Highlights

  • the level of advertising, Pareto’s Law also holds true. About 80% of the emotional impact of any piece of advertising copy will be determined by the first 20% of the copy. (Location 110)
  • With direct response advertising, you need to provoke action. And to do that, you must accomplish two important objectives: 1. You must move the prospect emotionally. 2. You must persuade him intellectually. (Location 147)
  • This seems to be the way the brain works: when it comes to making most decisions, we begin by generating an emotional preference and only then subject that preference to logical debate. (Location 163)
  • Another way of saying that is that first we find ourselves wanting to buy a product and then begin the rationalization process of deciding if we should. (Location 165)
  • The strategy you’re about to learn will easily put an extra million dollars in your pocket over the lifespan of your career. More likely, if you are an active, full-time copywriter, the value will be many times that. (Location 203)

1  The Rule of One — One Big Idea

  • Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins — A philosophy that advertising’s purpose is to sell, not entertain or win creative awards — and how to apply this philosophy to create winning ads. (Location 243)
  • The concept was that every great promotion has, at its core, a single, powerful idea. (Location 254)
  • Here are Ogilvy’s exact words on the crucial importance of the Big Idea: “Big Ideas. Unless your advertising is built on a Big Idea, it will pass like a ship in the night. It takes a Big Idea to jolt the consumer out of his indifference — to make him notice your advertising, remember it, and take action. (Location 254)
  • Here is an example of the Rule of One as applied to a short advertorial, taken from an ETR message: Subject Line: The Easiest Product to Sell Online Dear Early to Riser, Would you be interested in investing $175 to make $20,727? That’s exactly what Bob Bly just accomplished! See how he did it below … and how easily you could do the same. MaryEllen Tribby ETR Publisher Dear Friend, There’s no product easier to create or sell online … … than a simple, straightforward instructional or how-to e-book. Why are e-books the perfect information product to sell on the Internet? • 100% profit margin. • No printing costs. • No inventory to store. • Quick and easy to update. • No shipping costs or delays. • Higher perceived value than regular books. • Quick, simple, and inexpensive to produce. My very first e-book has generated $20,727 in sales (so far). My total investment in producing it: just $175. Now, I want to show you how to make huge profits creating and selling simple e-books — in my new e-book “Writing E-Books for Fun & Profit.” Normally my e-books sell for anywhere from $29 to $79, and later (Location 313)
  • this year, “Writing E-Books for Fun & Profit” will sell for $59. However, to make it affordable for you to get started in e-book publishing, I’m letting you have “Writing E-Books for Fun & Profit” for only $19 today — a savings of $40 off the cover price! For more information … or to order on a risk-free 90-day trial basis … just click here now. Sincerely, Bob Bly P.S. But, I urge you to hurry. This special $40 discount is for a limited time only. And once it expires, it may never be repeated again. (Location 335)
  • The Rule of One is not only one big, central idea. It’s a fully engaging piece of copy with five necessary elements. Using Bob’s example: • One good idea: “There’s no product easier to create or sell online than a simple, straightforward instructional or how-to e-book.” • One core emotion: “It is simple! I bet I can do it!” • One captivating story: Told brilliantly in 17 words: “Would you be interested in investing $175 to make $20,727? That’s exactly what Bob Bly just accomplished!” • One single, desirable benefit: “Now, I want to show you how to make huge profits creating and selling simple e-books … ” • One inevitable response: The only way to get this book for $19 is to “click here now.” (Location 349)
  • The challenge is to find one good idea that the reader can grasp immediately, Porter said. And then, stick to it. (Location 385)
  • So, the idea has to be strong. Yet, it also has to be easy to understand. And easy to believe. That last part — being easy to believe — is key. (Location 394)
  • reiterate the most important points: • Lead your advertisement with one, and only one, powerful idea • Make sure that the idea creates an emotion, a single emotion, which will compel the reader to respond • Support that idea with one engaging story or compelling fact • Direct the reader to one, and only one, action What is a great advertising idea? That could be the subject of another book. But, in short, a great idea is: • Big (enough to stir interest) • Easy to understand • Immediately convincing • Clearly useful (to the reader) (Location 405)

2  The Simple Question That Can Double Your Success

  • But, the real question too many marketers never stop to ask is this one: “What does your customer already know?” (Location 432)
  • What does he know, for instance, about who you are? What does he know about your product and the research behind it? What does he know about himself, his own problems, and the other possible solutions available? (Location 433)
    • Let’s just start by taking a look at how Gene himself put it: “If [your prospect] is aware of your product and realizes it can satisfy his desire, your headline starts with your product. If he is not aware of your product, but only of the desire itself, your headline starts with the desire. If he is not yet aware of what he really seeks, but is concerned only with the general problem, your headline starts with that problem and crystallizes it into a specific need.” (Location 445)
    1. The Most Aware Your prospect knows your product, and only needs to know “the deal.” (Location 474)
    1. Product-Aware Your prospect knows what you sell, but isn’t sure it’s right for him. (Location 513)
  • They want and need to know you sell not only what they need, but that they can trust your claims about what your product or service can do. (Location 522)
    1. Solution-Aware Your prospect knows the result he wants, but not that your product provides it. (Location 533)
    1. Problem-Aware Your prospect senses he has a problem, but doesn’t know there’s a solution. (Location 548)
  • The key with this customer is to show you “feel their pain.” Not just that you know they have a problem, but that you know the frustration, desperation, or even fear and anger it causes. We call this the “point of maximum anxiety.” Once you identify it, you’ll find an open avenue for making an emotional connection. (Location 554)
  • This kind of copy says loud and clear “I sympathize,” before it even tries to begin to name benefits or mention products. Many classic ads fall into this category. (Location 556)
    1. Completely Unaware No knowledge of anything except, perhaps, his own identity or opinion. (Location 562)

