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Phil Tanny
Joined:
22 Aug 2003
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1324
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Gainesville Florida USA
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Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 10:24 pm
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Why are some who work around the clock developing
emotion based sales copy in to a finely tuned science
surprised when their copy receives an emotional
reaction???
Why all the heart pounding fuss? Maybe somebody
forgot to read the chapter on "laughing all the way to
the bank?"
Words matter or they don't. To each their own.
If words don't matter, then there's no need for fuss on
anybody's part. If they do matter, then energetic
conversations about the use of words are inevitable.
Hype sales copy doesn't hurt anybody?
Let's say I publish a best selling ebook whose headline claims I
"make" $400,000, but as buyers read the book they
realize $400,000 is my gross, and I actually take home
$200,000.
I've made clever use of the concepts of gross and net
incomes to quietly encourage the reader to jump to an
inaccurate conclusion. I'm not exactly lying, I'm not
exactly telling the truth either. Hype.
This clever stretching brings everything in my book in
to question, which undermines my reader's confidence,
and slows their development. It costs them money.
What happens when you try to sell _your_ book by
stating your income in the title? Half your prospects
remember my book, and think yours is probably bunk as
well. That costs you money.
If words matter then we have to accept that our online
environment is just like the real world where we are
all connected to, and dependant upon, our environment,
and each other.
So if words do matter, then hopefully I won't be
dumping my word trash in your backyard. That would
make me a polluter.
If words don't matter, then what's all the fuss about
all the fuss?
_________________
Free Forum And Ezine Hosting
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Brad Waller
Joined:
11 Jul 2003
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126
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Redondo Beach, CA
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Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:06 pm
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I have to say that I too had major reservations about this. Not only did I get half a dozen people telling me how amazing this was, but I could not bring myself to believe it.
Show me proof that he got over a billion visitors (not hits) to his site.
| The Hype Quote wrote: | | After Driving 1.57 Billion Visitors To His Websites And Producing Millions Of Dollars In Sales, 33-Year-Old Florida Man Breaks 14 Years Of Silence To Expose For The First Time Ever His Proven, 'Lab-Tested' Strategies Anyone Can Use For Consistently Generating Steady Streams Of Targeted Leads To ANY Website... |
Show me proof that he was making money online in 1990, three years before the first Web browser.
| The Hype Quote wrote: | | I've made my living online exclusively for over 14 years |
What site had 10 million visitors a month? And was this really 7 years ago?
| The Hype Quote wrote: | Like the time I had a little "script" created that would accelerate the use of a new little website I had just put up... some very simple technology that (legally) took that site from zero traffic to over 10,000,000 (yes, ten million!) visitors a month.
But I don't know what's more amazing, the fact that I was able to get all that traffic for FREE, or the fact that I then turned around and sold advertising on this little site to other companies for as much as $550,000.
It doesn't stop there... here's something EVEN more amazing...
... This exact same "trick" used to accelerate all that website traffic still works today, some 7 years after I discovered it, without any extra money or effort! |
What Web site did he run in 1990?
| The Hype Quote wrote: | | Since 1990, I've conceived, developed, and made money from hundreds of different websites on the Internet. |
Which sites are in the top 500?
| The Hype Quote wrote: | I've had TWO of my websites join the very elite group of Top 500 websites in the world for overall traffic.
These sites were getting more traffic than CNN, Disney and all those other huge corporations that spend millions on Super Bowl ads and the like. |
Then again, I guess I could make all sorts of claims. We've had billions of "hits" to our site (and hits are worthless), had more traffic that eBay, CNN, Disney, and just about every other site online (since we were already established when they started we had more traffic at least in the beginning).
I'd comment on more, but I just can't read that far down a page before getting bored or lost.
_________________
Brad Waller | VP, Business and Affiliate Development
http://EPage.com - Classifieds and Auctions
http://AdConnect.com - Fully custom outsourced Classifieds and Auctions
http://AdJungle.com - Manage & sell your site's banner - now with PPC text ads! |
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raveon
Joined:
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Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:34 pm
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Wait a minute..are you saying that there is a claim that 1.57 BILLION Visitors visited the website in a 24 hour period?
I can't imagine that came from John Reese. That is so absurd it's laughable. No that must be one of the over excited (and completely clueless) sales people making that claim.
