Sales Come First

It’s times like these that I think you’re lucky that you subscribe to these articles.

I say that without any ego because tonight you’re going to get something that’s actually very valuable.

It’s a swipe file with a difference. Why?

This swipe file has ‘No Words’.

The reason for this is quite simple. Its my private file of little pictures, images, word art etc that I use to add spice to my sales messages.

“Remember your text books?”

Man they were hard to read. Actually, with so much text and nothing to break it up it actually becomes weary on your eyes, and this kills readership.

To break things up, try…

Different fonts
 

I especially like Georgia, Courier and Verdana.

Bold

Italics

Underlined

Centred

Different colours

Even put things in quotes. Actually, did you know that…

“Headlines in quotes outperform ones without quotes”

Interesting, huh.

A favourite of mine is…

…a bold subheading

over a couple of lines

in bold, with elipses (…) where I’ve put them!

You can even indent some sections to make them stand out.

Then of course there’s some of the things in this file I’ve attached.

hughs handy images

Enjoy. Its a little gift to you.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

This is literally from my recent in the trenches experience.

You see right now I’m renovating a house. If you haven’t done it you’re probably thinking ‘Awwww, how nice’. But if you’ve done it before you’re probably thinking ‘You poor barstad. Why the hell did you do something so STUPID?’

Anyway, right now I’ve got walls and a roof. Nothing but mud outside and nothing in my floors except a termite infested subfloor and some stumps – less than there were originally. But damn it I want to get it done and get my family back in it.

So when the restumper said the only way to get there quicker was to dig around the bearers and get more clearance around the joists, I did it. So far I’ve removed about 5 cubic metres of dirt and this stuff’s like concrete in places. Even had to hire a jackhammer to get through some of it. I’ve got a lung full of dirt to cough up and my arms, back and neck ache constantly.

So why am I telling you this?

Its because sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and get it done. Gotta put in the hard yards to make it happen. In fact it’s often what separates the successes and the ‘wanna bes’. And the best part is…anyone can do it. You don’t need any special skills or experience. Get in and give it your all and what happens is:

- you find the people you need help from

- you work out the best way to do things

- your customers love you and want to keep spending with you because you’re busting your gut to delight them

Take MASSIVE ACTION.

It’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve had a house full of people doing quotes and work. At times I’ve had a carpenter, electricians and an excavater all working around each other while I explained what I wanted to a tiler. Even had to buy a separate diary just to keep track of it all.

And tomorrow? Well, my restumper wants to push me back a week because my floor wont be fully dug. Think I’m going to listen? Hell no. It’ll be ready by the end of next, come what may. Massive action my friend, massive action.

I do it in my business too. We all should. Get things done better, faster and more often. There’s no reason anyone can’t do it. Take massive action and all the skills will come. So will the clients and the money. The richest people aren’t the best. They’re simply the hardest working.

Is Donald Trump the best developer? Bill Gates the best computer programmer? Did Richard Branson put Virgin Air together easily, or did he struggle and bust his gut to do it? Plenty of talented people without olympic medals. Plenty of elite athletes who aren’t the best but are simply the hardest working.

Anyway, it’s late and I’m putting the finishing touches for my new campaign for another couple of hours before bed. What will you be doing tonight?

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

PS Next week is junking it up/visual elements. Promise.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Listen, when my hair gets long it doesn’t go into that long wavy sexy look. Afraid not. It just goes messy. Ballistic would be a better word for it actually. Curly messy bits stick out everywhere and it’s just a disgrace.

So when someone suggested I try a different hairdresser I went along with it. Sure, the haircut was fine. As good as always actually. And even better it was half price!

So why was I disappointed going there? Well it’s simple. This guy had a shop that looked like he hadn’t updated it in 30 years. I’m not talking about a warm, old fashioned feel. I mean dingy and rundown. The conversation was OK but kind of what you’d expect from someone who’s had the same conversation 20 times a day for 3 decades.

I wanted to go to my other hairdresser. Sure, he cost twice as much. But it’s a really trendy, modern place. You even get offered a beer when you walk in. The staff are funny, conversation’s great. You feel good when you walk out of the place, even though your pocket’s a lot lighter.

Why Do Your Customers Buy?

Often  its for a different reason than you think. I don’t want a haircut. I want some fun and to feel good about myself. That’s probably why he’s got 3 chairs constantly full and the half price guy’s almost waiting for someone to come in.

I know an antique dealer down here in Geelong, and he sells fun. You walk in and it’s always a huge greeting from him or his staff. They’ve got humourous things and ideas all the way through. They’re selling fun and feel good too. These guys aren’t stupid.

What are you REALLY selling?

Are you selling fun, enjoyment? Feel good? What about confidence – people want confidence in this uncertain world you know. Sexiness? Respect? A better chance with the opposite sex? Safety? An experience (why do some restaurants charge 5 times as much for the same quality meal?).

This is the key to the big $$$. Find out why they’re coming to you and give them more and more of it. Develop more products and offers to give it in spades. Infuse it in every part of your business. That’s where the money comes from.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

PS I did say I’d be talking about visual elements in your advertising this week, but this was topical. And I’ve got another article all about what I’ve been up to lately and how it separates the winners from the wanna-bes.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

I’m going to make a big confession so I’m sucking in a deep breath before I continue…

OK. I’ve  got an MBA. Now don’t go telling too many people. I’ve got a reputation to uphold

Yeah yeah I know. Another wanker with an MBA. Anyway I did it when I was young and stupid, and before I came across direct marketing. Now I know how I could have spent 3 years of my own time productively. Still…

I did a unit of marketing and I’ve still got the text book. Comes in handy when I get a fly at home and I’ve thrown the newspaper out. In it there’s slightly less than 1 page on direct response marketing. Interesting then that David Ogilvy, who is revered as the father of advertising says that there’s only one form of advertising you should consider, and that’s direct response. And that direct response people should be at the centre of any advertising firm, with all advertising pieces vetted by them first.

Odd that a marketing text book can’t even dedicate a full page to it, out of 500 odd pages of crap.

And its a real shame that so many kids out there are doing marketing in schools and universities and NOT learning about direct response. Because direct response is the only form of advertising where you follow set rules which work. Where you know that, despite how graphically enticing an ad with nothing but a picture and a slogan might be, it’ll never get a better response than a sales copy intensive ad. Where you’ve got a list of elements to include in your ad, and you know which ones to leave aside if space is a critical issue.

Or where you can run an ad, then make a change and see what happens. Where you get direct feedback on what’s working and what’s not.

No, you won’t win any awards for your ads. Only ‘creative’ ads win awards. You know the ones – you’re amazed how great they look but you couldn’t remember the product for the life of you. Or they’re so busy being creative they forget to tell you why you should buy their product in the first place. But the rewards in this game are in your bank account. Watching more and more dollars flood in as you methodically develop and continually improve your advertising.

That’s why direct response is the only advertising to use in your business. It works, and you can prove that it works.

Next week I’m going to give you a quick lesson on how to make your sales copy more visually appealing and easier on the eye.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

PS Go check out David Ogilvy on youtube. Not a whole lot there but what’s there is pure gold.

Sometimes I get the urge to help people. (Shhhh, don’t let too many people know.)

My latest victim was Helen who runs a training company. And she was having troubles getting people to sign up for her courses.

Now this was posted on a forum which I look at from time to time and most of the responses were typically about the way her website looked. There wasn’t much feedback on what it actually said.

So I pointed out the thing that, to me, seemed obvious. Her website didn’t talk about her prospects at all. It talked about her philosophy. What she does. And a lot about her awards and achievements in 2009.

Hopefully you’re saying ’sheesh’ right now. If you’re not, stay with me…

What she failed to do was talk about her prospects. What do they want from her courses? Do they want them to be delivered quicker? Cheaper? Do they want to learn more? What do they really want out of them? Do they genuinely want to learn, or do they just need the bit of paper for their job?

You see, Helen needs to get her prospect front and centre when she writes her advertising. Unfortunately she only seemed to have a mirror and wrote what SHE wanted to hear…about herself. But your advertising isn’t about you at all. You’re not buying your product. Your prospect is. So you have to spend your time getting inside their mind first. And then talk about what’s frustrating them, and what they really want.

Many of my regular subscribers have worked with me, and have seen my copywriting questionnaire. The main goal of this document is to get me inside your prospect’s head to know what to say in the copy. This gets their emotions, thoughts and frustrations in my mind when I write the copy, and this is what gets results.

As for Helen, I don’t know if she’s read my comments yet. I certainly hope she does and takes action on them because its going to make the difference between the very poor response she’s getting right now and making serious moolah.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

Listen up folks, I’ve got something to tell you that really puts me (yes ME) at the bottom of the scrapheap. You see, I’m really not that important at all. That’s because the job of a copywriter is NOT to do all the work selling, it’s…

…putting all the pieces together!

That’s it. We can’t do much if we don’t have much, so if you want excellent results from a copywriter then don’t just give them a topic and ask for a sales package. It ain’t that simple.

We need information, lots and lots of information. And the most important of these is PROOF. In particular TESTIMONIALS. They can be written, audio or video. Because I can go on and on about how good a product is but you still wont buy. But if a friend of yours happens to mention to you that they used the product and found it great then hey presto…you’re buying it!

So yes, testimonials are critical in any sales package. So here are some hints…

1. Generally the more the merrier, but don’t go nuts. You need enough to prove your point but not so many that there are pages and pages of them.

2. If you don’t have a huge number then use them strategically. Well duh, how often do people go out to be UN-strategic. But seriously, use them so you get the best out of them. I just did a large package and only had 4 testimonials to work with. But with a bit of planning I pushed them a fair way. Like the last dregs of Vegemite in a jar, it’s amazing how far you can spread them around. Work out the points you’re trying to prove then use the testimonial that makes that case in that spot.

3. The real power of a testimonial is to prove a claim. So your sales letter should be ‘claim’ followed by ‘proof’. So try to get testimonials that tackle the claims you’re making and the objections people have.

4. Video testimonials are killing it at the moment. Even a landing page which is a headline, video and a few lines. Personally I don’t spend much time watching promotional videos online but I do know they’re hugely effective.

So keep in mind…people are far more likely to believe someone else than you. Get sources of proof from everywhere so you’ve got enough proof to make your sale.

Next week I’m going to reveal the most important thing to keep in mind when writing an advertisement. If you do your chances of success are massively increased. But if you don’t then you’re leaving a fortune on the table.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

I’ve been busy looking at heaps of promotions people have been writing and asking me to look at.

Last week I talked about one of the big mistakes I see. That’s not identifying the hook properly.

Here’s another one and I see it all the time.

Let me give you an example. I was chatting to somebody before Christmas and he had a product to do with the building industry. It was a hell of a product too. But here’s the thing. Because he’s working with an internet expert who’s coaching him what do you think he wanted to do with this product? Yep. Put it online.

OK OK I know. The internet is the way to go. Free traffic, zero cost delivery, all that jazz. But I reckon I can top that.

Here’s what I told him to do…

Grab a list of builders and architects from a list broker. Then write a letter to them offering the product and put it in the mail. Attach a grabber to it to get attention. Then send a couple more follow ups and even a phone call. Its a high dollar product so its worth it.

You see, its so hard to get his buyers to notice him online. And if his product converts well he can get to ALL of them really quickly. But online he can get a stronger message out there. Its far easier to ignore an email than a personally addressed envelope with something inside it.

Look. If you can get their address then take your campaign OFFLINE. You’ll get a much higher response and make heaps more money. And if your market isn’t huge then do everything you can to get to them.

But most of all, don’t obsess with doing everything online. There’s heaps more money to make with an offline campaign. Real letters, real books, real CDs and DVDs are seen as much more valuable, so you wont just get a higher response, you’ll get a higher price too.

To get more advanced, if you’ve got an online campaign then ask for their address. At least come up with some reason for getting their address if they’re buyers by sending them a bonus report or a CD/DVD or something like this. Then once you’ve got their address you can send them other promotions that’ll get mega-response.

So whenever you can, take your campaign offline. That’s where the REAL money is.

Next week I’m going to give you some advanced tips on testimonials. Sure you can whack them all in a box in your sales letter, but I’m going to show you where to use them correctly to get as much out of them as you can.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

I see a lot of sales letters that people have written. And I mean a LOT! Hey, if you want to see that number then jump onto some copywriting forums and check out the number of people looking for critiques. And not only that I get a heap across my desk every week to look at for people too.

And do you know what the biggest mistake I see is? Its the hook, or should I say the LACK of a hook. So what is a hook? Well, you might know it as the big idea or the ‘angle’. And its hard to put into words, but like love, you can’t describe it but you sure know it when you see it!

But the best way to describe it is that reason that’s going to get your prospect to whip out their credit card and give you their details. It could be a guarantee that nobody else offers. Perhaps your product or service helps your prospect in a way that no other product does. Maybe you run through your product in person, or your offer includes something that none of your competitors include.

Here are some famous hooks, and some ideas you can use:

- The secret of the one armed golfer

- The medical expert who blows the whistle on their industry

- The special ingredient in your product that has a story behind it

- An amazing secret revealed

- A mystery expert in your field who has revealed something never revealed before

- A rags to riches story.

I was talking to somebody today who’s sales letter was missing a hook. And so there was nothing to grab attention and make her product a ‘must have’. She had run an online survey to find out more about her prospects, but didn’t leave it up there long enough. If she runs her survey again I’m sure she’ll be able to get inside the mind of her prospects and pull out a really good hook that’ll get people buying.

So go back and think about your prospects again. Look at your product. What is unique about it? How will it help get exceptional results? What is that factor that makes it such a great product? Work hard on it. It’ll be worth it.

Next week I’ll tell you another common mistake I see, and how you can avoid this one too.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

I hope you’ve been busy working on these 5 lessons. I know so many hugely successful business owners who put just a few of these ideas into practice and churn out the money.

And so here are the 9th and 10th business growth strategies.

Strategy 9: Offer more products and services. Are you selling information online? Simple. Work out what other problems your target market has and write a product to solve them. Or purchase resell rights to one that already exists, or JV with somebody who has that product already. Simple stuff.

And if you’ve got a bricks and mortar business, simply add to the products you have. If you sell flowers, come up with new offerings at a higher price. If you’re an accountant or financial planner, put a package together where you review your clients’ position at a quiet time of year. What about a medical specialist (masseurs, physios, chiropractors etc)? Do what my masseur does and sell products as well, like compression tights, ice packs, health supplements and so on. There are so many things you can do. Its easy money because you’ve already got an established customer list, and you might even be surprised by what new products are popular. It might even open up new business opportunities that take over as your biggest earner.

Strategy 10. Put in a slack adjuster. This is not for everyone but if you’ve got a number of related products and offerings, put them all together into a BIG package. Maybe the masseur could offer a big package for clients of personal trainers like 2 massages a month, diet supplements, phone support for injuries, plus the ability to get bookings after hours for a high price. If you only sell one or two a month it’ll still be extremely profitable for you.

