This post is a bit more how-to than of late… and if you keep reading, you’re gonna discover a valuable lesson on copywriting… a lesson that could easily make you more sales, make you more money. (So why wouldn’t you keep reading?)

So let’s get busy…

I often get asked about the features of the product. Especially features of a technical nature.

“Surely you’ve got to mention the features, not just the benefits?” they ask.

And my answer is YES, of course you do.

You need to explain the features of your product so your customers know what they are actually getting. But you do it in an exciting way.

You let them know what these features mean to them (benefits) and what they’ll feel about experiencing these benefits.

But the REAL question these people are asking is:

“How do I stop getting bogged down in the copy when I have to mention a lot of technical stuff?”

That’s the real question they finally get to asking. That’s what they really want to know. And it’s a damn good question too. That’s why I spent time on this at my Last Ever Copywriting & Marketing Master Class, because it’s an important concept to understand.

So for now, here’s something to keep in mind.

When you read your copy out loud, you’ll find there are certain parts of your letter that slow down, that lose the “Greased Slide” effect.

Watch out for Technical jargon: Just because it’s technical, doesn’t mean it has to be boring. You have to rewrite in everyday English.

Here’s an example so you get the idea…

FEATURES: Widget is small (5cms by 3cms), Widget is light (20 grams)

COMPELLING COPY:

Just 5cms by 3cms, and weighing only 20 grams, this handy
lightweight widget fits snugly in your pocket.

ANALYSES:

There’s a lot going on in this one sentence.

• I’ve let them know the features: 5cms by 3cms, 20 grams
• I’ve used powerful adjectives: Just, Handy, Lightweight
• I’ve used powerful Verbs: Fits, Snugly (Yes I know “snugly” is an adverb and I try and stick clear of them. But it fits here.)
• I’ve painted a picture in my prospect’s mind: Fits snugly in your pocket. This makes it instantly identifiable… the prospect gets instant clarity. He can see it!
• It’s active: I’m not saying: this handy lightweight widget would fit snugly in your pocket. No, that’s passive writing and doesn’t engage the reader. I say: this handy lightweight widget fits snugly in your pocket. This makes it happening now, in the present, as if the prospect already possesses the Widget.

It’s assuming the sale, another BIG subject I covered at the Master Class. It’s these small but significant changes that make the difference between okay copy and the world-class copy that brings in a truckload of money. It’s one of the reasons I get paid the BIG bucks, he says modestly.

Put it all together and I have turned what could have been a dull moment in the copy, into a benefit filled experience.

Strive for instant clarity in your copy.

Strive to make clear what the technical stuff means to the prospect.

Strive to put your prospect in the picture.

See you next week.

Stay coolRelated Posts:

• The ONE Simple Technique to Closing More Sales
• Persuasion Power … The Two-Sided Coin
• The Illustrated Sales Letter
• They Gotta Feel You’re Real…
• 7 Tips For Writing YOU Focused Copy

I was sitting outside Sydney Airport with my wife getting in a last minute cigarette before my flight back home. Yeah I know, filthy habit and it’s gonna kill me, but hey, we all have our vices. Anyway, next to me was my “new friend” Jeff from Tamworth, a guy who up until that point in time was a complete stranger to me.

You see, Jeff immediately introduced himself as soon as my butt hit the bench beside him. He even felt compelled to share with me his thoughts on the world and we exchanged pleasantries as we smoked and waited to go inside… Striking up conversations with complete strangers is something I usually discourage while travelling, but my guard was down, I was tired and he was one of those people who love to have a chat… at it turned out, he gave me a big lesson.

Anyway, it wasn’t long before his talk moved to the price of petrol.

“How much is petrol in Mackay mate?” he asked with genuine interest, as if my answer, the price of petrol in Mackay, may reveal some ultimate meaning to the existence of life on earth. Some wonderful revelation that would revolutionise the human race, cure world hunger, or bring an everlasting world peace.

Okay, I’m exaggerating, but his eagerness indicated a compulsive desire to know. Anyway, I really had to think. Frankly, whether the price of petrol goes up or down, savvy business people are still making money. So I don’t pay much attention to it. But his eyes pleaded for an answer so I had a guess.