In fact even 1.57 million visitors is completely absurd never mind 1.57 BILLION.
I don't think we can pin this on John (yikes at least I hope not) 
ADDED:
I see that was posted to PRnewswire by Jeff Mulligan of CBmall.com fame. Jeff should have a chat with a few tech guys before submitting a silly news release like that.
And of course he is pushing the course also
http://hightechmarketing.com/
Anybody can post a phony news release to PRnewswire, I work with many stock promoters and public companies and many promoters do exactly what Jeff has done here, simply post an advertisement disguised as a press release.
1.57 BILLION..... I gotta tell my tech guys this one 
David
Last edited by raveon on Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:45 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Timothy Warnock
Joined:
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205
Location:
Assisi, Italy
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Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:43 pm
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Phil,
Quick note, your post just came in as I was about to post mine, I haven't read it yet, and none of what is below is addressing your post - I'll get to that later  this one is already too long...
| David wrote: | | Tim your entire argument seems to be based on the fact that the program was successful so it must be right. That's not only overly simplistic it's flat out wrong. |
Major rant:
Criminy... more puritan marketing...!
Please, David, enlighten me, what's wrong with it?
Do you think John Reese is pulling a scam? Do you think that his course will not help those that bought it if they act on it?
You obviously think he could do it better. That is not only weaker than sand tea, it is outright arrogance!
What are you frequenting forums for? I assume to improve your online business. Wake up man, it's in your best interest to look at what's really working.
| Quote: | Your answer to the all criticisms seems to be "who cares" what you think, he made money! You don't see anything wrong with that from a long term business and branding perspective?
You can win the battle and lose the war. |
Sigh...
Mr. Neal. John already won the war a long time ago...
I guarantee you, if you don't have massive investment dollars behind you (and in most cases, even if you do), or unless you're a genius (like John Warnock - founder Adobe), if you adopt big business brand marketing as a small start-up business on limited funds, one, you will sell very little online, two, you will sell very little online.
I have participated in several high end online marketing seminars here in Italy (not as a student), and we offer guerilla marketing tactics that you brand mongers frown so sourly upon.
Well fella, we help bail out huge corporations from dismal online failure. Oh yeah, we had directors and marketing representatives from AltaVista Italia, Telecom Italia, and many many others, including HUGE government agencies, come to these seminars for HELP.
We had one guy who was spending $200 per potential client just to fill out a module for more info in his brand marketing! My partner was approached to counsel this guy, but the guy was against everything that was suggested he do. My partner got fed up and told him, look, let me do this for you, I should charge you more, but I want to show you that this stuff works, you pay me $10 for every module that I get potential clients to fill out for you. The guy agreed, now my partner makes very good money off of this guy just for modules filled out, and that guy saves $190 per module!
I think his average cost per module completion is around $0.25
This is the power of guerilla marketing, exactly the same kind of stuff that John teaches.
Wake up man!
It's all about efficiency, and getting absolutely the most bang for your buck, and then making it automatic.
Emotional sales copy is an integral part of this process, as it goes straight past the logical mind and touches deeper parts of what makes us human. It is completely wrong to think it works only in the IM environment, and that certain "more elevated" groups are immune to this - WRONG!
For small to medium businesses (and even for large businesses in many cases), if you make the right offer to target match, emotional copy will outpull institutional copy every single time, and it isn't just a short term success, if the product delivers, and the customer support is there.
John Reese was already a brand before he launched this, but it took him 14 years of hard work to get there. I don't think he gives a ... about his perceived "brand" from a few IM lamenters. Can't you see, he's a stealth marketer, he can make tens of thousands of dollars a month, when and where he wants to, on auto-pilot... and I am not talking about the selling of his course - I honestly think he could care less about the IM world and brand generation.
| Quote: | | It would seem John Reese is certainly poised to become the next "lead guru" but to accomplish this in the long term will require a solid reputation, a reliable and trusted brand (John Reese) and continued innovation and delivery. |
He already was... why do you think it was so successful??
| Quote: | | Again I can only speak for myself and I am aware that I may not be the target market however I am confident there are many others who think like me. |
Again, you think you can do it better? Go on then, nobody's stopping you...
| Quote: | | This campaign accomplished none of the above, in fact it simply brought him "back to the pack" rather than truly differentiating him any way. He may have won this battle but what about the future? I for one feel more negatively about John Reese after this campaign than I did before it...that can't be a good thing can it? Or am I simply irrelevant because I'm a harder sell? |
Are you blind? It accomplished none of the above? The man spent nothing in publicity for this, and on the first day made over $1,000,000, and in the process is going to end up helping as many of those purchasers that choose to act on his suggestions to change their lives for the better.
