Life Say Articles » Persuasion

Is Spiritual Business a Contradiction in Terms?

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:37:50 +0000

With all the beads, prayers, affirmations, “laws of abundance,” and other woo-woo business accoutrements flying around these days, you’d think there’s some fire sale promotion going on spirituality. Maybe it’s the rough economy, or the unsettling pace of change. Business seems to be getting more and more difficult, and support is hard to come by. When you’re struggling, the idea of having the unseen realms backing you is pretty appealing. But can getting more spiritual really help your business? For some of us, spirituality is everyday stuff. It’s how you relate to the world, in business just as in all other things. It’s what’s for lunch. As the Zen master Suzuki Roshi said, it’s “Nothing special.” For others, spirituality in the realm of business can seem profane, inappropriate, or just plain bizarre. So which is it? Is spirituality the missing leverage point in business — or is it just plain wrong to use spirituality to get what you want? What the Heaven is spirituality? Spirituality is one of those words that can be tricky to define. The Oxford American Dictionary defines it as: … of, relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to the material or physical things. I would define spirituality as any connection we feel to a greater purpose, existence, or reality than ourselves. It means there is a core Oneness that everything comes from and everything returns to. Ever been in love? You know what I’m talking about. Things spirituality doesn’t really work for On a power trip? Spirituality is not going to get you world domination. If you want to manipulate people into doing something that’s not in their best interest, your connection to love and all-that-is ain’t gonna help you. Because spirituality isn’t a tool or technique, you can’t “use” it like that. When people describe their spiritual experiences, they tend to use words like: “awe-inspiring” “humbling” “connected to everything” “full of love” “deep trust and peacefulness” If you’re trying to trick people into spending money on something worthless, it’s pretty doubtful those words describe your state of mind. But hold on … something seems familiar here. Copywriting, business, and spirituality Here are a couple of key themes about copywriting and sales that you’re probably familiar with if you’re a regular Copyblogger reader: You’ve got to believe in yourself and your product . You need an attitude of service . Rather than talking endlessly about yourself, you have to listen to your readers and engage them in conversation . You have to care about your audience . Great salespeople and marketers, the ones you feel good about and look up to instead of feeling slimed by, have this combination of confidence and humility, caring and willingness to deliver on their promises. Are you starting to see what I’m seeing? Maybe this spirituality thing could be helpful after all I don’t know about you, but that sounds like an amazing way to spend my time. To be awe-inspired by the presence of the people you are wanting to help, to be humble and not distracted by trying to be something or someone you’re not, to feel connected to everything and full of love. And to have it all grounded in deep trust and peacefulness. If your blog posts, tweets, products, content, conversations, and connections reflected that sort of approach, what would that do for your business? Or for that matter, for your life? Spiritual teacher soup Listen, I may have been designated as a master teacher in my spiritual lineage. I may have years of spiritual practice behind me. But let me tell you, all I need is a bunch of cool people to launch cool things while I’m sitting on the sidelines and all my internal voices get going. I’m an incompetent booby. I’ll never catch up with those guys. Maybe what I do doesn’t matter anyway. I get worried and upset and angry. The usual things that I’m tempted to do in moments like that (work harder, be brilliant, eat too much ice cream) tend to be completely ineffective. In fact, they leave me feeling even worse. Maybe you’re the same. You end up doing crazy things. Like buying yet another high-priced program when you already know what to do. Or launching a sales page that feels like it was written by a sleazy car salesman. Or retreating into a corner, too paralyzed and overwhelmed to do anything at all. That’s one of the very useful things about spiritual practice. My practice allows me to drop all of those thoughts very quickly, saving me from acting on those impulses, from sabotaging myself or scaring off our clients. It allows my heart to drink the love, peace and groundedness it thirsts for. That’s the real payoff. The side effect? I’m more on-point with what I’m doing. Efficient, effective, connected. Mother Teresa — you know, that once-unknown little nun who mobilized tens of thousands of people to care for the poorest of the poor, and trotted the globe bringing in millions of dollars and creating a legacy that has lasted far past her death? She insisted that everyone associated with her Missionaries of Charity spend precious hours in spiritual practice every day, even when there was the pressing need of dying and starving people all around. Why? Because getting stuff done simply wasn’t enough. Ticking items off a to-do list is draining. But understanding that what you do and who you are into the world is an expression of profound love and caring — that’s when miracles happen. It worked for her. It works for my business and our clients. It can work for you, too. Have your spirit call my spirit, they’ll do lunch As the great Sufi sheikh Ibn al Arabi said, All streams lead to the Ocean. There are a million ways to connect to spirit. Some are organized, some are eclectic. Some are communal, some personal. All, hopefully, are grounded in love and service. I share my Sufism with two poets you may have heard of, Rumi and Hafiz . Sufis talk about Remembrance as a spiritual practice. That this connection with spirit is not something to cross off a to-do list or a technique to be mastered, but an essential part of who you are that is simply to be Remembered. What if you were to stop in the middle of your busy day, right in the middle of your never-ending task list, right in the middle of the sales page copy or blog post you’ve been pushing uphill, and took time to speak to your heart and ask it to remember? To remember that love and connection are essential to your business. To remember that you aren’t alone, and that you don’t need to be anyone other than who you are. To remember that it’s okay to be humble and in service, and that you are cared for deeply. No one has to watch you do this. If you want help, I did a short audio to guide folks, Ack! Where’s My Heart? Stop working so hard. Use all of that tremendous will power and individual force that you’ve been given to ease off the gas pedal and just stop. Stop. Breathe. Remember love. When you step on the gas again, you just might find it easier to do whatever you were struggling with before, and making bigger ripples once it’s out there. Who, after all, can resist love? About the Author: Mark Silver helps entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to make a difference, but also need to make a profit. Check out his website and blog at Heart of Business , follow him on Twitter , or take the free Remembrance Challenge .

