Build a Bigger List With Basic Math
The great Gary Halbert once said direct marketing at its core is nothing more than psychology and arithmetic. And while the arithmetic isn’t as ‘sexy’ as the psychology it’s just as critical to succeeding in this business. Keep a close eye on the math in your marketing or your client’s marketing and you’ll consistently find [...]
Dangers of the Blind Pursuit of Higher Response Rates
How over-hyped sales copy built a $5 million business in 2 years, and killed it in five … Why the promotion you THINK is your biggest winner could be cause of your falling profits … The principle that proves “Nice Guys Finish FIRST” … And much, much more! In the land of the blind, the [...]
How to tell if your discounts & coupons are making you money or losing you money
This comes up over and over again with various clients. They do a special promotion – a discount or coupon or some such thing – and it increases sales on the promotion. So they get excited and start turning every promotion into a discount promotion. Hey it worked once it’ll work again, right? Here’s the [...]
My mentor Clayton Makepeace publishes his 1000th issue of copywriting gold
I had the great fortune to apprentice directly under one of the all time great direct response copywriters, Clayton Makepeace. He got me started in this business when he awarded me Grand Prize in his Power Copywriting Challenge and I started freelancing for his agency where I earned my first royalties and had my first [...]
A steaming pile of marketed crap
Hey, I’ve got a killer, downright irresistible offer for you. I’m going to give you a giant, steaming pile of horse-crap – fresh out the horse. It’s all warm and crumbly with that fresh-off the farm assertive nose present in only the highest grade horse-crap. And you’re getting 50 pounds of it. All for $1 [...]
Dr. Robert Cialdini’s Science of Persuasion
Beat your control before it fails and your revenue dries up
“Long-term controls are, I think, a sign of failure – failure to beat the control. As controls diminish – and they ALL do – it hurts not to have a replacement.” Marty Edelston, Boardroom Inc. Sage advice. I’ve seen far too many clients making future plans on the assumption their current control or controls will [...]
Dick Benson’s Direct Marketing Rules of Thumb 21-31
Now for the final installment of Dick Benson’s Direct Marketing Rules of thumb. Agree or disagree with them but thinking them over will make you a smarter marketer. Direct mail should be scrupulously honest. (My note: I want to tack this the heads of a lot of marketers I’ve met. Applies to email, sales-letters and [...]
Direct Response Growth Strategy Part 3: Breaking Even on Getting New Customers
Your “break-even tolerance” is the ROI calculation letting you get your money for nothing and your customers for free. Without a thorough understanding of it, you can have the world class copy…powerful offers .. and great lists and STILL end up losing money. This is fundamental to building a successful direct response business – online [...]