“Wow, that’s cheap,” he replied. “I remember last year, petrol went up damn near $2.00 a litre in Tamworth. I tell you,” he continued with a conspiratorial air, leaning into me and indicating for me to do the same with a wag of his finger. “Not too many people went anywhere that year.”

And that was the statement that made me sit bolt upright! That was the statement that made me listen; really listen to this man sitting there beside me. Because man I was gob-smacked! It was a wake-up call! And I was glad I was sitting next to my new friend from Tamworth that’s for sure. I spent another 15 minutes with him. Quizzing him. Probing him. Empathising with him and his lot.

So why did I get so damn interested and excited? Simply this…

As a copywriter, I can’t let myself get too isolated and lose touch with the market I’m writing to.

Recently I took on a client who sells marketing kits to Trades People. Soon, very soon, I’ll be writing to this market. This means, I need to get grounded and think back to my past life when I was on the tools. Just around the corner in my schedule I’m going to have to start thinking like a tradesman.

And that’s real important to my client so he gets maximum results.

Because think about it.

The last two weeks I’ve had a ball hanging out with friends and clients who are true success stories where abundance is the rule of the day. Scarcity is a non-issue… we know we can always get more. But very soon I’ll have to start writing to trades people… I’ve got to start thinking like them, feeling like them, understanding them at a deep emotional level. I have to know what concerns them, what frightens them, how the industry in general is doing and a 101 other things that almost guarantee a winning promotion. So for me, sitting down next to this guy was pure research.

So there’s a great copywriting lesson for you.

You must never isolate yourself from your market. Never be cynical or think you are better. True selling is all about empathy and this empathy clearly shows through in winning copy.

But let’s get away from copy for a minute.

Here’s the BIG wealth lesson for you.

You can’t let your mind be corrupted by all the little grievances we face on a daily basis. When my new mate talked about petrol prices his whole body changed. His face began to grimace, his shoulders sagged, and he had the look of a defeated man.

You see, taking part in the “petrol is expensive” debate around the water-cooler each morning is poisoning your mind to accepting abundance.

Think about it.

How can bitching and moaning ever improve a person’s life?

How?

It can’t!

And it’s the old catch 22 thing in action. The more you bitch and moan about something, the more of it you get.  I believe you attract this, it’s preordained.

Same with abundance.

Start thinking abundantly and start taking the right actions, you’ll start to attract abundance into your life.

Now before you start saying “it’s easy for you Pete”… let me remind you my change in thinking started well before success came my way. My thoughts changed before my circumstances did. There is no other way.Related Posts:

• Start-Up Business Secrets
• How To Find The Right Tone & Voice For Your Market
• It’s Not My Fault
• Do you really have to under-go a near-death experience to become a street-savvy Marketer?
• The Travelling Speaker

I was on the Gold Coast recently when my mate and young gun Copywriter Bret Thomson visited.

So we thought we do a little fun video that shows you the power of great copy and how it can transform your life.

PLUS, Bret’s got a new weird hair-do that I’d thought you’d like to see.

Go check it out…

Related Posts:

• It’s Not My Fault
• The Illustrated Sales Letter
• If Ever There Was A Secret To Success!
• The Price Of Petrol
• Do you really have to under-go a near-death experience to become a street-savvy Marketer?

While watching the local news the other night I was once again reminded of the prevailing attitude for never accepting responsibility of one’s actions and for laying the blame squaring on someone else. Hence, “It’s Not My Fault.”

As a copywriter, it reinforced in me the need to use this “copy click” more often. It validated my reasoning for using this click and I could clearly see how powerful it really is. (If you’re selling anything that improves your prospect’s life, taking your prospect to a better place whether physically, emotionally, financially and so on, you better use this click.

Basically, you’ve got to lift the blame from your prospect’s shoulders and let him or her know it’s not their fault. NOTE: Don’t you dare start thinking this way about your own life, not if you want to be rich and successful that is.)

Anyway, a bit of background.

I live in Mackay, a booming coastal town on the Whitsunday Coast. West of us out in the dry interior are dozens of coal mines bringing thousands of workers and families into Mackay each year. Now, even a rudimentary bit of research would tell you a few important facts about this town.

