Am I Doing More Harm than Good? I am getting lots of requests for "financial aid" from friends and family. Given the nature of this recession, it is a trend that will likely sharpen. Every time I write a check, I wonder if I'm doing more harm than good. Giving away money is certainly gratifying for the giver. But for the recipient, the benefit is dubious at best. I don't want the result of my giving to be friends and family members who are less motivated to take care of themselves. For that reason, I've begun structuring these transactions as proper loans. By doing that, I give the recipient a formal obligation to repay the money. And by taking on that responsibility, he is able to maintain his dignity. In today's main essay, David Cross tells you about one of the backbones of good copy. And I talk about: - Wealthy: Anti-aging building blocks
- Healthy: Don't leave your customers alone
- Wise: Asking too much
---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended ---------------------------------------------------- What's the BIGGEST mistake most e-mail marketers make? Knowing this one simple secret can instantly improve your results. Read on to find out what it is! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It is evident that skepticism, while it makes no actual change in man, always makes him feel better." Ambrose Bierce Why Testimonials Work So Well
By David Cross What do you do if your prospect knows nothing about you, as is often the case? How can you sway or "nudge" their thinking about your business, products, or services? You do it by including plenty of testimonials in your marketing materials. Testimonials overcome a prospect's skepticism ("Who the heck are you? And why should I listen to you anyway?") by helping them connect emotionally to other people who've used and liked your products. Reading those true-life stories makes prospects more receptive to what you have to say. And sell. Testimonials are a cornerstone of direct-marketing success because they are real comments from real people. Not, as David Ogilvy said, "the puffery of an anonymous copywriter." Today, I'm going to show you not just how to get testimonials... but how to get really good ones. All I Did Was Ask Some years back, I had a client who knew he needed testimonials to punch up his marketing. But he had no idea how to go about it. I went through his database of 4,500 customers and selected 10 people from diverse backgrounds. A businessman, a homemaker, a computer programmer, a doctor, a student, a stand-up comic, a teacher ... I then went through the list of 10, one by one -- and wound up with 10 testimonials. My client used these testimonials in advertising, leaflets, newsletters, and press releases. I even had three of those customers interviewed on local television. How did I get them? To borrow the title of Terri Gross's book (she's host of the radio show "Fresh Air") ... All I Did Was Ask. Based on What I've Learned Over the Years, Here Are Some Tips... 1. If you know the customer on a somewhat personal level, just call them. Say that you'd like a testimonial about your product, service, or a particular experience they had. ("I was lost in the woods with bears all around, and your plane-in-a-suitcase saved my life.") If they seem open to it, ask if they can give you the testimonial right there on the phone. You can write it down or use a handheld recorder. When you hear a particularly good snippet, say, "That's good. May we use it?" 2. If you're on less familiar terms with the customer, write a short letter or e-mail first. Explain that you'd love to share their good experiences with your product with others, and ask them to e-mail their testimonial to you. If you don't hear back in four or five days, phone them. 3. Say thank you. Even if you've already thanked the customer over the phone, write a thank you note. Include a copy of the testimonial. Tell them when and how you expect to use it. I've always included a small gift, too. 4. Before you call or e-mail a customer to ask for a testimonial, prepare some questions to help them get into it. Questions that will evoke more than a yes/no response. For example: "What's your favorite dish on our menu?" "Could you share a little more about the day you got trapped in the snowstorm? How did our emergency beacon help the rescuers find you?" "How does the yield of our seeds compare with other brands you've used?" 5. It's okay to edit the testimonials. A customer may give you a page-long story with rambling non sequiturs -- but that's not going to help your business. Cut it down to get to the point. Keep the meat and trim the fat. 6. Try to use all the testimonials you get. If you get something that's not appropriate for the promotion you're currently working on, use it in the future. 7. Keep a "testimonial file." And remember that collecting testimonials is a process, not a destination. Always be on the lookout for good ones. Ask your customer service folks to do the same. (They will often receive calls and e-mails that can be turned into great testimonials.) More Tips -- From Some of My Own Marketing Mentors From Bob Bly: "What I look for in a testimonial -- more than anything else -- is SPECIFIC RESULTS. ('I made a 100% gain in my portfolio in 12 months with the Trade Triangle.') I'm less interested in superlatives. ('Thanks to the Trade Triangle, I can trade with confidence and have shortened my learning curve.')" From John Forde: "I like 'real,' so I try not to touch grammar mistakes or awkward writing. (Though I will do some editing if it speeds up the testimonial a bit.)" From Michael Masterson: "I much prefer testimonials with full names. And I don't like testimonials that seem made up. The grittier they are the better. Testimonials that express doubts are terrific. In fact, I wish I had one for every doubt the prospect might entertain. A testimonial that states and then refutes the doubt ... what could be better than that?" Your Testimonial Action Plan Every experienced marketer I know swears by the power of customer testimonials. So start building your testimonial file today. And use those testimonials everywhere. Your website, direct-mail promotions, and pay-per-click campaigns. Your press releases, postcard mailings, and e-mail signatures. Remember, all you have to do is ask. P.S. Securing glowing testimonials for your products and services is one of the keys to growing a profitable business. They help set you apart from the competition. And they make your prospects feel like they are taking less of a risk by making the decision to buy from you. For more tips on marketing your Internet business, check out my Internet Rant newsletter. Each week, I cover a different element of online marketing, from search engines to Web design to e-mail. ----------------------------------------------Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- "If a picture truly is worth a thousand words, we're about to make a hell of a lot of money!" - The multibillion-dollar "home shopping" industry got its start on cable access TV. It was a low-budget "operation" run by three guys in Central Florida. Before they had even made their first dollar, their success was a sure thing. They had the "Billionaire Mindset"... