The Art of Self-Sabotage Dear ETR Reader -- Here's something that bugs me: protégés who are more interested in impressing their mentors than learning from them. Example: We had a meeting to review copy ideas for one of my client's investment advisories. The copy offered for discussion had some merit. But it was not good. We used our Peer Review System to improve it. Someone came up with a good first line. Then I practically dictated the rest of the lead. The copywriter was there, scribbling notes. And to back up his notes, we taped the session (as we always do). One of the requirements of the Peer Review is for the revised lead to be returned within 24 hours. This is to make sure the copy mentor (me, in this case) still has the core ideas fresh in his mind when it is looked at again. What I got back the next day shocked me. It was a revision that had nothing to do with the copy I had dictated the day before. Worried that he might have had a seizure, I asked the copywriter what happened. He told me he'd "decided" that his new version was better than the one the group had worked out. Forget about the fact that I have forgotten more than this kid knows. Forget about the fact that he wasted a precious half-hour of our time -- six of us -- the day before. Forget about the fact that he wasted his own time trying to do me one better. The stupidest part of what he did was to lose the confidence of his mentor. If you are lucky enough to work for someone who really knows what they are doing, it is foolish to waste your time and theirs by showing off or going off on your own. Absorb everything you can while you are a protégé. And then -- if you want to leave -- make a gracious and grateful exit. You will benefit in two ways. You will learn faster and you will keep the support of someone who can help you in the future. In today's issue: - Wealthy: A Foolish -- and Worthless -- Hit Investment
- Healthy: Are You Making Yourself Sick?
- Wise: Will Newman on Why Prospects Aren't Logical -- and Why Your Copy Can't Be Either
---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended ---------------------------------------------------- $2.3 Trillion Floats By You Every Year ... - Billions of dollars every month ... millions every week ... go right by you through your phone, TV, computer, and mailbox. The problem is those dollars are invisible. There is a $2.3 trillion industry all around us. You've seen its products and ads. But you probably couldn't put a name to it. The profit opportunities for normal people just like you are enormous and easy to tap into. If you know how to get your "foot in the door." Read more ... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Gateways Into Your Promotion
By Will Newman Most marketers look at a promotion with straight-line logic. They assume all prospects come into it through the headline. And they're wrong. In fact, a well-planned, well-written promotion has five distinct ways to get prospects involved. These "gateways" are spread throughout the promotion. Each one is specifically designed to catch the interest of a different type of prospect and lead them into the sales message. Your prospect opens your promo and scans it. The headline might catch her interest. But maybe it doesn't. Maybe it's the bio piece. Or the sidebars. Or the order device. If the promo is a magalog, maybe it's the centerfold. (That's usually where the copywriter has summarized key data or important benefits.) In my case, I almost always look at the order device first. That gives me a quick look at the offer -- what the product costs and what I'll get for my money. For you, it could be one of the other gateways. ---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- Did You Cash In that Savings Bond Granny Got You? - There is roughly $36 billion in "ready cash" held by federal and state governments. Forgotten bank accounts (yes, it happens), unclaimed utility deposits, old money orders, uncashed stock dividends, it's all in there. Finding it is much easier than you think. It could be your money. Why not claim it? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But regardless of how you are pulled into a promotion, it's crucial to understand that these gateways are not afterthoughts to be slapped together at the last minute. They must be planned and written with the same care and consideration as the rest of your promotion. That said, here's what you need to know about the five main gateways: 1. Headline (including the envelope copy as a form of the headline)
Captures the prospect's interest, begins establishing a trusting relationship with the prospect, gives a hint of the Big Idea of the promotion ... 2. Bio piece
Establishes the credibility of the person signing the sales letter, and puts a human "face" to his or her name ... 3. Sidebars
Emphasize important information and data, add credibility, and provide a way to present crucial information that might disrupt the flow or tone of the sales letter ... 4. Centerfold (in magalogs)
Provides a way to accentuate a compelling part of the sales argument. This can include results data for investment promos, company history, explanation of core benefits, and much more about the premiums being offered ... 5. Order device