1. Rental property is scarce. There’s a 99.9% occupancy rate.
2. Getting a job in the mines takes more than rocking into town with a backpack and saying “here I am…give me a job.”
3. Property prices have soared in recent years. Some reports say 300% in the last few years.
4. Food and petrol prices are high compared to other southern cities.

Okay, that’s just a bit of background. Basically, if you’re a young family trying to buy a house in Mackay, and you’re on the average wage, you’re going to do it tough.

So here’s the news story that pricked my attention.

They had this guy on who had recently moved to Mackay with his family. He was seduced by the thought of BIG money at the mines, quit his job, and moved up here only to find his dream turning into a nightmare. He didn’t get a job… in fact, he and his family are living in a caravan on unemployment benefits.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Here’s just a taste of his comments during the interview.

“I heard it was easy to get a job up here so I quit my job. Now look at me. My family live in a caravan, everything is so expensive, I can’t get work. If they would have told me it was going to be like this I would have never moved. It’s just not fair.”

The angle taken by the interviewer was sympathetic, almost apologetic, and damning at the powers that be that have condemned this man to a life of poverty.

Wow! Can you believe it?

It’s no wonder this epidemic of “It’s Not My Fault-Itis” is sweeping the country. The media plays on this… pandering to the masses reluctance of accepting responsibility. And look, before you start wailing at me for being some unsympathetic snob, let’s look at the facts.

He chose to quit his job. He chose to move his whole family here.

He chose to ignore a little bit of research about the place he was moving to.

So who is to blame here?

Tell me, would you at least do some research before quitting your job and moving your family 2,000 miles away? Of course you would. He didn’t. And now somehow he has rationalised this as being someone else’s fault. Go figure.

Now while I feel for this man and his family, I am not going to pander to his lack of responsibility. This kind of thinking is insidious, running rampant throughout our society. People are looking for scapegoats, someone to blame, far be it from them to look in the mirror.

The key to your success is to take responsibility. Plain and simple. Basically we’ve all gotta grow up and stop blaming others for our lives.

Even the most fundamental of research would have told this guy that there are no houses to rent in Mackay, that rents are high, that getting a job in the mines requires a few critical skills and documents.

This guy did none of this. He heard a few stories, packed his bags, and when things didn’t turn out to be a bed of roses he gets on TV and says it’s not his fault!

Can you see this?

Good.

But it’s a good lesson for us marketers. This is how the masses think. So if you want to sell them, let them off the hook and tell them it’s not their fault. Just don’t start believing this nonsense yourself.Related Posts:

• The Price Of Petrol
• Do you really have to under-go a near-death experience to become a street-savvy Marketer?
• Procrastination Is Not ALL Bad
• 7 Tips For Writing YOU Focused Copy
• Muhammad Ali’s Guide To Copywriting

#1: Empathise with your reader

You’ve got to be sincere. You’ve got to care about your reader. I keep saying it but you’ve got to understand what he wants. What he fears, what he desires, what he talks about and what he thinks about.

What’s this guy’s life like anyway?

When you are sincere and you truly empathise with your market, your reader will feel this. You’ll instantly bond with your reader… and that’s what you want okay?

So your research is a critical part of this. You’ve got to find out the answers… otherwise you’ll just be guessing and every time I’ve guessed, I’ve lost money. Don’t like it and I don’t recommend it.

#2 Use a Conversational Tone

You are writing to one person so keep your tone conversational.

Look, you can take this too far so you must understand the words and phrases your market uses.

I have seen letters that completely miss this point. And I bet they flopped too. One word out of place, as you have learned, can kill the sale.

Okay, here’s an example. If you’re targeting the affluent, then speak their language. Don’t say “gotta” or “ain’t” or “wanna’ or any other colloquialisms that may offend. If they wouldn’t say it, you don’t either.

Simple.

That doesn’t mean you get all holier-than-thou when you’re writing to the affluent. You still have to write simply. Just don’t use any words that will kill the sale.

Just picture the perfect prospect in your head and begin writing. See that person, feel what it’s like to BE that person… heck, get inside that person’s head and find out what it’s really like!

Another point to remember. Use the word “you” in your copy.

• You this…
• You that…
• You get this…
• You’ll see…
• You’ll discover…
• You’ll be…

It’s all about them remember! Got nothing to do with “you” the writer… it’s all about “you” the reader, the guy that’s gonna hand over his cash and feel damn good about doing it.

