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Jan
07

Quick and Dirty Marketing Checklist

By | advertising, Copywriting, Entrepreneur, Marketing on the web, Success

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Think about the following checklist and how your business is situated. There are 15 different areas of your marketing you can improve here – take one to start with and you will see a big difference in how people respond to your offers.

• Are you running a headline in all of your marketing?

• Is it targeted specifically at your target customers?

• Is your biggest benefit in the headline (or sub and pre-heads)?

• Do you talk about their needs – and forget your own company’s accomplishments?

• Are you specific in your claims? None of the “best in the world” type of claims – no one believes them anyhow.

• Does your marketing material answer the question – “would this help our field sales people close the deal, or pre-qualify the prospects?

• Is every piece of your marketing containing some form of measurement device?

• Does your marketing and advertising materials explain what it is you want them to do?

• Does it ask them to take action by phone, mail, email, web form, or fax?

• Does it answer all the questions your typical prospects ask your sales people?

• Can you specifically tell me who your ideal client is (age, sex, income, demographics)?

• Is the most common word in all your marketing “You”? If not – get rid of all the “I”, “We”, “Us” etc – they do not care about you! All they care about is what you can do for them.

• Do you have testimonials in everything that your prospects and customers see?

• Do you follow up with your prospects and clients at least once a month? Remember that there are totally different messages you want to send to your prospects and to your existing clients.

• Do you apply any form of psychology in your marketing? Making sure you address the most common psychological reasons that people buy (sex, money, greed, health, envy etc.)

• Does your marketing tell a story?

Remember, one at a time is all that’s required. Pick one and start putting it into action in your business.

One step at a time is all that is needed. Guaranteed.

To your success,

Troy White

Apr
08

Are you making this mistake in your business?

By | advertising, Copywriting, Entrepreneur, Leads Generation, Main Content, Marketing on the web, Neighborhood Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, Success, Time management and productivity

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One of the biggest faults I see in marketing is how companies focus in on everything else – BUT what’s important.  They talk about the awards they’ve won, how long they’ve been in business, how great their logo is, and how amazing their service is.

And they completely forget what the customer is really concerned with.

The following is from the great Rosser Reeves.  Print it off and post it above your desk. Every time you start working on your marketing – remember these words.

Ode by Rosser Reeves:

“I see you’ve spent quite a big wad of dough to tell me the things you thought I should know:

How your plant is so big, so fine and so strong,  and how your founder had whiskers ever so long.

“So he started this business in old ’92. How tremendously interesting that must seem to you.

He built up the thing with the blood of his life  (I’ll run home like mad, tell that to my wife!)

“Your machinery is modern and oh so complete. Your reps, they are flawless; your workers so neat.

And your motto is ‘Quality’ with a capital ‘Q’ No wonder I’m tiring of your shtick and you.

“Tell me quick and please tell me true  (or else, my dear love, to hell with you).

Tell me less how this product once came to be, And more about what this damn thing DOES for me!

“Will it save me more money or time or work,  or hike up my pay with a most welcome jerk?

What drudgery, worry, or loss will it cut?

Can it yank me personally out of a rut?

“Perhaps it can make my appearance so swell that my telephone ringing will wear out the bell;

And thus it might win me a lot of new friends

(One never knows where such a thing ends!)

“I wonder how much it could do for my health?

Could it show me a way to acquire some wealth?

Better things for myself, for the kids and the wife?

Or how to quit work somewhat early in life?

“Yes, tell me quick and please tell me true  (or else, my dear love, to hell with you).

Tell me less how this product once came to be, And more about what this damn thing DOES for me!”

To your success,

Troy White

Apr
06

Size Matters… Why Long Copy Works Better Than Short Copy

By | advertising, Copywriting, Direct Mail, Leads Generation

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Long sales copy doesn’t just work. It works to the tune of better than $1.5 trillion dollars a year according to the Direct Marketing Association!

Having said that – it’s very common to have doubts on this form of copy… it is nothing like what you typically see out there (but then again 99% of the advertising you see out there does not work at all). PLUS most of us have personal experience with throwing out much of the long copy letters we get.

But, for well over 100 years there have been millions and millions of products sold with long copy advertising. My mentor Ted Nicholas has personally sold well over 15 million of his own books using this type of advertising. And yes, people will read it if they are interested in finding a cure to their debt problems.

Most people get scared of running this type of copy as it seems long and it is different that what you see out there.

The proof though – is always in the numbers.

Many business owners are very apologetic about their selling. Frankly, I suggest you quit apologizing for selling (and for having anything to do with selling) and just get on with it or get out.

Fact – if you are selling a product – are you more likely to sell it in a sales call when you get your prospect face to face for – 30 seconds? – or 30 minutes? Of course – its 30 minutes.

“The more you tell the more you sell.”

No different in print, web, or where ever.

Proven for 100 years that long copy sells better.

Great one – Factoid: Over 65% of buyers of long, seemingly hypey infomercials (long copy on tv) are women. Women make up the greatest market of emotion-laden direct response ads and programs, according to The Direct Marketing Association (if I recall correctly). Take for instance weight loss products, cosmetics, lingerie, The Shopping Channel, etc.

Look at it this way: to paraphrase, “sex” sells (for men), but “sense” sells (for women).

Most people say that they don’t read long copy. You would probably agree saying that you “throw out” that kind of mail – ESPECIALLY if it’s so long. SO, how can I stand here and say you’re wrong when you have a direct personal experience to the contrary?

Let me flip this one for you:

Imagine that disaster strikes and you need to sell your house in 30 days.

