Watch Your Tone!

Do you suffer from a crippling condition called deadline panic?

I do - and it attacked me with some ferocity recently when after a few glasses of cheering sangria I looked at my schedule for the week.

I was immediately reminded of a maxim by one of my old bosses: "Whatever you're doing, you should have started sooner" - Bill Phillips.

Bill Phillips ran Ogilvy & Mather when I sold my old agency to them, and we both like quotations.

(One of his I particularly appreciate is "A neat stall is the sign of a dead horse" - and if you saw my desk, you'd know why)

Anyhow, I realised with some alarm that I was going to Bucharest and Kiev that week to do 4 seminars, one of which I hadn't written yet.

Since it takes a couple of days' work to put together a good talk, this was quite a worry, so I started going through possible material.

And by chance I found one or two good quotations. Here is the man who wrote the first:



Did you recognise him? It is Evelyn Waugh, one of the great comic writers of the 20th century, and a wonderful stylist.

During the Second World War he and his wife used to write to each other and on one occasion he wrote complaining about how dull her letters were.

"A good letter is like a conversation," he wrote.

This reminded me of a meeting I had with the managing director of Mercedes Passenger Cars about 17 years ago when we started doing their direct marketing.

He was concerned about the tone of their copy - and in fact that is why we got the business.

We talked about this for a while, then I said,

"Have you ever actually sold cars?"

"Yes" he said.

Then I asked: "Did you talk to your customers the way you've been talking to me?"

"Yes."

"Well," I replied. "That is the kind of tone your direct mail should have."

The difference between good copy and so-so copy is largely about tone. Of course, few writers even understand the basics, but even if they do most write with a sort of half-witted enthusiasm, where everything is "fabulous" and "exciting". So the copy lacks credibility. Readers say, "Oh, come on."

The really good copy is conversational in tone, and is adapted to suit the context

Read your copy out loud. Does it sound like someone talking? It should.

And does it sound like typical "sales" copy any one of your competitors could run. It shouldn't.

The other thing to watch out for is that the language must be appropriate to the writer - and the recipient.

If you're supposed to be the chairman, write like a wise and friendly adviser. If you're writing to another chairman, write as an equal. If you're supposed to be someone who handles complaints, adapt accordingly. And so on.

It's deceptively simple - but not that easy to do. You just have to work at it.

Best,
Drayton

P.S.  This is number 25 of Drayton Bird’s 101 free helpful marketing ideas.  You can sign up on the link below for the rest.

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www.draytonbirdcommonsense.com / www.eadim.com

Who Else Wants To Write Better - Or Knows People Who Do? Friday's Response Thrilled Me To Bits (With A Couple Of Surprises)

If you follow all these disjointed ramblings you know I vented a little spleen last week about an e-mail I got, and said I would run a series of webinars on better writing.

Three things happened. First, a surprising number of people said they'd be interested, including one of the best copywriters I know. Second, the man whose firm ran the copy sent a very temperate comment whilst lolling in his second home in Italy - paid for by such seminars. And third, one of my heroes, Denny Hatch, sent a congratulatory note.

Well, thank you to everyone who replied - and what can we learn from this?

1. Many people realise that bad writing holds back careers, plays havoc and bedevils business.


2. The people who want to improve are often the people who are good already. The useless carry on regardless. So, the good get better and the bad fall further behind.


3. Quality matters more than technique. If what you offer is appealing even bad writing, within reason, won't kill it as long as the benefits are clearly described, which they were in this case.

A delightful story was told by the great cartoonist and writer Thurber about the eccentric editor of the New Yorker magazine, Harold Ross.


Ross was a gloomy nit-picker, hardly ever satisfied, and with little apparent sense of humour. On the rare occasion when he saw a contribution he liked he would murmur, "I am encouraged to go on."


Well, I am encouraged to go on - I have a few other subjects that may interest you like positioning, fund-raising, briefing, research and testing, brand building, how to present, how to be a good creative director, creative analysis and so on.


Let me know if any of those sound interesting, please - or if you have any other suggestions.


