Today’s tip is called “Beginnings.” I’m going to separate this tip into five separate little “vignettes” (I don’t think I’ve ever used that word before.). Why don’t you see how sharp you are, and whether you can figure out what’s going on before you get to the end.

O.K.?

Alrighty, here goes:

On November 4, 1969, the now-legendary Southern rock band, The Allman Brothers, released their first album (Remember those — albums?). It was called, in the tradition of most bands back then, “The Allman Brothers.” Less than 11 months later, the band followed that up with “Idlewild South,” their first commercial success.

In fact, a few years later, as the band started gaining momentum, primarily from their lengthy sets in concert, Atco Records released a “new” album called “Beginnings.” This really wasn’t a new album, though. It was simply the first two albums combined into one new release.

That’s what record companies used to do when they had a lot more control over artists – and a lot more control over the cash-flow…

***

Hey, wait a minute, sit down. Have I got a doozy of a story to tell you.

Listen to this:

***

I was laying around not doing much of anything Sunday afternoon, when all of a sudden something came over me. Just before dusk, I suddenly had the strongest taste for a mouthwatering thick juicy grilled steak.

So I started rummaging through all the shelves in the refrigerator, grabbing anything that even “might” have been meat, but no luck. All we had was chicken, chicken, chicken…

***

Isn’t it amazing how a baseball pitcher can whip a tiny hardball over 100 miles an hour, with such precision?

***

Ever wish your kids would just stop arguing with each other, once and for-all?

***

O.K., so what do you think’s going on here?

It’s hard to tell, isn’t it?

I mean, none of these stories are related, and yet…

Each of them could have been pretty interesting on their own merits, couldn’t they?

Well, what I just gave you, were five different ways of starting a conversation with someone. Five different ways of starting a sales letter.

See, when it comes down to it, that’s all you’re doing at the beginning of a sales letter. You’re starting a conversation with someone, and what better way to engage them by telling a story?

Each of these opening lines compels you to listen, and THAT is what you need to do, to open a successful conversation — compel your prospect to listen.

This may be one of the most valuable tips I’ve ever given out. It’s the kind of practical and simple information people spend years searching for — so don’t waste it.

By the way, for whatever it’s worth, I wrote this while listening to the Allman Brothers while my cat was driving me nuts hopping up on my desk literally every minute. And since sometimes people want to know how I get ideas for all this stuff, there you go.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

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