Let’s have an informal little “contest.”
Which of these 3 headlines do you think did best:
1. “How To Get Rich Slowly”
2. “Can India Stop China”
3. “5687 Ira Road, Bath, Ohio 44210”
The advertising critics would say:
These all suck! There’s no benefit! Who wants to get rich slowly? Who cares if India stops China! A mailing address? Are you f–ing kidding me, Ben???
And (as usual) the advertising critics would be wrong.
Here’s why:
The first headline was written by Gary Bencivenga. (Universally acknowledged as the world’s greatest living copywriter.) And, he had to fight tooth and nail to get the client to run it.
But, guess what?
When it ran, it absolutely CRUSHED it in sales.
Same with the second headline.
It was for a control written by Doug D’Anna.
(One of the top direct mail copywriters on the planet.)
And the third one?
Just a mailing address?
Well, I don’t know if that was really the “headline” because, you see, there was no real headline. Just a return address at the top right corner. But, it was on the “most mailed” sales letter in human history written by the late “grand puba” of marketing himself — Gary Halbert.
Yes, it’s true, my little droogie.
The most mailed sales letter in history lacked a “killer” headline.
Or, even a headline at all.
(BTW, some say the famous Wall Street Journal control ad mailed to more people, but it just so happens that letter lacked a headline, too…)
Anyway, what’s the point?
Where’s this coming from?
Why bring this up?
Because some dude once sent me an email saying the headline selling the “Email Players” newsletter (and I quote) “sucks balls”, without bothering to gather the facts about how it’s been working.
And, methinks a few hints are in order:
Hint #1: It’s been doing just fine for almost 4 years
Hint #2: It has to do with market awareness & who I’m targeting
Hint #3: Emails ARE the new headlines (which I will explain more about in a future “Email Players” issue — for now, I will say that when I discovered this, it changed the entire game for me and shot my sales through the roof)
I could go on.
But, I think you get the point.
And, hopefully so do the advertising critics.
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Ben Settle