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Is Spiritual Business a Contradiction in Terms?

Dr. Evil’s 7 Tips for Achieving Worldwide Marketing Domination

BlogPostman — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:07:43 +0000

Usually we save all the sneaky tricks and techniques for the newsletter , but today I’m feeling rambunctious so I decided I’d uncork some of the good stuff. Don’t read today’s post unless you want to reach out and scoop more than your fair share of customers and sales. If you’re already making more money than you want, this one’s not for you. Are you evil enough to join us? OK. Here are 7 dastardly, fiendish, and just plain frickin’ evil tactics to get ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Or more customers. Whatever. Evil tactic #1: Ask for the order The Dr. Evil mind-control labs have determined that you can materially boost the response to anything just by issuing a clear, well-defined call to action . This radically increases response to your offers, and yet does not require you to do any additional work. Clearly an evil scheme. Want more blog subscribers? Tell them to enter their email for free updates . Want them to click? Tell them to Click Here . Want more customers? Tell them to Add the Product to their Frickin’ Cart Already. I wish I could make it more complicated for you, but it turns out the simpler and more straightforward you make your call to action, the better it works. Evil tactic #2: Offer an unfair guarantee When you offer a freakishly strong guarantee , you take the risk on yourself rather than putting it onto your customer. This is effects deep-seated neurological change that is tantamount to mind control. Combine this with the call to action and you have all but eliminated free will. The customer becomes your enthralled minion. You evil genius, you. Evil tactic #3: Give them a reason to act today Let’s face it, most prospects are spineless weaklings lacking the strength of purpose to commit true evil. Also, they procrastinate. Give them enough time, and they’ll wiggle out of the sale faster than Austin Powers escaping an unnecessarily slow-moving dipping mechanism. In order to keep them from escaping your clutches, give prospects a compelling reason to buy today. The usual way to get this done is to limit your offer , either by restricting the number you’ll sell or by giving them a deadline to buy. One warning: don’t lie or give fake information about your limited offers. If you tell them you only have 100 limited-edition poseable Frau Farbissina action dolls, you can’t give out 101. While it’s true that fake scarcity is evil, it is also lame. Which we try to avoid. Evil tactic #4: Have higher standards No, I’m not talking about being a perfectionist. You’ll never rule the world by being a perfectionist. The pursuit of true evil, however, does require high standards. Standards are well-defined. You get to decide just what, specifically, you’ll have high standards about . It might be the quality of your product. It might be your business ethics. It might be the brilliantly fiendish complexity of your evil schemes. Standards are also measurable, and there are consequences for failing to meet them. “We’ll get right back to you” isn’t a standard, it’s an ideal. “We’ll respond to your email within one business day or we’ll detonate an explosive that destroys our secret volcano lair” is a standard. Evil tactic #5: Use secret language to enthrall them to your will It’s a secret known only to a handful of supervillains, several thousand direct response copywriters, and 117,690 subscribers to this blog. There exist two secret trigger words that can turn prospects into enslaved robotic mutants who live only to do your bidding. Read about them here, if you dare. Evil tactic #6: Use the power of numbers We could tell you all the underlying psychological reasons that the numbered list post is more effective than a tank full of sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads. We could tell you, but then we’d have to kill you. Yes, everyone’s already using numbers in their headlines. Yes, you’re sick of them. Suck it up. Do you want to wear the daddy pants or don’t you? Evil tactic #7: Deploy the unfair offer Here’s the one that separates an internationally known criminal genius from a Mini-Me. This is the one that will make your competition cry like schoolchildren with low self-esteem. It’s deadlier than a “laser” on the moon, and freakier than Goldmember. If you make an offer for something your market really, really wants , it takes almost no persuasion to get your prospects to take it. No, I know, it’s almost too diabolical to use. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. For the most up-to-date evil advice you’ll find on marketing your business online, subscribe to the free Copyblogger newsletter, Internet Marketing for Frickin’ Smart People . About the Author: It is a little-known fact that Sonia Simone is the embodiment of pure evil. Thus, it is only natural that she is Senior Editor of Copyblogger .