#3 Get Fired Up With What You Are Selling

You’ve got to get enthusiastic about your product. And you must believe in its merits and be willing to get your passions for the product down on paper in a compelling, emotionally charged way.

With some jobs this can be difficult.

You may not be overly excited about the concept. (Writing Pam Emery’s cellulite copy comes to mind.) This happens and you’ve got to get over it. (Of course, there will always be jobs you are not morally aligned with… just pass up on those jobs and move on to the next.)

So how do you get excited? How to you get emotionally involved with the product? How do you get the old adrenaline gland into gear and start pumping out some kick-arse copy?

A gallon of coffee?

Well that might help, but here’s what I do…

I put my scepticism aside and just soak up all the good things about the product.

I imagine someone I know or love who could benefit from this product. (Of course, while researching your product you may uncover some negative aspects of the product. Okay then, just turn it into a positive. Raise the objection and solve it.)

Go through all the benefits of the product and see what emotions and feelings they stir in the prospect. Get in “the zone” and get writing while you are all fired up.

#4 Write Simply

Look, you don’t have to be Hemingway to write a good, basic, emotional direct response ad or letter. Just keep your sentences simple to begin with.

So get rid of the big fancy words. Throw them in the bin and stick with clear, simple words that convey your message precisely.

This means writing as you speak.

Here’s two things to keep in mind…

• The average spoken sentence is around 7 – 10 words.

• The reading ability of the average Westerner comes in at around the grade six to seven levels.

Think about that next time you get long winded.

#5 Pacing

When all of your sentences are the same length or the same kind of tempo, you’re going to lose the reader.

Remember the greased slide I told you about?

Good.

Because that’s what killer copy is all about.

It’s a greased slide that leads your prospect from the top of the letter to the end in one smooth slide… the only way is down, down that greased slide to the close of the sale.

And sure you do this with benefits and the feelings the prospect gets from the benefits… that’s a given. But world-class copy is more than that. It’s about the speed, the tempo, the way your individual words form together to make the whole.

You’ve got to develop the rhythm, the beat, the rising and ebbing tempo that speeds your prospects along down the greased slide to the close of the sale.

The following will help.

Here’s how to add some spice to your copy…

1. Break up long sentences with ellipses …
2. Have a long sentence followed by a short sentence.
3. Write in threes… I think they’re called something like triads… not sure, but I use them all the time.

Here’s an example of triads and the use of ellipses…

To my clients the answer is easy… it’s the money, it’s the lifestyle, the freedom… and it gets in your blood, into your very being and you can never go back to what you had before.

What you are about to learn here in this manual has taken me from rebel to riches… from getting paid $18 an hour to $800 an hour and more. This kinda info lets me lead an amazing life.

I get to travel; I get to meet sharp-minded clients who live intense, full lives… I get to help struggling entrepreneurs build fortunes and help successful marketers make even more money.

See how it flows?

6: Use italics, underline and quotation marks to ram home your message.

I like to use the three of these techniques to highlight certain words that I want my reader to really get.

Here’s an example from one of my letters that shows how to use italics…

Imagine waking up in the morning and standing in front of your mirror. You turn around and look at your buttocks and thighs. Usually this is a moment you dread and most times, you scamper past the mirror, too afraid and too ashamed to look. But instead of seeing those ugly orange-peel dimples, your eyes are drawn to the smooth silkiness of your skin. Your cellulite is gone, disappeared… and so has your self-consciousness.

Here’s one that shows underline…

This technology has now been tested, refined and proven to work on even the most stubborn cellulite.

Bolding and All Caps work great too.

Here’s an example…

Don’t forget you WIN whatever happens. Even if your return your product, you still get to keep the FREE bonuses valued at…

BIG TIP: Exclamation marks! Try not to use them much. In certain cases yes, you do need them. But be aware of each time you use them and the reasoning behind your decision.

#7 Smooth Transitions

You’ve got to have the ability to formlessly go from one idea to the next. A shift in thought, highlighting another benefit, introducing a new twist, all need smooth transitions to pull them off.

And it’s not hard to do either. You just need a few phrases to get you there.