And if you’ve got a stable of information products on the internet, or as a mail order product, simply offer ALL of them for a high price. Throw in some consulting, email access and you’ve got a high priced product that will make you really good money every time you sell one. Not many will buy, but on the occasion that they do it’ll put some serious dollars in your pocket. And you’d be surprised how many fans you have who are just waiting to give you money if you give them something of value.

If you’re a subscriber of mine, feel free to contact me about one or more of these strategies and I’ll give you some ideas on how you can easily implement them in your business.

Next week I’m going to show you a BIG mistake that I see people making in their business. And the week after I’ve got another one too. Its based on my in the trenches experience from reviewing people’s marketing plans, and there’s a BIG chance you’re making at least one of these profit killing mistakes.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Here is the second last in this series of 10 ways to double your business.

People pay big money to business advisors for the exact same information I’m giving you…for FREE!

Actually most business advisors don’t know most of these ideas. They just waffle on about branding and that kind of thing instead of strategies that WORK. Gotta be a reason most businesses go broke within 3 years, even though there’s so many so called ‘business coaches’ out there.

Anyway, yes. All this advice is here, and it costs you NOTHING. So the question is…why am I giving it away for ‘nutting”? First of all, sadly enough I should be charging. Funny thing is most people value things higher if it costs them more. I’m guilty of it too. Hey, I’m the guy that had some great sales copy examples given to me free, ignored them and then 12 months later, paid $150 to buy them!

But I give this information away because I figure if just a few of you actually take action  on them you’re going to get big very Very VERY quickly. And then you’ll need some professional consultation and copy written. And that’s where I figure you’ll send me an email and say “Hugh, I want to take this baby all the way”. Anyway, onwards and upwards!

Strategy 7. Add membership. Yes, lots of internet businesses are being complemented with membership programs. Its a great idea. But bricks and mortar businesses can do it too. What about membership which gives members cheaper rates, priority access to you, something free every 2 months. You can even do tele-seminars, newsletters (remember them?). There’s lots of things you can bundle in.

And it’s money you bank at the START of every month, before you even lift a finger! Its a great idea for service businesses like health professionals (chiroporactors, physios, masseurs etc), hair dressers and other beauty services too. But it can be done in just about any business.

Here’s a great example. If you’re a hairdresser you can bundle up a haircut ($50), some shampoo and conditioner ($40), some other product ($30) and a newsletter on hair and beauty tips ($25). That’s $145 worth of value. And you offer it for only $87 a month. But the haircut only costs you $20, the products all up cost you $20 and the newsletter is produced for no more than $5. So it costs you $45, you make nearly double that and the money hits your bank account before you lift a finger. Get 50 people into this, and you make $2,100 straight away. Pure profit! Plus you get customers for life, great referrers (imagine reducing their monthly fee by 50% if they refer someone that month). Oh man, my greed glands are sweating and I’ve gotta stop. But anyway, you can literally build a business around a membership program like this.

Strategy 8. Surveys – Want to know how to make more money from your customers? Simple. Ask them. Look, you can just outright ask them when the contact you “What else could I offer you that you’d be interested in”. Or better yet, put together a survey form and offer an incentive like a reduced rate or a competition for everyone who replies. You can even set one up online at www.surveymonkey.com or a similar site. You’d be surprised what you get back. Your customers literally tell you how to sell to them better! Make no assumptions. That golden idea might be right under you nose and you miss it simply because you dont ask.

My next post is going to give you the final two. I really hope you’re putting all this into action and getting big results. Why not leave a comment and let me know how you’re going with it.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Plain and simple, You’re Reading It!

That’s right. The articles I publish on my blog are in fact the most important weapon I have in my arsenal.

And it doesn’t matter what business you’re in, I bet you can publish your own articles and get tons of new business, and KEEP your current clients for longer.

Here are the best reasons I have for writing articles.

#1. Its free. OK, sure. I just mentioned this. But seriously, when you consider how much it costs in time and money to do your other marketing, this one makes perfect sense. Anything you can do to improve your business which costs nothing, and takes you very little time has got to be a good thing. Just go to www.wordpress.com or www.blogger.com and get started.

#2. Google loves you! Google just loves fresh content, so by frequently publishing articles on a blog you can keep climbing up and up the page rankings in Google so you get noticed.

#3. Demonstrate your knowledge. I’ve talked about credibility in the past, and what better way is there to PROVE that you know what you’re doing than by publishing articles about your business. An accountant could publish tax tips, a mortgage broker could publish tips about the property and loans market, tradies can publish articles about caring for your home and so on.

Here’s something I do often. I refer new prospects to my blog so they can check out my knowledge and skills. Just having a whole lot of published articles that people can look at does wonders to your credibility.

#4. I love this one the most! You can save time by sending people links to your articles when you’re communicating with them. For example, if I’m writing a proposal on direct mail for someone, I can send them a link to my articles on getting your mail opened or getting great testimonials.

This saves me so much time, and I can give them top quality information without having to rewrite one word of it. It also helps prove my credibility because they can look at the other articles I wrote too.

#5. Reuse your articles in different places. I’m about to start publishing my articles on a few different sites, and they’re a great way of generating traffic. In fact, if you can find someone willing to publish your articles, then you can get access to so many more people than before. You can even use your articles in offline publications too, and I use this strategy from time to time.

#6. The best way to learn is to teach someone else. So one of the side benefits of writing articles is that it re-enforces what you already know.

OK, as always I want to leave you with something you can use. So here are a few rules I follow with my articles.

First of all your articles should be full of killer content. I see so many people write articles that are just mindless waffle. Its almost as if they don’t want to give away any good content in a free forum. Well, that’s a huge mistake. If you want people to follow your articles and use your services, you NEED great content in your articles. Otherwise nobody’s going to read them, and you’re just wasting your time.

Second, if you’re want a mailing list that outside people can subscribe to, you’ll need a way of managing it. I use www.worldinternetoffice.com

But if you’re just going to publish without notifying antone, or want to send out articles to your established contacts then you should be fine without this. That’s how I started out after all.

Second, keep it conversational. Your articles aren’t going to be published in a scientific journal, so keep it in a conversational tone. You can find out exactly how to do this here – http://salescomefirst.com/a-simpler-and-more-effective-way-to-write-your-advertisment/

Did you see point #4 from above in action there? Pretty neat isn’t it!

So in the coming week have a think about how you can benefit from a blog. Then, without delay go to one of the websites I listed above, start up a blog and publish something. The first one’s always the hardest, and once you’ve got it going, it should be easy and fun.

If you want to talk about anything from this article, feel free to email me at hugh@salescomefirst.com.

Next week, I’m going to discuss how original you should be in your advertising. This is a real eye-opener, so dont miss it.

So you’re writing an ad or a sales letter. You want it to be something original, something creative. Right?

BUZZZZ. WRONG Answer!

Rosser Reeves, brother in law of legendary ad-man David Ogilvy often said “Originality is the most dangerous word in the advertiser’s lexicon”.

And he was right.

But why is this?

I think its because a lot of people think it takes something different and daring to get people’s attention. And on the surface that seems reasonable.

But let me put it another way.

There are advertisements and sales letters out there that have literally made millions of dollars. These are proven controls which other people have tried to beat…and failed. They’re some of the best advertisements you’ll ever see. And in a lot of cases, these sales pieces have been modelled and changed to create OTHER advertisements which have, in turn, gone on to make millions more.

In fact, many top copywriters will tell you they haven’t had an original idea in years, and they’re simply not interested in coming up with one.

And why would they. They’ve got an arsenal of winning ideas and hooks that have worked spectacularly for decades in all sorts of different markets. They know what works, how to structure it, what’s going to get inside their reader’s minds and get them to buy. What’s more important is to take WINNING ideas  and put them together to create an ad with a far higher probability of success.

It would take you years and years of learning and practice to be able to develop something completely different that got you spectacular results. Odds are you’d keep coming up with something similar to the great ads that are already there.

Unfortunately those who want to be different will most likely fail. They do so at the expense of proven, sound and profitable ideas.

Lets take the Wall Street Journal ad written by Martin Conroy. It’s sold over a BILLION dollars of Wall Street Journal subscriptions over 28 years. And smart marketers have recycled the key themes from it for years. They’re using something they know works already, so are miles ahead of a sitting there with a blank piece of paper determined to be different.

So if you want to be original, well, good luck to you.

But if you want to make money then listen up. Here’s what you’ve got to do.

Go and find the top people in your industry and go and grab their ads. Then, when you write your own ads, use these ads as templates. Copy the emotional hooks. Modify their headlines. Create your own closing statements the same way they did.

Or, if you want a BIG shortcut, go and buy some swipe files from some of the masters. I know Pete Godfrey has great swipes in his copywriting manual. Alan Forrest Smith has a whole heap in his too. Dan Kennedy has some products with a collection of hugely successful ads as well. Go and grab them.

Other names to check out too include Gary Bencivenga, John Carlton and Michael Fortin.

And if you want a great FREE source… go to http://www.hardtofindads.com

And here’s the best source of all for writing ads…http://thegaryhalbertletter.com

Next week I’m going to move away from specific copywriting information and tackle a marketing issue…free information, such as free reports, audio CDS etc. If you want to get new clients, this is a MUST read article.

All the best,

PS If you’re in a very specific industry and you’d like to know where to find successful ads you can use as models, shoot me an email at hugh@salescomefirst.com and I’ll point you in the right direction.

If you want to put more money in your pocket this year, DESPITE the recession then there’s all sorts of ways you can do it easily. Today I reveal another way you can laugh at the recession and grow your business while all your competitors are panicking (the worst thing to do).

This strategy is quite simple. And its incredibuly powerful too, because you’ve got an opportunity to do something that a) WORKS like crazy and b) your competitors (for whatever reason) DONT want to do.

Not only that, but with so many of your competitors going bust at the moment, there are probably MORE potential clients coming flooding into your marketplace right now just looking for someone to work with.

I’m talking about giving away information FOR FREE!

I bet you’ve seen ads and websites where someone offers you a Free Report or Audio CD. That’s exactly what I’m telling you to do. Here are the main reasons it works so well.

1. You get to showcase your knowledge. Just because you’ve got a mountain of knowledge in your industry, doesnt mean your customers know this. But putting some of this knowledge down on paper shows people that you ‘know your stuff’, and they’ll be far more confident in you. After all, who’s going to get the new client? Someone who puts down 50 words in a yellow pages ad, or someone who write pages and pages of thorough, usable information in a report.

2. The law of reciprocity. If you havent heard of this, it basically says that if you do something for someone they’re far more likely to do something for you. So if you give them free advice, they’re more likely  to give you their business, or at least an opportunity to try for it.

3. People LOVE anything for free. In fact, one of the most powerful advertising words is simply ‘FREE’. So simply putting this word prominently in your advertising will get people to respond to your ad straight away.

4. You get people’s contact details which give you a database of people who are interested. And this is great because you dont just have a list of people who are ready for you now, you also get the details of people who are thinking about you, but are not ready to make a decision. And if you keep in contact with people, you’re in the #1 spot when they ARE ready to make a decision.

In fact, more than anything, a free report is actually a sales letter. Its job is to sell, so it should be written with all the basics of a sales letter in there. In fact, you’re telling people the most important things that they need, and (funnily enough) you can do all of them.

OK. Here are some practical pointers for you to put this into action.

First, you can have either a Free Report or a Free Audio CD. I wont go into the audio CD right here, but its another alternative. (If you want to know more, let me know and I’ll let you know more about it.)

• You must give your free report a title. Think of it as a headline, which it is. Have a look for my other posts on headlines, and follow the rules  in there.

• Keep it lively and conversational. If its hard to read, people just wont bother. But dont waffle on. Keep it to the point, and dont get bogged down in details. The details are for the PAYING customers.

• The best format is the “7 Secrets” format. It might be the “7 Secrets to taking years off your appearance” or “7 ways to rip the tax office off legally”. What about the “7 things to watch out for when choosing a financial planner”.

• Dont forget the next step. What do you want people to do once they’ve read your report? At the end of your report you need (in a very big font) some sort of offer. It could be a free audit of their needs, or a reduced price service or something along these lines. I’m writing a free report right for a prominent financial planner which offers a free 1 hour consultation. Others have included free consultations, audits and bonuses.

• Push your report hard. Make it a prominent part of your ads, whether its a newspaper ad, yellow pages ad or an online PPC campaign. Put it on your business card and your website. When people talk to you, tell them to go to your website and get a copy.

• And my last and most important point here is to TAKE ACTION! If you’re comfortable writing your own sales letters, then set aside an hour a day until its done. If not, get someone to do it for you. But don’t put it in the two hard basket or this powerful opportunity to get new clients will pass you by, straight into the hands of your competitors. Especially right now when your competitors are closing their doors and their old customers and clients are looking for someone else to do business with. Seriously, I can’t stress this enough.
  

Next month I’m going to talk about something I mentioned way back in October last year, and that is newsletters. Unlike free reports which are there to get NEW customers, newsletters help you retain your clients and charge higher prices. In fact, since its way more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one, you should be doing everything in your power to keep the ones you’ve got. This in depth article on newsletters will be a real eye opener.

There you go! Two weeks, two articles and two great ways to get an unfair advantage over your competition!

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

Wow folks,

I’ve been writing these articles now since the end of September in 2008. I remember that date because I was at Alan Forrest Smith’s MasterClass that weekend, and it was the weekend Hawthorn beat Geelong in the AFL Grand Final. And I didnt really care, because I don’t even barrack for Geelong (even though I live there!)

But I think in that time I’ve delivered some pretty hard hitting topics and unlike MOST blogs and articles on the internet, I’ve filled these ones up with useable content and solid examples YOU can use in your business.

Anyway, I get emails from time to time but hey, I’d love to hear from my readers more often. If you want to agree with me…let me know! And if you want to argue then let me know that too. In fact, if you’ve got more questions about an article, let me know your question. In fact, if you’ve got any burning questions, or you’d just like to know more about something you’re trying to do in your business then get in touch with me.

Just shoot me an email at hugh@salescomefirst.com.

OK, now onto the REAL topic for today.

And that is how newsletters can play an important role in your business.

OK. Now, lets get one thing straight. A lot of people think marketing is all about getting new customers. But that thinking is a bit wide of the mark. The most important thing in your marketing system is customer retention. That’s because its much easier to retain customers and clients than to get new ones.

Any business gets some level of churn, ie customers leaving and customers coming. But because its so much easier to retain customers, you’re far better off concentrating on keeping your existing customer base rather than having them leave while you pursue NEW customers. Imagine if you could get your churn rate down so low that the only people leaving you were the ones that died, retired or closed down.

And then imagine if you could charge them much more.

You’d hardly need any new customers at all. In fact, if you do everything right you can easily grow your business just by retaining your customer base and having a good referral system in place.

And that’s where newsletters come in. If you’re in the service business, such as a mortgage broker, financial planner, gardener etc then newsletters have a really important place in your marketing. You see, newsletters let you keep in touch with your client, so they’re an essential part of your customer retention strategy.

