredible lessons to share.

***************************************
Quarter billion dollar empire started with hand scratched 'hokey' sales letters
***************************************

For example,  did you know that Harry Rosen Men's Wear (http://www.harryrosen.com) - with 2006 revenues of $200 Million dollars - got started with a simple sales letter campaign?  I saw an off-the-cuff remark by Harry Rosen in an interview that he got his start by mailing "these hokey little handwritten letters" to top CEOs and VPs across Canada. I emailed him to find out if he would be willing to share any of those with me - unfortunately, he never kept a copy of a single one! It's a shame - those would have been a masterpiece. 

Action item: For your high end offerings, why don't you test this?  List out 50 of your ideal clients, those you would love to have as a testimonial.  Craft a sales letter to them using everything shared by Clayton Makepeace and the other editors... and then handwrite it out 50 times - personalizing it along the way to each of the 50.   

Or, if you have lower end products or just are being lazy... handwrite out the letter with a generic salutation... send it to a printer and have them reproduce them en masse.  This won Bill Glazer of Gage Menswear (now of the Glazer Kennedy group) international awards and hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenues.  If you have ever seen his letter you will know what I mean. It was done on yellow lined paper, all junked up with scratched out words, hand written borders for the coupons in the letter - and VERY messy looking.  But it worked - and made him a FORTUNE.  Why reinvent the wheel - it worked for Harry - it worked for Bill - why wouldn't it work for you?

***********************
Bell Beavers Break Out
***********************
Another one from the telecom giant, Bell Canada (http://www.bell.ca).  They have been running some ads on television over the years for the "Bell Beavers".  Typical
cliché Canadian Beavers who watch hockey and drink beer (unlike any Canadians I know...).   

Bell wanted to control a larger percent of the Quebec marketplace... which is a notoriously competitive price shopping market.  What did they do?  They BUSTED Frank and Gordon, the 2 Bell Beavers, on charges of "Lying about low prices".  The direct mail campaign educated consumers on the hidden costs that competitive suppliers used - and showed them how to truly find value in the market.

The graphics behind the campaign showed Frank and Gordon behind bars... in their mugshots with them holding "I am innocent" placards...newspaper headlines "wrongfully imprisoned?" showing how Bell was innocent.  The results? A 250% increase in business! Leveraging the branded lovable beavers, with a solid direct response style offer, a a little bit of humor mixed in for good luck - and a breakout campaign emerged (one that they fully plan on using across the country... for good reason).

Action item:  is there a hero, a villain, or a mascot you can use in your promotions?  For my Wild West Wealth Summit, I used cartoons to make this one stand out from the others - and found www.CashCartoons.com invaluable for this. 

Try creating a bobblehead cartoon of yourself through these guys and use it in your promotions and on your website.  If you don't want your picture plastered everywhere - use your pet, your kids, your staff - just try it!  You will definitely stand out - which is the point in an overcrowded marketplace!

Or, you could hire an artist to create a cartoon book, using various staff members, partnerxs and clients as the characters.  Use the book to tell your story and entertain people along the way.  I do know that cartoons are working phenomenally well in certain direct mail campaigns for some serious marketers these days - something to test out in your own.


***************************************
Mob of 2.5 Million Tree Huggers Take Over Canada
***************************************

Kidding on the tree huggers. This success story is about Mountain Equipment Co-Op, who is Canada's largest outdoor sporting goods chain.  Part of their massive success is in their sizzling database, which is now growing by over 200,000 per year (each of these is a paid member)

They do not invest much in their actual advertising - but they put a significant amount of money into their print catalogue, which goes out to members twice a year (the spring edition is 132 pages(!) and the winter one is 84 pages). 

Their catalogues are a masterpiece of action photos (those using the outdoor mountain gear on some very treacherous adventures), product shots and long copy descriptions. 85% of their members ASK to receive the catalog and the average life span of the catalogue is 8 months in their clients home.

With over 2.5 million paid members, they need to be very careful with their catalog creation and printing costs. Some of the ways they keep these costs manageable?

1) targeting high frequency and dollar value clients

2) behavioral research and surveys to target the marketing further

3) a direct mail campaign (that got an exceptional 12% response) offering a free gift card to those members who hadn't updated their address or contact information

4) Close attention to duplicate addresses, names at multiple addresses, etc  From them "a messy database can waste a lot of money; a good one can give you a competitive advantage"

Right now they send out 500,000 catalogues a year, 250,000 postcards and 700,000 e-cards.  Through all of the marketing, research and profile creation - they have segmented the database into specific areas of interest (river rafting, kayaking, snowsports, etc). 