Provides a quick and effective summary of the offer, key benefits, guarantee, etc. ... Let's look at how master copywriter Kent Komae used a bio gateway to bring prospects into his million-dollar magalog promotion for a joint-relief supplement. Before you read this, imagine that you suffer from joint pain. You've searched for relief -- by taking drugs and supplements -- with little success. The headline on the cover page of the magalog reads "The Next Breakthrough for Joint Discomfort!" If you suffer from joint pain, you can see how these six words could attract your attention. But attracting your attention might not be enough to get you to keep reading. So you scan the magalog. On page 4, you come across this: 
The sole purpose of this bio gateway is to build Dr. Williams's credibility. Dr. Williams is decked out in a white coat and is holding a stethoscope. And he sits authoritatively in front of a lab table with test tubes and electronic instruments. The picture begins to tell the story of a physician who does a lot of research. The picture goes a good way toward establishing his credibility and pulling you into the sales copy. Yet ... you're skeptical. This doctor may be offering real, believable joint relief. But you're not convinced. Still, you've seen enough to want to find out more. Kent Komae has ushered you through one of the gateways into his magalog. And that's where he convinces you that Dr. Williams has the solution to your joint problems. Kent knows that successful promos don't depend on having the prospect come in through the headline and read through from the beginning. Successful promos use these five gateways (and sometimes a few more) to open up different paths into the promotion for different types of prospects. Learn them and you'll be writing winners. [Ed. Note: Will Newman is a freelance copywriter and member of the American Writers & Artists Inc. advisory board. With AWAI's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, you can learn the secrets of copywriting from some of his mentors, including, among others, master copywriters Michael Masterson, Don Mahoney, and Bob Bly.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More from Masterson... Investing in Bankruptcy The folks at Investor's Daily Edge have raised the alarm. Turns out GM's stock -- MTLQQ.PK -- is getting huge volume lately. Problem is, says IDE's Investment Director Bob Irish, it's worthless. That stock is for Motors Liquidation. That's the old "General Motors." The new GM, recently emerged from bankruptcy, hasn't yet issued stock. But, says Bob, there is a way to invest in this niche. Try companies that specialize in buying distressed assets. Gladstone Capital Corporation (GLAD) and Icahn Enterprises (IDP) are two. They buy large blocks of shares or the debt of bankrupt companies. Unlike individual investors, they get them at big discounts. And you can benefit by piggybacking on their efforts. More on that in a future Investor's Daily Edge. ---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- Too Many Sales Can Be a Bad Thing!?! - You've poured your heart and soul into your product and marketing plan -- and it's a hit! But your website just can't handle the traffic, and it crashes after a few hundred orders. That's thousands of dollars in lost revenue. But you can prevent that tragedy with one quick, easy, and cheap online tool. Read more... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Outthink Your Health Problems A new study indicates that optimism fights disease, says Total Health Breakthroughs Editor Melanie Segala. The researchers found that positive thinkers had a 9 percent lower risk of heart disease. And they had a 14 percent lower risk of dying from all causes. Optimists were also less likely to get diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The takeaway is simple. A good attitude plays a major role in good health. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The one publication that has consistently delivered over the last five years." "In my constant thirst for knowledge that I can use to improve my life, I have over the years subscribed to many e-newsletters. While some have been entertaining, and others have provided me with one or two gems of quality information, ETR is the one publication that has consistently delivered over the last five years. ETR and Total Health Breakthroughs are the two publications I must keep getting in my inbox!
"Keep up the good work!"
Rodwell Faulkner
Canberra, Australia --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Words That Work: Catholicity Catholicity (kath-uh-LIS-ih-tee) -- from the Greek for "universal" -- is the quality of being all-inclusive. Example (as used by James Wolcott in Vanity Fair): "In my bohemian days ... I owned a jukebox -- a huge honker, a neon-trimmed sarcophagus -- which I studiously stocked with 45s to showcase the catholicity of my pop sensibility ... ." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today's issue. Email us at: AskETR@ETRFeedback.com | 
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