KILLER CONCEPT #6 Tell 'em Before You Sell 'em
======================================
The essence of this concept is the promise of a reward just for
reading the content. The lure that there’s a payoff at the end
that will justify the extra effort and time required to read
further.
These headlines tell readers what they can accomplish and how
they can do things better. Provide tips, helpful advice, or
reveal some valuable, usable information and your reader will be
hooked.
For example, you can use headlines such as:
* How To Remove Carpet Stains In Minutes! * How to Make Your
Stomach Flat And Hard In 30 Days! * Do You Do Any Of These
Embarrassing Things? * 17 Stocks You Should Dump Right Away * 12
Special Tax Strategies That Are Making Doctors Rich!
This strategy works great with service-type business. If you’re a
realtor, a plumber, a consultant, or whatever, I highly recommend
you creating some sort of information product -- a free report, a
free audiocassette or videotape -- that gives your prospects
information.
Let’s say you’re a mortgage broker, you can try something like
this...
Case Study #6
Warning! Do NOT Refinance or Get a Home Equity Loan Until You
Have Read This Free Report That Reveals The Biggest Mistakes
People Make With Their Finances and Their Mortgages!
The purpose of your FREE report is to provide enough helpful
advice and establish you as a "leader" in your field. It will
demonstrate to customers that they would benefit from working
with you in the future when they need your products or services.
The reports deliver a non-threatening, non-salesy message that
shows the prospect that you have empathy and compassion for their
life and their concerns.
This empathy is the building block of trust. And once the trust
is established from the first reports, then you can follow-up
with phone calls or mailings to "seal the deal."
Put yourself in your prospects’ shoes, when you’re ready to
buy... who you gonna call? (Ghostbusters?) The guy who just
wants to “vacuum” your VISA or the guy who takes time to educate
YOU?
====================================== KILLER CONCEPT # 7 An
Ethical Bribe ======================================
There's a reason they put a "prize" in every box of Crackerjack.
People are greedy. They love something extra, or something for
nothing.
So make your offer as irresistible as possible! Not just
compelling…irresistible. There’s always something you can include
in your offer that will turn a "no" into a "yes."
Unleash the mercenary from within! Pile on the bonuses till your
prospects are crushed under the weight and simply give in! Do not
stop until they say, “You win, take my money!”
Here’s a perfect example...
Case Study #7 – Dan Kennedy’s Inner Circle Newsletter
From Dan Kennedy I want to give you the tapes of my latest
Marketing & Moneymaking Super Conference, which people paid
,487.00 each to attend, free.
FREE:
6 Audio Tapes, 8 Special Reports, 1 Book, 2 Critique
Certificates, Telephone Consulting & Coaching, a veritable
truckload of moneymaking information and assistance...ALL
FREE...and all you have to do to get all of it is say “maybe.”
Have I finally lost my mind?
Dan's newsletter only costs $ 149 a year, but look at all the
FREE stuff he gives to people who subscribe.
If that’s not a shameless bribe, I don’t know what is. And this
is an instance where you can really see why Dan Kennedy is
considered the king of marketing: he makes the product (in this
case the newsletter) secondary to the bribe.
This offer has worked for Dan Kennedy for many years and has
brought in thousands and thousands of new subscribers.
Lesson learned: Everybody loves a good deal.
====================================== KILLER CONCEPT #8 Bill me
later/free trial offers ======================================
This concept is similar to the ethical bribe concept. Again,
you’re taking the risk off the prospect’s shoulders and putting
in right into your pocket. How's that for trust-inspiring?
Magazines do this all the time. You simply send in a reply form
saying you want to subscribe, and they bill you later.
Case Study #8 – Nightingale Conant
At last! For the first time, there is a complete self-training
program on the most amazing achievement technique ever
discovered...
Announcing The Power of Visualization by Lee Pulos, Ph.D. - we
invite you to try it for 30 days FREE!
This concept is wonderfully powerful, but don’t overuse it. It
can cheapen the value of your products.
And one more thing: Make sure the prospect believes your product
is a good deal or you will get a lot of returns. The three most
important words in the "Bill me later" book are: Over-deliver.
Over-deliver. Over-deliver.
====================================== KILLER CONCEPT #9 “Oops...