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Dr. Evil’s 7 Tips for Achieving Worldwide Marketing Domination

How to Rescue Your Readers from Purchase Paralysis

BlogPostman — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:05:19 +0000

Ever been so scared you can’t move? It’s a common reaction to a really scary situation. We know we’re in trouble. We know we need to move. But we can’t seem to convince ourselves, so we do nothing. Some people make a living helping others out of tight spots like this one. Firefighters, for example, are trained in how to get in there and persuade the immobilized person that moving is a really good idea. The firefighter quickly establishes trust, speaks firmly with authority, and gives extremely clear and specific instructions. These persuasion strategies are the same as those used in persuasive copy. Making a decision about whether or not to buy a product is far less scary than being trapped in a burning building, but there are surprising similarities. Your ideal customer might do what you want him to do, but not without some waffling. He hesitates before clicking the Buy button … paralyzed by fear. So break out the tools of persuasion to help him out. Information is not persuasive Imagine you’re trapped in a burning building. Now imagine I come over and simply tell you a few logical reasons you should move. Fire is dangerous. The human body has not evolved to withstand the ambient temperatures inside a burning building. The fumes being produced are highly unhealthy. The building’s structure is likely to become unsound, which creates additional dangers. Those are all very good reasons to move. This is valuable information. But it doesn’t help you get out of that fear-based paralysis. Information alone isn’t enough. Persuasion isn’t about information or the facts. Very often, we already know the facts. Persuasion is about recognizing that the prospect’s fears are valid, and then allaying those fears. It’s about saying, Yeah, I know you’re in trouble and so damned scared you don’t know what to do, but if you listen to me, I can help. It’s about getting rid of the fear. Why is your reader afraid? Figuring out what scares your prospect is the copywriter’s first job. It’s (probably) not burning-building fear, but your readers do have fears. Maybe they’re afraid this product won’t solve their problem Maybe they’re afraid they’re going to throw money away (again) Maybe they’re afraid they won’t ever use your solution So speak to those fears. In a burning building, you’re scared of moving because being burned hurts like crazy, you can’t breathe too well, and you might die. Those are your current fears. They are big and valid, and factual data about fires won’t help you move. But if the firefighter starts talking to you in a calm, authoritative voice that convinces you he actually has a way out of this, you’re going to listen up. You’re ready to hear him say something that makes the whole situation less scary. He’ll probably give you some very specific instructions. You’re going to take just two steps forward, and I’m going to take your hand. Then I’m going to guide you out of here. Don’t focus on what’s going on around you. Just take my hand. You can tell he’s a professional, that he’s done this before, and that if you just stick with him and follow the clear instructions, you’re going to be all right. Sound familiar? Help prospects move beyond purchase paralysis It should. This is the core message of almost every piece of persuasive copy you’ve ever read. Hey, I know you’re afraid of buying this product because of (specific reasons). But you know what? It’s going to be okay. I’ve been where you are now, and I know the way out of here. So just take my hand, click on the button that says Add to Cart , and in just a moment you’ll have the solution that makes it all okay. Click the button and let’s get you out of this mess, okay? “Let’s get you out of this mess,” is the simple and satisfying underlying message. Here are the steps: Acknowledge and empathize with the prospect’s fear. Demonstrate that you’re trustworthy. Social proof helps; so does pre-selling with exceptional content . Convey your authority . Let the prospect know you can handle this kind of mess with ease. Let the prospect see what the way out looks like. Show the benefits of your solution. Give clear and specific instructions for what to do next. Persuasion is about saying: Stick with me, kid. We’ll get you to the solution, safe and sound. Most people are just waiting to be persuaded that they have nothing to fear. Good copywriting is about helping them make a move. About the Author: If you’re afraid of writing your own web copy, all you have to do is make one small step. Contact Men with Pens , and James will hold your hand all the way to web copy freedom.

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How to Rescue Your Readers from Purchase Paralysis

