A business-to-business marketer askeths:
Big fan….I’m looking into subscribing to email players and I was curious to know if you focus on teaching b2b email copy as well? (maybe industries where VP’s and Directors tend to take themselves a little too serious 🙂
For some reason people think *their* market/industry is different.
I can assure you it’s not.
It’s ALL the same at the end of the day.
I don’t care if you’re selling b2b, informational products, fiction, freelance services, commodities (like socks, for example), MLM, consumable products, or even if you’re raising money to save the friggin’ spotted owl.
It’s all the same in direct marketing.
Don’t believe me?
Well, maybe you’ll believe a couple direct marketers much smarter than I am then:
1. Publicity Grand Puba Paul Hartunian teaches people to write outrageous headlines in their press releases — yes, even to “stuffy” reporters who think their crap doesn’t stink and are super educated from major universities.
I am paraphrasing here.
But, basically, what he said was, if you think CEOs or reporters aren’t going home and watching Beavis & Butthead every night you’re fooling yourself.
I have long profited from this fact.
And, so have my more successful students.
(We never put our markets on a pedestal)
Obviously, you want to modulate your content to your market.
But, don’t think they aren’t as batshiit crazy as you are.
2. Dan Kennedy used to give a speech talking about his famous (and slightly nutty) Giorgio restaurant letters.
Ain’t nuttin’ “professional” about ‘em.
And (knowing the b2b objection was coming) he said right after telling it:
“Now, a few people are saying, ‘Now wait a minute. I sell very sophisticated stuff to very sophisticated people. I would never do anything like that. It’s unprofessional.’ Well, you can separate style from structure. I want you to know this works even in business to business then it does in consumer because everything else they get in business to business mail is dull, institutional and boring. But, if you like, you can separate style from structure. What’s most important is the structure.”
Preach it, Mr. Kennedy.
It’s the exact same thing with the methods I use, too.
Play around with them all you want to suit your market.
What’s most important is the structures.
The themes.
And, yes, the psychology behind the emails.
So there you go.
To learn my wicked ways go here:
Ben Settle