When you start getting testimonials of VERY happy clients that have had the quality of their business improve, thus their life... there is no better brand than that in the world.
You think he failed, but the only thing that failed here was your demonstration of any real experience in any of this. Your jaded judgement of direct marketing sales approaches is blinding you to the fact that those that use it, are certainly NOT always just interested in the fast buck, nor are they liars just because of the selling approach used, as so many of you "superior" marketers imply...
Like I said before, John doesn't need this future, but having come to know him indirectly, he will take care of his clients, and the snowball will only grow if he wants it to. In one day, he achieved the level of brand that large corporations can take years to develop, at as much, if not more expense than what he earned.
| Quote: | | Why is it that every "guru" seems to believe that all Internet selling should be of the used car variety? |
"used car" is derogatory, and again shows an implied superiority, by those that claim to "know better". If you choose to not look at what was in that letter that helped make this launch so successful, instead of being indignant, you might even learn something about the selling process.
Do you think you can write something better?
| Quote: | | The obvious tactic of getting other "senior hypsters" involved as sales people was also very transparent and just hurt the campaign and the product perception in my view. |
You are a persistant, and arrogant... in your blanket judgement of others.
Do you know each and every person that promoted this? I guess it doesn't even occur to you that they may even be helping people in many cases?
| Quote: | | BTW: How do we know for sure it was so successful? I'm assuming there must be absolute proof rather than just a claim? |
Oh, I'm sure John would be happy to show you proof if you wanted it - why don't you ask him?
This one wins the cake!
I've already seen this. Frankly, her "snobbery" (as another copywriter in the forum where all that originated from commented) didn't impress me - it is a poor attempt at journalism at best, and is very judgemental. It makes ungrounded assumptions and generalizations, implying a superiority based on head chopping, and her own social criteria, not proof, not passion, just opinionated, stuck in the logical mind, windy words...
I write aggressive sales copy all the time, and each project is different, but I have NEVER had a problem with creating her four main points of supposed "undercuts businesses", in
1) reputation,
2) partnership and opportunities,
3) trust, and
4) staying out of legal trouble.
Her's are just flakey, and irrelevant opinions, there is no proof or fact in what she claims. The four above points depend far more on the individual running the business, the quality of the product being offered, and the customer service, not the type of salesmanship he or she uses!
Associating ALL that use emotional sales copy and putting them together in a nice, neat little preconceived mental sack with the few slimeballs that really are liars or worse out there, is flat out ignorant and wrong!
End rant
_________________
Timothy Warnock
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Phil CA
Joined:
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1044
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Canada
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 1:46 am
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Great to see some interesting posts. 
I'm assuming that most people posting/reading here are not going to be buying this course But here is a link if you did buy the course.
For those interested in listening to John Reece about the course and some future internet products etc. it's worth a listen.
Whatever we all personally feel about all the Hype etc.
If you follow his whole marketing campaign carefully you can learn lots from Certain people who have marketed it very well.
Smart marketers Share information without sharing everything.
http://www.marketingsecrets.com/specialmessage.html
Just my thoughts.
All the best
Phil |
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 1:52 am
Post subject: Rant
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| Timothy Warnock wrote: |
I've already seen this. Frankly, her "snobbery" (as another copywriter in the forum where all that originated from commented) didn't impress me - it is a poor attempt at journalism at best, and is very judgemental. It makes ungrounded assumptions and generalizations, implying a superiority based on head chopping, and her own social criteria, not proof, not passion, just opinionated, stuck in the logical mind, windy words...
I write aggressive sales copy all the time, and each project is different, but I have NEVER had a problem with creating her four main points of supposed "undercuts businesses", in
1) reputation,
2) partnership and opportunities,
3) trust, and
4) staying out of legal trouble.