Here’s a few that I use…

• Here’s why…
• Let me explain…
• But here’s the good news…
• Fair enough?
• Don’t you agree?
• Here’s the thing…
• But I’m getting ahead of myself here…
• Is that fair?
• But guess what?
• But get this…
• Please understand…

The list goes on and on. Can you see how these work? Good! Because jerky or non-existent transitions kill the sale.

You get the reader in on one thing then bang you drag her off track onto another thing.

There was no transition, no greased slide… just a losing of your reader’s comprehension. And that’s when she puts your letter down.

So make sure you take the reader with you. Transitions do the job.Related Posts:

• How To Find The Right Tone & Voice For Your Market
• How to Turn Boring Facts Into Exciting Benefits
• The Illustrated Sales Letter
• Copywriting Salesmanship in Print
• Muhammad Ali’s Guide To Copywriting

FOREWORD: Something a little different today that you should enjoy. It’s a little story of mine based on a tale written by Margaret MacDonald, which she based on an old folktale.

You see, I’ve been polishing my story telling chops in preparation for our Cash Characters Academy Workshop in February.  I’ve been pouring through my files, organising my notes, getting templates together and writing a few more stories. The ability to write or tell a good, strategic story is an underrated skill in the minds of the masses. We know different. Copywriters, speakers, coaches, anyone who presents a case, know the value of stories… especially when it comes to teaching… we know the story remains with the audience long after the lesson has ended. Anyway, here’s a little one I wrote the other day… it contains an important lesson, one a few Gurus could take on board. Enjoy! And if you’ve got feedback on this, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer.

NOTE: On Thursday, as I promised last week, I’m going to give you 6 Tips For Writing YOU Focused Copy. And I’ll throw in a bonus tip to make it 7. Why? Well I’m a generous kinda guy and I like the number 7… so instead of 6, you now get 7… you can thank me later.

The Travelling Speaker

There once was a motivational speaker who used to tell mesmerising stories that captivated his audience. Whenever he was around other speakers, they would plead for him to tell a story.

“Tell us the one about when you were a boy, when you had that accident.”

“Tell us the one about the book that changed your life.”

“Tell us the one about…” and on it went. They just loved the way this guy told stories. No one could do it better. Sure they all knew his stories like the back of their hands, but no one else ever told them; because they loved the way HE told them.

Then the speaker began to travel, telling his stories on stages throughout the world. Thousands of people would show up to hear his stories, the audience spellbound, leaning forward in their seats with ears straining to catch his every word.

After a few years he decided to go home. On his return, the speakers of the town threw a big party for him.

That night at the party, the speaker began to tell a story.

“Oh, that’s Jim’s story,” the party goers said.

Puzzled, the speaker began telling another one of his stories.

“Oh, that’s Mary’s story,” said a woman in a red dress, the other party goers nodding their heads in agreement.

With a jolt of clarity, the speaker realised all of his stories were being told by other people.

He felt annoyed, angry, as if they had stolen his identity… so he left the party early and the next morning, visited his wise old speaking mentor.

“These are my stories, about me, about my life,” said the speaker to his mentor. “They’ve always been mine and now everybody is telling them. Surely they know the stories belong to me? What can I do? How can I stop them?”

The wise old mentor sat back in his chair, a smile forming on his lips as he puffed on his pipe. After a short pause, he looked at the speaker and said, “That’s an easy one to answer. Bring me your pillow.”

“My pillow?” asked the speaker, a little confused.

“Your pillow,” confirmed the mentor.

The speaker rushed home and returned with his pillow, giving it to his mentor who in turn held the pillow high, and slit it open with a hunting knife.

The feathers went everywhere. The strong wind carried the feathers down the street, into the neighbours’ yards, in the air they drifted amongst the town.

“What have you done?” asked the speaker.

“Your stories are like these feathers,” replied the mentor. “Once the story leaves your mouth, it is carried away in the hearts of your listeners… it no longer belongs to you.”

“Is there nothing I can do?” asked the speaker.

“Oh sure,” said the mentor, watching the feathers drift down the road. “You can let them go.”Related Posts:

• Association… Tarred With The Same Brush
• The Price Of Petrol
• The Unreasonable Man
• Copywriting Salesmanship in Print
• How To Find The Right Tone & Voice For Your Market

In my workshops and seminars I talk a lot about the greased slide. One piece of advice I give is…

Don’t Gamble On a Single Word!