6 Steps That Get Big Shots to Answer Your Email

BlogPostman — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:09:05 +0000

You need to get the attention of a powerful internet marketer, A-list blogger, or busy CEO. Maybe you’ve got a brilliant idea for a joint venture that would make you both scads of money. Or maybe you just wrote a brilliant guest post that a certain top blogger’s audience will love. Whoever it is, you’re convinced you’ve got a win for this person. Unfortunately, the big shot you’re pitching won’t answer your emails. It’s not because she’s evil, honest. She’s just got a lot of other pitches in her mailbox, and there’s no way to give all of them her full attention. Your mission is to get yours to the top of her list. Here’s how. So how do you get prominent people to pay attention to you? Obviously, the most sure-fire way is to know the hotshot personally. If you didn’t happen to go to grade school with your famous person of choice, you can still make a connection. You can go a long way just by being consistently sincere and helpful to her and her friends. Social media tools come in handy here. That takes time, though. When you don’t have time, follow these six steps instead. 1. Open with compelling subject line Your reader likely gets hundreds of emails each day. Make yours stand out — not with all caps or lots of exclamation points, but by condensing the best points of your offer to create a sense of urgency . WEAK: An invitation for you STRONG: Paid speaking opportunity, no travel required (deadline approaching) 2. Introduce yourself in one sentence Your reader doesn’t care about you (yet). Don’t blather on and on about your accomplishments or your history. Introduce yourself in one sentence. Include a link to your site, so if your hotshot wants to know more, she can investigate. 3. Do your homework What sorts of offers has this person accepted in the past? What kinds of propositions is she interested in, and what sorts of incentives does she need to say yes? If you find that your big shot agreed to a $6000 fee for a three-day conference, offering $2000 for 90 minutes of her time on the phone makes for an irresistable offer . 4. Keep it short State your offer clearly in one paragraph. Not a long run-on paragraph either. Six sentences, tops. 5. Be bold, not precise Your goal for this email is to get this person interested . Too much detail at this point wastes your reader’s time and attention. (But do include the one or two details that will capture that attention.) You’ll get 51% of the registration fees from the people who click on your affiliate link, unless they click on someone else’s affiliate link after they click on yours, or unless they clear their cookies or buy from a different computer or switch browsers. Or unless the cookie volcano erupts. Way too complicated. Instead, stick with: You’ll get 51% of the profits from everyone you refer ($212 per sale). Keep it bold and simple . 6. Don’t squee all over your shoes. Acting like a rabid fan won’t win you any points; it will get your proposal taken a lot less seriously. Don’t go on and on about how you’ve read all this person’s books and that you stood in line for hours at a convention once to meet her and does she by any chance remember the woman with the mauve hair carrying a bunch of asparagus because that was you. Act like a peer with a good proposal, and you’ll find you’ll get replied to like one. It’s fine to mention that you like the person’s work. But too much gushing and your email is going to wind up with all the other fan mail — not in the “A” folder of messages that need a quick response. No one can guarantee you’ll capture that busy big shot’s attention. But follow these six steps and you’ll stack the odds in your favor. About the Author: Pace Smith is the co-leader of the Freak Revolution , a bunch of weirdos who do awesome stuff. Her latest project is the World-Changing Writing Workshop , featuring six famous writers who replied to her email.

Why You Shouldn’t Write for Other Writers

BlogPostman — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:04:50 +0000

There’s a scene in “Mad Men”, the TV drama about a 1960s advertising agency. One of the junior copywriters is showing the Creative Director an ad he’s just written. The ad is clever, flowery, and poetic. The Creative Director cuts the copywriter down in five short, stern words: “Don’t write for other writers.” Bingo. It’s not the copywriter’s literary chums who are buying the product. It’s housewives in Indiana. Clever copy might get the copywriter clapped on the back by his colleagues, but it won’t get the product sold. I’ve seen this happen a lot in the blogosphere. I’ve done it. You’ve probably done it, too. We’ve written blog posts that other bloggers like (especially high-traffic, “A-Lister” bloggers who link to us). And we squealed like happy children when we saw our traffic stats spike up massively. But there’s a downside Traffic spikes can be quite addictive. The type of blog post that might get you a lot of “bloggerly love” may not be (and probably isn’t) the kind of blog post that gets people to buy whatever it is you’re selling. Traffic and influence are great. It’s lovely having all these people kissing your hiney at social media conferences. But at the end of the day, it’s not the A-Listers or the pajama-clad, Web 2.0 basement-dwellers who are paying your mortgage. It’s the regular shmoes with a regular problem who are willing to pull out their credit cards to get it solved. Back in 2005, I was working with Thomas Mahon to create the blog EnglishCut.com so Tom could sell his $4,000 hand-made tailored English suits. When I first started talking about the idea, a lot of people said, This will never work. Bloggers don’t wear suits. They’re geeks. They like dressing down. Those people were making the same mistake as the copywriter on Mad Men. That guy thought that just because he was writing, he was trying to impress other writers. These people thought that just because we were blogging, we were trying to impress other bloggers with our product. They were wrong We knew the people who liked $4,000 suits were out there. We knew our content was better than anybody else’s out there. We knew our product was world-class, up there with the best of the best. We knew if we just kept at it, the right people would find us. We weren’t trying to sell the suits to bloggers. We weren’t “writing for other writers”. We weren’t “blogging for other bloggers”. We were writing and blogging about suits for people who loved suits. And it worked. Spectacularly well. These days, for every suit order Tom accepts, he has to turn down four or five offers. He’s just too busy now. Five years later, I’m applying what I learned with Tom to my own art business. I never think about traffic any more. I think about my friends and people who can and want to support my business. “Bloggerly Love” might be good PR, but it’s a hugely unproductive time-sink if you spend too much time worrying about it — which many people do. Sure, if you’re writing for Copyblogger, writing for other writers is what you do. But most of you don’t, so writing for other writers isn’t something to worry about. Worry about the people who really matter to you. Create killer content that really matters to them . Create a killer product people actually want to buy . Do that, and you’ll find very little reason to worry what writers think. Hugh MacLeod is a cartoonist who blogs over at gapingvoid.com . He makes his living by selling fine art prints , doing “Cube Grenade” commissioned art work and sending out daily cartoons on “Hugh’s Daily Frickin’ Newsletter.”

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Why You Shouldn’t Write for Other Writers

The Ancient Persuasion Tactic Behind “But Wait, There’s More!”