From there, they create 32 page specialty booklets - targeted just to those who are passionate about certain sports.   

   "You can't underestimate the importance of a well-managed customer database.  If you invest the time and money necessary to enrich your database and keep it clean, you can significantly boost the impact and value of any direct communications program"  says Selena McLachlan (Sorted, June 2007)

Action items: What can you do to further segment, clean and organize your database?  Once you have them into finely defined  niches, what can you do to focus your marketing on each niche? It could be as simple as a targeted email or direct mail campaign to a small portion of your list. It could be a print catalog of products that are only of interest to each segment.  It could be landing pages dedicated to areas of interest - even voice broadcasts to your sub-lists.

One last one that I found especially pertinent...

***************************************
Days Inn Double Duties Their Direct Mail Efforts
***************************************
Have you found yourself getting overwhelmed with email?

Deleting more than you are reading? 

So are Days Inn customers. Days Inn went back in time thought to boost their email results.  Leveraging offline media to get people back online has resulted in a huge difference in repeat customers and frequent buyers.   When they surveyed their database they found that clutter was especially noticeable in their customers email inbox - versus their physical mailbox.  Reaching those people through email was getting them declining results and costing them money.   

Combining an online offer with an offline promotion has results in exceptional results.  The split test they ran consisted of two equivalent bonus offers - worded differently and with a different call to action.   Half the print database also received email as well.

Their results were very conclusive showing that a combination of email AND direct mail products substantially higher response from their clients.

   

Action item:  when was the last time you put stamp to paper and mailed something to your clients and prospects? I know from my own results that offline offers substantially better response rates - and WILL boost your bottom line numbers.  Send them a postcard first, make sure your database is clean and up to date.  Send them some newsletters (which we discussed in previous editions). Send them a catalog... send them something in print!  Make it pertinent to what they have bought in the past, or have expressed interest in purchasing. 

The key to marketing success in 2007 and beyond is to combine the reach and speed of online marketing, with the power and tangibility of offline marketing.   

Let me know if there is anything at all I can help with.

To your success,

Troy White

************************************************************
This article was originally written for the Small Business Mastery Column, which I write every Tuesday for the World's  Highest Paid Copywriter, Clayton Makepeace. 

If you want to get more articles like these, please visit http://www.smallbusinessmastery.com, part of The Total Package.

************************************************************

PS: Are YOU just one breakthrough away from creating the business you TRULY want? One that allows you the freedom to run your  business from anywhere in the world, with just a laptop, a cell  phone, and an army of assistants?  Have a look at the amazing program just released...

http://www.MillionDollarBlueprints.com

I LOVE it when an idea and promotion come together.

The money pouring into a bank account because of a perfectly matched promotion, price, people mix - nothing better. Which is part of the reason I have been slow on my posts here - I promise to be more regular. Things have been busy - a very good busy.

 Some important lessons I have learned over the past few weeks:

 
1) Get those newsletters in print! I know... I know.... (insert whining and excuses here)

- they cost money - they take time - they are difficult to do.

 
YUP!

 
Which is exactly what I love about them.

 
If it costs money and involves extra work - people WILL NOT DO IT. Which is the exact reason YOU SHOULD. 

 If none of your competitors are doing it (because of the whiny excuses) they you are going to be THE ONE who stands out - right? I am always a big believer that you look at what the masses (or your competitors) are doing - or not doing - and DO THE OPPOSITE as them.

 It only makes sense - the masses are not successful with their marketing, with their business, and with their $$ - so why on earth would you do the same as them. This is also another reason that I would never hire a financial planner who made less than double what I do. Despite how much you

 
Here is the results from one doctor (note: doctors usually do dry and professional stuff – this guys newsletter is hilarious! Very non-professional)…

 
* increased revenue 169%

* and increased supplement sales 235% (for a brick n' mortar business)

 
Hmmm… I don’t know about you… but THOSE are the kind of results I certainly like. You can hire it out! Outsource it. Find someone to do this for a year for you and measure what kind of numbers it pulls in. The hassle and investment will be paid back many times over (my own leads are 470% more profitable from my own newsletter).

