It's Time To Bust Balls!
Dear Friend,
You know, I hate to be a sourpuss, especially around the holidays. But I got two e-mails in recently, and I just had to share them with you.
One was a very pleasant e-mail, and in the other one, you can tell the writer just was full of vitriol and frustration when she wrote it.
Let's take a look at both of them.
Jay Daugherty, a happy father of two little girls, was kind enough to share this with me about yesterday's tip (called "Her Sweaty Curls In Your Hand" here: http://www.kingofcopy.com/tips/her_sweaty_curls_in_your_hand_120205.html):
"Craig,
Quite possibly the most emotive thing I've ever read from you... Got me at just the right time...
Was just thinking about how to tap into my memory only a few days ago.... Put a book on my Christmas wish list I found on Amazon...
Please let me know if you figure out how to do this someday... There are a
lot of experiences I wish I could remember and tap into... For example, I
can only name about 3 Christmas presents I've ever gotten... If I could
remember better, I could write better... And I could sell better...
Thx for this one, though... Reminded me of the first two years of my 1st daughter's life... I was so glad when she was old enough for me, her Daddy, to matter to her... Before that, it was just Mom, all the time... Jay"
Thanks Jay, that was very kind of you to share your thoughts and I appreciate it. Hope you get all your Christmas wishes delivered to you this year.
And then I got... THIS e-mail, from Terri from Australia. If you'll remember, Terri was the woman who wrote me in a while ago complaining about how it really wasn't a free teleseminar if she had to spend money to make the phone call overseas (in the "All Bottled Up Inside" tip here: http://www.kingofcopy.com/tips/all_bottled_up_inside_112905.html)
I gave her a dose of reality and I think she got mad.
I'm not sure if she was pissed off because I implied she was being short-sighted about things, and how every successful person I know spends THOUSANDS of dollars every year for information to stay on top of things... or if she was aggravated because when she said her bank account wasn't filling up from all the e-mails she got that promised her "riches beyond compare", I told her she didn't have realistic expectations.
Anyway, after that first e-mail, she wrote me a nasty letter, which I filed in my "Potential Nuts" folder, telling me about how she wasn't the queen of copy (no kidding) and how she was unsubscribing.
Well, I must be like good love-making or cocaine, because it seems Terri's addicted to the King. Because she came back yesterday, AGAIN!
After she swore off me, she had this to say. It looks like this one was in response to my "Just Because They Make It In A Size 2..." tip, and that one was over here: http://www.kingofcopy.com/tips/wear_it_in_a_size_2_112805.html
I'll reply as we go along:
"Craig, I thought I'd take the time to respond. In fact I'd never normally bother to take a 'stand' where I am not impressed by what someone has written BUT for 2 reasons:
What I think about it... And Because of WHO referred me to read your stuff...
Firstly: You totally will give less than a shit what I say here so I'll swing it at you pretty straight down the line."
***
Terri, this is simply not true. I care deeply about all the e-mails I get. Especially the ones that tell me how wonderful I am, the ones that are purchases that say "New Order Accepted"... and the one's that are so whacked out I can use them as fodder for future tips, like this one you sent in. Please continue...
***
"Not because I need to say it for myself BUT perhaps just reading it from someone who took some time out to share the thought with you - without malice - you might notice it."
***
Sorry but you sound VERY malicious, and we're just in the honeymoon stages of our relationship. Lord only knows what's in store for me down the road.
***
"There is no human value in INSULTING people. I'm no religious zealot, not even a believer, and have my own thoughts on what constitutes spirituality... so I'm not inspired by some "holier than thou" BS...
I've read 2 editions of your newsletters recently, and each one of them cemented for me the certainty of what I beginning to see roll out with you...
Craig, sadly, it seems that you "get off" on degrading human beings and insulting them... PERIOD..."
***
This is not true. I am a sensitive and very loving family guy, who cares a lot more about making the world a better place than probably the last 10 people who sat around listening to you complain.
I poke fun of myself, along with all the other strange things going on in the world, especially odd or reliable human behaviors. Ultimately, if we can get a handle on and understand all these things in greater detail, we can use them to our advantage and become better sales people by writing better sales copy.
Which by the way, you should spend much more time focusing on. Just be thankful I did not reveal your website to my readers.