3  Direct or Indirect?

  • So, instead of focusing on the book or the secrets, he threw the spotlight on the reader. Not just his desire to get rich, which is common, but with the word “courage,” some deeper unspoken feelings the reader might harbor about making money. (Location 643)
  • By far the easiest way to figure out if you should come at a sales lead idea head on or sidle up to it indirectly, is to figure out where your prospect falls on this scale of awareness. The more aware he is, usually the more direct sales lead works best. The less aware, the more indirect you’re going to want to go. It’s not a perfect indicator, but it’s pretty close. (Location 680)
  • For instance, you’ll hear that directly stating the benefit or getting right to your offer in the lead works best when … • You’re selling a product that’s easy to understand. • You can make a promise that’s very large and easily accepted. • You’ve got an exceptionally good deal or guarantee to offer. • Your customer knows and trusts you and deals with you often. • You’ve made a product improvement your market was already waiting for. Each is a case when awareness and acceptance levels are already high. So, buyers are more receptive to the sale right away. (Location 688)
  • The less your customer knows about you, what you’re selling, or his own needs, the less effective a direct lead is likely to be. (Location 710)
  • Direct leads deliver an idea to a customer that he’s ready to accept. Indirect leads, on the other hand, give the customer extra emotional momentum and reaffirming proof to help him finish forming the conclusions he’s only just started to make. Conclusions that will, hopefully, energize his imagination enough that he’ll soon be ready to buy. (Location 739)
  • Again, as powerful as they can be, you do have risks to consider when testing indirect leads. For instance … • You might accidentally use an indirect lead when you don’t need to. (Location 750)
  • You might pick a lead that’s too indirect to connect back to your product. • You risk being too subtle by taking your time to get to the product. • You risk boring your customer by taking too long to get to the product. • You risk getting distracted by writing something “interesting” but not relevant. (Location 752)
  • When trying to decide whether you should try the “direct” or “indirect” approach, you should start by figuring out where your target reader falls on the Awareness Scale. More aware and already engaged customers tend to respond better to direct leads. Less aware or skeptical customers tend to respond better to indirect leads. (Location 758)

Six Types of Direct and Indirect Leads

  • The Offer Lead: This is a direct appeal that goes straight to deal. (Location 768)
  • The Promise Lead: This might be the most common type of lead that you’ll see. It’s only slightly less direct than the Offer Lead, in that the product usually isn’t mentioned as early. But, it still opens with your product’s best and biggest claim. (Location 771)
  • The Problem-Solution Lead: This is the classic “hot button” approach, where you delay any talk of the product at first and instead lead off by identifying your prospect’s biggest, most emotionally-charged, and relevant issue. (Location 775)
  • The Big Secret Lead: The “tease” of hard-to-come-by knowledge, formula, or ‘system’ leads the promo. (Location 777)
  • The Proclamation Lead: Decidedly indirect, a Proclamation Lead seeks to jar the “unaware” reader out of his seat. Maybe with a factoid that’s just incredible, maybe with a shocking future forecast or prediction, (Location 780)
  • The Story Lead: This may be not only the most indirect way to open a sales letter, but also one of the most consistently powerful. (Location 784)
  • Everyone loves a story. What’s more, stories can engage readers who don’t know you or the product well or who might flinch at a more direct, unbelievable claim. (Location 785)
  • True to what you read in Chapter 1 about the Rule of One, all of these lead types still work best when focused on one unifying Big Idea. (Location 787)

4  The Easiest Type of Sales Lead You’ll Ever Write — Or Your Money Back

  • Guaranteed To Improve Your Child’s School Marks — or you pay nothing! (Location 828)
  • “Don’t Pay One Penny Till This Course Turns You Into A Human Computer!” (Location 842)
  • “Don’t Pay One Penny Till This Course Turns Your Mind Into A Mental Magnet” (Location 844)
  • In each case, the offer detail isn’t price but guarantee. (Location 846)
  • “Free for a month … a full head of hair in only 32 seconds a day” “Pick the brains of a millionaire for $10” “Free to brides — two dollars to others” “I guarantee (with my own money) that you will shoot your lowest score ever on your next round of golf” (Location 851)
  • But in each example, simply by hinting at the guarantee, these copywriters elevated the impact beyond a simple price-driven “good deal.” They’ve opened the door to make a claim, and in most of these cases, an irresistible one. (Location 856)
  • most successful Offer Leads still share a similar formula. It goes something like this … 1. Immediately focus on the most emotionally-compelling detail of your offer 2. Underscore the most valuable benefit of that deal 3. Elaborate on that same deal-benefit in the lead that follows 4. At some point, include a compelling “reason why” you’re offering that deal (Location 861)
  • in each case, you must offer your prospect something to answer the question that’s inevitable, in response to an offer that sounds too good to be true: “Okay, (Location 872)
  • A good “reason why” can help diffuse that last bit of resistance. (Location 874)
  • Many luxury brands charge more simply because some prospects being able to afford the higher price is part of the appeal. (Location 888)

When Should You Use an Offer Lead?