You are screwed.

You are panicking. You list it but no one is biting. Then you get a 30 page package in the mail and the headline reads:

How We Can Help You Sell Your Home in 30 Days for AT LEAST 25% More Than You Expect

Do you think you might stop whatever you were doing, sit down and begin to read it? Do you think you might set aside half an hour to explore it? Do you think if you turned to page 15 and saw 4 testimonials from people who were in worse straits than you that you might take notice? Do you think if you were impressed you might even call the number they list – without finishing it? I think you might.

Another situation: You are going through a divorce and you don’t WANT to get divorced!

You are devastated.

You are panicking.

No one has any good advice for you.

Then you get a 30 page package in the mail and the headline reads:

How To Stop Your Divorce (Even If it Seems Hopeless)
Let Us Show You EXACTLY What To Say To Stop Your Divorce Dead In It’s Tracks And Get YOUR Marriage Back ON Track.

Again, do you think you might stop whatever you were doing, sit down and begin to read it? Do you think you might set aside half an hour to explore it? Do you think if you turned to page 15 and saw 4 testimonials from people who were in worse straits than you that you might take notice? Do you think if you were impressed you might even call the number they list – without finishing it?

I think you might.

See, what people say and what people do are totally different. Marketing is only interested in what people actually DO because it is interested in producing a specific behavioral result.

Don’t be afraid of telling the whole story – people want to hear it – as long as you keep it interesting.

Size does matter and the more you have to tell – the more you will sell.

Try it – you’ll certainly like the results.

To your success,

Troy White

Apr
01

Do 500 Men Love Their Wives?

By | advertising, Entrepreneur, Marketing on the web, Neighborhood Marketing, Success, Wacky marketing ideas

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In 1934 a florist (B. Altman @ Company) ran an advertisement that went like this:

“We believe there are 500 men in New York who love
their wives… and want to give them flowers for
Easter

So… we’ve provided 500 old-fashioned bouquets…
ready now and packed in beautiful boxes. They’re
just inside the Fifth Avenue entrance… all at one
price and that one price very easily to afford”
($2.50)

Simple?

Yes.

Successful?

500 bouquets sold in 3 hours = 170 PER HOUR!

So, yes.

The reason why this is mentioned here?

Could YOU not find a way to make this work?

You are appealing to an upcoming holiday — one typically not thought of by men that often as a reason to give flowers. [hint: Easter and Mother's Day coming up –  GOOD reason to have a promotion]

You are appealing to the simple nature of men… make is EASY to buy (packaging done – right inside the door – one price – not expensive… all of these make it EASY to buy).

How could you run a special bundle promotion for Spring, Easter, Summer, Mother’s Day, Halloween or Thanksgiving?

Any one of the 1,000’s of ideas I give you in the cashflowcalendars.com program.

Not hard to figure out is it?

“Thanks for being a great customer – - here is a special offer just for you. Offer good until midnight on Easter day.”

Think it through – and get your promotions going!

(PS: The ad above was written by Ruth Packard – one of histories greatest copywriters who understood the power of simplicity and ease of order).

To your success,

Troy White

Mar
19

Do you use Yellow Page advertising?

By | advertising, Copywriting, Direct Mail, Entrepreneur, Leads Generation, Marketing on the web, Neighborhood Marketing, Wacky marketing ideas

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Effectively?

Some of the most boring advertising can be found in the Yellow Pages!

And yet, 40% of your clients buy based on the research they do in the Yellow Pages – 40%!

Online yellow pages and offline print directories – it makes no difference.

Flip through your section of the Yellow pages – notice that they all look the same?

What possibly gives them a reason to call you over the other 15 companies advertising the same products or services in the exact same style of advertising?

If you are placing Yellow Page Ads this year – give some serious thought on headlines you can use (remember – 80 – 90% of your success is in the headline), make it look like an advertorial, and give them an incentive to pick up that phone and call YOU, not the guy in the ad next to you.

Notice that “advertorial” was mentioned?

The reason – if you use news-style advertising you will get up to 500% better response. This is proven and documented throughout the years. Make your advertising look like some interesting news, or an article – do not make it look like advertising (that is what your competitors are doing).

If it looks like advertising – most people won’t read it. Think about it – do you read the articles, or the ads, in the newspapers and magazines you buy?

Make it look like an advertorial and see your response go through the roof.

To your success,

Troy White

Mar
18

The Importance of Subheads in Your Marketing

By | advertising, Affluent buyers, Copywriting, Direct Mail, Entrepreneur, Leads Generation, Main Content, Marketing on the web, Neighborhood Marketing, Success, Time management and productivity, Wacky marketing ideas

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You need to seriously look at the layout of your marketing materials.  Look at your web pages, your brochures, your emails, your handouts, your sales letters – and all of your advertisements.

Are you using subheads?

You should be.

It’s easier on the eyes to have a scanning ability built in.  And subheads make it easy on the reader to quickly find the areas that are of interest.

Chances are… they will not read your sales piece from start to finish.  They will skim and scan – looking for things that catch your eye.

And the subheads job is to guide them (by scanning) to the order page without having read the entire thing.

Good subheads can tell the story and get them to order.

Good subheads are powerful headlines in themselves.

For example…

3 Things You Must Do Today To Improve Your Business

REVEALED! The secrets behind their success… and their fall to lose it all.

When you are crafting subheads – put them in bold and centered. Even a font size bigger and a different font can help guide the eyes down the right path.

The path that leads to a sale and another happy customer!

To your success,

Troy White

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