Forbidden Psychological Tactics

21 Mind-Motivators: The Fastest, Easiest, Most Reliable Way to Increase Your Sales and Profits Copyright Notice Copyri...

Author: Dan Lok

2153 downloads 10335 Views 2MB Size Report

This content was uploaded by our users and we assume good faith they have the permission to share this book. If you own the copyright to this book and it is wrongfully on our website, we offer a simple DMCA procedure to remove your content from our site. Start by pressing the button below!
Report copyright / DMCA form

DOWNLOAD PDF

21 Mind-Motivators: The Fastest, Easiest, Most Reliable Way to Increase Your Sales and Profits

Copyright Notice Copyright 2002 by Alex Mandossian and Yanik Silver All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electric, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission or more information should be sent to Heritage House Publishing, Inc. at the address below. Published by Heritage House Publishing, Inc. 115 Professional Center Parkway San Rafael, CA 94903 Created, e-printed, and distributed in the United States of America.

Legal Disclaimer Notice This book is designed to provide information in regard to the subject matter covered. While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter. This manual is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal or expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The publisher wants to stress that information contained herein may be subject to varying state and/or local laws or regulations. All users are advised to retain competent counsel to determine what state and/or local laws or regulations may apply to the user’s particular business. The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, both federal and state and local, governing professional licensing, business practices, advertising and all other aspects of doing business in the United States or any other jurisdiction is the sole responsibility of the purchase or reader. The author and Publisher assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchase or reader of these materials. The purpose of this workbook is to educate and entertain. Any perceived slights to a specific individual or organizations are unintentional.

© 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

2


TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction

4

Motivator 1: Stories - To Create Memories and More Sales

9

Motivator 2: Frequency - To Build Greater Trust and Profits

20

Motivator 3: Reason Why - To Eliminate Skepticism

26

Motivator 4: Surveys - To Acquire Valuable Feedback

36

Motivator 5: Specificity - To Encourage Believability and Creditability

39

Motivator 6: Consumption - To Grow Customer Lifetime Value

43

Motivator 7: Truth - To Quickly Persuade Skeptical Prospects to Buy

50

Motivator 8: Demonstration - To Instill Instant Credibility

56

Motivator 9: FAQ - To Shatter Objections On The Spot

61

Motivator 10: Proof - To Transform The Virtual Into The Real

64

Motivator 11: Mirroring - To Be Known, Liked and Trusted

68

Motivator 12: Courting - To Build Rapport At A Comfortable Pace

71

Motivator 13: Curiosity - To Seductively Attract More Attention & Customers

74

Motivator 14: Authority - To Borrow Creditability From Trusted Individuals

80

Motivator 15: Scarcity - To Elicit Action By Inducing The “Fear of Lost”

84

Motivator 16: Challenge - To Dare People into Quickly Taking Action

88

Motivator 17: Social Proof - To Heard-In More Sales and Profits

93

Motivator 18: Contrast - To Introduce an Offer with Best – Better – Good

97

Motivator 19: Reciprocity - To Begin “Gifting” Process of “Quad Pro Quo”

103

Motivator 20: Commitment - To Capture Sales One Shy “yes” At a Time

106

Motivator 21: Consistency - To Build Trust and Produce Greater LTV

109

Recap

112

Bonus

#1: Risk-Reversal - To Bear The Entire Burdon of Risk

113

Bonus

#2: Personalize - To Humanize The Virtual Enterprise

116

Resources


120

3


INTRODUCTION Alex: Hi, I’m Alex Mandossian and Yank Silver is with us, and Joe Sugarman as well. Direct Response Marketing, I’m assuming everyone on this call is a Direct Response Marketer or wants to be one. We can define that term in two words, Applied Technology, and that’s why if you want to become a Direct Response Marketer it pays to learn as much about the psychology of the mind as possible. Now Jay Conrad Levinson is one of my mentor’s he say’s that as a Direct Response Marketer you have to go after mind share not market share, that’s what general advertisers do. We go after mind share and hopefully you go after one mind at a time. Your aim obviously is to burn your marketing message into your prospects mind. Now here’s the problem, we are in the greatest consumer attention crisis in U.S. economic history. The average person in any metropolitan history is exposed to about 3,500 marketing communications a day. That’s 24,500 a week, that’s 1.7 million a year! Now thousands of marketer’s not only your competitors but everyone, any marketing organization, consumer’s product companies, service companies, they are all competing for the same thing, and that is to get a prospect’s undivided attention and that includes your prospect as well. It doesn’t matter if you have an information product to sell or not, everyone’s vying for that attention. So that’s why what we are going to talk about is how to capture more mind share. It’s mind-boggling! I did a little bit of research before the call and I noticed that the average supermarket offers over 30,000 choices. Walgreen’s drug store and any drug chain, on average they offer about 15,000 choices or sku’s. Toys R’ Us, I took my son Gabriel there the other day, 18,000 choices. Yanik: That used to be my favorite place to go. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

4


Alex: Blockbuster video … any idea how many choices there for videos? Yanik: Oh, I don’t know, 20,000. Alex: 5,000. And Barnes and Noble get this 130,000 book titles. Now it gets worse, because the prospects mind is to lose each and everyday by this avalanche of words from the media. According to the latest research, the average mind consumes, 9 hours of television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books and videos every single day again what does it mean 40,000 words a day 280,000 words a week. 14 million words a year. Jack Trout and Al Reese they are two of my idols, they wrote the book of Positioning and many other great books they call it an over marketed, over crowded, over communicated market place. And this is the problem, this is the problem we have if you wonder why people aren’t responding to your e-mail messages this is why. Now as a direct response marketer what can you do about it. Well the way you can, one of the ways you can cope with this landslide of marketing communications is to now how to exactly inspire and convince the prospects you are dealing with and how to get them to buy more and more quickly. And if you have customers, how to get them to buy more often? That was the promise that you read on the landing page before you registered for this call. Now the answer for Yanik and I, anyway are 21 psychological principles we call them my motivator’s and we are going to dissect each one, one by one, and our promise is this, if you use them, you will increase your pulling power of your e-mail solicitations, your auto-responders messages, subject lines, web site landing pages, ezines, even your search engine and paper click keywords descriptions and if you are a direct marketer offline you will increase your pulling power of direct mail letters, postcards, magazines and newspaper ads. Yanik: And this is stuff that has worked forever


5


Alex: Forever. Someone e-mailed Yanik beforehand and said is this old stuff or new stuff and I said “It’s about 2,000 years old” And so what we are going to talk about are principles and the piece I want to start with before we get into tactic or principle #1 (my motivator #1) is what’s the difference between a principle and a tactic. There’s a huge difference. A principle is as mutable as gravity. I’m going to drop my pen right now. See if you can pick this up … (Alex drops pen) Ok. That was a demonstration of gravity. I can do that over and over again and I will get the same result. That’s how reliable these mind motivators are. They drive humans behavior they are the reasons why your marketing works. They are also known as drivers some people call them strategies as I mentioned before we have a marketing legend on the phone today and he wrote the book “How to motivate your prospect, influence them and persuade them to buy.” And the book that he wrote is a marketing bible, it belongs on every bookshelf. It’s called “Triggers” and he’s going to talk a little bit about that along with one of the mind motivators called “Stories” in just a second. Now, what’s the difference between a principle and a tactic. A tactic is a technique it’s a trick of the trade it’s how marketing works so for example, a principle may be giving away a free consultation of some kind, something that you know about. A tactic is maybe e-mailing people or sending a postcard to somebody, or having somebody call in to get that free consultation. Ok. The principle is why it works and the tactic is how it works. So having said that. Yanik, why don’t you go ahead and talk about mind motivators and how we define them and maybe how this whole thing came to be.


6


Yanik: Absolutely. And you feel free to jump in whenever you want. You know, for me the definition of mind motivator it’s a process not just a single point in time. And really the best thing about these is when you start listening to and hearing about them you can see how they can be layered upon layered go right on top of another and they become even more powerful and become even more synergistic and they are reliable like we talked about. A predictable way to capture a prospect’s attention to keep them interested and to motivate them to take action whatever the action is that we wanted them to do, which also implies that they have to be used ethically and morally because they’re so powerful. And everyone on the call has promised to do that And, you know these are the same things that I have used to build a huge affiliate network in just a little amount of time to become a success on mine and it works for a novice starting up it works for a experts it works for an ongoing business it works for someone just hanging out their shingle for the first time. Alex: Now how long ago did you start marketing? Cause a lot of people think you started in the beginning. You started after the year 2000, right. Yanik: We’ll yeah. After the year 2000 I got online. Before that time though I certainly studied every single great direct marketing manual and resource that I could possibly get my hands on. But I didn’t start online until January well February 2000 is when we made our first sale.

So, it just proves that you can come in with these same principles and you can become a resounding success. Alex: Now how many affiliate partners do you have?


7


Yanik: We have close to 13,000 affiliate partners. Alex: That’s amazing. Yanik: And we’ve only filled that up in a short amount of time. In a little over two and half years … Alex: And for anyone listening if you don’t have a Website just know that part of the reason Yanik is so well revered and respected in the industry is he’s done in couple years that has taken many people online to do in about a decade and much of what he’s done he’s applied these twenty one Mind-Motivators. Let’s jump into:


8


Mind-Motivator #1: Stories - To Create Memories and More Sales Alex: We have about 80 case studies so we have to keep rolling. You go ahead with it. Yanik: Ok, how many did we promise to give them? Alex: We promised to give seventy-eight. I think we have over a hundred now. Yanik: Yeah, we’re going to definitely over deliver here. But stories are the number one mind motivator and from ancient times to current days stories continue to hold readers and listeners spellbound. And there’s nothing better than a good story it works almost like magic. You know, think back to when you were a little kid. What was your favorite thing? When you ask your mom, “read me a bedtime story.” And so, if you start to tell people a story all of a sudden they get into that semi-hypnotized mode and they’re much more receptive. One great example, here’s…

Case Study #1: Wall Street Journal Ad Yanik: And it’s been called the single most successful letter every mailed. According to Denny Hatch the former editor of, Who’s Mailing What. This is the famous Wall Street Journal mailing called “Two Young Men”. Here’s how the story and the copy of the letter start. “On a beautiful late spring afternoon 25 years ago two young men graduated from the same college. They were very much alike, these two young men. They both have been better than average students. Both were personable and both were, as


9


college graduates are, filled with ambitious dreams of the future. Recently these two men returned to college for their 25th reunion. They were still very much a like. Both were happily married. Both had three children and both, as it turned out, had gone to work for the same Mid-western manufacturing company after graduation and were still there. But there was a difference: One of the men was manager of a small department of that company the other one was president.” That’s the way this letter opens and it’s a perfect example of using stories. Alex: And I see that on television as well. Yanik: Yeah, they’ve used that in multiple places. Alex: How about case study #2?

Case Study #2: Joe Sugarman’s Blu-Blocker Glasses Yanik: We are so honored and thrilled to have on. Is Joe Sugarman of Blu-Blocker fame of JS&A and who is personally one of my absolute marketing heroes. Joe, are you on? Joe: Yeah, I’m on thank you. Yanik: Great. The one case study we were using here for this Mind-Motivator is your Blu-Blocker ad. I don’t know if you have it in front of you or not but I can read that opening for everyone to hear. Joe: Right, go ahead and read it. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

10


Yanik: It’s a great print ad that Joe used to I believe get sales the way you first started selling Blu-Blocker sunglasses right? Joe: Yeah, that was the first ad. Yanik: Ok, so here’s how the opening goes, it says; “I’m about to tell you a true story. If you believe me you will be well rewarded. If you don’t believe me I will make it worth your while to change your mind. Let me explain. Lynn is a friend of mine who knows good products. One day he called excited about a pair of sunglasses he owns. “It’s so incredible!” he said. “When you first looked through a pair you won’t believe it.” What will I see? I asked. What could be so incredible? Lynn continued. “When you put on these glasses your vision improves, objects appear sharper more defined. Everything takes on an enhanced 3D effect and it’s not my imagination. I just want you to see for yourself.” And then the story, the copy continued in that same story fashion and you talk about all the benefits and how we focus on different aspects and all these great things in there that continue with the story. So, Joe if you can just jump in and tell us how you feel there. Joe: Well, I think you pointed out very clearly that stories are something that all of a sudden will draw our attention and we’ll start listening and focusing in on the message. I noticed that myself when I would, lets say, attend a speech and the speaker might be very boring. But when that speaker reached a point and started telling a story I paid attention and I listened to the story because I felt, I don’t know, for whatever reason it just kind of drew me.


11


I realized that and I said well let me do this in my advertising. And you must remember that in order for you to sell something you’ve got to get your reader involved in the message. They have got to start reading. There were a lot of studies done where the person reading your ad reads the fist two paragraphs or gets themselves through one third of the ad they’re going to read the entire ad. They’ve found that 80% of the people will do that. And so what you want to do is you want to get them into the ad. Now, very often I will tell a story at the beginning of my ad that my not have a direct effect on sale of the product. It may not even talk about the product but it is a story and it creates a little emotion and it gets them to read and I think the critical thing about stories is it gets them in the message. Or gets them in the case of television it gets them watching the program. It applies to television in the sense that, I always call it. Well, forget what I call it. If you start watching television and you’re enthused or it grabs you, you want to keep watching and watching … Then you’re really accomplishing a great deal. Yanik: And which is pretty dawn tuff considering that the clicker is right there. Joe: Yeah right and the same goes for the Internet. If you want to sell something on the Internet forget about trying to sell something in the subject line. Forget about trying to sell it in the first few paragraphs even. What you want to do is you want to get somebody reading your copy. You want to make it brief and to the point. But you want to make it in the form of a story. You want to get the person involved. I think one of the effective Internet ads that I have seen sent to me are ads that have something in the subject line that sounds kind of personal and sounds like something I want to read. A little curiosity -- I’m kind of curious and I start reading the


12


text and the text sounds like a story. It sounds like something emotional and I keep reading it. And finally I get to the point where I’m either interested reading on because I understand what it is for or I stop reading. So stories are very, very, very powerful. Yanik: You are the master at using them. Joe: Well, I thank you very much. I’ll tell you one of the reasons that I’ve used… I’ve used many stories. I’ve go many case histories of using stories. And the reason for that is I’ve written many, many ads. I’ve written thousands of ads for thousands of products over the years. After a while you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t work. A story is always a grabber and always gets you into the copy. Alex: Joe stories are more memorable too because they, don’t they have a tip, a body and a tail and they are a lot more easy to remember than lets say a list of benefits or something like that aren’t they? Joe: Yeah they are and what you can do in a story. You recall what you read in my story the way I introduced Blu-Blockers. It arouses the curiosity. If you’ll read the first part of it again … read those first couple sentences again and Ill comment on it. Yanik: Yeah where it says… first sentence; “I’m about to tell you a true story. If you believe me you will be well rewarded. If you don’t believe me I will make it worth your while to change your mind. Let me explain.” Joe: Yeah, now just that alone. You’re going to read that and you’re going to say. Whew. Fist of all you’re going to sense a story is coming on and then the second aspect of the story telling is that you want to create curiosity. You want to create enough


13


curiosity so that person continues to read and you’re talking about all these messages being thrown at you. It’s like a locomotive. In order to get a locomotive started you’ve really go to work. I mean that locomotive really got to work but it slowly but surely starts to move. And it’s the same thing with that potential customer. To get him or her to start reading those first few paragraphs it’s like pushing that locomotive. It’s tough but if you use the technique of a story. If you use a story and you start it out and you create enough curiosity in the beginning you’ll have a big success. That ad that you read was the start of a major multi-million dollar corporation. It was the first ad that I ran for Blu-Blockers and it was extremely successful and it launched a company. Yanik: Yeah it certainly, it did incredibly well. You have a couple houses on Maui right? Did those sunglasses pay for that? Joe: Well, I can point to a number of things that the sunglasses paid for, but. Yanik: But that was the start of a major empire for Blu-Blockers right? Joe: You know that’s what’s so really incredible but all these people who are listening in. I use to give seminars and I remember giving seminars in this beautiful mansion in Managua Wisconsin. 10,000 square feet over looking the lake and it was really beautiful and one of the things I pointed out was that I could point to several ads that by themselves paid for that house and all that property. The point is that we’re in a business where you can be literally broke one day and with the right approach, and the right ad you can make a big score.


14


Alex: There’s no question. Joe about an hour before the call I got an email from Gary Bencivenga who is arguably the world’s top “reason why” copywriter. He wrote me, he said; “What an honor to have Joe on the phone he’s one of my all time heroes. I love” He says, “I love being sold anything by Joe. The man’s a genius!” he says. And I have to agree. One of the bibles of marketing is “Triggers,” which I own and have read and what strikes me when I look at the table of contents, these are thirty chapters but they’re really thirty stories. The Ice Cream Ordering Sequence, The TV Salesman Secret, Instilling Authority in The Men’s Bathroom, The Art of Extreme Passion, Making Love with Your Prospects, you even have one that says, Love and the Campus Hooker. How did this book come about and where can people listening get it? Joe: It’s interesting. In the seminars I use to give I would cover a section called Psychological Triggers and there were a number of things that I discovered often doubled response or certainly increased response and it was the most interesting part of the course everybody really liked it. So, I wrote three books one on how to write great copy and another on how to do mail order and a third on television marketing. Yanik: Actually they all should be in every marketer’s library. Alex: I have them all. They’re in a nice little bookcase holder too. Joe: And then they, in the first book have one chapter, I think it’s chapter 19 and it was just on the psychological triggers and I would be getting a lot of publicity for the books and everybody would refer to that particular chapter as being the most interesting. So I figured why don’t I take that one chapter and really go into that in greater depth and came up with a book called Triggers.


15


And basically it’s a book on how to sell anybody person to person it didn’t have to be in direct mail or mail order or on the Internet but people applied all the principles. It’s really interesting you pointed that out. The book is complete with stories. If you want to get across a point, you want to teach somebody something stories are a great way and of course what you really want to teach people is to buy your product. So again that’s a good book. It’s available on Amazon.com and it’s been available the past three years and is consistently been a best seller. Alex: So if people want to get it they can just type in “Triggers” and Sugarman is S U G A R M A N. Right? Joe: Correct. Alex: Ok. Joe: Yeah just a compliment to you because you fellas, I think this is a really good concept. I think a lot of people who are going to be listening to this sequence, these sessions are going to gain a lot. And it’s interesting about Yanik I’ve heard about him off and on over the past year and for him to come into my consciousness as being a major marketer in such a short period of time. I didn’t realize you where only, really it’s been since the year 2000 that you’ve been out there. I think it points out the fact that it doesn’t takes long if you hit upon something there’s a point in time and space where things can really happen for you. And obviously it can happen very quickly and that’s what’s so great about this business. Yanik: Thanks Joe I appreciate it. Alex: Joe, thank you very much.


16


Joe: Nice talking to you guys. Alex: Likewise. Yanik: That was a true marketing maverick and true genius and we are so blessed and thrilled to have him. Alex: Study his work because he wrote the book on Triggers and how to psychologically motivate prospects to buy and again that book belongs in every library. It’s not expensive. It’s not a how to course. I think it’s around thirty bucks or something. What about Case Study #3? Yanik: Case study number 3.

Case Study #3: Power Pause Ad Yanik: This is am email I’ve sent out month after month and it’s simply about stories. And here’s the subject line, it’ll say; “Alex, 3 minutes to greater joy, wealth and happiness. Hi Alex, I stumbled across something unusual recently and as a valued subscriber I want to let you know about it. A few months ago a man named, John Harricharan at a seminar, who graciously offered me his material to review. I smiled and politely thanked him but I knew that I probably wouldn't get around to reading it anytime soon. (You should see my stack of reading material to get to and I'm actually a quick reader.) But as luck would have it, I was going away on my honeymoon one week after this seminar and I decided to bring some 'lighter' reading along. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I read a book that didn’t deal with the subject of marketing or


17


advertising, but once I started reading John's material on the airplane and I couldn't put it down. It was simply incredible! His manuscript combined every success principle I've ever been taught and wraps it all up into one succinct exercise called a "Power Pause". And the best part is it only takes just 3 minutes and 3 steps to achieve.” And then it just goes on from there to tell you why you should click over and take a look at the site. Alex: It’s hypnotic I mean just keep wanting reading it you know. Yanik: Yeah I mean people love I mean stories I don’t think we can stress that point enough I mean we just had one of the greatest marketing legends of all time come on and tell you a few stories. Alex: And the reason why we are spending a lot of time on this one obviously we can’t spend on all 21 motivators this long. This is, I would imagine one of the most important mind motivators and if when people learn how to use it properly you can put your child to bed more quickly, you can, I have two in diapers so that’s really important. You can captivate an audience, if your ever see Joe Sugarman speak or any great speaker, Tony Robbins they tell stories. And you can also get people to buy more often and get them to buy for the first time. Yanik: Yes, the Bible’s all parables and stories Alex: Parables and Stories. The Talmud and Koran -- they’re made up of stories.


18


Case Study #4: Dale Carnegie

A multi, multi, million dollar seller “How to win friends and influence people” pick that book up Dale Carnegie, all he did was tell a bunch of stories, re-read that book if you haven’t done so. Chicken Soup for the Soul, I think they are going on 70 million sales. I mean, All they are, are stories, right? Yanik: Yup. Alex: I just interviewed Mark Victor Hansen and the genius behind that book and the series that follows is a bunch of stories. And the beauty about is story is nobody doubts that it’s true. No one raises suspicion like you do for let’s say benefits or promises that you make. A story is a story. Yanik: He looks in behind a person’s conscious filters. Alex: Right. Right. They are not skeptical because they’re listening they’re interested. A resource, we want to give you a resource with every mind motivator. For this one, obviously Joe Sugarman’s “Triggers” go to Amazon.com and get it and another book that is just a fantastic book is by Annette Simmons and it’s called “The Story Factor -Inspiration, Influence and Persuasion to the Art of Storytelling. “ It’s an exceptional book on how to tell stories and you can write these stories down and just keep them in your memory. That’s what I did using that book and it really has affected my, not only my bottom-line … but also increased the quality of my lifestyle and we serve Filet Mignon. No more chuck steak. You know what I’m saying. So the key point here is stories remove skepticism and barriers that can prevent sales. Ok. How about Mind-Motivator #2? Where we at?


19


Mind-Motivator #2: Frequency - To Build Greater Trust and Profits Alex: Ok, I got a couple stories here.

Case Study #5: Postcards Sent To Ad Agencies Alex: I’m a postcard marketer. My expertise is in postcard marketing in the brick and mortar world and in the online word is traffic conversion. But for postcards I’m hired by a lot of agencies to do their postcard marketing and I don’t’ think, Yanik, there’s no type of company more arrogant than an ad agency. You know those big giant general advertising agencies they’re extremely arrogant because they think they know it all which often they do. They certainly make a lot of money. I’m talking about general advertisers. And so I tried something and some people say can you ever have too much frequency. Well here’s what I did and you be the judge. One of my most successful postcard mailings was to send sixteen postcards why to do business with me all with tips on how to build more profits for your clients if you’re an ad agency using postcards versus direct mail. Each postcard was one tip and there was a keepsake on some of them with a glossary of terms and things like that. And it talked about, you know, why it pays to have postcards because they’re visual, they arrive naked in the mail. There’s no envelope they are not clothed in an envelope they scoot past all the other mail and people look at them. You should know. Anyone listening, how many postcards we get? Maybe one, maybe two, per day. How many letters do you get? I get about twenty. So you know there’s not as much competition. But what I did I wanted to be the postcard marketer for the twenty five top San Francisco top ad agencies and my colleagues thought I was nuts. So what


20


I did is I did sixteen postcards and I mailed one per day. One per day for sixteen days, and after about ten to twelve days (these are business days obviously), I got two types of calls, two types of species of calls. Here was type number one. Yanik: Get me off your list! Alex: Get me off your list. Get me off your list I don’t want postcards. It’s not in our marketing mix and thank you we do it in house. The second type of species was ok lets see what you got. Won’t you come into the city and make a presentation. I even got a couple calls that said; “Hey you know tip number 4. Could you re-mail that to us? We accidentally threw it away.” Ok, now what happened? Well I picked up four clients and as it turns out none of them paid out because of the egos in management of the ad agencies. It wasn’t profitable but what it taught me is that if you want to get consumer or even business to business. This is a B to B mailing. If you want to get businesses attention sixteen postcards in a row will do that. So there’s no such thing as too much frequency! Yanik, check this out. What that person did there were about eight or nine of the 25 that called me and said stop sending me postcards. What those people did is they compressed my sales cycle time from nine months of me calling them up and torturing myself, did you get it, did you get it you want work with us. You know, you want to play the game that we’re playing with postcards? That was compressed into nine days. Yanik: And you got people that are not easy to capture. You got them to respond one way or another. Alex: It’s like any PR is good PR. Well any attention is good attention especially they’re not a prospect. You don’t want to do that with customers because you’ll irritate them. But with a prospect you can mail one thing per day and the faster they say no, and Gary


21


Halbert the great copywriter, he says get to no as fast as you can. Well that certainly did it with that case study. Another form of frequency I use… Yanik: Wait before you go on. I need to tell this story -- it’s so funny. That just reminded me of something. I’m not going to tell his name because he’ll be a little embarrassed it’s a great snafu and you’re going to love this. This one guy one of my friends was doing a mailing out of his own house. He was printing up all the envelopes himself and doing all the stuffing. He had like a little mailing party where he invited his girlfriend and her friend over and they just stuffed envelopes. So he had a mailing list of like 1,600 people. He wasn’t paying very close attention and the envelopes, he printed out 1,600 envelopes but instead of hitting the mail merge to keep merging it did the same person 1,600 times. Alex: WOW! What happened? Yanik: They sent out 1,600 pieces to one guy. And he said; “Ok, ok that’s enough I give up. I’m sold.” Alex: Well you know that was a snafu. But I’ve heard of direct mail campaigns where you sell. You send 200 letters to the CEO on the same day. Yanik: It gets his attention Alex: Yeah, and the message says did I get your attention. And so you can do a number of things and use frequency very, very creatively, but frequency is mindmotivator number two.


22


Case Study #6: Reduce Product Returns Just a quick case study I used that has diminished any product returns with my marketing with postcards course and has increased lifetime value by about 340 percent to date. I talk about this a lot, but I call up people. I call up people after they order over $150 worth of merchandise because in the virtual world people hide behind that e-mail and I want to be someone special. Now many people on this call right now got calls from me because there was problems with their registration or maybe the $30 VIP discount didn’t click in and I called them up and they were astounded, you know that I did that. How difficult is it to call up customers after they order I mean they have just put money in your pocket, into your bank account they are going to raise the value of your lifestyle. Call them up if they order a certain amount and if you have too many orders like Yanik, you have a lot more orders than I do cause I have a higher ticketed product with http://www.MarketingWithPostcards.com People like Yanik can have a free teleseminar and do it frequently for free just for the customers. I mean it’s a very powerful message it’s better to connect with 250 people four times than a 1,000 people just once. Let me repeat that, it’s better to connect with 250 people four times than a 1,000 people just once. The trick is finding the right 250 people and so the key point here is choose frequency over reach, reach is the shear volume of people you can get to. That’s how most marketers think; let me get to as many people as possible at once. Maybe for general advertising and TV commercials but not for us direct marketers


23


even they’re on a shoestring budget! Choose frequency over reach in any direct marketing campaign. Yanik: There’s a great way to also do it online for practically zero cost and that’s sequential autoresponders Alex: And few people do it better than you. I mean you’re a master at that. Yanik: Thank You. Where you set it up just one time you set it up one time and you do it strategically so that we do things like give out free bonuses that are unexpected and we give lots of content before we start pitching them on additional products. But it’s all done automatically so I could be anywhere in the world and these little autoresponders are continue to follow up with people that have paid money and we want to help nurture as customers. Alex: We’ll that a good segue to the resource we have for everybody. You have been gracious enough to give something away. It’s our first bonus gift; tell them more about it and how they can pick it up. Yanik: Sure, it’s a product called http://www.AutoresponderMagic.com and what that is, is a collection of it’s about five hundred and something pages. So it’s a big fat e-book loaded with the best examples of top on-line marketers of their sequential autoresponder sequences. So it’s like a autoresponder swipe file. Alex: The greatest hits. Yanik: Yeah, the greatest hits. So you’ll be able to go through there and model your autoresponder sequences and based on what you want to do if it’s a customer sequence or a prospect sequence, it’s a affiliate sequence, I think we have in there we have a whole bunch of sequences. For all sorts of different categories


24


Alex: How do they get it? Yanik: They go to http://www.AutoresponderMagic.com/download Alex: And what do they get? Yanik: They will get the entire ebook which is five hundred and some pages and plus they also get resell rights if they so choose to sell or give away the ebook as they see fit. Alex: Excellent. Thanks for that. Mind-Motivator #3 … we’ve talked about stories. We’ve talked about frequency. What is Mind-Motivator #3?


25


Mind-Motivator #3: Reason Why - To Eliminate Skepticism Yanik: Reason why. Alex: You’ll love this one. Yanik: Oh this is my absolute favorite if there could be something written on my tombstone you know it would be reason why. Alex: He was a great reason why online marketer. Yanik: Yeah. I’ll explain this Mind-Motivator and everyone should be able to grasp right away why it’s so powerful. I don’t know if anyone remembers those old, I think it was for, I can’t remember which one it was. It was one of the beer commercials, it was really dumb, it said: “Why ask why?” Well, completely unknown to the ad agency they had actually stumbled onto a break through marketing concept. And telling the people the reason why you’re doing something is really one of the most powerful influences on human behavior. Alex: If someone comes up with a promise or benefit, doesn’t it make sense for them to write down the reason why in their head or at least on paper so there’s a good reason so it’s just not like water off a duck’s back? Yanik: People want a reason and let me tell you, here’s case study #8.

Case Study #8: Harvard Study of Reason Why Yanik: And this is as Harvard study and you’ll see why this is so important. This was featured in Robert Cialdini’s book he’s a professor at Arizona State University. He has a © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

26


book called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. I know you read that thing several times. I’ve read it at least sever times. It’s a great incredible book. So, there’s a Harvard Psychologist names Ellen Langer and she concluded that people like to have a reason for what they do. Remember most people make decisions emotionally but they want to have the logical backup to say to themselves, “oh yeah I came to logical conclusion.” So, here’s what her experiment was. Her experiment consisted of people waiting in line to use the library copy machine and then her experimenters try and ask to get ahead a spot in line. The first excuse the experimenter use was “Excuse me I have 5 pages may I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush?” So this request along with the reason was a success 94% of the time. Alex: And why? Yanik: Here’s the really cool part. Then they tried it like this. “Excuse me I have five pages may I use the Xerox machine?” Without anything, but “Because I’m in a rush.” This request was only granted 60% of the time. Now here’s the big shocker. Ok, now it might seem like the main difference was the information, “because I’m in a rush.” Not so. Here’s what they did in the third experiment. The experimenter said, “Excuse me I have 5 pages may I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?” There was no reason mentioned no new information presented just the word, because. Alex: Then what happened? Yanik: 93% of the people said yes.


27


Alex: It’s astounding. Yanik: So it went down from 94% to 93% and you didn’t even have to have a reason you just use that little word, because. Alex: Now you use this masterfully when I look at your upsell pages and I even talk about it at some of the seminars we both speak at. You start some of your upsell phrases with because you’re ordering today. Now, they haven’t ordered yet. Ok, I mean I read it. I read it I go “Oh yeah, I am ordering today.” So you not only get them for the upsell, that particular one has a 33% upsell value from I think $33 to $99. Yanik: Yeah $29 to $99. Alex: And what, what offer is that product? Yanik: Check it out at http://www.33DaysToOnlineProfits.com and you just click on the order button and the headline says; “Pssst … want an even better deal? Because you’re ordering today” And it’s a little date script. “You have the opportunity to upgrade to a Silver resell license…” And it goes on to talk about the benefits of why you want to do that and official bonuses. But it’s really incredible gets a 33% conversion. People have no idea that they’re going to see this upsell. Alex: And I think you get more initial orders too because you use the word because. I mean that word is so powerful. Just a real quick story, Amy my wife, we just had a baby together on November 4th. Actually she did most of the work. And I’m in the room, I’m in the delivery room and she’s going through labor and the anesthesiologists comes in this was in Morin General in Northern California.


28


And he’s administrating the epidural right, so she is no longer in pain. You know what he says? He says, he’s putting in the shot and he says; “You’re going to feel a slight pin prick because I care.” And I thought what does the first part of that sentence have anything to do with the second part? But Aimee bought into it. She said; “Ah yeah, of course.” And you know I’ve never seen. Can you imagine? I don’t know of anything more painful than a woman who’s in labor. Just ask any woman. Any mother on this line will probably agree and here this anesthesiologist is masterfully using the word because I was going to ask him if he had read the Cialdini book or something. Again, here is what he said he says “your are going to feel a slight pin prick because I care” so eliminating that pain because he care’s because what’s going to happen afterwards is that she’s going to be numb and she’s not going to be experiencing those labor pains so I thought you would enjoy that. That just happened less than a week ago. Yanik: That’s great. Well here’s what one of my other marketing hero’s Mark Maxwell Sacheim has to say about using reason why. And he’s the guy famous for the long ad that ran for 40 years called, you know with these headlines “you make these mistakes in English” he’s the originator of the “Book of the Month Club” so he’s a pretty impressive guy. He said whenever you make a claim or special offer in your advertising come up with an honest reason why. Then state it sincerely to sell many more products this way. Alex: Excellent advice! Yanik: He knew it way back then, you know what’s really cool about Sacheim is actually he and I share the same birthday and the same birthplace. Alex: You have like a campaign that’s reason why based, for you birthday. What do you do?


29


Yanik: Oh, I had a… This is how powerful reason why can work. I woke up September 25 last year and I thought to myself you know why don’t you give yourself a little birthday present so I simply sent out an email to part of my list saying “Happy Birthday” and it said actually I don’t have that, let me, give me two seconds and I’ll pull up that email Alex: While you’re talking about it, I was waiting tables at a restaurant called “Plat de Jour” when I was in college and I had four birthdays a year and I would make people sing Happy Birthday and I would get a lot bigger tips on those four days and one time I got caught and someone said didn’t you have a birthday about 3 months ago. And I said well yeah because I can’t say why I did that but a… Yanik: I celebrate my quarter birthday Alex: Exactly. Yanik: Yeah, it’s a good point. Maybe I should do a birthday every couple months. But a here’s I wanted to pull it up so I got it exactly straight. Here’s the subject line: Happy Birthday… But it said you know Alex, Happy Birthday. So he’s opening it up huh it’s not my birthday. And it says you know at the top September 25, 2001 from Yanik Silver. Hi Alex, it’s my birthday today but I wanted to celebrate by giving you a present. I’m giving you a gift of 50% off the instant Internet Profits Program. Stick with me for a moment and I’ll tell you all about it. And so, I explain all about the program in there and that’s a Alex: Stick with me, Stick with me for a moment. I mean there’s “Curiosity,” which is another mind motivator but you do that brilliantly.


30


Yanik: Yeah, well I’ve learned from some of the best and you do it incredibly well as well. But here’s a perfect I have a bunch of examples here. Let’s go over case study #9. Alex: Right.

Case Study #9: Fetal Doppler Ad Yanik: But we have one when I used to sell Medical Equipment working for a family business and we sold most people don’t know what this is but we sold one of our best selling products that I wrote an ad for way back when I first started learning about all this stuff was a for Fetal Doppler’s. Those are a, well you probably might know about it now since Amy went through her pregnancy. It’s almost like a little microphone that you use for pregnant women so you can pick up the baby’s heartbeat. And Doctor’s use it to check the rate of the baby’s heart and so on. Alex: Pretty obscure product to sell right? Yanik: Yeah, somewhat obscure but you know it’s two Doctor’s who are not exactly emotional effaced you know or think that they’re not. It’s a, you know something somewhere where you probably think that our kind of advertising wouldn’t work. So here’s the ad that we sent out. The pre head above the headline says Manufacturer says crush the competition. Headline “How can we offer this new Fetal Doppler for only four hundred forty seven dollars, read the facts below to find out how to save hundreds, one time only.” So let me just read a little bit more of it. If you’re waiting for the best time to get a new Fetal Doppler then now is the time to act because you will probably never see this incredible discounted price again. Sub head here’s why. The Manufacturer Hundley Health Care wants to gain significant market share by introducing their new “Flexi Dopplex” © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

31


3Megahertz Fetal Doppler and they’re offering our company a special discounted pricing to push their sales. But instead of buying these units for this special price and then selling them later at a regular price and keeping the higher profits, we want to pass on the extra savings to you right now. And we figured the best way to sell Doppler’s is simply getting Doctor’s and Nurses into the habit of using a particular brand then we hope you’ll continue buying more from us. It seems fair right? Alex: You’re just having a conversation with the reader. Yanik: Yeah, a conversation and explaining why we’re doing it. Why are these Fetal Dopplers on sale now for $447 and that thing just went on to make us actually the largest independent distributor for this particular Doppler. I should have got commission on that Alex: I think you should have. You’ve done it in scratch and dent type of sales if you have excess inventory. That’s great reason why to lower price, right? Yanik: Oh yeah, absolutely. Those scratch and dents sales, you know if you have and it helps obviously if it’s true. And my last email for that was so powerful because, my wife and I had taken a work vacation type thing for 2 months in Manhattan Beach, California. Where I’ve always wanted to live on the beach and with the Internet business it affords us the lifestyle that we can do that. So we went off for 2 months and we had you know my parents here take care of all the mail and all the packages and so on. So if something got shipped from the printer incorrectly or someone had shipped something back because, you know unopened or whatever the case may be you know we had a big stack of boxes of certain products that we sell that are hard products, you know manuals, videos, audios etc.


32


So I had this big stack here and then I sent out an email saying you know the reason why you know we were away for 2 months and we didn’t have access to all these packages so now I have a big load of them and you can say even get these discounts. Alex: It’s a great, great idea and Robert actually Robert Collier. He was the master of that and we’ll give plenty of resources at the end of this call on where to find some of his works, but he was the master at selling commodities which were left over merchandise like raincoats and things like that because it’s no longer the winter season. Yanik: Oh yeah, yeah, I mean the Robert Collier letter book. I’m in the process of moving. And that’s one of the handfuls of books that I kept out that I want to make sure that don’t get into a box and can’t possibly get ruined. Alex: I’m right with you. I use reason why on a website that has no testimonials from people who are happy customers and a lot of people listening probably have brand new products and they may ask themselves. You know, what do I do if I have no testimonials. People talk about how powerful testimonials are, I don’t have any. Well, here’s one technique that just eliminated that problem and again it’s all because, all because of the mind motivator reason why and here’s what I do and anyone listening can go to http://www.CopywritingCoach.com and just read that letter, you can print it out if you want because you can you know sit on your couch and highlight some of the areas where I have done this in the copy.

Case Study #10a: Testimonial Strategy But what I do is I make a $100 dollar wager and say look I don’t have any testimonials but I need yours. So I’m willing to discount copywriting classics by $100 dollars if you’re willing to give me a testimonial within the next 90 days. Ok. So what a great reason to lower price because you want a testimonial and everyone knows the © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

33


importance of testimonials. So it puts the reader on the spot and sometimes readers I mean I’ve had a few readers do this you know they take advantage of you and you don’t get a testimonial. But, I end up getting the sale. So the bottom line is how do you use reason why when you don’t have testimonials, give them a little bit of a discount in my case a $100 bucks off in exchange for a testimonial and you say because I’m going to get your testimonial in 90 days I’m willing to knock off $100 bucks because it’s that important to me. And then we can raise the price later.

Case Study #10b: Leftover Power Tables Yanik: That’s pretty brilliant. Hey, let me share with everyone another example of a case study and this is actually going to be in the supplemental resources that you get from me of several copies of ads that are pretty obscure. But this is one that we used. Our company was in a bind and we had these power tables. When you go to the Doctor’s office they have regular tables and they also have power tables that move up and down. The back goes up and down, and all these different things and they are really expensive. So we signed up for this promotion and we had a bunch of them sitting around and then we had them sold and my boss was getting a little bit worried. So here’s the simple letter I drafted up Headline was “Can you get a new $8,000 dollar power table for $417 dollars, read the amazing facts below to find out how” Ok and then into the first, the second paragraph into it, it says last April our little company took a big gamble and signed up for a power table promotion. In order to get in on the promotion we had to agree to take three power tables for only $15,000 dollars and for a small company like us that’s a lot of money to be tied up in inventory. Only one of those 3 power tables is sold. So we’re left with two. And my © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

34


problem is your opportunity in order to move these last 2 tables I have decided to make you a bold and somewhat daring offer. First, you should know that the manufacturer’s promotion of these power tables ends June 30th and any unsold inventory I have could be sold to another dealer at wholesale cost. But instead of doing that I would rather sell you the table at a wholesale price and gain your goodwill. And then it goes on from there to explain about it. So this is just total reason why. We’re in a bind, we have this inventory, we could sell it off to another manufacturer but we’d rather sell it off to you. Alex: Make your problem, their opportunity. Yanik: Yeah, and it cost us, we did this as a fax broadcast to our customers. It cost $138 bucks and brought in $9,794 in sales plus some several Doctor’s who are waiting around to try and buy it. Alex: Pretty powerful. One of the resources for reason why is reason why advertising. John E. Kennedy -- the world’s probably first millionaire copywriter at the turn of the century, wrote the book. This book was written I think in 1906 and it’s still valid because its principle centered. It talks about the power of reason why copy. Everyone should get his or her hands on it. I believe its public domain or people can pick it up for chump-change and it’s available on copywriting classics. I think you’re going to have a special offer that has that already there. Yanik: Yeah, that’s great. Alex: It’ll be a Special Bonus Offer.


35


Mind-Motivator #4: Surveys - To Acquire Valuable Feedback Alex: Ok, here’re the three most important questions I ask when I’m faced with a customer service call. If some one is upset with me…

Case Study #11: Customer Service Questions Alex: and says, you know; “I want a refund.” Ok, it happens, it happens to anybody. Here are the three questions I ask. They’re the most powerful questions. They are survey questions and a guy by the name of Roy Williams; he’s the author of three books the Wizard of Ads, Magic Words and Secret Formulas. Brilliant guy he knows all about the jewelry business. Study his work and we’ll have him as a resource as well. Here’re the three questions he taught me to ask customers: First question: “What happened?” Just ask a question and survey and see what their story its. Ok the… Second question: “What should’ve happened?” Pretty powerful, if you’re doing most of the talking you’re not surveying. And then the third question, this is magical Third question: “How can I make it right?” What happened? What should’ve happened? and How can I make it right? Ok. So if you have any customer service calls use those three questions and use surveys to your advantage because you’ll get valuable feedback. Let me give you another case study. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

36


Case Study #12: Brain Dump Teleconference Alex: Lets say you want to have a teleconference and you don’t know what to do it on. You have no subject matter. You can do what Jonathan Mizel and I did, and this is just a great way to have content. If you have over 500 people in your database you just email them and ask them what are the most important questions about blank, and just fill in your industry, you have? What are the most important questions you have about blank? About postcard marketing lets say or about Internet marketing that is the question Jonathan and I asked. And guess what happens? You get a bunch of feedback. Jonathan and I got over 170 questions. Some of the people on this call where on that call and from those 170 questions there was some over lap and we whittled it down to 73. And now we have an offer that’s the 73 most important questions on Internet marketing. We called it a brain dump and that teleconference went for two 2 ½ hour sessions and all it was, was a giant survey. Giant FAQ of all the questions we got from our constituents.

Case Study #13: Zoomerang Survey Alex: There’s a service I use it’s called Zoomerang.com If you want to do an online survey use that service and after every teleconference I personally do I usually have a survey that goes out to all the participants and I want to get their feedback. And I have an extra bonus for you to see the actual questions I ask. I ask nine of them. And you can find that at http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/survey.pdf See the pattern here Yanik? And you get to see the questions I ask and guess what? When you set up a survey the way I did then you can use it for your next teleconference or next


37


marketing event. You can say, this is what 80 out of 100 teleconference attendants said about. Right. And now you have a great testimonial. Yanik: Yeah, you can use it for all kinds of other things that we talk about other MindMotivators like mirroring and even testimonials from an authority so. Alex: They are all about to come up so. The resource is http://www.Zoomerang.com and they have a fast easy way to create surveys. They do all the work for you so it shouldn’t be a problem. Dr. Steven Covey once said, “Seek first to understand and then be understood.” That’s the key to that customer service three-part questionnaire. What happened? What should’ve happened? & How can I make it right? Sometimes people just want to relieve the tension. “The UPS driver isn’t here yet.” Let them say it. Let the talk and by using surveys you’ll find that it will not only diminish some of the rejections that they’ve had in the past but you may get a customer for life like I’ve had many, many, times. Want to add anything, Yanik? Yanik: No I think you did a great job there. Alex: Ok if you have a new concept or new teleconference or a new product just ask your database; What’s the most important question you have about … and then fill in the blank -- real estate marketing, postcard marketing, Internet marketing, or whatever. And they will give you the feedback you need to create a curriculum. Ok. Yanik: Mind-Motivator #5. Alex: Go ahead.