Good advice. And I go to great lengths to explain this concept. In this post, I want to really ram home the importance of “The Greased Slide.” PLUS, next week, I’m going to give you 6 ways to write copy that focuses directly on the prospect, not the product. 6 ways to capture the right winning tone and voice that resonates and captures the attention of your readers.

But first, “The Greased Slide.” What do I mean? Simply this. Your sales message has to be like a greased slide. The prospect gets on up top and slides breathlessly to the close… to the sale.

There must be NO interruption. No pause in the urgency of your message. Because get this…

Your prospects don’t want to read your letter!

And I know… you’ve sweated over that letter, agonised over the headline and offer. Spent days trying to come up with the right message, the right theme that’ll cause a buying frenzy. Sure I know that! Trouble is, it doesn’t matter how much you worked on that letter, how much you love it, your prospects don’t give a damn. And they definitely don’t want to waste their precious time reading your letter.

They want the benefits your letter promises. Big difference right?

At my recent workshops in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, I spent time emphasising the importance of not boring your reader for even one second. I explained the concept of “The Greased Slide” and I revealed 8 ways to keep your prospects reading.

But there is one critical thing I want to share with you now that you MUST accomplish in your copy to have any hope of keeping your prospects’ interest.

You have to find the winning voice that instantly bonds with your particular market. I’m up to my ears in a large job at the moment and finding this winning voice has been a bit of a struggle (it’s a new market for me). I’ve spent many hours honing this voice, ironing out the bugs, until now I’m certain it rings true. That it rings of authenticity. One false word or phrase could blow all of my good work.

Here’s the secret: You have to show empathy, that you know what your prospect’s day is actually like. That you genuinely and sincerely care what happens to him. And one way to do this is by writing “YOU” copy.

Meaning…

• Your copy is focused solely on prospect, not product.
• Your copy rings true with your market. (Not one word is out of place.)
• Your copy radiates warmth and sincerity.

And in my next post, I’ll give you 6 ways, count ‘em, 6 ways to achieve this!

POST SCRIPT: By the way, at the upcoming Inner Sanctum Conference, I’m revealing a secret on copywriting I’ve kept close to my chest all these years. A secret that almost guarantees connection with your audience. And this time, we’ve opened the doors to non-members. http://www.crocodilemarketing.com/eventRelated Posts:

• 7 Tips For Writing YOU Focused Copy
• How to Turn Boring Facts Into Exciting Benefits
• The Illustrated Sales Letter
• You Need Your Own Dynamic Story
• Copywriting Salesmanship in Print

People love stories. We eat them up, especially when they involve others who are experiencing the same problems that we are. We can see ourselves in the stories. That’s why they are so effective.

NOTE: Please read the underlined section again, because this is how you form an instant bond with your market. It’s no accident best-selling magazines and Current Affair shows are chock full of Human Interest Stories. Because they work… work to build rapport, work to grab attention and hold interest.

It’s the same with sales letters. The best letters I have ever written all contain stories. It’s that human interest side of things that get people in.

There are two critical elements of all great stories…

1. Tension
2. Discovery

Okay, how can you apply these two elements to your letters?

Easy.

You bring tension into your sales piece by highlighting your prospect’s problems. You then agitate these problems to a fever pitch. Work them up a bit and get them very aware of their problems. This creates a palpable tension.

Then comes the discovery.

This is where you reveal the solution to their problems. And the solution is your product.

So when you are writing your sales letter try to wrap your message around a story. Remember, it’s the human interest pieces that get us interested. Not the product. But how the product is used by a person and the results that person gets by using the product.

It’s never about the product … it’s always about the benefits of the product, what the product can do for them.

And you highlight what it can do for them by telling a story of how the product has helped others. You see what you are doing? You are putting people into the equation … real people who have used the product and the changes that occurred in their lives when they did.

This makes your sales pitch so much more interesting … more personable and believable.

So, what does this mean to you?

Well what’s your story? When I ask clients this question, many don’t have an answer. They don’t think there’s much to say about their history; no surprising twists or turns … how wrong they are.

• Every person has a story to tell.
• Every product has a story hidden just waiting to be exposed.