2) Start testing multimedia with your websites

Video and audio can make a big difference... but how will you ever know unless you test?

 

I recently found Web Video Zone
 

They are awesome. And have been instrumental in a techno-dunce like me to easily get video up on my site. My results show a fantastic improvement in sales... worth a test for your business.
 

3) Lock and load...

 
When you are feeling overwhelmed with too much to do... lock yourself up and away from your office.
 

Find somewhere with few distractions - and get busy. I did this a couple weeks ago for 3 days and did more copywriting than I had done in the last 2 months.
 

No excuses - the reason you are overwhelmed is because too many things are on your plate.
 

Start getting rid of those things.
 

Rent a hotel room if you need to - just get the heck out of your office - no checking email - no cell phone - get busy. Trust me - when you accomplish more in those few days than you did in the last month - the few calls and emails you missed while away will be insignificant.
 

Just try one of the 3 above – you will be amazed at what they can do for your business.

 

 

We got on CNBC, a head of lettuce on QVC, and a million dollar book deal

What a whirlwind week! 

Is it just me, or does time seem to fly by faster than ever?

I try and find 3 new lessons every single week that I learned –
and then apply them massively and consistently.  This is one of
the most important things I do – and I would encourage you
to do as well.

As you may know – I am not one to make ridiculous claims
that you see all over the net. 

> I don't claim you can become a wazillionaire overnight by
clicking a button and thinking positive thoughts. 

> I don't share with you things I personally haven't tested
myself. 

> And I don't fall for all the 'next shiny object' claims that
you are being bombarded with daily. 

****** You don't know what that is? 

It's the addiction of buying into every new "magic bullet" that
people are out there pitching to you. 

The Google software that will get you banned within the next
week. The sales letter writing software that writes you a
'blockbuster' in 3 minutes or less (ya, sure).  Or the 'no
selling, no recruiting, no work at all opportunity' that just
hit the market (which is why they change the name of it every
week – to deflate the lawsuits). 

No, I like to actually use things that WORK! 

Things that will continue to work. 

And things that usually take some time to learn and do right.

Novel concept actually having to learn something – then apply it
– then try more of it. 

Enough of that rant!

***********************************************
The lessons that I took away from this week are:
***********************************************

1) MASSIVE ACTION!

I loved the movie the Secret.  A few of the stars are my clients…
so how can I not love what they are doing?

But – in order for 'The Secret' to work – you have to actually
*take action* on what you want to manifest.  And not just *a*
small action – MASSIVE action.

Mucho Grande!

Thanks to massive action – we just got word one of my clients
(one who we got a million dollar book deal with a major
publisher) will be featured on CNBC this summer on a series of
specials. A large number of specials will feature him as one of
the Wealth Gurus. 

Edita Kaye, who is a client and featured expert at the Wild West
Wealth Summit will be sharing with you some of the secrets to
using massive action that got him the mega book deal – and the
featured spot on CNBC. 

Edita will also be sharing her story of how 2 heads of lettuce
got her a premier spot on the QVC channel – which also launched
her $4.5 million dollar internet business in only 18 months.

********************************
Have a look at this video to see my thoughts: 
http://www.WildWestWealth.com/video.htm
********************************

2) Try NEW things. 

I am finally done contemplating it and am
ready to start plunging into the Web 2.0 generation.  I am
starting to use video on my sites – and my clients. I am
leveraging some truly amazing technologies that I will be
sharing at the Wild West Wealth event.  Some of which are giving
me HUGE returns on my investment.

Again – it isn't about the flashy shiny object (as you can see
by my videos - not fancy)... it is all about testing
what works best for your promotions and your offer. 

This week I released my Small Display Ads report – to a
fantastic response (it ran my hosting account out of bandwidth
kind of popular).  I haven't sold this type of report in a
long time – but obviously people wanted this information – and
those that invested in it will see huge returns (like my $12 per
click results I get from one display ad I run offline, driving
people to a website.

Imagine making $12 on average for EVERY person who clicks a link
to your site!).

********************************

If you need new leads for your business
I would invest the minuscule amount
I'm asking for the report

http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com

********************************

3) Run far far away from the 'negative nellies'.