  • Since the Offer Lead is the most direct lead type you’ll come across, you will mostly want to use it for products that are easy to explain and for prospects who already know something about you, (Location 916)

What to Test in Offer Leads

  • Dear Sir, This letter is going to be short and to the point. We don’t want to make a big thing of it. Not yet anyway. We’d like to invite you to take advantage of what we call our “no-strings” membership. This offer extends our typically generous introduction to you: choose any 4 books for $1 each. But it omits the usual obligation to buy four more books. You don’t even have to buy one more book. In other words, you can join Book-of-the-Month Club, take your welcoming package of 4 books (saving up to $100 or more), and never buy another thing from us. It’s an experiment for us. Will this attract the kind of reader (Location 964)
  • who will appreciate our other Club benefits as well as the introductory offer? It’s an experiment for you. A way to try us without tying yourself down to a commitment. So enjoy all the Club benefits you wish. Just as if you were a committed member. We’ve put it all in writing. Take any books for $1 each, plus shipping and handling, with no obligation to buy anything else. The rest is up to you. I can’t imagine a bigger bargain for the reader. Can you? Sincerely, (Location 973)
  • Know your goal. Offer Leads that give away irresistible “FREE” gifts will get subscribers who sign up just for the gift. That might be fine for a low-priced product, where they still might stick around for more. But, it might not be so fine for a high-priced product, where the incentive to cancel and keep the premium is greater. If you need cash now, an easy-payment offer might not be something you’ll want to test. But, if you want lots of new orders, this might be just the ticket. What you want out of your target audience can change what deal detail you feature up front in your Offer Lead. (Location 995)
  • try doing the math for your reader. If your Offer Lead compares your product cost to someone else’s, show the savings in terms of a dollar amount. Often, that math is aimed at showing you’re about to give more to the reader than you’ll expect to get in exchange. (Location 1008)

5  Double Your Sales With This Next Kind of Lead

  • “When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire.” — David Ogilvy (Location 1280)
  • What keeps your customer up at night? (Location 1283)
  • Because once you identify that one big worry, you could have the makings of a blockbuster pitch in the form of this next lead type, the Problem-Solution Lead. (Location 1285)
  • So, what’s the full formula for an effective Problem-Solution Lead? (Location 1321)
  • It goes something like this … 1) Target those worries that keep customers up at night. 2) Make sure they’re worries that carry deep emotional weight. 3) You have to stir those emotions first, to prove you feel your prospect’s pain. 4) You don’t want to linger on the problem too long before offering hope. 5) You must offer hope of a relevant solution at some point in the pitch. (Location 1322)

When It’s Right To “Go Negative”