I will now prepare the better writing webinars. They will chiefly be concerned with writing to persuade - but cover everything from what to do before you write and how to manage your time to how to get ideas, with advice on better writing from George Orwell and much more.


So if more of you are interested, let me know that too.

Best,
Drayton
Websites: www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com / www.eadim.com

The Little-Known Secret to Happiness and Success

My God. Is this an important newsletter!

How many people do you know who are highly
successful?

I'd be surprised if you know more than a handful in
your entire life.

But suppose I asked you a different question.

How many people do you know who are both truly
happy and successful?

I'd wager a lot that you'd be hard pressed to name
even one or two people who are blessed with both
of these rare qualities.

I've known many, many, self-made millionaires.
Indeed, I've mentored many of them. And I know
numerous heirs to a large fortune.

Whether inherited or earned, it's indeed rare to find
even a single person in a lifetime who has unlocked
both the secrets of happiness and success.

Let's look at what does and does not provide
happiness.

For sure happiness is not about money. As
mentioned, lots or even most wealthy people are not
at all happy.

Indeed, contrary to common thought, instead of
enjoying life, many rich people are extremely
miserable and depressed.

It's not even about health. You can be physically
very healthy. But mentally you can still suffer from
sadness and depression.

Happiness is not about how big your house or yacht
may be. Or toys, fame, influential friends, or even
business success.

I'm a happiness freak!

As a small boy I concluded I didn't want to be as
miserable as the adults around me seemed. So I
decided to study the topic.

In a lifetime pursuit of personal happiness I've
invested lots of time and money in books. Seminars.
Group therapy. And studying various philosophers
and religions.

None of these pursuits, while helpful, fully
answered the crying human need we all have for
happiness.

** What is the answer to happiness? **

The good news, I believe, is surprisingly simple.

I like what President Abraham Lincoln, who
suffered so much in his life and overcame it all,
said. He made the most intelligent comment I've
ever seen on the subject of happiness.

Lincoln said, "Most folks are about as happy as they
make up their minds to be."
By contrast, most people suffer from stress and are
in a constant state of worry and anxiety. A big
contributing factor to unhappiness is to observe
others and copy them. Simply do what most humans
do. Get up in a hurry. Never examine your life.
Instead stay stressed all day long until you flop into
bed at night.

** The key to happiness **

I find that the closest any of us can come to being
happy each and every day of your life rests on a
simple important principle.

How you start your day.

It's all about how, upon awakening, you spend the
first 20 minutes.

Here is what I do each and every day. (Before I
shower or have breakfast.)

1.  When I awaken the first thing I do is verbally
acknowledge what a priceless gift this day of life
really is. We both know in our heart of hearts this
day, or any day, is promised to no one.

Our life is finite. It could end at any moment. I
simply thank my higher power for this special day.

(I won't get into long a religious discussion here. I
believe it suffices to say this. I believe there is a
higher power out there, however you wish to define
it for yourself.)

2.  I count my blessings each and every day. Both
the great big massive ones. And smaller ones too.

Big blessings for me include my health and that of
my loved ones. My children and grandchildren. My
friends. My clients. My career. My readers. My
freedoms. Books I've written. My business ideas.

Somewhat smaller blessings include my toys. My
houses in three countries. My travels. My
acquisitions. My sports, tennis, swimming, walking
and weightlifting. Books I love to read, etc.

3.  I say several personal affirmations out loud. If
you'd like a free copy of what I use, click here:

http://snipurl.com/x70r6

After the first 20 minutes I'm now mentally ready
to take on the challenge and opportunities of this
special day.

I believe that I'm a truly happy person. And the
more I follow the above procedure the more
successful and happy I seem to become.

I strongly recommend you try my 20-minute
program. Be sure you let me know your results.

Your correspondent,
Ted Nicholas

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“This article appears courtesy of THE SUCCESS
MARGIN, the Internet’s most valuable success and
marketing e-zine. For a complimentary
subscription, visit http://www.tednicholas.com/

Is this gibberish REALLY how to communicate? Hard to believe – and I have a suggestion

Do you feel successful? I don't.

