One of the most powerfully persuasive communication techniques is best summed up in a single word: “because.” In Dr. Robert Cialdini’s book, Influence, he cites a research study showing that simply adding the word “because” to a request multiplies the likelihood of compliance. Interestingly, the study seems to indicate that the legitimacy of the reasons [...]
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Why Do Businesses Market Like Idiots?
Turn on the television. See how long it takes before you see a “branding” commercial. These are commercials that work to make some kind of “indelible impression” on the mind of viewers. An impression about the business. Why do they do this? In the hopes that somehow, someday, someone will buy something. And maybe it [...]
The Inception Guide To Marketing
If you haven’t seen the film Inception yet, don’t worry. There are no spoilers here. But there’s an important lesson in the movie for marketers and evangelists alike. In the film, Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is talking about the act of “inception” – planting an idea in another person’s mind. Here’s what Cobb says: [...]
Mr. Spock’s Guide To Sales
We buy because of emotion, and we justify the decision using logic. Good sales people identify the emotion driving their prospect, and then line up the “reasons why” the purchase is a good idea. They use logic to close the sale, but logic is not making the sale. “Reason why” selling even worked with Captain [...]
Make Advertising A Profit Center (Not An Expense)
Most advertising is an expense – or worse – a mystery expense. It works like this, most of the time: spend money on some ads, not knowing whether those ads will work, and hope for the best. Ogilvy is famous for saying 50% of his ads work – he just didn’t know which 50%. It [...]
How To Read Minds
Most copywriters and marketers would agree that if you could read your prospect’s mind, you could be a lot more successful writing copy for – and selling stuff to – those prospects. Because you’d know their world. You’d understand their pain. You’d know their deepest fears, and you’d understand their highest aspirations. So how do [...]
Amazing Free Vintage Ad Swipe File
Seth Godin points to this incredible resource for browsing vintage ads. Just type in your subject and the Vintage Ad Browser shows you the results (this search on “success” turned up and ad for Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich”, for instance). This is a resource you’ll have fun playing with – and it may [...]
7 Questions And A Why
Inspired by Seth Godin. As you’re crafting your next marketing campaign, here are 7 questions to ask yourself. Answering them will virtually write your sales copy for you. It’s easy to do. But very powerful. Try it and see. What problem are you solving? What is your solution? Who is it right for? What will [...]
Internet Marketer Interviews FTC Director
There’s a lot of chicken feathers flying. People are in a flutter about the new FTC guidelines. This affects you if you are a blogger, and affiliate marketer, or an Internet marketer of any stripe. Now, there are a lot of snake-oil salesmen who are ready, willing and able to take advantage of your FEAR [...]
FTC Kills Affiliate Marketing?
Yesterday (Monday, October 5, 2009) the US Federal Trade Commission rolled out a brand new rule: bloggers who endorse products must disclose any financial benefits they receive for doing so. Failure to live up to this rule could get bloggers fined up to $11,000. Per violation. There are lots of questions about what this means [...]
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