  • See, it’s easy to imagine the practical, superficial problems most people share: pounds they want to lose, stained teeth and wrinkles, a nasty smoking habit worth quitting, pain that lingers, low savings, low income, or bad job prospects, sleepless nights, a nasty cold, undisciplined children — all of them and more, obvious obstacles to the good life. (Location 1349)
  • But, behind these run even deeper feelings, including some even your prospect would find challenging to name. We refer to these as the “core emotions.” And, in Problem-Solution Leads, you’ll consistently get more bang for your buck if you can tap these subconscious feelings first. (Location 1351)
  • This is the promise that] erases your prospect’s fears and frustrations. It eases his feelings of guilt, shame, self-doubt, and feelings of inadequacy. It soothes nerves and ends shyness and embarrassment. It prevents future humiliation. It delivers blessed relief from loneliness, sadness, or depression. It protects them from future feelings of regret.” (Location 1355)
  • But notice, in Problem-Solution pitches that target both big and small, you’ll get your biggest impact when you can first sum up the core worry in as instant a phrase as possible. (Location 1391)
  • So, how long do you linger on the problem in your copy, assuming you’ve identified the biggest worry? For exactly as long as it takes to win that commitment to read (Location 1395)
  • The classic “If-then” approach to writing a Problem-Solution Lead might be the most common you’ll come across, both now and in the advertising archives. (Location 1401)
  • Just reading it almost wears you down. It also makes the promise you’ll “feel stronger fast” that much more life-changing. It’s such a direct and simple proposition, you can see some Offer Lead creeping in: “within 7 days — or money back!” (Location 1405)
  • here’s another classic Problem-Solution pitch from around the same era. It uses nearly the same formula, only instead of “If this, then that” it’s “For Relief from this, try that” … (Location 1408)
  • Gene Schwartz was a big fan of what he called “Negative Promise” leads. We might call them “Inversion” or “Solution-Problem” leads, because what they do is flip the formula around and promise a way to get yourself out of a situation before highlighting the problem itself. (Location 1414)
  • “Get all the benefits of Summer sunshine but avoid the discomforts.” “You will find that your skin will not blister and burn half as readily if you protect it before exposing it. Apply Pond’s Extract Vanishing Cream and … it will [also] soften dried, scorched skin and keep it from peeling, leaving you a rich, beautiful tan … ” (Location 1419)
  • “How to Do Wonders With a Little Land!” (Location 1424)
  • some of the most successful Problem-Solution Leads are written to make the reader feel identified by their troubles or even directly responsible for them. (Location 1430)
  • For instance … “Advice to Wives Whose Husbands Don’t Save Money — By a Wife” “To People Who Want to Write — But Can’t Get Started” “For the Woman Who is Older Than She Looks” (Location 1431)
  • You’ll find many successful Problem-Solution ads phrased as challenging questions. Here are a couple of examples you might recognize … “Are You Ever Tongue-Tied at a Party?” “Do You Do Any of These Ten Embarrassing Things?” (Location 1439)
  • “Do You Make These Mistakes in English?” (Location 1444)
  • But, we agree with ad archivist Lawrence Bernstein of infomarketingblog.com, who points out that one of the keys that makes this ad work is the word “these” in this headline. Plus, the fact that it targets the deeper emotions in a way the other leads don’t: the shame and embarrassment connected to the mundane subject of grammar. (Location 1447)
  • Questions also work in Problem-Solution Leads because they jump-start the mental conversation with your prospect. Once well-targeted customers answer “Yes” to what you’re asking, it’s that much tougher for them to quit reading. (Location 1450)
  • If you have a problem that’s a little more complex to address, another technique that can work is to invent a name for the problem that characterizes it quickly. We’re sure you’ve seen at least some of these famous examples: “Have You a ‘Worry’ Stock?” “Is Your Home Picture-Poor?” “How Much Is ‘Worker Tension’ Costing Your Company?” (Location 1455)
  • The key is that the term, even though it’s new, instantly makes sense of the negative situation (a lot like the phrase “tired blood” in the earlier Geritol ad). (Location 1462)
  • Of course, creating a new term means that somewhere the lead will have to explain what it means. In this way, these kinds of ads are also usually “instructional.” They teach the customer something about the negative situation, even as they promise to free him from it. Here’s another example but without the invented term: “Five Familiar Skin Troubles — Which Do You Want to Overcome?” (Location 1463)
  • In 10 words, the headline promises to teach the prospect something about “five familiar skin troubles,” nearly assumes he’ll have at least one of them — (Location 1467)

