January 2012

Direct-Response Marketing: What parents know (and don’t know) about selling, that you don’t

Last week I was reviewing a web site for a client. The site had a number of problems with it, but the biggest problem was that the client would never ever, ever make any money with it. Why? The answer is simple: there was no call to action. The website ...

Business Sales Strategy – How to look like a big, dumb, “cash rules everything around me” corporation:

Two days ago, I got an e-mail from Mercedes-Benz USA. I love Mercedes — their cars, their history, and their commitment to excellence. But this e-mail pretty much exemplified almost everything you can do wrong when you’re speaking to your customers. And unfortunately, it’s extremely typical of big companies. The ...

Direct Marketing Strategies: 3 Ways to leverage numbers and pricing

Interesting article about pricing, over on truthdive.com A couple of professors out of Virginia Tech recently did some studies about how consumers react to prices. And it turns out, HOW you present things is FAR more important than WHAT you are presenting. Which should be no surprise to anyone who’s ...

Sales Strategy Consulting: Do you sell face to face, over the phone, or to groups?

If you sell face to face, in person… over the phones, or by speaking in front of groups… then what I’m about to tell you, will eliminate over 90% of the anxiety you’re feeling, when it comes to selling. It’s a very simple thing, and yet… for some strange reason, ...

Lead Generation Marketing: “I am NOT a wimp” (1977)

“I am NOT a wimp.” – Iron Mike Sharpe Iron Mike Sharpe was one of my favorite wrestlers to watch, back when I growing up in the late 1970′s. I don’t really know why I liked Iron Mike, but maybe one reason is I remember watching him with my brother, ...

Emotional Direct-Response Marketing: How to sell what you regret

Weird way people behave sometimes, especially when it comes to opportunity. People have a natural inclination to avoid discomfort, and to avoid loss. And this inclination is far more inherent, than the desire to make gains. In other words, we’re very primal in some ways. Our instinct to protect what’s ...

Direct-Response Marketing: NEW – The Private Sale: this works VERY well

Here’s a really cool idea. I found it over the holidays when I was going through some old study books of mine, and I wanted to pass it along to you, because it’s an easy way to pick up a few bucks. It’s called “The Private Sale,” and frankly, even ...

Direct Response Marketing: Why people buy and how to sell it to them

No matter what you do for a living, keep in mind… nothing gets bought unless it gets sold first. And as you probably know, much of selling simply involves giving people a reason or some kind of “excuse,” to buy. Sure, sometimes the offer in and of itself, is enough ...

Hello, Sunshine (Great opportunity to go public with your goals)

Later on this week or early next, I’m going to have some cool announcements, so stay tuned. I hope you had a great holiday and I hope you and your family have a really smooth 2012. Like most people, I spent a lot of time at home with my own ...