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More wealth, health, and wisdom from Masterson... One of the most common mistakes marketers make is to give new customers "a break" before attempting to sell them additional products. In the online info-publishing business, for example, some marketers refuse to send new subscribers any sales messages for weeks. They send editorial and service messages... but no offers. If you leave your customers alone after their first purchase, you will reduce their lifetime value to your business. I have tested this so many times in my career that I have no doubt it's true. But if you don't believe me, test it yourself. Establish two tracks: one that employs a grace period and one that "pummels" new customers with exciting offers for useful products. You will find that the total dollars you ultimately make from the "grace period" buyers will be about half to two-thirds what you'll make from those you sell hard. There is a good reason for this. When I've written about it before, I've called it "the buying frenzy." The idea is that people tend to buy in spurts. The first purchase stimulates them to buy more -- and it can take weeks, or even years, for the frenzy to run its course. When you get a new customer, chances are they're at the beginning of a buying frenzy. So give them more of what they want. Presumably, they've already gotten a good feeling by buying from you. And you want to take advantage of that. Example: In my book Ready, Fire, Aim, I talked about my compulsion to buy briefcases. I have several dozen, but I'm always ready to buy more. Why? Because a fancy new case promises to complete the mental picture I have of myself as a globetrotting businessman. Think about your own buying habits. Let's say you develop an interest in cooking. You start buying a bunch of books and magazines on the subject. But after a few months or years, you lose interest. You stop buying. Then one day you read an ad that rekindles the chef in you. And you start buying again. If the company that wrote the ad that reactivated you "leaves you alone," you will still keep on buying, right? But you will be buying from some other company. I recently got an e-mail from a professional copywriter I know. He asked me to help him hook up with one of my clients. Last month, I spent at least an hour of my time giving him free advice.And when he asked me for more help -- without having attempted to reciprocate for the help I'd already given him -- I thought: "This guy just doesn't get it. He will never be very successful until he learns the lesson I talked about in Automatic Wealth for Grads: "In every relationship you get into -- every business, social, or personal transaction -- make sure the other person gets as much benefit from it as you do. When considering your own advantages and disadvantages in taking any course of action, consider as well those of everyone involved." No discussion of the aging process would be complete without talking about DHEA, Total Health Breakthroughs' Melanie Segala tells me. It's the "mother" hormone -- a building block of estrogen and testosterone. And it has remarkable anti-aging properties, preventing such signs of aging as excess body fat, thinning skin, and graying hair. Natural production of DHEA peaks in your 30s. Then it declines at the rate of about 2 percent per year. But age is not the only factor here. Stress can cause your DHEA levels to plummet. Stress boosts your body's output of cortisol, Melanie explains, and that interferes with the production of DHEA. Low DHEA levels can leave you open to chronic inflammation, depression, cognitive decline, and an increased risk of cancer. It's also a factor in weakening bones. So it's a good idea to have your levels checked by your doctor. (It's done with a saliva or blood test.) If you're low, you can take a natural DHEA supplement that can be purchased over the counter. Your doctor will advise you on the dosage. For more information on DHEA, and other supplements you can take to turn back the clock, click here. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I like the approach." "Thanks so much for all the work you do with Early to Rise. The new format has evolved into a newsletter that is clean, and can be read in just a few minutes in the morning. I like the approach of one main article, with some of your 'features' sprinkled in for flavor. "Keep up the good work!" Susan Barrett
Los Angeles, CA ---------------------------------------------- Advertisement --------------------------------------------------- "As of today, my account stands at approximately $123,500..." - That's the amount novice trader K.N. made in six months, according to bestselling author Keith Cotteril. And, he says, Terry Hodgkinson racked up more than $2,700 in his first seven days alone. These are just two of the people that Cotteril says have profited from a new trading program. It's from Agora's U.K. partners. You can read their stories here... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Language Perfectionist: Words About Words
By Don Hauptman
In this column, I routinely use words that describe aspects of language. But these terms are often misunderstood and confused. Here's a brief guide, followed by a few tips to improve your writing. - grammar refers to the rules and structure of language, the way words combine to form sentences. Example of a grammatical error: "He done gone."
- syntax refers more specifically to the order of words within a sentence. Example of a syntactical error, as might be made by someone learning English as a second language: "I am here for the job to apply."
- usage refers to the way words and phrases are used. Often, a mistake is called a grammatical error when it's really an error of usage. Example of a usage error: the widespread misuse of literally when "not literally" is meant.
- style refers to how something is expressed. Two writers might say the same thing in different ways. Neither is incorrect, but one style may be more suitable to the context. For instance, one could write "the murky water" or, as Homer phrased it more poetically, "the wine-dark sea."
- rhetoric refers to the use of language to achieve a goal, most often to persuade. Today, the word is often used pejoratively to describe bombastic or insincere verbiage, as in "The senator's speech was mere rhetoric." But the traditional meaning of the word is valuable and should be preserved.
Some language issues can be characterized as matters of right and wrong. Others are discretionary. Numerous ways of expressing a point exist, but some are likely to be superior. One lesson I've learned as a writer for 35 years is that every early draft can be improved. If the document is important, print it out. You'll see things on paper that you miss on screen. Edit with a pen or pencil, then plug in your corrections. Repeat as needed. Allowing the document to marinate overnight or for a few days often helps, as does reading it aloud or asking someone for a critique.
[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book published by AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today's issue. Email us at: AskETR@ETRFeedback.com | 
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