They are everywhere! The ones who take great pleasure in trying
to squash your dreams. There was one of these in my life up until
this week.  Someone who SHOULD know better – a very successful
person in their own right – but for some reason they aren't
following their own advice.  They told me not to do this… not to
do that… nag nag nag.  Well – now that the things that I wasn't
supposed to do (according to them) ARE working – the negativity
got worse. 

When you find those people just are dragging you down – delete
them from your email and phone books. You don't need it. There
are lots of us out there who would LOVE to encourage you to
reach for the stars – and give you the tools to make it happen.

********************************

Have a look at this video to see my thoughts: 
http://www.WildWestWealth.com/video.htm

********************************

Anyhow,  it's a long weekend up here in Canada – I am outta
here! 

3 of us guys are taking 6 kids out of town for some
fun in the sun. 

Our wives? 

They get to go out to the Rocky mountains and stay in a
beautiful chalet – sipping on some vino – talking bad talk about
their husbands (who, by the way, are looking after the kids for
the weekend!) – and being girls for 3 days.

Fun will be had by all.

Have a great weekend

And give some serious thought to both the Wild West Wealth Event
(early bird pricing ends at the end of this month – as does the
room block) – and to the Small Business Display Ads Report… both
of them are guaranteed to make you more profits in your
business.

Over and out.

Troy White

PS: If you missed it  – make sure you take heed
in the 3 lesson rule – what 3 did you learn this week? 

And... how will you apply them?

Here's how I applied mine:

http://www.WildWestWealth.com/video.htm

http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com

By far my most powerful lead generation tool…

Last week I wrote my weekly column for The Small Business Mastery edition.  And boy oh boy did it hit a chord with the readers!

Just by revealing a few ideas around lead generation advertisements, these are some of the comments I got back:

“Excellent article. Very informative with outstanding examples. Great ad for the _______ service.”

“Thanks

Troy

, great advice. I'm looking forward to the next installment.”

“Excellent article! Why don't more advertisers understand this?”

“Wow- These newsletters never cease to amaze. But this issue in particular was fantastic.”

If you read it, I am sure you know what I am talking about – if not, I have something for you that is guaranteed to help you grow your business…

First, here are 3 rules for creating display ads that will never fail you:

3 Rules Of Small Display Ads

 

Display Ad Rule #1: You must have a powerful headline – and possibly a different font as the rest of the ad

·  All Bold - NOT ALL CAPS – which is difficult to read - and never use your company name as the headline

·  Your ad must stand out from other ads (look at the ads in the section you'll be advertising in and make yours look different, sound different, and have a completely different call to action than the others)

·  Either an attention getting headline – or a benefit based headline (WARNING! STOP! IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO…  or the Fastest and Easiest Way To Lose Weight… For FREE)

Display Ad Rule #2: You must talk to the readers – not yourself

·  Use normal people talk not "advertising" talk – make it sound like a conversation you would say to a prospect the first time you try to get their attention

·  Again, you must contrast with others in the section – talk like one of them. Don't pretend to be a multi-million dollar empire when you aren't.  Be yourself - act like you are "one of the boys - or girls".

·  Write your ad as if you are talking to one person only. Most ads are written as if they are talking to a group (use words like you and yours – actually count the use of you and your versus I and we – there should be less than 5% of the use of I , me or we)

·  When people are looking at ads – they are typically interested in buying.  You are talking to people who already have a desire for what you are offering. Take advantage of this and do what you need to force them to pick up the phone and CALL YOU RIGHT NOW.

Display Ad Rule #3: Make Your Display Advertisement As Long As It Needs To Be

·  There is a false belief that you must keep your ad as short as possible (again – false advice from people who have never been accountable for the results they get from their advertising.  The more you tell the more you sell has always been true – and it always will be)

·  Always be addressing the benefits of what you provide to them – not the features. List out everything about you, your business, your product or service – then ask “so what?” – do you answer that? Do you tell them what it means to them?  What is in it for them to read your ad and to call or come by your business?

· BY FAR - the biggest mistake made - you MUST have call to action (most people miss this one. Ask for them to take action – request your report – get their free coupon – book a free consultation – make it a limited time offer – or limited quantity – or a single day of the week)

Second, I have put together a powerful new tool to help you write these kind of lead generating ads.  Small Display Ads work in yellow pages, newspaper ads, trade publications, magazines, website, banner ads, coupon books, email marketing and advertising, blogs, brochures, catalogs, and the list goes on.  They are by far your most valuable tool to finding quality leads for your business.

http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com is a hard hitting, highly profitable, and very useful report you must discover for yourself.