The secret is to find it. So go deep. Don’t hang around on the surface floundering. Go deep and discover the inherit story. If you can, entwine your story into your product’s story so they blend together as one. This is seamless selling … the best kind there is.

It involves tickling your prospect’s senses through an entertaining story that reveals the answers to their problems. They are being entertained, not blatantly sold.

But in reality, they are being sold … they are subconsciously selling themselves while reading your story.

Note: Blatant Sales Pitch! In February 2010, at the plush Hilton Hotel in Brisbane, I’m conducting a workshop so unique and controversial; it will only appeal to a few… yet so illuminating, it will shine a new light on those attending, giving them the REAL key to fame and fortune.

The workshop is called: Cash Character Academy.

You’ll discover:

How to Create Winning Personal Stories
That Attract & Persuade, Retain & Ascend!

You’ll…

Instantly Become The Super Hero of Your Niche!

You’ll walk out of the workshop with your own bank of personal stories, stories so powerful they should come with a disclaimer.

Anyway, I’ll be launching this amazing event shortly. And, I’ll be giving a $500 Early Bird Discount for those that take action. Stay tuned and don’t change the channel.

POST SCRIPT: It’s no accident some of the sharpest minds in Aussie marketing and copywriting are jumping on this workshop. They can instantly SEE the value. You’ll get to mingle with the best of the best… now that’s gotta be a good thing right?!Related Posts:

• They Gotta Feel You’re Real…
• Sales Letter Writing Workshops
• How To Find The Right Tone & Voice For Your Market
• 7 Tips For Writing YOU Focused Copy
• It’s Not My Fault

NOTE: I’ve been noticing a bit of cheap behaviour lately so I thought this article from my newsletter would give you my take on this insidious trait some folks display.

“Yeah I tipped the cabbie… it came to 39 bucks and I gave him a fifty… that’s what you would have done right?” said one of my students to me the other night.

We were at his place on the Gold Coast having a few drinks after a long seminar weekend. I had just made around $45,000 in product sales, so I was feeling pretty good.

“Yep, sure would have,” I replied.

Anyway, this little exchange brings home an important point. This student, this guy, has been in Pete’s World for over a year now and he’s kicking some real goals of late. But more importantly, he’s been out with me a few times, getting to know me; and he’s picked up on the fact that I’m a tipper.

Now for my American readers, you’ve gotta understand in Australia, tipping isn’t a way of life like in the States. It’s more of a personal choice. And I always choose to tip. (Unless the service is lousy, then they’re getting nothing.)

• I tip the pizza guy
• The concierge at hotels (Wanna get looked after? Slip the concierge a twenty and it soon gets around the hotel.)
• I tip at restaurants
• Tip cabbies
• Even my Dry Cleaning lady.

I’m ALWAYS TIPPING!

I tip for many reasons.

First, it makes me feel good. I don’t do it in a show-off manner. I do it quietly, respectfully; acknowledging a job well done. Just a few bucks can have a BIG impact on someone’s day I tell you.

Case in point: Yesterday I had the garden guys over cleaning up the palms down the back. It was a typical hot and humid tropical day. These guys done a fantastic job. Around three hours sweating in the sun and my backyard looks like a million bucks. I was impressed. (I also know what it’s like to work in such heat; sweating, cursing, breaking your back in the midday sun.) So I wrote the boss a cheque, then slipped him $50 to get the boys some beers.

You should have seen his face!

It lit up like a kid’s at a candy store. It really made his day (and his helpers).

Now sure, I tipped because they did a good job. But I tipped because I felt good about doing it. I got a buzz out of seeing his face. PLUS it reinforces to me that money is NOT in short supply; that I can get more, and that I can give more to people any time I damn well please.

Personally, I hate it when you’re out at dinner with a heap of people and they have to itemise everything they had to eat and drink right down to the last dollar. I mean, I didn’t have the seafood, I only had the steak so that’s only $29 not $35.

It gets to me.

Craps me off.

More than that, it’s friggin embarrassing to watch. And you know what? I refuse to dine with them again. Because they are pinching pennies and stepping over dollars with a closed fist mentality. I refuse to let their penny-pinching scarcity poison me so I make it a point of NOT going out with them again. Scarcity can rub off on you and frankly, I’m not risking it; don’t wanna get infected.