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:49:29 +0000

You’re watching late night TV when you encounter the inevitable infomercial. The pitchman is asking you how much you’d be willing to pay for the super-new-thingamabob, and then it comes… But wait, there’s more! Then you discover you’re getting not one, not two, but three super-new-thingamabobs for only $19.95, plus a mechanized back scratcher and a wearable blanket that also makes great fries. This technique keeps getting used because it keeps working. But the marketing gurus of Ginsu and Veg-O-Matic didn’t come up with this technique. Nope, it’s been around way before Ronco made a fortune with late night ads for amazing kitchen products you just couldn’t live without. This technique has worked for over a thousand years. All you need to do is apply it in a context-appropriate way for your audience. Pump Up the Volume But wait, there’s more! is the application of a rhetorical tactic in the amplification family of techniques developed by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Amplification makes your argument or offer more enticing by progressively “turning up the volume” as you proceed with the case you’re making. The official name for this old-school persuasion technique is dirimens copulatio (and yes, this will be on the test). But you don’t have to be a high-hype informercial type to put it to use. In fact, you can use it in a couple different ways without sounding like the ShamWow guy. Let’s take a look, shall we? Two Non-Cheesy Ways to Use Dirimens Copulatio The easiest way to think about this technique is that you’re presenting an assertion followed by an even greater reason or benefit, as in “Not only this, but also….” That’s the classic “But wait, there’s more” application. So, whether you’re selling your ideas in a blog post or creating a sales page, you want to progressively amplify your case until it becomes irresistible. Rather than leading with your best argument or benefit, you want to hook people in and then continue building momentum with bigger and better points or benefits until it becomes a no-brainer to see things your way. In a sales context, a few ways to do this are: providing ridiculous amounts of value for the price building up an amazing array of benefits before revealing you’re offering a free trial standing behind your offer with a rock-solid, risk-removing, unlimited money-back guarantee. Another common application of dirimens copulatio is where you balance one statement with a contrary, qualifying statement. This in effect enhances the power of the initial statement (and your credibility) because you’re making it clear that your assertion or offer doesn’t apply to everyone. And that’s key — by strategically qualifying your argument (as opposed to timid qualification ), you’re appealing on a stronger level with the people you’re trying to convince. Reaching consensus with your intended audience is what persuasion is really about. Here’s an example from the “Join” tab of the Third Tribe website: And finally, the simplest point of all: Not everything is free, nor should it be. Premium education, advice, and connections that lead to great businesses are valuable. If you don’t see it that way, that’s okay… but you likely won’t fit in here. The people who agree with that assertion are the people we’re trying to reach with Third Tribe. And those people are likely nodding their heads and thinking they might be in the right place with other like-minded people. What About You? I made a bit of fun of those late night offers at the beginning of this article. But for the intended audiences, a whole lot of value was provided to a whole lot of folks thanks to the ability to sell directly to the right people. That’s what you’re doing with online marketing. And my guess is plenty of you have been using this type of amplification technique without needing to know it was invented by old guys in funny robes. How do you slip your own version of “But wait, there’s more!” under the radar to make your offers and arguments irresistible? Let us know in the comments. About the Author : Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and wants you to know that Thesis + Scribe = SEO Made Simple. Get more from Brian on Twitter . Want to learn more persuasion techniques? Sign up for the Copyblogger newsletter . It’s free, and it’s the smartest way to get the very best advice about how to effectively market online.

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The Ancient Persuasion Tactic Behind “But Wait, There’s More!”