I cannot share the article I wrote due to my agreement with Clayton Makepeace and The Total Package – but I can offer you substantially more information than what sparked all the comments above.

See for yourself - http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com

This works for EVERY single business.

This is my most profitable lead generation tool I have.

This returns to me 340 – 700% higher returns than other lead sources.

And this can be mastered by you.

Have a look and let me know just how many leads you think you can handle in your business…. http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com

To your lead generation success!

Troy White

 

18 Point Checklist To Improve Your Conversions

Ahhhh, the promise of a guaranteed winner.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know with 100% certainty that your marketing would bring you maximum return every time you ran it?

While there is no guaranteed formula that ensures 100% success in your marketing efforts, there ARE simple steps you should follow.

Here is a simplified template you can use to evaluate your ads, sales letters, emails and web pages. This will at least tell you the areas you can improve on – from there - the testing of the right message to the right market will tell you everything else you need to know.

Rank each of the following on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being weak in this area – 10 being the strongest possible)

* Headline *

(Does your headline work to compel readership? Does it share a startling fact or claim? Does it intrigue you to read further? Is it newsworthy?)

* Headline Design *

(Reading it out loud, does it flow? Are the line breaks in the right places?)

* Promise/Curiosity *

(strong or weak? If you WERE your ideal buyer - which you usually aren’t – would the promise force you to read every word of your ad? Would it make you get up off the couch to find your reading glasses to make sure you don’t miss anything? Would you give up watching your favorite tv show to read the ad?)

* Subhead *

(Does it follow logically from the headline? Does it further the intrigue to continue reading? Do you use subheads throughout the body copy as well?)

* Opening Paragraph *

(Does it suck you in to read the first line? The second? Would it make for a good one-on-one sales script when standing toe to toe with a prospect?)

* Offer *

(Is it crystal clear what you are offering? Does it tell them what’s in it for them to invest their time reading your ad or letter?) 

* Advantages *

(Do you offer strong benefits? Are there a large number of them? Are they creative and not obvious to the majority?) 

* Positive, believable language *

(Does it read enthusiastically? Is it believable and not promising something that no sane person who believe? Positive language?) 

* Your egometer *

(Count the mention of ‘I’ versus ‘You’ – if there are more ‘I’s than ‘You’s then rework it. You should aim for 95% mention of ‘You’) 

* Readability *

(Do you use short, simple words and sentences? Are they easy to read? Could a grade 5 student read your ad without stumbling? Have you used the Readability score in Microsoft word to determine what grade level you have written to? Aim for grade 6 or 7 readability level) 

* Structure *

(Is it pleasing to the eye? Lots of subheads used throughout the text to break it up?)

* Personalized *

(Could it easily pass for a personal letter from you to them? Would they believe it is a personal letter? Or does it look like the typical cold commercial ads you see everywhere?) 

* Complimentary grabbers *

(Do you use photos with captions? Bizarre and unusual graphics or cartoons? Screen shots? Sidebars with testimonials or short stories?) 

* Proof *

(Do you show ample amounts of proof that you deliver? Use testimonials with strong benefits they received from using your product or service? Use their full name with no initials?) 

* Close *

(Do you ask for the order? Do you give them compelling reasons why they need to order now? Do you compare the difference you will make in their life if they DO order – compared to if they DON’T order and their life stays the same as it was before?) 

* PS *

(Is your PS strong enough to compel them to read further if they scanned straight to the PS? Does it summarize the main offer and/or announce a surprising new bonus? Could the PS be used as the text in a small display or classified ad?) 

* Line length *

(Doe you keep the number of lines per paragraph under 7? Or do your paragraphs read like a textbook? Keep them short. Do you mix in one line – even one word paragraphs?)

Your total score can be a maximum of 180 points. This is a guideline to show you simple things you may have missed – or that could be improved upon before testing your marketing materials. The higher the number, the more likely the ad will work.  

That said, there is no fail-proof formula to an advertisement or sales page – it is completely up to your testing. 

If they buy from your offer (assuming you are targeting the right people) – then you now have a control piece you can test against and try and improve. If they don’t buy from it – back to the drawing board to find out why.

Hope this helps.