38


Mind-Motivator #5: Specificity - To Encourage Believability and Creditability Yanik: So let me jump in on this Case study #14. If I said to you, “Alex, 99 ¼% pure.” Who would that be? Alex: I’d say Ivory Soap.

Case Study #14: Ivory Soap Yanik: Exactly. Now if they said 100% pure would you believe them? Alex: No I wouldn’t even believe 99% But that ¼ makes all the difference. Yanik: Yeah 99 ¼% they got to be telling the truth because it’s very specific. Here’s another quick one. I’m looking right about my desk I have a couple framed ads. One is by David Ogilvy who we both immensely respect. Everyone should run out and grab his books at http://www.TWIpress.com/alex But he has in the headline for a Rolls Royce and the headline says; “At 60 MPH The Loudest Noise In This Rolls Royce Comes From The Electric Clock.” Alex: Wow! I love that ad.

Case Study #15: 27 Year Old Maryland Man Headline Yanik: That’s pretty darn specific. Here’s a headline that I came up with for a product. This is case study 15. A product called http://www.InstantInternetProfits.com I’ve taken down this headline and you’ll see why in a second. But here’s the headline; “27 Year


39


Old Maryland Man Reveals His Proven System For Creating Instant Internet Profits from a Simple Two Page Website Even If You Hate Computers. A Simple Story of How A Completely Different Approach To Internet Marketing Took Me From Zero to Making $51,351.94 in Just 6 ½ Short Months Working from Home and Why I’m Convinced Anyone Can Copy What I’m Doing.” There are five specifics in there. One I’m 27, two I’m a Maryland man, three a two page website, four zero to $51,351.94 not $50,000 and five in 6 ½ months. Alex: Now I don’t want to embarrass you but how successful has that copy been. Yanik: Incredibly successful and… Alex: Give me a dollar amount. Yanik: A dollar amount. Well actually I don’t know off the top of my head but it’s definitely responsible for at least $100,000. Alex: They’re just words. They’re only words. Yanik: Yeah since that time we’ve also changed around the site a lot and we used tons of specifics on this one Webpage. But I had to change the headline because people found out that I’m not 27 anymore. Alex: Telling the truth, that’s one of our other Mind-Motivators that we’ll get to. Yanik: Everyone should check out http://www.InstantInternetProfits.com and you just look for all the incredible specifics on there. We’ll also bring up that website a couple other times.


40


Case Study #16: Mind Motivators Sales Copy Alex: Case study #16. In our sales copy for this particular conference in the headline remember we talked about 21 Mind-Motivators? It’s more specific than 20 or 10 and we’re going to have a couple bonuses too. But 21 is very specific. Anyone listening knows that there were only 153 slots and that still holds. This is a sold out call. We only had 153 tele-slots. Typically we get 150 but we had a couple moderator lines so we had to add a few. And if you remember in the copy we wrote somewhere about 750 words down into the page, 11 out of the 21 motivators we’ve already used on you right now in the copy. And we promised to give you where those 11 mind motivators in the copy so you can see exactly what went on in our heads when writing this copy. So I’m going to give you that right now if you go to. Here it is: http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/spotting11motivators.pdf Yanik: And notices we said there 11 Mind-Motivators and that specific. Plus also borders on curiosity that is another Mind-Motivator we’re yet to hit and we can just go on and on, on how these things are layer upon layer on top of each other. Alex: Yeah many people are on this call because that piece of copy that was written. I got a bunch of calls and I said why you attending and they said; “Well you know we’ve heard you guys before we love your content. We want to know what those 11 motivators are.” And so curiosity, specificity and all kinds of motivators as Yanik talked about layers upon layers. One of the greatest resources that talk about specificity many of you probably heard, by Claude Hopkins My Life In Advertising, Scientific Advertising. They’re two books they’re all in, they’re usually in one volume right?


41


Yanik: Yeah all in one volume right. Alex: Yeah, My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins. You can get that at http://www.TWIpress.com/alex or http://www.MarketingClassics.com/alex Yanik: Yeah, Scientific Advertising is now public domain so sometimes you can even find that one for free but not My Life In Advertising. Alex: Yeah that’s true. Another one that we both recommend -- listen to the specific title here: “2,239 Tested Secrets for Direct Marketing Success” by Denny Hatch and Don Jackson. Isn’t that just an amazing book? Yanik: It’s not 200. It’s not 2,300. Alex: But 2,239! There’re actually that many. And that can be at either http://www.TWIpress.com/alex again or http://www.MarketingClassics.com/alex What’s the key point for specificity? Yanik: The major key point here is specifics are credible and believable than generalities. Alex: Right. Yanik: That means if you can create a 15% return on investment for people. Tell them 14.8%. Make it lower, but make it specific. It will be more believable than 15%. Alex: Right. Absolutely. Mind-Motivator #6 what is it?


42


Mind-Motivator #6: Consumption - To Grow Customer Lifetime Value Yanik: This is for you, consumption. Alex: Consumption Theory grows customer lifetime value. Man if there was a concept that I really hold a flag on it is consumption theory. And let me talk to you about case study #18.

Case Study #18: Marketing With Postcards Autoresponders Alex: If you’ve ever opted in to http://www.MarketingWithPostcards.com you get three free chapters of the course. And what happens is… Yanik: You need to do that to not only study what Alex does but also because it is a great product. Alex: Well that to but there also the studying part and I welcome you to do both. Definitely study before you purchase because there’s a lot of value there. It’s a very, very high conversion rate with the autoresponder series. The problem is, most folks pitch their offer with their auto-responder email series. You know they go; “Hi, it’s me again your buddy I want you to buy something today.” They don’t do that literally but that’s basically the spirit behind the autoresponder message and people can see right through that. People can see right through if you’re trying to pitch them so what I do with my autoresponders series of any kind is I get them to opt in to something. We call it an ethical bribe right, Yanik? Yanik: Right.


43


Alex: And it’s an ethical bribe because we’re giving something of value. Three free chapters in this case from a $247 course. Anyone spending that much money from someone who doesn’t know me they at least want to try before they buy. And what I do is I give them a tip a day. I gift a marketing tip per day for about seven days. And there’re a few offers in there. You know laced in there later on. But all the auto-responder series email messages have less than 40 words per message. It talks about going back into the three free chapters and it points out a specific area in one of those three chapters and teaches them to consume the three free chapters. It’s not enough to get an opt-in teach them to consume that opt-in. People can consume information products like they can consume shampoo or a stick of deodorant. They have to read it. Anyone listening to this call selling books or tapes can relate to this. If I have four or five books and tapes and Yanik has three or four books or tapes that you’ve sold us what are the chances of us buying that fifth and sixth book and tape or course? I mean nil because we haven’t consumed. It’s not enough to sell the product teach your customers. Teach them and your evangelist, the people who keep buying from you, teach them to consume. Now a little tip here: Most important day for an autoresponder is day one. Because, remember they opt-in on that day. Day 7. Why? It’s simply because it is a week from “opt-in” day -- exactly the same day of the week. So if you know it was a Wednesday and it’s the following Wednesday the chances are they are going to be around to read their email. It’s just the law of large numbers. It’s a hard tested fact. And then the next most important day is day 14. Why? It’s simply because it’s two weeks after “opt-in” day. So put your most important messages, mine are certainly on day 7 and day 14. On day 1, day 7 and day 14. That’s just a little tip you can take to the bank.


44


Case Study #19a: Follow-up Postcards Alex: Another case study #19. Anytime someone purchases my course I send him or her postcards they get one per week. And I teach them how to consume the course. Hey did you go to chapter one and check out the marketing plan. What you do about the new postal rate? Have you checked it out what the bulk rate is for a 6x9 postcard? So people get postcards from me. I teach them to consume the course they’ve already purchased from me that is the beginning of the relationship and it’s not the end. And I hope anyone listening does the same thing with his or her customers.

Case Study #19b: Print This Page Alex: Another consumption technique is, “PRINT THIS PAGE”. Now, print this. Yanik can I give the details on this one? Yanik: Absolutely, it’s a nice secret but go ahead. Alex: Ok. Print this page is probably the three most important words on a Website. Because if you go to http://www.MarketingWithPostcards.com if you go to http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com or you go back to the landing page we have for this seminar http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/21motivators/yanik you’ll see something there that increases in my estimations so far increases visitor value by 22%. At least it has for Marketing with Postcards. I just added three words. And that is “Print This Page.” Why? Simple when someone goes to a Website are they going to read every word? Of course not! Are they going to read every bullet? Of course not!


45


Yanik: Only if I wrote it. Alex: Only if you wrote it. Not me I haven’t got to the level you at yet. So what happens is, if we get them to print these pages and that’s certainly easy enough to do. It’s just a link. Then what is now they have a piece of cyber real estate in their home and they can read your Website sales copy … Curl up on their couches … Highlight key points. And now you have them. You have your Website inside their home or office longer than them just bugging off your website after 1 or 2 minutes. You can have them for as much as a month. I have people who print it out the pages and purchase a month later. I called them and said why? They said, “Because I printed out the page and just had time to read it.” Use ‘print this page’ because it’s a great consumption case study. You want to jump in there for a sec? Yanik: I need to go back to all my Websites and do that. Alex: It’s very, very powerful and so trivial but it’s a consumption theory and it’s a very powerful Mind-Motivator. Ok case study #20.

Case Study #20: Prell™ Shampoo Alex: Listen to this. You sell millions upon millions of shampoo. Right? Millions of more bottles of shampoo … you add one word. Six letters and you double your sales. It’s on the directions on the back. Here it is, Rinse, lather and then they added this word, Repeat. Who on this call doesn’t shampoo twice per shower? Yanik: I don’t.


46


Alex: That’s why I don’t stand close to you at seminars. The flies are circling your hair. I’m just kidding. But the word, R-E-P-E-A-T gets people they’ve been given an embedded command in the instructions to repeat that process. Yanik: I just don’t follow directions. I don’t read instructions. Alex: Yeah, there you go. Well, I mean the second piece of instructions, because some genius at Proctor and Gamble figured this out and he added two words. He or she I’m not really sure who did it. But in the directions they used these two words, brilliant and it added – tripled the consumption. And here are the two words, “Use Daily.” Use daily. Brilliant right? Look how simple. Use daily. So repeat, double. Use daily, triple … because now they’re using it more often.

Case Study #21: Colgate Opening Some guy walks into Colgate headquarters. I think this is a true story. Walks into Colgate. Actually Colgate – Palmolive the single largest selling toothpaste in the world especially overseas. Everyone has probably used it at one time. He walks into Colgate in New York City and says; “I know how to double the consumption of your toothpaste.” The guy says; ‘Really.” The Marketing Director says; “Yeah but I want a non-disclosure to tell you.” He says; “Tell us what it is.” The guy says; “No I want a non-disclosure.” As the story goes, it may be an urban legend but it’s a great story. The guy says; “Ok.” The guy at Colgate; “I will give you a non-disclosure.” He says; “What do you want for it?” He says; “A million dollars. Come on if I double your sales what’s a million dollars it’s a drop in the bucket? It’s a pittance.”


47


So they signed and they said; “If we use it we’ll pay you a million bucks.” Well they used it and they paid him a million bucks. Guess what he said to do? Open the opening. You know the orifice where the toothpaste comes out? They doubled the size of that and more toothpaste comes out. When you see toothpaste commercials for Aim, you see two rows of toothpaste right? It’s commanding you to use more toothpaste right. Teach your people teach your customers how to consume your product and use more of your product. Starbucks does this. They say hey we have Internet access so people go with their laptops they peruse the Internet and guess what you drink more coffee. Rice Krispie Treats -- what does marshmallows and Rice Krispies have to do with cereal? Nothing you just eat more Rice Krispies that way. Yanik: It’s like Chex Mix. Alex: Yeah, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda I mean it’s the only company that teaches you to throw stuff down the drain. You know to freshen the smell of your sink. They teach you how to consume. So my wife Amy buys two boxes of Arm & Hammer now; one for the fridge, one for the drain. That isn’t the reason why the product was created. So, consumption theory is extremely important and the Mind-Motivator consumption is #6. The resource, if you go to Harvard Business Review September 2002 edition you can get it at a library, you can get it at Barnes & Noble. I think you can get it online. That issue, I think it is on page 90. It’s titled, “Pricing and the Psychology of Consumption” by John Gourville & Dilip Soman. Pricing and the Psychology of


48


Consumption Harvard Business Review September 2002 read it put it under your pillow read it over and over it’s that powerful. If you teach your customers to consume more often, it pays to know HOW, WHEN and WHY they do it. If you teach them how, when and why then they will give you more business in the future because they’ll buy more products.


49


Mind-Motivator #7: Truth - To Quickly Persuade Skeptical Prospects To Buy Alex: Mind-Motivator #7. It’s all yours. Yanik: Truth: To quickly persuade skeptical prospects to buy. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth! How many times have you heard that or the passage the truth shall set you free. Well you know what it should be revised to the truth shall set you financially free.

Case Study #23: John E. Powers Ad Yanik: Because, believe it or not the truth is one of the most powerful motivators around. Here’s a perfect example from the turn of the century. It’s from a guy John E. Powers, one of the top copywriters in the 1900’s. A lot of John E’s, Weren’t there John E. Kennedy, John E. Powers. Alex: A lot of E’s Yanik: Yeah, He wrote this ad for a Pittsburgh department store and he saved it from financial trouble. Here’s the little ad, “We are bankrupt we owe $125,000 dollars, more than we can pay and this announcement will bring our creditors down on our necks, but if you come and buy tomorrow we shall have the money to meet them, if not we shall go to the wall.” How’s that for being truthful. So that was case study #23 And so instead of yelling sale, like every other store would do he told them the truth about why people should spend their money. Here’s another ad written by him, I love this. It’s for a different merchant and said, “We have a lot of rotten raincoats we want to get rid of.” Alex: There you go. It sounds like a Robert Collier ad almost.


50


Yanik: Yeah, Yeah, Well I guess they were contemporary. So that sold out the entire inventory of raincoats by next morning. Here is case study #24.

Case Study #24: “Lazy Man’s Way To Riches” Ad Yanik: A famous ad was this ran in the 70’s or the 80’s Joe Karbo’s “A lazy man’s way to Riches” you can find at http://www.TWIPress.com/alex Alex: In the 70’s, I think. Yanik: Yeah, so he’s a very popular, he sold millions of his book. And it’s called “The Lazy Man’s way to Riches.” Here is part of the ad. It said “I used to work hard, the18 hour days the 7 day weeks but I didn’t start making big money until I did less, a lot less.” For example this ad took me about 2 hours to write with a little luck it should earn me 50 maybe 100,000 dollars. What’s more is I’m going to ask you to send me $10 for something that will cost me no more than 50 cents and I’m trying to make it so irresistible that you’d be a darn fool not to do it. How’s that for being honest. Alex: I love it. Yanik: So your going to send us ten bucks for something that cost him 50 cents and he’s going to probably make 50 to 100,000 dollars. Actually he made a lot more than that with that ad. Alex: Very convincing though. Yanik: Oh yeah, absolutely. It’s totally disarming because your telling them, you’re actually, you know you’re letting people in on the methods of your madness. You’re taking them under, into your confidence. Here’s one more ad. This is from Joe © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

51


Sugarman. I wish he would have been on the line to talk about this one. But he has so much brilliant material out there. This was during his catalog days and he had a product called Magic Stat, which was a thermostat program. The headline was “Magic Bologna” here’s how the copy starts. You’re probably expecting our typical sales pitch, but get ready for a shock instead of telling you what a great product the Magic Stat thermostat is we’re going to tear it apart unmercifully. When you first saw the Magic Stat we took one look at the name and went yuck, we took one look at the plastic casings and said how cheap looking and when we looked for the digital reading it had none. So before the salesman showed up how it worked we were totally turned off. And then it goes on and on, pointing out all the bad parts of this product. And then he turns it around, brilliantly and that’s all in his book. I believe the copywriting book “Secrets of the written word.” Alex: He made more of a case of why not to buy, which is so unusual but yet, I think it is effective because the reader isn’t used to seeing that. Yanik: No, no, no. Every advertiser goes out there and telling how great they are, why they are the best and if you go completely against that you are well ahead of the curve. Alex: I have a few general advertising examples. Now, if you’ve ever read the book “The 22 immutable laws of Marketing or Positioning” you know that Al Ries and Jack Trout are geniuses, they come from the general advertising arena but, they are direct marketers, they think like direct marketers. Yanik: They get it.


52


Case Study #26: Law of Candor Alex: They get it … they totally get it. And it’s dangerous when a general advertiser thinks like us because then they can just control the world, you know. They call it the Law of Candor. Ok. Mind-Motivator for Truth (we call “Truth”) and Trout and Ries call it the Law of Candor. And think about Orville Redenbacher, it’s popping corn but what made that so special. It came in a jar instead of a bag. It said right on the jar shamelessly it said The world’s most expensive popping corn. How about Avis, Hertz was #1, Avis said we’re #2 we try harder. Now a lot of people know that example but they never use it in their ads. I love to be #2. In fact, when I’m trying to get a new account I tell them look, I don’t want to be number one let me be number 2 and within a year by default I will probably be moved into number one because for at least 25% of your accounts because someone will do something wrong, they may move, they may no longer be around. I get there by default. Try to be number 2 and you will become number one very, very quickly. Listerine mouthwash Ok the taste you hate twice a day. I mean look at the candor the taste you hate twice a day. And so the point here is to make a negative statement and you’re get accepted instantly.

Case Study #27: Plat du Jour Alex: Best example of this is; I’m a Waiter. It’s in the 80’s at Plat du Jour. It’s plate of the day is the translation. It’s a French restaurant in college. I sold more wine at that restaurant than anyone else in fact the interesting thing is I did it this way. And it was totally ethical and totally the truth.


53


Alex: We offered two main dishes that where specials one was Salmon al la Cruz, which as a salmon dish. And then Poulet al la Broche, that was like skewered chicken. And the salmon was $21 and the chicken was $16. So if the salmon wasn’t fresh that day and I gave the specials, if someone ordered the salmon I’d look to my left. I’d look to my right and I’ll say; “Umm, you the salmon is fresh frozen today I’d highly recommend the Poulet al la Broche at $16. Ok. So that’s fine. Now I highlighted a weakness and they bought that right away. I mean they’re not going to judge me because they know that I’m going against my best interest they accept it. Yanik: Yes because you’re even selling them a lower priced meal so you’re going to get a lower tip. Alex: Yeah, yeah. And so what I did after that is I came back and I said. Which wine selection would you like with your Poulet al la Broche? And if they chose the Robert Mondavi the regular Mondavi I would look to my left and look to my right and tell them the Reserve was much better. Which it was ... I mean that was the absolute truth but it’s five bucks more. Ok. Now here’s the funny thing about wine. Are you more likely to drink a second bottle of wine after you’ve downed the first? Of course! By the way people who drink wine tip better. So I’m not espousing drinking alcohol but what I am espousing is tell the truth and don’t worry if you’re going to sight a blemish. I put an ad in the paper one time. The car is in mint condition, with a slight scratch in the lower right fender. You know how many people came to see that scratch and when it didn’t fulfill their expectations they go; “Ah that’s nothing.” Then they didn’t mind. I did the whole Cialdini thing I invited everyone at the same time. And I said; “You, you stand over there and let this guy look at it.”


54


And that was the whole scarcity thing. The resource for Truth, which is Mind Motivator #7, I’d would recommend “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Ries & Jack Trout. http://www.TWIpress.com/alex What’s the key point here? Yanik: You need to point out imperfections and tell the truth because you gain instant report with strangers. Alex: You can do this with copy, email, or any other kind of marketing communication! Yanik: Yeah. Let me give you one more, quick example. I know we’re running short on time but another one of the ads you get for free in my bonus material. This is an ad for a thermometer and here’s a little piece of body copy from it: “Here’s why we’re willing to give you a free thermometer. The truth is all the real profit on any thermometer comes from the repeat purchases users make of the probe covers. It’s just like the razor to manufactures who make their money on the razor blades and not the actual razor.” Then BAM! Just explained it to them. Alex: Yeah, absolutely. Yanik: Most distributors or sellers would try to say “oh we’re having this great deal a free thermometer” on so on. Well you know explain to them why you are doing it. Give them the truth. Alex: Absolutely. Yanik: Yeah. So ok, Mind-Motivator #8


55


Mind-Motivator #8: Demonstration - To Instill Instant Credibility Alex: Ok case study #28 demonstration.

Case Study #28: Demonstration Alex: Gosh I have a quote right next to me. “True Greatness is Admired Most When Demonstrated not just talked about.” If you can demonstrate your skill through a consultation and people experience what your knowledge is much more powerful than just talking about it in web copy. The best demonstrable products have been on television. Triple-Edge Windshield Wipers, The Singer Hand Stitch, The Ginsu Knife, all of these are demonstrable. I was involved in the infomercial business early on. You know the way we wrote ads? We didn’t care about copy as much what we did is we would put the television set on mute. And if that muted sequence in 45 seconds didn’t sell that product we just tossed it and we went with a new creative. That’s how powerful the demonstration had to be. Because the demonstration is typically visual, you know all the stain removers and all the knife products, the Wok that was around for a while. The Singer Hand Stitch -- these products were all demonstrable products. Know we have a resource for you. I have the actual script to Triple Edge Windshield Wipers, the Signer Hand Stitch and the Ginsu Knife. That’s courtesy of Arthur Shift a dear friend and one of the most talent scriptwriters on the planet. He was responsible for many mega hits.


56


Here’s where you go to get this at: http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/tvhits.pdf Enjoy it read. Even when you read the copy folks you want get the value of the demonstration because you have to see it on TV. Yanik: Anyone who has seen the Ginsu Knife commercial years back. Everyone remembers. You won’t just get, one knife you get pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. All those knives keep popping up. And all these little popping noises keep popping up. Alex: I like that. Yanik: That’s from what I remember as a kid. Alex: It’s very powerful. You have a case study with Instant Internet Profits don’t you?

Case Study #29: InstantInternetProfits.com Yanik: Yeah. This is case study #29. If you want to go check out the site to see how this works, go ahead. But as you scroll through the site you’ll see click here to see my two recent bank deposits. Click on that and you’ll see inside the copy it will say something like, “Finding orders waiting for you in your email box. I usually work in a pair of lacrosse shorts.” That’s another link to a picture of me. And all these things are from the site. There are screen shots and so on of each, you know what will bring you in and that makes it very powerful.

Case Study #30: Supersmile Whitening Toothpaste Alex: Very, very powerful. It’s Case study #30: Supersmile Whitening Toothpaste. Many people listening have never heard of this but it is the number selling whitening


57


toothpaste at sixteen bucks a tube in day spas and salons. It’s a very niche oriented product. I was the chief marketing officers for about sever years. You know what our demonstration was? It was before & after pictures. Because when you can see the tarnish and spotted teeth there with red wine stains. And coffee teeth tobacco stains versus post Supersmile. It’s a legitimate product I still use it everyday. You have the before, you have the after that’s why you see that. So, how can you use this in your marketing communications? What if you had a new client and he was broke and he showed you. He or she showed you their bank statement. Yanik: Yeah or his welfare card. Alex: His welfare card, yes. And then all of a sudden six months later he shows you probably your JV partner by this time. He shows you how much money is in the bank account. That is demonstration very powerful technique.

Case Study #31: Sweet Watermelon Alex: I’m at in Southern California about a month ago at Pacific Palisades and I’m at a swap meet and there’s a young Hispanic boy cutting slices of watermelon. Now this is very special watermelon. It’s Pig me watermelon and the say it’s the sweetest watermelon there is. So I went up to this young gentleman and I said. He was about 11. Right? I went up and I said; “Hey, is that as sweet as they say it is?” This guy is going to be a millionaire because he used no words. He just took a cut out of that watermelon and handed it to me. And then I tasted it and I said you know what? Give me four of them.


58


Case Study #32: Pink Miracle Tennis Shoe Cleaner Alex: So that’s the power of demonstration. At a swap again when I was in college I has this product called; Pink Miracle. It was this little show polish for tennis shoes. You know white tennis shows. Instead of throwing those shoes away we made them white again and it has like saddle soap in it and it was pink. And so what used to do Yanik was I have someone put their foot up on this, you know, bench and we would whiten one of their shoes. Yanik: Just one. Alex: Yeah, just one. We demonstrated how much whiter one show was from the other and we didn’t let them do the other one until they bought the product. Which was only $15. So when they saw the before and after and they’re walking with one tarnished show with stains and just dirt and the other one just white, brand new Pink Miracle had a really great statement, so. Yanik: Yeah I mean the more dramatic of a difference you can show the better. There’s a short TV spot on QVC on occasion I don’t know if they still playing it anymore but it used to be for the hair removal products. They would have something where they had a man a hairy guy with a hairy beard. They would put this stuff on one side of his face. And then the other side was hairy. It looked really strange and disturbing. Alex: You know some winkle removals, you know how they split the woman’s face in half and they show the winkles on one side and they show the other product on the other. I have one client who in the skincare business who focuses just on a certain age rage of woman. And what she did herself she used to put product on one side of her face and say; “Look, look what happened.” © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

59


And so she was a walking testimonial for the power of demonstration. Um I have a resource for everybody. It’s called 108 Most Powerful Verbs in the English Language. When you use demonstration you need to use verbs not adjectives. Many, many copywriters use adjectives and it really diminishes the power of your copy. Because amazing, incredible these things have be hacked and overused. But if you use verbs and some of the greatest, greatest pieces of literature have the lowest percentage of adjectives like the Gettysburg Address and the blood sweat and tears speak of Winston Churchill. Yanik: Yes, less adjectives less adverbs. Alex: Less adverbs and adjectives. So use verbs and I put together 108 of them. Here it is: http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/108verbs.pdf if you want to see the power of demonstration just become an insomniac and watch late night TV, they’re amazing Yanik: Absolutely. Alex: So what’s the key point here? Yanik: You hit on it earlier. Greatness is admired when demonstrated not just talked about Mind-Motivator #9.


60


Mind-Motivator #9: FAQ - To Shatter Objections on the Spot Yanik: Answering objections before they surface. So shatter those on the spot. So, I think you have a good one here.

Case Study #33: Interview Ex-Customers Alex: Well one of the things I do with any kind of copywriting client I pick up. And we’ll give some resources for copywriters in a second besides Yanik and myself because we have our own projects. One technique is I interview ex –customers and if I figure out why someone defected then I can come up with a good objection to writing copy to start with and to tell the truth from the get go. Like this product is not going to last forever. In fact if you’re lucky it will last for a year. But isn’t it worth $19.95? You know that kind of thing I just made that up. Interviewing ex-customers is very, very important and some of them will give you interviews they just want to tell you how bad the product is and you’ll come up with some great FAQ’s. What I typically do is before I write one piece of copy when I’m staring at a computer screen or blank piece of paper I ask myself this question. “What is the conversation going on in my prospect’s mind when he or she is reading this marketing communication?” Yanik: That’s great. Alex: Right? And that will give you some answers. Yanik: That’s along the same line of what I do. I think about why wouldn’t they respond? And that’s pretty similar. So here’s case study #34 that I have. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

61


Case Study #34: Cosmetic Surgeons Yanik: I used to sell a course. Actually we still do, for a cosmetic surgeon on how to increase their practice. And inside that the report selling the course we had little block of copy that when like this; “Before we go on I’m sure you probably have some unanswered questions and concerns so here are some of the most common questions. My practice is driven by word of mouth all this marketing stuff isn’t for me.” And then it says, “Answer. Yes a great deal of your practices comes from word of mouth and it will continue to.” Blah, blah, blah and then it continues to finish that question out and then it says, “Question. Will all of this work for me in my part of the country? My patients are different. Answer. People are people they’re response to emotional charged marketing. Just doesn’t matter if you’re practicing in a major city or you’re out in the country.” So it just went on. You know a lot of times people are scared to bring up an objection thinking that their prospects aren’t really going to think it so if we bring it up then it’s going to enter in their mind. Well, that’s totally not the case because they are thinking it and you’re just deceiving yourself if you think that they’re not. So, it’s really important to bring them up and handle them especially if, this because kind of tricky to do but with some practice and experience you can actually anticipate where the questions are going to come. Alex: Absolutely. Yanik: And so I have a little block of copy from one of our most popular products. It’s called Instant Sales Letters and there’s a little section on there and the copy and it says; “Ok now I hear you grumbling, I can’t write or I’m not creative. Actually that’s the whole point of these sales letters templates even if you can’t write a grocery list and you don’t


62


think you have a creative bone in your body you can still create powerful profit producing sales letters just by filling in a few simple blanks.” Alex: Brilliant. That’s brilliant study that copy when you get the transcript because that block of copy can be implanted. Don’t plagiarize Yanik. Obviously that can be planted in any type of offer by just admitting some type of shortcoming. You’re saying I’m like you.

Case Study #35: 21 Mind-Motivators P.S. Alex: We used it in our P.S. for the 21 Mind-Motivators sales page. And if you’re on the fence and you read the whole sales page at the very bottom it was P.S. click here if you’re still on the fence and you’re wondering if you should attend this conference. Not looking at it, but it was something like that. That was the spirit of it. And then it popped up a FAQ. I interviewed a bunch folks and I said look if you’re going to attend a conference and here are the benefits from my sales page what are the biggest questions you’re going to ask? What are the most pressing questions? I got like 40 of them and from the 40 I think we chose 6 or 7 or 8 of them. I think 8 of them. We did which is a very, very powerful technique. Anyone listening to this call should be doing that. We offered an order link on the FAQ itself so they’re one click away to the order page. Yanik: You want to do that on your website. So they are close to giving you money. Alex: Yeah, I mean get them closer to you. So always have a FAQ and don’t under estimate the power of that FAQ. And again to see an example of that go to http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/21motivators/alex and it’ll show you an example of that. The key point here is that the question mark is far more convincing than the exclamation point. Number 10 what do have?


63


Mind-Motivator #10: Proof - To Transform The “Virtual” Into The “Real” Yanik: Why don’t you start us up.

Case Study #36: Consultation Certificates Alex: Ok, the proof I use is anytime someone purchases the course from me with Marketing with Postcards I send them a consultation certificate which is has actually an embossed marketing of my corporation stamp. And they get that physically. They get in you know, in the mail because it’s worth it to me for them to see the physical proof.

Case Study #37: Diplomas and Other Methods Think about it. A diploma -- that’s proof. Did all that hard work but sometimes the proof on the wall is worth more. A coupon is proof. Think about this -- a poker chip if I give you. Lets say I said Yanik there’s $100 waiting for you in Las Vegas ok you say yeah sure right Alex. But if I gave you a poker chip which was a black poker chip that is in most of the Casinos worth a hundred bucks you’re going to believe me. Yanik: Yeah, that would be a great mailing piece. Alex: Proof is very powerful. Employee of the month that’s proof of how great that employee did. A reprint -- Jay Conrad Levinson uses a great reprint technology well actual strategy. He’ll go to time magazine and he’ll buy a full-page ad in like Savanna, Georgia. Which is a pittance for a full-page ad and he’ll run it and it will show, Time Magazine full page ad.


64


And when he sends the reprint to prospects they think it was a full run ad all over the country. I don’t know what it is. It’s probably over $100,000 worth of advertising. So, that proof in physical form is very, very powerful. Talk about what you do at Instant Internet Profits. Yanik: Yeah you know when you hear it, it sounds pretty similar to what we’re talking about with specificity. When you show them screen shots of exactly what’s going on and you show them you know pictures of you. When you show them all these things like proof. People naturally when they see it they think; “Yeah right.” But if you prove it to them but they have to believe you. So here’s another way you can use proof and this is case study #39.

Case Study #39: MillionDollarEmails.com Yanik: If people go to http://www.MillionDollarEmails.com you can actually see right at the top of the webpage we have a little yellow box. FACT: Jupiter Communications report that email marketing will be a 7.3 billion dollar business by 2005. FACT: Over 50% of people will be communicating via email by 2001 according to Forester Research. Email volume already eclipse post mail. So all these things are facts and when you see research that proof. That’s another way to instill proof.

Bonus Case Study: Medical Equipment Ad Yanik: Now I have another ad this is another bonus case study. I don’t think you even saw. This is for another ad we did at that medical equipment company and just listen to all these crazy facts I through in here. This is for a piece of equipment that is a bone densitometer. Which measures your bone density. It’s used a lot for woman to see if they are at risk for osteoporosis.


65


Alex: Now if you can sell that you can sell anything right? Yanik: Yeah. I was looking back at these ads and I just couldn’t believe the stuff that we were selling. And so “The National Osteoporosis Foundation releases new guidelines for primary care providers. Here are the facts you must know about for prevention of osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Foundation, N.O.F. is making new recommendations for the detection and treatment of osteoporosis. NOF recommends the following people to have a bone mineral density test, BMD.” And then it lists the factors. And then it says facts about osteoporosis a little bit later on. “Fact: Nearly 28 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis another 15 million are at high risk. “Fact: American Medical Association reports in 1995 that osteoporosis fractures where responsible for 32,000 hospitalizations and 2.5 million physician visits and 180 nursing home admissions.” There’re all theses other facts and I have like CPT codes which doctors use when they bill insurance companies and Medicare. And then I have something from the archives of internal medicine reference and it is so dense with facts and research that there is no possible way you can dispute what I’m saying in here.

Case Study #38: Tax Reduction Course Alex: Yeah, it’s like irrefutable evidence. I use something with proof that was very powerful. It dealt with a tax reduction course. It’s a how to course it’s called the Tax Toolbox. It’s still around and what I did is I showed them my IRS Refund check. I just removed my social security number and it was for $27,236. That’s a lot of money!


66


You don’t want refunds that large. In your first year you are learning these strategies we taught and still teach it’s possible to get that much of a refund. But talking about versus seeing the actual check from the IRS, from the federal government. If you want to see a picture of this, it’s exactly in the form we’ve been marketing this course. http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/irsrefundcheck.pdf What’s the key point? Yanik: Well because the written word is physical it demands more attention. So, just like we talked about when you hear a benefit, someone says something you automatically dismiss it. But if you got proof to back it up it makes it real. Alex: Ok, Mind-Motivator #11.


67


Mind-Motivator #11: Mirroring - To Be Known, Liked and Trusted Alex: Which is case study #40. You have a great one.

Case Study #40: The Truck Driver Yanik: This is one of my buddies, Joe Schroeder. He sells a lot to the network marketing industry. He does something that I call, “Uh huh, that’s just like me.” You want to get people nodding their heads thinking, uh huh, that’s just like me. And they are surprised that people do business with people they like. Here’s what he does and he uses tons of spelling and grammatical mistakes because you know what he was a truck driver. So, he can’t have perfect English. Alex: And there’s the truth again. Yanik: He’s a truck driver. So, here’s a quick little thing in his copy. He says; “The way the money builds up.” And he builds in all caps. “There’s a formula. Naturally you place ads and sell this and that and blah, blah, blah. But you do not earn $250,000 in one year hocking information products because you place some crazy ads.” And then he just keeps going on from there. It’s great. Alex: That is a great example and you know sometimes he’s speaking to the salt of the earth. Not everyone is a PHD and if there is someone who is driving a truck and has great marketing skills you don’t need to have a PHD to do that. And he kind of resonates with that group. Yanik: Right. Alex: So how about Instant Internet Profits. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

68


Case Study #41: Instant Internet Profits Yanik: Yeah, this is a great one how we’re selling the course talks about. One of the paragraphs in there, in the original copy says; “I started InstantSalesLetters.com just last February. I started from absolute zero so I know exactly where you’re coming from. It’s definitely not some distant memory for me.” So that’s a great phrase you can use. And if you use a phrase like; “If you’re like me..” Alex: Exactly.

Case Study #42: Cable Descrambler Client Alex: I have a great case study there is a gentleman who is a great traffic creator who lives in Chicago and he sales cable descramblers. And he was doing very well but he wanted to get is value per visitor up. And we just mirrored conversation in the prospect’s mind. I asked him one simple question. “Do you get phone calls for these cable descramblers?” And he said; “yes we do.” I said what’s the number one question they ask? And I thought the number one question would be; “Is it illegal?” Well guess, what’s the number one question they asked, do you think? Yanik: That’s what I thought, was it illegal. Alex: No. Is it available in my area? So when you went to his page that was is opt-in. We just changed it. That’s all we did is put that opt-in box and then it said yeah Yanik it is available in the Maryland area. You know blah, blah, blah. And now their mind was off the ball of getting sold and it was focused on, oh boy I get it. So that’s a very powerful case study. It increased the value per visitor for this gentleman by about three times you know, three hundred times just by mirroring the conversation in the prospects mind.


69


Case Study #43: 1ShoppingCart.com Exit-Popup Alex: I have another case study you go to http://www.1ShoppingCart.com/alex the shopping cart that I use and I think Yanik that’s the shopping cart you use sometimes too. Just go to that site and let the site load and then close the browser and you’ll get an exit popup routine. Study that routine because it’s very, very powerful. I’m not going to divulge what the mirroring technique is. But when you see how specific the mirroring is you’ll find why they get so many people to come back and recycle customers and prospects who were never going to buy they have them come back and handle specific mirroring questions. The key point is: mirror the conversation going on in the prospect or customer’s mind. Yanik: Yeah, Robert Collier use to say; “Enter the conversation going on in the prospect’s mind.” And that’s exactly what we are doing here. Alex: Very very powerful and we promised everybody to see the, spotting the motivators. The 11 motivators I gave it before. Look for that just read all the post-itnotes we put there. http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/spotting11motivators.pdf Just check out how we’re mirroring the reader’s conversation with each point and it’s pretty powerful copy. Anyone who’s on this call would agree because it convinced him or her. Yanik: Right. Ok, Mind-Motivator #12.


70


Mind-Motivator #12: Courting - To Build Rapport At A Comfortable Pace Alex: I do give away 3 free chapters at http://www.MarketingWithPostcards.com

Case Study #44: Examples of Courting Alex: An opt-in is courting the customer. We aren’t asking to buy. We’re asking them for a date. For a first date -- $3.95 test drive for thirty days. That’s what 1ShoppingCart does. Now here’s what happened with 1ShoppingCart before it was a free trial. And there’s no such thing as a free lunch right? So, people who got the free trial with 1ShoppingCart about 14% of those people converted to customers after going through the process about 30 to 90 days. The moment I slapped up $3.95 test-drive. That’s more of a committed courting process Yanik: A little. Alex: Just a little bit. It’s not stinging so much right? Yanik: No. Alex: But its kind of like oh I got to put some good clothes on to meet this date. You know I always liken it to having a first date and you take it seriously. Well guess what? The answer is a 14% to 52% conversion. About 4 times just by adding a $3.95 test drive. Mike Litman at http://www.MikeLitman.com he uses free audio interviews as, you know, his courting process. Listen to what I have. Mark Victor Hanson and Jim Rohn and all these guys. These are amazing personal development folks. Bob Proctor he gives you a little taste of what he has there


71


and he courts you. Armand Morin who’s on this call right now. Armand uses for Ebook Generator he gets you to test it out for free. Right now at this moment I wouldn’t be married and have two kids if I didn’t court my wife. If I asked for marriage the first date I would’ve got a slap on the face and I would’ve never seen her again. But you know the fact is I asked her out to lunch not dinner. There’s too much vulnerability there. It’s asking too much. I asked her out to lunch and we went to dinner. We dated exclusively for 3 months and then after about a year and a half we got engaged and then we got married. She’s been my best friend for about 8 years. It all started with courting. You would never ask for someone’s hand for marriage on the first date. You wouldn’t ask certain things from people on the first meeting or date. Why do you ask for the order on the first date? Yanik: Great point! Alex: You know it just doesn’t make sense.

Case Study #46: Larry Carlson Alex: Yanik this is a gentleman who got the notice from you. He’s on this call right now. You want to hear the courting vibe that he gave his wife on the first date? They’re at a dance right, his wife Donna. I talked to him. I’ll never forget this. You know what he said? They’re at the dance and he courted her. And he didn’t say hey lets go to the back of the car. He didn’t say lets go to a movie. You know what he said? “Can we sit this one out?” What a great question. Can we sit this one out? I mean what an amazing case study. That’s like courting and mirroring all in one. So use that process when you’re opting in people into your sales process don’t ask for the order too soon build rapport at a comfortable pace. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

72


Profitable marketing is determined by the quality of your relationships. Gain those relationships slowing. There’s a great book by Ian H. Gordon, it’s called Relationship Marketing, new strategies, techniques, etc. and to win the customers you want to keep and keep them forever. Definitely get that book. Do you have anything to add on courting? Yanik: No. I totally agree with you. If I asked my wife to marry me the first date we wouldn’t be married. Alex: Yeah, how long where you engaged with Missy? Yanik: We were engaged for a year and a half. Alex: And you know what I noticed that the longer you court a customer the higher the lifetime value. I mean you can do it selfishly and do a slow sale and what the lifetime value go up because people just know like and trust you. Yanik: Well here’s one of my favorites #13 Mind-Motivator.


73


Mind-Motivator #13: Curiosity - To Seductively Attract More Attention & Interest Alex: You’re good at this too. Yanik: Remember Joe Sugarman at the top of our call talked about how he adds curiosity to his stories as well. Here’s something that’s so important to get. Everyone knows the old Enquire commercials. “Enquiring minds want to know.” Well people are so extremely curious. And a lot of times you can use curiosity in just about anything. So here’s case study #47.

Case Study #47: John Wright’s Intro Yanik: There’s a guy named John Wright who sells a business opportunity in a bunch of ads in publications. And here’s one piece of the copy. “This secret is incredibly simple. Anyone can use it. You can get started with practically no money at all and the risk is almost zero. You don’t need special training or even a high school education. Doesn’t matter how young are old you are. And it’ll work for you at home or on vacation.” Does that make you curious? Alex: Yeah, I want to know what’s coming next. Yanik: Yeah, I want to know what his incredible secret is. Alex: Joe Sugarman used curiosity with the Blu-Blocker infomercial. He talks about his a lot. He never showed you what it looks like through the glasses but he just showed you through the reactions from all those people. Yanik: Great point!


74


Alex: You know the whole commercial was just a compilation of testimonials. People going “Oh my gosh! Look at that!” And what do you want to do you want to look through the right side of the glasses to see what they see. And he never gives you that opportunity. It’s a brilliant, brilliant use of curiosity.

Bonus Case Study: Val-Pak Coupon Ad Yanik: Absolutely. Here’s a little Val-Pak coupon. This is a bonus one of my ads that I created for my uncle who use to own a deli. And people will recognize this if they’ve studied Gary Halbert. Here’s the headline for the Val-Pak; “Local Deli Owner Swears Under Oath That His Matzo Ball Soup Doesn’t Contain Any Illegal Addictive Ingredients.” How’s that? Alex: Anyone with a restaurant can totally relate to that. See you don’t have to be a information publisher. This works for any type of product. Yanik: Yeah, that totally works great.

Case Study #49: Teaser Email Copy Alex: One of the email “teaser” copy used by Jim Maddox who is one of the great traffic creators and traffic generators of our time. He speaks with us at the system conferences. He sends out a teaser email that read; “Pop-quiz: What’s the fastest easiest most economical way to increase your sales and profits without spending a dime or more on promotional cost?” Right. I mean you want to know what that is. Yanik: You got to know.


75


Alex: And click here for the answer. So a lot of people are on this call because they read that teaser and that’s how powerful curiosity is. You’re a living testimony being on this call to how powerful this Mind-Motivator 13 is. What else do you have?