Yes, I have moments of euphoria, usually after I’ve written something pretty good – but it’s not long before I decide I’m useless.

So I read about a seminar in “power talking” and “communication skills” with great interest - especially when it said that 80% of people fail at work because they don’t “relate well” to other people ...“a clear case of failed communication”.
.
Well, the seminar was cheap, the course leader is practically a genius – “multi skilled as an Occupational Psychologist, Executive Mentor, Presenter and Counsellor” - and the subject is highly relevant.

But the copy put me off. As far as I or anyone else who cares for the English language might be concerned it was indeed a case of failed communication. It had more clichés and jargon in it than a politician’s speech.

I was promised “user-friendly, high-level skills” and “solution-focused communication techniques”. There was obsessive use of expressions based on the word “impact” – “impacts on”, “impactful”, “high-impact” and “positive impact”. And naturally that shop-soiled word "engage" popped up (why not "intrigue" or "interest"?)

If that's how people who teach communication write, it explains a lot of the mindless tripe we all have to plough though - in documents, on the internet, in meetings: everywhere.

Every day you are trying to get colleagues, bosses, customers – maybe family – to do what you want. Whether you like it or not, life is one long sales pitch – and most of that selling is done in writing.

So how do you avoid boring the hell out of people? How do you write well? It really matters, as two old colleagues, Ken Roman and Joel Raphaelson, revealed in their splendid book “Writing that Works”.

It seems that when the Chief Executives of top U.S. firms were asked what they would most like to change in business, the majority pleaded: “Can someone please teach people to write better?”

Now if you’re wondering where all this has been leading, let me ask you a question.

Would you or your colleagues be interested in three short webinars on how to write better? I have been teaching this for nearly 30 years, and my normal rate is £5,000 per day. But if enough of you are interested I will do them for £39 each.

In my time I’ve written books, scripts, articles, ads, brochures, presentations, speeches, emails, editorials – you name it – and got paid for them all. I’ll tell you what I’ve learned.

The last time I did a seminar on this subject it was for the world's largest conference organisers. People said the were "inspired". I can't guarantee such giddy heights of joy, but I think you'll find it worth it.

Can you take a second to email me and say if this interests you? Just write saying yes or no to Drayton@draytonbird.com.

And, just so I know where you're coming from, do me a favour and type in 'marketing sleuth' anywhere in the email.

Thanks!

Best,
Drayton

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Website: www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com / www.eadim.com

Drayton Bird: Understanding People

Drayton Bird on why understanding people is good for good marketing.

How The Richest Guy In "Information & Education" Did It

Would you believe that there's a guy who has made himself billions selling information and education... that you've probably NEVER heard of?

Go watch this free video to see how he did it (and how
you can ride the same trend that he's riding to create
income for yourself):

http://gurublueprint-go.directanddigitalmarketing.com/

You'll also learn a time when money can NEVER be
made - and how to make sure you avoid the mistake
of trying when it's literally impossible.

As you've probably seen, most of the big money that's
being made online right now by "regular people" who
are working from home in the "Information Products" and
coaching business.

In this video, you'll learn why this is, how the trends are
changing, and what to do NOW so you can capitalize
on what's coming (and why home-based businesses
have a higher chance of success than businesses that
are NOT run from home).

You'll also learn why so many more people are heading
for tough financial times because they aren't creating
their own online "Information Businesses."

This video is taught by a guy who has sold a hundred

MILLION dollars worth of Information Products, by the

way.

Here's the link again, watch this video NOW if you want
to take full financial advantage of this little-known
information:

http://gurublueprint-go.directanddigitalmarketing.com/

This video will only be online for another couple of days,
so watch it right now.

Best,
Rezbi

Space Advertising Secrets

Perhaps the best-known secret of the world's most successful Internet marketers is this.

Applying the hard-won lessons learned in building successful marketing campaigns offline to the online marketing arena is the reason for the really big successes.

While, of course, everything offline does not apply exactly to online marketing, the major principles do.