7  The Magic of the Velvet Pouch

  • In this chapter, you will discover a technique that has recently become the dominant lead type in the information publishing industry. (Location 1488)
  • “Just keep your eye on the customer,” he told me. “In the beginning they’ll be looking at you. But as you go on, you’ll notice that they will shift their focus to the pots and pans. That let’s you know they are getting interested. Keep hitting them with the benefits while they stare at what you’re doing. And never, ever take the pots out until you know they have the prospects’ full attention.” (Location 1507)
  • I didn’t fully understand what was happening at the time, but now I realize what Harry was doing. He was creating emotional tension by talking about the benefits of the product without showing it. The prospect’s instinctive desire to discover what was in the velvet pouch played in Harry’s favor. The longer he could get the prospect mesmerized by the hidden product, the greater the chance he would close. (Location 1513)
  • Nowadays, this lead type is the preferred one for selling not just information products but natural supplements, body building systems, marketing programs, stock market systems, and diets — just to name a few. (Location 1525)
  • Would you like to know what this technique is? It is the “secret” — starting your sales presentation off by teasing the prospect with a secret. (Location 1528)
  • By withholding the “reveal” until he had finished his pitch, he achieved the goal of all leads — he had emotionally persuaded them that they wanted it before they even saw what it looked like. (Location 1532)
  • If you want to get an edge, you need to know something that everybody doesn’t know and those things tend to be secrets. You look at people who are very rich, for example, and you say, “What’s his secret?” (Location 1537)
  • We feel there must be secrets to these things because they’re not obvious. So, part of us wants to know. We don’t believe these things are random. We don’t believe the world works in a random way; it’s just by accident that people get that way. We believe there must be a secret. So, if you reveal the secret, you already have a lot of people who want to listen to you. (Location 1540)
  • Closed to New Investors for the Last 6 Years — Now Open Again … The “Chaffee Royalty Program” That Turned Every $1 Into $50 (Location 1544)
  • Now, let me ask you: What is a Chaffee Royalty Program? Do you know? No? Well, don’t feel bad. You aren’t supposed to know. The copywriter made it up! He invented the phrase because he didn’t want the prospect to know exactly what he was talking about. He wanted to get the reader excited before he told him what it was. (Location 1547)
  • We used to call this process neologizing — giving some key concept a new name in order to spark interest. (Location 1550)
  • The copywriter who wrote this was trying to get his prospect to ask, “What is this Chaffee Royalty Program?” (Location 1553)
  • Next to the Story Lead, the Secret Lead is the most universal and useful. It can be used to sell just about any sort of proprietary product or service. (Location 1644)
  • The purpose of a Secret Lead is the same as any lead: to get the reader to keep reading until the prime benefits and Unique Selling Proposition of the product are fully presented. (Location 1646)
  • To understand how powerful this is, let’s look at the Secret headline again: Closed to New Investors for the Last 6 Years — Now Open Again … The “Chaffee Royalty Program” That Turned Every $1 Into $50 Now, compare that to the following: Closed to New Investors for the Last 6 Years — Now Open Again … A Dividend Strategy That Turned Every $1 Into $50 This, as you can see, is considerably less intriguing. (Location 1649)
  • At both Agora and AWAI, we call this type of secret transubstantiation. This means we turn something ordinary (like water or mining stock returns) into something special (like wine or advertising royalty checks). (Location 1680)
  • Read the lead again. See how the copywriter engages the prospect by providing teasing details that seem like they are revealing the secret, but never quite do. The prospect’s initial interest is merely to find out what the Chaffee Royalty Program is. But sentence by sentence, the copywriter makes the secret more appealing. Before the copywriter reveals that the program is a dividend investment strategy, the prospect has decided he wants to get in on this investing opportunity. By now, he is willing to read the entire sales letter to find out more. (Location 1682)
  • Texas Company Tapping $2.8 Trillion Oil Reserve … Under the Eiffel Tower Some company in Texas has struck oil. In Paris! And under the Eiffel Tower! “That’s pretty amazing,” the reader thinks. “I didn’t know there was any oil beneath the Eiffel Tower!” So, he reads on: Tiny company from Dallas preparing to extract 40 billion barrels of crude oil from beneath Paris, France … Discovery big enough to fuel U.S. demand for 5.2 years, according to Energy Information Administration … Estimates show 4,620% gains for (Location 1690)
  • The Only Investment Legally Obligated to Pay You 181% Gains By June 15, 2009 It’s not a stock, option, or gov’t bond … But this unusual investment has crushed the S&P 500 by 543% since 2001, according to a recent Dow Jones report. (Location 1747)
  • Dear S&A Subscriber, What if I told you there’s an investment that could pay you 181% gains over the next 12 months … And that this money is SECURED by a legal contract … Would you be interested? Well, how about if I told that your 181% gain is required BY LAW to be delivered on this EXACT date: June 15, 2009. The copywriter has done nothing but repeat the claims made in the headline, a very common and successful pattern with Secret Leads. Restate what is said in the headline and you make it seem more credible. And, that in addition to a 181% gain, you’d also be legally entitled to collect 3 interest payments over that same period, bringing your total return to 227% … … Turning every $10,000 invested into $32,700, with almost 100% certainty. Still interested? Well, before I go any further, I should warn you: After reading this, you may never want to buy stocks, EVER again. That’s because this unique opportunity has nothing to do with the stock market … (Location 1752)
  • government bonds … mutual funds … or options. Instead, it’s something we call a “Secured Investment Contract.” So, you see what is happening here: The copywriter neologizes. He’s come up with a clever phrase to introduce the Unique Selling Proposition. If he gave it its conventional name, it would seem mundane. What are “Secured Investment Contracts” exactly? In short, these Contracts offer you a way to collect gains that are potentially as big as the fastest moving stocks. The big difference is, your gains are secured by a legal agreement. (Location 1766)
  • Even better … you’ll know, months ahead of time, exactly when and how much you should be paid. Let me show you how it works … (Location 1774)
  • It seems like the copywriter has just explained the term, but in fact he’s revealed nothing more than he had already. Yet, because the copywriter posed the question the reader has been asking (What is a Secured Investment Contract?) and provides a summary in different words, the reader feels that progress is being made. (Location 1776)
  • Here is a core secret about writing Secret Leads: Specificity is absolutely required to overcome the skepticism that secrets automatically evoke. (Location 1785)

Not Just for Financial Promotions

  • As Bill Bonner said, “The Secret Lead really connects to a deep instinct in people to feel that there are secrets to things.” (Location 1787)
  • We see this same formula followed in the following promotion from Rodale Press for a book about “Square Foot Gardening.” Notice how this lead actually combines two different lead types very successfully: a Secret Lead and a Promise Lead. (Location 1852)
  • The promise here is direct and clearly stated: you will have “Your Most Bountiful Garden … Ever!” But, this bounty is going to come from just a few square feet. And, that’s where the secret comes in. The fascination with how that will happen is what really brings the prospect into the letter. On this envelope, there is nothing to give a hint at what this technique is except that “You’ll love the ease and results of this proven gardening technique.” As you begin reading the body copy, the promise remains strong and the secret remains hidden. But, as with the previous examples, the copywriter feigns revealing the secret. Dear Fellow Gardener, Grow the same bounty of tomatoes, peppers, and beans in one tiny 4 x 4 foot space as you’d get in a 20-foot row? Yes! (Location 1855)
  • Make one packet of lettuce seeds last 5 to 6 years instead of planting all 1,950 of them in one season? Yes! Grow bigger, longer-lasting tomatoes and lettuce in winter? Yes! Garden with less work, less weeding. Less watering? Yes! (Location 1862)
  • What’s the secret? It’s a technique called “Square Foot Gardening,” I couldn’t wait to try it — and now I can’t wait to share it with you! Put down the hoe. Hang up your hose! Join hundreds of gardeners who’ve learned the secrets of SQUARE FOOT GARDENING … yours FREE for 21 days. (Location 1866)
  • The copywriter answers the question in the first subhead “What’s the secret?” with his next subhead. Only he doesn’t really answer it at all. An easier, more foolproof way to garden — anywhere The revealed secret — an easier, more foolproof way — is a dodge, a way of presenting the big promise clothed as the “secret.” (Location 1871)
  • By telling the prospect what the secret is not, you have him feeling he is closer to finding out what it is. (Location 1881)

