Care In Copy

One of the tricks
great writers use
is to write for a specific person.
This extends to writing copy.

In Michael Masterson’s
Seven Years To Seven Figures,
he explains…

“…think of someone you know and truly care for
– some who could truly benefit from
the product you’re offering
– and let them in on this wonderful knowledge
you have about this product
that can change his or her life.
If you truly care for the person
you’re writing to,
it will come through in your copy.”

Feeling Rich

With the economic troubles dominating the news,
consumers are being told to
pinch pennies
and cut indulgences.

People don’t like to cut their indulgences.
It makes them feel poor.

That disconnect creates an opportunity
for the smart marketer.

How?

Treat your best customers.

This could be as inexpensive
as sending them a piece of rich chocolate
or organizing a wine and cheese information night.

Make them feel rich.

No Need To Be Perfect

I’ve never launched a perfect product.
Never.
I’ve launched very successful products
but none of them were perfect.
Some of them were far from perfect.

You don’t need a perfect product
to be successful.
What you absolutely need,
however,
is A product,
something prospects can buy.

So take your ‘good enough’ product
(good enough meaning
satisfying prospects’ needs
better than the competition)
and launch.

You can fine tune it
as awareness builds
and sales pour in.

Putting The Project First

I’m winding down a system implementation.
Although the client is very happy,
I refuse to take any credit.
My response is
‘I’m simply an extra pair of hands.
??? led the project.’

Why?

Because in order for
the system implementation
to continue its success,
it can’t be viewed as ‘my’ project.
It has to be owned by
a member of the executive team.

If that executive gets the credit
for this successful launch,
he will continue
to nurture the project.

If you are a project manager,
the project,
not your ego,
comes first.

When Prospects Ask About Price

I have a specific information product I want produced.
I went to one small independent developer
and asked for a quote.
I got a two liner back
with a number larger than I desired.
End of discussion with that developer.

If he had asked what I was trying to accomplish
or had been in anyway interested
in me and what I was doing,
I would have seriously considered
paying the price.

That’s the point
Grant Cardon makes in
Selling Is The Secret To Success.
It isn’t about price.
It is never about price.
It is about having the right solution
to the prospect’s problem.

If you find yourself
haggling on price,
you haven’t convinced the prospect
you have that right solution.

Luck Vs Probability Of Success

I believe luck has a place in success
but I also believe luck can be
‘helped.’

In Creating Wealth,
Robert G. Allen says
“I would rather look upon luck
as a low or high probability of success.
And you can always work
on increasing your probability of success.
If you don’t have the right skills,
you can learn them.
If you aren’t trying hard enough,
you can try harder.
In this way,
you can increase the probability
that luck will smile on you.”

I’ve been looking for someone
to partner with me on a project.
Last week,
I was asked for insight on
a new product
requiring the same skills to develop.

Was it luck?
Yes
but luck helped by years of blogging,
years of helping others,
years of working my a$$ off.

Don’t Ask Why

In
Ed Brodow’s
Negotiation Boot Camp,
he advises
avoiding the word ‘why.’
Instead use ‘how come.’

Why?

“If I ask you,
‘Why do you feel this way?’
you may interpret my question
as an attack.
or a value judgment.
What you may hear is,
‘You must be out of your mind
to feel this way.’
Using the more neutral
‘how come’
softens the impact of the question.
It is no longer a question,
it’s just a simple question.”

Cadbury, Chocolate, And The Recession

We’ve heard of the lipstick index
(lipstick sales, an affordable luxury,
increase during a recession).
Cadbury is also claiming chocolate
is recession proof.

Chocolate is an affordable treat and
one of the last to be scratched off
people’s shopping lists.”

I’m creating
my own affordable treat product.
Short romance stories priced lower
but at a higher per word margin.

Could your company produce
something similar?

Working With Men

If you sell or market or deal
with the opposite sex,
Leadership And The Sexes
by Michael Gurian and Barbara Annis
is a must read.

One of the insights?

Men protect the system.
Women protect the individual.

That’s why men have less issues
severing weak links.
They sacrifice the individual
to save the team.

Women do also.
That is necessary in business.
But usually with more misgivings.

Oh, and a key point in the book?
Women don’t need to become men
to be successful.
They should understand them though.

Play-Doh For Halloween

I walked into Sam’s Club
and one of the big Halloween treat displays
was for…

Play-Doh

Brightly colored
sample sized containers of the classic toy
sold at introductory prices.

Brilliant, brilliant marketing.
There will be thousands of samples purchased
by health conscious, candy banning parents
and then given out
less than two months before Christmas.

Would a sample size of your product
be suitable for Trick-Or-Treaters?