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I had a disturbing conversation yesterday with a client and it absolutely blew my mind. 

Last week, he got a call from his long-time account rep at a ginormous company we’ll call Denture Virect… As you might have guessed by now, the guy was laid -off. And just like that, a stellar 20 year career with one of the biggest advertisers and spenders of online media dollars in the world was over — gone — right alongside about 40% of the rest of their staff. My client’s entire business relationship with them is now “under review” and could come to an unceremonious end any day, from either direction.

Yeah, it’s bad, bad, bad news out there… if you’re in the traditional big ad agency business, that is. Legendary ad-houses  like Ogilvy and BBDO are shedding staff while smaller agencies are closing their doors for good.

What this means for you, intrepid Internet entrepreneur, is that your skill and aptitude in effective direct response marketing is going to be more important than ever.

The most clever and the highly creative are being pummeled by the best tested and the truly proven. When you know your numbers and you know how to identify, target and speak to your market with maximum emotional impact you are going to WIN. After all, direct response has always been far more about science than art.

So sharpen your knives and start slicing thinner. Concentrate on the end result and work your way backward if you must. But, make no mistake, your job is to climb inside the mind of your prospect and give him everything he needs, emotionally and rationally, to pick up the phone and call  or click to order, RIGHT NOW.

So, let’s touch on some of the mechanics of how we do that:

  • Who is your buyer? No, really… EXACTLY WHO is your BUYER. Gender? Job? Lifestyle? Give your buyer a bio. What’s their day like.. their life like. All of your communications should be speaking directly to this person you’ve invented.
  • Why does your product or service really matter to them emotionally? What will their life be like once they have access to your product or service? Paint the picture for them vividly. Let them live that joy for a brief moment, even if it’s only vicariously through your ad.
  • How can you best identify and drag out the real pain, fears and frustration your market feels? Make them really feel it and you’ll prove to them that you really do understand them. You can’t very well provide the perfect solution to something you don’t understand, can you? EMPATHIZE.
  • Demonstrate it! How can you best contrast the pain of their current problem with the pleasure they’ll enjoy after buying and using what you sell? Before and after shots are great. 
  • Have you fully identified every single possible objection and point of resistance? Sanding those splinters smooth is the difference between a so=so break even scenario and a nice fat profit. Do the work!
  • Prove your claims irrefutably. Use testimonials, demonstrations of end results, and anything else you can include that explicitly proves that your product is the golden key they’ve been searching for. Once your prospect has convinced herself, you don’t have to work so hard at convincing her. Your job shifts to closing the sale smoothly.
  • Tell them exactly what to do and exactly what to expect when they do it. Gary Halbert was an absolute master at this. By vividly detailing every single step that the buyer will take, and exactly what will happen as they take that step (and afterward), Halbert masterfully stamps down every last ounce of resistance and cultivates a positive expectation in the mind of the buyer. Do the same.

 

Indeed, these are tough times economically. And they’re probably going to get worse before they get better. The good news is that you’re equipped — right now — to go out and KICK ASS, even in a shitty market. The top heavy and weak will not survive… But you, my nimble-minded marketing friend… YOU are going to THRIVE.

Best,

Brian McLeod
Miami, Florida 

P. S. Have you heard that I’ve teamed up with photoshop ninja and information marketing designer extraordinaire DesignGuruRyan for a Direct Response InfoMarketing Workshop?

Check out Great Design | Killer Copy and jump on the early bird list.

More to the point… How would you like to have a deadly duo like Ryan and I write and design your next project? If you’re serious about making money, let’s make some, together!

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