What Patterns Can You Observe in Secrets Lead?

  • What we have found is that the most successful have certain commonalities: 1. The secret is intriguing and beneficial 2. It is introduced in the headline 3. It is not disclosed during the lead 4. As the letter progresses, more clues are given (Location 1885)
  • It’s because this pattern is so common that we recommend the following “rules” for writing Secret Leads. (Location 1890)

1. The Secret is Intriguing and Beneficial.

  • Closed to New Investors for the Last 6 Years — Now Open Again … The “Chaffee Royalty Program” That Turned Every $1 Into $50 (Location 1893)
  • Any good secret will attract the reader’s attention and distract him from the fact that he is reading an ad. But, if you don’t connect the secret to a major benefit of the product right away, then you will make it that much harder to complete in the second part of the package (after the lead). (Location 1899)
  • When you tie the benefit to the secret, you tip your copy-writing hand, so to speak. You indicate to the reader that you are selling him. It is not overt but it is certainly more direct than the Story Lead. (Location 1901)
  • The Only Investment Legally Obligated to Pay You 181% Gains By June 15, 2009 It’s not a stock, option, or gov’t bond … But this unusual investment has crushed the S&P 500 by 543% since 2001, according to a recent Dow Jones report. Again, you can see that it is both intriguing and beneficial. The intrigue is achieved by two things: the “legally obligated” concept and the fact that it’s not a stock, option, or government bond … (Location 1905)
  • The benefit is provided in the promise of 181% and the fact that it “crushed the S&P 500 by 543% since 2001.” (Location 1910)
  • And finally, the Square Foot Garden copy … The big promise, splashed across the envelope is a grabber for any serious (and not-so-serious) gardener: Your Most Bountiful Garden … Ever That’s the benefit, and the intrigue comes from being able to do it in “a few square feet of any soil … ” (Location 1913)

2. It is Introduced in the Headline.

  • If you take a look at almost any Story Lead, for example, you will see that a secret is usually introduced either within the lead or just afterwards. (Location 1927)

3. The Secret is Not Disclosed in the Lead.

  • Without a doubt, the most common mistake beginners make when constructing Secret Leads is to disclose the secret too soon. (Location 1930)
  • If this mistake weren’t so common, we wouldn’t even mention it here. But, for whatever reason, many copywriters feel compelled to reveal their secrets. Perhaps they feel it is too cruel to tease the reader for very long. Perhaps they are looking for the pleasure one gets from disclosing secrets. (Location 1938)
  • In fact, many Secret Lead advertisements never reveal the secret at all. Instead, they promise the revelation in a premium. As the copy progresses, the secret becomes more intriguing. The prospect reads on only to discover that he must buy the product to learn the secret and that the revelation will come alongside the product. (Location 1944)

4. As the Letter Progresses, More Clues Are Given.

  • In fact, the prospect has already been told this in substance in the headline. The extra details (the more precise dating) give the reader the feeling that he is learning more, but he is not. (Location 1955)
  • As the copy continues, he is given the names of some celebrities who have “used” the program. Michael Jackson and Paul Newman come into play. (Location 1957)
  • This again gives the reader the feeling that he is being given more clues, but in fact, he is no closer to guessing the secret then he was after reading the headline. Later he is given some relevant details. He learns, for example, that “Chaffee Royalty Programs” trade directly on the stock exchange and that he can get in anytime he likes. (Location 1958)

How Do You Create the Secret?

  • The first is to find a secret already in the product. The second way is to take one of its benefits and neologize or transubstantiate it into a secret — that is, to take something familiar and rename it and reposition it so it seems new and secret. (Location 1964)
  • In taking this first approach, make a list of all the qualities, characteristics, and components of the product and ask yourself which, if any of these, is not well-known. Then, decide if the benefit provided by an unusual or unfamiliar quality, characteristic, or component is enough to drive the lead. (Location 1969)
  • When the qualities and characteristics of the product are all well-known, then you can “reinvent” the product by giving it a new name (neologizing or transubstantiating). (Location 1972)
  • These are the basic rules for writing strong Secret Leads. Find something about the product that your customer doesn’t know (or describe something he does know in a new way). Then, tease the prospect with that unusual aspect starting from the headline. Continue to provide teasing “clues” along the way, but be sure that you do not disclose the secret until the prospect is emotionally ready to buy the product. (Location 1974)