Case Study #48: Nightingale-Conant Envelope Copy Yanik: I have a great case study from Nightingale-Conant on their teaser copy of their envelope. Which is the ad copy on the front of the envelope to get you to open it. Here’s how it goes; “The business executive was deep in debt and couldn’t see no way out. The creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on a park bench, head in hands wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy. Suddenly an old man appeared before him. I can see something is troubling you, he said. After listening to the executive’s woes the old man said, “I believe I can help you.” He asked the man his name and wrote out a check and pushed it into his hands and said take this money. Meet me here exactly 1 year from today and you can pay me back pay me back at that time. Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he come. The executive looked down and saw in his hands a check for $500,000 signed by…” And it says; “continued inside.” Alex: Would you open that envelope? Yanik: Yeah, you got to rip that open. Alex: Here’s another one. It’s a large 8x10 envelope and it says; “The general figured he had nothing to lose when the brash young man who never held a pistol in his life boasted that he could cut training time in half for the United States Army pistol shooting program the general smiled. When he vowed that he raise his success rate at the same © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

76


time, the general laughed. But when the man insisted that he wouldn’t take a penny in payment unless he was 100% successful, the general said; you’re on! Using the very same techniques that would make him a millionaire before his 29th birthday continued inside.” That man is Anthony Robbins the product is Personal Power. And there’s probably no one on this call that has never heard of that product. Yanik: How about you tell us the one about Boardroom Reports.

Case Study #50: Boardroom Report’s Teasers Alex: Well if anyone wants to go online to http://www.BottomLineBooks.com. This is the company that was built by your friend and mine. Unfortunately I never got to meet him but he was one of the greatest copywriters of all time. Eugene Schwartz. He has a book called Breakthrough Advertising that is… Yanik: Nearly impossible to find. Alex: Impossible to find I had to bribe someone and paid them a couple hundred bucks. I think that was Bret Ridgeway. Bottom Line is of course Boardroom Reports and they use curiosity like nothing else. They’re the best. So study them. If you go to http://www.BottomLineBooks.com you’ll see; Health Secrets, Wealth Secrets; Life Secrets; Business Secrets; People Secrets. I’m sure for woman’s menopause there would be Menopause Secrets. Any type of secret you can think of they talk about and according to Joe Sugarman. I was listening to an audiotape while going to Starbucks this morning and he said; “Look the number one driver, the number one technique to sell books and tapes and how to courses is, curiosity.” Yanik: Or anything in direct marketing. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

77


Alex: Yeah, it’s curiosity. So this Mind-Motivator has work since the time of Caesar and it is as powerful as they come. In fact, Mark Anthony writes his speech after Caesar had died. If you study that speech it’s all about curiosity because he first starts by talking about what Brutus had done and all of a sudden he had the mob turn on Brutus because of this curiosity appeal and keeping the crowd captivated. Yanik: Let me give you one headline or bullet from http://www.BottomLineBooks.com so you guys can see how powerful they are. Alex: Sure. Yanik: “What never to eat on an airplane.” Alex: Or the number, I mean we have a lot of curiosity appeals in our bullet points; the number two secret that will drive more sales day after day month after month, or the number one marketing secret to use on a weekend. Yanik: That’s great. Alex: You know really, really powerful. I did something using curiosity. I wrote a letter that had a ad enclosed and the ad was three pages and on the envelope is said; “Do not open yet.” Right? And the cover letter was to 100 people. I sent it on January 2nd it was like a New Years gift. I put a pin with my name and my phone number. It was to people like Mark Victor Hanson and Jay Abraham and people I really wanted to get to know me better …Robert Allen, Harvey Mackay, etc. And what I did was I put a cover letter and said look I‘ll tell you about the envelope in a minute please don’t open it yet. You know the one says do not open yet? Right. Which makes someone want to do it.


78


Contained in that envelope is the word’s most successful ad of all time. This ad has sold billions and has been a lead generator. Rumor has it that the copywriter, T.J. only wrote it in one sitting. This ad is only 1,478 words long. I think it is something like this I’m getting it from my head. And it has over 50 testimonials at the end. This ad drives leads day after day, month after month, year after year. It’s been running for 200 years and it’s the single greatest ad of all time. You and I would not be living in this country if it weren’t for this ad. What is this ad? Well I’m not going to tell you. You’re going to have to find out. Yanik: Now you just tipped me off to it. Alex: Jonathan Mizel told me this, he said; “When I read that cover letter and I opened up that envelope.” And you see how I’m building curiosity here? Yanik: Absolutely. Alex: He said; “You know, Jules and I cried.” When I read that. I’m being serious for a moment because it has that kind of emotional appeal because at that time it was just after you know. Yanik: 9/11 Alex: 9/11 and I didn’t mean it to be that way. It just turned out that way and what a great idea to put a premium into someone’s hands to call attention to it. Everyone can read that ad and see what it was anytime anywhere because it is available in about every library. But if you want to see the cover letter to that ad, it was pretty clever. Go to http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/doicover.pdf. The key point here is curiosity attacks prospects, salesmanship often repeals.


79


Mind-Motivator #14: Authority - To Borrow Credibility From Trusted Individuals Yanik: Authority to borrow credibility from trusted individuals.

Case Study #51: Stanley Milgram’s Experiment Alex: Let me talk about Stanley Milgram’s experiment. Now he had a famous experiment. Robert Cialdini talks about it and a lot of other folks talk about it. Here is the deal. Yanik you act like you’re my subject. You’re one of 40 people. You’re asked to come in individually and you come into a setting and you see a teacher and a learner. And he learner is hooked up to this shock machine that has like these 30 shock switches on it that gives these volts from worse to deadly. And there all these gauges and what happens is every time the learner forgets something and loses their memory because they have been given a test, there’s an electrical shock administered. And so the person administrating the shock saying going ahead is the subject. Which is “You”. So you say go ahead and administer the shock because he got the wrong answer. So they get another answer, shock again and the shock value goes up. And gets another wrong answer and the shock goes up. The whole thing was a farce. This Mind-Motivator is called the power of authority to borrow credibility from a trusted individual. Here the authority was the white coat you know with the experimenter. And here’s what happened I mean it’s not only shocking but, no pun intended. It’s really alarming. But what happened was these shocks would go up. They had to stop the experiment because people were having breakdowns who were the people being the subjects. They would go up to this painful area of the shock meter and it would say: “Extremely painful but no permanent tissue damager.” And they would keep going and


80


they would keep ok all 30 switches. In fact, as the switches got more and more it even said deadly. Do you know not one out of those forty subjects quit? You know so they just keep saying keep shocking this person. You know, so two out of the forty said, “Yes” to all 30 of them, but not one out of the forty quit after the victim demanded to be released. That is a bad example of how to use authority. Of course there are many dictators in our past (which I won’t name) who have used the power of authority the wrong way that’s why we said we only want you to use this ethically and morally.

Case Study #52: Joe Sugarman Endorsement Alex: But we used it in our sales letter with Joe Sugarman. You know he was an endorsement for us. (See http://www.CopyWritingCoach.com/21motivators/alex) He wrote the book on Psychological Triggers. I said, who better than to give us a testimonial? Right? Consider this interesting story -- Case Study #53 …

Case Study #53: Oakland Chamber of Commerce Alex: When I first came to the North Bay, Oakland is not far away and I had a relationship with the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. Didn’t know a soul. Ten days into living here, after coming here from Manhattan, because my son Gabriel was born and we wanted to be close to family, I filled a room of 80 chairs by using authority. And here’s what I did. I went to the Oakland chamber. I emailed everybody, fax blasted everybody, and the authority copy line started this way; “By special arrangement with Joe Haraburda …” was the President and CEO of the chamber of commerce, “You are cordially invited to a very exclusive 1 ½ hour conference.”


81


This had to do with tax reduction and how to reduce business taxes. And it was around March so it was very relevant. So how does a stranger fill a room like that? Well you borrow credibility from a given authority. It’s called a Bell Cow Theory. Now here’s what a bell cow is. I know Roger Parker is on the line. I know he is acknowledged as “the $37 million man.” He’s written all these books for the Dummies™ people, designs for dummies books. The bell cow concept works as follows: a farmer gets the most intelligent cow and puts a bell around the cow’s neck and trains that cow to come into the barn. Now if you have 50 cows out in pasture you only have to train one cow and the 49 others follow because they hear the bell. That’s where the bell cow concept comes in. Does that make sense? Yanik: Absolutely. Alex: Very leveragable. You only train one cow instead of all 50. Well if you borrow credibility from lets say an affinity group, a chamber of commerce, a networking community, an Internet marketing trade association and you’ll get the same. I used one for a home alarm system.

Case Study #54: Home Alarm System Alex: This is a pretty funny authority story. It was an alarm system a home alarm system that was on television and they asked the question, “we need an authority figure here and we want to use a police chief. Do you think that is a good idea?” What do you think I said? Yanik: I think you said no.


82


Alex: I said no. Because you know, a police chief is chasing people who broke into homes. Instead we had a redeemed thief who’d gotten out of jail and new all the ends and outs of alarm systems. So that thief is a much more credible authority than a police chief. Doesn’t that make sense? Yanik: Absolutely that’s great. Alex: What’s the resource for this? Yanik: The resource everyone needs again we talked about his a little bit before is; Influence The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini. Alex: Yeah the key point is again here is this: by borrowing credibility you shave off years of rapport building with total strangers. Ok number 15 Mind-Motivator is scarcity why don’t you take it away.


83


Mind-Motivator #15: Scarcity - To Elicit Action By Inducing The “Fear of Loss” Yanik: You know people are pretty funny. They’re motivated by the thought of losing something more than the thought of gaining something. So that’s why deadlines, limited opportunities, limited production numbers will work really well.

Case Study #55: Hot Christmas Toys Yanik: So here are a couple examples; a couple holiday seasons ago the hottest thing out there was the Play Station II. I’m not a huge video game person but I do like to play them every once and a while and even I was out there looking for it. I was going to find it and I really wanted bad because it was so raw. And think back to a couple years ago even before that, Tickle Me Elmo. You had women beating each other up over it. Cabbage Patch Kid, Furbies you know, just because they’re so scare. So here’s another personal example; case study 56 is the car that I drive now.

Case Study #56: S2000 Roadster Yanik: A Honda S2000 Roadster. A little cool two seat convertible silver with a red interior. And uh when I bought it the first year Honda came out with that car they only made 5,000 of them. So this increased my desire even more. I was comparing a between a Mercedes SLK and S2000. The SLK was available through any dealer and the S2000 was so hard to find that I really wanted that one more. And the silver with red interior was even more rare. So I had to be put on a waiting list and dealers are getting all these ridiculous mark ups like $5,000 over MSRP and so on. So I even traveled. I called dealers all over the country and even traveled 600 miles to go and retrieve this thing. So I went up to upstate New York to get it.


84


Alex: You were victim of scarcity. Yanik: Absolutely, absolutely. Alex: Did we talk about the Jerry Garcia postage stamp? Yanik: That was a good one too. A lot of times you will see in USA Today there’s a company here. Actually I’m a friend of the guy who knows the owners of them. So I’m hoping to meet them one night for dinner. And a lot of things they sell are collectables and they run a lot of ads for limited edition commemorative stamps. So here’s the copy that they run for Jerry Garcia stamps. “Collectors are already predicting that in the very least these Jerry Garcia stamps will be more sought after and be more desirable than the United States Rock & Roll stamps series featuring Elvis and Buddy Holley the most popular and commemorative postage stamps of all time. Over 500 million Elvis and Buddy Holley stamps have been issued. When you compare that to the Garcia stamps that were issued in a strictly limited edition. Just a few thousand were available worldwide. You can see the irresistible appeal these stamps have on collectors, Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia fans with advertorial copy. Alex: Even postage stamps? Yanik: Even postage stamps.

Case Study #58: Robert Collier’s “Closeout Sale” Alex: I have a great case study this is number 58 from Robert Collier. It’s from his “Million Dollar Sales Letters” book. It’s not the “Letter Book” big version, it’s the … Yanik: Million Dollar Sales letters. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

85


Alex: Yes, “Million Dollars Sales Letters.” It’s part of Copywriting Classics actually I should know the name of it. Here’s the letter it says; “790 left over Ulster’s at a big discount.” If anyone doesn’t know what an Ulster is, I think it’s like a long coat. And it say; “Dear Sir. In the rush and excitement of selling in the past two months 21,000 keep warn winter Ulster’s. There was no time to pay attention to exactly how sizes and colors were running. The result is now, with the season nearest end we find ourselves with 790 coats leftover in all sizes but without a complete range of sizes in any one color. There are dark grays and blues and beautiful brown, heather mixtures. We’ve sold these in the past…” listen to this. …all the way up to $47 dollars.” Obvious this was in the 30’s and 40’s right. “Really handsome collars, all of them but we can’t be sure of having your exact size...” Great reason why and great truth. He continues “… in the color you specify and you know how the over coat season is. If these Ulster’s are not all disposed of before Christmas…” another great reason why, and adds, “… some of them will be probably on our hands until next Fall.” “So rather than carry any of them until then…” Until then,” that’s great us of Scarcity. And “…we’ve decided to make one sweeping reduction and offer these 790…” Ok specificity and scarcity. Followed by “…smart distinctive beautifully tailored great coats a fine warm double texture pure wool cloth for only $27.65.” Again specificity. Listen to this. “This is the lowest price we have ever made on these all wool keep warm Ulster coats. Just try to find their equal in style, in workmanship, in find quality material for $40 or $50 dollars you won’t be able to only 790 coats left.” Yanik: Yeah it combines a bunch of different Mind-Motivators that’s so powerful.


86


Alex: What are the different types you use for scarcity? Yanik: We’ve used deadline, limited supply, prepublication offer and a lot of things. What else have you’ve used? Alex: Well I love wine. Wine is a great scarcity commodity because you know you can buy wine as futures, you know, in a barrel. And if it’s really good wine what ends up happening is the futures get sold out and it creates a feeding frenzy for the following year. So scarcity is key. Sometimes you have a bad year in wine and they sell it at a huge discount and they use that as a reason why. So the Million Dollar Sales Letters by Robert Collier is a great resource for this so is the Influence The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini. The key pint here is the scarcer the product or service the greater it’s value. Number 16.


87


Mind-Motivator #16: Challenge - To Dare People Into Quickly Taking Action Yanik: Challenge to dare people into quickly taking action.

Case Study #59: Copywriting Classics “$100 Wager” Alex: Right now I do this with a $100 wager. I’ll make you a $100 wager on Copywriting Coach. I’ll bring up the copy. It’s been pretty successful for me. Let me bring it up here. It goes as follows. It’s kind of like the Joe Sugarman concept. It says; “How many times have you asked yourself what will it take to make big profits on the Internet? Well, I’m going to make you a $100 wager that you’re far better at Internet marketing than you think. If I’m right you win. If I’m wrong you loose nothing. Could anything be fairer than that? Let me explain.” So there you have curiosity there you have challenge, and there you have nothing to use. By the way there, the $100 wager is the testimonial. If you give me a testimonial I’ll give you a hundred bucks off because I have none on this page. It’s pretty powerful. Another one is I think by John Carlton great copywriter and I think you met him this past weekend right? Yanik: Yeah I saw him last week.

Case Study #60: How To Golf Course Alex: He is one of the great copywriters living today. It’s an ad and it’s about golfing listen to this it’s a great challenge. “If petite woman and 12 year old kids are using this to hit perfect drives over 250 yards. Imagine what it can do for you. How does a out of shape 55 year old golfer crippled by arthritis and 71 pounds overweight still consistently


88


humiliate PGA pros in head to head matches by hitting every tee shot further and straighter down the fairway.” Yanik: And that also combines curiosity and stories so. Alex: Yeah and specificity. Yanik: Yeah. Alex: Very, very powerful. Yanik: Two three four punch there.

Case Study #61: Oreck Vacuum Cleaner Mailer Alex: Yeah and then you got David Oreck he sells these vacuum cleaners that are industrial strength. Yanik: He kind of looks like the Purdue chicken guy. Alex: Yeah he looks exactly like him. I bet you he’s like a double or maybe his twin. Here’s what his headline states. You see a picture of him. You see him leaning on his Oreck vacuum cleaner and he’s crossing his legs. He says; “I’m so confident you’ll love my 8 pound Oreck SL I’ll give you $10 just to try it out, David Oreck.” And you have a $10 bill there. I mean it’s a great challenge. You talked about the Body for Life challenge when we were doing the curriculum. Tell them more about that.


89


Case Study #62: Body For Life Challenge Yanik: Case study 62 is http://www.BodyForLife.com it’s a guy name Bill Phillips who has a best selling book by the same title. They challenge people to take the Body For Life fitness challenge for 12 weeks and they have all these cash prizes and all these other prizes that are really cool. But they really challenge you for 12 weeks to get into your optimal shape. Alex: Yeah and of course there’s the Pepsi Challenge right?

Case Study #63a: Avon Alex: And Avon had a great campaign called Dare to Change your Mind about Avon because they were talking about higher quality products because people had an image of low quality products in the 80’s about Avon. Armand Morin a friend of both of ours. He’s doing the Big Seminar in January. At http://www.BigSeminar.com/alex listen to this headline this is pretty cool. It says; “I’m telling you to use me and tap into my personal network of some of the most successful marketers on the Internet. Let me personally introduce you to each one and I’m going to let you pick their brains for 3 full days.” And it goes on and on it’s a thousand dollar seminar and you can check it out at http://www.BigSeminar.com/alex Yanik: Let me read one little block of copy from http://www.InstantInternetProfits.com because this shows another way of doing a challenge it’s almost like intimidating people to buy. So here’s the paragraph; “Listen, there's something else I need to mention and please don't take it the wrong way…


90


To me, financially it doesn't matter if you invest in this course or not because my first web site along with the half-dozen others I've set up since then will continue providing me with a high 6-figure income. My office expenses are nearly all fixed and I really don't have much to worry about. In fact, your decision to get started won't affect my lifestyle one way or another I'll still go on long vacations, rollerblade in the park and generally keep having a good time…but I guarantee it will affect yours.” Alex: Great, it’s brilliant. Again I was listening to Joe Sugarman tape this morning and he talks about, his great advice is to sell concept not the product. And selling a challenge is selling the concept right?

Case Study #63b: Chess Computer Alex: And he sold a chess computer. Do you remember that? He sold the chess computer via direct mail and it was endorsed by Anatoli Karprov he is one of the great Soviet chess champions. And he created this Soviet challenge. This was during the cold war right so it had some emotional appeal to it. And his headline the way he reads it is; “Can an American chess computer beat the Soviet chess champion?” It went on with: ”Confrontation between American space age technology and Soviet physiological weapon.” That thing was so powerful Yanik he got a letter from the Soviet Union demanding him to stop. You know he talks about that. So throwing down a challenge is very powerful.

Case Study #63c: Autoresponder Sequence Alex: In my autoresponder sequence anyone goes on that and you don’t purchase the course from me you’ll get; “Frankly I’m puzzled Yanik. Everyone else seems to be


91


talking about Market with Postcards at this point and you haven’t ordered yet I’m wondering why. Did I do something wrong?” And that’s the frankly I’m puzzled or frankly I’m astonished letter. And if you opt-in at http://www.MarketingWithPostcards.com you can take a peak at that. I think on day 18. That’s case study #63. What’s our resource for this one? Yanik: This is one of my favorite books. There’s one of them is by Maxwell Sacheim that is totally rare and you can’t find but this one I think is pretty reasonable to get and it’s called “Billion Dollar Marketing” by Maxwell Sacheim and Jerry Buchanan. Alex: Well it looks like we’re definitely going to meet our 3-hour deadline. At least we’re over delivering right? Yanik: Yeah. Alex: Ok, the key point for challenge by the way for Mind-Motivator #16 is throwing down challenges dares prospects to take action faster.


92


Mind-Motivator #17: Social Proof - To “Herd-in” More Sales and Profits Alex: Now this is different that just “Proof”, right? Yanik: Yeah, there are some slight differences and social proof really deals with other people. Let me give you an example. Case Study #64 so you can see exactly how it works quickly and easily.

Case Study #64: Standing Ovation Yanik: I was in New York recently and we saw a show called, “Suessical,” which is about Dr. Sues all his works brought to life in a Broadway show. Its really amazing a great production. After the shows over a couple people got up to give the actors standing ovations. I was sitting looking around to see what was going on. A couple more people stand up. A couple more people stand up. It comes to a certain point where you were just compelled. There was no possible way you could just site there in your seat while everyone around you were giving a standing ovation. Alex: You can’t help it. Yanik: No. There’s no way. Alex: That’s a great example. I think canned laughter is another great example. When you’re watching a sitcom that laughter is canned and it’s kind of motivates you to laugh because it’s social proof.

Case Study #65: Grand Opera In Italy


93


Alex: Robert Cialdini talks about, I think it’s pronounced, “Claquers.” They’re the grand opera in the 1800’s in Italy. They were actually paid to clap and they were paid certain amounts of money to clap for certain things, you know. Yanik: Yeah like loud clapping would be this amount. Standing ovation with yelling or something like “Bravo, bravo! Was assigned another dollar amount. And that starts people doing it because they see other people doing it. Alex: No question.

Case Study #66: Bartenders Tip Jar Yanik: And you see this all the time in the bars where bartenders salt their own tip jar. Alex: Yeah, if there is anyone who works in a bar just put a few bucks in the jar and you’ll get dollars. If you put cents in the jar you will get cents. Yanik: Yeah it’s pretty interesting. Now here’s a very practical application for social proof and that’s case study 67, testimonials.

Case Study #67: Testimonials Yanik: You know, testimonials from all kinds of people are very powerful not only for proof but it’s social proof because hey the more you can make it these people are just like me in the testimonials that’s even better. Alex: Right. Yanik: And Ken McCarthy who runs The System training seminar that we’ve been alluding to does a great job of testimonials on a website promoting the seminar. You


94


can check out http://www.MoreTrafficNow.com and you can see what he’s done there are audio testimonials which are very, very hot. And I know that you’ve have tested instances where that has increased your conversion and visitor value right? Alex: Yeah visitor value because it increases session time by breaking the silence of the web. We talked about that a lot. What Ken did, that was just sheer brilliance in marketing is he took videos testimonials from The System #1 which was in April. And then for System 2 just recently it was in September what he did for the landing page sales page was he took those pictures of the people that were on video and he took the audio testimonials, Matt Fury who makes over a million bucks a year selling self defense video tape. Right. He took those testimonials of how great the system was and he gave social proof auditory and visually. What a brilliant way. Take testimonials after you first conference or teleseminar and then run it on your sales page for the son of and the grandson of and you’re have social proof second to none. Yanik: Yeah. You don’t even have to do that you can get people calling in and you can record it right? Alex: That’s right. Yanik: Calling in over a regular telephone. Alex: Now, Armand Morin does this very, very well he has people record audio testimonials and when you go there you can just click on to audio testimonials. http://www.SalesLetterGenerator.com/alex and at http://www.GoGenerator.com/alex There’s an audio testimonial of me and basically he just called me up one morning and I have the product and I love the product and he asked me a few questions. I gave an


95


audio testimonial. People stay on longer just to listen to it again it’s curiosity based and there’s much more to do than just to read. Listening is more interesting. Yanik: Yeah and also another place you can check out testimonials with using visual and pictures. And also using screen shots of people’s websites to make it even more realistic is at http://www.InstantInternetProfits.com Alex: That’s right and the key point is? Yanik: Social proof gives prospects more comfort and confidence to take action. Alex: Number what 18? Yanik: 18. This is contrast. So this is Mind-Motivator 18 to introduce an offer with best, better and good.


96


Mind-Motivator #18: Contrast - To Introduce An Offer With Best - Better – Good Alex: Ok, what is best, better and good? Here’s the way I use it.

Case Study #68: Exit-pop Down-sell Alex: If you go to http://www.MarketingWithPostcards.com and you read the whole sales page and you don’t purchase I’m assuming that $247 for the 3-ring binder is not in your budget. A huge assumption but I’m making it anyway. The moment you click off that website you get a popup. And it is an exit pop up that I think you talked about at Dan Kennedy’s conference this past weekend. Yanik: Right. Alex: And here’s what it said; “Still undecided? If you’re anxious about parting with your money…” I’m trying to mirror what they are thinking. “...now you can get Market with Postcards Cdrom and save $100 it comes with the same unconditional guarantee.” And the reason why I’m giving the $100 off of course if because I don’t have to give you the notebook, it’s a cdrom and it cost me less. That’s great reason why copy and to pour on the benefits, you still get the same $650 in bonus gifts. Does it work? Yeah it puts an additional three to four thousand dollars in my pocket depending on my traffic and what did it cost? Nothing just the time it’s digital. I get the orders because a lot of people who didn’t want to pay the $247 are willing to pay the $147 if they print out the pages. In fact if you take a look at that popup at http://www.MarketingWithPostcards.com and shut the browser then you’ll see the popup. Every time someone clicks; “I’ll take it” I get $21.40 Ok the landing page after that popup which is the order form. I believe the conversion is about 21%, which is very, very high.


97


Yanik: Yeah, isn’t that amazing. For recycling your visitors people that would’ve left anyway you’re getting $21 what did you say? Alex: $21.40 as of this morning and this is a recycling strategy and here’s the key. Where’s the contrast? I started with $247 and we went to $147. Yanik: Yeah you start high. Alex: Now you build value with http://www.InstantSalesLetter.com the same way. What do you do?

Case Study #69: InstantSalesLetters.com “contrast copy” Yanik: We have a little paragraph that goes like this; “Ok so what’s the cost for this incredible resource. Well realize this collection of sales letters templates could easily sell for thousands of dollars in fact if you ask a top copy writer like myself to produce 39 sales letters for your business you’ll be charged in the neighborhood of ten thousand to $50,000 not including royalties. I currently charge a minimum of $1,500 for a copywriting job and that for a really small job.” Actually it’s gone up quite a bit. “So at a bar bones minimum you’re getting thousands of dollars worth of powerful sales letters at your disposal. I’m not going to charge you anywhere near that amount are even my minimum project price. In fact your total investment for all thirty nine money making fill in the blank sales letter templates is just $39.97.” Alex: That’s awesome. I’m on my knees praising you on that one. That is such an awesome piece of copy and it just put this motivator in place.


98


Yanik: Yeah let me tell people how you can do it as well. Here’s a perfect example; http://www.GetFitWhileYouSit.com this is another one of my sites that I’ve partnered with my personal trainer. When we talk about price. How much his little book is I say; “Ok Jeff what’s the cost for this incredible program? Lets do a quick comparison the last time I check the NordicTrack will set you back over $1,000 and almost everyone I know bought one uses it as a clothing rack within a few weeks anyway. Or you could easily pay $50 - $75 bucks per month for a gym membership you'll probably go to a few times that's over $500.00 per year! Or you could hire a personal trainer like myself to work with you. I currently charge a minimum of $50 per hour for personal training. Normally, my clients work out 3x a week with me - so that's $600.00 per month. This way, I figure at a bare bones minimum you're getting hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of my expertise and training at your disposal inside the new program.”

Case Study #70: Movie Theaters and McDonalds Alex: That’s awesome. You know theaters do this all the time with Coca Cola and Pepsi. McDonalds does it. It’s called the aversion to extreme. That’s the psychological term for it. You have 3 choices and you have the small, medium and large. And the medium is only 25 cents more and it’s 23 cents profit. Super sizing your fries or coke. That is the contrast principle. Now here’s the key. This is the key to this whole mind motivator which is number 18, you have to start high and then end up low. But it has to be at the point of sale.

Case Study #71: Selling High First


99


Alex: So if you go to Sears and you want to buy an appliance, this is also called the appliance sales persons trick. They show you the most expensive refrigerator. Oh, you don’t want that? They show you next in line, least expensive. Oh you don’t like that? They show you less, then you don’t like that because it’s bottom of the barrel. Because you’re not willing to give up all those features you kind of go back up. But if they started low and worked high it wouldn’t have the same psychological value or persuasion factor. Yanik: Yeah, it seems like a lot more. Alex: Yeah, like Men’s Warehouse. They don’t sell you the vest for $90 first. They go and they sell $450 suit, you don’t want that? $325, you don’t want that? $150, you don’t want that? How about this vest for $90? Well, I’ll take the $125 suit can’t be that bad. Yanik: Yeah and car dealers are brilliant at this. When you’re buying a $25,000, $30,000 car then that’s when the real wheeling and dealing goes on. But after they settled you on that, that’s when the fun starts. Because then you’ve committed to spending all that money then they’ll add the alarm system, undercoating, paint sealant, etc. They all just seem like small potatoes so. Alex: It works because of best, better, good. http://www.1ShoppingCart.com/alex If you click to order now, you don’t have to order it but just check out what we have there. It says please select your package and I have the Pro package with details at $599. That’s 25% savings if you buy annually, that’s first. The Basic package is $349, The Starter package is $199 and then guess what? The trial package is everything that the Pro package has for $3.95 for the first thirty days. It’s very, very effective. Check that out it’s there for a reason. I want you to know we did this for this conference. The people who are on your list, my list and a few of our affiliate partners, people paid $79 for this call but many people got in at $49


100


because they got a $30 discount. Now anyone who got that discount they saw it at the shopping cart, it said save $30 right above the price. There they see $79 they go; “Oh no!” and then they go down a bit and see $39 off $49. And I’m sure using that technique we got a lot of people on this call because $49, fifty bucks versus $79 and it’s a much bigger difference. We did it by having the ad tracker (which was a $30 discount), take the money right off. Now granted a few people listening didn’t get the discount and I’m sending them rebate checks because they were absolutely eligible to get it but for some reason the cookie didn’t work or whatever. So there are pitfalls with any shopping cart system but it is a very powerful approach. The key point here is increase your dollar value per order by first offering the best price, then the better then the good in that sequence. When we talk about the Law of Contrast, it doesn’t have to do with price testing for example if you have a, if you’re price testing the Thigh-Master which we’ve price tested at $19.95 and $29.95, when you price test you always test the lowest price first. Because if you have a bunch of people test at $19.95 and then the next week you go to $29.95 then no one is going to be upset if the winning price is $29.95. But if you start at $29.95 and then the winning price is $19.95 you’re going to get a lot of returns. So this law of contrast isn’t for price testing as far as campaigns go, It’s within each point of sale. You could’ve said well the Thigh-Master was $99 and we thrown a bunch of bonuses in and now it’s $19.95. Now, that’s the law of contrast going into effect. But when you’re price testing always test with the lowest price first and move up because if it doesn’t sell at $19.95 you know it isn’t going to sell at $29.95! You know you’ve heard of http://www.StopYourDivorce.com? I think Dean Jackson is the mastermind behind that. I think he started at, maybe $27 bucks and now


101


he’s at $77. So he just kelp going up and up and up and he just got more money. He didn’t upsell anyone purchasing it at $27 There are some masters at this. There’s a guy by the name of, the person who runs http://www.Coachville.com Thomas Leonard if you’re attended any of his seminars and he packs them with 850 people. He does it like an airline ticket. The first 100 get in for $250. The next 300 get in for $350. I paid over $400 because I got in late. A hotel room and an airplane, you’ll buy the same seat, if the plane is packed. Supply and demand the prices go up. So please don’t confuse the law of contrast with price testing there’s a huge difference. Yanik: Thank you Alex. Ok, number 19. Alex: Reciprocity.


102


Mind-Motivator #19: Reciprocity - To Begin “Gifting” Process Of “Quid Pro Quo” Alex: Why don’t we start with Missy’s holiday guilt? I love that one.

Case Study #74: Holiday Guilt Yanik: Ok she’s milling around in the kitchen anyway, she’ll perk up when say her name. So, here’s what happened a couple holiday seasons ago we, I bet everyone has had this happen to them. We sent out holiday cards early. Obviously she was in charge of that or else they would never go out. So we figured we were all done and all set. So we sent out our cards and then like a day a two before, we celebrate Hanukah, like a day a two right before it we got few unexpected cards from acquaintances we didn’t send cards to. So, of course we had to send these people back holiday cards as well. It’s just a real simple illustration of reciprocation. Alex: Now why you think that is? I mean because you got something so you give something? Yanik: You feel indebted to people it’s a natural way that we’re wired.

Case Study #75a: Daisy For $1 Alex: What about Robert Cialdini talks about the Hari Krishna giving away daisies in exchange for a buck how did that story work? Yanik: What they do is they run up to you usually in an airport. I haven’t seen this lately but they use to run up to you in an airport and just give you a flower. They would not take no for an answer. They would say this is our gift to you and they would make sure © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

103


that you could not give it back to them they would not accept it back. And so now this person is looking around and feel totally embarrassed and didn’t know what to do. To create equilibrium in their head they give a donation. Alex: And they get it. Yanik: Yeah, you know what the funny thing about it is? The Hari Krishna would go out, they knew that these people would just throw away the flower. So they go and check all the garbage cans right close to the area that they were giving them away and recycle them. Alex: Recycling right? Yeah that’s hysterical. Well I’m going to do some reciprocity for Roger Parker I said rogerparker.com and he emailed me and said; “Dear Alex, Best every I have to bug out but it’s http://www.OnePageNewsletter.com take a peek at that that’s were you can find Roger Parker’s stuff. Reciprocity goes a long way. We get a lot of JV partnerships that way. Yanik: Oh yeah, you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours.

Case Study #75b: Personalize Pens Alex: That’s right because fundraisers work this way. Have you ever got a personalize pen from Myron? I can’t remember how many I’ve gotten with my name on it. Yanik: You told me to look out for that. I just got one yesterday... Alex: It’s amazing, isn’t it? It’s incredible the power of this.

Case Study #72: Free 1 On 1 Guerilla Marketing Plan


104


Alex: What I do is for all my coaching clients. My biggest profit making activity for my business is coaching. I enjoy it and it’s one on one coaching, but I give a free 1 on 1 Guerilla marketing consultation based on a sever sentence guerilla marketing plan. And it’s given as a freebie on day 7 of my autoresponder sequence with Marketing with Postcards. And that statement alone is “Reciprocity”, right? You know, go there and you’ll get this. By the way all the resources we’ve been giving you, that’s reciprocity. Napoleon Hill calls it the Golden Rule. You know, it’s lesson 16 in his book, The Law of Success. And basically you can generate a lot of sales if you create it. Yanik: One thing we need to mention, the Hari Krishna story really illustrates that, people don’t even need to ask for it. If you give them an unexpected gift they need to set things straight with you -- to set the balance sheet. Alex: You have a much larger database than I do right? So, I volunteered to do a lot of the work for this class, right? So because I should, you have a database 10 times larger you perspired for that and I honored that. If you have a small database, start thinking about becoming the reciprocity person. You know the person who is the perspiration side of it and does a lot of the work and setting it up. You know I’m taking all of the customer service calls and why? Why should Yanik? He has 40,000 people in his database, I have a tenth of that. So that was my reciprocity and thanking him to do this with me because there’s an unfair advantage for anyone who has a huge database. Because they know like and trust him and many more people I’m going to be a stranger to on this so. Yanik: Not any more. Alex: Well not any more.


105


Mind-Motivator #20: Commitment - To Capture Sales One Shy “Yes” At A Time Yanik: Case study 76. Once again going back to Robert Cialdini’s book. Lets just back up for just one second. What kind of person do you would you like to be know as? Would you like to be known as someone who changes his or her mind anytime the wind blows a certain direction? Or would you rather be known as a person of consistency and commitment? And I would have to say. You know, Alex what would be your answer? Alex: Well you know the answer. Consistency breeds trust. So does commitment.

Case Study #76: “Drive Carefully” Sign Yanik: Right and so that’s the whole idea behind this mind motivator and here’s a great little story. They had college kids going around giving a little 3-inch square sign that said; “Be a Safe Driver.” They had 76% of people said yes to putting up a huge poorly written sign on their front yard that said; “Drive Carefully”. And it was like the worse looking sign ever! It was so ugly. But 76% of the people said yes to this request because two weeks before that those same people had said yes to this little tiny request displaying a square sign saying; “Be a Safe Driver.” Alex: It’s amazing. I mean that’s in Cialdini’s book right? Yanik: Yeah.

Case Study #77: Coin Collection Offer Yanik: And here’s another one from Jay Abraham who we both revere as a master marketer. He developed a promotion for a coin company where they offered perspective


106


customers a $23 starter coin set. 30,000 people purchased the introductory offer. Then from those 30,000 buyers, 3,000 when back and bought $1,000 worth of coins. That’s $3,000,000! Within 6 months they went back to those 3,000 people and sold them 3,000 $5,000 each a coin. Another $3,000.000, at least! And then the company went back to repeat buyers and got 150 to 250 to purchase an average of $10,000 in coins. Alex: It’s all about small commitments. Yanik: Yeah.

Case Study #78: The Video Professor Alex: A couple case studies I have is the Video Professor. You know you only pay for shipping and handling and you get the CD for free. And then there’s all of these other course you can get once you have that piece of real estate in their home. Then they’re committed. They’re a little bit more committed. The way I use this with a lot of my dental coaching clients is we have the patient fill out a postcard that is a reminder to come in for a cleaning in 3 months. They hand sign address zip code and city so when they get hat postcard often in 90 days it’s their writing they’ve committed to it and it just diminishes no show rates and you kind of feel guilty. Hey, I’ve committed to this I wrote it, I better go show up. And it’s a great way for, in dentistry it’s called recall, it’s a great way to get people back in by getting them to sign this postcard put it in a tickler file, mail it a week before their appointment and just people show up like magic. Yanik: Yeah, that’s wonderful. © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

107


Alex: You have Million Dollar Emails as a resource? Yanik, what’s the actual download address? Yanik: The reason we stuck this in here is it is a tiny little commitment to download it and people gone on to purchase all kind of things from us. So you can see how it works; http://www.MillionDollarEmails.com/downloadit Alex: That’s it and I got another resource I don’t think I’ve shared this with you but it is amazing. I don’t know if it works as accurately as they say it does but if it does it is an amazing concept. It’s called, http://www.ClickAlyzer.com

. You know what this thing

does it tells you how far down the prospect is scrolling on your Website and where they’re clicking. And it tells you where they’re committing. Now, Armand Morin told me about it. I haven’t used it but it’s definitely worth a look. If it does what they say it does I think this is going to be changing the face of Internet marketing because people want to know this stuff, Patrick Anderson spends a fortune measuring this kind of information Click Analyzer is a great concept if it does work. Yanik: What was the key point on that? Alex: People make big commitments only after making small ones. Yanik: Great. All right, now our final Mind-Motivator is…


108


Mind-Motivator #21: Consistency - To Build Trust And Product Greater LTV Alex: Case study #80.

Case Study #80: Postcard Follow-up

Alex: Here’s what I do when I’m at a conference I tell people consistently that I’m a follow-up guy and I’m very sincere in my approach and I’ll be a coach to them if they wish. And I’ll have pre-stamped postcards and I’ll write a little hand written note and before I leave that conference I’ll mail that postcard in the mail box and they’ll get it in a day or two. And they are just floored they can’t believe what a thoughtful thing that was I didn’t wait till I got home. So I was consistent with what I was talking about.

Case Study #81: Tele-class, Mark Joiner & Marlon Sanders

Alex: We start our tele-classes on time 12Noon on the button. Mark Joiner if you take a look at his websites they all look the same. Marlon Sanders Yanik: Yeah he does a great job. He just revised his sites all of them look exactly the same for the most parts there’s some consistency there. When you go to a Sanders site you know its Marlon’s. Alex: Yeah they look the same. Case Study #82:


109


Case Study #82: Early Bird Special Alex: Our friend Ken McCarthy. Hey, anyone listening, have you ever tried to go beyond the early bird special date to try to get the discount? What does Ken say? Yanik: No. Alex: No way! No way and you know what? I respect him for that because people know beyond a shadow of a doubt at System 3 means they have to act by that date. No exceptions. Yanik: Oh, they know now for sure. Alex: Yeah, definitely. Yanik: Ok, what else? Alex: Just one more case study.

Case Study #83: Long Distance Offers Alex: I was using MCI for the longest time. I get a call and this MCI operator calls and says hey we have 6 cents per minute for all new customers. I said I’m not a new customer I’m an existing customer can I get that … can I save a cent? And you know what she says, “No.” I said your kidding! She said; “No, this is only for new customers.” You think I’ll ever use MCI again? Yanik: I don’t think so.


110


Alex: I’m a loyal Sprint customer. So, that’s an example of a lack of “Consistency.” Imagine they’re willing to through away an existing customer in exchange for a new one. It’s just ridiculous. But a lack of consistency looses sales that’s case study #83 and the key point is that consistency breeds trust by fulfilling prospect’s expectations. Okay, so those are the 21 Mind-Motivators. You want to just read them off Yanik just one by one will quick?


111


RECAP Yanik:

Okay, here goes:

Motivator 1: Stories - To Create Memories and More Sales Motivator 2: Frequency - To Build Greater Trust and Profits Motivator 3: Reason Why - To Eliminate Skepticism Motivator 4: Surveys - To Acquire Valuable Feedback Motivator 5: Specificity - To Encourage Believability and Creditability Motivator 6: Consumption - To Grow Customer Lifetime Value Motivator 7: Truth - To Quickly Persuade Skeptical Prospects to Buy Motivator 8: Demonstration - To Instill Instant Credibility Motivator 9: FAQ - To Shatter Objections On The Spot Motivator 10: Proof - To Transform The Virtual Into The Real Motivator 11: Mirroring - To Be Known, Liked and Trusted Motivator 12: Courting - To Build Rapport At A Comfortable Pace Motivator 13: Curiosity - To Seductively Attract More Attention & Customers Motivator 14: Authority - To Borrow Creditability From Trusted Individuals Motivator 15: Scarcity - To Elicit Action By Inducing The “Fear of Lost” Motivator 16: Challenge - To Dare People into Quickly Taking Action Motivator 17: Social Proof - To Heard-In More Sales and Profits Motivator 18: Contrast - To Introduce an Offer with Best – Better – Good Motivator 19: Reciprocity - To Begin “Gifting” Process of “Quad Pro Quo” Motivator 20: Commitment - To Capture Sales One Shy “yes” At a Time Motivator 21: Consistency - To Build Trust and Produce Greater LTV Alex: Ok, how about 5 more minutes and give them two free bonuses?


112


Bonus #1 Mind-Motivator: Risk-Reversal - To Bear The Entire Burdon Of Risk Alex: You do this all the time. Yanik: Yeah, I learned it from a lot of people and you included. Here’s a great riskreversal guarantee.

Case Study #86a: Nancy Quan Yanik: There use to be a skin cream by Nancy Quan and she had her bottom of the jar guarantee. And the guarantee was; “If your friends don’t actually accuse you of having a face lift send this back to use for a full refund. And you can send us back the entire empty jar.”

Case Study #86b: Life Force International Alex: That’s a great guarantee. Life Force International is a network marketing company. They have a 45-day empty bottle guarantee. Yanik: Here’s another cool guarantee that I dug up from Maxwell Sacheim. This is for a pipe and the headline was; “Why I offer you this new kind of pipe for twenty bucks.” Here’s the guarantee; “If you are not entirely satisfied after a ten day trial … break the pipe, send me the peaces, and you will owe me nothing.” Alex: It’s a pipe you smoke right? Yanik: Yeah, like a tobacco pipe.

Case Study #85: 21 Mind-Motivators


113


Alex: That’s a great guarantee. What’s the guarantee for our 21 Mind-Motivator Teleclass. 365 days after today if you don’t think it was worth your $49 or anything that you purchased from us today or later on you’re guaranteed for 365 you can get your money back no questions asked. Just doesn’t make sense to do it otherwise.

Case Study #84: Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies When I was in the infomercial business we had a spot TV commercial that was awesome by Rodale Press. Rodale is a huge distributor of books. This was the Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies. Look at this risk reversal. Not only did they have a 21 day free trial but once you started paying it was 3 payments $7.77. So, what an amazing way to capture more sales, eh? By the way, give them the best offer first whether it’s in price or 21 day trial because if that doesn’t work, “buy now” is never going to work. Yanik: Yeah don’t waste your efforts otherwise. Alex: Like Gary Halbert says; “Fail as fast as you can.” The quick tip is by, Time-Life. The spent millions on this term on this phrase you know, remember it; “No further obligations, commitments or expectations on our part.” No further obligations, commitments or expectations on our part. Anytime I speak publicly I talk about should it be 30 days, 90 days, 1 year or lifetime guarantee. Well if someone was going to return your product anyway do you put more pressure on them if it’s 30 days or 90 days? Yanik: Of course. Alex: 30 days. And, if it’s between 90 days and a year what puts more pressure on them if they were going to return it anyway? You know, 90 days. So always give them a © 2002 Alex Mandossian & Yanik Silver

114


longer guarantee because if they were going to return it anyway then you might as well keep the money as long as possible. The key point here is the more risk removed from the transaction the more sales are gained. Yanik: Ok Bonus #2 Mind-Motivator is…


115


Bonus #2 Mind-Motivator: Personalize - To Humanize The Virtual Enterprise Yanik: This is really good for online stuff. And Alex you talked about this earlier when you call customers after online purchases over $150.