Troy

PS: Just suppose a certain business expert came into your life right now… a person who has mastered the ability to take a home business and turn it into a multi-million dollar empire in just a few years… a person who has the ability to turn a 4 hour writing session into a $25 million dollar windfall… a person who can help you realize your dreams… that person is Ted Nicholas… and he is looking to share all of his most recent success strategies at the Wild West Wealth Summit – http://www.wildwestwealth.com

 

The Eye Tracking Test for your website

There is an organization called The Poynter Institute that conducts tests on how people read online and offline publications. Using sophisticated tools, they can determine exactly where your eyes are drawn to when you open up a web page or read any form of offline media. 

The results from this research are *invaluable* to anyone who wants maximum results from their marketing.

Why?

Because if you know exactly where your prospects look first, second, third, etc – you can design the ads to deliver your strongest points immediately – second strongest – and so on. 

Some of the more fascinating research they have recently found:
 

-       People read more online than offline.  Those who research and read online – may invest more time scanning for the right information – and when they find it they invest substantially more time reading the complete text. This contradicts what many people say and think about more people scan than read online. So long copy works online – when you target it at the right people. This also contradicts my own findings that actual orders are in greater numbers from offline sources than online (I must be doing something wrong online!)

-         People are magnetically drawn to pictures, graphic elements, icons, cartoons, and action shots. Using action in your photos will get you larger numbers of eye balls (clients actually using your products or services, you speaking to an audience, your staff hard at work, etc)

- People are naturally drawn to hyperlinks online. They are also prone to pay more attention to graphical elements that direct them to do things (arrows pointing to important areas, circles around elements)

- People are also drawn into to different elements that tell the story.  Graphs, screen shots, scans, sidebars, trend charts, etc. It may same the same thing as text – but tell it in a different way.

During the Apprentice last night, Trump made a very interesting comment – “if I wanted to read all that text, I’d go out and buy a novel”. He said this in reference to a brochure one of the teams put together that contained much more text than he likes.

Does this contradict the long copy vs short copy debate? Long copy almost ALWAYS wins out in actual tests done with real prospects. But, you have to look at what is being discussed. First – the affluent market – do they prefer shorter text with more high end photos? Do they read less (I personally doubt that – you become affluent by reading and learning – then applying what you learned). Do they prefer pictures over text? Does a Trump-type buyer even read sales literature? Or do they prefer video and audio?

Worthy of further research for sure.

 

Headlines that work – 2 classics you can use

Much of your success in marketing and advertising will be determined by the formulas you use. Proven templates that can be used to generate leads, follow up with those leads, convert those leads into paying clients, and ultimately to repeat clients. 

Whatever your business is… someone… somewhere… has found THE formula for massive success. 

 

Chances are good they understood the principles of direct marketing and used that to determine what worked or didn’t. From there, they kept working with what did work – constantly trying to improve the results – ultimately ending up with the perfect lead generator – the perfect lead converter – and the perfect sales machine they can run anytime they need money in the bank. 

THAT is why I love about this type of marketing.

There is no guess work! It is ALL about testing to find what works – then using that as long as it keeps working. 

Versus guessing – which is what all non-measurable marketing does. Ask “did it work?” – and you will have no choice but to give answers like “we seemed busy” or “there were orders in today – not sure where they came from but there were orders – could be the same # as usual – not sure”.

I prefer the measurable kind – thank you very much! 

Here are a couple proven headline formulas you can use that still work in 2007.
 

"Quick Relief for Tired Eyes"

A classic headline that still works. Why? We are time deprived and tired! We want quick relief to a multitude of issues. And we are tired of going at 120% 365 days a year – show me SOME relief and I am yours.

Easily modified for almost any business:

“Quick relief for cash flow problems”

“Quick relief for lower back pain”

“Quick relief for the blank page blues”

“Quick relief for stubborn teenager problems”

 

Quick relief for __(insert your prospects biggest concern you help with here)__

In other words, give them an answer to "Why should I bother reading this? What's in it for me?"

 
Another classic that you can easily modify:

"When Doctors 'Feel Rotten' This Is What They Do"

 
This can be used to either zone in on your exact target market – or to provide credibility that the experts use your product or service too.

Think about it – if you are a doctor – you would read this.

Or, if you were sick and tired of feeling sick and tired – you would want to know if the doctors are telling you everything about getting rid of your illness. We all think that there are secrets out there not being shared (which there typically are) – give people a reason to believe you know the secret – or you are the secret – and you have a winner.
 