8  You Won’t Read This Anywhere Else But Here: The Proclamation Lead

  • They are first and foremost assertions — (Location 1993)
  • sometimes they are statements of fact, other times they are statements of opinion, and still other times they are statements about what might be true now or in the future. (Location 1993)
  • But in all cases, they startle, intrigue, and tempt. This is where they get their great power. (Location 1995)
  • A well-constructed Proclamation Lead begins with an emotionally-compelling statement, usually in the form of the headline. And then, in the copy that follows, the reader is given information that demonstrates the validity of the implicit promise made. (Location 1997)
  • The Proclamation Lead, though very simple, is primarily indirect. It is indirect because it distracts the reader from the sale by forcing him to pay attention to the point suggested by the proclamation, without revealing exactly how it will lead to the essential claims of the actual sale. (Location 2003)
  • Good Proclamation Leads read like newspaper stories — tabloid newspapers sometimes, but newspaper stories nonetheless. (Location 2005)
  • Because it’s more indirect, the Proclamation Lead gets a lot of its strength from taking the reader by complete surprise. It must be relevant, but it has to be something almost pushing the envelope of the incredible. (Location 2012)
  • Like all good leads, the more specific you can be with your proclamation usually the better. There’s no better shortcut to real credibility than specific detail. And like-wise, as with all the leads in this book, the Proclamation Lead must lead ultimately to some kind of big claim or promise that’s relevant to the reader. (Location 2021)
  • Proclamation Leads are used most often for selling consumer-based products, usually to prospects that aren’t aware of the product. But, that’s not always the case. (Location 2075)
  • This promotion mailed over seven million times and brought in over 170,000 orders. And, the bookalog format became a much-copied industry standard. (Location 2134)

Rule # 1: Make the Proclamation Bold, Not Reasonable

  • To be effective, Proclamation Leads must be big and bold. They must not only grab attention, but also stir up thoughts and excite emotions. (Location 2143)
  • They are all big and bold and most of them are contrary to the point of being startling. (Location 2144)

Rule # 2: Make a Promise

  • To be effective, all leads must make or at least imply a promise. And, the Proclamation Lead is no exception, even though its’ approach is that much more indirect. In the Read This Or Die promo, the promise is that the reader could find a cure inside for a disease that conventional medicine has yet to overcome. The reader himself immediately inverts the message to be, “If I read this, I won’t die.” (Location 2147)
  • Remember, however, that you’ll eventually have to make the promise of the sales pitch much more concrete. This begins when the reader is emotionally committed to reading the copy and intensifies as you work your way through the proof. You’ll want to repeat the promise in different ways and make it more concrete as you move along, giving the reader a chance to imagine enjoying the benefit. (Location 2153)

Rule # 3: The Subject Must Be Relevant

  • they still must be relevant in the sense that they must address something the prospect cares about. They also must be relevant in the sense that the promise must be something the prospect desires. (Location 2157)

Rule # 4: Return to the Proclamation at the Close

  • Be sure to go back and underscore the main theme of the proclamation in any sales premiums you offer and in the wording of the guarantee. (Location 2160)
  • Proclamation Leads would be easy to write. In fact, they can’t really be written at all. They have to be found. (Location 2165)
  • Great Proclamation Leads almost always come from research. (Location 2166)