As attractive as marketing on the Internet can be, I submit it's a big mistake to limit yourself to any advertising medium, online or offline. Ideally, you use a combination of both.

Today I'm going to discuss offline space advertising.

It's a great and profitable skill to actually sell products and services right off the page in magazines and newspapers.

In fact, you can make a huge fortune quickly once you learn the secrets of marketing utilizing space advertising.

But perhaps because there are several critically important things which very few people in the world know, almost all marketers who try space ads fail miserably.

Failed space advertisers tend to quit in disgust. And considerably poorer. And not necessarily wiser. Even worse, they simply don't know what they did wrong.

Those who have followed my career know that for 21 years I was perhaps the most successful user of space advertising in the U.S. to sell products directly off the page.

Frankly, most people think my unprecedented space ad success is due completely to my copywriting skills. And while, of course, powerful copy plays a big part, there's  much more to the picture.

Here are some basic tips regarding what I learned the hard way in over 20 years.

** The look of the ad **

The way most space ads are laid out, whether created by direct marketers or ad agencies, practically scream, "I'm an ad." This is a huge mistake.

Consumers don't like to read advertising as such. They do seek and enjoy information. Your ad should scream "Here is some valuable information." That's why all my ads have an editorial look.

Copy should be dense. Column length of body copy should be no wider than a good newspaper or magazine. A full-page ad should have 3 columns.

Photos when used should be mostly of people, not products. Products in an ad will immediately flag out that you may--God forbid--be selling something. This tends to turn  people off. People should be looking directly at the camera. Photos should always, always be captioned.

Tip: Once again, for the umpteenth time, a great headline is critical to the success of the ad. Without a compelling headline, your ad doesn't stand a chance of succeeding.

** The position of the ad **

In a magazine, a space ad should always be on a right-hand page. And it should be up front in the magazine, ideally on the first five right-hand pages. When a space ad is, for  example, on page 177, your results will be extremely light. Reason? Most people are so busy they do not get a chance to read the entire magazine.

Ads on left-hand pages generally produce less than half the sales of a right-hand page. You must insist on a right-hand page. Or pull the ad.

In a newspaper, urgently request your ad also be above the fold.

** The media selection **

A great ad in the wrong media will bomb. You must choose magazines and newsletters carefully. In the U.S., Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) can be subscribed to or found in a good library. Every magazine and newspaper published and worth considering is listed. A good basic approach is to simply call publications in which you may be  interested and request a media kit.

The media kit will contain all kinds of useful demographic information and a sample of the magazine.

Tip: Avoid publications which have no direct response or mail order ads. This indicates the readers are not accustomed to buying off the page.

** Cost of media **

Advertising rates are almost always negotiable. At my seminars I teach a negotiating technique which usually reduces advertising costs by 50% to 80%.

** Space ad copy **

The copy style, beginning with the headline, must be even more powerful and "tighter" than a sales letter, where comparatively you get away with murder. You must  mercilessly cut any unnecessary words or sloppy phrasing.

** Legal factors **

While the following is not legal advice (I am not an attorney), I will give you a few practical ideas.

Once you seriously begin advertising in space, your activities are much more visible to everyone. This includes, of course, your competition. And government agencies.

Tip: More people will try to cash in on your success, "rip off" your successful ads. My ads have been ripped off by many marketers (the names of some of them would shock you).

A good protective step which costs nothing is to add to each ad you produce the copyright symbol © followed by the words Copyright, followed by the year and your  company name. This helps to provide you common law copyright protection. Often a cease and disease letter from you or your attorney will prevent further violations of  your copyright.

As to government agencies, if your ad is on the edge or actually breaking some law, you will undoubtedly hear about it sooner than otherwise.

Adding space advertising done correctly to your marketing program can easily put millions of additional sales in your bank account.

But, you must get the details right. As with all marketing, success is in the margin.

Your correspondent,
Ted Nicholas

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“This article appears courtesy of THE SUCCESS MARGIN, the Internet’s most valuable success and marketing e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit  http://www.tednicholas.com/