Give and Grow Rich: The Power of Focused Generosity

BlogPostman — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:52:45 +0000

There are two kinds of people on the Internet: the greedy and the generous. The greedy want you to pay for everything. Every link is an affiliate link. Every recommendation has a profit motive. The really good content is locked away until you fork over some money. The generous want to give you everything free. It never occurs to them that their time or expertise has value. They’re kind, selfless, giving, and (too often) dirt poor. But there’s a third kind of person on the Internet. And yes, they belong to the Third Tribe you’ve been reading about. This person understands that you can’t be greedy and build a following. But you also can’t just throw all your treasure to the wind. This is the person who understands the power of focused generosity . To help understand this and get a little perspective, let’s look at how this works in the real (non blogging) world. It’s an idea that has been used by savvy marketers forever. Here are just two examples. Example 1 The first act of generosity happened one December. I had recently ordered holiday gifts from Amazon. A package arrived in the mail from them, with a letter inside signed by Jeff Bezos, the company’s founder and CEO: Dear Friend, With the holidays approaching, I wanted to thank you for making this year such an exciting time for Amazon.com. We really couldn’t have done it without you. As a small token of our appreciation, we’d like you to have our special coffee tumbler (I’m particularly fond of this year’s quotes). May you use it in good health. Thank you again for all your support, and best wishes for a holiday season filled with family, friends, and happiness! I don’t drink coffee very often, but this little thank you struck me as particularly effective. You’ll notice that nowhere is there a solicitation for more business, but I felt so good about Amazon, I wanted to immediately log on and order a book . . . or anything. Example 2 The second act of generosity came in the form of unexpected customer service from Current, a printer online that specializes in bank checks. For some time I had been struggling with an ancient, plastic checkbook cover which was slowly deteriorating from hard use and age. (My wife is responsible for most of the “hard use,” but that’s another subject.) It was a small thing, but I didn’t know how to go about getting a new one. So I wrote a note to Current explaining my problem. To my surprise, a brand new checkbook cover arrived a few weeks later with this note, signed by the customer service manager: Dear Check Buyer, Thank you for your recent inquiry about Current Check Products. Enclosed are the materials you requested. Current offers a full line of check products including checkbook covers, address labels and stampers. We also have a complete line of business checks — 3-on-a-page, laser/ink jet, continuous checks, and more. Call us for information. If you have any questions or would like to place your order by phone, please call us TOLL FREE at 1-800-204-2244, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Once again, thank you for your interest in Current Check Products. We look forward to serving you in the future! Cool! I had expected them to send me a web address or catalog so I could order a new checkbook cover. The fact that they just sent me one — placing my problem above their profits — impressed me greatly. The note was clearly written for general inquiries. That suggests that sending my checkbook cover wasn’t part of their corporate policy, but instead a judgment call, a pure act of generosity for a loyal customer. A personal letter would have been a smart addition, but the gesture on its own works pretty well. The power of focused generosity You might shrug off these two small acts of generosity. But there’s something important going on here. And it’s related to the principle of reciprocity . Someone does something for you. Then you feel obligated to do something in return. It might or might not translate immediately into a purchase. Instead, it could be tweeting your content, recommending your email newsletter, linking to one of your blog posts, or otherwise getting the word out about what you have to offer. Researchers — and yes there is an entire field of study dedicated to such matters — have referred to this idea of doing for others and getting something back in return as a “web of indebtedness,” a form of social interaction that is “central to the human experience, responsible for the division of labor, all forms of commerce, and how society is organized into interdependent units.” In other words, being generous is a very big deal indeed. It’s the ultimate in guerrilla marketing. Much more than simply being nice, it’s a central, essential, and incredibly potent way to do business. You might say that there is a “payback” urge hardwired into our brains. And it’s very difficult to resist. Remember the last time a friend insisted on paying for lunch? (No? Maybe you need new friends.) When it happens you immediately swear you’ll pay for the next one, don’t you? Which is why you should spend more time thinking about how you can be generous on your blog or other online ventures, and a little less time thinking about how to bludgeon people to death with requests to buy, buy, buy. Those who get the most tend to be those who give the most, while also keeping a few desirable items that they aren’t afraid to sell . Making generosity work for you Okay, so how does this work as a business strategy online? Here are a few pointers. Offer something free. It can be an ebook, a blog tool, a product sample, a subscription to a genuinely terrific newsletter , or any form of valuable information. It can be anything really, as long as it’s free and relates to your core product or service. One newsletter I subscribe to used to barrage me with products to buy. I was just about to unsubscribe when suddenly the publisher started being generous, sending occasional emails with valuable information and tips with no hard sales pitch. That made the other more product-focused emails a lot easier to swallow, and I remain a loyal subscriber to this day. Give something beneficial. Of course you have reasons for being generous, but don’t make people feel manipulated. Do something for the recipient’s benefit. No conditions. No self-serving verbiage. Allow the “payback,” if and when it happens, to come naturally. Not only does this make you more likable, it can actually change the way you think about people. They stop being “marks” or even “prospects,” and start being real people you honestly care about. And that will come through in your content. Give something of value. What you give should have real value for the person on the receiving end. If you run a blog on financial planning and want to “upsell” your readers to a paid online seminar, don’t just give them a self-serving “tease” that piles on the sales patter . Offer an informative sample of the course with solid value even for those who don’t sign up. Put a personal face on your gift. Take off the corporate suit and tie. Don’t have the gift coming from your “business.” It should come from you personally. It is much easier to feel indebted to a person than to a faceless, formal company. And people are more likely to be loyal to you as a person than to your business empire. Nice guys finish first Here’s another classic example from the offline world, and this one may be revealing my age. Ever heard of Amway? Years ago, some bright business person got the idea to have distributors go door-to-door and give homeowners a package stuffed with cleaners, deodorizers, and other product samples. They called this package the “BUG.” The distributor would leave a BUG with a homeowner for up to three days with no cost or obligation. They only asked that the homeowner try out the products. Later, the distributor would come back to pick up the BUG and, of course, to ask for orders. By this time, having used the products for free for so long, the homeowner felt obligated to buy something from this generous distributor who seemed almost naive in his trust and generosity. Just how successful was this nice guy approach? As one Amway distributor put it, the response was “Unbelievable! We’ve never seen such excitement. Product is moving at an unbelievable rate . . . .” The point is that you should consider what people really care about. Instead of always asking yourself, “How can I squeeze more money from people?” occasionally ask yourself, “How can I help people?” In most cases, focused generosity ends up being more profitable in the long run. About the Author: Dean Rieck is one of America’s top freelance copywriters and publisher of Pro Copy Tips , a blog that provides copywriting tips for smart copywriters.