Case Study #86: Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies Alex: It’s so easy. Anyone who purchases a postcard marketing course from me from http://www.MarketingwithPostcards.com … I call them the same day. If I’m online I call them immediately and it just blows them away. And all I tell them is they are going to get the course. I tell them was it them who ordered. And they’re very grateful for that. And I tell them I’m calling to demonstrate that this is the beginning of our relationship in business not the end and I hope that our paths cross often. That’s exactly what I tell them. And that one call lasts about a minute sometimes more because folks sometimes want a free consultation on the first call. That has increased my lifetime value for that. If someone purchases a $250 product from me, in this case, they’re worth about $750 on average within

90 to 120 days. Ok,

I have measured it and that’s how powerful it is. So please call up people and find out, you know talk to them they love personalization.

Case Study #87: Yanik Silver.com One of the case studies… I want to just plug you because I think this is a very simple yet brilliant concept; http://www.YanikSilver.com What’s on there? Yanik: Just my head and a bunch of our products and our recommended resources and tools. Also another you haven’t seen I think, is http://www.YanikRecommends.com


116


Alex: I think it’s a brilliant URL because if anyone believes in you then it’s a great way to personalize why you’re recommending these things.

Case Study #88: VIP Guest Code Alex: Personalize in our teaser email with VIP guest code. Ok, we want to give you $30 off if you’re a VIP guest if you’re a part of the database for Yanik myself or any of our affiliate partners, so we gave you a VIP guest code. And it said; “Yanik’s VIP Guest Code is: am3964. By the way that’s my birthday if anyone’s interested and… reciprocity right? It was a very powerful approach because we even had a place in the shopping cart to put that guest code. And it was a VIP guest code it was a personalize guess code.

Case Study #89: Two More Example Websites Alex: Two very important Websites for you to take a look at is http://www.FloridaTicketErasers.com Imagine you get a ticket in Florida, you get a postcard and it say; “Go check this out to erase your ticket online.” Because you can go to online traffic school in Florida and erase your traffic ticket. You go there you type in the count you got the ticket, you type in your name and you type in the ticket number, etc and it pops up a HTML message on the Website. “Hi Yanik in such and such county. Ticket number. You’re in luck you get to save $10 by taking a class within the next 10 days.” And they give you reasons why. It’s just very, very powerful. http://www.StateRecordsInformation.com Jeff Radich a close friend of ours he runs that he’s the number one affiliate for Net Detective which is a spy program to see if people are checking up on you or you can find people who are hard to find. That is a site that gets people into http://www.NetDetective2002.com. If


117


you take a look at how that works you’ll be astounded at how personalize that Website is. These are very simple HTML scripts that I don’t know how to use but they’re I think CGI scripts. Yanik: Yeah, they’re simple for people that are smart and technically oriented. Alex: Yeah very simple. And if you have a name that you want to create for a Website put all your products there if you have multiple products just like Yanik has done. Yanik you email me said AlexMandossian.com wasn’t taken. Right? Yanik: I don’t think so. Alex: And I took it. Yanik: Can you believe it? Alex: I took it and I don’t know if anyone cares about it but maybe someday it will be a value so I took it. So put your name down and create that site and personalize it. You have any final examples for that bonus gift? Yanik: For “Personalization”? Alex: Yeah. Yanik: There’s this one little piece of script that I can’t remember where I found it but I haven’t started using it yet. But you can actually do things where you can inside email where you send them the email the link is personalized so when you get to the Website it’ll say; “Hi Alex, thanks for visiting.” And it takes it all from your database but that’s an easy thing to install to. Alex: Yeah absolutely.


118


Yanik: Like I mention in the beginning and several times through out by just layering them on top of one another you’ll notice in a lot of these examples you see four of them all together and it just becomes a synergistic effect. Alex: I do these things because, these Mind-Motivators make marketing more effective and a lot more leveragable and it’s been an honor sharing this time with you. Yanik: Thank you very much Alex and thank you everyone else for joining us.

# # # End Of 21 Mind-Motivators Tele-Class Transcript # # #


119


RESOURCES THAT ARE “ONE CLICK AWAY” www.1ShoppingCart.com/alex www.33DaysToOnlineProfits.com www.AutoresponderMagic.com www.AutoresponderMagic.com/download www.BigSeminar.com/alex www.BodyForLife.com www.BottomLineBooks.com www.ClickAlyzer.com www.Coachville.com www.CopywritingCoach.com www.CopyWritingCoach.com/108verbs.pdf www.CopyWritingCoach.com/21motivators/alex www.CopyWritingCoach.com/21motivators/yanik www.CopyWritingCoach.com/doicover.pdf www.CopyWritingCoach.com/irsrefundcheck.pdf www.CopyWritingCoach.com/spotting11motivators.pdf www.CopyWritingCoach.com/survey.pdf www.CopyWritingCoach.com/tvhits.pdf www.GetFitWhileYouSit.com www.GoGenerator.com/alex www.InstantInternetProfits.com www.InstantSalesLetters.com www.MarketingWithPostcards.com www.MikeLitman.com www.MillionDollarEmails.com www.MillionDollarEmails.com/downloadit www.NetDetective2002.com www.OnePageNewsletter.com www.SalesLetterGenerator.com/alex www.StopYourDivorce.com www.TWIpress.com/alex www.YanikRecommends.com www.YanikSilver.com www.Zoomerang.com


120

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics By Dan Lok

FREE BONUS SECTIONS

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Bonus #1: 177 Emotional Provoking Words That Can Trigger Your Prospects' Emotions And Persuade Them To Buy Your Product These words can trigger certain emotions that will help persuade your readers to buy. When you sense your copy is in a rut, read this for inspiration. And see if it doesn’t shake things up. Absolutely Amazing Attractive Action Announcing Arouse Astonishing Amateur Authentic Anxious Angry Bargain Beautiful Bold Boost Breakthrough Banish Bonus Bored Confidential Caution Challenge Crazy Conquer Confused Confident Crush Curious Daring Discount Dazzling Deluxe Discover Dynamic

Disappointed Despairing Depressed Discouraged Disgusted Disbelieving Dream Dominated Enormous Earth shattering Excellent Exciting Exclusive Expert Eager Empathetic Envious Evil Experience Easy Enhance Exceed Exceptional Extra Eye-catching Famous Fascinating Fortune Fantastic Free Freedom Failure Fear Feel

Frustrated Fool Gold Gigantic Genuine Guilty Huge Hurry Happy High Helpful Hurt Hopeless Imagine Important Income Impulsive Idiotic Intimidated Interested Instant Innovative Jealous Jam-packed Jump-start Kill Kind Lazy Love Latest Largest Lowest Leading Millionaire

Money Magic Miracle Mistakes Myth Miserable Negative Nervous Notice New Outrageous Pain Popular Powerful Proven Practical Picture Puzzled Quick Relax Reward Reduce Rare Results Remarkable Reliable Reveal Revolutionary Sad Satisfied Save See Shocked Sense

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Smell Stupid Sex Secret Sizzling Smart Skyrocket Sensational Simple Special Startling

Strong Surprise Stop Success System Terrific Test Terrible Think Troubled Truth

Tremendous Top Trick Ugly Unique Unusual Useful Unconditional Ultimate Uncommon Unlimited

Unlock Urgent Vision Visualize Wonderful Warning Win You

Bonus #2: The 26-Point Forbidden Psychological Tactics Master Checklist for Mastering Online Marketing Pre-test the effectiveness of your sales messages. This manual has given you 47 different proven techniques for rocketing your conversion rate and turning potential consumers into buying-bots. It's a lot to think absorb, I know, so I've created something I think you'll appreciate… it's an eye-opening barometer when it comes to assessing whether your message has what it takes to make the sale. This incredible tool has been called “killer app of forbidden psychological tactics.” I've distilled what you've learned into a checklist with the 26 most powerful, psychologically irresistible, consumermagnetic concepts that online marketers are succeeding with today. Not every factor is appropriate to every message, so don't worry if your online text doesn't score a perfect 10…or a perfect 26. In fact, some of the factors may work against a product. (I can't imagine that 'sex appeal' would be particularly effective for Wee Widgets Children's Furniture.com) But more likely than not, if you pack your online marketing message with as many of this proven-inthe-trenches "lures," as you can, you'll practically FORCE a site visitor to open his/her arms (and wallet) to you.. And that, my friends, is a good thing…a VERY good thing.

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION The Forbidden Psychological Tactics Master Checklist How does YOUR online message measure up?

Rate your message using a 1-10 scale for each factor: 10 - I’ve nailed this one! 5 - I’ve got some “tweaking” to do 1 - Holy cow! I forgot about that! 0 - Not the right message for my visitors Remember -- No Cheating!This is no time to lie to yourself. Be honest and be successful. Forbidden Psychological Tactic #1 – Curiosity Have you created an itch that simply has to be scratched? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #2 – Authority Have you used quotes from celebrities, athletes, experts, or with scientific findings and research statistics to add credibility to your offer? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #3 – Consistency Does your message convey the concept that you deliver the same level of product quality and customer service at all times? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #4 – Storytelling Have you selected a conversational, storytelling approach to your message rather than an unemotional, clinical tone? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #5 – Social Proof Does your message include testimonials to reflect the fact that people are deeply affected by what others think? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #6 - Commitment Does your message include a series of small "yes" moments that will take your prospect step-bysmall-step to the final sale? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #7 – Fatal Flaw Have you let your customers "behind the curtain" to see the real reason behind your offer?

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Forbidden Psychological Tactic #8 – Fear Have you used fear of a lost opportunity or another kind of fear as part of your call-to-action? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #9 - Emotion Does your copy convey the emotional "high" that a buyer will experience when experiencing the benefit of your product or service? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #10 – Logic Have you given your customer a good, logical reason so that his reluctant "head" has a reason to say "yes" to his emotions are dying to do? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #11 – Greed Have you provided a benefit-rich answer to the question "What's in it for me?" Forbidden Psychological Tactic #12 – Credibility Does your message include proof of your credibility through testimonials, success stories, before & after pictures, or a demonstration? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #13 – Uniqueness Is the most unique -- and therefore most desirable -- aspect of your product or service clearly highlighted and explained? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #14 – Common ground Have you expressed your message in the "language" of your target market in order to establish a rapport? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #15 – Enthusiasm Are your passionate for your product/service and is your genuine enthusiasm for the benefits it provides clearly stated? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #16 – Instant Gratification Have you made it clear that your customer won't have to wait to enjoy the benefits that your product or service providers? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #17 - Specificity Does your offer include specific numbers (not rounded off) and time frames?

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Forbidden Psychological Tactic #18 – Acknowledgment Have you found a way to flatter your customer for his/her wisdom, prudence, frugality, or other positive trait? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #19– Exclusivity Will your customer feel that he/she has been able to take advantage of something that isn't available to everyone else? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #20 – Magic Pill Have you created a all-in-one solution for your customer's problem? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #21 – Convenience Is it clear that it couldn't be easier to place an order? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #22 – Frequency Is your message part of a larger campaign that will continue to communicate with your target until a sale is made? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #23 – Honesty Have you been careful to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #24 – Objection Resolution Does your offer anticipate and answer all possible objections that a customer might raise? Forbidden Psychological Tactic #25 – Involvement Does your message put a potential customer "in the picture?" Forbidden Psychological Tactic #26 – Reciprocity Have you given "something extra" and made it clear that you've gone above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of your customer?

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Bonus #3: How to Insert Embedded Commands into Your Sentences to Compel People to Act NOW! What you’re about to discover is potent stuff…VERY powerful. The reason these phrases are secretly referred to as “embedded commands” is because they act like a mentalist's post-hypnotic suggestion -they plant little seeds in your customer’s mind…seeds you'll be able to "grow" into a sale. Essentially, you craft the action you want your reader to take and then "put a moustache and dark glasses on it." In other words, you disguise the "command" and present it as casual, innocent-looking sentence. Most people will never see them coming…and their sales resistance won't know what hit 'em. Why they work is better left to psychologists and so-called experts. Let the "head doctors" worry about their business…you worry about yours: successful online marketing with embedded commands. You don't have to understand how this works to use it... Really. Surprise! You've just been introduced to your first embedded command. It's in the phrase above. EC #1: “You don’t have to…” Whatever comes after the “have to” is interpreted by the subconscious mind as a command. Even if a negative word like don’t is used. Your unconscious mind has a limited vocabulary, and it doesn’t include the word “don’t.” Regardless of what your eyes actually see, your mind “reads” the phrase “you DON’T HAVE to as “you HAVE to. Here’s an example: “You don’t have to buy my new e-book Forbidden Psychological Tactics, but maybe you’ll want to continue your education.” EC #2: “People don’t have to…” Fill in the blank with a person’s name. Similar principle. The subconscious brain only hears the persons name and then the command.

Here’s an example: “People don’t have to, Bob, pick up the phone and order...The mind hears “John, pick up the phone and order.” EC #3: “One doesn’t have to...” Same thing! EC #4: “A person is able to...” This is another powerful, very motivational phrase. The mind interprets this phrase as “Other people can do it, so I can, too.” From the Example Department: If your message is “A person is able to use my marketing system, and attract a flood of new customers.” Your prospects will hear: “I’m going to be able to use the marketing system and attract a flood of new customers.

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION EC #5: “ (X) once told me...” Here is a way of making a point, but using someone else to do your “dirty work. Say “Someone once told me that the successful people in life are the ones who make quick decisions” and your prospect assumes two things: first, that someone actually made the statement being quoted. But here’s the “kicker”: your prospect also assumes that what is being said is true. EC #6: “You may or may not...” You may or may not decide to buy my new book Forbidden Psychological Tactics is simply an embedded command for “Decide to BUY my new e-book Forbidden Psychological Tactics.” EC #7: “Can you imagine...” With a phrase like “Can you imagine how great you will look and feel on Monday morning after you’ve used this course and everybody starts noticing the new you?”…You immediately start thinking about the future and taking the course? Once I place you in a future strongly linked to my product, once your mind starts to see yourself in the picture I’m painting, you’ll want what I’m selling. EC #8: “You might notice how good...feels...when you...” This phrase uses a couple of techniques. First the subconscious mind is very sensitive to suggestions. Using the word “good” with the word “feel” suggests “feel good” even if it is in reverse order. Here’s the concept in action: “You might notice how good listening to my tape program feels

while you are driving home tonight.” This example would be an unbeatable way to handle the fear of buyer’s remorse. Rather than letting your prospect start to imagine negative “What if?” scenarios, you simply plug-in the notion that “you’ll feel good in the future.” EC #9: “Fact, fact, fact, and....(clincher)” This is a nifty way of building credibility. Name three or more things that the person knows are true. Then say the next thing that you know is true but you want to convince your client. It’s fourth-place position benefits from the truths that have come before. For example: “Leaders are readers…readers are more educated…readers seek out good books…readers build personal libraries…(Here comes the clincher)…and that is why you should get my book Forbidden Psychological Tactics.” EC #10: “Will you..., now or will you...?” “Will you order my book Forbidden Psychological Tactics now or will you order it later?” This phrase sounds like a choice, but it isn’t really. All roads lead to Rome and in this example, all roads lead to the customer purchasing your product or service. EC #11: “I could tell you that...but” This is a way to write something you want to point out, but then disguise the fact that it was brought up. A magician might call this “misdirection.” Here’s how it works: “I could tell you that my book Forbidden Psychological Tactics is priceless, but I think you already know that.” This approach

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION should also appeal to your ego by flattering you with the phrase “you already know” which suggests how clever you are.

that I’m in control. Most people like to be in control themselves, so this pushes all kinds of buttons in a potential buyer.

EC #12: “Don’t... too quickly”

“Don’t decide to buy all my courses too quickly. Get two or three first, learn them, and then get the rest later.”

Last but not least, I’m giving you one of the all-time, killer-diller commands. It implies that you will come to a decision at some point, but

Bonus #4: Dan Lok’s Sample FAQ to Overcome Objections Dear Reader: Life is full of surprises…and boy am I dealing with one of the XXL variety. As news of my Instant Web Profits Mentoring Program has spread, I’ve been deluged with questions about just what mentoring is, what happens during a mentoring program, how much it costs, and other “frequently asked questions” that I thought most people already had the answer to! Well, like I said…life is full of surprises. So if the reason you haven’t filled out your application for Instant Web Profits is because you have a few lingering questions, let me take care of them right now for you. If you have another reason for delaying…frankly, I can’t imagine what it could be. You already know that “two heads are better than one” and that mentoring is how the world’s most successful people get that way. You understand that working with someone who’s navigated his/her way through the ins-and-outs of business success is the best way to ensure that you avoid pitfalls and costly mistakes. I know that you know all that -- the only thing you don’t seem to know is that if you delay this opportunity will pass you by. Slow and steady may win the race in fairy tales, but in the real world of business -- the race goes to the swift. Your race starts when I hear you say, “Dan, I’m in!” So, review the FAQ below and then get moving…to your cell phone or landline…and call me at 604-583-4999 (PDT). Or just give your mouse a quick click to take you to: http://www.instantwebprofitsmentoring.com/application.html?fpt Stop wondering what you need to do. Mentoring is the answer. And here are the…

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Frequently Asked Questions About Mentoring Q. What is mentoring? Mentoring is a unique combination of consulting and coaching with someone who has already achieved success (your mentor) and can make it easier for you to achieve goals, get focused, solve problems and find your own answers. Q: What is a mentor? A mentor is a paid professional who is your coach, consultant, motivator, listener, teacher and friend. A high-performance achiever who will teach you to be one, too. Q: Why do I need mentoring? Unless you are already a world-class copywriter and you are already a proven expert in driving highly qualified, targeted traffic to your website you are literally robbing yourself of the opportunity for success if you don’t find a qualified, success-driven mentor. “After 6 days, 9,000 unique visitors approximately 4,500 to each page. My old control is doing the same as it should be and the new page is beating it by...drum roll please...166%!! A rather large pay raise. See for yourself what I did to that page and the nuggets I used from your brain that were tremendous. Thanks for everything, Dan.” – Jimbo Read more of Jimbo’s story here: http://www.websiteconversionexpert.com/success/jimbo.html Q. What actually happens during the mentoring process? We talk, learn, create and mutually decide on a plan of action that will aid you in obtaining the results you desire. It’s a long-term relationship designed to get you where you want to go. For details, go to http://www.instantwebprofitsmentoring.com/application.html?fpt Q. Why does mentoring work? Mentoring works because it offers a smart and efficient way to learn success from someone who has already made it and can teach you to do the same. Working one-on-one with a proven winner will allow you to achieve your goals and grow exponentially. Q. Who is Dan Lok to say he’s a mentor? I hope those of you who asked this question were kidding. I am the World’s #1 Website Conversion Expert. My copy -- jam-packed with the irresistible appeals that make consumers salivate… has driven sales of over $25.7 MILLION for products and services offered by mail, e-mail, retail and websites.

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Q. Why should I really take one-on-one mentoring with you? Maybe you shouldn’t! My program is not for everyone. Frankly, if you don’t have a voracious desire to really do something great with your life, we’ll both be wasting our time. However, if you’re open-minded and won’t be satisfied with anything less than major victory… We can work together to achieve some awesome results. Q. Can’t I just attend your seminars? Pie-in-the-sky seminars and crowded bootcamps just don’t work. That’s why I don’t recommend them and why I don’t do them. Except for the notable exceptions, they offer temporary enthusiasm, but no long-term substance or a plan to build on. With me as you’re mentor, you’ll have a plan, tools, and a “task master” that makes sure you don’t quit! Q: Your style seems a bit hard-hitting… do you have to be that way? Who do you want at the “helm” of your success? Some jackass who makes you laugh while screwing you out of your money? Or, somebody like me, who’ll take your business success just as seriously as you do… and will make sure your dump truckloads of money into your bank account? A dumb question, right? Q: What does this program cost? Don’t think about the cost…think about the future. And think about the sub-standard level of success that you’ll achieve if you just keep doing the same old. same old. An investment in my mentoring program will pay for itself ten times over thanks to the tremendous profits you’ll be generating. Okay, you’ve got your answers…so pick up the phone and punch in 604-583-4999 (PDT). My phone lines are always open to my protégés. If YOUR question or questions weren’t answered in this FAQ, please call me immediately at 604-583-4999 (PDT). I don’t want you to lose out on an incredible opportunity just because something wasn’t clear to you. Dan P.S. The Instant Web Profits Mentoring Program is bigger, better, bolder and unlike any other business success coaching being offered on the Internet. It’s YOUR key for unlocking the secrets of success that I’ve already Lok-ed up for myself! http://www.instantwebprofitsmentoring.com/application.html?fpt

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Bonus #5: 21 Irresistible Ways to State Your Guarantee for the Ultimate Risk Reversal 1. SEND NO MONEY NOW. If at the end of 14 days you decide not to keep the book, simply return it without obligation. 2. A shamelessly irresistible, twice as good risk-free proposition: If you decide to cancel your attendance any time up to 2:00 p.m. on Day 2 of the live event (which, quite frankly, is highly unlikely), I want you to keep the ($$$$$ value – product name) as my gift for signing up in the first place. (Abraham Publishing) 3. If you decide to subscribe—and I bet you will, once you see how genuinely informative, useful, and valuable proves to be—you’ll get a full year for only (a discount off the regular price for home delivery). But if not, just return our bill, marked “cancel,” and pay nothing. You can’t lose. This is a win-win situation for you. 4. We guarantee to have your guttering delivered within 48 hours. If we fail, it’s yours FREE. 5. Three Times Your Money Back! In the unlikely event that our parts or labor fail in any way during the warranty period, we’ll pay the cost of repairs plus double that amount for inconveniencing you. 6. Go ahead and shop around for your next (product). I guarantee there are no other (product) that are better built, better serviced, with a lower price. But, if by chance you happen to find a (product) with the same or better quality than ours, and its price is lower…we’ll beat their price by 15% and pay you $10 for bringing it to our attention! Even if you’ve already bought your (product) from us and had it for up to 6 months…we’ll STILL honor this guarantee. 7. If you are in any way dissatisfied with your meal or the service you received, please tell us and the dinner is on us. 8. If you don’t get all the benefits I have promised and more, simply return the (product name) and receive every penny back—including shipping. I’ll pay for the return postage as well! The way I figure it is this: If you’re not satisfied, that’s my fault, not yours! Why should you have to pay anything for it? You have absolutely no risk whatsoever!

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION 9. Try (product name) for a full 6 months. If it doesn’t do everything you hoped, simply request a full refund and the $120 in bonuses are yours to keep…no hassles! 10. You’ll get everything you see listed here, totally risk free! What do I mean by risk free? Simply this: If our product isn’t everything I said it was and more, simply return it for a complete refund including shipping! No hard feelings, no questions asked. 11. And, as is the policy of all the products we sell in our company, my book and software carry an unconditional, money-back guarantee. If my book and software are not everything that I have said they are and you are not in fact overly satisfied, you will receive every cent of your money back. No questions asked. Since we have been in business for 25 years and we are one of the largest companies in the nation, you can count on that guarantee. (Suarez Corporation Industries) 12. There is absolutely no way you can lose—except by not taking me up on a free 30-day examination of <product name>. I personally guarantee that you’ve never heard anything like this. If you aren’t richer, happier, and feel more in control within 30 days after receiving the program, simply return it and owe nothing. (Nightingale Conant) 13. comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. My guarantee is to ensure you are 100% happy with <product name>. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied, I will refund your money. No questions asked. This is an ironclad guarantee, no ifs, and no buts. If <product name> doesn’t deliver, your money will be happily refunded. In fact, you need no reason to ask for a refund whatsoever. Just tell us the dog ate it! We trust your integrity and honesty absolutely. We take the risk and you have nothing to lose, so take your 90-day trial today. 14. Subscribe today. If you think your first issue—or any issue ever—doesn’t deliver at least $XXX worth of ideas and information, you can tell us to take a hike. We will cancel your subscription and send a prompt refund for all un-mailed issues, no questions asked. We won’t be happy to know that we failed your value test, but that will be our problem, not yours. (Selling Power) 15. You can’t lose with our guilt-free, no-risk guarantee and access to the entire program and every one of the bonuses…all for only ! If <product name> is not everything we say it is and you are not completely satisfied with it, then we will refund every penny of your money with no questions asked. That’s more than a guarantee; that’s a promise.

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION 16. Order the videos and bonus tapes now. If you aren’t absolutely delighted, just let us know within 30 days of receipt and your money will be cheerfully refunded. 17. Better than a risk-free guarantee. If, after you purchase this product, you feel for any reason it fails to live up to my promises (or even if you just change your mind) within 60 days, simply send it back for a prompt and courteous refund of the purchase price. No questions asked. But in the unlikely event you decide to return this product for a full refund, please keep all in bonuses as our special gift to you. It’s our way of thanking you for giving us a try. This way, even if you decide it’s not right for you, the worst that can happen is you’ll get in bonuses absolutely FREE. That’s what I mean by a better than risk-free guarantee. 18. If you decide to keep the <product name>, you can pay for it in a few easy installments. If not, send it back at our expense, and you’ll owe nothing. Either way, I’d like to send you a free gift for giving it a try. 19. If you don’t agree that this is the most, eye-opening and life-changing seminar you have ever attended, simply tell me and I’ll issue you a 100% refund on the spot. Plus, I’ll give you an extra $100 for your trouble. 20. My 100% money-back guarantee is yours for the term you select. So take the bigger savings and the extra FREE bonuses you get with two years of my service. Because I’ll return your money — and you get to keep everything I send you—even if you wait until the next-to-the-last month of membership to tell me, “Sorry , I’m not happy with your services.” (Philips Publishing) 21. If you decide to keep it, we’ll bill you in four easy installments of just each. That’s a total of only —not even a drop in the bucket considering that the money secret on page # alone will save you thousands of dollars a year immediately. (Bottom Line)

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Bonus #6: 19 Email Subject Lines That Can’t Be Ignored Part of your success online will be found in how effectively you communicate with customers and prospects. You’ll use a variety of methods -- autoresponders, newsletters, announcements, etc. -- but they’ll all share one key feature: the subject line. Like the headline of a sales letter, the subject line of your email has a tough job to do. It needs to jump off the page and grab your prospect by the eyeballs with a “Read me first and read me now” command that they instantly obey. The list below is a rich resource of subject lines that have a track record for establishing a strong and immediate connection: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

Who really wants to be a (X)? Doctors spill the beans about ... I goofed ... You’re going to love this one! Here’s the answer you’ve been looking for Just 3 minutes to greater X, Y, and Z DISCOVERED! The secret to X Especially for YOU Still skeptical? Here’s why you should be! This is extremely urgent news I need your help ... Check this out and let me know Something that might interest you ... Before you give up, here’s MY secret Open this before 7PM Make X work for YOU! Have you seen this product yet? News Flash from Sneak Peek at (your address).com

Your subject line is intended to immediately involve your prospects on an emotional level. The pull should be so strong that they can’t help but stop what they’re doing to read what you have to say.

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Bonus #7: Sample Online Survey Form You can’t give the people what they want until you know what that is. So ask (with an online survey) and ye shall receive: needs, desires, dreams, feedback, insights, and a mountain of priceless market research that some people pay millions for. The only impact on your bottom line: creating a valuable free gift” like a special report, autoresponder series, or other low-cost-to-create-and-distribute information product. The survey below is one that I use on my website: Online Survey Questions • What is your greatest strength as a business professional? • What do you consider your greatest obstacle stopping you from becoming a copywriter? • Realistically, how long do you think it’ll take you to learn how to become a professional freelance copywriter? (In other words, what is your vision of an ideal program length: 1 week? 3 weeks? 7 weeks? 3 months? 6 months?) • Do you want to be a part-time copywriter? If you answered yes, what is your annual part-time income goal? • Do you want to be a full-time copywriter? If you answered yes what is your annual full-time income goal? • What copywriting courses have you taken in the past? • What other information products related to marketing have you purchased? • Do you want me to send you clients? If you answered yes, would you be willing to pay a commission for that service? • Do you want to specialize in one particular area of copywriting? If you answered yes, are you interested in direct mail, print media, TV, radio, online copy, or “other”? • How would you benefit from a copywriting mentor?

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION • What copywriting tools do you want provided? • How much are you willing to spend to learn how to make a 6-figure income as a freelance copywriter? • Would you like to receive advance notification when I’m ready to accept applicants for my mentoring program? Thank you for participating! Your FREE GIFT will be sent to you soon.

Bonus #8: 14 Mouthwatering Elements to Layer Into Your Offer The particulars of your product -- its benefits and features -- are the main focus of your sales message. However, as you present those key benefits, you can make them even more mouth-watering by layering in other positive benefits of the purchase. Because cost is a key factor for so many people, regardless of what they’re purchasing, you’ll note that many of these layers address financial concerns: 1.

Competitive pricing (“We’ll beat any published price by 10%)

2.

Bonus for full payment with order (“Get three issues free if you pay now”)

3.

Installment payment terms (“3 Easy payments of just $29.99)

4.

Credit card payment options (“We accept your credit card whether it’s AmEx, Discovery, Mastercard, or Visa”)

5.

Free or reduced interest option (“We’ll offer you’re a 2.5% APR, the lowest of any company online)

6.

0% interest

7.

No deposit

8.

Nominal deposit

9.

Temporary price reduction (“This is a pre-release discount”

10. Free trial 11. Free information 12. Free gift with order 13. Free gift whether you keep the product or not 14. Free sweepstakes or contest entry

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Bonus #9: Power Words for Communications Strategies Psychologists have found that people tend to fall into four primary temperaments and communication styles. The Worker - aggressive The Talker - expressive The Watcher - passive The Thinker - analytical To communicate with people of different temperaments effectively, you need to develop different communication strategies that mirror their style. As a marketer, you must be able to quickly and accurately recognize each of these distinct behavioral styles in your prospects and adapt your marketing language accordingly. It makes sense doesn’t it? Words that would appeal to a person with an aggressive style would alienate someone who is passive, and vice versa. Words for the Worker Workers ask “what” questions. They value achievement and fear loss of control. To push a Worker’s aggressive communications hot buttons, use words like: Results Freedom Work Speed

Goals Immediately Bottom line Money

Options Control Power Functional

Quickly Flexibility Challenge

Talking to a Talker Talkers ask people-oriented “who” questions. They value recognition and fear loss of prestige. To talk to a Talker on his level, use words like: Fun Simple Prestige Exciting

Entertaining Incredible New Enjoyable

Creative Exclusive Ultimate Cash

Friendly Improved Spontaneous Adventure

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics BONUS SECTION Addressing the Watcher Watchers ask “how” questions. They value appreciation and fear conflict. To connect with the watcher’s humanistic side, use words such as: Support Dependable Easy Concern

Service Caring Sincere

Family Cooperation Love

Harmony Helpful Kindness

Relationship Gentle Considerate

Connecting with the Thinker Thinkers ask “why” questions. They value accuracy and fear being viewed as incompetent. To engage a Thinker’s mind, use words like these: Safe Save Reliable Efficient

Scientific Bargain Accurate

Proven Economical Perfect

Value Quality Security

Learn Logical Precise

Magic Words Marketing researchers have consistently found that certain magic words used in phrases and combinations were so compelling that sales followed the ads just as predictably as spring follows winter, regardless of the communication style of the reader. Use the words below to create interest, generate enthusiasm and motivate people to take action! • Guaranteed success • Live your dreams • Fast, easy access • Unlock your potential • Accept no substitute •Time tested • Go with a winner • The results are in • Extra savings • One-stop shopping

Prepare yourself! You’re about to discover and grow rich with

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics for Website Conversion Honor Code There’s no honor among thieves, but there IS honor in the marketing industry. If you’re not promoting a legitimate product or service…if you’re trying to “pull the wool over the eyes” of consumers…if you’re thinking of using this book to run a scam on the Internet…STOP NOW. The psychological tactics described in this manual are so powerful…so mindbending…so effective and irresistible that they can give anyone an unfair advantage in dealing with people who aren’t familiar with the “forbidden” techniques of influence. I can’t come to your home or place of business and check up on you. All I can ask is that you “honor” a simple code of ethics: to use the Forbidden Psychological Tactics with care, applying what you learn in an ethical way to unsuspecting consumers. The Internet has turned the world into a very small place and what goes around comes around…and it comes around fast and usually takes a big bite out of your ass. So do unto others, you know what I mean?

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics

INTRODUCTION “Forbidden Psychological Tactics? They Don’t Work on ME!” Every web surfer on the planet has told himself/herself this lie at one time or another. But don’t kid yourself -- marketing psychology can influence anyone who is online. Even master marketers like me, despite all I know about forbidden psychological tactics and “advertising speak”… and despite all my built-in sales resistance…I am just as susceptible to persuasion as anyone else. Because at its core: Marketing psychology is the “power of persuasion” from the inside.

Our psychological “hot buttons for buying” guide our decisions for buying necessities as well as luxuries. For example.. • Why do soccer moms dream of owning an all-terrain vehicle when the toughest thing they go over is a speed bump in the mall parking lot? • Why would an office worker who’s a great cook line up with their colleagues to buy a cinnamon bun from the donut cart when she could whip up better -- and cheaper -- buns in her own oven? • Why does a teenage girl need to store thousands of songs on an iPod when all she listens to are the same six Top 40 tunes? Necessity may be the mother of invention, but

The key, of course, is deciding what persuasive tactic will grab a web surfer by the eyeballs and hold onto to him…. A Brief Pause: Note of apology to my female readers: Okay… I admit it…I’m a man (Although I imagine that my name probably gave that fact away). I think like a man. When I speak in generalizations, I tend to think (and use) the pronoun “he”…not “he/she,” and not “one.” I hope you can forgive me. Anyway, as I was saying, the key to marketing psychology online (and off, too) is deciding the specific persuasive tactic or combination of tactics to use. Will fear be a motivator? What effect would a celebrity endorsement have? Can you satisfy greed?

desire is the mother of all online sales success. When you have desire working for you, it’s not a question of “selling” the consumer on your product or service, it’s simply a matter of satisfying their need. Creating that desire is what marketing psychology is all about. With the tactics you’re be learning, your online sales message will create interest and then change interest into desire…insatiable desire…unrelenting desire… “so real you can see it, feel it, taste it,” desire… You’ll create desire that easily transforms a “maybe” into a “gotta have it”… The transformation is magical…building the desire is a little more scientific…

Everything you do on your site should be coordinated to grab a web surfer by the eyeballs and by the emotions and hold onto to him until he cries… Please take my money, please!

3

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics The Science of “Psy-Ops” For the Online Battlefield “Psychological Operations” are used in online marketing to overcome any objections consumers may have about making a purchase. The most effective persuaders are the least obvious and… this is going to make your day… They work regardless of who is doing the selling or what exactly they are selling. I’m speaking from experience here. I’ve worked for hundreds of clients in dozens of different industries. Personally, I’ve sold millions of dollars worth of merchandise and services on the ‘net. (They don’t call me the #1 Website Conversion Expert for nothing!) And my success hasn’t been limited to web sites. I’ve sold… and sold out…using direct mail, e-mail, and even point-of-purchase marketing in good old brick-and-mortar stores. Wherever my career has taken me, I’ve had success using the simple, but astonishingly effective tactics in this manual. Now you can, too. You’ll be pleased to know that the Forbidden Psychology Tactics don’t require a Ph.D in mental health or a Master’s in Business Administration. The techniques you’ll be learning are shockingly effective, but there’s nothing complex about them.

friendly and easy to read as well as valuable and the most comprehensive toolkit. Oh, and by the way, keep your eye out for Lok-ed and Loaded Insights sprinkled liberally throughout the text. They’re “golden nuggets” of information that will give you the edge. Here comes one now… Okay, you’re finished with the introduction. You’ve put your toe in the water and gotten your feet wet

Are you ready for success? The power of Marketing Psychology is huge…and it can turn your weekly order flow into a flood of business. Can you handle it? Before turning your web site into a hotbed of activity, be sure the fulfillment side of your sales equation is also in place. There is nothing worse than not being able to meet demand.

with the basic strategy behind the Forbidden Psychological Tactics for website conversion. Now it’s time to dive in!

And whether you’re new to the business of marketing online or are trying to expand your success beyond its current levels, you’ll understand each and every concept. More importantly, you’ll be able to instantly translate these killer conversion techniques to your own business. Business marketing is serious business, but that doesn’t mean that learning about it has to be dry and arid! I hope you’ll find this manual reader-

4

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #1 “POPULAR” APPEAL “50,000 Frenchman Can’t Be Wrong!” -- Cole Porter Popularity is an interesting thing. It feeds on itself. A Japanese cream puff chain has taken NYC by storm because of a clever marketing strategy: they paid dozens of people to stand in line and buy cream puffs. When passersby saw all those people, they didn’t even ask what product was on sale…they just joined the line so that they could “get theirs.” MacDonald’s proudly announces “Over 1 Billion Sold” making it clearly the “popular choice.” And why do you think studios market a film as a “topgrossing movie of the weekend”…especially if the critics have been less than kind in their reviews? It’s because to a consumer’s mind, POPULAR with other people = GOOD for me Don’t Let Me Go Wrong For most people, making an online buying decision on their own is a scary thing. Some don’t trust their instincts and think they’ll make a bad choice. This fear is compounded by the worry that it’s harder to correct a problem when something goes wrong with an online purchase. This is especially true for consumers who aren’t that comfortable with the Internet and are considering their first online purchase. With so much fear out there, can Widget Talking Wallclocks.com survive? Can the profitable, but relatively unknown company convince senior citizens that they can shop online with confidence? Yes! Especially if their sales message includes a statement like, “6,000 Senior Centers and more than 50,000 silver

foxes have purchased a Widget Wall Clock online.” Your Cheatin’ Heart Some consumers are afraid they’ll be taken advantage of. They may have been burned in the past, or they may just be displaying the “fear of sellers” that grips the average 21st Century consumer. Open a magazine, watch a TV news show, or check your local paper and you’re likely to find horror stories about unscrupulous web sites. The Internet has taken a beating through the years, much as direct mail used to, as the conduit for fly-by-night businesses routinely to “take the money and run.” So can Widget Exercise Wizard.com overcome the hesitation of health club owners and workout enthusiasts who are suspicious of equipment that won’t be worth the time it takes to assemble? Yes, indeed! Like this: “Widget Wizard is the most requested piece of equipment at more than 10,0000 health clubs worldwide” Fear of the Unknown Fear of a bad decision is also common for people who are purchasing a product they’ve never used before or considering a service from a provider that they don’t know. This is a particularly thorny issue for professional service companies like car repair, air conditioning maintenance, etc. On the ‘net, the “fear of the unknown” is a common obstacle to success for web design firms. Can Widget Web Design convince a brick-and-mortar jewelry store owner who knows nothing about the Internet that they deliver good service? Hell yes! The folks at Widget aren’t just great web designers, they’re great marketers, too. Widget Web Design is the #1 choice for techno-phobic

5

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics business owners with no fear of making money online. The People Have Spoken Consumers listen to the “vox populi” (voice of the people). It stands to reason that if a product is an online best-seller that many people must like it, so the consumer thinks, “I’ll like it, too.”

People will beg you to take their money if you can make them feel “special” and part of a “private club”. knows the difference between a dress that’s off-therack and a designer original that comes from the House of Widget.

The “safety net” that allows a consumer to jump into a purchase without fear is popularity.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #2 EXCLUSIVITY RIGHTS “A limited offer has unlimited appeal.” Have you ever walked into one of those trendy, high-end ladies’ boutiques that have just three or four dresses on display in an enormous space? Ever wonder why? It’s exclusivity at work! In a world where mass-production is the name of the game, an offer of exclusivity is especially appealing. That’s why so many marketing messages use phrases like: • Limited edition • Limited production • Limited number available Ladies’ clothing is mass-produced, so displaying only one dress at a time makes it appear to be as rare as any haute couture garment. And it’s this illusion of uniqueness that gives it the one-of-akind allure that can justify an outrageously high price-tag. You’ll notice that I highlighted the word “illusion.” Don’t kid yourself -- Ms. Shopper isn’t an idiot. She

But despite what she KNOWS, it’s what she FEELS -- that will convince her to buy. And that lone dress on display will make her feel like she’s getting something that no one else has…even though she knows better. So your challenge as an online marketer: give your site, product, and service, an air of exclusivity. You’ve Got the Power It’s no accident that dozens of brand names trade on the world “exclusive.” My favorite is a women’s deodorant called “Exclusively Yours.” Since deodorant is a “personal” product, the idea of exclusivity -- just for you, your body, and your armpits -- is extremely appealing. Of course, it’s hard to imagine that any deodorant that’s being marketed to millions of women is very exclusive. And Exclusively Yours really isn’t significantly different than a lot of other deodorants on the shelves. This makes it… Proof positive of the power of exclusivity. What Exclusivity Says to the Emotions We already know that positive emotions are the “big dogs” when it comes to motivating people to make a purchase. An exclusive online offer gives buyers a tremendous jolt of “feel good” by making them part of an inner circle.

6

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics The concept of exclusivity is also extremely concrete. There’s no interpretation required, no need to figure out what it means. “Only 10 available” means exactly what it says. It’s easier for a consumer.

When your web site delivers a message that says, “This is a limited edition,” the emotional message consumers receive is: “I’ll have something that other people won’t and they’ll envy me.”

Using Exclusivity Essentially exclusivity puts a buyer in a “one up” position from everyone else, providing a big boost to the ego along with “bragging rights.” It can be used to market all kinds of products and services, from fine art … •“Only two dozen art lovers will be able to claim the Mona Widget limited edition lithograph for their own. It will not be re-issued so you must act NOW if you want to own it.” to health and fitness… •“The information you learn at the Widget Workout Workshop is not available to the average workout enthusiast.” and personal training... •“Mr. Widget only accepts 24 new students each year to participate in his highly successful financial training program.”

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #3 SUPERIORITY “My dog’s bigger than your dog. My dog’s bigger than yours. My dog’s bigger cause he eats Ken-L-Ration. My dog’s bigger than yours.” -- Kenn-L-Ration Dog Food Jingle

In a dog eat dog world, everyone wants to feel like a “big dog” -- an Oprah Winfrey…a Donald Trump…a Bill Gates…Someone whose quality of living is light-years away from that of the “masses.” For the average person, being a billionaire is just a dream. BUT…feeling like a billionaire is made possible by luxury brands. When a consumer buys what “the rich folks” buy -- a superior product -it makes them feel like a superior person. Superiority by Association Car buyers choose Mercedes Benz and BMW because in their minds, these high-end autos immediately identify them as “a cut above” and someone to be envied. The luxury car owner believes that the qualities of the vehicle -- such as valuable, unique, and of course, superior -- mirror and reflect their own attributes. Superiority is also the reason that designer fragrances like Chanel and Gucci are so popular. Although the perfume is definitely “ready-towear,” it’s designer name imparts an air of “haute couture” along with its fragrance. Superiority and Your Web Site It’s easy to invoke the “god” of superiority if you’re selling luxury items. But does this Forbidden Psychological Tactic have an application for everyday goods and services, too? It certainly does! Superiority doesn’t automatically come with a high price tag. A product/service is superior when it’s better than the rest. What you’re selling may be superior for any of a variety of reasons: quality, capabilities, convenience, ease of availability, and value. All you need to do is emphasize what’s superior about your offer and make it clear that someone who takes advantage of what you’re selling will be perceived as a superior person by those who weren’t so smart.

7

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics For example: “Widget Roofing and Gutters.com will treat you like royalty with superior installation and maintenance services for your home (or castle) at prices other owners will envy.”

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #4 STORYTELLING AND TRUTHTELLING In the age of “Reality TV,” Reality Marketing is a must, too. The 21st Century consumer is savvy about the tactics of marketers and skeptical of online advertising and off. If your claims obviously exaggerated, visitors will be turned off instantly and will instantly click away to another site. And once you’ve lost ‘em…you’re NOT going to get them back. No sales technique works better than the truth. And a ‘life experience’ sounds like the truth because it is the truth! There’s no need to resort to a screaming hard sell with storytelling. With a real life story, the key element of your sales message -this product/service works -- is presented effectively, but also subtly. If your copy has human interest where real people are involved in real events that really matter to your prospect clients, they’ll be hooked on the story…and hooked on doing business with you. What’s Good for General Motors… General Motors has created and maintained a buzz since it launched its On Star marketing push in November 2002. The advertising campaign uses live recordings of people who were helped by On Star’s in-vehicle safety, security and information services. “It’s clear that these real-life stories are striking a chord with our subscribers and have helped dra-

matically improve consumer comprehension of the benefits of On Star,” Tony DiSalle, vice president for On Star sales, service and marketing, said. Sincerity is the Name of the Game Do you have a compelling customer success story you can build up to demonstrate your company’s superiority and impart an air of “truth, honesty, and integrity” to your site visitors? Has one of your employees performed a heroic act in the name of his or her service? Write a story about it! Using real life to illustrate how your program, business, or product changed someone’s life -- maybe even YOUR life -- for the better.

