The Michael Masterson Journal

Issue No. 18 - $1.91	Saturday, November 28, 2009
Clayton Makepeace has been writing successful copy since 1975. Among his many accomplishments, he has written several of the biggest-selling sales letters of all time. I started writing copy a few years after he did, so I've had a chance to learn plenty from my own experiences. But when I read what he has to say about his method, I always learn something new and valuable. Recently, I read an article in which he explains how he builds a sales message based on the product's features. He begins by listing the features, and then asks himself two simple questions about each one: Why is this a feature? What good does it do the customer? Asking these two questions leads him quickly to the benefits of the product. Once he determines a benefit, he "dimensionalizes" it by adding specific detail. This gets him very close to finished copy very quickly. The process goes like this: Product: a drill bit Feature: constructed of carbon steel Why: carbon steel never wears out Benefit: The last drill bit you'll ever buy. Dimensionalized Benefit: You can save up to $75 a year in broken drill bits... hours of unnecessary trips to the hardware store... and hundreds of dollars in lost income! Another example: Product: a dental service Feature: a TV in every exam room Why: more comfortable for the patient, and helps time pass more quickly Benefit: Your appointment is over before you know it! Dimensionalized Benefit: Great for fidgety kids: The time zips by. In fact, just last week, littlie Jimmy asked if he could stay longer. I use a similar process. If you're familiar with the American Writers & Artists Inc. copywriting program, you know it. Mine is Product, Feature, Benefit, and Deeper Benefit. As in: Product: perma-tee for golfers Feature: made of handsome, unbreakable plastic Benefit: You only need one. Deeper Benefit: Other golfers will admire you. I like digging out the deeper benefit because it reminds you of what is really motivating the customer. In this case, you recognize that golf is a competitive game on many levels, including "Who has the latest gizmo." But I also like Clayton's technique of dimensionalizing the benefit, because that gives you instantly usable copy. In this case: "Wooden tees are expensive! I save enough money every year for a free round of golf. Plus, I don't have the clutter of extra tees in my pocket. Not only that, my perma-tee is distinctive. My golfing buddies are always asking about it." Get the best of both techniques by combining them: Start with Feature. Go to Benefit. Go to Deeper Benefit. And then Dimensionalize! Investor's Daily Edge analyst Ted Peroulakis has just come back from a trip to South America. He's normally a pretty grounded guy. But this trip turned him into a raving enthusiast. The country he's raving about? Brazil. Ted and his wife spent a few days on a sugar plantation, visiting friends. "Huge tracts of land are reserved for agriculture, and Brazil has some of the best farmland in the world. We drove around in an ethanol-fueled car. The ethanol comes from processed sugar." The cities impressed Ted as much as the countryside. The restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and malls were bustling. "The air of optimism is amazing. There's a feeling that Brazil's economy is over the hump, and they're never looking back." Brazil is the "B" in the "BRIC" countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries -- the fastest-growing economies in the world. Until recently, Brazil was considered the weakest of the four, Ted says. But not anymore. Brazil's middle class is smaller than China's, but much more affluent. Like Russia, Brazil is resource-rich -- but it is not nearly as dependent on oil and arms exports. (In fact, a recent discovery may soon make Brazil an oil-surplus country.) And while India has a larger population than Brazil, it is constrained by greater overall poverty. Brazil is the largest country in South America, and has the world's eighth-largest economy. It also boasts some great manufacturing companies, including jet-maker Embraer and steelmaker Gerdau. Ted loves Brazil's natural resources, agricultural production, offshore oil potential, growing middle class, and expanding industrial base. Brazil is now the king of the BRIC countries, he says enthusiastically, and will continue its reign for years to come. Ted recommended a Brazilian Exchange Traded Fund, trading under the symbol EWZ, in April. His position is up 74 percent so far. And then, last Thursday, he recommended a call option on Brazil in his Options Power Trader. That one is already up 43 percent. "Things are popping," he says. Ted's fellow analysts at IDE share his enthusiasm for Brazil. And they are working on ways to profit from it. You can read about them in Sound Profits. But don't wait too long to get in on this rising tide. Brazil made the front cover of The Economist a few weeks ago. That means mainstream investors may start streaming into this opportunity -- and pushing up prices. You may have heard about the risks associated with impotence drugs. The FDA has received reports about men suffering heart attacks or losing their vision after taking them. The percentage of users affected is very small. But blindness is pretty serious. Hardly a "minor" side