Her's are just flakey, and irrelevant opinions, there is no proof or fact in what she claims. The four above points depend far more on the individual running the business, the quality of the product being offered, and the customer service, not the type of salesmanship he or she uses!
Associating ALL that use emotional sales copy and putting them together in a nice, neat little preconceived mental sack with the few slimeballs that really are liars or worse out there, is flat out ignorant and wrong!
End rant |
A little tongue-in-cheek might be appropriate, regarding Ms. Yudkin's opinion piece.
Putting my politics over classism and other ism's aside...
Her premise is flawed, because it's arbitrary.
You can't measure 'cringe'.
Does a PhD. 'cringe' at level 10 while the holder of a Masters degree registers at a 'C5' (cringe factor of 5)?
It's sort of like saying people with brown shoes cringe when reading emotionally charged copy.
But she knew exactly what word to use in order to capture the imaginations of her hapless, hopeful and wannabe writer, market.
She substantiated the value of her piece by saying that 5 people had already downloaded it. (Yes, five).
Her associate, Bob Bly is one of the most prolific producers of direct response copy.
The first citation that appears in her opinion piece, of "Overblown claims" reminded me of this: http://www.writeabooknow.com/.
I've heard from people who bought the product, that the headline isn't overblown in the least.
As a matter of fact, her associate offers his full endorsement: ?Steve Manning is the world expert on writing productivity and writing quality. I?ve written and published 45 books. I just wish I had Steve?s information when I started. I?d be even more prolific. I?m putting his techniques into practice right away!?
Bob Bly, best-selling author, New York |
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raveon
Joined:
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30
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 5:57 am
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Thanks Phil, another great link, I listened to the whole thing.
Frankly I don't really understand Tims' rant at all, I think he just completely misses my point. He makes so many incorrect assumptions I don't even know where to begin, he certainly wasn't talking to anybody I know.
My post said nothing negative about John Reese himself or his course, never met John, never seen his course. Time will tell us a lot more about the course, we really need to wait for some more objective opinions. I think it?s fair to say that anybody that is making any money at all from the sale of the course can not be considered "objective".
My main point in my post was that the sales page at http://www.trafficsecrets.com and the horde of IM gurus recommending (selling) the course simply did not work for me...end of story...that doesn't mean it didn't achieve John's goals or expectations it simply means exactly that...it didn't work for ME.
On the other hand this simple, intelligent and almost matter-of-fact audio (at the link you provided) from John himself had a much more positive sales effect on me, not that I'm ready to purchase yet but this has moved me closer. Perhaps this also indicates how audio may be somewhat under-utilized in our marketing efforts.
There is no relationship at all between the "style" John uses in the audio piece and the writing "style" used on the selling page.
My information, feelings, impressions should be invaluable to John Reese. I'm taking the time to honestly let him know how I feel about his marketing message, I'm almost telling him how he can make the sale to me, and others who think like me, in the future. I should be one of the most important people in the world to John...a potential client.
What more can I do to help John craft an even better sales message next time? How often do potential customers take the time to tell us why they didn't buy this time? I'm giving John a gift in my book.
Obviously Tim doesn't see it that way but if John Reese is as sharp a marketer as he appears to be I think he would use the information that I've provided to craft an even more effective sales piece in the future. At the very least he would do some split testing using the information.
David |
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Sean Burns
Joined:
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232
Location:
Sydney
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:00 am
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Hi David
| Quote: | | I think it?s fair to say that anybody that is making any money at all from the sale of the course can not be considered "objective". |
Could you post a link to one of your sites? Just want to make sure that you are letting your visitors know that when you use an affiliate link, they should ignore it because you aren't objective
Seriously though, if you are on mailing lists for people that you don't trust, get off them. I'm on lots of lists for people that I don't trust but I just ignore their recommendations. However, when people like Willie Crawford, Damon Zahariades and Rebecca Hagel recommend a product (Rebecca didnt even use her affiliate link), they are putting their repuatation on the line.
Let's face it, when Allan recommends Ken Evoy's products, he's making money from it - is he not objective?
Cheers
Sean Burns |
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Phil CA
Joined:
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1044
Location:
Canada
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:08 am
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David,
You make some very good points.
Unfortunately, most of these internet marketers are looking for mass production marketing. Similiar to mass produced products and terrible customer service in the offline/online world. 