Truth is stranger (and sells better) than fiction. These stories, sometimes called “case histories,” are usually 300 to 400 words in length. Less than that and you won’t be able to get your marketing message across. Any longer and the reader may “bail out” before finishing the story.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #5 CONSUMERS WILL TUNE IN TO YOUR FREQUENCY “Too much is never enough.” --Early MTV Slogan Don’t Quit Before You Get Started! If a visitor doesn’t respond to your offer, it’s easy to say, “What’s the point of following up? If they didn’t buy online immediately, they’re obviously not interested or they’re not really serious. I’m not going to waste any more time or effort on them!” What are you thinking??? There are a variety of reasons why prospects don’t buy from you initially and only one may be that

8

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics they’re not interested in what you have to offer. Another reason is that they’re just over-loaded with options. No Escape The average consumer sees 3,000 marketing messages every day. Thanks to the folks that developed “captive audience advertising,” you’ll see sales messages on gas pumps, at the airport, online at the supermarket and…in public restrooms! There’s almost no time during the day when a consumer isn’t being “pitched.” As a result, most of what’s being pitched isn’t being caught. Consumer’s tune-out more messages than they focus on. They have to. Otherwise their heads would explode! And things are even worse on the web that is notorious for advertising and marketing “noise.” Pop-ups, banners, “secret” windows, and a variety of other attention-getting devices are so over-used that web surfers are numbed to them.

• They are still be researching other vendors. • They aren’t convinced about your quality or reliability. • They have to save the money to make the purchase • Their problem may not be serious enough to take action yet. A consumer may not be ready to buy the first time he/she visits, but if you stay in touch regularly, you’ll literally be ready to strike when the iron (your prospect) is hot! The lines of communication will be open and the now-ready-to-buy consumer will know exactly what to do and who to contact -YOU! A Fine Line There’s a fine line that keeps “frequent contact” from turning into “annoying overkill.” Make sure that you vary your communications and your message so that you come down on the right side of the line.

So what can you do? Try, try, and try again! The best way to get a consumer to tune out the competition is to turn up the volume of your offer. And the way to do that is with frequency.

Sometimes on latenight television, the same 15-second spot for a product will appear at every commercial break during the program. By the fourth time you’ve heard the pitchman say, “Do you want to make cleaning easier,” you’re screaming “No” back at the screen. This is NOT the response you want from your prospect.

Lok-ed and Loaded Insight: On average, you need to follow up with prospects nine (9) times before they’ll buy from you.

Give ‘Em Something to Look Forward To Electronic newsletters and autoresponders are a friendly way to stay in touch and call your customers’ attention to new items for sale, seasonal specials. This technique works for all kinds of products and services.

Whys and Wherefores You can’t be sure why a prospect may not have initially been sold on your web site offer. It may be lack of interest, but it may also be: • They aren’t ready…yet. • They need more information.

• “Get the Dirt” Newsletter - seasonal cleaning tips from WidgetVacuum.com (sent quarterly) • “This Week in Wines” Autoresponders - weekly specials at Widget Wines.com • “Daily Health Tip” - health and wellness tips from your friends at Widget Pharmacy Electronic communications also make it easy to invite readers to click here to invite them to re-visit

9

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics your site for more information…or to go ahead and place their order NOW. Because you’ve been communicating frequently, you’ve had a chance to establish the level of trust needed to close the sale. At this point, your prospect doesn’t have to be “sold” any more…they just need to be helped to buy. And one more thing you can do to encourage that sale is to create subject lines for your messages that makes consumers want to do the electronic equivalent of rip open the envelope.

It’s 100% easier to market and ultimately close the deal with someone who has visited your site but who hasn’t bought from you -- yet -- than it is to start from scratch with a cold prospect.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #6 THE AGE OF REASONS “Reason is the slow and torturous method by which those who do not know the truth discover it” -- Blaise Pascal Appealing to a prospect’s “what’s in it for me” self-interest is will turn your online sales message in a sales monster. When you list benefits, offer a no-risk guarantee, throw in bonuses, etc., you’re speaking directly to a consumer’s “basic instinct” -- greed. At the centerpiece of any successful online marketing message is your ability to tell customers you can give them exactly what they want. But to be a real powerhouse with the ability to convert even the most hesitant visitor into an enthusiastic, ready-to-buy-now customer, you need to Tell them what they already know…and then tell them more.

Don’t Ask ‘Em…Tell ‘Em People visit your web site for a reason -- but it’s for their own reasons, not yours. So you want to make sure that when they arrive, they are immediately reminded in a clear and compelling way “why” they came…and the reminded of all the other reasons they should buy from you. Let’s use WidgetSupplements.com as an example. Mr. Noh is a potential customer who heard about this online supplement store from his friend. His friend told Noh that Widget offer free delivery on all vitamin orders over $30. Free delivery is what has brought Mr. X to your site to considering becoming your customer. But you don’t want Mr. X to simply consider buying from you. You want him to order now, order big, and come back for more. The best way to do that: Give the customer a reason for buying from you. Safety in Numbers Imagine how quickly Mr. Noh will say “Yes” if he finds out that you give 10%-off on new orders…that the products you offer are guaranteed fresh…that he’ll get automatic reminders when it’s time to re-order…that they’ll receive a free report on supplements with their order…

The best way to compile a killer list of reasons someone should buy from you is to ask your customers. You can also check out the competition and make sure that you’re highlighting all the same benefits…plus a few that “the other guy” forgot. By loading up your online sales message with reasons why a prospect should do business with you, you are literally “sweetening the pot.” The more reasons you give a prospect to say “yes,” the more likely he is to do so.

10

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #7 BE A SURVEYOR “Survey says…” -- The Family Feud I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: for your website to succeed you need to give the people what they want…not what you think they want. There’s a world of difference between hoping you’re hitting your prospect’s hot buttons with your sales copy and knowing that you are. You may know your product/service inside out and think that you’re aware of everything about it that will appeal to your potential, but (excuse my bluntness): you don’t know jack! Unless you ask consumers what they want, you’re building the success of your entire online business on guesswork. There’s a better way… surveys. Why ask why? Online surveys replace guesswork with certainty. They are a rich source of “marketing research” and your opportunity to have prospects tell you what they are willing to buy right now. Different kinds of surveys include: • The Customer Survey - asks current customers what made them buy in the past and what they plan to buy in the future. • The Opt-in List Survey - asks people on your subscriber list what they’re interested in, why they’ve bought in the past and what they plan to buy in the future. • The Exit Survey - asks people their opinions as they leave your site... what they liked, what they didn’t, what they plan to buy in the future, and where. • The Unsubscribe Survey - This kind of survey is so important, but so under- utilized! The information provided by people who are opting-out is

golden! It can be used to change the negatives and increase your retention rate • The Surfer Survey - turns site visitors into a “test audience.” Are you thinking about launching a new line of products? Writing a sequel to your e-book? Before you invest time and money, invest in a website survey. As people surf your site, get their opinion on whether they would buy what you’re thinking of selling. The beauty of online surveys is that they allow you to collect the information you need with virtually no cost whatsoever! And you can continue to get up-to-the-minute information from people who are already interested in what you have to offer. Compare that to spending thousands of dollars on hiring a marketing firm to do consumer research that may be out of date by the time it’s compiled! It should be a surprise that everyone uses surveys today, from the biggest corporations in the world to the smallest mom and pop shops on Main Street. And pretty much all surveys are trying to capture the same pieces of information that you need: • What they will buy • When they will buy it • How much they will pay • Why will they buy Once you know that…the battle for their “hearts and minds” (and consumer dollars) is more than half won.

Customer satisfaction surveys are also an important source of powerful testimonials. Always include a section for comments in any survey you send out… And be sure to obtain permission to quote those comments in your marketing materials.

11

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #8 LET’S GET DOWN TO SPECIFICS “The surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definite and concrete.” -- William Strunk and E.B. White Specific is the difference between the vague mental image painted by this phrase: “Widget Roll-Out Garden is generously sized and pre-seeded with almost three dozen types of beautiful flowers”… and the vivid, you’re-right-in-the-middle-of-thefeelings picture created by: “With Widget Roll-Out Garden, you’ll enjoy seeing more than 34 different varieties of carnations, zinnias, and snapdragons exploding in 2.3 yards of red, yellow, and orange bloom for month after month of fragrant pleasure right outside your own front door.” I’ve underscored the words that make this pitch specific: color, type of flower, and appealing to the senses…in this case, the eyes and the nose. And I’ve twice underlined one of the most meaningful specifics of all: non-round numbers. I’ve Got Your Number You know what it means to round up and round down. Well, that’s where a round number comes from. 17 rounds up to 20, 42 rounds down to 40, etc. Rounding up and down may be okay for tax returns, but round numbers can doom your online marketing efforts. Studies have shown that people rated copy as more believable when the numbers used were “non-round.”

In a study done by the Wall Street Journal the number seven (7) has been found to be the number that most people respond to. So try to end your prices with a seven.

Here are two examples for headlines from online sales letters. Which has more consumer appeal? You Can Make More Money Every Week -orEarn An Extra $500 Each Week Working Only Three Hours A Day! In the first example, there’s an undefined promise of additional income. But is it $5 more per week, $10 more, a million? Who knows? The second example is a lot more specific and answers the consumer’s favorite question -- What’s in it for me? It clearly states a dollar amount and a definite time frame that the goal can be achieved. Winners and Losers During a study for a hypothetical new brand of imported beer, it was noted that benefit statements such as these were completely wasted on consumers • A popular Bavarian beer • Great taste • Affordable Here are the winners that turned on the consumers who expressed immediate interest in the beer: Big Winners • Bavaria’s #1 selling beer since 1995 • Consumers preferred Widget Lager 5 to 1 over American beers and leading imports • Widget Lager is affordably priced at $1.79 per six-pack of 12-oz. bottles Are You Talking to ME? Who is your target audience, your niche market? When you craft your message, use words that speak directly to that demographic: • Hey Bowlers…. (rather than Hey!) • A Gardener’s Delight…(rather than Attention Homeowners) • New Cure for Cancer Patients (rather than A New Medical Cure)

12

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics • Can you use an extra $1501 a month, without having to work for it? (instead of $1,000) Expiration Date Don’t say “Ending Soon” say “Ending on February 2, 2016” when you have a sale or special offer. The key to an expiration date is that it can (and should) continue to be changed as long as your marketing outreach is working. If you decide that your campaign offering “3 Months Service FREE when you purchase a Widget Lawn Rider by May 1st” was a winner, then just launch a new campaign for June, July, August, or any month when the grass is green!

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #9 GIVE ‘EM A PAT ON THE BACK “Flattery will get you everywhere…including into your prospect’s wallet!” The need to be recognized and have our achievements applauded is universal. It’s a basic human need and an integral part of human nature. As a matter of fact, millions of people around the world spend millions of hours (and billions of dollars) “on the couch” seeking acknowledgement and validation. You may not be offering online psychotherapy, but if you make your customers feel good -- about themselves as well as their purchase -- they’ll want to continue to do business with you. Smarty Pants One of the best ways to win over a potential customer is to flatter them for their “smarts.” When it comes to buying, consumers want to think that they’re intelligent and savvy, and that buying from you is an excellent decision.

intelligence and shopping savvy and you’ll have prospects eating out of your hand…and buying out of your website. For Our “Special” Online Friends Making your customers feel singled out for better treatment with a “just for you” deal or discount is another way to acknowledge them. A prime example of this is the “online customers only” offer that can also be positioned as the very complimentary “preferred customers only” offer. Who are your preferred customers? Anyone you want them to be. A preferred customer can be a first time visitor, a first-time buyer, a returning customer, or any audience you’re especially interested in targeting. What makes them feel preferred (aka “special”) is the special offer you make: • Reward for returning customers -- shirts half-price at Widget Drycleaning • New members who join the Widget Sewing Circle receive a free pair of scissors • WEE loves mothers! Get a free “Moms Rule” kitchen magnet when you bring your little one into WEE WIDGET Clothing Barn

Syms, an off-price clothing store in NYC, uses the slogan “An educated consumer is our best customer.” The “translation” in the consumers mind is: “I’m educated, I’m smart, and to show everyone how smart I am, I’ll buy more at Syms.”

Congratulate them on “not waiting until it’s too late.” Compliment them for being “being ahead of the crowd.” Acknowledge their superior

13

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #10 TEACH A MAN TO FISH… “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” -- Chinese proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll come back to your website to buy hooks, sinkers, bait, rods and reels for a lifetime.” -- Marketing proverb If you think of your website as nothing more than “sales central” for your product or service, you’re missing an important element of its value to your customers and prospects. When a consumer visits a website, they’re looking for information to help them make a decision to buy. All sites provide basic information: what the product/service is, what it costs, how to order, etc. But sites that are active moneymakers that generate lots of traffic and lots of sales are sites that teach as well as sell. For example, WidgetLinens.com might devote site pages to a variety of “educational” topics. In addition to information on how to launder sheets and pillowcases, the proper storage of table linens, for example, there might also be an article on the history of napkins, or an FAQ on identifying top quality linens.

The goal of all the articles, features, forums, message boards, and free downloads is to help a consumer use and enjoy the products that the site offers for sale… AND to convert that consumer into a customer for life. Take A Page From My Book (or My Website) My own websites rely heavily on this appealing concept. In addition to offering my products, some of my sites offer visitors free access to million-

dollar marketing secrets, as well as the chance to opt-in to my subscriber list and receive ongoing communications and priceless “lessons” based on my real world experiences. I’m a generous guy, but I’m also a shrewd businessman. I know that providing valuable information on my site will make visitors into better marketers. That’s good for them, but it’s also VERY good for me. The newly “educated” marketers who have learned from me and profited from my free advice are more likely to buy what I have to sell. And as I continue to teach them how to use my materials to make their fortunes, they continue to buy from me. Identify Yourself as One of the Good Guys Providing useful information on your website also brands you as a good guy in business. You’re giving away something for nothing and people will appreciate that. One of the qualities that consumers appreciate in a website is a setting that does feel like a high-pressure sales pitch. When you turn your website into a classroom…a resource center…a “cool” place to go for free information, guidance and support, you turn your visitors into your enthusiastic students. And they turn your website into their favorite place to do business!

Bulking up your website with informative articles provides a quintessential “after-marketing” opportunity. It’s a great way to keep old customers flowing into your website and new money flowing into your pocket.

14

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #11 HONEST ABE “The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” -- Groucho Marx Child’s Play A little kid I know recently ordered a nifty looking toy airplane through the mail. He was so excited when he showed me the ad that showed the plane flying through the air and “providing hours and hours of soaring fun for just $5.” $5??? Uh oh, I know where this was going…and it isn’t going anywhere good. As I’m sure you guessed, the plane in the ad looked great, but when the real thing arrived, it was smaller, cheaper and less fun than he expected. It was his first taste of “truth in advertising” and I can tell you, he was “scarred” for life by the experience. Kids like my little friend grow into adults who know that marketing is full of…hyperbole. (Did you think I was going to say something else?) As a result, Consumers think marketing messages are exaggerated even if they’re not Too Good To Be True In order for your online sales message to be heard, you need to “disarm” a consumer’s built-in disbelief; it’s reducing the impact of your message. And once you’ve established that you’re speaking honestly with them, site visitors are more likely to give the rest of your message more attention…and a little less skepticism…than usual. There’s already a disembodied quality to doing business on the Internet -- all technology and no humanity. But when you soft-pedal exaggeration, your message will sound less like a pre-programmed, high-pressure sales robot and more like a real person. And, as you already know, people

like to do business with people…not machines. The ROI with Honesty Honesty is a way to make a sale and an important way to build your reputation, and you’ll sew what you reap if you try to cheat people. If you pull the wool over a consumer’s eyes, don’t think for a minute that he/she won’t spread the word -- the negative word -- about you and your business. Being honest doesn’t mean elaborating on your product’s flaws or the shortcomings in your service. It DOES mean toning down hyperbole and expressing in more believable terms the benefits that you have to offer.

This may sound counter-intuitive, but it works: by admitting your product is not the perfect solution for everyone, you increase the chances that the prospect will listen to why your product is perfect for THEM.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #12 SHOW AND TELL “Seeing is believing…and believers are buyers.” I was recently shopping for a book light, and as I was browsing the merchandise, the salesman came over with batteries in his hand. He asked me which model I was considering and when I pointed it out, he “powered up” the light and showed me all the settings, positions, and “bells and whistles” that it had to offer. I was awed…not by the book light (it was pretty standard)…but by the effectiveness of the sales technique. By demonstrating his product to me, the salesman made the idea of its benefits completely tangible.

15

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Product demonstrations are everywhere… at your local mall, at traveling street fairs, even on the TV monitors at your local home supply store or favorite department store make-up counter. They should be on your website, too. Get ‘Em While They’re Hot According to traditional marketing research, demonstrations should be conducted at the point-of-purchase to maximize the opportunity for the consumer to act immediately on the buying impulse a good demonstration will elicit. This makes demonstrations perfect for the Internet where “click now” can be used to provide instant gratification.

need a costly mini-movie to demonstrate the benefits of its teeth-whitening system for older adults. All that’s required is a series of still photographs that show “patients” putting the strips on their teeth accompanied by before-and-after pictures of happy, healthy smiles.

Many people are turned-off by technology, especially older Internet users. If your target demographic is likely to find downloading a challenge, don’t challenge them! Present your information in a way that suits their needs.

Different Strokes for Different Sites Billion-dollar companies spend millions of dollars creating online demonstrations. In fact, today, there are some manufacturers whose TV ads don’t promote their actual product; they just direct viewers to their online movies/demonstrations!

Price-y Flash animation isn’t necessary at WeeWidgetCastles. The site can be just as effective with whimsical drawings that show how even a small child can use a bicycle pump to quickly blow-up a plastic inflatable playhouse.

Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to showcase your product or service online. In fact, an expensive video presentation may work against you. Prospective consumers are fickle…and impatient. If site visitors have to download software to view your demonstration or if it takes too long for the demonstration to load and play…they’ll lose interest and you’ll lose sales.

At WidgetBlades.com, however, showing a video of happy customers slipping on their rollerblades and then skating at the beach, in the park, and in competitions is a great idea. It gives your activeminded visitors a chance to put themselves in the picture and experience an emotional connection with the “need for speed” that WidgetBlades satisfies.

The first thing you need to decide is how to visually demonstrate the benefits and features effectively…and what you need to show to convey the feelings of satisfaction (including relief, confidence, pride, happiness, superiority, security, etc.) that your product/service is guaranteed to deliver.

The WidgetBlades demonstration also works for upselling without detracting from your main sales message. (Upselling is when you sell additional products or accessories at the time of purchase.) The narration of the video may focus on rollerblades, themselves, but the site visitor is getting a visual pitch for helmets, knee-pads, and other blade-gear.

The cost of creating your demonstration needs to be weighed against the price of your product/service. So use only what you need. For example, WidgetSeniorSmiles.com doesn’t

16

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics If pictures are “all that,” you may be wondering if you should even bother with copy. The answer is “Definitely!” Buyers often purchase items on impulse simply because of a compelling product or service demonstration. In addition to showing off the features and benefits of your primary product, if your presentation demonstrates how ancillary items can be used, you’re likely to beef-up the bottom line of the sale.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #13 LET’S GET VISUAL “A picture is worth a thousand words.” (A website picture is worth a thousand sales) Many people think that the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is a pithy piece of ancient Chinese wisdom. They’re wrong. Advertising itself, in the person of marketing wizard Fred R. Barnard, is the source. In his trade journal, “Printer’s Ink,” Barnard coined the phrase “One Look is Worth A Thousand Words” when referring to the benefits of advertising with pictures on streetcars. Yet although the words were Barnard’s own, he wanted the phrase to have more “weight,” so he told people it was an ancient Chinese proverb. Un-retouched Photographs In spite of the fact that pictures can be doctored, consumers trust what they see and believe that most pictures are honest and accurate representations of what’s real. Plus, photographs bring your message to life much more vividly than words ever could.

The Internet is a graphically driven advertising media, but words are essential to give substance to the visuals. No matter how great the pictures might be, without copy, you won’t be able to communicate the three points that all commercial websites must get across: • What your company does • What the benefits are of using your product or service • Why prospective customers should buy from you A picture can “hint” at what you have to offer, but you need to spell it out with words. That’s why I’ve decided to “arm” you with “177 Emotional Provoking Words That Can Trigger Your Prospects’ Emotions And Persuade Them To Buy Your Product”. Picture Perfect What are the main attributes that set you apart from your competition? A visually compelling website presents your best attributes, answers questions, overcomes objections, wraps you in an “aura” of truth. Imagine offering a photo gallery of those key features and benefits on your website where potential customers can actually see. The results will be fantastic. If you pictures are effective, they will make consumers want to experience fore themselves what your product/service has to offer. That makes pictures the ultimate “closers.”

People tend to be visually motivated -- “I see it…I want it.” Simply giving site visitors the opportunity to see your product may resolve many questions that may have otherwise kept them from buying. Don’t Do Away With Words!

17


Your business may not be able to show “irresistible” pictures that are as immediately heartwarming as babies and puppies, but you can show pictures of your satisfied customers to help instill confidence in your prospective customers.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #14 BE “THE FUN PLACE TO SHOP” “Girls just want to have fun!” -- Cyndi Lauper I’ve got a newsflash for Cyndi: boys want to have fun, too. Also men, women, and children of all ages! That’s why “the fun place to shop” is a search term that will return more than 10 million hits on Google.

A good time can be had at any website regardless of the product or service it has to sell. Skeptical? I know it’s hard to image that “fun” would be an element to selling something as “un-fun” as funeral supplies…so let me illustrate with a story: At WidgetHeadstones.com, visitors can digitally create samples of grave markers. They can choose from a variety of headstones and “play” with the design of the inscriptions. They can mix and match different typefaces, artistic ornamentation, headstone sizes and shapes, etc. In the blink of an eye, the onsite software allows them to create pictures of the finished product to admire and consider. They have a chance to imagine, and dream “what if,” and then turns their dreams into reality with a simple click here to order now.

The “mother” of all fun sites would have to be Fun.com. And “fun” is a part of the URL at NorthwoodsFun.com, LubbockFunClub.com, and HowTheWestWasFun.com.

This makes dreams come true for WidgetHeadstones.com, too. By providing the right experience…creating online prototypes...the company gives its target audience a reason to visit and have “fun”…albeit professional fun.

“A fun place to shop” is used to lure customers to businesses that are as different as night and day. It’s the slogan everywhere from LA Pregnancy.com and 2x2 Multiples.com to PT Education.com and AClassyFlea.com

The fun really begins, however, when WidgetHeadstones transforms every visit from a funeral director as an opportunity to advertise a special, reiterate key benefits and services, and move heaven and earth to make a sale.

Different Strokes for Different Folks Everyone likes a good time, so make your website the fun place to shop. And don’t forget that “fun” means different things to different people.

Figure out what your target audience would consider an online “good time”…and then deliver it! They’ll come back for more…including more closing opportunities.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #15 EVERY PROSPECT IS FROM MISSOURI “Fancy language…neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.” -- Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, 1899 Thanks to decades of shady claims, over the top promises, and out-and-out lies, marketers are selling products in “The Age of Skepticism.” Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public, (not to mention their kids, and their single friends, too) want to know the

18

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics truth behind ad claims, warranties, brochures, and guarantees.

respect you and thank you for your openness and honesty.

And The Walls Come A’Tumbling Down There are three “walls” that prospects hide behind with their fears and objections. Your mission is to go over, under, through, and around those walls. It doesn’t matter whether they’re buying a tube of toothpaste or a Piper jet. Your website needs to “show them” that you can be trusted.

Once you’ve got them in your corner and gained their trust, it’s easy for you to move on to the next step -- SELLING.

To do that, you’re going to have to tear down (walls of fear and skepticism) before you can build up (a relationships with a consumer). • Wall #1: How can I be sure I’m doing the right thing? Your strategy: Provide helpful educational information. • Wall #2: Are you a good person to do business with? Your strategy: Provide social proof using testimonials • Wall #3: What if I’m not happy? Your strategy: Provide a rock-solid guarantee. Tearing Down Walls with Facts One strategy is to provide factual information in an unbiased way that will allow a consumer to make his/her informed decision. Deep-six the traditional hard-sell sales pitch and just present the cold hard facts. A great way to do this is with free information products, white papers, or a “report” that can be downloaded instantly…or sent via email. Sending your “goodie” via email will enable you to build the all-important opt-in subscriber list…a group of prime prospects who have already expressed their interest in what you have to offer. Sharing knowledge is a powerful way to break down walls of resistance in online shoppers. When consumers think you’re INFORMING them, they’ll

Tearing Down Walls With a Little He Said/She Said Another way to gain credibility for the offer on your site is to include real testimonials from your customers. The “no-one-was-paid-for-their-comments” testimonials of PLY (People Like You) are highly effective in convincing skeptical prospects that your offer is for real.

Testimonials build credibility more than any other strategy. Collect them at every opportunity.

PLY testimonials may be golden, but third-party facts and figures and quotes from experts are platinum…the “Fort Knox” of persuasion. When a well-known authority or institution is willing to endorse your claims, your website benefits from a phenomenon known as reflected integrity. With reflected (or “mirrored”) integrity, the consumer transfers the attributes of the authority to your offer. Who’s an expert? That depends on what you’re selling and to whom…especially when it comes to celebrities. To baseball fans, Alex Rodriguez may be an “expert” on psychotherapy…but what would the folks at the Freud Institute think? Your “Panel” of Experts May Include… • Noted industry leaders • Editors of trade magazines • Research groups • Government offices and departments • Celebrities

19

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Tearing Down Walls with Credibility Guaranteed The guarantee yanks the teeth out of the fears that are eating away at consumers: • Fear of making a bad (the wrong) choice • Fear of overpaying • Fear of getting less than they bargained for • Fear of being dissatisfied with nowhere to turn A guarantee says to the consumer, “We believe in our product/service and you can, too.” It promises, “We’re no fly-by-night operation. We’re here to serve you.”

No one buys when they’re afraid. But perhaps you’re afraid and hesitating because you think if you make a strong that too many customers will take you up on it. Wrong! The truth of the matter is only about 1-2% of your customers will ever take you up on your guarantee.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #16 FAQ - FREQUENTLY ALLEVIATES QUALMS “Questions are just objections in disguise.” An excellent way to keep objections at bay and keep fear out of the buying equation is with a preemptive attack on questions. An FAQ is an excellent “double agent” in this endeavor. Disguised as a “what you want” consumer aid, your FAQ is really a powerful marketing device. With it, you’ll provide reasons why consumers should buy from you. An FAQ is just one more opportunity to “get the word out” about all of the benefits, features, guarantees, etc. you have to offer. The bigger the list of reasons, the easier it will be to overcome these basic consumer “nail-biters”:

• Did I buy the best? • Did I buy a lemon? • Did I overpay? • Did I buy something I really didn’t need? • Will I get what was promised? • Will I be able to get a refund if I made a mistake? • Did I get talked into something I don’t really need? The Only Thing You Have to Fear Is Fear Itself For many people, their fears are what keep them from making the purchase. No one likes to admit they’re afraid, so many consumers turn their fears into questions. In the online marketing world, questions are just objections waiting to happen. If you don’t answer a question, it will turn into an objection. The objection is really just an expression of a consumer’s worst fears. Your Mission, Should You Decide to Accept It Your job is to pinpoint the sub-text of what your visitor is saying. You should always remember that, “I can’t afford it,” is a self-protective, I-don’t-wantto-sound-poor-or-cheap way of saying, “Can you lower the price?” “I can’t wait,” may be a buyer’s way of asking, “Can you deliver it fast?” And “Where are your offices located?” is probably consumer-speak for “Can I track you down if I’m not satisfied? Once you figure out what your prospect is saying, you can figure out how to answer the budding objection. In crafting an answer for your prospect, your “core question” should be, “How can I satisfy him on this point so that he won’t have any objection to clicking here to buy NOW. Do It My Way When I launched my mentoring program, I knew that lots of questions (aka objections) would arise. I decided the best way to address those questions would be with an FAQ. It worked like magic!

20

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics People felt empowered by the knowledge the FAQ provided. My answers were designed to give them confidence about who I am, where I come from, what I have to offer…and how I’ll take care of them if they have problems. That confidence translated into a flurry…then a snowstorm…of responses.

“mirroring” refers to a powerful tactic that changes prospects into buyers by making them “one of the crowd.”

Testimonials are a great way to provide your potential customers with an opportunity for mirroring.

(I’ve included that FAQ as an addendum at the end of this manual)

Questions are your friends. If a potential customer is asking questions, it means that he is INTERESTED. Objections are your friends, too. Even an objection that sounds like a loud resounding “no,” isn’t really a no at all…it’s just a request for a solution to a problem.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #17 MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL “Everybody’s Doin’ It Now.” -- Irving Berlin or Commander Cody or DC Talk Depending on your age and taste in music “Everybody’s Doin’ It Now” is a sweet old Irving Berlin tune, a Christian-friendly DC Talk ditty, or a hip Commander Cody tune. Whom do you identify with? Did seeing that person’s name at the top of this page make you more interested in reading this tactic? If it did…you’ve just experienced “mirroring” first hand. In psychology, “mirroring” refers to a person’s tendency to remain in harmony with another person by copying movements or body language of the other, and consciously or subconsciously mimicking them. In online marketing psychology,

Like “social proof” (more about that later), mirroring can be a powerful buying “stimulant.” It’s used to show a prospect that “People Like You” (and sometimes “People Better Than You”) are enjoying a product or service. It is especially effective when consumers are presented with images or statements from people they identify with…or want to emulate. Be Like Mike Even more magnetic than simply “someone” doing “it” is seeing “someone like me” doing “it.” People like to hear about and do what other people just like them are doing -- for business AND for pleasure. There’s only one thing more persuasive than sending a letter to Dr. Crackenstitch, a heart surgeon, with comments other doctors attesting to the benefits of a product or service… and that’s including a quote from another “professional just like you” -- in this case another heart surgeon like the good doctor. To really turn this into a killer, get a quote from a widely respected scalpel-man…let’s say the world-famous “heart surgeon to the stars,” Dr. Mike Widget. With the addition of Dr. Widget’s fame and integrity to satisfy the desire for social proof (not to mention his Hollywood lifestyle to satisfy pure, unadulterated greed) … Dr. Crackenstitch ‘s desire to “be like Mike” becomes overwhelming.

21

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics That means is Dr. Crackenstitch reads that Dr. Mike purchased a hot tub and found it beneficial in relieving the stress and tightness that comes with being a world famous neurosurgeon, it’s a natural human instinct for Dr. Dolittle to say, “If it worked for him, it will work for me.”

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #18 CURIOUS GEORGE AND GEORGINA “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” -- Dorothy Parker Legend has it that curiosity killed the cat, but it has a very different effect on consumers -- more like catnip! Create an attention-getting headline that makes your visitor say, “I’ll just DIE if I don’t find out more” and you’ve done more than just arouse curiosity. You’ll have unleashed the marketing warrior strength of killer curiosity…so strong and irresistible that it’s “murder” on lack of enthusiasm, disinterest, apathy, and anything else that would keep your visitors from wanting to know more…much more. A Need to Know Basis All creatures are curious…especially humans. We explore our world rather than just respond to it, looking under rocks, pulling back curtains, and poking sticks into things. Our curiosity is based on our biology. The immensely powerful basic instincts for selfpreservation, reproduction, and greed propel us to explore the unknown. The desire to know is a compelling force in marketing. When a consumer is curious, then don’t just “want to know”…they NEED to satisfy their curiosity. That’s why the ‘net is filled with information products with “curious” titles and sales letters

with “curious” headlines like these: • Secrets of the Diet Industry Uncovered • What Time Share Companies Don’t Want You To Know • Mysteries of A Youthful Appearance Revealed • The Hidden Keys of Car Buying Curiosity gains and holds the consumer’s attention long enough for the rest of the sales message to be delivered. Hurdling Obstacles Let’s face it: every marketing tactic, psychological or otherwise, has its downside. That means the challenge is to meet the obstacles head on…and then figure out a way to go around them!

Curiosity is a difficult appeal to use because of two basic problems: arousing curiosity in the first place, and not having the consumer come up with their own answer in the second.

The following words can help you turn apathy into interest: Discovered! Someone spilled the beans… The answer you’ve been looking for… Sneak Peak For Your Eyes Only After you create the “itch” that needs to be scratched, make it abundantly and IMMEDIATELY clear that you can provide “calamine lotion”…aka, the solution to the itch…like this: There’s a trick to taking it off and keeping it off… and we’ve got it on the next page! You won’t believe what Lois in the mailroom did… and now YOU can take advantage of her mistake

22

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics You’ve Been Fooled! It Doesn’t Take A Lifetime to Achieve Happiness… Our Road To Enlightenment Is Much Shorter

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #19 THE CULT OF CELEBRITY “When you get a celebrity to endorse your company or sign a licensing agreement, you benefit from customers’ awareness of the (spokesperson) which could include the perception of quality, educational value or a certain image.” -- Patrick Bishop, co-author of Money Tree Marketing. We’ve already established that online consumers look at advertising messages with doubt. This can make marketing especially difficult if you have a start-up product or service that has not yet built its reputation for quality and service. But even skeptical types can be persuaded to “come into the light” when the advertising message is delivered by a celebrity, well-known authority, or person of power and influence. People will be more inclined to buy from you when you “borrow” credibility from trusted authorities or beloved celebrities. They may not know or trust you…but consumers do trust celebrities. And here’s the part that may surprise you: celebrity endorsements are huge conversion-magnets, even when the celebrity isn’t an expert on the product or an authority in the field! Needless to say…this is why a celebrity expert is the ultimate in endorsements. Professional athletes pitch sneakers, actresses pitch skincare products, etc., etc., etc. The combination of fame and knowledge are unbeatable when it comes to convincing prospects that your website and product/service are “on the level.” I’m Not A Doctor, But I Play One On TV When celebrities talk, we listen. And here’s where

things get really interesting: we’re more willing to do so without carefully considering all the facts. Does a Miss USA really know about the spark plugs she’s plugging for WidgetMotors.com? Does Paris Hilton eat the burgers at Carl’s Jr.? Who knows…and to some degree, who cares? As long as consumers recognize a celebrity as someone they like, they’re more than happy to abdicate the tedious process of informed decisionmaking and simply follow the suggestions of their “idol.”

Research shows that the three characteristics most associated with persuasiveness are perceived authority, honesty, and likeability. And it’s these three characteristics that we’re likely to attribute to beloved celebrities.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #20 BE AFRAID…BE VERY AFRAID “(Fear) is very apparent in all the deodorant ads; fear of body odor and all that. But in a more subtle way, the general fear of not being loved and then to be able, by some product, to be loved. That’s a subtle fear pervading most people, and the ads speculate on that and show, in more or less drastic ways, here are the things which will make you loved.” -- Dr. Erich Fromm, “You and the Commercial” Fear is a fundamental human instinct and “manipulating it” is a fundamental online marketing tactic. Fear is one of the easiest emotional “hot buttons” to press, as well as one of the most painful for consumers. And while the pursuit of pleasure appears to drive most buying decisions, it’s actually the avoidance of pain that seals the deal.

23

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Fear is a negative emotion that a prospect wants to alleviate as quickly as possible. This makes fear a valuable part of your online marketing campaign. Make a prospect afraid and then show them how you can take away the fear and you’ll generate an immediate response and a windfall of sales. The Four Faces of Fear Consumer fear can be sub-divided into three “scary” sub-categories: • Fear of loss • Fear of making a mistake • Fear of things getting worse • Fear of paying too much for too little People are much more likely to buy if they think they’ll lose out on an opportunity if they don’t. If your product is perceived as scarce…a limited supply…that perception will generate a powerful fear of loss. This fear is what generates advertising language like: • Limited Time Offer • Only 500 Available • Will Not Be Repeated • First 100 Customers • Today and Tomorrow Only • Offer Good Until They’re Gone The fear that can really paralyze consumers is fear of making a mistake in choosing a solution to the problem. Your job is to overcome that fear by offering reassurances to the customer that your company will deliver. The best way to make those reassurances resonate -- use testimonials or headlines like these: • 3 Million Soccer Moms Say “Widget SUVs Rock!” • Widget Motor Oil - The #1 Choice of Widgetville’s 2,000 Lexus Owners • 43,000 Units Sold…And No Returns or Refunds EVER

Fear that the status quo will go from good to bad and then from bad to worse without your products/services -- “If I don’t get those gutters cleaned, I’m going to have to replace the roof” -is the fear that you maximize. Another example of this kind of fear-based marketing was used by the firearms industry at the turn of the 21st Century. Fear of social disruption that could be caused by the Y2K computer bug was used to drive gun sales up -- WAY up. Fear of paying more and getting less Web hosting is a highly competitive industry. Web hosts routinely use fear of getting less and paying more to make the sale. They tell prospective clients that if you use a cheap web host, you might get lousy customer service and that there are virtually no guarantees of your web site being up and running. They’ll “let you in” on a story about an online business that lost millions just because their site was down. To “ink the deal,” they’ll reassure the potential customer that Widget Web Hosting provides a reliable service with customer service available 24/7. Risky Business A good process to go through to make fear work for your site, is to create a list of reasons why it could be dangerous… unhealthy…unwise…and RISKY to buy from one of your cheaper competitors. Tell your prospect that if they shop at Brand X.com they risk getting a product of inferior quality or being treated poorly by a poor customer service department. Here’s the secret: “risky” doesn’t have to mean life or death. The risk simply has to be great enough to evoke fear of loss, mistake, paying too much, etc.

24


In a niche where many websites are selling a product or service that is virtually identical, using fear and risk an unsurpassed way to distinguish yourself from the competition. (It’s also a way to justify higher prices!)

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #21 THROW DOWN THE GLOVE “I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him.“ -- Mark Twain Do you watch a Fear Factor competitor slog through a task in ten minutes and say to yourself, “I could do it in five”? When you became a Girl Scout and learned that each girl in your troop traditionally sold 10 boxes of Thin Mints and Tagalongs each your…did you make a mental commitment to up your personal “sales projections” to 20 of each? When you hear the words “You can’t,” do you immediately think, “Oh yes I can!” If so, then you understand the attraction of a competitive sales lure and online headlines like: “If a Flat-Broke, C-Student with No Background in Advertising Can Write Copy That Generated $47,857 in 48 Hours…What Can YOU Do?”

dance-floor or a challenge to “prove to people who doubt you that they’re wrong” in an online sales pitch have the safe effect. Every challenge (and dare) a potential consumer is faced with delivers a strong one-two push to the ego button.

Challenges stimulate the desire to prove that “I’m just as good as…no, I’m better than everyone else!”

Once the ego button has been engaged, the next step is to offer an opportunity for your prospect to prove themselves and their worthiness. Your challenge “sets the bar” so that you can, in turn, invite potential customers to hurdle it…and hurdle it with ease. I use this technique on my own websites, I frequently point out to visitors that if they don’t have what I’m looking for -- ambition, energy, and dedication -- they should look elsewhere. This, of course, makes them doubly determined to show me (and themselves) that they’re worthy. I leverage their determination to my advantage with an urgent call to action. “If you’re serious about this, you’ll click here NOW and let me hear from you TODAY”

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #22 “ROUND UP” A HERD MENTALITY

“I’m Flat-Chested and Big-Boned, But I Found A Man Online…”

“Monkey see, monkey do…and it’s the same for humans, too!”

“I Won’t Want to Work With You Unless You’re SERIOUS…”

People are deeply affected by what others think. If we see someone else do “it” -- whatever “it” might happen to be -- we have an immediate internal response that says, “Me, too!”

You’ve Been Served! For many people, a challenge is the ultimate call to action. A challenge to “bust a move” on the

This explains why television producers use a

25

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics laugh track when a punch line (or should we say “alleged” punchline) is delivered during a sitcom. The audience at home knows that the laugh track is just a recording, but that doesn’t stop them from chuckling along even louder when the recorded laughter is turned up. People will visit web sites that are on “most-visited” lists, buy cell phones on the “most useful” lists, and spend their movie dollars on “the #1 film in the country.” It’s because of their desire to be in agreement with “everyone else,”…and to avoid the pain of having a mistaken belief about what is true and what is not.

Forget about marching to a different drummer. For most of us, getting in step with what others are doing feels safer and more comfortable than going our own way.

Leader of the Pack Humans are “pack animals” and tend to exhibit a “herd mentality.” We have a strong urge towards self-preservation and an innate resistance to venturing out on our own and being a guinea pig -that’s the job of the “alpha dog.” This tendency is the reason that a piano player in a bar puts a few $5 bills in his tip jars at the beginning of the night. It’s to simulate tips, of course, but not 50-cent tips or $1 tips…it’s to make it clear that $5 tips is what “everyone else” is giving. And why do you think some Evangelical preachers have been known to seed their audience with “ringers” who come forward at a specific time to give witness…and donations?

If you can pepper your site with words like “best seller” or “our most popular item,” you don’t have to convince your customer that it is a good product. The hidden message -- lots of other people have bought this product -- is proof enough. Creating A Best Seller Have you ever wondered why the heck companies such as Worldwide Widget and other huge business entities run those simple little online contests asking people to answer “Why I like (Name of Product)” in 100 words or less? It’s because their marketing team is brilliant! Widget’s marketers realized that rather than they didn’t have to pay millions to a high-priced advertising agency for a “think tank” slogan that might appeal to consumers… Instead, with a contest, they could let consumers tell them what to write. I’m always saying that you can’t give the people what they want until you ask them. For the chance of winning valuable prizes…and in some instances just for the pleasure of having their name/picture posted on your website…droves of people are willing to go on record about your product, giving your countless glowing testimonials…and red-hot sales headlines. It’s All In How You Say It “In your own words” comments tell you precisely what’s on your prospects’ minds…and they do it with words that to other consumers. A low price may be the reason someone will buy your product, but the language of your contest responses will help you narrow the focus of your pitch with the exact language that will press a prospect’s buttons.

It’s not an accident…it’s psychology at work!

26

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Each of these headlines is focused on cost and each sends a very different message: • 10,000 Consumers Say, “Widget Wash-It is the best value” • “Widget Wash-It always fits my budget” says Ohio housewife • “When I want cheap prices but good quality, I buy Wash-It” Since these are “from the heart” comments by “people like you,” consumers react in two goodfor-marketing ways: • Other consumers consider the comments honest and believable • The comments push a consumer’s “Everybody else is doing it so I should be, too” button.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #23 COMPARE AND CONTRAST…VIVIDLY “Your true value depends entirely on what you are compared with. “ -- Bob Wells Your website needs to grab attention. In the blink of an eye (and the click of a mouse), you need to capture your visitor’s attention and make him want to delve deeper into your site and your sales message. If your home page…or any page, for that matter…is visually uninteresting and/or has boring copy, you’re doomed. If everything on your pages receives the same amount of importance -- copy all the same size, borders all the same color -- a visitor is likely to be bored and unfocused…a death knoll for your conversion rate! So to fight boredom and to re-focus your visitor’s attention where it belongs -- on your sales message -- you’ve got to have contrast. By definition, “contrast” is the striking difference between two objects when they are viewed in juxtaposition.

If you emphasize nothing, then nothing stands out. But…if you emphasize everything, nothing stands out either. Contrast must be used wisely… judiciously…carefully…in order to be effective. Be careful not to use so much contrast that your page becomes cluttered and your message obscured. Contrast is a consumer’s tool. It helps a buyer organize and prioritize elements of the offer, and it focuses visitors in the specific direction you want them to go. Contrast creates a sharp distinction between two items. The end result is to emphasize one item as clearly superior. Handled well, contrast will make your product stand out as a clear winner. High contrast visual elements on your site -- say big and small text blocks -- draws visitors to the item you want them to notice. Interesting, vivid, high contrast copy blocks keep visitors focused on your key selling points and prevent them from getting “distracted.” If your pages don’t use strong contrasts, the offering appears dull and uninteresting. Copy that doesn’t make use of strong distinctions between “Brand You” and “Brand X” mean that your prospect has no clear differences to stay focused on.