So yeah I tip. I tip for many reasons. I tip for them. I tip for me. Either way, it makes me feel good… and that can’t be a bad thing can it?

POST SCRIPT: What’s your take on this? Love to hear your comments…Related Posts:

• The Price Of Petrol
• Start-Up Business Secrets
• Procrastination Is Not ALL Bad
• Association… Tarred With The Same Brush
• The Travelling Speaker

One thing I stressed at my recent Sales Letter Writing Workshops was “Who” you target is more powerful than “what” you are selling. (By the way, DVDs and workbook of the workshop will be available shortly right here.)

This post is all about selling information products and it all starts with the “who”.

First you identify a growing market with money to spend, and who want what you are selling … in fact, this market has proven this “want” by purchasing previous information products in your subject area.

So you start with identifying a market.

Ask yourself: “Who do I want as customers?”

Okay, to be able to sell to these people we’ve got to know them. Their wants, fears, anxieties, desires, what they love and what they hate and so on. The more you know about them, the more you can empathise with them, the better job you’re gonna do at selling them.

Don’t be lazy here.

Look, you wanna become a top class marketer? Do you really want to make a lot of money selling information? Then…

DON’T IGNORE THIS ADVICE!

So how to you do it? How do you get to know your market? Easy. You immerse yourself into their daily lives.

You read the magazines they read, you get your hands on surveys (located on the net and elsewhere), you study other marketers and find out how they are selling to this market, you talk to people in this market.

If they’ve got trade shows that cater to this market make sure you go. You go online and visit targeted discussion boards. Whew, some of these discussions boards are a hot bed of emotion. Emotions are running wild. And as a marketer, you’ve got to be there observing, taking notes, studying the reactions and planning your strategy.

The best marketers go deep. They know their markets like the back of the hands.

They understand their job is to…

Fulfil Human Desires!

You’ve got to tap into their emotions and stir them all up. And to sell emotionally, you better make sure you know your target market well. If you are going to fulfil their desires, you better make sure what “desires” to fulfil. Makes sense right?

For me, I cut my teeth selling products to the Business Opportunity and Success market, and my research still goes on. Even though to begin with I knew this market well. That’s because I was that market! I used to buy any self-help book I could lay my hands on. (Still do.) Any business opportunity package that I could find. (I don’t any more.) So I know this market intimately!

And this is what you’ve got to do as well … get to know your market intimately!

And many of my clients are the same.

They’ve picked markets that they themselves have an intense interest in. Which is great. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sell to a market that you’re not wildly excited about. It just means you’ve gotta go deeper to find your answers, and you may have to manufacture enthusiasm in your marketing message that ain’t real … unlike myself where the enthusiasm is genuine.

When I’m writing a pitch to my market I’m intensely excited. I get myself worked up. My emotions are running on high. I’m picturing my reader in my mind. I’m getting excited and I can feel her excitement too. It’s like I’m in a trance … a selling trance. Hell, sometimes I even wanna buy the product myself until I snap out of it and realise the product’s mine already!

So study your market … getting a product to sell them is the easy part. Finding a market is what it’s all about. It’s never been about the product … always the market. As an old-time advertising legend said more than one hundred years ago…

“Any fool can make soap. It takes a genius to sell it.”

That sums it up beautifully!

So choosing your market is the first critical stage in your info-publishing career. And it’s where many people freeze. Who the hell am I going to sell to?

There are so many choices and this abundance of choice stops most budding info-publishers in their tracks. There are just too many alternatives.

So what do you do?

You keep your ears open. You take notice of all the ads in the paper. You start reading the papers to find out what’s hot. You buy magazines … heck, you become a regular at the newsagent. Peering through the racks of magazines like an archaeologist searching for buried treasure. You spend time at your library sifting through the trash to find the treasure.

You go online and search google and other search engines.

All these things and more will eventually give you the idea for a market. Once you get an idea, albeit a fuzzy one, you then do your research on that market and find out everything you can about them. Okay?

And hey, if you want more posts on Info-Marketing and how to do it right, leave your comments… I’m listening.Related Posts:

• The Best Business in the World
• Association… Tarred With The Same Brush