One of the most basic human needs is the need to belong. So newsletters keep people feeling as though they’re important to you. Not only that, but you get to showcase your knowledge and results over and over again. And this re-enforces what your business is all about to your customers.

If you’re in a business where you regularly work for your client, then your newsletter will stop them considering another provider. If you’re giving them what they want each month then the wont want to give this up.

But even if you’re in a business where you work for them infrequently, newsletters are still critical. And that’s because when they want your services again, your business will be their #1 choice.
Accountants, mortgage brokers and financial planners are great examples of this.

Just think, you can print a newsletter and post it for as little as $1. So for $12 a year you can be your client’s #1 choice every single time. And for every client you retain by doing this, you save a lot of time and money NOT having to acquire a replacement.

The most important thing to remember about writing a newsletter is to get MAXIMUM readership. So make sure you keep it light and conversational in tone, and make sure people want to read it.

With that in mind let me give you the most important components of ANY newsletter.

- From the editor – your thoughts and opinions. Keep it personal and conversational, not formal.
- Some articles – keep them short and easy to understand, and make sure you convey benefits for your reader.
- Tips – People love these!
- Joke Corner – Again, remember its all about keeping readership
- Inspirational quotes – same as with jokes, its all about giving people something they’ll appreciate.
- Success stories – basically testimonials, but you can use them as little articles
- Q&A – let people ask you questions. People just love reading the answers.
- Special offers – these can be in the form of a competition as well.

And dont forget to remind them about your referral system. If you dont have one…GET ONE!

I recently did a sample newsletter for a large financial planning firm. They already had a newsletter but quite frankly it was very dry and I imagine it would have been a tough read. So make sure you keep it simple and enjoyable for people. After all, what use is it if people dont want to read it?

Next week I want to go through something that people dont often write about. But I think its very important to understand in a formal sense. So next week I’ll be looking at marketing funnels.

If you’ve got any questions about newsletters, or any feedback feel free to add a comment or email me.

All the best

Hugh Thyer

PS I recently did a sample  newsletter for a client and that client will be incorporating a lot of my suggestions to make their newsletter really work for them! If you’d like a makeover done on your newsletter, or a sample drawn up from scratch, please contact me at hugh@salescomefirst.com to discuss it.

Are you REALLY getting the response you deserve?

I’m sure you’d appreciate it if I’m blunt. You see, I bet you’re NOT getting anywhere near the response from your advertising that you SHOULD be.

OK, I’m sure people DO respond to your ads, but whenever you place an ad somewhere, I reckon its probably seen by thousands of people. And yet if you’re lucky, only 1 or 2 will actually respond.

Do you have a yellow pages ad? It’s a good example. Every time somebody goes to the section where your ad is, your ad is right there in front of them. But of the thousands that see it, how many call?

I bet you only get a few calls out of the many thousands that see your ad. Yes, I’ll concede that you DO get calls. But only because of the shotgun approach, where if enough people see your ad, someone’s BOUND to call at some time. Problem is, what happened to all the other people who saw your ad and decided NOT to call?

You see, to get your phone ringing red-hot, you need a full system for getting your prospect from looking for someone to do business with, to getting them as a full customer.

OK, now most people run yellow pages ads with their business name, logo and contact details. But what that ad is asking is that people make the decision there and then that your business is the one they want to do business with (or at least on a shortlist).

That’s a big ask. So, here’s a different alternative.

Why not just offer them something for free. No obligation, nothing. Just something for free. A good example for an accountant might be a free report on the “7 Ways To Rip Off The Tax Department…Legally”. So, while you’re not asking your prospect to become a client, you’ve offered them good free information….
…and so they take up the offer. The nice thing here is they’ve got something of value, and you’ve done it in a way that wont make them feel threatened.

In the report (or should I say content-rich sales letter) you offer them an audit of their last year’s tax return absolutely free. And they can take your results and get the tax department to give you even more back. So, there’s some incentive there!

Once you’ve done the audit, your audit contains another offer, this time to get the prospect to commit to using your services. It might be a free consultation, or a percentage off their next tax return. And because you’ve proven your ability with the audit, they’d be mad NOT to take your offer up and become a client.

Sounding better so far?

Well, we can bolt on a few more things here, because we can pick up clients through newspaper ads, or your website.

And then, we should be sending out follow up letters as well.

So now we’ve got a simple yet effective marketing funnel.

Here it is, drawn out.

Of course it gets bigger than this. You could have lots more steps in it to include referrals, pay-per-click campaigns, up-sells into different services and so on. I’ve seen marketing plans with over 30 different steps including phone calls and faxes, and especially emails, depending on where people come in to your business. I put together a basic one the other week which could grow to include upsells to different products, boxes of products, affiliate programs and so on.

Hang on, did I say ‘affiliate program’? Sure did. This applies to the online world as well. In fact, you can use any number of tools to automate this whole thing for an online business, so depending on where your prospect first comes in contact with your business, you can roll out an entire marketing funnel to them over weeks, without lifting a finger.

Look, even as a tradesperson you can use a marketing funnel to do the exact same thing. It might start with leads coming from various sources such as the yellow pages, local newspapers, the internet, direct mail, referrals and so on. Then leads to free information, or a free audit of their needs, to writing up a proposal (giving you the chance to sell other services) and once you’re done, you can offer cleaning products or matching decor, depending on what business you’re in. And dont forget to promote your referral service, and give your customer an incentive to refer other people on.

Give it a go with your own business. Grab a whiteboard and go nuts. You’ll be amazed at how many ideas you can come up with to get heaps of new customers, and how to lead them through the process to becoming a buyer.

One last though here…the value of a business is in its systems. A business with a solid, PROVEN method for getting customers and getting more out of your relationship with them is worth MUCH more than the business without any of this.

OK, next week its we’re going to fast forward to the very end of any piece of marketing…the Order Form. If you think they’re just a few boxes to fill in to get payment details then think again. They’re a real artform in themselves.

All the best,

Hugh
www.salescomefirst.com

Hi there

Last week I spoke at length about marketing funnels. This week I want to just straight back into the nuts and bolts of writing sales copy.

You see, getting your prospect at the beginning is only part of the battle. There are heaps of places you can lose them along the way.

For example, they might not like your offer. They might not be convinced you’re the ‘real deal’. Perhaps you haven’t done enough to justify your price or your close just fails to move them from a ‘Maybe’ to a ‘Yes’.

But even if they get to the very end and make their decision to order, you can still lose them at the final hurdle…the order form.

OK, look. An order form isnt just a place to put a place for payment details. Its actually a mini-sales letter in its own right. And while this is more important to offline marketers its still very relevant to those of you online. Actually, people often read the order form first, before they read your letter so its critical to tell your story on your order form. This way they’ll be encouraged to go back and read your letter.

So, an order form should contain a number of key elements:
1. A summary of the benefit your prospect will get from your product
2. A reminder of the guarantee
3. A reminder of everything in the offer WITH what each item is valued at, all listed out.
4. A figure of the total value at the bottom.
5. A couple of testimonials
6. The price should be clearly stated, and compared to the total value. For example “That’s $1497 worth of value for only $197″
7. Urgency. Remind them why they should order NOW. For example, a time limited offer or limited stock.

For example, the first paragraph could be something like this…
‘YES! I want to learn how to dress like a movie star! Please rush me xyz for the discounted price of $x. I understand I’ll receive (xyz) and if I’m not absolutely thrilled I can get a full, no questions asked refund straight away’

Next, make sure it stands out. The best colour for an order form is bright yellow.

And the biggest tip I can give you here is to make it simple. I’m not kidding here. You’ve got to tell your prospect EXACTLY what to do, right down to where to fill in their payment details, who to send a cheque to, where to fax it, or to press the ‘Complete Order’ button. There must be NO confusion here, or you will lose orders. In fact, this is a good point to remind you about keeping your offers simple to understand too, and if you’ve got one offering, limit it to two (three at the most) different options.

The funny thing is, writing this post has reminded me I need to talk about the Double Readership Path in long sales letters. Its one of those concepts that can make a big difference to your response rates. Unfortunately a lot of people writing copy are either too lazy to do it, or just dont understand it, but its easy to do and if it helps you get more sales then its really money for nothing. My favourite kind!

All the best,

Hugh Thyer
www.salescomefirst.com

Lets jump straight into this week’s topic. Its a more advanced strategy for writing sales copy but its easy to do and can have a big impact on your sales.

Its called the ‘double readership path’ and it takes advantage of the way people generally read a sales letter.

You see, some people will read a sales letter from top to bottom, but not everyone. A lot of people will scan your letter, whether its online or on paper. They might flip forward a few pages, or glance over the main page. And that’s where you’ve got to sell to them. RIght there, when they’re scanning.

They’ve got to get enough of a reason to read your whole letter from what they pick up on that initial scan. And to do this you exploit the double readership path, which means your reader can pick up your basic sales message just by scanning your sales letter.

Make sure your subheadings and highlights tell your story. They shouldnt just be relevant to the sales copy around them. Your subheadings should make sense to a reader on their own. And if you read nothing but the subheadings then your basic story should be clear.

For example, lets say you’re writing about a stove/cooktop you’re selling. Your subheadings and highlights alone could read something like this:
…………………………….
“Revolutionary new stove concept helps you”
“Cook like a professional”
“Your friends will accuse you of buying in bakery cooked cakes” (and)
“Your family will love you”
“Not only that, but you’ll pay less than a normal, run of the mill stove”
“and its fully guaranteed for 10 years”
“If it breaks, someone will come to your house and fix it straight away”
…………………………….

What about a product to help people make money online?
…………………………….
“Could easily be described as the biggest recession buster of all time”
“Can make you thousands a week”
“Its so simple to do”
“Can you follow straight forward instructions? If you can, you can make easy money from home”
“An 80 year old grandmother made $15,225 in a single month alone”
“You barely need to lift a finger”
“Make money while you’re on holiday”
“I personally guarantee if you dont make 10 times your investment back in one month I’ll refund your every cent”
“$2,498 of value for only $67″
…………………………….

See how simple it is? Someone just reading the subheadings alone can pick up your basic story, and if just one of them hits a nerve, then your reader will read that section, and if they’re interested they’ll go back and read the whole lot.

Of course, to make it even MORE effective, use relevant pictures and graphics, like pictures of cash where you talk about money, a grandmother where you talk about the 80 year old grandmother and a warm sunny beach where you talk about making money on holidays.

Here are a few more tips:

TIP #1:
The other thing people will do when they read your letter is look at your order form first, so it also needs to tell your story. Especially if they’re looking for the price first. For new subscribers and non-subscribers, I wrote about that here: http://salescomefirst.com/writing-order-forms/

TIP #2:
As I just mentioned, some people go straight to the end to see the price, so don’t put it there. Hide it a bit higher up and make your prospect read parts of your letter to find it.

TIP #3:
People will read your PSs first, so you should put some effort into them. But that’s a story for another week. In fact, that’s a story for NEXT week!

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Hi there

You know what? I’m annoyed at something. Something to do with the resell rights people often purchase (or end up with) for various products.

And I’ve really got to get it off my chest. BUT as a man of my word I’m going to stick with what I promised last week and store it all up for next week (and the week after actually). But let me say this. If you’ve ever considered buying the resell rights to a product OR you own the rights and want to have a crack at selling it, then watch out for what I have to tell you…because I’m going to save you a LOT of time and frustration.

OK, now to the business at hand. The humble Post Script.

Actually, the PS isn’t that humble at all. It sits there at the bottom of your sales letter like an anchor, and its extremely important because surprisingly its one of the most often read things in a sales letter. I must confess I don’t know why this is. Perhaps its because people like to flip to the last page to look at the price or offer and it just stands out. Perhaps ‘PS’ suggests it will revealing something new and important. Anyway, the reason why isn’t important right now.

What’s important is that the use of a PS has been tested and proven to be extremely important.

Now, your PSs should include the most important things in your sales copy. So they should emphasise key elements of your message. For example your guarantee, offer or scarcity (why your offer is limited).

Also, you should have an odd number of PSs. So use 1 or 3, but never 2 or 4.

Now, here are the 5 most powerful PSs you can use.

1. Build urgency – get them to understand they must order/book straight away
2. Throw in a surprise benefit – If you’re in a service industry, remind them of another benefit of using you and how you’ll deliver. If its a product then you could tell them about the unexpected benefit an other purchaser discovered
3. Throw in another bonus – If its a seminar it could be another speaker or session. If its a product then it could be another bonus item
4. Summarise your offer – remind them of what they’re getting, what its worth and then…remind them how much they’re going pay
5. Restate the guarantee – a strong guarantee is a big selling point, so make sure you reassure your prospects that they’re protected if their purchase doesnt live up to their expectations

Anyway, its only a short one this week, but its an important one.

But don’t think for one moment that your business or product is different, and this stuff wont work for you. It will. Just learn the lessons from here and implement them. You’ll be very grateful that you did.

OK. Now keep your eyes on your inbox next week for the first part of my two part piece on what to watch out for when reselling products.

All the best,

Hugh

PS Don’t forget that the biggest thing you can get out of these entries is TAKING ACTION. Go on, if you’ve got a current sales letter or web page out now, open it straight away and put in a PS or 3. Then its done. Taking action is as simple as that…not making excuses about why you should do it later instead of now.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Hi there, and a big welcome to all of Jim Straw’s subscribers who may be reading these posts for the first time.

Actually, I’m such a big fan of Jim’s I reproduced one of his stories here:
http://salescomefirst.com/this-is-the-1-lesson-i-ever-learnt-about-business/

If you haven’t read it, then do it. You’ll have a sparkling new clarity about the direction you’re going in business.

Also, I’ve got Jim’s mail order course. If you want to make it in mail order then get this manual. Its about $50. AND its just as applicable to online and offline businesses. Real fundamentals here folks.

OK, on to what I mentioned last week, and I guess it comes from some frustration I’m having right now writing for a client. Actually the client’s great, but the dilemna is a doozy. (I’ll tell you what I’ve done to get around it too at the end).

The client’s got the resell rights to a set of DVDs on how to make money on the internet, but I wont mention the niche. Anyway, as you probably know, one of the big challenges when you’re writing copy is PROVING the claims you make. If you can’t do it, then you’re kinda stuffed. Problem is, he doesnt really have any proof.

Now, before I go on, there are plenty of types of proof you can use. There’s written testimonials, audio testimonials, video testimonials, screen captures of bank balances, pictures of people enjoying the success they’ve had, quotes from reports and so on. But the problem is that this guy got the product, but DIDN’T get any proof from the seller.

Uh-oh, big problem here for the copywriter, because while I can make claims about what the product’s going to do for the purchaser, but I can’t really PROVE any of them.