Don’t be a wimp. If your contrasts are too mundane, you’ll appear dull and uninteresting. Be daring! Don’t just contrast black and white, contrast ebony and ivory. Don’t say your widget is “big” and theirs is “small.” Say, “My widget is so super-humongous that it barely fits in our warehouse” and “Their widget isn’t big enough for a flea to put a teacup on.”

27

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #24 THE “GIMME/GIMME MORE” FACTOR “The point is, ladies and gentleman, is that greed - for lack of a better word - is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms - greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind.” ---Gordon Gecko You may be familiar with the above quote from the movie Wall Street…but did you know that was inspired by a real life speech from a real life Wall Streeter? In 1986, Ivan Boesky -- who would end up paying a $100 million fine for insider trading that same year -- told the University of California’s audience: “Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that. I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself.” That, in a nutshell, is the mindset of many consumers in the 21st Century. From 1950s baby-boomers and the “Me” Generation that they spawned, to all the little consumers who have been “born to buy” since then, the question that precedes every buying decision is: “What’s in it for me?” Even if they’re the nicest people in the world, your customers (and potential customers) don’t care about you, your philosophy, your business, or how hard you worked to create the best product and the most fabulous website on the Internet. To a degree, they don’t even really care about the technical specs of a product. What floats the boat of a consumer are the benefits they’ll receive from buying “it” -- a product or service -- and how “it” will make them feel. They want to know how it will make their lives easier,

how it will make them more popular, how it will make them the envy of everyone they see. That’s “what’s in it for me.”

Potential customers may be swayed with incentives, bonuses, and “value-added” extras. Most people get the “gotta have it” bug when they think they have a chance at being “one up” on someone else by getting some more and paying less. I call this variation of “What’s in it for me?” “What’s in it that’s extra and just for me?”

The Litmus Test Want a simple well to tell if your copy is up to snuff? Count the number of “I’s” you have in your text and then compare it to the number of “You’s.” You’ll know in an instant whether you’re writing to your prospect -- “What’s in it for YOU’…or to your own ego. Your ego is not your target audience…your prospect’s ego is!

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #25 SOMETHING FOR SOMETHING Tsze-Kung asked, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?” The Master said, “Is not Reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others” -- Confucius Today’s Latin Lesson The golden rule tells us to do undo others as you would have them do unto you. Well, according to the “rule” of quid pro quo (which is a Latin phrase that means “something for something”), give unto others and they’ll give unto you…in spades! Quid pro quo…also known as reciprocity…is not necessarily a balanced equation. Especially in

28

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics online marketing, you’re encouraged to “bend” this rule a bit. Your “new rule” should be:

And keep in mind that the costs for making my free gift are minimal so the extra sales it generates are almost pure profit.

When you give something small, you can get something big in return…BIG business! When you give a potential customer a free gift, you don’t expect a gift back…you expect business. It’s the reason there’s a prize in the McDonald’s “Happy Meal”, why tradeshow vendors have “premiums”. It’s also the thinking behind advertising agencies that send a one-dollar bill with a direct mail solicitation. Giving begets getting. Offering a free gift generates a better response. And that’s the reason more and more websites have learned that FREE BONUSES generate PAYING BUSINESS. Give the People What They Want What are the keys to developing a good reciprocal relationship? Value, for starters. The gift you give needs to be something of genuine value to the recipient…something that he’ll be pleased to receive and eager to use. Offering a free subscription to Playboy with every bottle of Viagra purchased at WidgetDrugs.com makes sense. Offering a box of Godiva chocolates with an insulin tester does not. Take It From Me… On www.dansrant.com, I offer visitors a free download of an incredibly informative mini-course that includes a “killer” 53-minute interview and a chance to be an “inner circle” subscriber to my newsletter -- also free. As you can imagine, I get a lot of takers for this priceless, but no-cost information bonanza…and that’s fine with me. Because when my subscribers download their freebie -- and are feeling appreciative of my generosity -- I immediately offer them the opportunity to buy something from me.

It’s important that the gift be given “free and clear” with no strings attached. Giving with no expectations of quid pro quo is more likely to make someone wish to reciprocate your kindness. That’s why so many offers say, “This gift is yours to keep.” Your generosity is appreciated, so your customers are less likely to return the product, even if they might be considering it. Interesting, huh?

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #26 COMMITMENT CEREMONY “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes... but no plans.” -- Peter Drucker Do you know the story about the nose of the camel? It’s the fanciful idea that a camel will ask if he can stick his nose into your tent, and if you say yes, next he’ll ask if he can put his whole head in, then his neck, then one hump, then two…and before you know it you’ll be on the outside of your tent looking in. The moral of the story is that you can prevent damage by taking action early, a variation on the stitch in time story. As a website owner, however, you want camels -consumer camels -- to come into your tent by the herd. But consumer camels can be skittish…and you need to coax them. So rather than try to drag them in and get them committed to you all at once, you just apply this story in reverse. People often find it easier to agree to small details than to say “Yes” to a large commitment. Capitalize

29

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics on this tendency by leading your site visitors through a series of small, painless “yes” steps before closing in for the “kill” -- your ultimate sale. First invite them to look…then to “stick their nose in”…then shoulder some responsibility… Little by little, even the most hesitant consumer camel will be drawn deeper and deeper into your sales tent. This slow and subtle “commitment ceremony” has a genius effect of building on a string of “yes” answers to generate the biggest and most important “yes” of all: Yes, I’ll buy…NOW. If/Then… An excellent way to get commitment is with an “If I would, would you…” situation. With this tactic, the prospect is only asked to make a theoretical “yes” to your offer, so it’s very, very easy to agree. And just like with the Incremental Close, every “yes” is another link in the chain…another small “push” towards the finish line up ahead and the checkered flag that says, “Sold!” Remember, this is soft-sell, not hard. To achieve your goals, you must word the question so that it doesn’t sound sales-y or high-pressured. You want to express your desire to achieve an objective, not make it sound as though you’re brow-beating someone into buying from you. Step Ladder Instead of trying to strong-arm a site visitor into immediately making a purchase, try a little less elbow grease and a little more finesse. First ask a peripheral question that’s designed to get the “Yes” ball rolling: “Are you tired of looking at your feet and seeing your belly instead?” “Would you be interested in our free detailing package with every purchase?” “Would you like the solution to your problem in an instant download?”

Every one of these sly little tangential offers easily generates a “yes” response from a site visitor. And every “yes” to a described benefit brings your prospect that much closer to the final sale.

As the customer agrees to each question, he’s mentally putting himself into a scenario where he has already purchased your product/service! He has indirectly said, “yes” to the entire offering and is well on the way to convincing himself/herself to make the purchase. In “online sales speak,” this is sometimes called the Incremental Close. In Danspeak, this is called a killer tactic.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #27 THE ZEN OF SAMENESS “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” --Paul Josef Goebbels As an honest businessperson, you’re not trying to turn lies into the truth, but you are trying to turn doubtful site visitors into certain-it’s-time-to-buy consumers of your product or service. And in online business marketing, one of the cardinal rules is this: If you tell the truth and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. McDonald’s isn’t the burger king because of its superior product. Mickey-D’s is successful because it provides consistency…Quarter Pounder with Cheese that tastes the same in Toronto, Tel Aviv, or Tokyo. That’s the appeal. Anytime a consumer chows down with the clown, there’s an expectation of sameness. Wherever you find McDonald’s you’ll find pretty much the same menu, the same taste, and the same

30

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics service…not to mention the same logo -- golden arches -- on everything from a Filet o’ Fish box to a fry sleeve. And the consistent display of those arches is no accident! It’s brilliant marketing consistency.

Even if you have only one website working for you, rather than an army like mine, you still need to develop consistency. The language and tone should be consistent from your homepage to your FAQ. (More about “staying on message” below.)

Why brilliant? Because anytime you look for a McDonald’s restaurant, you look for the same thing -- golden arches. The consistency of the image and the promise of a consistency of experience is comforting and takes consumers to their “happy place” as they mentally re-live their last Happy Meal and start to project having a bite of their next one.

Each page should have the same framing elements -- layout, design, font, etc. The sameness of the frame helps visitors stay focused on the “sales picture” as they go from page to page

At the same time, the consistency of the marketing message burrows the company’s logo deep into your subconscious. You internalize the logo and attached the marketing message “Eat at McDonald’s” to it. Soon simply seeing ANY golden arch may get your stomach growling for a meal at MacDonald’s. You’re not McDonald’s, but delivering a consistent message…and delivering a message consistently…are the keys to your success. Mac Daddy of Marketing When people are hungry for information to help them in their online marketing efforts, their online search efforts invariably lead them to a number of my various websites. If you haven’t visited them yourself, take a moment to click in on: • www.websiteconversionexpert.com • www.instantwebprofitssystem.com • www.instantwebprofitsmentoring.com As you go from one to another, notice the consistency of message delivery. All of my websites have consistent appearance to them -- a simple long page with a “signature” color -- a vibrant green -used in the background. Although every site is slightly different, the consistent elements that are repeated at each URL work to brand my sites and lets visitors know immediately that “It’s a Lok.”

Staying on Message Consistency takes many forms in online marketing. Consistency in selling…saying the same thing over and over again until it sticks…is something you hear a lot about in politics where “staying on message” is a mantra. Politicians…who are, after all, just marketing professionals with a different kind of product to “sell” -- know how important the power of repetition is in “anchoring” a thought in a consumer’s/voter’s mind. That’s why spokespeople “pick and stick” a negative adjective into their opponent’s lapel. For example: “The tax-happy lawmaker,” “The power-hungry governor,” and from the recent U.S. political scene -- “The flip-flopping senator from Massachusetts.” You can stick to a negative message about your competitor, but it’s more important that you repeat your positive message as often as you can. If your widget is easy to put together, than it should always be referred to as the easy-toassemble widget. If your information product comes with a free bonus, be sure to call it the bonus-rich Widget Information Kit whenever you mention it by name. These are stellar ways to keep a consistent marketing message going out repeatedly. The repetition cycle gives your message sufficient time to work its conversion “magic” on your prospects.

31


Your message must be consistent and it must be delivered and re-delivered consistently. You might need to “pitch” a prospect as many as nine times before you make your sale…maybe even more. Consider an informative auto-responder series or a regular newsletter like the ones I offer at: • http://www.instantwebprofitsmentoring.comt • http://www.dansrant.com

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #28 SHOW ‘EM HOW BROAD YOUR SHOULDERS ARE “Be wary of the man who urges an action in which he himself incurs no risk.” --Joaquin Setanti

Burden of Proof A great way to prove to people that they can buy from you with confidence is with a risk reversal tactic. This takes the burden of “being right” off the shoulders of the consumer because there’s an “out” if they’re wrong. If you lower or eliminate the risk to your prospect, your sales will multiply…quite literally overnight, and your conversion rate will skyrocket. Could it really be as easy as that? Yes! Of course! This is online marketing science, not rocket science. If you provide a good service at a fair price and remove any possibility of disappointment -- in other words, if you assume the risk -- your website will be overrun with visitors, your tally sheet will be spilling over with sales, and your bank account will be overwhelmed by a huge influx of m-o-n-e-y.

Are you a risk taker? Someone who’s willing to shoulder the responsibility without being sure? Someone who’s willing to put your life on the line…or your hard-earned money…to try something without being sure you’ll like the outcome?

It Says Something “Nice” About You Your guarantee of satisfaction, whatever form it takes, says “nice” things about you. It says that your product is of a good quality, that your service can be relied upon, and that you couldn’t afford to take on so much risk if you couldn’t deliver the goods.

Well, you may be a thrill seeker with a taste for extreme activities and “risky business,” but when it comes to making a purchase -- consumers aren’t! It seems as though every prospective consumer, at one time or another, “channels” the spirit of author Joaquin Setanti when they’re making a purchase.

Assume the Position What are ways to eliminate risk? Guarantees are one option, but there are others. Position your online offer for maximum risk reversal with superior guarantees and other consumer-friendly risk removers like these:

Unfortunately, when it comes to online business transactions, there’s always a risk involved. Nine times out of time, the buyer is at risk…at risk for buying the wrong thing, at risk for feeling stupid, and (worst of all) at risk for not being satisfied.

• Iron-clad guarantees • Extended guarantees • Better than 100% guarantees • Free trial periods • Short-term introductory packages • No-obligation packages

Without being able to “get up close and personal” with the item they’re considering, they’re at-risk for making a mistake. This risk is what prevents people from saying “I’m sold.”

A well-planned risk reversal strategy can be the “nudge” that ultimately tips the conversion scales in your favor. With risk reversal, you have

32

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics “pre-programmed” your prospects mind with the idea that you…and the benefits outlined in your offer…can be trusted. Once trust is in place, can a sale be far behind? Not sure you know what makes a great guarantee? No problem! I’ve included 21 “killer” risk reversal statements as a bonus! What If… Some of your customers may, in fact, be dissatisfied and ask for their money back. But again, you’re an honest businessperson who stands behind your product, and the occasional refund is to be expected. And while I can’t guarantee you that no one will take advantage of your generous risk reversal, I can guarantee that you will attract many more clients and make many more sales simply by offering risk reversal in the first place. I’ll also promise that profits from increased sales thanks to risk reversal will more than out-distance the expense of returns, refunds, and other guarantees.

A consumer doesn’t choose to buy from you because they think they can capitalize on your risk reversal. If they truly believe they’ll return your product…they wouldn’t buy it in the first place!

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #29 WITH LOVE FROM <ME> TO “This time…it’s personal.” – Tagline for Jaws, The Revenge How many times have you been out on the street and heard someone call your name? Even if you’re in an unfamiliar place where it isn’t likely that you’d run into anyone you know, you hear your name and your turn around to see “Who’s talking to me?”

We’re programmed to react to our name and it’s impossible not to respond. From earliest childhood, our names are used to get our attention. That ‘s why when you hear or see your name, you just can’t ignore it. And that’s The powerful allure of personalization on your web page! Up Close and Personal Once your message is able to achieve a one-to-one, personal interaction with your site visitor, then your chances of making that sale have just been increased exponentially…by 100%, 200%, 300% or even 600%. These incredible results are the reason that addressing someone personally, as an individual, is the mantra of every top marketer! 20th Century Thinking for 21st Century Technology When you stop and think about it, direct mail offline has always had one great advantage. Most of the time, the marketer knows precisely who he is writing to and is able to address the letter to that named individual. Online, the story so far has been quite different. And that’s why virtually every online sales letter and every autoresponder you read starts with one of these so-called “personalized” salutations: Dear Friend, Dear Professional, Dear Entrepreneur, Dear Fishing Enthusiast, These aren’t personalized greetings! They’re just Thesaurus-driven replacements for the crudest way of getting someone’s attention: “Hey you.” It immediately makes the consumer feel faceless and nameless (literally) and does nothing to impart the message, “I’m talking to you.” If your opening is weak, your sales conversion rates will be even weaker. Using “Dear Friend” as

33

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics an opening is a blunt object when you need something that’s sharp and incisive. Putting your faith on standard “generic” message openings is disaster in the making because… The terrific piece of marketing copy you’ve written will never get read if you lose them at “Hello.” Many marketers, both online and off-line, now rely on software to generate personalized communications. They can “plug in” everything from the reader’s name, address, and other bits of “personal data” plugged into the message.

Surprisingly, even though web buyers realize that personalization is accomplished with technology, they still respond to seeing their “name in print.” Getting Personal There’s more to personalization than simply using someone’s first and last name in an email message. On your site, there are two main approaches to “personalizing”: rules-based filtering and collaborative filtering. Rules-based personalization generates a profile of each customer. The data is used to identify patterns of behavior. The patterns are then used to predict a shopper’s future likes and dislike. Traditionally a customer registration form has been used to capture a prospect’s age, occupation, address, household income level, hobbies, interests, and so on. However, because consumers fear unsolicited follow-ups, this method is being abandoned in favor of more subtle techniques. Personalization can also be achieved with a look at “group dynamics.” This is true in collaborative filtering which looks at information and behaviors of groups of people who share one or more characteristics. One of the most popular ways

to achieve collaborative filtering is with tools to monitor click streams, the path users take to arrive at a website. Click stream information lets online businesses track the number of times viewers click on banners, for example. With this data in hand, marketers can customize advertising campaigns to their viewers’ preferences and surfing habits. You Understand Me! Buyers want to feel that you understand their definition of value and have a solution that reflects their priorities. As you identify traits among individuals and group, you can adjust your site so that their online experience feels “tailored” just to them. This is customer-oriented selling at its best.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #30 GET INVOLVED WITH QUESTIONS AND BUTTONS “If there is no worker involvement, there is no quality system.” – Lloyd Dobbins and Clare CrawfordMason, Thinking About Quality “If there is no buyer involvement, there is no sale.” – Dan Lok, thinking about quality marketing Whether it’s test-driving a Lexus, trying on a pair of Ralph Lauren jeans, or acting as the “volunteer demonstrator” for a new mop at a mall kiosk…the more a consumer is actively involved in the selling process, the more likely he/she is to be involved in the buying process as well. And the opposite is true: An uninvolved consumer is more likely to walk away from even the most incredible offer. This presents a challenge for marketers on the web. There’s no product to handle, no fabric to feel, no “fresh car” fragrance to smell. So all you have at your disposal are static pictures and words, right?

34

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Wrong! The web’s biggest moneymakers are those sites where the pictures and words involve prospects mentally and physically. To win the marketing war, put your prospects on “active duty” by inviting them to answer questions, create mental pictures, as well as click buttons, access pull-down menus, listen to audio clips, etc. Do that and you’ll be able to… “Enlist” an army of eager buyers in no time, flat. Ask and Ye Shall Receive…Answers, Involvement, and More Sales Attracting attention is only half the game in marketing. Hell, a crazy person standing on the street screaming, “The end is near,” can get your attention. Holding that attention and transforming attention into involvement and involvement into desire is what lines your pockets with gold. Involvement must be maintained throughout your website and marketing messages. For sites that use sales letter, this strategy frequently gets into the action early… in a pre-headline that poses an “involving” question like: “Can I share a secret with you about boiler repairs?” “Is the government getting too much of your money?” “Did you even think you’d need an adult diaper?” “Are you suffering because you’re losing your hair?” “Have you heard the good news about mortgage rates?” After a prospect has gotten involved by answering the question you pose, it’s important to maintain that initial involvement with a strategic series of questions and buttons. “Clicking” on buttons is a physical activity that can break up the monotony of reading.

ly to stay there as long as you keep asking them questions…and keep painting pictures. One thing we know about the human mind is that it hates unresolved questions. So, when you ask a question in your online sales copy, a consumer can’t help but respond with an answer. That response -- whether it’s yes, no, or maybe -- is a demonstration of involvement. And involvement is the first small, but powerfully “sticky” rung of your sales “ladder.” Placed at key intervals throughout your site, questions and buttons allow you to guide prospects effortlessly on a path that goes step-by-step from “Would you like to learn more? Click here” straight through to “Would you like to get 6 free bonuses and pay 50% less than the published price? Click here.”

Involved with something at stake is even better than simply involved. When LifeSavers candy was toying with the idea of retiring pineapple from its 5-pack assortment, the company asked customers to vote on a new flavor to take its place. What an eye-opener that turned out to be! More than 1 million customers voted at the LifeSavers website or called in to their toll-free number to keep the existing pineapple flavor. They voted with their wallets, too! For their efforts, LifeSavers got a re-energized and involved customer base, a great deal of publicity, priceless market research and a bump in sales. Not a bad return on the nominal cost of conducting a survey.

The questions, meanwhile, keep your prospects mentally in the picture. In addition to requiring a response, questions are your “paint brushes” for creating a rich and vivid “what if” landscape where a consumer can place himself/herself. Once they’re in the picture, your prospective customers are like-

35

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #31 WHERE’S THE LOGIC IN THAT? “To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful.” -- Edward R. Morrow Edward R. Murrow was talking about the news business when he made the statement above, but the sentiment translates to any industry and should be a fundamental principle in your online marketing efforts. If you’re not already familiar with it, consider stitching a sample and putting it up on your wall: People make most decisions based on emotions, but they validate their decisions based on logic and reasoning. Take a Lesson From Mr. Spock You may think that consumers buy what they desire, and that’s true. But the consumer may not want to admit that! Many of us….most of us, I’d venture to say…have been taught that acting logically is good and acting emotionally (which translates as illogically) is bad. It’s what made Star Trek’s “Mr. Spock” such an appealing character to so many of his fans. “Spock’s brain” is probably inside your prospect’s head. In order to feel good about a purchase, your site visitor wants to feel that he’s making a logical decision -- intelligent, well thought out, and supported by evidence that proves it’s the right thing to do. So, in order to influence your customers, you need to present true, credible facts about your product or service. These facts will serve as the “logical justification” for a purchase.

work each day, and the Widget Wiener (an inexpensive sub-compact) would do the trick. But you’re a whiner and you don’t want the Wiener. You want a winner. Because although the Wiener would fulfill your NEED, it doesn’t satisfy your DESIRE…your emotional need. What you WANT are all the good feelings that will come from owning a Widget Wunderbar Car. You want to feel smart, envied, sophisticated, cool, and better than an Average Joe, tooling around in a top of the line, high-performance, 0-60 in no time flat, gas guzzling sport coupe. Weighing need vs. want, you’ll give yourself a challenge: to make yourself that you NEED the Wunderbar Car. That’s where logic comes in…and a good marketing strategy. Dewey Cheathem, Widget’s #1 sales rep, is certain that the visitors to Autoworld really want the Wunderbar Car. He’s certain because he’s reviewed his clickstream data and knows that even people who initially click on Wiener pages invariably click to the Wunderbar Car pages…repeatedly…and that they linger on those pages longer than any other pages onsite. Dewey also knows that if he compared the Wiener with the Wunderbar, logic would dictate the purchase of a sub-compact for daily commuting. Well, Dewey didn’t win his “Widget Sales Rep of the Year Award” for five years in a row by selling sub-compacts. So Dewey inserts a pop-up box that reads, “I see you’re looking at two of our most popular models. The Wiener has its fans, but did you know…

The easiest way to illustrate this is with one of the great emotional/logical purchases: a car. Let’s head over to WidgetOnlineAutoworld.com for a lesson: You NEED a mode of transportation to take you to

36

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Before you know what’s happening, Dewey hits the unsuspecting visitor right between the eyes with these irresistible “logic points”: • “The Wunderbar Car was voted Widgetville’s favorite sport coupe for under $40,000.” The sub-text of this message is: “This is a popular choice with others.” The logic evokes the emotion of “belonging.” The prospect says, “If I buy a Wunderbar Car I’m in-step with my neighbors.” • “The Wunderbar Car is already being considered a classic and has developed a cult following like the old Ford Mustang.” Your prospect’s logic detector hears: “This is a car that will have a high resale value and could be a valuable “collectible.” If I buy it, I must be a smart shopper.” • “When it comes to gas mileage, no sport coupe does better than the Wunderbar Car.” The irrefutable logic of this statement is that the Wunderbar Car is affordable to operate. That allows the buyer to say, “I’m fiscally responsible.”

What’s important about the sales rep’s list of logical reasons for buying the Wunderbar Car is that they talk exclusively about the high-end option. There’s no mention of the lower-priced Wiener and no effort to compare the two. The “Logic Points” are laser-focused on driving home the emotions of owning a popular sports car.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #32 THE EASY WAY OUT…AND INTO A SALE “You can’t spell sold without E-Z.” -- Anonymous Time Is of the Essence Once upon a time, New York was known as the city that never sleeps…an anomaly in a world

where traditional business was conducted from 9-5. Well, thanks to the Internet and a global way of life, a cultural earthquake that has turned the world into a 24/7 marketplace with buyers and sellers doing business any time of the day or night. The consumer has learned the wonders of “selfservice” on the Internet, sending demands for convenience to an extraordinary new level. Consumers expect everything from instant “analysis” of loan applications and instant approval of mortgages, instant delivery of e-books, and instant “access” to concerts, seminars, and online “Members Only” content. Sometimes what’s convenient may be more important to a consumer than what’s high quality or the best value. Pre-packaged food doesn’t taste as good as homemade, but it’s easy. A can of soda at the corner deli costs more than a 2-liter bottle at the supermarket, but the deli is convenient. Convenience is different things to different people. For a single parent, convenience is the Kids’ Ball Room at Ikea where moppets can play while mom and pop shop. For a senior who no longer drives, free delivery from the pharmacy is important. It’s important that you go to the “source” -- your customers -- to find out what convenience factors would best fit their needs. Once you know what your customers want, get busy implementing those ideas, concepts and service. A good example of this is my own electronic newsletter Dan’s Rant. The Rant is extremely popular with my subscribers, but a recent survey showed me that many people wanted the information in permanent, hard copy form. So that’s what I’m doing. The key concept here is: I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t ask!

37

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics The benefit of surveying your customers on their convenience preferences is two-fold. First, your “market research” with existing customers gives you outstanding insight into what potential new customers will want in terms of ease -- no contracts, online payments, instant credit approval, etc. Second, when your existing customers see you take ACTION and made their experience easier and more pleasant, they’ll know that you truly listened to them and care enough to be responsive to their requests. The Mom and Pop Shop Before the mega-mart, in the days before supermarkets and shopping malls, at a time when dinosaurs walked the Earth…or maybe it was just a few years ago…most people shopped at “Convenience Stores.” Whatever else they wanted, it was clear that consumers wanted convenience -- the ability to buy what they wanted when they wanted it without having to work too hard or travel too far. When the multiplex shopping “experiences” did arrive, they frequently offered a wider selection and lower prices, not to mention a food court, rides, and entertainment. But local businesses continued to thrive because they provided convenience. The bottom line: Ease trumps almost everything as a super-closer. Today, two-thirds of Americans still shop at convenience stores at least once a week. It doesn’t matter that the store only sells two brands of soda. It doesn’t matter that the cost will be 30% more supermarket prices. Make your website the “easy place to shop” and see how easy it is to make more sales to more customers…despite the fact that your competitor offers some advantages you don’t.

Convenience is the impulse buyer’s best friend…and one of the reasons that the Internet is such a money machine. Nothing is more seductive than the convenience of “Just Click Here to Buy Now”…except perhaps the phrase, “Click Here to Get Your Free Gift Immediately.” Either way, it’s all about fast, easy, and convenient.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #33 WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL? “If you want to be truly successful invest in yourself to get the knowledge you need to find your unique factor. When you find it and focus on it and persevere your success will blossom.” -- Sidney Madwed Do you do something that sets you apart from your competition the marketplace? Do you make a better mousetrap? A cheaper mousetrap? A humane mousetrap? Can your mousetrap be ordered online and delivered instantly via email? Before making a purchase, a consumer makes comparisons. The unique quality or qualities of your product or service is the major reason that people buy from your site rather than your competitor’s. That’s why you should load up your site with your most mouthwatering benefits and features. But beyond that, you need to position these special benefits as “unique” to you…and unique in your marketplace. This is called differentiation…and it works even if you aren’t so different! I Said It First! Domino’s Pizza advertised: “If we don’t deliver your pizza within 30 minutes or less, it’s free.”

38

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics with pizza lovers, Domino’s just highlights its most consumer-magnetic benefit: a pie when it’s been promised, or there’s no charge. Even if you do many things the same way your competitors do, the benefit you point to may be unique to a prospect because your competition doesn’t mention it. People assumed that Domino’s had the fastest delivery; and was the only “You ring; we bring” delivery service they guaranteed that if they didn’t, your order would be free. In fact, many of Domino’s competitors were also delivering their pizzas in 30 minutes (or less), but they weren’t saying anything about it. But Domino’s was able to “cash in” on this important benefit simply by mentioning it! What’s great about differentiation, especially in the Domino’s example is that the message is totally positive. Domino’s never says anything bad about other pizza delivery services, it just focuses on strong points that consumers infer are unique benefits. I Said It Nicely Don’t bash the competition, just position “Brand X” as inferior to “Brand YOU.” Why? Because a potential customer may become skeptical if you start hurling rocks at the competition. This is also true in politics where voters often see negative campaigning as a “substitute for substance.”

Accentuate Your Positive Instead of being negative, be positive. Acknowledge that the “other guy” is doing his best with his online offering, but make it clear that you do much better. Explain that your competitor (or competitor’s product) is good enough, but that yours provides superior value. You can even compliment competitors by “damning them with faint praise” like this: “A one-man web design company definitely has some advantages, but no single person could begin to provide the full-on creative firepower of the team at WidgetWeb.com.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #34 WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU??? “Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.” -- Marcus Aurelius One of the greatest emperors in Roman history, Marcus Aurelius was a man ahead of his time in terms in many ways…not the least of which was his understanding the psychology of the consumer as shown in the quote above. He would have made a great online marketer…and you can learn from him.

The Domino’s ad is all substance. It doesn’t bash the competition. There’s no need to. To connect

Want a way to turn skeptical consumers into true believers? Admit a flaw, own up to a mistake, reveal that you’ve made an error…and poof -- your website and your offer have instant credibility.

This translates as “We do what they don’t – guarantee your satisfaction.”

Now for obvious reasons, you probably think it’s crazy to advertise your mistakes to the world. You want to look good, so you figure it’s better to be mysterious about what goes on “behind closed doors” at your Internet business.

39

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics But the fact of the matter is that people love doing business with someone who’s honest. And nothing says “Honest Abe” like a marketing message that lets consumers in on a “dirty little secret.” The Ordering Department Screwed Up! Our customers wanted the Deluxe Widget, but we ordered tons of the Basic Model…and now we’ve got to unload them FAST to make room for new inventory. We’re All Wet! We had a flood at our overseas warehouse and need to liquidate (pardon the pun) what’s left of our inventory …at a discount. Doctor, Doctor Sale We’re lowering prices to raise cash for our president and his wife to get matching Botox treatments. Let’s face it: if you’re making a special offer -- a 50%-off sale, a “Buy 1, Get 1 FREE” deal, or a year of free maintenance -- nobody thinks you’re doing it just because you’re Mr. Good Guy or Ms. Sweetie Pie. In fact, your generosity is likely to make people suspicious. A special offer can make consumers fear the worst like “Those widgets are probably damaged” or “That widget has passed its expiration date” or if you don’t give them a reason for what you’re doing. These imaginary worst-case scenarios are deadly and can kill your sale instantly. The Age of Reason People want to have the reason for what you do and they like to have a reason for what they do, too. Doing something for a reason is logical…and consumers love logic (almost as much as emotion). I know this probably goes against every grain of business sense, but I promise if you give people a good, believable reason why you’re doing what you’re doing, they’ll love you for it. If you open up,

they will, too -- with open arms…and open wallets.

Instead of worrying about “spinning” you story, just let people go “behind the scenes” at your company. Whatever the reason you’re doing something out of the ordinary, you don’t need to sugarcoat it or keep it under wraps. Let your customers in on the secret -- just tell the truth.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #35: GET CONSUMERS INTO THE PICTURE “You’ve got to see it to believe it!” As the old saying goes, “Seeing is believing” and that’s why the term “See for yourself” is so popular in marketing lingo. It’s also the reason your copy should put consumers in the picture so they can see themselves. Your message should be crafted to turn site visitors into “mental users” of your product or service. The words you choose should help them visualize themselves AFTER the sale…enjoying all the benefits of all the features you offer. Turn on your prospects imagination by telling a compelling story in which they have the starring role. If you paint a picture that’s rich in descriptive detail, you’ll get the prospects to see themselves in the picture…with your product. Do that and you’re more than halfway towards turning your “mental cases” into real users. Let me show you how to pull someone into the picture and then hold them there. Imagine that you’re an average mom or dad, overworked and stressed out. You’re surfing the web looking for a new family car and you find this online offer for the Widget WagonWheeler:

40

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics “When you buy a Widget WagonWheeler, you and your family can take the high road, the low road, or go off-road completely heading up muddy inclines and down slippery slopes. In the summertime, pack up the kids -- and the neighbors’ kids, too -- and head to the beach where Wheeler is perfect for beachside barbeques. In the winter, the Wheeler ready to go the distance to your favorite ski resort high in the Rockies. And when Junior and Missy are staying with Grandma and Grandpop, the WagonWheeler is ready for a night on the town for “adults” only.” This detailed, vivid, and very appealing story will easily transport any parent out of the “here and now” and whisk them away to the “fantasy island” of a happy, joyous family outing…or a romantic night for two…all thanks to the WagonWheeler. It’s All About ME Want to make your stories really impossible to ignore? Don’t “talk to the hand,” as Fran Drescher says… Talk to the ego. We all love to talk about ourselves. And we all love to hear about ourselves. It’s the reason that phrases with the word “you” in them are so universally appealing. One of my favorite examples of this is the story of admen Bert and Ernie. Bert says to Ernie, “I’ll bet you $100 that I can get our boss, Mr. Toughsell to read a full page of web copy without even trying.” Since Mr. Toughsell was a notorious non-reader, Ernie figured he was a sure winner was already dreaming of an expensive steak dinner paid for by Bert. Surprise! Bert won the bet by using the words, “This Is About Mr. Toughsell,” as the headline at the top of the page. Mr. Toughsell was glued to that

page like a fly to flypaper from the first word until the last.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #36 DARE TO BE DIFFERENT “Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.” -- Cecil Beaton The old days of dry, stuffy business-to-consumer and business-to-consumer advertising are over! Even traditionally stodgy business sectors like finance and investment have learned the value of “marching to a different drummer” with marketing messages that are outrageous. You know the drill…in order to even get a consumer to notice your message you’re going to need to grab their attention away from the thousands of advertising messages that compete for their attention every day. Now “outrageous” can be good…and it can be bad. I’m not talking about splashing fourteen colors of type across your page or having zany pop-ups with wacky animation. When you’re outrageous simply for the sake of being outrageous, you just look foolish. The kind of “outrageous that I’m talking about is strictly business and very focused in its intent to generate interest. Used wisely, it will make you appear unique, interesting, and worth getting to know better. In an online world that is frequently powered by “plain vanilla,” outrageous marketing will get you noticed and generate word of mouth. It will differentiate you from your competition just as much as the unique benefits and features you promote.

41

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics For Internet marketers, “outrageous” takes three main forms on their websites: The Outrageous Headline -- outrageously interesting so you have to read more. • Plain vanilla headline: Widget Wax Makes Your Car Shine • Outrageous headline: Widget Wax Makes Your Car’s Finish So Shiny That It Can Be Seen By Space Satellites! The Outrageous Claim - outrageously beneficial so you want it, too. • Plain vanilla claim: Widget Face Cream Makes You Appear Years Young • Outrageous headline: Use Widget Face Cream and Prepare to Be “Carded” The Next Time You Go Out for Drinks The Outrageous Offer - outrageously favorable so you’d be a fool to say no. • Plain vanilla offer: Hire John Widget as your consultant and you’ll get 10 full hours of physical training for just $500 • Outrageous offer: With John Widget, you’ll get 10 full hours of his personal one-on-one coaching, round-the-clock access to his online help center, a complete “kit” for monitoring and managing your progress…AND a body, mind, and spirit makeover that will last a lifetime…all for less than the cost of joining a health club where you’re just one more face in a nameless crowd -$500 complete. The “old school” approach to marketing was under-promise and over-deliver. Today, however, consumers are shopping at warp speed and they don’t have time for the subtleties of this strategy. Under-promise and they’ll just surf on by you looking for something better. In some instances, humor can have outrageous results. If your business is in a niche that is normally traditional and conservative, for example, then doing something even slightly outrageous will

make a tremendous splash. An established online law firm I know invited its list subscribers to visit the site for “free legal advice” at Christmastime. The invitation was sent via email and was quite formal looking with very straightforward language. When visitors arrived at the site, however, the tone changed. Here’s a sample of the “free advice” that was offered: ‘Tis the season to be jolly…not sued! And though it’s nice to welcome friends and family “home for the holidays,” there are risks involved. To keep the ho, ho, ho in your holiday, our legal team has assembled this expert advice. It’s our gift to you: • False Arrest If you don’t want to be known as “the person that sent Santa to jail,” remember to turn off your alarm system when you hear footsteps on the roof…just make sure it’s really Santa up there! • Order to Show Clause Don’t promise your children that Santa Clause is coming to town, be prepared to produce him or face the consequences! • Avoiding Alienation of Affection A misplaced sprig of mistletoe can lead to more than just a kiss. To keep your guests out of divorce court and yourself from civil liability, consider a nice Christmas Cactus. Whatever happens this holiday season, we’re here to help! You can reach us anytime of the day or night -- even at 11:59 on New Year’s Eve! And if you have a question now…click here to send us an email. The response was overwhelming. Many clients sent email messages simply to compliment the firm on

42

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics its sense of humor. That let the company know that the outrageous factor was working in terms of attracting attention. But there was an additional benefit: lots of those messages included requests for appointments and inquiries about “real” services, too!

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #37 BE A CHEERLEADER “Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world. It beats money and power and influence. It is no more or less than faith in action.” -- Henry Chester World famous motivator Dale Carnegie -- he’s the “power of positive thinking” guy -- tells the story of a speaker who was promoting an idea that was absolutely and utterly ridiculous. Yet, ridiculous as it was, people were excited and at the end of the speech, were eager to “buy in” to what the speaker was selling. How come? If the idea was absurd, what convinced the audience? According to Carnegie: enthusiasm. The speaker was passionate and enthusiastic about his subject. As a result, more than half the audience never questioned his authority…they just bought his product. Building Credibility with Enthusiasm To the consumer, your enthusiasm reflects on your credibility. That’s why one of my favorite marketing slogans (or unique positioning statements) is the one used by the Hair Club for Men. In all their ads, company founder Sy Sperling says with passion,

Sy’s enthusiastic comments are received as a personal testimonial to the product’s benefits. In ancient Greece, smart people thought enthusiasm was a gift from the gods. Anyone who had enthusiasm was imbued with special powers. And in today’s world, the same thing is true -- people with enthusiasm have the special power to convince, motivate, and sell, sell...sell. Be Passionate…Be Real…Be Successful AND Happy Try to focus your work on products, services, and ideas you truly positive about so that you can communicate that enthusiasm in a genuine and honest way. And instead of taking a “black hat” approach to marketing and trying to “hoodwink” someone into buying what you have to sell, focus your efforts on people who are very likely to enjoy a real benefit from what you offer. At the end of the day you’ll FEEL BETTER selling something you believe in to someone who will believe in it, too, once they use it.

If Daniel Webster had been in online marketing rather than the dictionary business; he’d have said that enthusiasm is the process of transferring your positive feelings about your product/service to your site visitors. If you can get your prospects to join you in a positive, enthusiastic mindset…they’ll be eager to buy.

“I’m not only the Hair Club president…I’m also a client.” This completely transforms a prospect’s response to Sy’s “pitch.” They don’t think of the president’s comments about Hair Club as just marketing hype.

43

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #38 URGENCY TRUMPS PROCRASTINATION “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.” -- Unknown Don’t let human nature kill your sale! What aspect of human nature am I talking about? It’s our natural tendency to procrastinate and put things off. Every time I think of creating a sense of urgency, I am reminded of my childhood - namely the ice cream truck and the popcorn wagon. Those guys knew how to create urgency! When I heard that music getting closer, the ice cream truck was on its way. Same thing when I heard the bells ringing on the popcorn wagon. I KNEW I had to get there FAST with my fist full of change or I’d miss out! That’s the kind of urgency I’m talking about. You need to create that same thing with your website offer. Do It NOW Urgency gives the reader a reason to act now instead of later. Urgency turns up the heat under desire. Without it, desire will cool down to interest and interest will quickly turn to apathy and disinterest. We put off taking action even for things we want for a variety of reasons. If you don’t get immediate action from your target group, there is a good chance they won’t come back. Out of sight, out of mind. It’s up to you to help your prospects and customers overcome their tendency to procrastinate and take immediate action to get what you are offering. You do that by with a “ticking clock” and a powerful Sense of Urgency.

The most common method of creating a sense of urgency is to have an expiration date on an offer a “special deal” or discount. If they respond by the expiration date they get the special offer. However, there are several other ways to create a sense of urgency. Here are a few of them: • Price Increase - give the recipients of your direct mail postcard the opportunity to purchase before prices go up. • Bonus Offer - instead of offer a discount include a bonus for responding before a certain date. • Limited Supplies - the customer needs to respond quickly or they might miss out on the opportunity. A sense of urgency fires up a prospect so that they’re ready to respond to your “call to action.” It’s important to ensure your online message includes both of these elements. For example: “Contact Us Before May 15th to take Advantage of Our Special Offer!” “Click Here to Order Before Midnight and The 6 Bonuses Are Yours” “Order Before December 31st To Lock-In Lower Prices” A “call to action” does exactly what the name implies: it urges your prospect to “do it” and an urgent call to action says “Do it…NOW.” A fundamental truth is sales and marketing is: If you don’t ask for the reader to respond…they won’t. A corollary of this idea is: If you don’t ask the reader to respond immediately, they won’t…and you may never get another chance to ask.

44


Consumers aren’t stupid. Chances are they’ll visit your website several times before making a purchase. If they see the same “Order before midnight” message over and over again, you are not creating a sense of urgency…just a sense that you’re a liar!

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #39 GUILT TRIP “Guilt: the gift that keeps on giving” -- Erma Bombeck I’m not sure what satirist Erma Bombeck had in mind when she made the above statement, but she might easily have been talking about guilt as a gift to marketers. “Guilt,” like Esperanto, is an “international language” and one of the most common negative emotions across cultures. Consumer guilt, defined by market research scientists as an emotional state involving penitence, remorse, self-blame, and selfpunishment, is equally global. People feel guilty when they become aware that they have broken a rule and violated their own standards or beliefs. They also feel guilty when they gave failed to accept or carry out their responsibility. While consumers are feeling guilty, marketers are feeling elated. Why? Because the guilt-inducing transgression can be “enlisted” to help make a sale! Doesn’t your child’s safety demand the best? Get WidgetKinderGuards for your windows today! If you’re a parent, the above statement from WidgetKinderGuards.com leans on your “buy”

button like a ton of bricks. The clear implication is that if you don’t purchase KinderGuards, it’s your fault that your offspring will have to settle for “second best” in home safety and risk life and limb falling out an unprotected window. Talk about guilt! A consumer can feel guilty about others, themselves, or even the state of the world. Guilt is an especially effective tool in the non-profit sector where solicitations rely heavily on the prospective donor’s compassion for others to generate income. Great prompts that help bring guilt to the surface include: Didn’t you promise yourself you’d be an (X) by now? Isn’t it time you stopped lying to yourself about…? What are you doing to save the planet? Go Negative in a Positive Way “Guilt” is a negative appeal. Other negative appeals include: • Anger - Are you sick and tired of…? • Fear - Are you frightened that…? • Insecurity - Are you afraid to…? • Envy - Why does everyone else always seem to…? • Regret - Would you change (x) if you could….? • Shame - Are you too embarrassed to…? Here’s the tricky part. Negative appeals generate negative emotions. If you make your prospect feel too uncomfortable, he won’t look to you for a way to make them feel better. Instead a consumer will choose “quick relief” and click away from your site and the source of their discomfort. So although you’ll make statements that may arouse feelings of guilt, you will never explicitly tell people to buy out of guilt. Instead, what you’ll do is offer a “preemptive strike.” You’ll position your product or service as an opportunity to avoid guilt.

45

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Your “guilt appeals” need to be just as creatively conceived and worded as every other aspect of your online marketing message…or they’ll blow up in your face. In an era of market-savvy consumers, it’s important to avoid well-known guilt tricks that your prospects will recognize as overtly manipulative. Stimulate guilt to get a strong emotional response from your prospects, and then appeal to their better nature by telling them to buy because it’s the right thing to do.

In some instances, guilt will serve as a deterrent to making a purchase. But don’t worry, you can still use guilt to your advantage. Rather than stirring up guilt, your copy can alleviate guilt. For example: “A working mom needs time for herself if she wants to give her best to her family…A visit to WidgetDaySpa is time well spent…Book your appointment online AND receive a mom-friendly discount.”

late to save themselves from self-destruction -- the Internet is not a “level playing field.” No matter how good a product or service might be, people are much more likely to buy Coca-Cola than Widget Cola, a brand name that they’ve never heard before. Even if they aren’t familiar with the exact product, consumers will still buy what’s familiar. Let’s do a little test (no grades!) that will demonstrate this: Imagine someone shows you 3 identical white boxes and tells you that you must choose one for your company…and that your superior will evaluate your choice: • White Box #1 has a generic “no name” label. • White Box #2 has a label that says “Widget-made” • White Box #3 has a Sony label Okay…make your selection. Did you choose Sony? Of course you did! Because even though you know nothing else about your purchase…you’re familiar with the brand name Sony.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #40 FAMILIARITY “Familiarity breeds contempt .“ -- Aesop “In politics, familiarity doesn’t breed contempt. It breeds votes.” -- Paul Lazarsfeld Just like in the political arena where American once cast their vote for a monkey because his name was one they had heard often, being a familiar “face” on the web is a positive, not a negative for your business. “I know you” translates into “I trust you”…the three most beautiful words that a marketer can hear. As many new companies find out -- sometimes too

Would it matter if you knew the product inside was something other than electronics? Probably not. The Sony brand is well established which makes you confident that if you’re dissatisfied, Sony will “make good” with a refund or exchange if needed.