Which brings me to another thread I posted...
How to Differentiate a Commodity Product Online
http://www.associateprograms.com/discus/ftopic5836.html
Just my thoughts.
All the best
Phil |
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Timothy Warnock
Joined:
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205
Location:
Assisi, Italy
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 8:26 am
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Ok,
In fairness to David and others, perhaps I should back up and give some background to my rant...
I've been frequenting this board for over a year now, and my sincere desire has simply been to help others by sharing what I have learned.
But going even further back, many years ago, I came out of a difficult situation that basically left me with zero dollars in my pocket, no job, a wife, and small infant child to take care of - all in a foreign country.
Instead of running back home, it's my nature to face challenges head-on, so I started an offline business as a building contractor, rebuilding old Italian stone homes, and in my spare time, I started exploring creating something on the internet as a business.
And I fought for survival every single day of the year, no vacations (I would send my wife and child to the beach, with other family or friends, and I would go to visit them on the week-end).
I worked my tail off (both on and offline)... try building several stone homes from zero, all year round, in all weather conditions... and then, as I'm sure many of you can relate to, work on the computer for even more hours into the late night...
Despite my very rough work, I have always had the gift to intuitively read people well, not in a judging way, but I could feel what people were really saying, or wanting, behing the mask of words, even behind contrary actions. My wife has this same gift, and friends and family are always commenting that our phone and home is like a psychiatric hotline... they are often shocked at how often it rings with a person in need on the other end of the line...
I have found myself on at least 4 midnight phone calls (all different individuals), walking individuals through crisis moments, even meeting them personally to help them feel even a glimmer of hope to face life again, and let go of suicidal tendencies.
I have the gift of seeing through the masks of the mind, after having lived through my own intense crises (never suicidal) as a teen ager, I have touched rock-bottom, and know exactly what it means to embrace life and make the slow climb back out with hope and faith as the only points of light to use as a reference.
I have seen, as close first hand personal experience, individuals that profess to represent "beacons of light" abuse their power over vulnerable, unsuspecting individuals for their own personal gain, using subtle marketing that would aesthetically please any hype hater here, but that reeks of hypocrisy and denial to their true motives... setting themselves up as superior to "normal" mortals, and creating a mental belief system that separates and deludes, while professing "the superior way, and very ego inflated chance to be a part of an elite and superior group"...
I can see this tendency in people a mile away, and it sparks deep seated passions, that stem from situations that were similar to what we have here, but far more sinister, as they were more acute forms, but having started from innocent beginnings...
In my fight to survive and create a thriving online business, it is obvious that selling is a part of this process. For me, my priorities in this process are honesty, efficiency, effectiveness, and quality - all on an equal level.
Direct marketing for me works to cover all of these, and I have a natural talent for it. If selling is a problem for anyone, because they have psychological blocks based on mental and psychological upbringings that have conditioned them to think it is wrong or ugly, and to hide this they make their desire to sell hidden behind content, or brand, or whatever your social conditioning allows you to feel comfortable with, that's fine - it's your business.
It just ticks me off to see projections of psychological shortcomings in oneself projected onto others in a demonizing, blanketed way to justify one's own actions and motivations.
As Dan Kennedy said, "just sell the damn book!"
| David wrote: | | My post said nothing negative about John Reese himself or his course, never met John, never seen his course. Time will tell us a lot more about the course, we really need to wait for some more objective opinions. I think it?s fair to say that anybody that is making any money at all from the sale of the course can not be considered "objective". |
Just for the record, I am not an affiliate for John, and I am not promoting this product. I have nothing to gain by making the comments I made.
And as has been mentioned in another forum, what is an "objective" opinion of the course from someone who bought it? If they never use it.
| Phil CA wrote: | | Unfortunately, most of these internet marketers are looking for mass production marketing. Similiar to mass produced products and terrible customer service in the offline/online world. |
Why do you say most? Your posts seem to be always based on second hand knowledge and a huge amount of reading, and you make your opinions veiled and supported by this second hand knowledge, that at times is also just opinionated.
I can only think of a handful that failed with customer service. I don't think the percentage of poor customer service amongst those that use emotionally charged sales copy is any higher than "traditional" less effective sale approaches.