So, that’s the first big lesson I want you to learn about buying resell rights. Make sure you’ve got all the ammo you need to sell it. And if you don’t have proof that the product works then you’re fighting with one hand tied behind your back. So if the product you’re looking at doesn’t have all the sales copy written for you, OR it doesn’t have a sales package containing evidence you can use then its best to look for a better opportunity. Of course, sometimes the seller may provide these things if you ask them, but do this BEFORE you buy.

Just be careful about using testimonials from their website. This could land you in hot water because the vendor has permission from the person who gave the testimonial to use it. YOU DON’T. So dont go and grab them.

I’ve got the rights to sell Brett McFall’s Ad Camp DVD. Now this one WORKS beautifully, because not only did it come with a sales letter all written out, but I can use the testimonials, screen shots etc from it for my own lead generation ads or sales letters to sell it. It also comes with a page of information on what I can and can’t say about Brett McFall. So in this case, I’ve got all the firepower I need to get out there and sell it. (If you want more info on this, let me know).

But this poor guy hasn’t got much, so its taken some creative thinking to get around the problem. And what I’ve done is far from perfect, but its all I can do under the circumstances.

1. I’ve got all sorts of information about the size of this market. How much money is being spent in it, how many people are involved in it etc.

2. I’ve looked through youtube and found other people telling their success stories. I’ve been able to paraphrase these, because the stories are in the public domain. I haven’t identified the people apart from their first names and have simply retold their stories. I haven’t linked to the videos.

3. There are a couple of stories that the presenter tells in the DVD, so I can retell these too. Remember, its only an outline I’m telling (for example, “The mother of 3 that Mr X taught that now turns over $25,000 a month online. Now she and her husband are living their dream of raising their children instead of leaving them in dreaded Childcare”

4. Provide proof about the market. I can prove how big the market is, how many people are making money in it and how many people are spending money in it.

OK, now I told you there was a second part to this story. That part is coming up next week but it tells you what you need to think about BEFORE committing any time or money to a business selling information related products.

Until then, all the best,

Hugh Thyer

PS If YOU’VE got any more ideas about how to provide proof of your claims without any testimonials, please let a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Hi folks

Last week I told you the first big mistake I see people make when they start reselling somebody else’s products.

If you missed it you can get it here:
http://salescomefirst.com/what-to-watch-out-for-if-you-have-rights-to-sell-somebody-elses-product/

OK, this week I’m going to tell you the second big mistake I see people make. Actually this one’s not JUST limited to people reselling products. In fact I see it with all sorts of products.

And that’s a lack of a solid marketing plan.

People come to you with a product they want to sell and you write the sales letter. But sometimes its pretty obvious that they haven’t figured out where all the leads are going to come from. Often they’re just running a lead gen ad in a local paper, or relying on SEO to do it. But the truth is that a marketing plan is often missing in these businesses whereas it should be there from THE BEGINNING!

About a month ago I wrote about this about marketing systems:
http://salescomefirst.com/systems/

What it shows is that you need a really solid way of-
a) attracting people to your site with an irresistable offer (there’s heaps of ways to do this)
b) getting them to register their interest (it could be a free report, 5 day mini-course or something else entirely)
c) selling to them
d) trying a few more times to get them to buy
e) sell them something else if they’re not interested, and
f) if the buy, then they join a whole new sequence for upsells to other offerings

In fact, I could easily write more steps here including joint ventures, getting referrals and so on.

And while I’m getting into it, there are heaps of ways to attract people in step (a) as well. You’ve got SEO, joint ventures, pay-per-click campaigns, newspaper and magazine ads, publishing articles, sharing them around, answering questions on sites like Yahoo Answers, blogging, uploading videos to YouTube. There’s heaps of ways to get traffic.

But I can sometimes tell that people who I write for lack a plan for getting traffic and turning it into $$$.

So my advice is this. BEFORE you decide to resell other people’s products, make sure you’ve got a plan in place for doing this. Remember, internet marketing isn’t always easy. It can take a lot of work to get up and running. And if you’re not prepared to sit down and work it all out first then you’re probably destined to waste a lot of money…and worst still…you’ll waste a lot of TIME!

The good news is if you’re worked it all out and you’ve got time aside in your schedule to put your plan into action then odds are you’ll be well ahead of 90% of the people you’re competing against.

Next week I’m going to jump off the internet entirely and go back to good old fashioned paper and ink.

It’s time to talk lumpy mail, and how to get more people to rip your mail open, busting to see what’s inside the envelope.

I’ll talk to you all next week.

As always, your feedback and comments are always greatly appreciated.

Hugh

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Back to it folks. And when I say ‘it’ I mean a bit of good old fashioned marketing.

But before I get into it I want to tell you about a conversation I had with a subscriber last week.

But before I tell you I want to make it clear that this is for your information only. I dont get anything out of it. But it was way too cool NOT to share with you.

Basically the business this guy is involved with is sending cards to people over the internet. Hang on, I bet you’re thinking e-Cards, arent you. Well I don’t mean e-Cards. I mean PHYSICAL cardboard ones. You can select the card from thousands of designs and write whatever you want in it. You can put in pictures and even upload your own fonts of your handwriting so you can do cards that appear handwritten. I can’t remember exactly what it costs but from memory it was well under $2 per card (for a card you’d spend at least $5 on from the newsagents) and that is for the card, in an envelope (all addressed with your return address on it too) and a LIVE stamp all posted.

Also, you can upload a list of names and addresses to it and it will send out a customised card to everyone on your list. Brilliant for Christmas cards to your clients and for regular promotions you run. Even better, you can do basic sequencing so you can get it to send out cards on a pre-defined schedule. For example a mortgage broker can send a card to a client 12 months after they got their loan offering to do a free review of their situation. Or a dentist can send out a card as a reminder that their next appointment is due. You see, you need a retention strategy in your business, and this one is fully automated. Imagine how your customers and clients will feel when they receive a regular card in the mail from you which contains a powerful offer.

Anyway, I think its awesome and something you should definitely check out if you’re in a conventional business. If you’re interested, shoot me an email and I’ll put you in touch with Martin.

OK. Now, onto the topic at hand which is LUMPY MAIL. Lumpy mail is mail which contains something that people can feel through the envelope. If you want to boost opening rates then your #1 weapon is curiosity. Get your prospect opening their letterbox busting to open your letter. First of all, you should be applying the techniques I taught you here:

http://salescomefirst.com/getting-your-mail-opened/

and here:
http://salescomefirst.com/how-to-get-your-mail-opened-part-ii/

Just remember, if there’s one thing more important than your headline, its how you address and pack your mail. After all, if you want people to read your letter, they’ve got to open the damned envelope first, right?

And if you make them curious about what’s in your mail then its an even better chance they’ll open it. And that’s why its even better if you use something that people can feel through the envelope. Something that makes your envelope stand out from the pile of flat mail they’ve grabbed from their letterbox.

That’ll have ‘em ripping it open!

Here’s a few examples. A key attached to a mortgage broker’s letter. Or a coin to remind people about wealth. How about a little egg timer if you’re reminding them about a time limited offer.

What about a tea bag, and then ask them to take the phone off the hook, sit down with a cup of tea and read your entire letter because ‘really is that important’.

How about a bag of sand or dirt if you’re talking about real estate, or the beach lifestyle your business can offer.

What’s important here is that it can be felt through the envelope so people are hanging to know what’s in there.

Here’s another tip…

Be careful that what you send doesnt get broken. So nothing fragile, and nothing that can split open in transit. I’ve heard of an envelope full of hundreds and thousands, or a crushed asprin tablet.

OK, I admit. Its a little bit more work. But hey, you’re in business here folks and if you can get more people to read your letter then it’ll end up meaning more money in your pocket.

Bottom line is this. We all get a heap of mail each day. And most of it get sorted above the rubbish bin. At home I dont even bring any mail I dont want inside the house. Heaps of it goes unopened. So if you want to get your mail opened then you’ve got to take those extra steps to get people tearing your envelopes open!

Next week I’m going to get even more back to basics. You see, when you pull it all apart your promotion depends on 3 (and only 3) things. I’ll let you know what those three things are, because if you focus on each of them you’ll put more money in your bank account than you ever dreamt of.

Until then, all the best

Hugh Thyer
www.salescomefirst.com

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Hi folks

You know, there’s so much you can learn about making money for your business using direct response marketing.

Just look at these articles. I was checking my old posts the other day and since I started 9 months ago I’ve written so many articles full of advice on making money that even I’m astounded.

But you know what? It all boils down to 3 things. And ONLY three things.

I remember going back a few years now I went to my first meeting with my mentor. As it happened, this guy wasnt teaching anything about marketing but was a property, offshore investment, tax and asset protection specialist. His name was Ed Burton. And I started off at his seminar and moved onto his mentoring group. Actually, its funny because the letter that GOT me to his seminar in the first place was written by Brett McFall, who later trained ME to become a copywriter.

Anyway, despite the entire alphabet after his name, and having built up (and sold) two tax businesses worth 7 figures, it turns out that Ed’s REAL specialty was direct marketing. So much so in fact that he was routinely spending tens of thousands of dollars a year on mentoring. Now if you’ve heard of Dan Kennedy you’d know that he has an insider circle so hard to get into that you’re up for probably $20,000-$30,000 a year, maybe more…and he was in that group. And he’d spend 24 hours on a plane, spend one day with Dan and fly home the next day. And it was worth every cent!

So when Ed Burton talked about marketing…I listened. And to this day I can still remember things he handed out or tips he gave, even though I can hardly remember where I put my keys!

So what I’m about to tell you about these 3 things is VERY important, because if you work on these 3 things in your business, success is virtually guaranteed. And so they form a template for how you go about building your business. And it doesn’t matter a damn whether online or a conventional business.

The first thing is the LIST.

If you want to make money you need to be selling to qualified prospects. People who have the problem your product or service solves, who are desperate to get it solved and who have the money to pay for that solution. That’s why segmented lists from list brokers are critical, or the media you select to run your ads. Or the way you promote your products online to build up a database of interested prospects, because there’s no value in a huge list of people who don’t give a damn about your product. Do you have a referral system in place to get access to MORE people who want what you’re selling? And even more importantly, do you have a strategy for contacting your list and keeping them keen, or are you letting all your high quality prospects run away to your competitors?

The second thing is the MESSAGE.

This is my job. And its about how you communicate what you’ve got to your prospects. Have you grabbed them by the eyeballs? Built rapport with them? Are you talking to them in a conversational tone? This is where you build on the pain they’re feeling about their problem and (ta-da!) come in as the white knight to the rescue. I could go on and on (and on) about writing copy, but I dont think my fingers would last and besides, there’s 9 months worth of posts everything to do with copywriting like testimonials and other proof, guarantees, formatting and even obscure gems on the double readership path and PSs. So make sure you study up, and if you’ve got any questions, feel free to ask me.

But you gotta get that message right, because sales copy that sings will instantly connect with your prospect, and have them whipping out their credit card or jumping on the phone to do business with you.

The third thing is the OFFER.

I love the expression about being able to sell ice to the eskimos. Because its such B.S. Nobody, and I dont care who they are, NOBODY can sell ice to the eskimos. Why? Because they’re surrounded by the stuff. They’ve got as much of it as they want…for FREE.

So if you’re selling wrinkle cream to teenagers, weight loss to skinny people or financial advice to people with no job or assets then you’re wasting your time. You’ve got to have something people desperately want. Something that solves a problem and does it at a price they can’t refuse. What else can you offer? How about a free consultation or yearly audit of their situation. How about a regular newsletter? If you’re online what about bonus items or even personal access to YOU! And don’t forget a powerful, irresistable guarantee. You’ve got to make what you’re offering so damn good that they’d be a fair dinkum certified IDIOT if they DIDN’T take you up on it.

So there you have it. List. Message. Offer. It was drummed into me by one of the best in the business and if you live and breathe LIST, MESSAGE, OFFER in your business you can’t go wrong.

Next week I’m going to reveal what a decades old beer ad can teach you about crushing your opposition like a helpless aluminium meeting ‘Mr Sledgehammer’. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that an Australian brewery has copied this ad for their TV campaign, and how they’ve got it embarrassingly, laughably WRONG!

All the best,

Hugh

PS I don’t know how much it costs to get into Dan Kennedy’s inner most circle nowadays, but Alan Forrest Smith has a similar group that costs $100,000 a year to get into. So when you go to bed tonight, just think about how much money there is out there for the person at the top of their profession. And given that 95% of businesses DON’T have a clue about this kind of stuff, imagine the possibilities if you just applied some of the basics, build your business up, appointed yourself the #1 person in your field and started teaching other people what you did! And since most coaching programs I see sit around $300 a month, it doesnt take too many people to make SERIOUS money for surprisingly little ongoing effort!

I’m a member of several groups and I see inside of a whole lot more so if you’re interested in me giving you the inside scoop on how coaching programs are structured, shoot me an email at hugh@salescomefirst.com or leave a comment and I’ll give you the inside running in a couple of weeks time.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Hi there

First, a big hello to all my new subscribers, especially Brett McFall’s
‘Warpies’. Welcome aboard and I hope you all enjoy the ride!

What I’m talking about today is something that will work gangbusters for
your business. In fact, I urge you to study this ad here because it
contains the keys to a fortune for your business.

I’ll tell you the story behind it in a second.

This ad was written by marketing legend Claude Hopkins in the early 1920s.
He wrote it for Schlitz beer who were 5th in the market at the time. You
see, at the time everyone was screaming ‘PURE’ about their beers, so much
so that the word had pretty much lost all meaning. In Australia there’s a
new ad going around for a ‘Pure’ beer which has a whole lot of people in a
‘pure and pristine’ world disturbed when a massive truck pulls up with a
delivery of this pure beer to them. If they were trying to capitalise on
the success of this ad, then they’ve missed the point entirely.

To write the ad, Hopkins went to the brewery and saw beer dripping over
glass plated pipes filled with filtered air, so the beer could be cooled in
purity. He was great filters filled with white-wood pulp also for filtering
the beer. They showed him how each pump was cleaned twice ever day to avoid
contaminations. And how each bottle was cleaned 4 times. He saw the 4,000
foot wells they used for their pure water, and the vats where they aged the
beer for 6 months. He even saw the mother yeast cell, the result of 1200
experiments to perfect it.

So he asked them why they didnt tell everyone about it. “Why” they said,
“The processes we use are just the same as the others use. No one can make
good beer without them.”

“But” he replied “others have never told this story. It amazes everyone who
goes through your brewery.”

And so Hopkins set about writing the ad you see above. And this result
was…

…Schlitz Beer went from 5th place to 1st place in a matter of months!

So what’s the lesson here?

Well, there are many things to be learnt from this, but the main lesson is
to tell your story. Just because your competitors do the same thing that
you do, how many of your customers actually know this. Just because its
‘old hat’ to you, doesnt mean it wont amaze your customers!

Here’s a simple template to writing a better ad for your business.

“7 Reasons Why You Should Call [Your Business Name] First”
Then, list the things you do (even if your competitors do them too) that
give your business the results it gets.