Brand New, Brand You If you are a startup company trying to promote a new, or superior product, you’re definitely at a disadvantage…at first. To turn things around, you’ll need to “burrow” your brand into your prospects’ minds until they’re familiar and comfortable with you as an “old friend.”

46

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics One way to accomplish this is to model your website on the archetypes of the industry in which you are competing. Archetypes are the “originals” that took the “big boys” millions of dollars and thousands of hours to create. The good news for you is that you don’t need to invent or reinvent the wheel…or the archetype. You can just take advantage of it. Don’t be a copycat! Your goal is to be similar enough to your “big league” competitors to make you familiar to consumers, but different enough to “brand” your site as new, unique, special, and better. Don’t Let Familiarity Breed Contempt in YOU You must present information repeatedly and in the same way in order to gain recognition and familiarity. Running an ad once is rarely effective. It will take the average consumer 7 exposures to your message to sink in…and a lot more contact to develop trust and familiarity. The problem is that many marketers don’t “stay the course.” They get tired of seeing the same thing over and over themselves and decide that it the repetition is boring to the consumer. They change the look and content of their sites without realizing that the consumer isn’t bored at all. In fact, they were just starting to get comfortable with the message and familiar with its content when the change-happy marketer threw a monkey wrench into things by making unnecessary alterations. In Brands We Trust…Even When We Shouldn’t Brand familiarity engenders trust even if the product is known to be of poor quality! The reason: their names are well known. This is especially true in the automotive industry. Cars that receive poor ratings continue to sell well, year after year, primarily because consumers are familiar with the brand name.

To some people a sense of familiarity is a stronger buying factor than common sense. That’s because most people trust “the devil they know” more than the devil they don’t know…even if he’s making a heavenly offer.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #41 HERE + NOW = WOW! “To an American …gratification, instant and lavish, is a birthright.” -- Bill Bryson, 20th Century author “Instant gratification is not soon enough.” – Meryl Streep Blame it on the see-it/buy-it Hollywood lifestyle that spawned Meryl and Carrie. Blame it on 60-second sound bites, instant drink mixes, scratch-and-win lottery tickets, and microwave ovens. Blame it on 1950’s TV dinners. Blame it on technology, or the Internet, or even MTV. Whatever the cause, the effect is clear: in a lightening-fast world where everything else is happening at a breakneck pace, consumers expect gratification at the same speed -- instantly. If instant gratification is what consumers want, then instant gratification is certainly what you want to deliver. And the Internet, with its nano-second response time is the perfect place to do it. Although it wasn’t designed that way, the web is the best sales venue possible for satisfying today’s impatient consumers. Want to see a sports car that’s “tricked out” with options and extras? You don’t have to go to the dealer…just click a button on the ‘net. Want to create your own wedding invitations? You can do that online and see the results in an instant. Want to get approval of a loan, check current stock

47

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics prices, see what movies are playing and find out if tickets are available? You can do it all online…where things happen fast. Here’s the double-whammy: want to buy something now? The Internet allows you to simply click a button and pay with your credit or debit card. That appeals to impulse buying and instant gratification…not to mention ease. (Make it a triple-whammy!)

The sub-text of the first message is “We’re accessible anytime.” It promises instant accessibility, but not instant gratification, although, in fact, Molasses Roof does send out its service people the same day a client calls in. The sub-text of the second message is much more effective. The consumer translates “Same day service” as “You’ll get relief today.” In the example below, instant gratification comes from the consumer’s ability to download a product from the Internet and get relief without having to leave home or wait long:

The more payment options you can offer on your website, the better. Credit cards feed instant gratification by allowing consumers to satisfy their desires instantly and before they have the money to pay for what they want, if necessary.

Your website can tap into this “need for speed” in three completely different ways. I Need It Now There’s nothing like an emergency to ratchet up the need for instant gratification. Relieving (or avoiding) pain is the #1 reason that people take action. So you marketing copy should deliver the message, “Stop suffering now.” For example, a Florida homeowner whose roof blew off in Hurricane Widget doesn’t want to wait to have it fixed. More than price and more than quality, when he goes online and searches for “roof repair,” he’s looking for a company that can help him right away. Which website offering do you think will grab his attention: Molasses Roof Repair - Call 555-1212 anytime Widget Speedy Roof - Call 555-1212 for same-day service 365 days a year

Order “Dr. Widget’s Insomniac’s E-book” online this evening and you’ll have a good night’s sleep tonight. I Want It Now People will buy a product that can be delivered instantly over a product that will take time to deliver. This is why downloadable e-books are such a hit. Click a button, enter your credit card number and in a matter of seconds, you’ve got what you ordered. There’s no worry and no waiting. Widget Self-Tanner will instantly transform you from humdrum to hot, hot, hot without spending hours on the beach In the offer above, instant gratification is delivered by product benefits that a consumer can begin to enjoy immediately. I Deserve It Now The days of loyalty programs, discount campaigns, and points systems are over. Once extremely effective in rewarding customers for their loyalty and patronage, they’ve fallen out of favor with online marketers because they force consumers to wait for their rewards.

48

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Consumers don’t want to prove themselves worthy…they already think they are worthy…and deserving of recognition and rewards today, not tomorrow. That’s why websites like Drugstore.com use “instant” discount coupons that can be redeemed immediately. It’s also the reason that many websites have redesigned their “points” programs to allow consumers to cash-in fewer points for rewards. They’re following the lead of airlines that have significantly reduced the points needed for upgrades and free tickets so that consumers can get small rewards more often.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #42 WHAT’S NEW? (OR NEW AND IMPROVED?) “For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news.” -- Gloria Borger Every time you add information or do something new on your website, you create a new opportunity to get more sales. For example, adding a weekly “news release” to your web site gives existing customers, prospects who haven’t bought yet, and new prospects, excellent reasons to visit your site often. Once they’re there, and feeling grateful to you for providing free information, you can use the opportunity to sell them something. Everything Old is New Again It would be a shame to waste time and effort on researching a great report or creating a list of invaluable online resources for a web page that will be taken down after just a few weeks. Someone who has never read your article on “Installing A Widget in 3 Steps” doesn’t care when it was written.

website can be an information archive. Visitors will return again and again to access articles that are educational and meaningful…or fun and entertaining. WidgetBridalFavors.com watched its traffic statistics shoot through the roof when the site added a feature that had nothing specifically to do with sales. A “Beefing Brides” message board generated a flood of visitors who wanted to post funny stories of pre-wedding mishaps. The number of visitors to the site wasn’t the only thing that increased. Widget loaded up the forum page with lots of product links, ads, and special offers to take advantage of all that extra traffic. When The News is A New Product Maybe you don’t want to be in the news business or perhaps your product/service doesn’t lend itself to “funny pages.” Don’t worry, simply adding a new product or service to the list of those you already offer frequently produces a big increase in sales of your new AND your old products, too.

Announcing a new addition to your product/service line can increase your sales in three different ways. It appeals to new customers who were not interested in your current offerings and draws them back to your site. It generates repeat sales from existing customers who like what you’ve sold them in the past and will come back to buy “what’s new.” And it enables you to get bigger sales by “bundling” items into special package offers.

It’s “news” to them, and valuable news at that! One of the most consumer-magnetic assets on your

49

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Forbidden Psychological Tactic #43 Sex Sells “I don’t know the question, but sex is definitely the answer.” -- Woody Allen Want to know if sex still sells in the 21st Century? Just think about the million dollars worth of free publicity and increased business that Paris Hilton’s ad for Carl’s Jr. generated. The 21st Century “sex kitten” was eating a burger while hosing down a car…and herself. Hot…hot…hot…as well as incredibly effective. The barely clad model on the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition generates sales to 59 million readers, compared with 21 million readers for the average SI cover with a fully clad male athlete. The Cosmo “Sex Poll” issue sold 2.3 million copies compared with its average 1.7 million copies. Sex sells. And in addition to selling and generating that much-needed attention, sex and sexual images leave a lasting impression on the human mind. This was demonstrated with startling clarity in a recent research study. The study found that billboards using sex appeal were remembered 91% by participants compared to those without sexual appeal. Consumers pay attention to things that have implications or consequences for their lives, especially if they appeal to their values and goals -like an active sex life. Consumers may not consciously be thinking “sex,” but unconsciously… People Who Love People Consumers also pay attention to people who look, act, or seem like them, thinking that they share the same interests and problems and because those people “Might know something that’s of value to

me”…like how to have more and better sex! Online marketing messages need to attract attention quickly. So it’s common to see the use of visuals of attractive people wearing provocative clothing or behaving sexually to generate attention and interest especially, but not exclusively from the male of the species. Sex sells…and contrary to what you may think, it sells just as well to men AND women. It is, after all, a basic human instinct, not just “His” or “Hers.” Selling Sex Sex is the second strongest of our instincts, right behind self-preservation. During the past six years, over 1.3 million sites served up about 260 million pages of erotic content, according to a study released in September from the web-filtering company N2H2. We like to think of ourselves as highly evolved creatures, light-years away from the creatures that slipped onto land from the primordial ooze. But no matter how “civilized” we’ve are, our basic instincts -- like sex -- are still powering how we think, act…and buy.

Sex sells, even when you’re not selling sex. The sexually charged images in online advertising lead a consumer to believe that by purchasing the products, they will look like the beautiful people in the ads, have fun like the people in the ads, and have sex like the people in the ads.

SEE the Beautiful People…BE the Beautiful People The main reason advertisers utilize sex appeal is so that other people will think the consumer of the product is more attractive or desirable. Therefore, attractive models are used to gain attention from

50

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics the consumer even if there’s nothing “sexy” about the product. Different Strokes for Different Folks Advertisers use different strategies for each gender. A study conducted at Washington State University showed that a woman’s body attracts a man’s attention because men associate getting the woman with buying the product. Men view the world by using their instinct rather than intellect. Women, however, use intellect and romance — not just anatomy — as a means of relating to men. That’s why ads targeting women are less explicit and will focus on romance rather than the sex act. Warning Flag Will sex sell for you? That depends on a several things: your product/service, how you use “sex,” and the mindset of your target audience. The rules of the marketplace may not apply to your specific market. At its best, sex in advertising creates excitement and desire for a product. At its worst, it can create a scandal, even resulting in a boycott. There was definitely a backlash response to the Paris Hilton/Carl’s Jr. campaign. There are even some indicators that a shift towards a more conservative view of sex in general. In 2004, five of the “top ten” box office moneymakers at the movies were PG. In fact, of the top 25, only four were rated R.

The only way to know for sure if you can use “sex” to sell your product or service online is to try it! Testing different images and different copy concepts that have different levels of sexiness is the only way you can be sure.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #44 LAYER YOUR OFFER…AND DON’T FORGET THE ICING ON THE LAYER CAKE “Onions have layers, ogres have layers.” -- Shrek If Shrek had any experience in Internet marketing, he’d know that the most successful online sales copy also has layers. At the heart of the message is the “core” offer, of course, the nuts and bolts/benefits and features of what’s being sold. But a smart marketer surrounds the core with layer upon layer of extras…icing the ‘cake’ until a consumer can’t wait to eat it up. Then when they think it’s as good as it gets, hit them with “But wait…there’s more!” (BWTM) Chefs talking about “layering” flavors in a recipe…adding tastes to enhance the dish without overwhelming it. If you’re eating chicken soup, you want the chicken flavor to dominate, but the other ingredients create a richer, more satisfying experience. The same thing is true with the “recipe” for your marketing message. Dressing Up Your Offer In Layers Layering includes all aspects of your offer. BWTM is a phrase that can introduce bonuses, free gifts, delivery options, and even your guarantee. Each layer should stand on its own as an incredible incentive. Then when you combine all the layers, you’ve got an offer that’s just “too good to pass up.” An important aspect of layering is that it gives consumers an opportunity to savor each aspect of your offer. Instead of overwhelming visitors with the “whole enchilada” of your offer in a single paragraph (and giving them mental heartburn in the process), you can “feed” them the information slowly in small, easily digested bits and bites.

51

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Tasty Layers If you sell a product, you can layer in professional services. For example, include a six-month maintenance package with the purchase of an air conditioning unit. Or make arrangements with a local cooking school and offer a coupon for a free cooking class with the purchase of a convection oven. If you sell a service, consider layering in free products. For example, an online tax consultant might offer free software or an e-book on legal tax deductions. A ‘net-based astrologer could offer a birthstone or special amulet. Focus on adding extras that will genuinely enhance your customer’s overall enjoyment of the transaction as well as your product or service. Sticking with the cooking analogy, your layers should compliment the “flavor” of your offer the way a good red wine compliments a slab of prime rib and a good white brings out the best in a piece of Alaskan salmon. Even the presentation of your key benefits should be individually layered and reiterated throughout your website. Introducing each benefit one by one highlights it briefly and then allows it to become part of the “big picture” of your offer. Do you know the kid’s game that begins, “I’m going to Grandma’s house and I’m bringing an apple”? Then the second person says, “I’m going to Grandma’s and I’m bringing an apple and a trombone.” The came continues with each subsequent player repeating the list before adding a new item. It’s amazing how the repetition anchors each item in your head allowing you to remember a great deal in a short span of time. What’s also amazing is that the power of repetition can create a long-term memory that lingers for quite a while after the game is over. Imagine harnessing that power to “stick” your layered offer into your prospect’s brain?

Next to driving the right “targeted” traffic to your website, nothing will have a greater impact on your response rate than the way you structure your offer. By carefully layering in extra irresistible incentives throughout your online message, you can whip your prospect into a buying frenzy that will be frantically looking for the “Click Here to Buy NOW” button before you even try and close the sale! Can layering backfire? Sometimes. Like a banana split made with too much syrup, whipped cream, cherries, and hot fudge, an offer can be so richly layered that it’s indigestible. A consumer can’t appreciate all the flavor and “nuance” of what you’re selling. Your challenge is to provide as much layered information as possible in the most easily accessible way you can. If you layer on too much information, you run the risk of overwhelming the consumer and obscuring your offer. When you’re layering, try to say more with less. One way to accomplish this and combat consumer “information overload” is with short sentences, lists, bulletpoints, etc.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #45 THAT’S AN ORDER (EMBEDDED COMMANDS) “Your wish is my command.” Embedded commands are an online marketer’s army of “resistance fighters.” They are designed to create positive reader expectancies, while reducing the natural resistance a reader has your sales message. They allow you to speak directly to

52

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics your prospect’s unconscious mind, overcoming objections and breaking down sales barriers in a completely covert way. Embedded commands are hidden suggestions that fit carefully into your copy without calling attention to their existence. They are a sophisticated and extremely powerful psychological technique for communicating with readers on a subliminal level. I Didn’t Know! Like post-hypnotic suggestions, subliminal commands bypass the “scrutiny” of the conscious mind, making their way unchallenged into your prospect’s unconscious memory. Nestled there, you can call on them to influence behavior without the reader being aware of your manipulation. The subconscious is looking for patterns. And you can establish a pattern with just one or two commands. That means that embedded commands are most effective when they’re used in massive quantities. You repeat and repeat them throughout your sales message, and with each repetition they’re “dug in” more deeply to your prospect’s unconscious mind. Then, when it’s time to close the sale, you just help those embedded commands come to the surface. And the amazing thing is your prospect won’t know that you’re pulling the strings! The urge to buy now will seem like a completely self-generated idea. How They Work Ultimately, embedded commands are used to get prospects marching in “lock step” towards the sale. They help the reader come to a faster decision and motivate that reader to respond to your call-toaction.

the attention of the reader’s unconscious mind (exactly like the phrase you just read!) Some of the forms these subliminal persuaders might take on your web page could be visual. They pull a prospect’s eye to them and make the words that they highlight more powerful. For example: • Use of italics • Underlined words • Hidden suggestions in a “quote” • CAPITAL LETTERS Other embedded commands rely on language to do their work. • Hidden questions • Implications • Presuppositions • Implied cause and effect statements • Word associations • Use of ambiguity • Use of partial remarks To really understand how embedded commands work, you must first realize that when people are reading your web page, they don’t think of it as words on a page, they think of it as “you” talking to them. As your prospect is reading along, his/her mind is fully engaged, thinking about what you’re writing and participating in a mental dialogue with you even though you’re not there. As prospects read your copy, they’re also asking mental questions as though they were actually talking to you. This means you are in their brains where you can re-direct their thinking towards the outcome you want -- a sale.

Embedded commands are composed of small segments of larger statements -- words or lines in a paragraph, for example which are marked out for

53

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics jargon of technology even if they’re not talking about computers. If you’re having trouble “crafting” your commands, Bonus #3 is a “special report” filled with a dozen different “embeds” you can tuck into your message so you can turn contrary prospects into obedient buyers at will.

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #46 BUILDING SUCCESS ON COMMON GROUND “Our Similarities bring us to a common ground; Our Differences allow us to be fascinated by each other.” -- Tom Robbins You’d think that all it takes for online success is a product/service that truly does a good job providing a solution to a consumer problem. Well…that’s almost all that’s necessary. But there’s one more element you need to add to guarantee your success, and that’s rapport. To establish rapport, to show that you’re on “common ground”, you need to talk to consumers in the same language they use when they talk to each other. As you already know, consumers like to do business with people like themselves in the hopes that their needs and desires will be mirrored and met. When you find the common ground between yourself and your prospect, you create rapport and the all-important ambience that says, “I understand you.” No One Wants to Be Misunderstood Each of us speaks the “languages” of a thousand tiny sub-cultures related to what we do for a living, where we reside, our religion, our hobbies and our passions. Auto mechanics speak “auto-talk” and use words like “piston-ing” and “high octane” in their regular conversation. Systems analysts use the

Frenchmen think in French, Spaniards in Spanish, and America’s “urban youth” think in language that their parents swear is anything but English. We all speak and think with the words and expressions that define who we are and where we’re grounded. The wording of your message should make your prospect say, “We speak the same language!” This potent realization means that you’ve connected on an important level and identified yourself as “friend” not “foe.”

If you haven’t already done so, you should identify and use buzzwords to position yourself as “one of them,” instead of being an outsider who’s trying to peddle something. Buzzwords are found on your competitors’ sites, in trade publications, and anywhere they’re talking about your product or service.

Thank You For Being A Friend People trust their friends and are suspicious of people who are trying to sell them things. Business “friends” form a friendly, relationship based on mutual trust and common interest. Business friends have “rapport.” If you can position your site as a buyer’s “information center” rather than a “sales office,” you’ll be offering “advice” not a “hard sell.” Establishing rapport requires sensitivity. A brief joke can do more for buyer rapport than 10 pages of sales copy, unless the buyer is a serious sort who finds humor a “time waster” and piles of information a “must” for his buying decision. So just how do you establish rapport with your

54

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics soon-to-be new “friend?” First you need to “get to know” your prospect. Ask yourself a couple of questions about the kind of people who are visiting your site. Or better yet, ask them yourself in an online survey. Many marketers avoid online surveys because they think consumers will be turned-off. The opposite is true. Given the opportunity, prospects that visit your site would LOVE to tell you their stories. And that’s because most people share a favorite topic of conversation: themselves! (If you skipped the chapter on surveys, now’s a perfect time to go back and give it a read!) Your survey questions can be about specific things that apply to your product/service, or general lifestyle questions: • Are you a homeowner? • Are you serious or light-hearted? • Are you someone who watches MTV, VH1, or the Lawrence Welk Hour? • Are you a night owl or an early bird? • Do you consider yourself high-energy or laid back • Are you demanding or easy-going? In addition to your questions, you should always include a section for “free-styling.” This gives your prospects an opportunity to express themselves in their own words -- their own buzzwords -- on any topic that’s of interest to them…like themselves!

People do, indeed, love to talk about themselves and they reveal quite a bit when they do. Their responses to your questions will provide insight into their mood, personality, and conversational style.

Researchers have identified four major communication styles that most people are comfortable with when expressing themselves. I’ve saved the best for last…the biggest, boldest, most unstoppable tactic to turn your website into a sales juggernaut and make it so much easier to turn change every visitor from a prospect into a buyer…

Forbidden Psychological Tactic #47 FOR MORE SALES…STOP SELLING! “Don’t sell ‘em, tell ‘em.” The ABC approach to sales -- Always Be Closing -was the way traditional marketers tried to convince a prospect to buy. The theory was that the more you hammered tried to make the sale, the more often you’d succeed. The theory, as it turns out, was dead wrong. Today’s online marketers are throwing the traditional ABC sales mindset out the door and replacing it with a new acronym: ABCF for Always Be Customer-Focused. Customer-Focused Selling (CFS) is not just an adaptation of existing selling techniques to focus more on the customer. Instead, it’s a whole new approach that can barely even be called “selling.” Research shows that you make more sales by initiating a mental dialogue with a prospect than by presenting them a sales pitch “monologue.” Instead of fixating on closing as your central objective…focus on whether what you have to offer is a good fit for your potential client. If your offer is a good one, Your client will “close” himself!

55

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics Talk Less, Sell More The best marketers aren’t the best talkers… although many of them could charm the pants right off you…they’re the best listeners. They know how to hear what prospects are really saying and what they’re not saying. Master online marketers are tuned in to all the nasty little mental objections that stop a prospect from becoming a buyer. And they know how to ask just the right questions and provide just the right answers (at just the right time) to move the “conversation” along…i.e., one step closer to “the sale.” Every Customer Is Different Customer-Focused Selling means helping your customer the value for them. To achieve that goal, you need to be focused on clearly demonstrating as many benefits as possible that address your customers’ objectives…not yours. Today more than ever, each customer has very unique concerns, and you can’t sell until you find out what those concerns are! Let’s say you’re a widget wholesaler trying to sell to a retailer. You might assume that all he cares about is how many of your widgets his customers will buy…and you’d be wrong. Your retail client has a variety of concerns and demands that are unique to his situation. He needs to know how the product will affect his overall product mix; how your payment plan impacts his budget; the shelf-life of your widgets, and even whether you can provide a reliable re-stocking schedule. Those are the things you need to tell him! Online buyers are on information overload, faced with so many facts, claims, and statistics that they feel like “experts” on almost any subject. They are sick of slick, high-tech presentations that are flashy, but without substance and they don’t want to see a “dog and pony show” about how great your

company is or how wonderful your product/ service is. They want to have their needs met…period. So what you can offer is a presentation that addresses their concerns and issues--and ONLY their concerns and issues. If you can provide something more, that’s great. But you must first address their primary concerns.

Stop trying to “close the sale” and you will discover that you don’t have to take responsibility for moving the sales process forward. If you simply focus your two-way marketing “conversation” on the solutions you provide…and if you don’t jump the gun by trying to move the sales process forward, you will find that potential clients will actually bring you into their buying process, thinking of you as a trusted advisor and not an untrustworthy sales “shark.”

Be A “Solution Provider” Not A Salesman Think of yourself as an “insider.” Present yourself as a knowledgeable consultant whose job is to help a prospect with the tools (the products or services) that are available on your site. Customer-Focused Selling means NOT shining the spotlight on your great products or wonderful services. It means, instead, focusing entirely on your prospect’s needs. Think of your marketing message in terms of how it can help customers find solutions that will help them achieve their objective -- to ease pain, work less, look better, etc. -- not in terms of how it can make YOU look better. That’s the way to get rich whatever kind of widget you sell on your site!

56

47 Forbidden Psychological Tactics CONCLUSION Congratulations! You’ve done it. You’ve earned your “belt” in Forbidden Psychological Tactics for Website Conversion…and it’s going to spell the difference between being a successful marketer and a madein-the-shade entrepreneur who could retire tomorrow…but just can’t resist making more money. Now don’t get cocky. You’re not a black belt yet…and neither am I. Although I a certainly a master in my field, one of the most successful, highly paid professionals out there, like the greatest achievers in any field, I know that there’s always more to learn. Let’s Not Say Goodbye, Just Au Revoir There’s so much more I’d like to share with you -not just what I’ve learned…and continue to learn in the “trenches” of real world online marketing -- but the insights and experiences of some of the biggest moneymakers in the industry.

If you didn’t read the first pages of this e-book when it arrived -- the ones that tell you about the incredible information “toolboxes” that you can order -- I hope you’ll go back now and give those offers your full attention. There’s no reason to stall your progress now. Dan’sRant -- my powerful newsletter filled with outrageously successful techniques for achieving fantastic sales results -- is FREE. You can continue to build your knowledge, hone your skills, and grow your online business…all at MY expense. Go to: http://www.dansrant.com Oh there will be plenty of opportunities in each issue for you to purchase one of my products, but that choice is always yours. Dan’sRant is my gift to you -- no cost, no obligation… no kidding! Best wishes for success online and offline in whatever you do,

57

The Buy Impulse 26 Mind Control Tools That Get More Customers Who Spend More Money More Frequently © 2003 Danny Wall - Edited With Permission 2004 by Clifford Mee. This eBook may not be altered in any manner. This Book DOES NOT come with Resale Rights, and is for your personal use only. You may not share the contents with any third party. This ebook MAY NOT be altered, its format changed, or edited in any way.

-1-

Table of Contents: Introduction - What? Where’s all the stuff I don’t need?

03

Tool #1 - The Power Of Their Own Words Tool #2 - The Power Of Imagination Tool #3 - Mob Rules (Groups) Tool #4 - Half-Baked (Unfinished Business) Tool #5 - “I’m Right” Tool #6 - Getting In Tool #7 - Obey Tool #8 - Dirty-Laundry Tool #9 - Get Them Involved Tool #10 – Integrity Tool #11 – Stories Tool #12 - Apples vs Oranges Tool #13 - Love, Anger, & Feel-Good Feelings (Emotions) Tool #14 - The logical side of things Tool #15 - They Are Greedy, And That Is Good Tool #16 - The Credibility Gap Tool #17 - Just Buy It Back (Satisfaction Guarantee) Tool #18 - Everything’s Collectible Tool #19 - The Fire Tool #20 - Augusta National (Exclusivity) Tool #21 - Make Mine Simple Tool #22 - I Feel So Guilty Tool #23 - 93.4% of all People said… (Specificity) Tool #24 - I’ve Never Won Anything Before Tool #25 - Seduction (Curiosity) Tool #26 - Dirt and Polish (Framing)

04 06 08 11 14 16 18 20 22 25 26 27 30 33 35 38 41 43 47 51 53 55 57 59 61 65

Conclusion - The Checklist

69

-2-

Introduction - What? Where’s all the stuff I don’t need? This book is going to be a no-nonsense approach that will give you psychological tools and mind control tactics you can use to control the mind of your prospects. Put these techniques to use, and you WILL obtain more customers, who spend more money, more frequently. I don’t care if you use the internet, or if you sell shoes in a mall. These techniques work, and have done so for the very few (privileged) people that have used them since AT LEAST the 1920’s when Bruce Barton pioneered direct marketing. Understand that right now, there are only a handful of people that have every one of these tools at their disposal. These people are without exception the best marketing names there are. A small number of others also use a few of these techniques … to crush their competition. Wolf Data Systems is a smallish computer consulting company that is current killing the legal software giant West Group, and it is largely thanks to their use of the tactics you are going to learn in this book. Understand that these very same approaches have been used by charities, which benefit many people, to obtain more donations so that they can help more people. These techniques are that powerful. These techniques are so powerful, that they have also been used by some of the most evil, most vile people on the planet (e.g. the Nazi’s during WWII Germany) to get people to turn on each other and get them to do unspeakable things to friends and neighbors. I want to give you these techniques to help you get more customers; to help you to get those customers to spend more money, and to help you to get them to spend their money more frequently. That is what the information in this book will give you. And on that note…

-3-

Tool #1 - The Power Of Their Own Words How do you know when someone is in absolute, complete, and total agreement with you? There is only one way. They use the same words you do, or words VERY close to it. As an example, there is a well-known man who decided to get into the business of selling solutions to women who were going through menopause. Now, being a man, he really didn’t KNOW what it was like. Indeed, for rather obvious reasons he had no clue. So what he did was get involved with a few support groups on the internet for menopausal women. These women all used very similar words. They were suffering. And he used these words repeatedly throughout his sales copy. Women could relate to what he said, because they had said the same thing he was. He knew their pain, because he used their own pain-filled words. He knew what solutions to sell, because he knew what their greatest problems were, and he knew how dearly these women wanted their problems solved. Understand that out of all the techniques you will learn in this book, this one is the single most powerful of them all. In many ways, the other techniques in this book are just “parlor tricks” in comparison to how unbelievably powerful this item is alone. Indeed, you could use every other technique in this book, and if you skip JUST THIS ONE, you can almost hang up your hat and forget about it.

-4-

Now that’s not to say that you won’t make sales, you will. However, you’ll get maybe only half of what you should; you’ll make only half of what you could. You’ll have to work almost literally twice as hard to make half as much, and that’s not why you want to run a business. The idea is to “flip that around” and make twice as much working half as hard. The only way to do that is to know what your customers think of their problems and to use their own words when you describe the problem. Then, they can empathize with what you write. They’ll make a stronger emotional and logical connection to you, and because of that, sales will be so much easier.

Whenever possible, get involved with discussion groups where your prospective audience will congregate (even if it’s an offline group). Find out and use their own words in your sales message.

-5-

Tool #2 - The Power Of Imagination In the last chapter, we told you how powerful it was to use your customer’s own words in your sales pitch. Just imagine how much more powerful those words will be, if you also get your customer to visualize their pain as they are reading your sales page. Just imagine how much more they will get into your sales pitch. Can’t you just feel how much more your customer will connect with you? In that last paragraph, I provided an example of what I am talking about with “power of imagination.” Now it wasn’t a terribly good example, but an example nonetheless. If you truly want to give your sales messages “punch,” then the single best way to do that is to get people who read your message to IMAGINE things. To imagine, right then, something they know about intimately. This will get their imaginative juices flowing, especially if you use their own words when asking them to imagine it. “Don’t you just wish you could end the constant suffering of menopause? I mean, right now, I’ll bet you can even imagine the hot flashes passing through your body, even feel your body as it begins to sweat uncontrollably …” Those words may not mean a whole lot if you aren’t going through menopause, but they work AMAZINGLY well if you are. When I tested the content of this book on my mother-in-law, SHE GOT A HOT FLASH JUST READING THE THING! Once you get people to imagine something they understand and know, it then becomes easier to get them to imagine other things … like your solution and what it will do.

-6-

“Just imagine how much vitality you had in your thirties. Wouldn’t you just love to recapture that? It would mean the end to your suffering … forever” In other words, what you want to do is use your customer’s imagination to feel their current problem strongly as they are reading your web page, then get them to imagine your powerful solution and the incredible way it will improve their life. People in the past have scoffed at me when I said this. “But I sell vacuum cleaners!” Yeah, and, I’ll bet if you went and talked to a woman you’d find how much they hate to vacuum. If you sold your vacuum cleaner from the angle of “imagine how much less time you’ll spend vacuuming” instead of yapping on endlessly about the suction power, you’d sell more vacuum cleaners.

Using the words “Just imagine” are powerful motivators for your customers to do just that. Get them to imagine themselves without their problem, thanks to your solution, and you will be instilling in them the NEED to own your product

-7-

Tool #3 - Mob Rules (Groups) People, as much as we like to CLAIM that we are individuals, are a herd species. It’s true. Do you realize that television comedies that use a “laugh track” of imitation laughter almost always have higher ratings and are considered “funnier” by people than those that do not have a laugh track? The reason is, when we hear laughter, we think we are supposed to laugh … so we do. Even when you don’t think something is funny, you’ll at least PRETEND to laugh. I mean think about it. This has happened to all of us. You are standing with a small group talking, and someone tells an inside joke that everyone understands but you. With very rare exceptions, you’ll laugh, just so you don’t feel left out. In fact, studies have found our minds will even INVENT a logical reason why what was said was funny, even though you consciously didn’t understand the joke. As a species, we try to fit in with the group. Even hermits want to be identified in the group of people who are hermits. It is an innate need we have, and you can take advantage of this need in a couple of ways. The first, and the one you have seen the most frequently used, is through the use of testimonials. They not only provide proof that your product is good to a potential customer, but they also serve to show your potential customer that there are already a lot of people (or a group) that likes your product … or more importantly, a group that no longer has the problem thanks to using your solution. The second way you can use the “herd mentality” of the human mind, is through a combination of exclusivity (which we will get to later), and

-8-

through the actual creation of some sort of group. illustrate:

Allow me to

Have you ever noticed how the “BIG BOYS” on the internet all seem to know each other and work together? Joe Vitale, Mark Joyner, Terry Dean, Frank Garon, Jim Daniels, Joe Sugarman, Jay Levinson. Virtually every one of these guys has worked with several others on various projects. They are the Internet Millionaires Club. You should know that there are a few other people in this group, and every one is a big name marketer that currently makes several hundred thousand a year on the internet. Over the years, this exclusive group has grown very slowly. The only way in is by becoming an internet marketer that makes at least two hundred thousand dollars a year. You can join this group. You can become a member of their exclusive club. But first, we’ve got to get you making at least two hundred thousand a year in sales on the internet. You can do that in your first year if you just follow my proven step-by-step system. What I did was invent a group that does not really exist. There is no formal “Internet Millionaires Club”. However, everything I said above is true. Those people do work together, and they work with several other folks. It is also true that they tend to work the most with people who are already making big bucks on the internet. The group does in fact exist, just not in the formalized manner. All I need to do therefore is make you want to become part of that group, and I touch on the need we all have to “belong” to something. In short, the “mob” mentality can be used in two different ways … and should be used in two different ways as they touch on different parts of our psyche.

-9-

People need to “belong” to something. Create your own group … of people without the problem you are solving, and your customers will want to be a part of that group

- 10 -

Tool #4 - Half-Baked (Unfinished Business) There was a university professor some number of years ago that was sitting in a restaurant, and noticed something interesting about the waitresses. None of them seemed to need to look at the order tickets to remember which table ordered what meals. Now, most of us would have just shrugged this off, but this professor was a psychology professor, and it made him curious. At one point, as his waitress is pouring him another drink, he asked her if she could remember any of the orders of the table just behind her back. The people were still eating, and she was able to remember four of the five ordered meals without turning around to look. A little while later, after the people had left, he asked her again what the people had ordered, and she could no longer remember … after having answered the question not long before. This prompted a study. It seems that the phenomenon is rather common. You see, our brains just hate it when … STOP FOR A MINUTE! Before we go any further, you need to be interrupted so I can prove my point. This interruption is intentional, and serves no other purpose than to make you wiggle for a moment. Anyway … our brains hate it when something isn’t completed. It chews at us. How did you feel when I just all of a sudden stopped midsentence a minute a go then painted a big mental hole around the fact that I was interrupting the sentence? The facts show that you were almost instantly slightly uncomfortable and wanted little else but to find out the rest of what I was going to say. In the case of the waitresses that I gave you, virtually all of them can remember what table ordered what food … all they way up until the check is delivered. Then suddenly they

- 11 -

forget it all. It seems that the simple fact that the order has not been completed yet keeps their minds focused on the fact that something still needs to be done. The technique can be used to keep people interested in your sales copy, to keep them moving along so that they are more likely to read everything you have to say. It can also be used to get you more sales, and to help build your mailing list. It can ALSO be used as part of your sales process. If you’re smart, you’ll have some sort of free give-away product that will get people into your mailing list. Now that people have your give-away, you tell them, in that product, that they started something. You keep enforcing this throughout the copy. They have started something. As the end of your giveaway approaches, you begin to change this to, letting them know they need to take the steps to complete what they started. You begin to paint a picture in their minds (using their imagination) that they’ve started down a path, now they need to walk the rest of the way. This will help you to close more sales because sooner or later, people are going to HATE IT that things were left undone. In my free eCourse, one of the lessons makes this point very strongly (if you aren’t getting the free ecourse, simply send a blank email to: mailto:[email protected] a blank email will open when you click the link. Just hit send, and you’ll be instantly back here) and shows how to combine this technique with a few others to make for a powerful combination punch.

- 12 -

Make sure that your customers know that when they came to your web site, they started something. Enforce this, then let them know that they can finish what they started (and solve their problem) when they purchase your solution.

- 13 -

Tool #5 - “I’m Right” People do not like to be wrong. They hate it in fact. With a passion. Even when faced with obvious facts that show they are wrong, the vast majority of people will ignore those facts in an effort to continue believing that they were never wrong in the first place. This is known as “cognitive dissonance,” and it can be your best friend or your worst enemy. When people do something, they want to know they did the right thing. Indeed, when people do something, they will often INVENT reasons why they did the right thing, and will then back that up with still more action just to prove it. How you leverage this is in much the same way as the last chapter. Again, I am going to assume that you are using a lead generation product to capture as many people in your prospective audience as possible. In this lead generation product, let your people know they made a smart decision. They will agree with you. They took the action, and they’ll now believe it was a smart action. Now that you’ve gone that far with them, periodically reinforce that they did the right thing. As your lead generation product moves forward, you’ll now begin to ask that they take the next step. That they prove they did the right thing. After all, if they asked for the lead generation product, and that was the right thing, then asking for the ACTUAL product, which will truly solve their problems, must also be the right thing to do. Now, if your lead generation product provided real value, then this will be one of those “killer” techniques. But it does depend on the fact that your lead generator was well liked by the prospective customer. If it wasn’t, then these techniques will back-fire BIG TIME. But then, if your customer didn’t like your lead generator, NOTHING you will do will persuade the customer otherwise. They’ll go into “I’m Right” mode with the belief that your products are no good.

- 14 -

They will then take actions that prove that belief to be right … such as removing themselves from your mailing list. Once again, the “I’m Right” mindset of your customer and your prospective customer can be your greatest friend. And it can be your worst enemy. Understand that this is part of the psychological make up of your customer. Therefore, this item will either help you or hurt you. Unlike some of the other mind control techniques in this book, if you don’t use them, then they aren’t “invoked” in your customers mind. This item isn’t like that. “I’m Right” is going to be used by your customer, so why not use it to your benefit?

The need we all have to right is a powerful force in our psyche. By getting your customer to agree with you on things during your sales pitch, you can then back them into a position of having to be wrong by not buying your product. This will cause you customers to buy your product just to prove they were right.

- 15 -

Tool #6 - Getting In You’ve heard me mention “lead generation” products a couple of times now. So I think it’s fair to explain why I stress them so much. There is an age old sales adage that goes “getting them to say yes to a little thing now makes it easier to get them to say yes to a big thing later.” What that means is the simple act of downloading something free from you (which is a little thing for a customer to agree to do) makes it much more likely they will buy from you (which is a much bigger thing to agree to). In many ways this ties in with some of what we have already talked about; but even by itself this is an incredible technique. Lead generation products are so powerful for so many reasons; I could almost write an entire book on this one topic alone. However, let’s just put things like this. Once someone has invited you in, once your products are sitting on their computers, it then becomes MUCH easier for the other techniques in this book to function. The person now has some familiarity with you, you now have the chance to build yourself up as an authority (a technique we will talk more about later), you now have the chance to actually USE the techniques in this eBook, and during a time when the customer’s defenses are down. You see, on your sales letter, the customer EXPECTS for you to try and sell them. Therefore, certain defenses and a certain level of distrust in everything you say exists in the customers mind. This situation does not really exist when they are looking at the free eBook they just downloaded. At this point, they are now in “I’m Right” mode. They downloaded your ebook, and their mind is now rationalizing why it was a smart thing to do. This is the time when your sales message will have SIGNIFICANTLY more impact.

- 16 -

Now, this DOES NOT mean that your free downloadable ebook should simply be another sales message. If it does not impart real value, then the eBook will be scoffed at, and the sales message within the ebook ignored entirely. Once someone “lets you in,” you need to make sure they want you to STAY in. Fortunately, that’s a fairly easy thing to do. You simply do what you said you would. You simply provide your customers real value, and in turn they will read your sales messages with rapt attention, hanging on your every word … especially if you use the techniques you learn in this book.

Studies show that people do business with people they are both comfortable and familiar with. By using techniques that allow you to introduce yourself to your customers, you can become familiar to them, and thus make al subsequent sales that much easier.

- 17 -

Tool #7 - Obey About a dozen years or so ago, there was an amazing study regarding what people will do under the influence of an authority figure. You see, actors were placed into rooms and connected up to very convincing looking wires. College students were then brought in and sat down at a “control box” and told that a study was being done on how pain, and the threat of punishment, affects the ability to answer questions correctly. For every “wrong answer” the students were to push a button that would deliver, they were told, a correspondingly stronger shock to the other person. The students, who were pushing the button and asking the actor questions were ALWAYS accompanied by a researcher in an official looking lab coat who held a clip board and took notes. Further, the student didn’t know that the other person was an actor, and instead believed that the object of the study was the actor, not themselves. As the study progressed, and the “shocks” apparently got worse, the actor would begin to beg the student not to push the button, in some cases crying. The researcher would simply reiterate that “this is an officially sanctioned research project. Push the button.” In nearly every case the student did … even to the point of delivering a shock they thought would prove fatal to the actor. In other words, under the influence of a perceived authority figure, over 94% of all people who took the study believed they had killed someone. That is almost frightening when you think about it. The upside is that you can use this for your benefit. You can use this as a force for good instead of evil. Remember that lead generation product? That is what you use to establish yourself as an authority. Once you become an authority in the minds of your customers, they will do what you tell them, simply because you told them to do so. I have a few private students that I am working with individually on how to make money on the internet. I told

- 18 -

them they should get “voice recognition software” because it would allow them to create some of their products quicker and easier. Without exception, each one I told to do that did so. Without exception. Now, in that case I didn’t make any money from asking them to buy the software, and I told them to buy it because it would indeed make many things a great deal easier. But in many ways that is beside the point. What is important is that 100% of the people I told to do something did exactly as I asked, simply because I am an authority figure to them.

By making yourself into an authority, you can command not only the respect of your customers, but also their pocketbooks.

- 19 -

Tool #8 - Dirty-Laundry There’s an old saying “don’t air your dirty laundry.” That is the worst advice if you are trying to sell something. Absolutely horrible advice. You see, sooner or later, people are GOING to find out the negative aspects of your product. They will. If you try to hide it, it will only make it worse for you when they do discover it. The best thing to do is to point out obvious problems right up front, right where people can see them. A friend of mine was trying to sell his house, and it was on a busy street. The problem was every person who showed up, and was interested in buying the house, objected to the busy street and wanted to buy the house for less money. I wrote a quick little ad that said in the very first sentence “The only thing wrong with this house is the big street right off the front yard.” I then went on to extol the other virtues of the house, explained the fire and safety benefits of having the street there, and the beautiful fence that prevented much of the outside commotion from reaching the house. In that ad, I increased the price of the home by fully ten percent. The ad was run by the agent, and the house sold ten days later at the newer higher price. If a product has a stupid name, or some other obvious feature that your customers are bound to take issue with, then bring them up in the sales copy early. State what the problems are, and then explain why those problems aren’t really an issue. You’ll sell vastly more that way, and when your customer does get the product, the “I’m Right” mindset will cause them to completely overlook the products faults and generally will even push the person into selling your product to their friends and family (occasionally even using your own sales pitch in the process). Now, this is not to say that you want to design in problems just so you can write about them, as that problem will then be later exploited by

- 20 -

your competition. However, if the problem does exist, then say it exists in your sales copy as soon as you can … even in the headline. If you are really clever, you’ll turn these minuses into actual benefits for the customer. A cheap looking plastic case on a product can mean for the customer that you didn’t spend money on things that really didn’t matter. This keeps the price much lower for the customer while providing them greater overall value. Sure, the other guy’s product does look better, but it costs more and does less. Now if you also combine “I’m Right” into this by asking the customer which is more important, having more benefits for less money, or spending more money to get less benefit … they’ll quickly agree that your product must be better. That will then get them to agree that they should buy your product.