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Give and Grow Rich: The Power of Focused Generosity

Final Lessons Learned from One of the World’s Highest-Paid Copywriters

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:28:24 +0000

This is the final installment of a three-part series on how to translate advice from marketing guru Dan Kennedy to a new online environment. One of the smartest things any online marketer can do is to study the “old school” guys who wrote direct mail, magazine ads, and other artifacts of advertising history. Why? Because it took a tremendous understanding of the psychology of persuasion to make those tactics work. When you pair shiny new communication technology with tried-and-true methods to persuade and sell, you hugely increase your odds of success. So let’s continue exploring what old-school guru Dan Kennedy can teach us about 21st-century marketing. This week we’ll cover lessons 11 through 14 from Kennedy’s book The Ultimate Marketing Plan . I can’t promise these tips will make cash start spewing out of your laptop. But they do represent a lot of sound business thinking. (Incidentally, the links to the book are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you buy it, I’ll be able to buy a pack of gum! Put any of this advice into action and you should get quite a lot more out of the deal.) 11. Create a short-term sales surge One of the factors that plagues most small businesses, especially when they’re starting out, is a shortage of cash. Creating quick “sales surges” is one of Kennedy’s specialties, and he has a lot of suggestions for how to do that. (For more ideas, I can strongly recommend picking up his book.) Essentially, though, all the variations come down to one basic strategy: Make a great offer . Limit it in time, number of copies you’ll sell, or both. Make sure you come up with a good story or reason for the promotion. Kennedy, as you can imagine, gives some rather old-school ideas like red tag sales or “My accountant thinks I’m crazy!” He also likes to pluck interesting themes out of current events. For example, at a recent conference he invited loyal customers to bring old copies of his products in a “Cash for Clunkers” promotion. Kennedy’s creativity is mostly involved in coming up with a reason for his promotions. But if selling information is part of what you do, you can also create a brand-new product for your “cash surge.” It doesn’t have to be extensive (it’s annoying how often we’re short on both cash and time). In fact, you can offer something that you develop over the weekend . These “surges” can help any business, small or large, get through the lean times and amplify earnings during the best. And not only do short-term surges bring in cash, they also build your list of customers, strengthening your business for the long haul. 12. Take Advantage of New Marketing Technologies As you might imagine, readers of Copyblogger are well ahead of the curve here. If any of these are missing from your current communication mix, you can very profitably add them to make your business stronger. Audio, Video and Webinars: Record a meeting, training or presentation and post it to the web where you can repeatedly benefit. Autoresponders: With a great autoresponder series, you can write copy which is delivered in a sequence, regardless of when a prospect signs up. This will enable you to automate your marketing and free up time to refine other aspects of your business. And they’re great for creating rapport and trust with your customers. The next hot communication technology. Kennedy is a notorious technophobe; he doesn’t personally use email or the web at all. But like many smart businesspeople, he’s willing to make money with new technology even though he personally dislikes it. In fact, Sonia seemed to have experienced a warm reception when she recently spoke at one of his conferences. As long as a marketing tactic is ethical, be willing to consider it even if you aren’t personally a fan. If you hate Facebook but that’s where your customers are, you may want to suck it up. 13. Avoid employee sabotage For those who use VAs or other employees (whether they’re on a contract or a regular payroll), there are some special areas to watch out for. Employees are a reflection of both you and your business. Whether they are ringing up sales or answering email, they are ambassadors for your policies, and for how you feel about your customers. In my first business, there were times when I would leave my shop on an errand only to come back to a rather unpleasant surprise. “You said WHAT?” “To who?!?!” Delegating is a great thing (and usually necessary if you want your business to grow). But you must be the captain of your own marketing ship, as well as the navigator and the crew. Even the most valuable employees are still just that — employees. And no one will ever care as much about your business as you do. This is one reason the Partnering Profits model makes so much sense in the online world. Small businesses are easier and easier to create. It makes perfect sense to partner with people to run them with you, sharing the workload and the profit. 14. Hiring and firing experts Learn from the best, but take everything with a grain of salt. I’ve bought and absorbed numerous info products over the last year. Some were good, some were great, and a few were barely better than lousy. Nevertheless, even the worst has taught me something. You won’t learn it all in a day or a download, nor should you expect to. Someone asked an awesome question in Sonia’s Remarkable Marketing Blueprint forum the other day. They wondered, “What’s the point in having memberships in different sites, like Lateral Action , Third Tribe Marketing , and the Blueprint?” I’m a member of all three, so I’m happy to share my thoughts on that. There isn’t a single download that holds all the answers. Like life, we pick up a bit here and a bit there, all of it blending to make us who we are. We experience things differently at different times. True success is a slow and steady climb , rung by rung. When you involve yourself with quality people who are putting out quality information, you get a better ladder. You still have to do the climbing yourself.. There is no guru or authority who can give you all the answers. Not Dan Kennedy, not Brian Clark, not Sean Platt. That said, you want to make sure you’re taking advice from someone who’s walked the walk. In Cameron Crowe’s much-quoted movie “Say Anything“, there’s a scene where the hero, Lloyd Dobler, is standing at the gas station listening to a handful of lonely men handing out relationship advice. To which Lloyd says: If you guys know so much about women, how come you’re here at, like, the Gas ‘n’ Sip on a Saturday night, completely alone drinking beers with no women anywhere? Good question. I would strongly recommend Dan Kennedy’s Ultimate Marketing Plan as a powerful resource that should be in any copywriter’s toolbox. He’s “walked the walk” and advised thousands of traditional businesses. And with a little creativity, his advice works just as well in the new online environment. Obviously, the book contains more information than I could squeeze into a few thousand words. But I hope the “Cliff’s Notes” version has been useful! Read the other posts in this series Lessons from one of the World’s Highest-Paid Copywriters: 1 – 5 Lessons from one of the World’s Highest-Paid Copywriters: 6 – 10 About the Author: Sean Platt writes direct response copy , as well as helping authors write, publish and promote their book. Follow him on Twitter .