Here’s some things you can think about to come up with the ‘details’ you
SHOULD be telling your prospects. Again, this is as relevant in the online
world as the offline world…

- What training have you done?
- Do you do work for any well known people?
- How do you get information from people on their first visit? Do you have
a checklist? What information do you gather?
- What process do you follow to come up with a recommendation?
- What ongoing training, study or education do you do?
- What equipment do you use? And I mean even the basic things like massage
oil, analysis software, hairdressing scissors etc. Tell people the story
behind them – why you use them, how you found them etc.
- How do you record results and information on people’s visits? Do you have
any special routine for reviewing them on a regular basis?

I bet there are heaps of things you can tell people about YOUR business.
After all, Schlitz went from #5 to #1 in their industry JUST for telling
people about the things they did even though they were the same things
their competitors did!

THIS APPLIES TO INFORMATION PRODUCTS TOO!

This isnt just something for people with ‘traditional’ businesses. You need
to tell people the details behind your information product too if you want
it to sell.

Here’s another example.

Dan Kennedy (another marketing legend) is a member of the National Speakers
Association in the US. And every year he writes to all the members with a
product he has for sale on speaking. Everyone knows who he is in the
industry, so one year he got lazy and omitted the information about himself
from his sales package. And what happened? His sales tanked. Absolutely
fell through the floor! The next year he put it all back in and his sales
went straight back to where they were.

The lesson? Don’t assume people know about what happens in your business.
What’s common knowledge to the people in your industry is absolutely
fascinating to people outside it. That is…your prospects!

Next week its back to basics. I’m going to talk about a few fundamental concepts about developing your business and writing your advertising. Should be a ripper!

All the best,

Hugh

PS I can hear the screams now. “But my business is different”. Listen, if
you think this doesn’t apply in your business then think again. I bet you
can’t show me a business where this lesson doesnt apply. If you want to
challenge me, email me or comment below and I’ll show you exactly how this
can be applied to your business.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Its time to get ‘Back To Basics’ folks!

I want to show you the very first thing you’ve GOT to do before you write any advertisements or sales letters.

Its this…

You’ve got to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes.

You see, whether you like it or not there’s one thing that’s MORE important than your product or service. And that’s YOUR PROSPECT!

That’s why you’ve got to get inside their mind. Get inside their heart and soul. Take a walk in their shoes and feel their pain, their desires, their fears. See their enemies through their own eyes.  Speak to their friends and colleagues in the language that they, and only they use.

Because once you understand these things you’ll be ready to write to them.

I remember a story I once heard. A junior copywriter was asked by his boss to write part of a promotion about a natural health supplement. And the main competitor was a dangerous drug, the name of which I can’t remember. And so the copywriter wrote about this competitor’s product. How bad it was for you, the health problems it caused, the number of fatalities it had been responsible for, etc etc.

Well, his boss didn’t think his copy really sang. Sure, it had all the right bits in the right places but it was lacking that real empathy with its prospect. This is what the younc copywriter was told:

“Imagine you’ve just come back from burying your mother today. She died because she was taking that drug, and you had to watch her die an agonising death. You’re writing a letter to somebody who’s thinking about taking that drug.”

And the new sales copy absolutely blew him away.

See why its important to walk a mile in your prospect’s shoes? See how much of a connection you can make with them?

Here are the things you’ve got to know…

What’s their day like?
What are their problems?
What 3 things would they like to change?
What are they afraid of?
What are they angry about?
Do they have any hidden desires?
What about common enemies?
Do they talk in a specific way or do they have any special expressions, lingo or terminology?

Then put yourself in their place, and start writing from the point of view of your prospect. 

Not from your product.

I wrote a sales letter for a charity a couple of days ago. It was looking for sponsors to a family involvement day to get the local community involved with children with special needs.

The big problem with their original letter was that they talked a lot about their organisation, and asked for money.

And so what I did was present it as a way for local businesses to get their name and advertising in front of locals. And many of the people at this event are new to the community too.

And I said that they’d get a great feeling about helping the local community too, which was a really useful side benefit.

The point is that I rewrote it based on the prospect wanting there to be something in it for them. And in this case was inexpensive advertising. I wrote from the prospect’s point of view, and NOT from the point of view of the event.

OK. Here’s a quick and easy way to start the ball rolling.

What are the most common things that piss your prospect off about the industry or niche you’re selling to?

Write them all down.

OK. your advertisement becomes “7 Reasons To Call Thyer’s Plumbing Before Anyone Else”.

Then, just list why your prospect wont have those problems with you.

For example…
- If we’re more than 15 minutes late then the job’s free. That’s right, no charge.
- We clean up where we’ve been working and you wont see a spot of grease or grime after we’ve gone.
- We don’t walk dirty shoes into your house. We use shoe protectors to keep your floors from getting dirty.

Kinda easy, right? And BTW 7 is a good number, but if you can’t think of 7, or you think of more then just list as many as you can.

I want to do something a bit different in a couple of weeks time, and that’s put together a collection of posts and talk about their relevance in ANY advertising material. I want to go through everything you need in your sales letters and ads.

But when I looked the other day I found one thing missing. It’s the most important topic too! HEADLINES. So next week, I’ll give you some practical advice on how to write killer headlines. And then I’m going to put it all together for you with a step by step guide to writing winning advertisements and sales letters.

All the best,

Hugh

 <Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Have you been enjoying the Tour de France? I have, in fact I can’t get enough of it.

Actually, it’s an important lesson about long sales copy. You see, I’m interested in the cycling. If I can I’ll watch it for 3-4 hours a night! Sure, sometimes its on in the background but its there. But if you tell someone who isn’t into it, the reaction you’ll get is “I can’t watch it for more than 5 minutes!” OK, but if you’re a fan you’ll watch it. You’re glued to it.

A lot of people see sales letters that might go for 15-20 pages and think that nobody’s EVER going to read it. Too long, they tell you. But here’s the thing. These people are NOT your market. So who cares what they think.

What’s important is that there are people out there that WILL read it. And the more devoted the audience, the more they’ll read. After all, the people who think your sales letter is too long were never going to buy anyway, so don’t worry about them.

That’s like watching the cycling. If you’re ‘in’ to it then you just can’t get enough.

Incidentally, the longest sales letter I’ve ever come across so far is Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

Just NOTE: I’m not saying to make your sales letters long. They should be concise and get to the point without wasting time. But sometimes this can take pages, especially if you’re tuned into your market and you’ve got a great offer. So longs is OK, but don’t make it unnecessarily long.

Anyway, I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid! How could I be writing about marketing and not have a single post on headlines! I didnt even realise it until I put together a set of posts on writing a sales letter for someone last week, and I couldnt find anything on the most important topic of all! Anyway, lets fix that up right now.

Headlines are the most important part of your sales letter. This is because you need to grab people’s attention RIGHT AWAY. If you don’t hook them into reading in the first few seconds then they’re gone forever. So a headline is quite simply the ad for your ad. It calls out to the person you’re trying to attract, grabs their attention and forces them to read. You want it to SHRIEK out and say “over here, over here. Read Me, Read Me!”

In fact, you want to know the #1 job of your headline? Its simple. Its job is to get people to read the first line. But if you get 5 times as many people reading your letter once you put a strong attention grabbing headline on it they you’ll get 5 times the sales (or opt-ins or what ever you’re after).

When I write a sales letter I spend most of my time on my headline. In fact, over 50% of my time is dedicated entirely to the opening page or screen. And most of that is spent on the headline itself, or the pre-head. I write out several pages of headlines, then go through a painstaking process of eliminating them until I have a few left over, and then I agonise over it more. And when my sales package is complete I’ll end up changing it again! Usually I send a couple off to clients with their sales packages for them to try different ones.

Now if you’re writing your own sales copy, go and check out other successful headlines and model them. Often a headline for a financial planner can be used by a mechanic. Here’s a good resource for ideas:
http://www.abraham.com/articles/100_Greatest_Headlines_Ever_Written.html

Here are a few common models you can use.

“How To Quickly And Easily <BLANK>”
“For example, How To Quickly And Easily Give Up Smoking”
  or
“How to Quickly and Easily Make Money on The Internet”

“X Reasons To <BLANK>”
For example, “7 Reasons To Call Bayside Plumbing Before Anyone Else.”

“Warning. Do Not <blank> Until You <blank>”
For example, “Warning. Do Not Call Another Mortgage Broker Until You Download My FREE Report On XYZ”

“Who Else Wants <blank>”
For exmaple, “Who Else Wants A Quick And Easy Way To Make An Income On The Internet”
  or “Who Else Wants To Run A Sub-3 Hour Marathon”

Now, here are a few very specific tips…

1. Don’t make your headline too long. I see more and more headlines these days where it looks like the writer simply wants to win a long headline competition. Problem is, by the time you get to the end of the headline you’ve forgotten how it started! Get to the point!

2. Dont try to be clever if you’re not experienced. Model what works! There are plenty of winning headlines out there so don’t try and re-invent the wheel. Far better to model a headline that has been proven to make millions, rather than try to come up with something completely new yourself.

3. Your headline should not be cute or funny. If you have to tell someone to read the letter in order to understand the headline then get rid of your headline and start again. It should be able to stand on its own, because when someone sees your ad or letter, if that headline confuses them then they simply wont read.

Anyway, headlines are a VERY involved subject, but these basics are a great start for you. I’ll probably return to headlines with some more advanced tactics in a few weeks.

Next week I’m going to pull it all together. Its going to be a collection of articles from the very beginning of this blog that you should review if you’re about to start writing a sales letter.

It’ll be all there folks. From headlines to testimonials. From guarantees to writing styles.

Talk to you all then,

All the best 

Hugh

 <Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

 Hi folks

I’ve been writing these articles for a while now and I was looking back at them the other day and I realised how much information there is in there.

So I thought “What the hell. Why not make it a bit easier for you all”.

Now, I have to warn you, there is a LOT more to writing copy than this. I could list all sorts of things, like different ‘copy clicks’ you can use to build up your letter, future pacing, even the formatting of subheadings. In fact, I could go on and on about all sorts of tiny details. In my world, the use of one word over another becomes critical, almost an obsession. In fact I’ve got word documents full of expressions for different markets and 3 books full of words and phrases that are used for selling.

But even in the archives of this blog you’ll find heaps of hints, tips and ideas you can use to make your sales copy pack a bigger punch than Mike Tyson.

But for now, these are the most important things you need to get right. They’re the main things you should have in your letter.

These are the 9 most important articles I’ve written to date on the specifics of writing copy, so enjoy…

Now, lets not forget that your sales page is part of a bigger picture, so keep it in the front of your mind.

http://salescomefirst.com/systems/

Now, lets get your damned envelope open. Probably not as relevant in the internet market but important none the less…

http://salescomefirst.com/getting-your-mail-opened/

http://salescomefirst.com/how-to-get-your-mail-opened-part-ii/

OK, lets grab ‘em by the eyeballs and force them to read!

http://salescomefirst.com/how-to-get-your-ads-and-sales-letters-read/

Make sure you write in a way that’s going to make people want to read…

http://salescomefirst.com/a-simpler-and-more-effective-way-to-write-your-advertisment/

Don’t forget to PROVE your point

http://salescomefirst.com/why-testimonials-mean-lots-of-customers-for-your-business/

And make an absolutely irresistable offer

http://salescomefirst.com/how-to-create-an-irresistable-offer/

Want to convince people? You’ll never do it if you’re not prepared to put your money where your mouth is with an exciting, compelling guarantee

http://salescomefirst.com/how-to-use-guarantees-to-increase-your-sales/

And finally, ASK FOR THE MONEY!

http://salescomefirst.com/writing-order-forms/

As you can see, there’s so much information for you to go on there that you’ll be able to write solid sales copy IF you follow it.

Of course, there are heaps of different articles in my blog that cover so many topics on writing copy and marketing so jump in and check them out too!

Now, the articles I’ve linked to here are good information. But they’re the tip of the iceberg as far as sales copy is concerned. They’re just the start of your journey.

To give you an idea what’s involved in making the step to writing top quality copy next week I’m going to let you in on how much study and education I do in a typical week.

You’d be surprised how much you need to do. And what’s more, even the world’s top copywriters do as much or even MORE than me!

Keep an eye out for it.

All the best, 

Hugh

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Hi folks,

When I was young(er) I rowed. And the thing with rowing was how easy it looked from outside the boat. You watched the senior crews training and it all looked so effortless. Just put the oar in the water, pull back and do it again. In fact I wondered why the top crews even needed to train so much. They knew what they were doing.

And so when I first jumped into a boat to give it a go, I thought I’d pick it up easily. Let me tell you we had a boat full of kids doing all sorts of different things. Nobody was co-ordinated or in time, and the boat barely went straight. In fact, it barely went at all! Oars and arms and legs were all over the place.

You see, often things done really well look really easy. Actually, I’m convinced that the easier something looks the harder it is and the more work somebody had to put in. Like watching cricket or football, soccer or tennis. Those pros make it looks really easy. But how many hours do you think they spent in the cricket nets, or taking shots on goal or belting a tennis ball to different parts of a court. The better they are, the more time they spent and the easier they make it look.

And so I wanted to share with you how much work it takes to be a good copywriter. The best copywriters in the world produce sales copy that feels like they just dictated a conversation. All so eay. Anyone can do that! I remember the first time I tried to write sales copy. Man what an embarrassment. I sat down ready to write like Gary Halbert and nothing came out. I didnt know where to start. I wrote a sentence then deleted it. Another sentence then deleted it again. Couldn’t believe how hard it was.

So it was back to study for me. In my time I’ve read countless books, manuals, attended seminars, been part of coaching groups, downloaded audio and listened to them in the car, watched seminars on DVD – pen and paper in hand, read transcripts of coaching sessions, been coached. You name it, I’ve done it.

I spend easily $10,000 – $15,000 a year educating myself. Several mornings a week are put aside without exception to study my art. I watch seminars on DVD or read books or copy out sales letters by hand. And the benefits have been dramatic. You see, the reality is that every word or sentence written is carefully considered. Nothing happens by accident. And all that has to be learnt by hard work and study. As I study I implement the ideas and concepts.

The reason is simple, and let me jump back to sport for a second again. I am a runner, and I watch a lot of marathon runners training (too far for me personally!) The ones that fascinate me are the ones who run at the same pace day after day without ever changing it. What do you think happens? They run the same time for their marathon every time they go out there. They’re stuck at the one pace. The only way they can improve is to push their limits and boundaries. Run faster sometimes, or run further. Go over some hills. If they just push themselves beyond their one pace then new personal bests are just around the corner.

Its the same for people in business too. If I never learnt new things or tried new ideas I would have stayed at the same level. Even now I learn every day. Its the same for you too. You should become a student of direct response marketing in your own business. Learn what works and how the best in the business do it. Pay to sit at the foot of the master and be taught. Because everyone who has done this diligently has become successful. And the more money they spent on a quality education the more money came their way.

So take my advise and put time aside each week to learn this stuff. Buy some manuals and courses. Get a mentor. Experiment. Read, watch DVDs, listen to the experts.