Put any problems you have with your products in the very beginning of your sales message. Then you can explain to your customers why the problem doesn’t matter or is somehow unimportant. You’ll get more subsequent sales as well as having happier customers

- 21 -

Tool #9 - Get Them Involved Back when televisions were first created, the things were very expensive. Furthermore, there weren’t very many shows to see. It wasn’t uncommon for there to be only a single television station in any given town, and the station wouldn’t always have something to play. Yet, many places sold out of their stock as quickly as they could get the TV’s in, and how they did it was masterful. First, they’d have you play with the television, let you get involved with the knobs and the antenna. Then they’d let you take it home, for no cost, for a free test run, letting you get a sense of ownership over the set. Almost no one brought a TV back, instead choosing to purchase it. The sales people were so successful because the customers were involved. They got to play around with the set, touch it, mess with it. Then they got to take it home, where a sense of ownership was developed. You can do this too, and there are a couple of ways to do it. The first, and the most commonly used method is to put comments in your sales copy as if the person had already purchased. A sales letter to get people to buy a corvette might say, “Take a ride in your new corvette, put the top down and feel the wind blowing through your hair.” Another way you can do this is through the TV technique I just told you about. Let them have the product for free for some short period (lets say seven days). Only at the end of the seven days are they charged for the product. This will allow people to make a more “spur of the moment” purchase because they don’t have to buy anything right now, plus it will reduce many objections and trust issues. You’re willing to put your product out there right up front.

- 22 -

They’ll feel as if they own it, and they’ll want to continue owning it. They won’t want to give the product back, meaning that they’ll get charged for it. You’ll see such an incredible increase in sales it won’t even be funny. I’ve seen this done with extra effectiveness on “high ticket” items (things costing over $500). Indeed, more likely than not, you purchased this book via just such a mechanism. In fact, you may be reading this very page, and you still have yet to even buy the book. Do you see now how awesome this is? Just imagine how many more sales you’ll make with this technique. I mean think about it. How many more people are going to feel INSTANTLY more comfortable buying your product because they truly do have no risk. There is no need to offer a guarantee anymore if they are unsatisfied. If they aren’t satisfied, they won’t pay for it in the first place. You will be able to truthfully state on your website, “I’ve never had anyone ask for a refund on this product … ever. In fact I’m so convinced you’ll love this product, I’m going to give it to you absolutely, completely, and totally free for the next seven days. That’s right, for the next seven days, you’ll get to test the product out, own this product, make it yours, and make sure that it’s right for you, without having to pay a single red cent for it. ONLY AFTER the seven day trial period will you be charged the low amount of $xxx.xx. Now, when you get the product, make sure you check out this great benefit xxxxx.” Your sales will simply skyrocket. Now, let me give you another powerful method of using “involvement devices” to make your ads sell better.

- 23 -

Do you realize that some of the best advertisements in history had multiple words purposely misspelled in them? It is the complete truth. The advertiser purposely misspelled numerous words in their ads. Now why would they do that? Simple, because in the ad they stated that if you cut the ad out, circled the misspelled words, and sent the ad in, you would get some amount off the price for every word you found. These ads work like crazy. They get the customer involved; they get the customer feeling like they are getting an even better deal on the product. Further, involvement like this builds up a sense of anticipation regarding the product; and surprisingly enough, if you are clever, almost no one will find every misspelled word. Now, doing this in a web format can be tricky if you don’t know a good web programmer. I personally use Wolf Data Systems to do this work for me. You can reach them at 619-640-6340.

By getting your customers involved in the sales process, they’ll be more involved with your sales message, and feel a greater sense of accomplishment when they buy your product.

- 24 -

Tool #10 - Integrity This item can be summed up like this: Will you buy something from someone you think has no integrity, and will try and rip you off the first chance they get? Integrity is important, and building it is a multi-faceted approach. One of the best ways of building integrity is through the “promotion” of products you have no financial interest in. As an example, when I told my students to get the voice recognition software to make the creation of their products quicker and easier, I recommended products that I had no financial connection with. They knew that I was in no way benefiting from the advice, and thus that made my advice come from a position of integrity, of trustworthiness. Another example of doing this is when you hoist your products “dirty laundry” up the flagpole for them to see. When you state your products faults in the beginning, you demonstrate your integrity because you aren’t hiding anything from them. You are showing you are not simply some con artist. As your relationship with your customer builds, always staying open, honest, and truthful with them will build even greater integrity.

By always maintaining the highest sense of integrity, you put yourself on a higher level that your customers will appreciate. This even includes avoiding even the appearance of impropriety.

- 25 -

Tool #11 - Stories There is an old sales adage that goes: Facts tell, stories sell. This is the bonified truth. Now that doesn’t mean your sales copy should be completely devoid of facts, after all, you need to provide your customers subconscious with ammunition it can use to validate the actions you want your customer to take. However, facts should be wrapped into the overall story you are trying to give your customer. Kathy Levine, one of QVC’s top sales people, said in her book It’s Better to Laugh that “I learned early on that selling is a matter of capturing people’s attention and holding it with a good story.” Joe Sugarman, in his book Triggers said “My most successful advertising campaigns all used stories as the basis for my presentation.” And that from one of the most successful advertising people on the planet. A good story should capture people’s attention. It should allow them to empathize (perhaps by using their own words back at them) with your message. A good story should allow the prospect to relate to how the product or service will help them, and it should bond YOU with your prospect.

Stories keep your customer interested in your sales message … and therefore make the message more likely to be read. Messages which are read result in products that are ordered.

- 26 -

Tool #12 - Apples vs Oranges No matter how much money you have, even if you are Bill Gates, you want to know that you are not being taken advantage of. You want to know that you are getting a good value for the money you are about to spend. In every product I sell, I always convey, through one mechanism or another that what the customer is buying has a good value. But let me tell you what I don’t do. I do not compare my product to another product very similar to the one I sell. Instead, I’ll compare my product to something else entirely. In other words, I’ll compare my apples to someone else’s oranges. This eBook was sold on just such a value premise. I compared the price of this eBook to the amount of money it would cost you to attend a seminar (over $1,000) where I would teach this information, or the cost to obtain all of these tactics through various books (about $5,000), even the amount of time it would take to get all of these techniques and to absorb the various different messages from so many different people. In short, I compared my eBook to seminars and TONS of other books. This gives my prospects a sense that my eBooks have a MUCH greater value. Indeed, my customers actually DO value my products higher for that reason and I get a much larger number of testimonials from people. There is another reason I do this, and it has to do with honesty. The sad fact is that you would be truly hard pressed to get this information in the condensed manner that I provide it. You would have to either attend a seminar costing over $1,000, one of Joe Sugarman’s costing over

- 27 -

$2,000, or you’d have to spend many weeks and over $5,000 just to get this information. Yanik Silver, a wonderful copywriter, does not sell anything with anywhere near the number of tools I have in this book, and it is no where near as concise. Joe Vitale, a man I respect greatly, and is without a doubt one of the great copy writing minds of our day, doesn’t have anything this concise, and what he does have, while wonderful, costs nearly $500. As another example, Joe Sugarman did an advertising campaign for a pinball machine. When he did a value comparison, he didn’t compare it to other pinball machines. If he did, he would’ve been killed as his machine cost nearly $600. Instead, he compared it to other entertainment products in the home, such as high-end televisions, highend stereos and other such equipment. This worked amazingly well. And again, this was appropriate because Joe’s machine was meant as a home entertainment machine, not just another pinball box you stick in a corner somewhere to play only occasionally. You should know that this is important. You don’t want to be dishonest with your apples to Oranges comparison, but at the same time, understand that you also don’t need to compare your apples to someone else’s either. By that same token, if your product is priced significantly less than your competitors direct comparison product, then by all means compare your apples to theirs. Then also compare your apples to even more expensive oranges. Do both. When I do the value comparison for this product, I didn’t stop with a single example; I showed multiple examples and proved the value of this product over other different products.

- 28 -

I endeavored to show that there were multiple ways you could get this information … all of them costing more money than this eBook and all of them taking up a lot more time. You should do the same thing with your own products. Further, you should wrap your value statements into the overall story of your sales message. These value statements will further prod your customer’s emotions into wanting to buy the product because they give your mind the information it needs to justify the purchase.

By making comparison’s that show extreme value in your product, you give your customers reasons to justify their purchase.

- 29 -

Tool #13 - Love, Anger, & Feel-Good Feelings (Emotions) As you probably already know, this chapter is not going to be about love, anger, or that “feel-good feeling.” It will however be about emotions. You see, people do not make a purchasing decision based entirely on logic….EVEN if they are the most anal-retentive engineering minded person on the planet. They’ll still make the decision based on some emotional need, and then justify it with logic. Therefore, there are three things you need to know: 1. Every word has an emotion associated with it 2. Every good sales presentation is an emotional outpouring of words and emotions 3. You sell on emotion, but justify the purchase with logic. I’ve been told that I’m wrong about the above, especially item number 3. I’m usually told this by people who’ve studied the four basic personality types, and will insist that some personality types use logic almost entirely. Those people are wrong. They’ve been proven wrong over and over again since about 1920, and I’ll prove it once again right now. Why do people buy a Mercedes-Benz? Think about that question for a moment. What is it about that car that makes people who see it want one so bad? If you truly think about it, it’s the emotional connection you have, the emotional need to want to belong to the group of people that have those cars (there’s that Mob Rules thing again). Yes, the styling, the quality,

- 30 -

and other such things are components … but that’s your brain trying to justify with logic what the emotional side wants. A sales message that evokes the right emotions from the prospects at the right time will ALWAYS outsell, by a vast margin, a sales message that is little more than an outpouring of facts and figures. Do you remember the original commercials for the car Infinity? Those were masterful uses of this approach. They “pre-marketed” the car in this country for about six months before the first one was here. For the first four months, the commercials didn’t even tell you what brand of car the commercial was for. But they did an excellent job of bringing about the emotions of being free, of having no worries. When they did finally tell you who the maker was, the “tone” of the commercial was well known by everyone. The cars couldn’t be kept in stock and were on constant back order for nearly two full years. Remember the guy I told you about in chapter 2 that sold the menopausal solutions? His ads work so well because of the emotion involved. By parroting the customers own words back to them, by using Imagination, he was able to get his customers more emotionally involved with his sales message. His customers were able to feel what he was saying. This play on their emotions allows him to pull down orders in an enviably brief period of time. He’s got one of the few businesses where he makes a sale, typically within 3 contacts as opposed to seven with an average internet business.

- 31 -

By playing using your customer’s emotions, they become involved in your message. Further, you can demonstrate how you can make their emotions BETTER with your solution. The result will be a great deal more in sales

- 32 -

Tool #14 - The logical side of things I’ve said many times now how emotion is what causes people to buy. However, I’ve also said that the brain will attempt to justify what the emotional side wants with logic. In your sales message, in your story, you need to provide your customer’s logical brain with reasons it can use to justify the emotional sides desire to purchase your product. As an example, in the Apples vs. Oranges chapter, I explained how your demonstrate value in your products. This is a direct play on the brains logical “half”. By providing logical information, wrapped into the overall emotional sales story, you give your users what they need to be able to make the purchase. A story that does nothing but play on emotions will sell much more effectively than one that uses logic alone. Indeed, the story that uses emotions alone will sell MUCH better. However, the story that uses emotion and logic will outperform both of the above COMBINED. I’ve seen people sell things to business executives, and in the sales message they talk about the tax deductibility of the item if they list it as an expense. Trust me, people that run businesses know how to structure their purchases for maximum tax benefit, and even hire accountants just to make sure they do it right. Therefore, one would think that mentioning the tax breaks you could get wouldn’t help much. The fact is however, that it helps a lot, especially on something that is non-essential for running the business.

- 33 -

By providing a logical justification for the product, even one that is obvious, it makes the purchase much less imposing and therefore much easier for the customer to act on their desire to own the product. In the case of the Mercedes-Benz, there is a lot to point to: the safety, the appearance, the performance. The same thing is true of every other product. Indeed, in many ways, the logical side of your story will answer your prospects unspoken question “Why should I buy this thing over and above the thing his competitor sells?” In some marketing circles, answering that question is one of the single most important things you can do. Personally I disagree, I think it is the second single most important thing you can do. The most important is to get the customer emotionally engaged, then you want to get them logically engaged.

Once you get your customer emotionally involved, you need to make sure that your customer has logical justification to purchase your product.

- 34 -

Tool #15 - They Are Greedy, And That Is Good Greed, as it relates to your customer’s attraction to a good deal, is a strong motivating factor. However, don’t make the mistake of assuming that a low price (or a good deal) will always motivate your customers to buy. In some cases, a low price can kill your sales. Now, it is true that when you lower the price of something, you have an easier sale that requires less justification and less logic. It makes the overall sales pitch easier. Keep lowering the price and you’ll create an enhanced emotional desire for that product that will defy logic entirely and will negate the need for any form of justification. Keep going lower, and you’ll begin to raise credibility issues. Indeed, there is some evidence to suggest that ANYTIME you reduce the price on something, you should say why the price is lower (justification). This will prevent a reduction in your credibility no matter how low the price gets. As an example, Wolf Data Systems sells a piece of software called RapiDoc. They sent out a mailing in which the normal $499 price was reduced to $299 … but only for the next fifty people to purchase. The reason for such a drastic price reduction was simple. There was an error on the CD Jewel Case label. They did the whole “our loss is your gain” thing and sold over one hundred copies of the software in 9 days. Now you may notice there is a problem with the math. You see, the promotion worked SO WELL that they found themselves in the position of purposely making some copies with a flawed jewel case label. The customer won because they got the product for less than they otherwise would have, and Wolf Data Systems won because they sold more software. It worked out well for everyone. What is important here is that they sold SO MUCH of the software so quickly (and the whole “flawed label” thing is now a regular part of their marketing mix) thanks to the “greed” factor of their customers. The

- 35 -

customers saw a good deal, and almost literally beat a path to Wolf Data System’s door to buy the software in time to be one of the people to get the better price. As another example, in one of Joe Sugarman’s seminar’s he does this little skit with a creative device he calls “The Think Tank”. He starts off by holding the device up into the air, and saying “I’ve got enough for about 75% of you, and this thing costs $19.95, anyone who wants one hold up your hand.” Nobody does. Then he explains what the thing is. It helps you to come up with incredible stories that will push you into thinking of things in new and creative ways. Then he asks again who wants one … everyone raises their hands Then he says “I was just kidding about the $20 price. It really costs $99.95. Now who wants one?” At this point, only about a third of the people raise their hands. Then he says “Now let me ask you something. If you use just one of the ideas generated from Think Tank, and it makes you an extra $1000, would the $99.95 be worth it?” Everyone agrees that it would be a worth it. Then he goes through multiple testimonials of people two made ten, twenty, thirty thousand from using the Think Tank. When he asks this time, nearly everyone raises their hands again … and he sells them out. Some people can’t even get one at the seminar and have to pay EXTRA to have one shipped to them. Notice what happened. He got people involved, he got them to agree to a small thing, and then proved to them that what they just agreed to would happen; on top of demonstrating all the money people made from using the thing … now he’s adding greed on top of the pile. It’s no wonder that he sells out of his “Think Tanks” at every seminar he does this.

- 36 -

By playing to your customer’s greed, you can create a very strong buy impulse. It can be the final leverage that pushes your customer into buying your product, the thing that removes any remaining barriers they have.

- 37 -

Tool #16 - The Credibility Gap A perfect example of the next mind control tactic can be explained when I arrived at my bank fairly early one Thursday morning. I was simply going to pull some cash out of the ATM, then head on over to my office. When I got there, six different people were milling about, all waiting for the bank to open in about ten minutes. It was unusual for there to be that many people waiting for the bank to open, but I didn’t think anything of it, until I approached the ATM. Instantly I heard from the people that I shouldn’t use the ATM as it isn’t working. I took one look at the ATM screen, which was displaying the usual stuff as if it were working. I have a good familiarity with ATM’s as I used to write programs for them some years ago. I know that there are preciously few things that can happen to an ATM that won’t result in the screen changing to the “Temporarily out of service” screen and not allowing any input from the user. This was not the case, so I asked people what was wrong. Every person said that they weren’t getting their account information on their receipt. I looked at them with a fair amount of skepticism, and said “let me take a look.” One lady shrugged and said (in a tone that seemed to indicate she was offended that I didn’t listen) “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.” I pulled some money out, and when I got the ATM receipt, they were right, it wasn’t mine. It took me all of about five seconds to figure out what happened. I asked who was the person who used it just before me … it was the lady that was offended just moments ago. “This is your receipt,” I told her, and handed it to her. “I’m sure you’ll find everything correct here.” She looked astonished. “How did you know,” she asked.

- 38 -

“I run a computer consulting company, and a few years ago, before I started the company, I wrote programs for ATM machines. I know exactly how they work. There is nothing wrong with anyone’s account. Everything is fine; it’s just that the printer that sends out the receipts wasn’t loaded properly. This is resulting in the receipts coming out later than they should.” They all looked very relieved, and in seconds everyone had left to go about their business. I hung around and waited for the bank to open so I could let the manager (a good friend of mine) know what had happened. Now, credibility can help you immensely, or it can hurt you. If people do not feel that you have any credibility, then this will make it much more difficult to close sales. By operating your business with honesty, and with integrity, you will go a long way to building credibility with your customers. However in some ways that takes too long. I’d rather just have a customer buy my products already having decided there is no credibility problem. The easiest way to do this is to “piggyback” on the credibility of someone else. As an example, when I sell products through one of my affiliates (lets say Joe Vitale), those people already know and respect Joe. They know he wouldn’t sell something he didn’t believe in. In short, he’s already got credibility. Another way to build credibility is to insert statements from “official” sources (which also leverages the authority item). If you sell food products, insert a “testimonial block” in your sales message from the FDA on the benefits of your product. Or perhaps simply an “FDA APPROVED” logo at some point. Another thing you can do is to insert an exceedingly technical description of your product immediately below a picture of it (sort of like a caption). This will demonstrate that you’ve done your homework,

- 39 -

that you obviously know what you are talking about, and through that build credibility. And the more technical the mumbo-jumbo the better.

Credibility is one of those things that plays to the logical side of your customer’s brain. It helps your customer to see that you know what you are talking about, that your product is of good quality, that you are trustworthy. It is another of the logical justifications your customer can use to buy.

- 40 -

Tool #17 - Just Buy It Back (Satisfaction Guarantee) On the internet, lots of products have “satisfaction guarantees.” And many of these are so poorly worded I wonder if they don’t end up hurting the sales process. Look, you want your customer to feel comfortable buying from you. Further, studies show that only a truly miniscule percentage of people will return a product they like, even with digital products that can be “returned” and a copy still kept on their computer. So, if your product is good, almost no one will ask for a refund. Given that, you want to have a money-back guarantee that is SO GOOD, the people reading the guarantee are either convinced your product MUST be good for you to offer such a guarantee, or to be sure that you are going to be ripped off by unscrupulous people. Going back to the RapiDoc product sold by Wolf Data Systems, in their guarantee, they say that if you aren’t satisfied with their product, for any reason, they’ll refund the purchase amount PLUS $100. But you know what; they’ve never had someone ask for a refund. Now think about it, that is a very convincing guarantee. Or look at the guarantee for this product. I’ve got multiple of them. First is the “try it for seven days free” guarantee, then there is the “if after 6 months you decide you don’t like it, I’ll pay for the product and the time you wasted.” In other words, I’m setting up a guarantee that is so good, people are sure that my product is good because otherwise I would not be in business long. And I’ve never given a refund either, or had someone “return” the product. Not even one person, which is almost unheard of on the internet.

- 41 -

The goal here is that your sales copy should already have resolved every possible objection your customer may possibly have. The satisfaction guarantee is then there so that it breaks down the customer’s final hesitancy to buy. It should go BEYOND what the customer would expect to see there, or what they’d get from anyone else selling a competing product.

An overwhelming satisfaction guarantee can, almost by itself, give customers a buy impulse. It plays to both the logical and emotional sides of the customer and therefore good guarantees are powerful motivators to buy your product

- 42 -

Tool #18 - Everything’s Collectible I don’t know how many of you watch QVC, but if you don’t, I would recommend that you start. Some of the best salesmanship around can be found right there. These people use any and every psychological edge they can get, and one of them is a desire among people to collect things. Once you watch QVC, you’ll notice how some types of products keep coming back, especially if they are traditionally thought of as “collectibles.” Take porcelain dolls as an example. You’d think by now everyone that watched QVC would have one … and yet they still sell them by the thousands. The reason for this is that people who buy one, are likely at some point to want another, and then another. Pretty soon they even think of themselves as doll collectors and will then REALLY begin to look at them … which makes them much more likely to buy another. One way you can maximize this tendency is by sending some sort of free thingy or another that holds the collectible item. A drafter might like to collect unusual drafting implements, and a mechanic might like to collect tools. Almost anything you can think of has something that can be collected, and if you are astute, you can encourage this desire to collect. Understand that this desire is fairly strongly linked to the “I’m Right” buying trigger we’ve discussed earlier. Once they start down a road, a person will do some amazing things to continuously prove to themselves that they had done the right thing. This then turns into proving that they are continuing to do the right thing. They’ll back up one action with another in an effort to demonstrate to themselves and those around them that they are acting in a consistent and logical manner. This habit extends well beyond things even setup as collectibles. If a customer buys one of something from you, consider the fact that they might also like to collect similar products.

- 43 -

People love to collect things. I know people that are in the copy writing business that collect books on copy writing (sounds strange, I know). They’re suckers for anything new that comes out, and let’s face it; a book on how to write better marketing materials isn’t your “typical” item to collect. The point is to remember that if a customer bought one of your products, they may also want to buy similar products in your “collection”.

- 44 -

Enough Is Enough There can only be so much information digested in a single sitting. After a while, you’ve got to take a breather. I realized that my book needed a breather, and I picked this chapter in which to do it. There’s no real reason for picking this chapter other than as I was writing the book, this is the section at which I was tired and wanted to write about something else. Since I was tired, I reasoned that you would be too, and after all, “I’m right” aren’t I. At some point, you’ve got to ask yourself, does any of this stuff REALLY work? I mean sure, I provide examples of how it would work, but what hard and fast proof do I have that it works. Well, the first proof is that you’re reading a book that was marketed using the very same psychological triggers that I talk about in this book. You are proof in the pudding. But that is a bit of a cop out however. How do I know the stuff I am pontificating on truly works for the masses? Now, I could go on and on, but let’s put it this way. I sell numerous products. I sell books, salsa, data services (to companies and individuals), a diet plan, and now marketing information. I sell products both online and “offline” (via direct mail/mail order). My various online businesses net me roughly twenty thousand a month. My “offline” businesses net me roughly ten times that amount (that’s $200,000 a month for the mathematically challenged). Now, that equals $220,000 each and every month, made by marketing products using the very same mind control marketing techniques that we are talking about right here in this book.

- 45 -

Of course that does not mean that you can duplicate my success simply by reading this book. Unfortunately it isn’t quite that easy. To duplicate my success, you need to know other information, such as how to find and create products, how to best utilize various forms of media. Further, I relate numerous stories that provide you with valuable strategies to fuel your business immediately. I provide this information in a “roadmap” format that makes it easy to follow in my footsteps, that makes it easy to duplicate my success. I mean think about it, don’t YOU want to make $220,000 every single month? Building Your Empire: Secrets From Someone That Did It is your key to my personal vault. That one book, will lay out for you, step-by-easy-step, the exact things you need to do to go from where you are right now, to where I am right now. And before you think you are “too far behind” to be able get to where I am; when I started doing this I was quite literally homeless. I was living in a motor home in the driveway of my in-laws. I had no money, no computer, no products, no office, no phone, no fax machine. For the first several months, I ran my business out of a local public library. I understand exactly how to start a business with nothing, because that is exactly what I had. I understand the exact steps that need to be followed, because I took them. Further, unlike so many other products like this, I consider this one to be a “killer” product. By that I mean that once you are done with this one, you won’t need anything else. You just follow the steps I give you, and

- 46 -

you’ll build your way to riches without ever needing to buy another “marketing ho-to” product again. You’ll build an empire that covers both the internet world and the offline world. Just imagine it, you are now a business mogul, before you is your huge desk, outside your plush office sits a staff waiting to do as you ask them. Business leaders and bankers from all over your town call you for advice, asking you to be on their board of directors so you can help lead their companies to have the same kind of success you have. You’ll be a part of an exclusive group of highly sought after successful entrepreneurs. Do you want all of that? Then you should know that Building Your Empire: Secrets From Someone That Did It was priced at $49 when I first started marketing it. I raised the price to $99.95 a few months later, and sales stayed at the same level as the $49 price. I recently raised the price all the way up to $197 … and my level of sales dropped off by only 2%. I honestly don’t know how long the price will stay at $197. I’m getting testimonials coming in pretty fast and furious from people telling me how much money they are making.’ I mean, you have to agree that $499 for a product that later makes you $100,000 is an amazing deal. This is precisely why the product is going to have to go up in price, at least to $499, and I may go higher than that. If you want to lock in the lower price, you must order right now. Click Here to order.

- 47 -

Tool #19 - The Fire I want to give you a quick scenario that happens to sales people who do not use my techniques. Let’s say Joe Sales-guy is at a sales meeting with a potential client. He has expertly raised every objection that the client could possibly have had, and addressed every one. Joe has displayed honesty, integrity, and credibility. The client is nodding yes regularly throughout the sales process. Finally, the pitch is done and Joe asks for the sale. The client then pauses for a moment, looks Joe in the eye and says “let me think about it.” It is a proven fact that if this happens, the prospect won’t buy. I could go on and on about WHY the client will end up not buying, but that is irrelevant. What matters is that the more time there is from the delivery of the sales pitch and the request for the sale is made until the time when the client actually makes a decision, will GREATLY affect the likelihood of the client agreeing to buy the product. The sooner the client decides to make a decision, the more likely that decision will be “yes, I want to buy.” The longer the client takes to decide, the more likely the answer will be “no, I don’t want to buy.” So the thing you want to do is light a fire … and stick it under the potential client’s but. There are a couple of ways of doing this. You just saw one of them in action in the last chapter. I let you know, in no uncertain terms, that I was going to be raising the price of the product in the very near future. If you don’t act soon, you’ll lose out on the lower price. Another thing you can do is throw in a bunch of extra goodies, available ONLY to people who act right then and there. The internet community

- 48 -

has done a TERRIBLE job with this one. Lots of people give lots of bonuses … none of them are ever seriously limited time offers. This is completely different from me. I change my bonuses all the time. If you like one of the bonuses I’m giving out at a particular point in time, you’d better snatch the product up, because in no time at all, that bonus won’t be available. In short, you need to create a sense of urgency with your potential customers. You do this either with the credible threat that prices will be going up, by placing bonuses on the product that truly are available only for a limited time. If you are selling products to other businesses, one of the things I’ll do is setup a “limited quantity” situation with my prospective client, then as the meeting is nearing a close, begin watching the clock very closely. I’ll let them know that I’ve got another meeting to make … with their competitor, for the product of which there is only a certain quantity, and the competitor is going to buy the entire available stock. This works beautifully. Keep in mind that creating a sense of urgency is not limited to the ideas I just gave you. I can’t even recall of the excellent ways I’ve seen this one applied, it truly is limited only by your imagination. Just keep in mind that if you don’t give your clients SOME sense of urgency, then they won’t feel the need to buy right at that moment, and if they don’t buy right at that moment, they probably won’t buy at all.

- 49 -

By creating some sort of pressure on your customer to buy right now, they are more likely to do so. Use a limited time offer, or a limited quantity offer.

- 50 -

Tool #20 - Augusta National (Exclusivity) I don’t know what your political leanings are, and to be honest, I don’t care. I’m bringing up Augusta National because at this point many people are familiar with the goings on at the famous men’s-only country club. They are famous for the Masters tournament, and lately they are famous (or infamous depending on your political view on the issue) for their refusal to allow a woman as an official member. Indeed, it is that last item that I want to point out. Right now, there is a woman that is demanding that she be allowed to become a member of a private, men’s-only club. This woman has got to know that she would receive a rather cool welcome as the only way she’s going to get in at this point is if her court actions are successful. Why on earth would someone go through the expense and hassle of going through a legal challenge just to be allowed to give a group of people who neither like you nor want you around SEVERAL hundred thousand dollars? Would you do such a thing? Then why is she? The answer is one word. Exclusivity. Augusta National is the single most exclusive club in the country. It’s membership, all men, are among the most powerful and prominent people in our society. CEO’s of our nations largest corporations make up the bulk of the roster. Indeed, it took Bill Gates over three years of trying to get in before they finally let him. Becoming a member of Augusta National makes you a member of the single most exclusive and elite club in the country. It gives you the opportunity to network with every mover and shaker in our country.

- 51 -

These people are powerful enough that the can call the President … and he’ll take it. You can apply this same concept to your products. Remember above when I talked about setting up a “limited quantity” situation with my customer. Well, that’s an example of exclusivity. Another way is to autograph your books. Things can be limited edition, signed and numbered limited edition, autographed, even purposely under produced. This way, every person that gets one feels like they are part of some special group, someone that gets special treatment. This emotional mind control trick can turn lack luster sales into blockbusters in a big hurry. Remember the story of Wolf Data Systems and their product RapiDoc where they only had a limited number of copies? Exclusivity came into play as well as the greed factor.

In some ways, exclusivity plays to the Mob Rules mentality. It also plays to greed. But more importantly, it appeals to your customer’s desire to be seen as being better, of having only the best things. Creating exclusivity with your products is another of those items that can hit both the logical and the emotional side of your customer.

- 52 -

Tool #21 - Make Mine Simple You’ve heard of the KISS principal. Keep It Simple Stupid. That axiom is particularly true in sales. I can remember a time when AT&T had the single most complicated long distance billing plan you can possibly imagine. The documentation of how it worked was a multipage deal with ne third inch margins and printed at a 5 pt font. MCI came in with a “simple” long distance plan. 10 cents per minute, any time, any day…it made the whole thing easy to understand. No matter what time of the day it was, or what day of the week it was, your call was going to cost ten cents per minute … period. The advertising campaign hit the “SIMPLE” button pretty hard and repeatedly. They cleaned up for MONTHS before AT&T caught on and created a similar plan to combat MCI. One of the ways I use this is to “personally recommend” things. “I’ve looked at all the products, I’ve called all of the people, I’ve spoken to former customers and after doing all of that, I can tell you without hesitation that I personally select this product as the single best one for quality, features, and price.” What I just did is make things easy for the customer. They don’t have to comparison shop anymore because I just did it for them. They didn’t have to even look at my other products of a similar nature. I made the buying decision easy, because there is no decision other than to buy my product. Most television advertisements … especially those for cars, violate this rule BIG TIME. They think that they are hitting “a wider audience” by giving a big selection. What they are really doing is giving the potential customers so many choices their heads get filled up with so much that it all gets filtered out as just more noise. One of these days I’m going to

- 53 -

give my time away to some car dealership that advertises on TV just so I can show them how to do this right. The truth is, the more decisions your customer has to make, the more likely “not buying” will be one of the decisions that is available. Don’t do that. Do not give your clients multiple choices in a single mailing. In any one mailing, there should be only one choice to make. Doing what you ask them to.

By keeping things simple, you make it easier for your customer to logically justify a single action. Choices on the other hand require your customer’s logical side to first decide which item he should get. You are giving your customer opportunity to say “I need to do some more research.” Which is the same as your customer not buying at all.

- 54 -

Tool #22 - I Feel So Guilty In the book Influence and the Psychology of Persuasion, the author, Robert Cialdini has a rule he calls “The Universal Rule of Reciprocation.” What this means is that once you give someone something, they are obliged to reciprocate. He proves this by relating stories of the Hare Krishna’s and their antics during the 80’s in airports. They would give you a flower as you walked into the airport, then at the gate they’d be asking for donations. Almost everyone they managed to accept one of their “free” flowers ended up donating to their cause. I’ve personally used this technique in selling through a combination of Repetition and Guilt. I would send out a mailing every week. Each week there was some sort of premium item I would enclose. Perhaps it would be a pen with the companies name on it. Another week maybe I’d put in a pair of cuff links. Next week I’d include some sort of Involvement device. A few weeks of this, and almost everyone calls, some even apologizing for not calling sooner. You can use this very same technique in your own selling process. You can give things away to your people, and let them know that you are giving it to them in the hopes that some day they will repay your generosity. If you keep it up, they’ll either turn you off completely, or they’ll order from you. More likely than not, they’ll order. You’re giving them something free. They know this. Preciously few people will turn their back on generosity, especially when the generosity is aimed their way. Before long, feelings of guilt and the need to reciprocate set in.

- 55 -

This is truly one of those areas where the more you do, and the more you let your potential customers know you are doing for them, the more likely they are to buy from you.

Guilt can be a powerful motivating force. According to Robert Cialdini in his book Influence: The psychology of persuasion he believes it may be the single most powerful force in human society (and he provides a powerful example of this).

- 56 -

Tool #23 - 93.4% of all People said… (Specificity) Have you ever seen any really specific statistics in an advertisement? Things like “93% of all people enjoyed the taste of our sludge over the leading brand,” are used all the time. Being specific is one way of building credibility, of playing to the logical side of the brain. The reason this works is if I said “New doctors every where are recommending our cough syrup…” that sounds like typical B.S. advertising nonsense. However, if I say “91% of all doctors now recommend our pain relief over all others combined.” That sounds much more believable, because it is specific. General statements in advertising and sales message are at best discounted and looked at with extreme doubt. Specific statements obtain an air of believability because you are saying something that can (supposedly) be easily verified. Now that does mean that the statements need to be honest. Don’t say that “91% of all doctors recommend…” if you can’t back it up somehow. I once wrote an ad for an art gallery (Stephen Clayton Galleries in San Diego) that talked, with significant detail, about how much the ad cost, then compared that to all the free stuff we were giving away (like $50) in an effort to show that this promotion wasn’t supposed to be profitable for the gallery, but instead a “customer appreciation” period. I was playing on greed and on specificity. What actually happened is that it was the single most profitable promotion in the gallery’s ten year history. Understand that people are generally very skeptical about sales messages in general, and often don’t believe many of the claims made in the ads. But when you claim is specific, and backed up with proof, your message is much more credible and therefore more trusted. Be specific in your statements and your facts.

- 57 -

Being specific is the single strongest way of playing to your customer’s logical side. It is also a great way of demonstrating credibility.

- 58 -

Tool #24 - I’ve Never Won Anything Before Hope. Next to love it may be the single most emotionally charged word in the English language. Every year, millions of people respond to the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes out of the hope that they will win the ten million dollar prize. When someone buys a computer, they are hoping it will make their lives easier. When someone gets an internet account, they are hoping that keeping in contact with loved ones will be easier. You purchased this product in the hope that you will make more money (and you will if you use the techniques in the book). Hope is so powerful, it’s addictive. Look at people who are addicted to gambling. They are literally “hooked” on the constant gnawing hope that they will “hit it big.” Right now, there is a guy selling Coral Calcium on the infomercial circuit. He pushes the whole hope angle HARD. Hope that you won’t get sick, or if you do, that this stuff will be the magic cure. Personally, I feel that some of the things said play on this emotion so strongly that the comments border on fraudulent (the whole thing they do with cancer as an example). What you can do in your sales presentation is to first focus on building yourself as a credible person, a knowledgeable authority, and that you represent products with a lot of innate value. Then, what ever you say your product did for you, or for previous customers via testimonials, will give the power of hope to your potential customers. Hope can also be used to get people to re-order who currently have your product. No matter what it is you sell, if you have built credibility and trust with your customers, you can inspire hope.

- 59 -

While Robert Cialdini believes that Guilt is the most powerful motivator in all of human society, I am firmly convinced that this is not accurate. Hope is by far a more powerful force and a more powerful motivator. Make your customer’s have hope that your product will solve their problems, and they will be emotionally compelled to buy.

- 60 -

Tool #25 - Seduction (Curiosity) You see this over and over again in modern advertisements. Indeed, it may be one of the single most powerful tools in a marketers arsenal (next to using a customers own words right back at them). And I’m not talking about seduction either. What I’m talking about is the way marketers go about seducing you. Specifically, I’m talking about Curiosity. You can use curiosity to keep your potential customers moving along your sales message. You can use curiosity to keep them engaged. If you sell information, or other intellectual property, curiosity is probably the single greatest tool you can use. You can tell them what they will find out from reading your book, while not telling them how. Indeed, the sales page for this product uses that very same approach. I build curiosity at every chance I can get. I use curiosity to keep the attention of my prospects while I deliver my sales message. Allow me to illustrate: People say that sex sells. What I want you to do is imagine that you are making love with someone. Now write out a check for $2,000 and send it to me. You’re not writing that check are you? So obviously sex alone doesn't sell. There's got to be something else, some other hook. Indeed, there is a wide and growing body of evidence to suggest that sex by itself never has sold that well.

- 61 -

Today, Playboy's subscriber ship is on the decline. Maxim's is skyrocketing. Both essentially sell sex, yet Maxim is thriving while Playboy is floundering. Now I'm going to avoid making judgment calls about the two magazines, but let’s put it this way. If sex sells, then doesn't it make sense that the magazine that sells the most sex would win? Yet this is not the case. Playboy, which sells more sex than Maxim, is floundering. Maxim, which sells less sex than Playboy, is thriving. The reason for this is simple. Maxim adds an element to their magazine that Playboy simply does not have. Curiosity. Maxim doesn't show everything. On top of this, they include other psychological factors such as "Mental Engagement". In other words, your mind must become more engaged with Maxim than with Playboy in order for the "sex" angle to work. Lets face it, with Playboy there isn't much curiosity after a few shots and mental engagement isn't required ... things are pretty obvious. These things serve as some pretty powerful lessons that should be used with your own web site. A further example goes like this: I’m sitting in my office, work up to my eyeballs, and I get a call from this woman. She says “Honey, don’t say anything. I just want you to open up your web browser and go to this site. The “site” is just an IP address … which loads up Microsoft’s video player, then shows a

- 62 -

woman’s silhouette. She’s behind a fairly thin curtain of some sort with very bright lights on behind her. I can see her figure very clearly. She’s thin, in unbelievable shape … and apparently wearing nothing, though I couldn’t be absolutely sure, she could have just had on VERY form fitting clothing. What’s more, this shape obviously is holding a phone … it’s the woman on the other end. “Don’t say anything yet, just listen to me and watch.” and since this lesson isn't about the sultry whisperings of gorgeous, women, I'm going to hold off on the specifics for now (but just to be fair, I will tell you what happened later ... look for the chapter heading "THE REST OF THE STORY" it’s the last chapter of the book ... you can find this spot again because I left a lot of "white space". If you truly need to finish the story, go ahead, then just come back here.)

What is important here is what the woman did. She setup an environment where the person she MEANT to be talking to (which wasn’t me) wouldn’t be able to see everything. The person would be naturally curious (and when you read the rest of the story, you’ll see that the person she was talking to had never seen her totally nude either). The person’s mind would become fully engaged, and certainly very curious about what she was going to say and do. I’m a student of this stuff, and I was riveted. Understand that while facts and figures do help out the logical side of the brain, they do nothing for the much more powerful emotional side. Further, too many facts and figures simply kill any hope you have of building curiosity.

- 63 -

If the woman had shown herself walking around nude, curiosity would have gone out the window. You would have seen everything there was to see. It would have been easier to tune her out. Instead, I was absolutely riveted on the edge of my seat. With no curiosity in your sales pitch, how can you expect to maintain a person’s interest in your message, in your story? Another major benefit to building up a sense of curiosity about your product is that it builds anticipation with your customers. They become more excited about having the product now, to satisfy their curiosity. That sense of anticipation will further boost your sales.

Curiosity, by itself, usually is not strong enough to create a sale. However, curiosity can be used to build a stronger mental involvement with your customer, used to build a greater sense of hope, and it can also be used to keep your customer more engaged with your sales message.

- 64 -

Tool #26 - Dirt and Polish (Framing) You are walking down a street, and there, leaning against the side of a building is a filthy, smelly man who needs a shave. His breath smells badly of alcohol. Propped up against the building are numerous paintings in flimsy cheap looking frames. How much money will you consider these paintings to be worth? Now, you are walking down a street, and one of the storefronts contains an art gallery. The people inside are all well-dressed and well-groomed. The paintings are skillfully and beautifully framed. How much money will you consider these paintings to be worth? The “frame of reference” is very important. The man on the street may have had much more beautiful paintings, but you might not pay even $10 for one. The paintings in the gallery may not inspire anything within you, but you’d gladly pay a couple of hundred. The difference between the two is how they are “framed” within your mind. The gallery is clean, respectable, up-scale. The guy on the street is dirty, untrustworthy, and low-class. Do you see how important it is to frame your products properly? If you are selling products to women, the worst thing you could do is frame your products in a way that makes them appealing to men. If you are selling products to a specific ethnic group, the worst thing you could do is frame your products around images of some other ethnic group. Framing stretches from how “high-class” your products are thought of (and making them high-end may not be a good thing, depending on your audience), who the target audience is, the images that you have on your site, the actual appearance of your site (professional versus something that just some person threw together). Almost everything is involved

- 65 -

with how your site is framed in your customers mind. While this may not seem like a mind control tactic in and of itself, in reality it’s one of the more important ones. By controlling how your customer frames you, your products, and your web site, you can control how they will perceive the entire sales message.

Make sure that you portray the correct image to your customers. If you are supposed to just be a “regular joe” trying to help someone out, then a slick web site that is professionally designed will not give you that image. On the other hand, if you are supposed to be a powerful titan of industry, then a web site on one of the free services and an email account on hotmail, will give your customers the wrong image. Make sure that your web site gives the impression that you want.

- 66 -

The Rest Of The Story You just got bit by the curiosity bug. Hard. I also forced you to become mentally engaged with the "imagery" of the woman. Now, before you think you were cheated, the story I just told you actually happened. You see, it turns out that she forgot to type in the area code of her boy friend’s (fiancé actually) new work number. So when she dialed, she got me. Anyway, I never saw the woman, just her silhouette. On the phone, she says that it’s just such a shame that he’s never truly seen her. From what she said, it seems the two must have met at a ski lodge, dated over a two month period … all of which was cold, and decided to get married. The date was set for only a few days away. She wanted to give her fiancé a taste of what he would be getting, a “look” without actually seeing. She danced a little and moved in a seductive manner (her hands roaming, the whole deal). It was masterful, how she played on curiosity and mental engagement. As this progressed, my conscience began to get me. While I was not exactly cheating on my wife, this woman was under the impression that I was someone other than I was. This “show” was obviously not meant for my eyes. But at the same time, I felt trapped; the curiosity was holding me captive. Finally I just blurt out “I turned my computer monitor off.” (Even though I hadn’t, I was hoping to prevent her from feeling too foolish) There’s a pause, her silhouette stops moving, and she says “Why?” “Because I’m not Bob.” In a flash, her silhouette vanishes and the “movie” ends.

- 67 -

I actually heard from her a week later (which was either very brave or very stupid in this day and age of Caller ID). She calls me back and thanks me for not letting it go any farther … she says that she was just about to pull the sheet away, and she would have felt guilty if any other man had seen her before her husband. I congratulated her on her marriage and wished her luck. Now that the story is out of the way, let me again illustrate what just happened. I used a story that built up some curiosity. Yes, some “sex” was involved or implied, but it was CURIOSITY that got you to keep going. It was curiosity that got you to jump all the way down here. At this point, you could go back to where you were and continue reading, finishing what you already started (and learning a few other tactics), or you could leave much of this book still unread. Up to you.

- 68 -

Conclusion - The Checklist Using Every Tool To make your sales messages as effective as possible, you’ll want to use as many of the mind control techniques and tactics in this book as you can. Sometimes, you may not want to use one, two, or three of the techniques because they aren’t appropriate to what you are doing. And on that note, you’ll want to print out just this page every time you are creating a sales message for something. Simply check off each item that you have in your sales message. If some are missing, you can rewrite a little, add in the missing components. You can make your sales messages as strong as possible; you can include as many mind control techniques as possible and therefore make more sales. Customers Own Words Imagination Create a Group/use herd mentality Unfinished business/leaving things incomplete I’m Right Foot in the door (Getting in) Authority Dirty Laundry/be upfront with problems Customer Involvement/Ownership Integrity Using Stories Apples vs Oranges Emotions Logic Greed Credibility Satisfaction Guarantee Collectible The Fire/Limited time or quantity offer Exclusivity Keep it simple Guilt Specificity Hope Curiosity Framing

(04) (06) (08) (11) (14) (16) (18) (20) (22) (25) (26) (27) (30) (33) (35) (38) (41) (43) (47) (51) (53) (55) (57) (59) (61) (65)

- 69 -

Forbidden Psychological Tactics

Tactics

Tactics

Covert Persuasion: Psychological Tactics and Tricks to Win the Game

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Forbidden

Recommend Documents