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Final Lessons Learned from One of the World’s Highest-Paid Copywriters

The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:49:28 +0000

I’ve found it just doesn’t pay to crow too much about what I’ve accomplished.

Sure, I celebrate when things go well. But I’ve found that talking too much about my achievements leads not only to criticism, but to disappointment.

There’s always going to be someone who’s done more or worked harder. And until they carve my name into the side of the moon, I see no reason in puffing myself up. The minute you get a big head is the same minute that reality smacks you and you realize that you aren’t as cool as you think you are.

So self-adulation is something I try to stay away from. But self promotion? That’s a whole different story.

If you take a look at the most successful (or talked about) people in any field, you’ll almost always see someone incredibly talented in the art of self-promotion.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the Rich Dad Poor Dad books, mentioned at one point that he’s a “bestselling author” and not a “best-writing author.” Dean Karnazes, known as “The Ultramarathon Man,” is not the best athlete in his field, but he is by far the best at self-promotion.

So what’s the difference?

The reason that self-promotion works and self-adulation doesn’t is because self-promotion is the art of spreading ideas, concepts, and a greater vision. Self-adulation is just the promotion of accomplishments, deeds that have already been done.

When you promote ideas, you give people something to cheer for. You give people a cause to support. People, in many ways, are selfish. They promote the things that make them feel good. Your accomplishments aren’t likely to make them feel good, but your ideas do.

Your ideas might inspire hope, thought, or action . . . but as a general rule, good ideas inspire something.

People promote Chris Brogan because he makes them feel good. His ideas inspire thought and that warm fuzzy feeling we all get when we make a sincere connection.

On the other hand, you and I aren’t going around bragging about how many books he’s sold or how many speeches he’s given. We don’t care about that because it’s the ideas that inspire . . . not the achievements.

How to create a self-promotion platform

1. The first step is to be confident. If you aren’t inspired by your actions or ideas, no one else will be either.

Look at Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest self-promoters in history. We loved him not just because he truly was “the greatest,” but also for his integrity and the boldness of his ideas.

If you think Ali’s success was only about his athletic ability, compare your feelings about Ali to your feelings about Mike Tyson. Tyson’s accomplishments were magnificent, but he never communicated a greater vision that made us cheer.

2. The next step is to start spreading your ideas. You can’t be wishy washy . . . you have to stand for something.

Make your vision as clear and as concise as possible. Brand yourself and your ideas as unique. (Remember, although few ideas are genuinely unique, your expression can be.) Seth Godin does this exceptionally well.

3. Once you have a platform, start your campaign. Use strong, descriptive language when explaining your ideas and plan of action. Build a tight and loyal community that believes in you, then inspire and empower them to take action.

Make it cool to be a fan, like Gary Vee did with his Vaynernation wristbands or like Lance Armstrong did with his yellow bracelets. Having a symbolic identifier like this is extremely powerful.

4. Lastly, don’t be afraid to talk about your ideas and spread the message. Just remember that it’s not about your world . . . it’s about how others can fit into it.

Creating buzz is essential, so reach out to power brokers and tell them why they should promote you. If they won’t, create power brokers from within. Build others up until they have the power to build you up. This last part is something that Oprah excels at, and it’s how she’s built a billion-dollar empire.

Your ideas need you

If you implement this plan successfully, you’ll ~~probably~~ take some flak. People might label you over-confident or cocky.

That’s good. Define yourself in such a way that people either love you or hate you.

There are fans out there for every self-promoter. Your task is to find them. That, and to make it easy for them to bring a friend.

Your ideas need you. If you have a vision, don’t let anyone stand in your way.

I know it sounds a bit “out there,” but I firmly believe that ideas are living things. They need you to get over your self-adulation, to get out there, and to fight for them. Are you ready?

About the Author: Nathan Hangen is the co-founder of Beyond Blogging, a resource that draws on some of the web’s most successful bloggers to tell you the truth about what it takes to get to their level. He writes about social entrepreneurship at NathanHangen.com.