One of my mentors is one of Australia’s top copywriters, and do you think he’s learnt everything he can? No way. He STILL reads for hours a week, attends seminars and has mentors of his own. Nobody should ever think they know enough to stop learning. Once you do that, you’re finished.  

Just be careful of two things.

1. The people you take advice from. For example, taking advise on internet forums is dangerous because you dont know who’s giving it, and

2. Borrowing training materials, getting a copy of materials others have paid for or getting your hands on material for nothing that you know you should have paid for. Maybe you understand why I say this. If you dont, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll explain it further…

Next week I’m going to introduce you to a couple more ‘copy clicks’. This is where I open up the copywriters toolbox and show you the tools we use to create winning promotions.

All the best,

Hugh

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

…I’d be run out of town.

That’s because a good magician NEVER reveals their tricks. Well I’m opening up my bag of tricks here and I’ve found a couple of great tricks that you’ll just love.

Why? Because they’re easy to understand and even easier to implement. Plus they’re critical if you want to break down your prospect’s defences so they’ll let you in.

***BUT I HAVE TO WARN YOU FIRST***

Some people WILL be offended by this post. If you’ve got sensitive skin, you better stop reading now because I don’t want to wake up tomorrow to an inbox full of unsubscribers.

OK, since you’re still reading let’s begin. It’s called “Its Not Your Fault”. You see, as business owners, marketers, entrepreneurs we all take responsibility for our actions. We know our success AND failures are a direct result of our actions. In short, if we fail…it’s generally OUR fault! But you can’t tell your prospect that, can you.

Imagine how your diet prospect will feel when you tell them its THEIR fault they’re overweight, or never succeeded at a diet. May as well kiss that sale goodbye. You have to tell them its not their fault. That the diet industry is out to get them. That they want you to fail. Rightly or wrongly this is what they want to hear, and if you tell them this they’ll listen to you.

If you’re in the financial industry you have to tell them it’s not THEIR fault they’re poor. Its those barstads at the bank, or the people behind the stock market who stole all their money, or their financial planner who gave them bad advice. Tell them this and they’ll be looking at you for salvation.

So make sure you take the blame away from them. Even if it IS their fault, make sure you tell them its not. If you blame them for their problem then you’ve got no hope of bonding with them, and making the sale.

Second, the power of Frequently Asked Questions. The FAQ in your marketing is often a critical factor. Especially in a hard mailing. Its because people have objections to the sale, and the FAQ is where they can go to have those objections overcome. Its a popular piece of any mailing, so make sure you use it.

Remember, your FAQ is to solve objections. If your prospects ask the same questions over and over, they’re telling you why you haven’t got their money. So make sure you include a FAQ sheet in any offline promotion. And even if you don’t have the questions, just make the questions up based on what YOU think the biggest objections are.

For online promotions you can still have a FAQ section in your sales page. Only difference is its in your main page.

Here’s a couple of notes for FAQ pages.

1. List the questions you answer at the top. It makes it much easier for your prospect to find the question they’re after.

2. Put a call to action on each page. Whether you remind them on the footer of have it as some of the questions doesn’t matter. What matters is you remember that the FAQs are part of your sales process, so make sure they’re doing the job for you.

OK, its time to close up the trick bag again, and next week I’m going to show you two really great ways to open your sales letters.

All the best,

Hugh

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

First of all a bit of a warning.

Not long ago I wrote about the importance of educating yourself. And I mentioned books, CDs, DVDs as places you could learn about copywriting and marketing.

But one place I didn’t mention was online forums. And there’s a very good reason for it too.

You see, you never know WHO is giving the advice on these forums. OK, if you’re there long enough you get to know the people who know what they’re talking about and those who don’t. But for most people its difficult to know who the experts are.

Look. I’ve seen enough advice on these forums to be positively dangerous. I remember one thread where people were complimenting someone on their sales copy until someone (who actually knew what they were talking about) stepped in and set them all straight.

So unless you know who is giving you advice, its best ignored.

Now, this week I want to go through something that I’ve written about several times before. Its the opening of your sales letter or page.
That’s because the opening part of your sales copy is so damned important it cannot be left to chance. When I write, I probably spend about 50% of my time on the first page, or for online copy the first screen.

If you don’t grab their attention and get their interest straight away then its game over. The prospect’s gone and they ain’t coming back. All you’re left with is the sound of their money flying away into the distance.

Now, I’ve written about the importance of your headline recently so I wont cover that again. But what I want to cover is what happens straight after that.

As you know, your headline’s job is to get people to read the first line. And the job of the first line is to get them to read the first paragraph. And of course, the job of the first paragraph is to get them to read the rest.

So instead of giving you loads of theory on how to write openings, why dont I just give you some easy to copy openings you can use right away. After all, copywriting’s all about using proven principles and formulas and here’s a few you can use straight out of the box.

1. Use a grabber. I wont go into the grabbers themselves, because I wrote about it here:

http://salescomefirst.com/lumpy-mail/

But the way you open with a grabber is (using a poker chip as an example):

“As you can see I have attached a poker chip to the top of this letter.

Why have I done this?

Well, for two reasons actually. The first is to get your attention, and I think I’ve done that.

The second is because most people are taking a far bigger gamble on their health than they realise, so I wanted you to think about whether YOU’RE taking a big risk with yours.”

Another proven opening is the if…then opening. Here’s an example

“If you’re worried that your superannuation fund may not be enough for retirement then this may be the most important letter you’ll ever read. Here’s why…”

The third one I’m going to give you is the Wall Street Journal opening. I won’t reproduce it all here but the opening itself is:

“On a beautiful late spring afternoon, twenty-five years ago, two young men graduated from the same college. They were very much alike, these two young men. Both had been better than average students, both were personable and both–as young graduates are–were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.”

And it goes on from there by describing how one person is very successful and the other is not. The difference, of course, is that one used your product and the other didnt.

Now these three openings are as old as the hills, but guess what. They still work! I use these very regularly myself and I’m not the only one.

One of my aims of these posts is to teach you what works and what doesn’t so you dont have to waste time trying and falling over on your own. So this one is another gold nugget that should get you writing good copy heaps faster.

Next week I’m going to talk about the role of the internet in your business. Is it your business, and if its not, what IS your business?

All the best,

Hugh

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

I’m writing this in the middle of the week, not when I usually write my articles.

And the reason for this is because I’m pissed off. I’m really irritated at the blinkered mentality of so many people who are getting into business and just DON’T understand what business they’re in!

Now I’m confident that YOU, my reader understands this, but sad to say that 90% of businesses out there DON’T understand this.

It doesnt matter whether you sell cars, service photocopiers, plan weddings, sell eBooks or sell real estate. You are NOT in those businesses.

You are in the RELATIONSHIP business. Developing and fostering long term relationships and trus with your clients. Getting them to see the value in what you have to offer. Getting them to trust you and believe in you. They are your flock. YOUR clients.

And the real kicker has been over the topic of emails lately. I keep coming up against a wall of objection whenever I dare mention sending anything via *gasp* the post! I hope you haven’t just falled off your chair at the mere mention of old fashioned paper. Yes. That’s right…PAPER and INK.

People keep telling me that emails are better. You can track email responses, people prefer to read emails, and they’re more cost effective.

And you know what? They’re right! But let me also say this. Even though they’re right, they are dangerous to your business.

1. You can track email responses. OK. So what. People are more likely to delete your emails than read them. What’s the use of a bunch of statistics showing me that people are opening them? What help is it if I know bugger all people are opening my emails. I want READERSHIP not statistics. I’d rather not have the hard numbers, than have raw numbers showing me I’m doing the wrong thing. Physical mail works, the best marketers in the world have PROVEN time and time again. People like Dan Kennedy and Pete Godfrey. And they know a little more on the topic than some guy who’s just opened his first business let me tell you.

2. People prefer to read emails. Yep, because they’re quick and easy to discard. Open it, scan it and discard it. Listen, I get a couple of monthly newsletters and when they hit my mailbox I rip them open and devour them there and then. Its because they’re full of great content and done correctly. And nothing helps foster a relationship than something in your hand. If its physical it has more value. After all, do you want a card from your mother for Christmas, or an email? Which is more personal? Which fosters the RELATIONSHIP more?

3. Emails are more cost effective. According to what criteria? Yes, you can email 200 people for, well, nothing. But would you rather send 200 emails for $0 which might bring in $100 to your business or spend $200 sending newsletters which bring in $1500 to your business? Sorry folks, response rates mean NOTHING. What counts is money. If you make more money doing somethng then that’s the strategy you use. You can take your response rates and I’ll take the money.

Bottom line is this. It costs more money to get new clients than to retain old ones. So you have to be prepared to spend a little money to keep your existing clients clinging to you.

Physical mail, whether its a newsletter or just a sales letter/promotion have a much higher perceived value. I know someone who built a million dollar accounting practice in 2 years, and his number ONE marketing strategy was the humble old monthly newsletter. And after he retired for a few years he did it all over again. His strategy? Yep, monthly newsletters.

His clients valued them and the information in them. They knew he knew his stuff, and saw him as the EXPERT. They enjoyed the personal touch. And he kept his retention rate at nearly 100% DESPITE continuing to double his prices.

So when you think about emailing people or sending them mail, if you’re a physical business working with REAL prospects in your country then do not make the mistake of going the cheap and nasty option and sending a (deletable) email. Send them something real instead. They’ll appreciate it, and will stay your client for life. Remember, you’re in the RELATIONSHIP business.

Now, just a couple of things…

One. I am not saying to ONLY send physical things to people. A combination of different marketing media including email, website, letters, newsletters, faxes, phone calls should be used to get your messages across. Emails have their place in business. Only that place isn’t for lead generation or regular newsletters.

Two. When I say lead generation as well, I mean making initial contact with prospects. If you are targeting people you can reach via the post then do it this way. Treated right, a client has a high lifetime value, so don’t be scared of spending some money. It will be repaid many times over.

Three. Technology isn’t everything. Don’t be sucked into thinking the world only responds to email. They don’t. And dont be sucked in to thinking that if you’re a technology company you’ll look stupid if you send something in the mail. You’re thinking about yourself if you do this, not your prospect.

OK. Next week we’ll be getting back on track again. Its a similar topic to this anyway, looking at online marketing and what business you’re really in.

I’ll go calm down now, and if you have any comments please post them. I’ve got my flame-proof suit on today so even if you agree or disagree I don’t mind.

And next week I’m going to show you how to wriggle your way inside the mind of your prospect. You can’t sell to ‘em if you don’t understand them so this will be a goodie!

All the best,

Hugh

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

This article contains TWO very important statements. And if you get these two points then you’re in a great position to go and make some BIG money.

But if you ignore them then you’re doomed to be like every other business. The businesses that truly ‘get’ the power of what I’m saying here will live and breathe it, and implement it in every part of their business. It becomes the CORE of their business.

Now, they say that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. If that’s true then surely the quickest way to a person’s wallet is through their hearts.

And that’s because people buy on emotion and justify it with logic.

OK, its worth repeating that because it is at the core of direct response marketing.

People buy on EMOTION, and justify their decision with LOGIC.

After all, why do people buy big houses when they can live in any old house?

Or buy a BMW when any old car will get them around.

And why do people use the same tradespeople time and time again (even when they cost more) when chances are, anyone will do the same job?

You see, to sell something to somebody you have to get inside their minds and their hearts. What annoys them? What are they afraid of? What do they secretly desire?

What is the conversation that’s constantly going through their head?

What keeps them lying awake at night?

What’s the problem they have that they want to be solved and, more importantly how will they FEEL when that problem has been solved?

Understanding your prospect is critical if you want to sell to them. In fact, that leads me to the second critical thing you NEED to remember.

You are not selling a product or service. You are selling the feelings associated with what your product or service will do for them.

Women don’t like being seen as a nobody. But your handbag will make them look important. How will they feel when they’ve got it? How do they feel now they don’t have it.

People want to be in safe hands when they build a house, or go to a medical specialist of any kind. How will they feel when they’ve got the right person? How do they feel now they dont have then?

Job seekers want an unfair edge over other candidates. How will they feel when they’ve got it? How do they feel now they dont have it?

What are the feelings your prospect really wants out of your product or service?

Spend time working this out. Ask them. Observe them. Hang around internet forums and read their magazines. Go where they go and eavesdrop on their conversations.

Get inside their heads and you’ll have heaps of content for your advertising.

Next week I want to tell you something you should be incorporating into your sales copy if you want people to stay glued to it.

Until then, all the best

Hugh Thyer

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Thanks to Dean for his feedback last week on email marketing versus paper and ink.

I hope you go back and read his comments, he makes some good points.

I actually believe email has a place in your marketing systems. A major place in fact. Lets face it, if your business is entirely online you’ll probably never send out a letter in the mail. Its great for reminding people of offers, getting information to them quickly and even sending people your latest blogs and articles. Hey, this article goes out to my subscriber base via email.

I’m concerned that people are losing that personal touch in favour of saving a few bucks and sending out their newsletters and offers via email. When you’ve got a customer base you can easily get to via snail mail then you shouldn’t think twice. I used to get an industry magazine in the mail, and a couple of years ago it changed to an email newsletter. When it came in the mail I used to grab a cuppa and spend the time reading it. But when it became an email newsletter I rarely even looked at it. And if I did it would be brief. Now, that company lost the opportunity to get in front of me for 15 minutes. Totally dedicated to them. I gave them my time…I was a FAN! They’ve lost that now.

Anyway, my point is to use the BEST medium every time you communicate with your clients and prospects. Not the cheapest but the one which develops the best relationship and the most profit!

OK, now onto this week’s article. And its something you should incorporate into your sales copy whenever you can.

Its a story!

OK, I know what you’re probably thinking…why would I want to tell a story???

Actually we’ve been conditioned to love stories from our infancy. We were read and told stories by our parents and our teachers. Movies and TV shows tell stories. We’re curious and we satisfy our curiosity with stories people tell us.

So when people tell a story…we listen! Its in our instincts.

Stories also help us tell our prospects about our product or service. We can tell them about the success a client had. We can tell them about how easy they found it and what happened along the way. In a lot of ways, stories are a bit like testimonials in that they tell a real life situation in which your product or service helped achieve an outcome.

But here’s another thing you can do with stories. You don’t just talk about the success your client had. You ALSO tell them the before story. What problems did they have? How did these problems make them feel? If your prospect is in the same boat then that’s a hell of a way to bond with them.

The most powerful word combination is “Let me tell you a story”.

Next week I want to tell you why you need to research your market. Yes it sounds like a boring task, but as a copywriter its often really exciting because this is where the BIG breakthroughs occur that’ll pile cash into your pocket.

But don’t worry, I’ll let you know some sneaky ways to get inside the head of your prospect really easily.

Until then, take care.

Hugh

PS I used to think the word “You” was the most powerful selling word. Now I’ve got kids (and just been to 2 kindergarten sessions in about 5 days for Father’s Day) I can tell you the most powerful word is “Daddy”.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Its time to get down to where the real money is. And that’s inside the hearts and minds of your prospects.