I DO however, have one HUGE personality flaw and that is I have little tolerance or patience for whiners or people with "victim" mentality, like yourself. My penchant (look it up) is for people who have fear and obstacles in their way and who posess a burning desire to overcome those fears and barriers to success, and to accomplish and fulfill a greater destiny for themselves and their families.
The nice thing about all this is there appears to be a boat load of my subscribers who feel the same way I do and on many issues we share a common ground. My website is actually a "safe place" for us all to go and take refuge from all the nuts walking around out there in today's crazy world. Next...
***
"Sure - I notice a lot of what I think are "dumb" people - people who seem incapable of "thinking"... Who are so detached from their own emotional/ intellectual/ psychological inner core power that I wonder how they make it through their day, their life - and realize these people have shaped the world I live in... And that's a sad fact.
I also notice there are significant numbers of obese humans around... whilst in another country I see advertisements telling me about starving children...
And I notice the shopping trolleys of the people who are obviously overweight - they shop badly, they eat badly... etc etc...
So - your "observations" - if you will call them that - are relatively "accurate" (if I will call it that...). However this is the purpose of my first point: To ask where you fit in to this gigantic world picture of "dumb" "fat" people?"
***
I'll answer your question, but first I must know, when you say where do I "fit" into their world, is that a pun on words? Because it's a good one.
Now for your answer: I don't "fit" anywhere into the world of "dumb" fat people. I am a sharp fit guy and barring any health problems, will always be one. And I welcome the opportunity to share and exchange ideas with sharp fat people and other sharp fit people like myself.
How about you, where do you "fit" in?
And the purpose of that e-mail was NOT to poke fun of fat people. I clearly stated that and in fact, I went out of my way to be empathetic about i because I was overweight when I was a kid, and I understand how it feels to be out of shape.
The purpose of that e-mail was to poke fun of the absurdity of obese people who insist on wearing absurdly small and tight clothing. This is no different then if I were to go tooling down the street in an old Pontiac Firebird with the tops off... stereo blasting disco music... and me with a pair of aviators on and my shirt off.
At age 42 I'd look like an idiot doing this.
One person did write me in letting me know they were not happy with that e-mail, but at least a half-dozen others wrote in and said they were hysterical laughing, which is how it was meant to be taken. Next.
***
"Are you simply going to fill "smart" "slim" people's e-mail boxes with opinionated jibes, digs and these observations... for reasons none of "us" know about (nor are given reason to care about...)?"
***
Yes. It's my newsletter, I can say whatever I want. You can always unsubscribe if you don't like it, which is what you told me you did.
Plus, it's a FREE newsleter, giving better content than most paid subscriptions.
I mean, ask youself -- who else writes sales copy as well as I do?
And who else covers such a broad range of thought-provoking and stimulating issues?
And who else could turn your complete waste of paper and ink, into entertainment for the masses?
But wait... there's more!
In the next 30 days I'm coming out with my monthly offline publication, The Official Direct-Marketing Newsletter. And if you think I'm good online... you ain't seen nothing yet, baby!
***
"What about deciding to make a difference in the world... BE a human BEing that gives a damn and reaches out to help - that thing called "caring"...
Sure - make the observations... then do something VALUABLE - that contributes to those same "fat" "dumb" people actually becoming smart and slim (healthy is an overall better nature - healthy both mentally and physically...)
"Only Hurting People HURT People."
***
Terri, you sound like one of those people who "mean well", but like I said, I have no tolerance for whiners who want to be spoon-fed. I literally get several dozen e-mails (conservatively) each week from VERY successful people, all over the world, who are kind enough to take time out of their busy schedules to let me know they are both entertained and enlightened by what I have to say.
Of course, NONE of my subscribers -- including my friends and family -- like EVERYTHING I have to say, but sane people don't expect this. They just expect to get more "good" out of it, than "bad". If the scales ever begin to tip the other way for more than a few days, or a week at best, then they'll probably unsubscribe.
And again, barring bad health, I don't expect this to ever happen.
***
"The second note I wanted to get to (if you are still reading, then I thank you...)"
***
No, thank YOU, I could go on and on and write a book out of all your stuff. Please continue.
