As a child I was always a poor fisherman. However, once I found a pool of crayfish (little lobster things) I was all set. With a piece of driftwood, string, and a hook – I caught two 5lb bass in less than 4 minutes.

Lesson: You can have a weak sales pitch and a weak delivery system. As long as you have the right product at the right time!

That’s an awesome analogy Courtney — I may just have to steal it and use it as if I created it

Ben

That’s the sticky issue isn’t it? What to swipe? How to swipe?

If you think copywriters are bad, you should see designers! I was originally trained as a graphic designer. And, (in my opinion) there are a lot of similarities in the design/writing process. But there’s a huge difference between swiping and outright theft.

I guess it’s all about the bait.

As a child I was always a poor fisherman. However, once I found a pool of crayfish (little lobster things) I was all set. With a piece of driftwood, string, and a hook – I caught two 5lb bass in less than 4 minutes.

Lesson: You can have a weak sales pitch and a weak delivery system. As long as you have the right product at the right time!

Guess it all comes back to Halbert’s starving crowd?

Ben

I know the topic is centered around internet swiping but I’m gonna expand our topic for anyone who’s new on the block.

It seems we shouldn’t exclude from the “tried and true” pile the magalogs, bookalogs and 6 x 9’s we get more than once in our mailbox from the masters of the mailing universe (Boardroom, Healthy Directions, Rodale, etc…)

These are the packages that cost tens of thousands of dollars to test initially and an even bigger bank to roll out. There’s something comforting in knowing someone with direct marketing intelligence has laid out bricks of cold hard cash to test a package and is doing so repeatedly because it’s paid them back what they invested (in customers or orders).

You don’t get this indirect authenticity on the internet. Especially with how many ways there are split test copy online. How do you know the letter you have is THE winner?

If you’re not an insider or adept at picking up a voice you won’t know who wrote promotions mailed to you but you don’t need to. You’ll know it’s a winner if hogs up space in your mailbox at least twice.

And if you subscribe to monthly copywriting genius you might end up seeing it there. For those who don’t know, this is a service from AWAI that dissects control ads and does interviews with the wizards who penned them.

What I also enjoy about direct mail is that these winners give me cold hard cash verification as to what people are responding to at this moment in time.

I’m sure everyone reading this knows they shouldn’t throw their junk mail away but some people might be neglected by these mailing giants because they haven’t bought anything from them.

Some of your readers might only get true junkmail.

I’ve listed three mailers above you should be getting bombarded by. If you aren’t, pick one and invest $39.99 into buying one of their books or newsletters. They share lists so as soon as you pay for what you buy you’re guaranteeing the gates of direct mail heaven shall be opened unto you.

Thank you Ben for laying your wisdom down here,

I’ll look forward to hearing from you again.
Note Taking Nerd #2
http://www.mynotetakingnerd.wordpress.com

Didn’t Michael’s interview with Brian come in 5 parts, with a bonus section about a 24 yo guy who took Brian’s course and landed himself a few speaking gigs? Definitely an inspiring, kick-yourself-in-the-butt-make-it-happen story.

The interview Michael did with you is actually how I learned about you whilst it’s exactly why I started reading your blog.

Thank you for keeping it real my friend.

~!Matt

He really digs deep into what he sells and who he’s selling to.

Ben

People believe many things on the internets they might not believe otherwise. Maybe it’s the inter-ethers that cause them to lose their mind?

I’m currently making my way through Bryan Keith Voiles’ ‘Ad Magic’ package…

… have to say, I dig his deep drill down into a product/service and his sheer simple brilliance when it comes to connecting with people and being REAL.

Indeed, studying masters such as Bencivenga, Halbert, Caples, etc. is spot on for modeling excellence

Be well Ben.

~!Matt

I put maaaaaybe 10 minutes into writing it.

Yet it converts at like 15% — and it sure ain’t because of the copy.

More like I did a few things right when I released it, gave it a ridiculously low price ($10) for what you get, and the people who buy it already know who I am and what to expect.

The copy is not even a factor as far as I can tell.

Which is why, for their own sakes, I hope nobody is swiping it…

Ben