9  The Tale of the $2 Billion Sales Letter

  • Take another look at this lead. It is a very short story about two people who start out their careers with equal prospects, but then meet 25 years later at a reunion. One of them is very successful and the other is not. The reader wants to know what happened. That is the hook. As you can see, there is a promise embedded in this little story. If the reader finds out how this one young man became so successful, he can apply that strategy to his own life and enjoy success, too. (Location 2208)
  • They laughed when I sat down at the piano … But when I started to play! This headline instantly conveys all the key elements of a successful ad: • One strong idea • One desirable benefit • One driving emotion • One inevitable solution (Location 2219)
  • Grabbing the prospect’s attention with an entertaining story or idea or photo is essential for any sort of advertising campaign. But, you have to do more than that. You have to sell the product. And to do that, you must link the initial sentiment created in the headline with the final emotion needed to close the sale at the end. (But, beware. This does not mean you should put the name of the product in your headline and lead. This is often a mistake to do.) (Location 2321)
  • Every Master Copywriter understands the fundamental ambivalence of the prospect: He wants to buy, but he doesn’t want to be sold. (Location 2334)
  • If the story is told well, the prospect forgets — almost immediately — that he’s reading an advertisement. And thus he forgets, at least for the moment, that he is being sold. (Location 2340)
  • can think of a lot of people who balk at big promises. I can think of plenty more who couldn’t care less about a bulleted list of shocking statistics. But, I can’t think of a single person who can resist a good story. Can you? (Location 2344)
  • “There’s no better way to melt resistance. Of course, if you don’t tell the story well, you can still lose the reader. And, telling the right stories well isn’t always easy. (Location 2350)
  • They grinned when the waiter spoke to me in French … But their laughter changed to amazement at my reply. (Location 2357)
  • They laughed when I sent away for free color film … But now my friends are all sending away, too. (Location 2358)
  • They laughed when I sat down at the computer — But when I… (Location 2360)
  • So, what can the modern marketer/copywriter learn about headline writing from Caples’ classic example? • First, the Rule of One: One strong idea/emotion/benefit is better than half a dozen mediocre ones. • Second, the power of the story: There is no stronger way to engage your prospect than with a simple… (Location 2361)
  • greatest effect. That means beginning in the middle with a conflict — expressed or implicit — that affects a protagonist the reader can identify with. And,… (Location 2365)
  • You don’t have to use Caples’ words. Just borrow the deeper structure of his headline: • The hero, an ordinary person like your prospect, attempts to do something extraordinary… (Location 2367)
  • If you are selling an investment advisory, for example, you could tell a story about the secret behind how all the wealthiest families in Europe made their fortunes. Like Mike… (Location 2371)
  • Dear Reader, Many of the world’s wealthiest families have used this “secret currency” for generations to grow dynasties. Let me show you just one example … Mayer Amschel Rothschild used his knowledge of this investment to launch the largest family fortune the world has ever seen. Mayer was born in Germany in the middle of the 18th century, and was raised in Frankfurt’s ghetto, where the average house held 15 people. When the boy was 11, a smallpox epidemic swept… (Location 2373)
  • Or, if you are selling cigars, you could create a story about the perils and excitement of… (Location 2381)
  • 15 Rivers to Cross … and only 7 bridges Here’s how we were able to bring you … THE GRANADA In spite of bandits, jaguars, baby dinosaurs, and high water … at a price that will make a happy bandit out of YOU! I used to think that the only way to have a real adventure was to be an astronaut or something. But that was before my recent trip to the Hidden Valley in Honduras, where the alluvial soil is six feet deep and everybody and his brother carries a six-shooter for bandit insurance. Maybe you thought I just sit around writing letters to my good customers and wrapping cigar boxes to take to the Post Office. Not so. You don’t get the best tobacco settin’ at home on your resources. And believe me, you don’t always find the comforts of home elsewhere. Sometimes I wonder why I’m in this business at all — and… (Location 2382)
  • Or, if you’re trying to get your prospect to donate money to provide shelter for homeless teens, few leads are as powerful as a well-told story… (Location 2394)
  • I’m writing to you from our shelter tonight … Dear Friends, I’m writing to you from our shelter tonight. From the corner, I can see James, just 16, sleeping on a fresh cot we set up in the chapel. Covenant House is full. Every bed is taken. I don’t always know how we make room for all these kids, but by the grace of God, tonight we found a way again. James came to us tonight, exhausted, his eyelids barely able to stay open. He’d been trying to sleep near the restaurant dumpsters, in the bus station, on park… (Location 2396)
  • I will end this essay by saying this: You have just read about half a dozen of the most powerful marketing secrets I know. If you put this essay down and forget about it, you will be making a terrible mistake. Read it at least half a dozen times and think about it. If it doesn’t make you a multimillionaire, I’ll eat my shirt. Hathaway, of course. (Location 2406)

10  How to Make This System Work for You

  • His lead mixed some of the types you’ve seen in this book — as some letters sometimes do — but if we could fit it into any one category, it might be closest to a cleverly-nuanced version of the Problem-Solution Lead samples you saw in Chapter 6. Particularly, Aaron focused on something he already knew had strong emotional pull for the audience he was targeting, the fear of missed opportunity. Here’s how Aaron’s lead began … Your Great-Grandfather Saw The Railroad Come to Town, But Did He Profit From It? Your Grandfather Watched The First Model T’s Roll Down the Street. Did He Get Rich? Your Father’s Generation Witnessed the Rise of Computers. How Much Did He Make On Them? The Next Massive Wealth Creation Starts NOW. Here’s how YOU Could Give Millions to Your Family’s Next 3 Generations. The World Will Learn of What Could Be A Historic Breakthrough on Nov. 19 — and You Can Get in Before the News Breaks … (Location 2472)
  • “It was the most successful sales letter I’ve ever written. It not only thumped a long-standing control, but it’s still generating a lot of royalties for me. It also happens to be the easiest sales letter I’ve ever written, too.” (Location 2509)
  • What if You Had a Simple Blueprint to Take You from Where You Are Now … to Your Perfect Place Overseas? It took our editors, Dan and Suzan, a full decade to uncover the best secrets to the good life abroad … But now you can do it easily. With their step-by-step blueprint, you save money … avoid the pitfalls … and find your perfect “sweet spot” overseas fast … So you can start living better (and for less), right away … Dear International Living Reader, They started out in Ecuador … tried on three places in Mexico for size … moved to Panama … did a stint in Nicaragua … went back to Mexico … and now they’re spending part of the year in Ecuador again … They’ve rented … renovated … traveled with pets … learned a new language … had teeth fixed … been (Location 2562)
  • Use the Rule of One, for instance, to focus your sales messages. Use the idea of message directness to make sure you’re speaking the right way to the right kind of customer, right through to your offer reply page. (Location 2608)