effect. I have known the embarrassment of impotence. It's not something I'd like to experience on a regular basis. But rushing to drugs is never a wise first move when it comes to your health. In a conversation with Total Health Breakthroughs' Managing Editor, Jon Herring, I discovered another reason to be cautious about the little blue pills. Jon said that impotence is often a sign of poor circulation. And that could be a significant factor in heart disease. The first thing you should do about poor circulation, Jon said, is exercise. Studies have shown that men who burn at least 200 calories a day through exercise are less likely to become impotent. Not only does exercise improve circulation, it increases testosterone and reduces fat -- all of which will improve sexual performance. So start with that. And then explore the many natural substitutes for impotence drugs. You'll be healthier for it, and happier. And that happiness will carry over to your partner. There are numerous benefits in owning your own business... Being financially free Reduced stress Getting rid of your boss Having more control over your life Doing something you care about Needless to say, these are the benefits of a well-lived life. And if you are reading this and thinking, "I could use more of those benefits," why not consider a home-based side business to get yourself on a positive path? There are dozens and dozens of side businesses you can start from your kitchen table. ETR contributor Paul Lawrence is a specialist at shoestring start-ups. He's had success in all sorts of enterprises. But these days, he is concentrating on information publishing and marketing his books and reports on the Internet. "That is the cheapest way to go, by far," he says. I, too, am a proponent of information publishing because of its modest cash requirements, ease of acquiring products, and suitability to direct marketing (the best selling method for the would-be entrepreneur). But the best thing about it is that everything -- from marketing to sales (and follow-up sales) to the ordering process to customer communication -- can be automated from the very beginning. The tools and services available to home start-ups today are absolutely amazing. Once you get going with an Internet-based business, you can rely on a steady stream of income, for which you really have to do nothing more than make sure your website doesn't blow up from too much business. Whether you want to eventually quit your job and ride the money train or keep working at what you do and collect extra income, an Internet business can meet your needs. There are many good programs that will teach you Internet marketing and information publishing. But the best one I know of is ETR's own Internet Money Club. Director Brian Edmondson takes you from start up to a fully functioning -- and profitable -- online business. He shows you how to match your passion to a market that you can actually make money from. Then he teaches you the same marketing strategies that Agora and Early to Rise use to build a customer list. That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to IMC. For the rest of the story, go here. With Christmas right around the corner, it would be nice to think that our economy will bounce back next year. Yes, it would be nice. And, indeed, some pundits are hopeful. The retail numbers for October were better than projected. Saks was in the black. Nordstrom's increased sales by 6.5 percent. Neiman Marcus's sales were down 6 percent, but that was a huge improvement over the 16-25 percent drops they had been experiencing. Why the pickup? Here's Andy Gordon's take: "People are already getting into the holiday spirit. "This is, after all, the one time of the year when we have a built-in excuse to buy. Sales have been suppressed for about a year. There's lots of pent-up demand out there. "But my wife's two favorite stores -- Target and Costco -- saw sales go down. When Saks does better than those two, I get nervous. Where did all the frugalistas go?" Andy notes that the less-than-affluent haven't been rushing to buy. Will Christmas lure them back? The holiday spirit, combined with lots of deep discounts, will certainly help. But I'm not optimistic. As I've mentioned before, every small businessperson I know is still cutting costs, firing employees, and singing the blues. College graduates are not finding work. Strip malls are closing and boutiques in malls are disappearing fast. The financial press continues to tout the end of the recession, but I don't see it. I'd short the retail market if I were an investor. But what do I know? Relationship Advice? We often hear from readers that our business advice can be applied in other areas. Here's what one had to say: "Just to say I very much enjoy Early to Rise. And although not quite ready to start my business, I find much that is insightful in these newsletters. Often the business advice can be applied to relationships, too, especially this one about being prepared to be wrong without feeling you are human waste!" S.S. What about you? Do you apply the advice in ETR in unexpected or unusual ways? Let us know at AskETR@ETRFeedback.com. [Ed. Note: Michael Masterson welcomes your questions and comments. Send him a message at AskMichael@ETRFeedback.com.]
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