If it is higher, it is because the copywriter didn't do his or her job as well as they could have, or because the site owner simply didn't understand the importance of customer service - but this can happen anywhere, for any offer, or sales approach.
A key to any success is overdelivering and meeeting the promises made in the sales approach. A good copywriter knows this, and simply enhances the product to those levels.
I have more to add, but I have to get back to work.
_________________
Timothy Warnock
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raveon
Joined:
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:31 am
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Sean I am an owner of your e-book (the best e-book I've purchased in the last 12 months) and I respect both your work and your opinion. I received your last newsletter and I am anxiously awaiting your review.
But I'd like to ask you to answer one question if you wouldn't mind. If you received the course and you were shocked to find that you agreed with Markus and it fell far short of your expectations, would you honestly be so bold as to say exactly that?
I can't help but think that would be a very difficult decision for you to make...there is little upside and plenty of downside. If it would be an easy "no brainer" decision on your part then you are "a better man than I gunga din".
You would be disagreeing with some real heavyweights and obviously people you respect and admire. That's not an easy thing to do and requires not only honesty but courage. Sean I'm not questioning either of these traits in you but we are all human at the end of the day and feeding our families is a priority.
As to Allan and his recommendations about Ken Evoy, luckily I can escape that question, I've been reading Ken Evoy from the first year he started. I like everything he has to say BUT I'm not such a big fan of SBI (but let's not go there, I'm in enough trouble as it is) 
I think Ken Evoy and his SiteSell suite is an excellent example of what I was referring to in my first post. Using guerilla tactics and IM techniques while building a strong brand and company using those techniques.
David Neale |
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Phil CA
Joined:
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1044
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:20 am
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Tim,
Thanks for sharing that. I appreciate all your hard work and the helping of others with what you have learned. I have had similiar but different challenges and have worked with many, many people from war torn countries who have had to re-start their lives from scratch and sharing is something I know very well.
Yes, some of my posts are based on second hand knowledge and a huge amount of reading. Second hand knowledge, might be opinionated But it's also a great way to learn and educate. You might not agree, but the best knowledge comes from professionals from the offline world. The second hand knowledge that I post are from some of the best resources that usually don't contain a lot of hype. In fact I have re-posted your international article from Allan's newsletter many times.
As I have said many times before, I start controversial threads to get everybody thinking and sharing. Allan's forum and others can sure use a little spice.
When I referred to mass production marketing and said similiar to mass produced products and terrible customer service in the offline/online world.
Let's face it there are some excellent products out there But at the same time how much low quality stuff is being produced/marketed and how much stuff do we need anyways 
To add a little twist to this whole John Reese millionaire thing make sure you and others have read the following book.
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy, Thomas J. Phd Stanley, William D., Phd Danko. ... CAN YOU SPOT THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR? ...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743420373/104-7725850-7143939?v=glance
Read the Reviews and Buy it!
All the best
Phil |
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Timothy Warnock
Joined:
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205
Location:
Assisi, Italy
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:38 am
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Just a quick note:
I have no problem with honest reviews, even if I don't agree, and you're right David, it takes courage to stand up against such a tide.
Just be careful while swimming in this ocean, any experienced body surfer knows that if you get caught in a strong rip tide, the worst thing you can do is swim against it, you'll likely tire and drown. Flow with it, let it take you to where it wants to go, but always keep the beach in site to make your diagonal swim back.
That's all I'm saying here on a practical level - there's so much to be learned from this if we don't fight it on an instinct level.
What started getting messy were the "me too, me too" blanket statement bashing based on nothing but opinion, not facts, and most probably in many cases, not hard work and sacrifice, as if it was a scam just because the sales approach wasn't to their liking.
A good friend of mine, and copywriting mentor, Peter Stone, just wrote to me (he was the unamed guest poster above - but had forgot to put his name in)... this is what he wrote (he gave me permission to post this), I feel it is very pertinent to all this:
| Quote: | Well...
I find it interesting from a social science perspective. These people are the market, basically. They feel powerless and insignificant. All of a sudden, here's their chance to (from the safety of their chair) feel powerful by wiggling their fingers on a keyboard - quickly and easily. Any more effort would be too much, I suspect.
It taps into every event they've ever had since childhood, where they felt powerless and never experienced resolve. That's why this blast is so big.