So it makes sense to get inside their hearts and minds and find out what’s going on.

Because unless you really understand what’s going on there then you’re headed for a trainwreck.

I mean its all well and good for you to think you know what’s going on inside their minds but unless you can genuinely tap into their raw emotions and hit them right between the eyes with your promotion then you’ll be leaving most of the money on the table.

So let me ask you…How much research have you done? Can you honestly answer questions like these?

What’s really going on in their life?

What are their fears, worries, hopes and dreams?

What problems are they facing in every day life?

What frustrations do they face?

What’s their dream? How will they feel when they get it?

When I write sales copy the questionnaire I send out pushes this point heavily. And you need this info for two very important reasons.

First, you need to develop a relationship with your prospect, otherwise they wont trust you enough to buy, and

Second you need to target your sales copy on the problems, hopes, dreams, frustrations they’re actually having. As opposed to, of course, the ones you might think theyr’e having.

So where is all this information? Well, here are the 3 best ways to get it (plus I’ll give you a fourth way that’s a bit unconventional).

1. Talk to them. When they’re on the phone just get them talking and listen to what they have to say. Ask them leading question and then ’shut up!’ Let them do the talking. Trust me, they’ll keep talking as long as you say NOTHING.

2. Go to the newsagent and look for magazines in their niche. If its a broad cross section of people (like people with bad backs) then you wont find anything but often there are magazines on specific topics. Even grab magazines on your market if you’re a mortgage broker or financial adviser because they may have survey results, or trends that specialists have noticed coming through.

3. The good old internet. The best place to start is with forums (just stick the word ‘forum’ in your search term’) and WHAMMO! Instant market research from REAL prospects who are posting on the things that are important to them! Seriously forums are PURE GOLD! You can even register and ask a few leading questions to see what response you get. Just be careful because if people think you’re not a genuine poster your post might get deleted. Then there’s just general sites on your market, plus check out any sites that look like they’re selling stuff to your market because there’s a good chance they’ve done a whole lot of research already. But of course don’t place all your faith in the research of other people but its always a good resource to check out.

And now for the extra source of info. Its a funny one but boy it works like crazy.

Its infomercials! Here in Australia we get heaps of them after midnight but in other countries they’re on 24/7. Just remember to look for the ones selling the feelings your prospects are after, even if its not the same product. For example I watched one on a ‘dance your way to fitness’ product when I was writing an anti-ageing promotion recently. After all, the target market is very similar. So are the outcomes prospects are seeking. You’ve got to keep in mind that the best infomercials have been researched and developed by THE smartest marketers going around. They’ve gone to incredible lengths to get these just right and they way they tap into their target markets is incredible. So watch them and watch for the emotion-grabbing words they use, the feelings and outcomes of the people giving testimonials and the benefits the presenters keep referring to. The market research they’ve done is incredible and you should be tapping into it.

Now once you’ve done all this research your promotions should virtually write themselves! After all, now you know what’s going on inside your prospects’ heads you can tap into it to develop your relationship with them and show how your product helps them with what’s important to THEM!

Next week I’m going to give you some great ways to charge a HEAP more money just by altering your position in the market. Look out for it.

All the best

Hugh

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Today I found out that my plans to build our new house have been rejected.

Funny how two pensioner couples can stop you doing something like building a house.

Especially when you consider I’m paying for their pensions which they use to stop me, and I’m paying a public servant to help them.

I’m the poor mug in the middle who’s paying his hard earned money to other people so they can screw you over. But hey, welcome to Australia. I guess its the same everywhere.

Thing is its made me really angry. I mean angrier than I’ve felt for years, possibly even ever. I wont go into details of why the decision sucks so badly, because you’d be reading 3 pages before I get to the point of this article.

And that point is that now I’m angry, I’ve been spurred into action like never before. And so I got to thinking that when people are angry they’ll also take ACTION.

I was reading a post online about fear this morning in fact. And what you usually find is that fear is not enough to spur someone to action. You’ve gotta get them scared, cowering in their little corner first. But as the bully keeps coming after them, they’ll just keep cowering, trying to avoid the blows.

No. If you want that person to fight back you have to make them angry.

If you get them worried about their health, then get them angry at the doctors and the system that’s let them down.

If you get them worried about their finances then get them angry at the banks, stockmarket, financial advisers etc who got them there in the first place.

You have to motivate people to act.

So the question I’m putting to you here is “Is there anything your prospects are angry at, or should be angry at?” If there are then use it in your marketing efforts. Push it in your emails and newsletters. Use it in your sales letters.

Get them angry and then tell them that you’re going to help them get the results that have been held back from them.

Now, there are plenty of other emotional triggers, and over the coming weeks I’m going to go through them and give more specific examples on how you can work them into your marketing. Not each trigger is needed in each market, but where they can be used they should be. So I think the next few weeks will be a real eye opener on how a copywriter goes about their business. And you’ll discover a whole heap of ways you can create far stronger bonds with your prospects AND encourage them far more easily to do business with you.

All the best,

Hugh

P.S. If you’d like me to include some specific examples over the next few weeks for your market, please contact me via the website below, or add in some comments and I’ll be more than happy to do it.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

Hi there,

I know we’ve been talking about different emotions, but I just got off the phone from someone who was after some help and it actually inspired me to write this instead.

Its all about how to get started.

You see the most common problem people have in making money online, or in their own business is actually getting started. I guess its called ‘paralysis by analysis’ and it means people think there’s so much to learn they never know where to start…and they don’t!

Instead 6 months passes and they’ve spent so long trying to work out all the technical bits that they’ve forgotten what they learnt about making money and, quite often thanks to negative pressure from family members and friends are starting to give up.

Look, this guy was new to computers and needed help getting a website set up. And the best advice I could give him was…

…pay someone ELSE to do it for him.

Yep. I did NOT tell him to go on a course, do a whole lot of research or anything like that.

That stuff takes time and quite frankly, if the technology side of things isnt for you then leave it well alone. What’s important is that they get something up and running, and then it will develop a life of its own. But you have to get it going first, and FAST. Fortunately its not hard to do.

Actually, whenever I hang out at internet marketing events the #1 thing I hear is that people understand what the experts are saying, but they don’t know how to get started. They dont know how to get a domain name, get it hosted, build a website, accept money, deliver products. But here’s the really cool thing. You don’t actually need to know.

And that’s because the best business men and women dont know either. The real skill of being in business is controlling other people doing the work. So, to take an extreme example, to make money online you have to come up with a market that’s hot.

Once you’ve got your market you hire someone to write your product, or do interviews with.

Then you hire a copywriter to write you the sales copy to sell it. Maybe even come up with the marketing strategy to maximise your income as well.

Then you hire  a web person to register a domain name, put the sales copy up and organise your merchant facilities.

Now, how much work have you done here? Not a hell of a lot actually. And at the end of it you’ve got a working business. All you’ve got to do is come up with the actual business, and you probably have to get involved with the merchant facilities, and you get someone to help you with this. And that’s just make sure you keep your confidential details private.

OK, I know what you’re thinking. “That’s going to cost me MONEY!”.

Yep. Sure is. But not a huge amount though when you think about how much you could make in return. And besides, how much will the 6 months you spend doing it yourself cost you in lost income.

There are people out there who launch new products almost every month. You think they do it all themselves? No way. They’d go insane. They get other people to do as much as they can.

REMEMBER – making money online is not a hobby. Its a BUSINESS. So treat it like one.

Hey, you think I manage my own website? Nope. And I have an IT background!!!

I just email my web developer, she makes the changes and sends me an invoice. But you should have seen my first website. It was quite frankly terrible. But I got onto www.bigpixie.com and threw it together because I needed it for a promotional opportunity I’d been offered. And just having something done meant it grew a life of its own.

Now I KNOW for a fact that a lot of you reading this are in this exact position. You want to get going but just don’t know where to begin.

So my advice for you is this.

- If you want, use a tool like www.bigpixie.com to put a website up, do the e-commerce side of things etc. And if you find its not flexible enough long term then change it later. This is how my website started. It was using BigPixie and was very basic (crude). I’ve moved it and overhauled it since then but at least I got going.

- If you aren’t confident, find somebody to do it for you. I can even recommend people if you contact me

- But above all, get it going. Because once you’ve started it will become so much easier. And in 6 months time you’ll be working on new traffic generation methods, different products and new offerings. If you don’t, you’ll be stuck trying to just get it all started still. As Dan Kennedy says “Movement beats meditation”.

And that’s going to cost you big time.

Next week we’re back to looking at different emotional hotspots and how you can tap into them to get your prospects to take action.

All the best,

Hugh

NOTE # If you want to take action right here and now, then here’s an offer for all my subscribers and readers. It’s a one on one Profit Explosion session. You and me for 20 minutes going through your current sales copy or discussing your business so we can put together a plan for getting a whole load of new leads into your business or website. Go check it out here: http://salescomefirst.com/free-critique-request/ (just select ‘Other’ for how you heard about the offer).

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Are you greedy? Come on, seriously are you?

Deep down wouldnt you like to eat in the best restaurants whenever you go out, and not have to worry about being able to afford it. Or have a house with a massive $100k theatre room, or to drive around a racing track in a sports car like Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear. Better clothes, more exotic holiday destinations, luxurious hotels. Wouldnt it be cool to pull up in front of your friends in a Porsche 911. Or hang around with the best and most successful in your industry.

Well if you’re reading this then there’s a good chance you’re in business. And if you’re in business you need to be greedy to survive. Because if you’re not you’ll get swallowed up in a second.

Its human nature, and since I’m going to be talking about emotional triggers over the next few articles I figured greed is a good place to start.

And greed is one you should exploit when you’re writing any advertising.

And hey, usually its money, although it doesn’t have to be. It can be greed for food, attention, credibility, whatever. Its anything that people want more and more of.

So if you’ve got anything to do with business opportunities (such as making money online) you’ve got to appeal to their greed glands. More money for less work. Or if you’re selling financial products, accounting, mortgage brokering you’ve got to sell people on more than just the money. You have to write to them about the lifestyle it’ll give them. The new found respect from others. All the elements that people get GREEDY about.

Look, why not go and look at any great sales letters on investing and you’ll find that there’s much more time spent selling people on the idea of being rich than there is on the actual product. That’s no mistake. You long time subscribers might remember me saying that people make their buying decisions on emotion and then justify them with logic.

It’s worth refreshing your memories here http://salescomefirst.com/unlock-their-feelings-and-unlock-their-wallets/

So just remember that greed is a critical emotion that you’d best not ignore. Use it to get your prospect savitating at the money that’s waiting for them. And one word of caution…make sure you’re believable. Nobody’s going to buy your products or use your services just because you tell them they’ll make a million dollars. They have to be convinced of that fact too.

So next time you write an advertisement work out what your prospects are greedy for and get to work showing them:

a) what their life will be like when they get it,

b) how your product delivers that lifestyle and

c) that you and your claims are credible

Next week its quite the opposite. Its something that complements greed nicely though.

I look forward to talking to you then.

All the best,

Hugh

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In the last article we looked at the emotion of GREED.
Now lets flip it around and look at fear instead.

The fear of loss is greater than the hope for gain. Let me explain what I mean by that by giving you an example you may be able to relate to.

Lets say you make a bet with a friend. Perhaps $20 over a game of football. If you win, the $20 will be a nice little bonus. But if you lose, losing that $20 will cause you some serious heartache.

The point here is that you feel the loss far more than the gain.

So if you want to use fear in your promotions, how about using a sense of urgency?

Tell them that your appointments are limited, or you’re only taking on 5 new clients this month.

Tell them that you only have 25 items remaining.

Tell them your stock has been water damaged so its only half price, but you only have 12 left.

People HATE being the one to miss out and will do anything to make sure they don’t.

It is a form of take-away selling. Tell them they might not get something and they want it even more.

Because we’ve ALL missed out on a bargain, and we ALL really hated it. And that’s why fear of loss is very powerful to use in your sales copy or ads.

OK. This was only a short article this week, but the lesson is very powerful.  I hope you get to use it in your sales copy, or even when you talk to new clients and customers.

Next week I’m going to stay with fear (so check your inbox carefully!) because I want to give you the do’s and don’ts of scaring people in your sales copy. Its an important article if you want some advanced copywriting techniques because if you get it right it’s great. But if you get it wrong it can land you on your backside quick smart.

I look forward to speaking with you then,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

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All the time I come across sales letters which try to use FEAR ineffectively.

Its a common misconception that you need to scare the willies out of someone, and then when they’re scared stupid they’ll do ANYTHING so they dont have to be scared.

But remember the old saying “You Must Enter The Conversation That’s ALREADY Going On In Your Prospect’s Head”.

So if you push it too far then they’ll just tune out. What you say must be in tune with what they’re already thinking.

Here, let me give you an example. I’m currently writing a letter for a client who has a course on getting better rentals returns from investment properties.

So I COULD have written about how falling rents or high rentals could end up costing them their investment property PLUS their own home. And how they could be forced into cheap rental accomodation, their entire family into a 1 bedroom unit living off canned food.

But that wouldn’t be realistic, would it. Most people will never come close to this, and what could have been a believable story would have been nonsense.

But what my research revealed is that people are worried about losing face. Having to sell their investment, or cash flow becoming very tight and their children missing out on their activities (I led with this one!). What will their friends and families think?

These are realistic fears, and they’re already playing on my prospect’s mind so they create a believable story.

You see, you’re not there to put new fears into your prospect’s heads. When you write your own advertising your job is to play on the fears that are already there. Put them into words and stories. And now we’ve painted real fears, we can go about showing them how we eliminate them with our product or service.

Next week I’m talking about PRIDE. A very strong emotion you can use to great effect in your advertising.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

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Remember one of the Golden Rules of getting the sale.

“People Buy On Emotion And Then Justify Their Decision With Logic”.

There are plenty of ways to get people to quickly emotionally connect with you. We’ve covered greed and fear so far, and the third one is Pride.

You see, people just LOVE to feel good about themselves. What about a nice smile from a member of the opposite sex. What about some unsolicited feedback out of the blue. It puts people in a great mood. And if you want someone to take action with you, it’s great if your prospects feel that way. (Actually, next week I’m going to tell you what one seminar company does when they get their attendees in a great mood. Its incredible!)

You see, most of us go through life unrecognised. Working hard, working smart, doing all the right things day after day. So when someone notices it’s a great feeling.

Look. If you can appeal to their pride, tell them how admirable what they do is, how hard it must be, the responsibility they hold etc etc then you’ll bond with them and set them up in a buying mood!

So for a medical sports specialist you could tell them…

“You’re no ordinary runner. You’re always keeping up to date on the latest training and ideas, and always make intelligent decisions. You work hard looking after yourself and your body, and quite frankly you’re above 99% of the other runners out there because of it”.

