Secret of 1,000 Pounds of Sumo Wrestlers

I saw a funny but effective TV commercial last week. It sold sofa “lifters”—flat boards that you put under sagging sofas cushions to make them like new again. Firm, solid and higher up.

The proof? Two big sumo wrestlers, together weighing 1,000 pounds, sat on a couch that was “lifted” and guess what? The restored couch held them. Very powerful proof.

Reminds me of what Gary Bencivenga, hailed as “America’s Best Copywriters,” says about the importance of proof.

He says, “Without belief, nobody buys.” And “Make compelling proof the alpha and omega of your advertising.”

If you can demonstrate how your product or service works, like this sofa ad, great. But there are other ways to show proof.

I put proof into action in an ad I wrote to women for a natural supplement to help them with urinary urgency.

The ad explained the little known reasons that cause urinary problems in the first place. Then it when on to describe the unique nutrients scientifically researched for healthy urination. And continued on with proof of successful results with testimonials of grateful users.

The ad also highlighted the problem with a cartoon of a woman driving a car, looking like she really needs to find a bathroom, only to see a sign that reads, “Rest Stop 20 miles."


By harnessing the power of proof, this ad has been successful and is now being rolled out

How Much Would You Give for an Email Address?

My friend recently told me his wife got a FREE $30 dinner at Benihana for her birthday.

So this lady and one of her girlfriends, who also got a FREE dinner, enjoyed a delicious dinner on the house. Imagine sizzling shrimp, steak and chicken done "teppan" style by Benihana's famous chefs--yes, that includes flipping a shrimp onto your plate--cooked right before your eyes. YUM!
Sounded good to me, so I went to Benihana's website looking for my FREE birthday dinner--since my birthday is comping up.

To claim it was simple...I just needed to give Benihana my email address and the date of my birth.

It's a win win situation. I get a FREE $30 meal and they get two items of importance for keeping in touch with me.

For your business, I have two very important questions.

One--how valuable is an email address and some important personal information about a prospect or customer

Two--what are you willing to give to get theat information?

Ideas: a FREE product or sample bottle of a product (perhaps the prospect pays shipping). A FREE special report of value, downloaded instantly. A FREE copy of "notes" for an upcoming "webinar" to tease atendees to come. A FREE gift certificate for future purchases. Or a FREE meal.

(Of course, once you have the email address and personal information about a propect, you will need to know how to keep in touch with him to maximize your marketing. More on how to do that to come.)

The Value of a Great (and Creative) Guarantee

To drum up new business, some companies are getting very creative when it comes to "guarantees."

Take, Hyundai. Its Assurance Trade in Guarantee "future proofs" the value of your new Hyundai by guaranteeing today how much the car will be worth in two, three, or four years.

If you buy a new Genesis coupe and trade it in during months 24 to 30 of ownership for a new Hyundai, you're guaranteed 57% of its value.

Best Buy has been running commercials for its new "Buy Back Program." For an additional fee, you can "future proof your technology" by trading it in for a new model.

Say you buy a $2,000 television and pay and additional $179 for the "Buy back" guarantee. If you seel it back to Best Buy within seven months, you'll get a gift card with a vlue "up to 50 percent" of the original purchase.

These guarantees do two things: 1) take the negative of a declining value of a new car or soon-to-be technology and turns it into a positive and 2) gives the buyer one more reason to make the purchase.

In writing great promotions, it's critical to have a great guarantee--a guarantee that's specific, yet that covers all the bases to give the prospect yet another reason to buy.

Here, for example, is a guarantee I wrote for Ultimate Res3, a revolutionary age-fighting, health-boosting formula
This guarantee works because it...
* Recaps the Unique Selling Proposition of the product
* Includes not one but three guarantees
* Guarantee No. 1 focuses in on unique benefits of taking this product
* Guarantee No. 2 focuses on the fact you can take the very last capsule and still
get your money back--removes all risk
* Guarantee No. 3 focuses on the FREE gifts you get and can keep no matter what
* Takes away the buyer's risk with a LIFETIME guarantee--not prorated
* Is signed by Michale Cutler, M.D. for credibility

After reading it, the prospect is assured of Complete Satisfaction, or he gets all his money back.

Now that's an ironclad guarantee!

More important, this powerful guarantee is helping the prospect buy without worry--adding to the success of this piece.

The Lesson of "Salted" Caramels

Among chocoholics and those with a sweet tooth, there’s a new “star”—salted caramels.

Once a favorite of the culinary elite, these delectable candies have made their way to the masses. They can now be found at Haagen-Dazs in salted caramel ice cream…at Starbucks in salted caramel hot chocolate…and at Wal-Mart as one of their truffle flavors.

Even President Obama swears by these sweet, buttery treats first created in Brittany, France.

Why so popular? Because they give buyers what they want most: a sweet, delicious treat with a sprinkling of salt that makes them irresistible.

As a direct marketer, I must always, always give prospects what they want most. I must never forget to answer this question in the mind of prospects who thinking about buying something I’m selling: “What in it for me?” This is the million dollar question. Answer it well, with layers and layers of reasons why, and you’re on the way to a sale.

How do you know what prospects really want most? You do tons of research on their needs and wants…interview the best prospects or best buyers if possible…review testimonials…and find out as much as you can about them. Then, you position your promotion to give them want they want most.

For example, in a promotion I wrote for a new natural pain relieving product, I knew that pain relief was the #1 need of readers. And when I discovered that the unique ingredient in this new formula gave users more pain relief, I knew I was onto something.

The headline: “The little-known, clinically proven secret that gives you 240% more pain relief than glucosamine and chondroitin!”

This headline promised to give readers want they wanted most: More relief!

Bingo! This headline caught the attention of readers, and the orders poured in!

The lesson is clear: Give prospects what they want most—and they’ll buy and keep buying. Kind of like salted caramels.