Here are a couple of questions that have recently crossed my desk.

Q:

Craig, why would anyone in his right mind use direct mail when you can use the internet to get business? Plus, sending out e-mails and using Google adwords is a lot cheaper than postage, printing, envelopes, etc.

A:

Most of the people who ask me questions like this have either never mailed a sales letter or a postcard in their entire life, or they’ve mailed “one” and it didn’t work, or… they foolishly believe the internet is like a casino that only pays out.

I’ve got news for you — casinos that only pay out don’t exist in reality, and they don’t exist online either.

Here’s how business works: The amount of money you make, is generally directly proportional to the amount of effort you invest, and the amount of money you invest as well.

Often times you look at what you have, instead of what you’re missing — after all, this is easy to do — and sometimes painful, so why would you want to do this?

Well, the answer is, because usually, it what you don’t know that’s killing you — and what you don’t know that can make you or break you.

For instance, MOST businesses will find better quality buyers offline. And when I say businesses, I mean entrepreneurs who aren’t looking to do a hit and run on you. I mean entrepreneurs who are concerned with growing a full-fledged business with CONSTANT ebbs and flows, (hopefully more of the ins than the outs, of course), that produce long-term customers with long-term value.

Why?

Because a HUGE percentage of the population online are dreamers searching for something that doesn’t exist. They think getting “Fre.e” information will somehow give them inside secrets that make them a bundle of cash, and they mistake the time they spend “reading” information, for time spent actually “taking action” on the information they read.

And if you think about it — when’s the last time you got anything for fre.e that did something for you?

“Never” is the unilateral answer, across the board.

Even Napoleon Hill once said “information isn’t power” — only information used WISELY is power.

And in fact, I’ll go one step further. Information not used at all, is more a waste of your time than anything else.

Now don’t get me wrong — there are just as many people who are dreamers offline, as there are online. However, offline, you can get access to lists and run space ads for people who are buyers, whereas online, you have a harder time getting access to this information, unless you are doing some sort of joint venture — and the results of these are NEVER promised either.

Not to mention, but some people simply aren’t searching for information online, or some industries have a difficult time finding buyers online. For instance, if you sell to small, independent excavation companies, I’m not sure you will do ANY business at all online.

So, the bottom line here is, don’t look at your marketing as an expense — look at it as an investment, and measure your Return On this Investment, the same way you’d measure your return on any investment.

Q:

Craig, how come you are always pitching your Seductive Selling Newsletter and your Seductive Selling Marketing system? Don’t you have any other products to offer?

A:

That’s actually a very good question. First, I do have other products, and you can find them here: http://www.kingofcopy.com/products

But the truth is, the newsletter is the bedrock of ANY business, and my newsletter — along with the audio Success CD Interview you get — is by FAR, the strongest, most incisive and most entertaining (who else has headlines like “Now At Last, Anal Bleaching”… and this month’s headline, “What Is Peter North’s Secret?”) direct marketing newsletter out there. We get few cancellations and many many e-mails each week FILLED with praise.

Here — take this one for instance. This just came in the other day: “Craig, no need to reply ..this is just an fyi to you. In the process of going thru your newsletter and reading a bit of your story and the financial hardships you went thru .. specifically a lightbulb went off inside my head when you commented on doing well with financial planning but your heart not being into it ..

You took a step back to do what you love and in the end things worked out rather well… it was nice to hear that story… I am going thru a similar dilemma now

You also let us know how much and hard you work .. so often the gurus make us feel guilty because they pitch the lifestyle business.. sitting on the beach ..just collecting your coins…and yet we have too many beautiful days that we make the conscious decision to stay inside and work because we are committed to our goals… (especially in florida)

Also dealing with so called friends and family that make fun of you (indirectly) cause they just don’t understand that level of commitment and intention…most of them have a better chance of understanding the theory of relativity..

most of us know the fallacy of the lifestyle pitch .. sometimes it’s good to know that there are others in the trenches with bullets barely missing the scalp ….. mud in their faces… who fight each day to get one step close to our own nirvana… despite everyone elses lack of understanding

so kudos to you for letting us know that there are others fighting the same battles…

now go sell something!” Chris Chico – Hollywood, Florida

Here’s another one: “Just finished your interview with The Loan Officer King Brian Sacks, and I have to say Kudos man. Fantastic, No B.S. information that will pay for the cost of your monthly newsletter many – many- many times over. Pure gold if you listen and extract the gems from this one. Thanks again and keep them coming…” Terry Wygal – Houston, Texas

And this one came in a few weeks ago. Greg’s in Poland right now making his next movie: “We just signed a distribution agreement for worldwide TV, DVD, and internet rights with a company who I think will do a really good job for us. Our last distributor was awful.

At least indirectly, I can thank you for this new deal, as ideas on marketing have been circulating in my head nonstop since signing up for your newsletter, and I am sure it helped my thought process during contract negotiation. Thought you’d like to know. Hope all is well with you.” Greg Bennick – Seattle, Washington

The bottom line is, my newsletter takes a fair amount of my time and I also happen to be one busy dude.

But… here’s some good news: After I get back from my trip to Europe at the end of July, I will be releasing two more products. One about headlines and one about marketing and copywriting. I will have teleseminars or webinars for each of them and as usual, they will be up to my typical ass-kicking standards.

That’s enough for today and hopefully I’ve answered one of your questions.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. only TWO DAYS LEFT! To get your hands on this month’s newsletter where I reveal the financial desperation I was going through just before things broke WIDE open for me. Chances are outstanding you have either been there, or are there now — test-drive it fre.e and get TWO fre.e copywriting critiques just for trying: http://www.kingofcopy.com/ssnl