***
"Your material was referred to me by someone whom I held with regard in the world of online marketing/copywriting.
It doesn't matter who, really... let's just say that I will be sharing with them the same email (blind CC'ing) so they are aware of why I wrote this, and so they can be 100% certain when they refer their mail list to another person, they are doing something with integrity..."
***
Terri, please don't do that. If you do, I am sure this person will be facing AT LEAST 1,000 sleepless nights in front of him if you do as you say, laying in bed awake at night feeling simply sick to his stomach over what he's done.
Also, no matter WHO you tell, please just don't tell my mom on me, O.K.? She might send me to bed early and not give me any allowance this week.
***
"Craig, you even attempted to insult me by taking an email I wrote to you expressing my desperate urge to discover the pathway to my success. I wrote to you, as you do prompt people to do so... Then you proceeded to take my email, copy it into the newsletter you sent out and pass ridiculously inaccurate judgment against me to your readers, on the assumption that you were 'teaching me' something.
I learned more from talking to an 80yo lady at the chiropractor, when she told me how she coped with her aged husband's recent suicide after he was diagnosed with cancer."
***
No, I called a spade a spade, encouraging you to get over your fear of failure but pointing out you had some unrealistic expectations.
And while I am sure your conversation with this widow was very moving and insightful -- older people are generally a lot wiser than us young 'uns -- I would venture to say you'd either prefer sticking your head in the sand and not dealing with your weaknesses, or else perhaps you're just not ready to face them and smash through personal fears to conquer your demons and be successful.
Feeling good about helping an elderly woman get through a trying time in her life pales in comparison to the thrilling feelings of victory you'll experience once you deal with the issues that are most troubling in your own life.
***
"I choose not be "poisoned" by the opinions of others. I'll sign off...
I just hope you are able to read this email with some remorse and to maybe take a look at who you are trying to be. Good luck with where you're going... Thanks"
***
No Terri, thank YOU!
The only remorse I have, and I mean this sincerely, is the fact that you're likelihood of success is dramatically lowered because you want to be coddled. Feeling sorry for yourself won't make you successful.
Dealing with your issues... demons... barriers... whatever you want to call 'em, will.
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there in business sometimes, and if you aren't willing to clean up your own mess, reality is, no one else is going to do clean it up for you.
***
And all I can say to you if you like this kind of straight-talk and you want to hear it first-hand, come join me at my seminar in sunny Orlando, Florida in March. You'll learn more useful and valuable information -- and by valuable, I mean, information you can turn into cash once you get back home -- than you'll even be able to use in all of 2006! Register here, and do it NOW, because the price goes up in only 28 days: http://www.informationmarketingexpo.com
Now there are actually 3 things you can learn from this:
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The intense power of words, and how they can make you feel a wide range of emotions when they're used "correctly". Make sure you're keeping this in mind when you're writing your sales copy because that's where you REALLY need to go with things.
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How you're ALWAYS going to offend SOME ONE, regardless of your intentions. Listen, not everyone's going to like EVERYTHING that comes out of your mouth. I don't even like "EVERYTHING" that comes out of my wife's mouth, and I love her more than I could ever express using mere words. Hey, the truth is I don't even like what I have to say sometimes -- but I'm only human, what do you expect?
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And lastly, care less about what people say and the criticism you may get, and more about the results of what you're doing. You'll have to do this more and more, the higher you climb up the ladder of success -- regardless of what you do for a living. Being immune to criticism is one of the things Maxwell Maltz discussed in his Psycho-Cybernetics program and he consistently hammered that point home, time and again.
Lastly, I'm always interested in hearing your comments.
Remember, I can't answer all of them simply because of the sheer volume of e-mails I get, but I DO post a lot of them to my list for all my subscribers to think about.
Now go sell something,
Craig Garber
Any comments?
Send them to me by scooting over to the contact form on my "Here's How To Contact Craig" page, and maybe I'll publish them -- I appreciate your feedback!
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| “Craig Garber is America's top direct-response copywriter. Join the ranks of Garber's swelling list of global VIP's who subscribe to his unconventional weekly marketing moments, and discover how to dramatically boost your sales and improve the response to your sales copy, on his website at http://www.kingofcopy.com. Copyright © Craig Garber. All rights reserved.” |