I Screwed Up” ======================================
If you’re offering an incredible deal that sounds almost too good
to be true, you'd better explain why. If you don't, consumers
will just assume your "too good to be true" deal is just that --
a fake. They won't walk away from your sale... they'll run.
And in a related story: if there’s a flaw in what you’re selling,
admit it.
Here's an example. You bought too much inventory in the fall when
business was hot, and now it’s winter and it’s the “off-season”
for what you’re selling. Don't try and hide the truth. Tell it to
the world.
Case Study #9
MY MISTAKE IS YOUR WINDFALL
I’m practically giving my widgets away just to clear our Widget
Warehouse
“You get these one of a kind widgets at 70% off for one simple
reason: I over bought in the fall, and now I’ve got inventory
just sitting here. If I don’t sell it, I’ll have to lay-off 2 of
the guys in the warehouse. Rather than do that, I thought I’d
generate a little revenue and give you (my loyal customers) a
great deal at the same time.”
Being open and honest like this can boost the credibility and
believability of your offer. Makes perfect sense doesn't it?
When you admit to a flaw or take responsibility for a mistake,
people perceive that you’re being honest with them. People like
that. And nine times out of ten, when you tell someone you've got
a problem, they'll want to help (if they can.) YOU like that!
I encourage you to give it a try.
====================================== KILLER CONCEPT #10 No
Wind-up…Just Pitch ======================================
Sometimes -- when you have a truly great product or service…when
you know you've got an unbeatable price... when you know the
audience reading your ad is hungry "like the wolf" for what you
have to offer -- sometimes, less is more. Just make your pitch.
No gimmicks. No secrets. No stories. No excuses. No ums and ahs.
No ifs, ands, or buts. Just make your case in a simple,
straightforward way.
Case Study #10 – John Childers’ Speaking Course
If you’ve been wondering how to make an obscene amount of money
as a speaker, just as I’ve done for 20 years...
I’ll reveal all my strategies, step-by-step in a powerful 4-day
Speaker Training course…
I've assumed ALL the risk and taken ALL the excuses out of your
way to success in what has been called "the world's highest paid
profession!"
====================================== KILLER CONCEPT #11 “Don’t
believe a word I say, listen to THIS guy.”
======================================
This is a relatively advanced technique. It's called 3rd party
endorsement.
Basically, instead of doing your own selling, you have someone
else pitch your stuff for you. Say how fantastic you stuff is.
How it has changed their lives. How your stuff is the best thing
since sliced bread or flush toilets.
The best way is illustrate this concept is by showing you a
headline of a lead generating ad Joe Polish placed in various
carpet-cleaning magazines. Joe didn't do the writing, himself; a
carpet cleaner named Jim Wolverton wrote this free report.
Free report, nothing -- it's a great big, hairy advertorial (an
advertisement in an editorial's clothing). Wait and see.
Case Study #11 – Joe Polish’s Free Report
EXPOSED!
Small Town Carpet Cleaner Speaks Out And Reveals The Raw Truth
About That Marketing Guy, Joe Polish, Who Advertises In This
Magazine All The Time!
The whole story, or should we say "ad," centers on how Jimbo was
skeptical about Joe’s marketing course.
Jim didn’t really believe that Joe's course could deliver, but he
was desperate so he bought the package. Of course, it blew him
away and he learned a ton of stuff. He’s now making money hand
over fist and is as happy as a pig in truffles. At the end, he
closed by saying he wasn’t paid or given anything to write this
ad (letter) up about Joe Polish.
"Exposed!" is basically a LONG and DETAILED testimonial written
like a feature article in a newspaper or magazine. This kind of
ad theme is especially effective as a follow-up. If you’re doing
direct mail, this could be your 2nd or 3rd letter in your mailing
sequence.
Wrapping Things Up
Can you see how these amazing concepts might work for your
business?
There are probably another dozen ad themes that are commonly
used. But these are the diamonds in amongst lesser gems. I’ve
been using these concepts successfully for many years. Other
marketers have been using them for decades.
If you only use these ad themes, you’ll be so stinking rich
you'll need a special "Moneybags Deoderant" and have to rent a
Brinks truck to get your money to the bank.
Now go out there and apply this stuff!
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