“When accountants owe too much tax, here is how they lower them” 
“When chiropractors feel cripplig lower back pain, here is the quick relief thing they do” 
“When multi-millionaire entrepreneurs lose it all – here is how they start over and make it all back quickly”
 

Do you see the flexibility here? 

Try out a few for yourself – and see what kind of leads or sales you make. Try combining the two for a 1-2 knockout punch. Try all kinds of combinations and see which ones work best and fastest for you. 

By the way: 

“When entrepreneurs are in need of quick cash flow surges – here is the quick-hit solution to put money in your bank… The Wild West Wealth Summit!. (couldn’t resist)

Kickin Your Holiday Sales Up 5 Notches

Holiday shopping season is now in full swing... are you doing everything possible to make the last month of your year the best?

Right now is when you need to be out there in front of your clients noses - showing them exactly why they should shop with you again.

This is on top of your efforts to attract new clients.

 How To Maximize Your Results

This Season with 2 Easy Steps

1) First thing you need to do is make them an offer they can't refuse. And the easiest way to do that is to bundle your products and services in new "packages" that are not available at any other time of the year.

Why?

Because they are looking for a deal. A deal they can't find anywhere else - and it doesn't mean the cheapest price either... it means the most attractive offer.

Do you have multiple products and services?

Have you created an inventory of your products and services? 

Do it - right now... the results will amaze you.

List off every product, service, report, package, or incentive you have for your clients. 

Then fit like-minded products together in a few different ways - have a Silver, Gold, and Platinum package arrangement ranging from inexpensive to medium ticket price to high end price tag.

 

For example, maybe you run a massage business.

You could offer a 60 minute massage, a book on at-home-stress-relief, an audio complete with soothing music, massage oil for at home use, and a couple nice candles to top it off.

Let's say you price this at $75 - which is the perfect price point for many lower end gifts - package it up nicely with gift certificates on nice paper, a basket, wrapped up professionally.

Your gold offer - monthly massages for 6 months, free spa products, the book as above - plus one more on creating your own spa at home, the candles and oil also included, plus a nice pair of slippers for lounging. Price tag - $500

Your Platinum - 12 months worth of massages, all of the above, plus a facial and pedicure every other month (done by someone you subcontract with). This for $750.

This gives you 3 very nice packages that you can offer your clients... packages that are not available at any other time of the year.

Bundle them up real nice and have them wrapped up like a pro - and you will make a very attractive offer for your clients that are looking for simple gifts they can buy - right up to the husbands who will pay the big ticket price tag knowing

that the gift they are giving their wife will be very much appreciated for the next 12 months.

 

2) After you have your bundle created - then you need to get the message out.

First - tell your existing clients - they are much more likely to buy than someone who has never bought from you before.

Then, your past clients who haven't bought from you in a while. Chances are good, they haven't bought from you because they haven't heard from you. So remind them you are around and you want their business.

 Last, spread the word to potential customers.

  How do you get the word out?

Postcards - simple - easy - great way to drive traffic to your holiday bundle sales page.

Direct mail - send them a simple letter to tell them what kind of special deals you have put together for them this year.

Phone calls - call all the customers and prospects that you have their numbers.

Personalized faxes to people who have bought from you before.

Web page graphics announcing your holiday offers – the graphics on your main page lead them to your sales page for the bundles.

 
A Warning Though... if you are going through all this effort and work to improve your holiday sales - you had better make sure your message is done right.

The web page sales pitch you use must convince them to buy. The sales copy you use must compel them to take action. The image you are portraying to your clients and prospects must show them you know what you are doing - and will treat them with the utmost of respect.

The  Sales Letter Success Program an excellent way to starting writing campaigns that make you money.

Once you run your holiday bundle and special – see which bundle worked best – and sold the most – then make it a standard part of your business.

Christmas is the hot buying season – so is the new year!

Remember – the key to advertising and marketing success is consistent action. Always be testing new offers, new bundles, new advertisements, new marketing campaigns, new reasons to buy… etc.

Once you get a handful of promotions that work for you every time, you have a fantastic system in place that can make you money for years (possibly decades) to come.

But, if you don’t try something new – you won’t find out what makes you that 48:1 return that is possible. Or that extra $250,000 in 5 months, like some clients are getting.

To your holiday sales and a magnificent year end.