Now, because they work a dip stick sort of job, come home, watch TV... can't figure out why their lives aren't just peachy - waiting for life to happen to them or their parents to rescue them, they finally see what's been 'victimizing' them all along. Wiley marketers.
Then, a face appears. It's called Timothy, or John, or whomever stands up and says 'hello'. It's bigger than it was when it could be ignored. It's in front of their TV screen of half-sleep life, which sends their lives into turmoil. They don't know how to deny it, so they yell at it.
That's what I've got on this, so far. It's a study for copy projects, to me. I want to come out as the Champion of the Kitchen Table Marketer, because the money is huge and the work is plentiful. And, because there's some truth to it. I really do appreciate the little guy. Especially the one who 'makes it'. |
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Timothy Warnock
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DatabaseDesigner
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:44 am
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Of course one should write to sell. That's what everybody's trying to do. Tim obviously knows what style it takes to bring in the sale, and that is the right thing to do.
What I was reacting to was the massive campaign from severeal known names. Well not actually the campaign itself, but the way some of them wrote: They pretended (?) that they had been idiots in the past, before they got their hands at this product. I know they were lying, and I felt cheated. That's what made me p....d. They didn't disguise well enough that they took me for an idiot...
That is something totally different than writing agressive sales copy.
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JasonL
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:11 am
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I personally think that the whole Traffic Secrets promotion is one hell of a learning and inspirational experience.
My take is that if you are visiting an Internet Marketing forum like this one, then if you are honest with yourself, you wouldn't mind being in John Reese's shoes right now.
Whether you have already created your own products or just promoting affiliate programs, I'm sure you'd love to achieve a fraction of the success that John achieved in just one single day!
Here's what went through my mind as the promotion went on...
Great build up on the John's blog. To be honest, I made my decision to buy as soon as I saw Gary Halberts testimonial weeks ago. Obviously not based solely on that, as I've been on John's newsletter a while and heard him on teleseminars etc. Gary's opinion holds wait for me, and he just seemed quite emotional in the testimonial. I thought, it's either great acting or a fantastic product.
I then got bombarded with promotions from people acting like they had just discovered ice cream or something. There were experienced marketers that until now I hadn't heard hardly a word of hype from, suddenly explode in hype expletives!
We've already seen the Farewell package and now the Traffic Secrets package, what's next?
If you are lucky enough to be in on the BIG product like those two, you should definitely look at who done well out of it.
I agree that quite a number of people promoting John's package hardly changed the wording of John's pre-launch sale letter. I bet those guys didn't do as well.
It was great to see the savvy ones set their autoresponder to get you right at the last moment. Some of them were very clever in their attempts to get you to click on their affiliate link last. The frenzy was so hot, that if someone sounded like they had just an ounce of extra info before the launch you just had to click and see.
The extra bonus products marketers were throwing in were another great thing to see. Great because it wasn't just one person doing it. A number of people had the foresight to butter up the already excellent deal.
This sort of promotion doesn?t come round very often. However, the marketing principles used to hook you are valid in every day business.
Great Anticipation?look at Harry Potter, Star Wars etc
Massive Social Proof?great ?after the course? testimonials from people that had made the course work for them.
Authority?A very large proportion of the Internet Marketing Guru community were putting their reputation on the line, by giving this their strongest recommendation.
Reciprocation?John produced an excellent PDF newsletter prior to the launch with some truly great info that he could have easily charged for.
Scarcity?Perish the thought that you could actually miss out on the first batch of DVD?s produced. Sounds stupid but people were genuinely worried that if they didn?t get in early, they?d miss out completely.
Commitment?Having the: ?Sign up to get on the early notification list? built up a strong level of commitment amongst potential buyers. The notification list was free to join. Easy to sign up wasn?t it, as there was no money to part with at this stage?then when John tells you the product is now on sale you kind of feel committed to buy. I mean, you have told him you want to be on his early bird notification list after all!
Oh and did I forget to say that he hired top Internet copywriter Michel Fortin to write his sales letter?all the bases were covered, even a spread the payment plan.
Even if you have no intention of buying this, learn from the marketing that?s been applied. It?s been an education to see so many marketing principles at work on the same promotion.
Well, that?s my view.
Jason Lewis
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