For a financial specialist, just change it around a bit and tell them…

“You deserve to be congratulated. You’ve always worked hard at educating yourself and you’ve had the guts to get out there and make some serious money. Very few people actually do that. Most of the population just sit and complain that their boss doesnt pay them enough, or the pension is too small. But you’re not like them. You’re one of a rare group of people who have gone to great lengths to separate yourself from them, and you deserve every ounce of your success”.

OK, those examples were really quick and unpolished, but if you got one of them, surely you’d feel good about yourself. And that’s a quick way to establish great rapport with your prospect or client. As they say, a little flattery goes a long way.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

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I know, I know. Here we go again with another one of my posts that I just HAD to write straight away.

But I’ve got to tell you 2 things that are absolute GOLD if you want to make money. So listen up and take careful note of what I’m about to tell you.

Actually goes back to a mate of mine who just signed up for a $7,000 ’self awareness/life improvement’ course on the weekend.

His ex-girlfriend went to a free 2.5 day course a few weeks ago and signed up for the full $7k seminar, so this week it was HIS turn. Now, I offered to be his ‘credit card buddy’. That’s where you leave your credit card with a friend so you don’t end up doing something stupid like signing up for some course you may later regret. Having said that, he doesn’t regret signing up but there are some ‘free seminars’ you should NOT take your credit cards to. I still think this is one of them.

So why am I telling you this? The most important thing you can do at a seminar like this is to study the pitch. And since they had about 50% of the crowd sign up, and about 80 people there, they did over half a million bucks! 

So here’s the two things that were the most important.

1. The time they deliver the pitch is when people are on an emotional high. They do some session on what’s wrong with you, what you’ve been supressing etc and then help resolve them. Then you feel fantastic, and if you want to feel even better then sign up for the extended program! I’ve long since talked about people making buying decisions on emotion. And direct response marketing is ALL about emotion. If you can get people into the right frame of mind where they want to take action then they will.

The BIG Question for your advertising is…”When you ask for the money, have you done enough to justify that request?

In your own advertising you’ve gotta give people hope. Describe the problems they’re having and then solve them. Make then FEEL great about your solution. Walk them through how their life will change once they take your solution on. You’ve got to build them up and build them up. Whip them into an emotional frenzy until saying ‘YES’ is the only alternative for them. (This does not mean lots of hype with no substance. This is how amateurs do it).

2. I wrote about this some time ago. Its about motivating your prospects…and why you can’t do it.

http://salescomefirst.com/this-lesson-on-motivation-will-put-more-cash-in-your-pocket/

The thing to remember is that in a room like that, everyone is already motivated. They want to know what it’s all about. They know the next seminar is $7 grand.

You see, this mate of mine claims he was completely sceptical. But as I reminded him…”you STILL went”. Yep, despite him claiming to be completely sceptical, thinking its a load of BS and one long sales pitch he STILL took 2 days away from his life to spend there. Now, I don’t know about you but if I was sceptical, I wouldnt have gone. Would have spent the weekend relaxing, doing something else. Yet this guy who is a keen musician with a young daughter left both those things behind to spend at this seminar.

Kinda funny for someone so sceptical, don’t you think? So the big lesson is, despite his denials he WAS motivated. He wanted to be there…despite his denials. He sacrificed a lot of time to do it. People who read your advertising/sales letters are also motivated. They share the problem you’re helping them solve. They are already interested in it. Often they’re sitting there, cash in hand waiting for someone to give it to them.

Funny thing is, I explained to him that people don’t go to a BMW dealership because they hear one of the cars is a nice colour. They ONLY go if they deep down want a BMW. So despite giving all these other reasons for attending on the weekend, deep down he wanted to be there and wanted to be pitched on the expensive course. Otherwise he wouldn’t have gone.

So remember this…your job is not to motivate your prospects. If they’re reading your ad, they’re already motivated. So just get on and tell them why your product is the one they should choose.

If this seminar was delivered to a group of random people from the street, their sign up rate would be next to zero. But it wasnt. It was delivered to people who had (most likely) been referred to them, were prepared to give up 2.5 days of their time and already knew they would have to spend $7,000 to get into the proper course. These people were seriously qualified prospects. (Imagine if it was only a 2 hour intro seminar not a 2.5 day one. Less committed prospects so smaller response).

So lesson #2 is to remember to focus only on prospects who are already motivated and focus your sales message around them. Unmotivated people won’t buy so don’t dilute your message to get them. This seminar is proof that despite people’s denials they are already interested in you, so use it to your advantage. And that’s part of the brilliance of this seminar. They started with extremely motivated prospects (despite a few of their denials) and had a very high end product for them.

I bet you can use both these lessons to make serious money.

Next week I’m going to talk about another human emotion – the feeling of being loved, wanted and to belong. It’s a very basic emotion that you can use in your advertising to bond with your prospects.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

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Do you remember that kid at school that never got picked for a sport? Or during recess would always go past the other kids playing a game, but was never asked?

It was terrible for them. To feel unwanted and unloved.

But sometimes, somebody would call out for them and yell “Come on, join in!” And they were the happiest kid out there.

Look, adults are no different. We all want to feel as though we’re loved and wanted.

This weekend I was at Pete Godfrey’s Inner Sanctum conference. And everyone in the room BELONGED. We’re all like minded individuals, focussed on our success in business. And you want to know what? Most of us go through every day surrounded by people who DON’T share our vision, our goals and our dreams. They could be our employees, colleagues, people you do sports or some other activity with. Even our families. But in that room we all belonged, and we FELT it.

Belonging is a huge emotion. People want to feel as though they belong to something special, to people who want us there. Its a great feeling, and can be used to great effect in your advertising. Do you tell people that they’ll be like minded people with your product or service? Do you have recognisable people in your testimonials? Do you make people feel welcome and special in your business?

This is a great emotion to tap into when you write your advertising. So make sure you tap into it.

Next week we’re going to talk about one final emotion. It’s a brilliant one to really get people’s emotions running hot. Can’t wait to give it to you.

All the best

Hugh

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People carry guilt around like a bag of bricks on their backs.

“Am I spending enough time with my kids”

“I was out and didnt spend ANY time helping my wife last weekend”

“My child seems to be slipping behind at school. Am I spending enough time helping them with their homework”

“I’m not earning enough to make life easier, or to take my family on holidays this year”

I wrote for a product showing people how to get higher rents from their investment property and said:

“Some investors have even cut back on their children’s activities just to make ends meet.“

If you were feeling guilty about just cutting back on swimming or dancing lessons for your kids, would this hit you right between the eyes?

So have a look at your customers, and see what guilt they carry with them. Then describe it in your sales copy…and then solve it. And if their last emotion they feel before they finally drift off to sleep at night is guilt, then THIS emotion is incredibly powerful.

Anyway, this is the last of the 5 core emotional triggers. To summarise them, they are:

• Greed
• Fear (Fear, and fear of loss)
  
• Pride
• Love
• Guilt.

Next week I’m going to launch into a brand new series.

Its based on the idea that any business can double its profits in 6 months or less. And even though it sounds like a wild claim, its true…if you follow some simple strategies. Most business owners have been taught that you should aim for 10% growth a year and they’ve become conditioned to it.

What happened was I saw a presentation a couple of weeks ago at Pete Godfrey’s Members Conference by a guy who has a business selling reconditoned engine cylinder heads. Now, you’d THINK this was going to be boring. But it wasnt. In fact, it was one of the best things I’ve ever heard. You see, this guy had gone from a tiny business to a multi-million dollar operation. And he did it by applying direct response marketing techniques in every single corner of his business.

So good in fact that he won Dan Kennedy’s Marketer Of The Year award, which is kinda like the Oscars for Direct Response marketers.

He didn’t just double his business. He doubled it…

…again, and

…again…and

…again! He just keeps doing it, over and over and over again.

So…how would you like me to show you how its done?

Well, starting next week I’m going to give you 2 tactics each week that’ll do exactly this. In fact, just using a few of these tactics will see you double your profits. Imagine what happens if you use them all.

I can’t wait to get started!

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

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Boy I’ve been looking forward to this for Weeks! Ever since I decided to reveal these 10 strategies I’ve been busting to get into it.

Look, even 3 or 4 of these strategies will double your business, so imagine how much you’ll make when you implement all ten! But I’m not going to give you them all at once. This way you can implement them over the coming weeks instead of getting so many at once you dont know where to start.

So here are the first two strategies to double your business.

Strategy 1: Re-activate old customers. This is a simple one, and you can do it right away. The easiest people to get into your business are the ones that have been there but are no longer active. So go through your customer database or records, find their details and send them an offer they’d be crazy to refuse.

You see some of them may be using a competitor’s services or products but might be less than satisfied. Others might have just stopped using your category. For example, if you’re a gym then people might simply have stopped exercising, and a letter explaining the benefits of exercise, the benefits of doing it at YOUR gym and then an incredible free offer is bound to get a good number back in. And your offer is going to cost you less than the normal cost of acquiring a brand new customer. These people know you and your product so as long as you haven’t burnt them then you’ll get a flock of customers easily…and fast.

For this I recommend either a 3 step sales letter sequence (main letter, then 2 follow up letters which include the main letter). And if you’ve got their phone number, even better. Call them after the letters to see if you can squeeze any more out of them.

Strategy 2: Make more offers – and more often. Keep making offers to your list. Over and over again. It could be your standard service with extra bonuses items, or a better deal on a consultation (even free it you sell follow on services). You can even tie your offers in to special occasions such as Christmas, a major sporting event like a Grand Final, Superbowl, FA Cup or whatever events are popular in your neck of the woods. Even better, give them an extra special offer for their birthday.

This gets people into your business more often, acts as a great way to get people taking action with you and builds stronger relationships with them. After all, we’re in the relationship #1, aren’t we.

Next week I’m going to show you how to sell more, at higher prices just by making people feel special, and how to get the right offer in front of the right people.

And if you’d like to talk to me about how to best implement these strategies in your business, please drop me a line. Even though I’m busy I’m happy to put some time aside to talk to you.

Until then, all the best,

Hugh

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

These two strategies are related, and VERY powerful. This is how you keep yourself in the minds of your customers constantly.

Strategy 3: Monthly printed newsletters. This is best where your customers are easily accessable. If you’ve got 10,000 interested people in a $17 eBook, this probably isnt going to be cost effective. But if you’ve got a professional service, like a finance professional, mortgage broker, physiotherapist, lawn mower etc etc etc then this strategy is HUGE! You become the trusted advisor, and objections to price literally melt away. While your competitors are quickly forgotten, you’re the one people think about when they need your services…OR when they’re asked if they can recommend someone.

And ‘yes’. I said ‘printed’. A printed newsletter sent in the good old mail has far more value than an email, which can get deleted in a key stroke. Done right, your monthly newsletter will get ripped open and read over a cuppa. Imagine that! Your customers spending 10 minutes a month letting YOU promote yourself to them. All for about $1 which is all it’ll cost you.

I wrote a whole article about newsletters which you can review here.

Oh, and I should mention, it CAN take a bit of time doing a newsletter. Maybe a couple of hours a month. So if you’re scared of doing some work to be successful then give up now. For the amount of time it takes to produce a monthly newsletter, you wont get a better bang for your buck.

By the way, I have a newsletter sample service which I’ve developed. The deal is quite simple. For $500AUD I will write up a sample newsletter for you, so you see how it fits together. I also write some sample articles and a sample editorial to give you the style of writing to use. Plus I tell you everything you should put in your newsletter on a regular basis, so you understand why I’ve done it the way I have. If you want to implement a newsletter in your business (and you should) drop me an email at hugh@salescomefirst.com.

Strategy 4: Weekly email newsletter. Send out a 1 pager each week. But here’s a big tip. Don’t just send an email. Write up a professionally presented document and save it as a PDF. This adds a level of professionalism, because it has your letterhead, logo etc on it. And of course a strong compelling headline.It doesn’t have to be long. Just send information on what’s happening in your industry and how it will affect your clients. Or send them some ideas. Even some home-spun philosophies.

Just don’t foret the golden rule – “Always be selling”.

In combination with a monthly printed newsletter you get yourself in front of your customers 5 times a month using 2 different media. And since it costs an estimated 8 times as much to get a new customer as it does to keep an old one, doing something simple like this means you’ll be spending your time working out new ways to increase your earnings from each customer instead of running around trying to get a new customer into your business. Slash the number who leave your business and spend your time making money from your herd, instead of replacing them.

*** Remember – We’re ALL in the Relationship Business ***

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>

I hope you’ve got to work implementing the first 4 strategies.

Here they are again, just to refresh your memories.

1. Re-activate lost customers – easy, because you’re just digging around your customer database and you’ll be amazed what happens

2. Make more offers more often – the simplest way to build up a loyal tribe of devoted followers who will love giving you their money

3& 4. Monthly printed and weekly electronic newsletters – if there was ever a powerful combination this is it! Just write the articles, the offers and outsource the rest. You’ll lock your customers in for life, promote even more offers and even build up a heap of referrals, simply because you keep your business smack bang in front of your customers constantly.

OK, now on to strategies 5 & 6.

Strategy 5. Reward your frequent buyers and make them feel like VIPs. I bet if you worked it out that your business follows the 80/20 rule. In this case, 80% of your money probably comes from about 20% of your total customer list. So it makes sense to reward those 20% and make them feel extra special, right? Why not create a special club for them, then give them better offers, priority access to you and even more information more often. You can even share their successes with other top clients, to create a feeling of belonging. (HINT: The need to belong is one of the big emotional drivers). What else can you do for this group? Why not a free audit of their current situation. I bet you can do this in just about any business. How about a coffee mug or something similar at Christmas, or even better, on their birthday.

After all, this is the group that spends the most money with you, so make sure you treat them the best.

Strategy 6. Slice up your list and send them customised offers. This one is a great one too because you’ve probably got most of the information in your customer database or at least in your head. If you’re an advisor, send all the business clients a specific offer just for them. Or if you’re a bike shop for example, send different offers to customers who are road cyclists, mountain bikers, recreational cyclists and so on. If you have a number of customers who spend money on a certain brand of shoe, or who spend a lot on shoes in particular, just send them a special offer. Don’t clutter your customer’s mail boxes with offers that are irrelevant to them or they’ll quickly ignore you. Far better to contact them more targeted.

Incidentally, once you know more about your customers you should write to them differently, according to who they are. For example, writing to the affluent is very different to the budget conscious. A generic letter to both types of customers will not work anywhere as well. You’ll probably mix it up so much you’ll get a far lower response than you should.

Oh, that reminds me. Have you got a customer database? If not, you’ll need to do this. Its easy enough to start one in a spreadsheet, but to get a little more advanced you’ll be better off with a Microsoft Access one. There are plenty of people around who can put it together for you if you just tell them what you want.

Next week I’m going to give you strategies 7 & 8. Another two strategies that will put even more money in your pocket. They’re easy, and they’re powerful. Is there anything else you could want!

I look forward to sending you this article next week.

All the best,

Hugh Thyer

www.salescomefirst.com

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