Dan Kennedy - Advanced and Comprehensive Copywriting Bootcamp
DVD 01
Information is the least important component of what info marketers do. People do not want to buy information.
The business is based on building writing copy that motivates people to buy and you should not outsource it.
Read Think and Grow Rich in the context of a sales letter. It’s a sales letter masquerading as a book.
Before We Write A Word You Need:
Inside info you have about your business
Your clients & prospects
Your product or service
What has worked up to now
What hasn’t worked
How they bought before
Competition
Everything about others who are successfully selling to the market over a sustained period of time
How did they evolve to get there
Comparables
Sell different stuff to the same market
Sell using the same media
How do you pick the magazines to advertise in??
Besides the obvious ones you should find where successful competitors or comparables have been advertising for 4 or more months (past test phase) and advertise there
Sell using the same price point
Industry or market information
What can you get from resource sources to get a complete picture about the prospect such as
demographics,
geographics,
Statistics
Psychological
Trade publications often carry out surveys
Sales Strategy
Payments or no payments
Start low and go high
Get competitions copy and look for commonalities
Build a strategy on how you will create and use your copy
Psychology of Copy
Who Buys Info?
What Do They Actually Buy?
Why Do They Buy / Not Buy?
The Hurdles To Overcome
Who Buys Info?
Slight Edge Buyers
Successful already, eager to do better
Looking for a new twist
They believe there is something else to be discovered and in search of the slight edge
Generally best customers of all & Easy to satisfy
Little hinges can swing big doors
Junkies and Addicts
Passionate and deep interest in a subject or subjects
Hobbiest buyers such as gunsmithing, etc
Attachment to a particular author(s)
They will want everything you do
Reinforcement Buyers
The Limbaugh Syndrome
(why extreme and clear philosophical position matters)
They reinforce the opinions they already have i.e. they want to be told they are right and validate what they already believe
Have a clear philosophical position to voice in your copy
Unplugged Joiners
Why 'recent expires' lists are so valuable in newsletter business
They need to belong – 30% of the population
If they get unplugged they are looking for the next thing immediately, they are not leaving the area of interest
Good for joint ventures
Chronically unsatisfied
Legitimately disappointed
Move-ups
The Lonely
Desperate ...Life Raft Grabbers & Magic Pill Buyers
Confronting new or unexpected adversity, sudden change, marketplace disruption
Good buyers
Another section in this are Perennial losers
Never do anything with what they buy and always bad mouth what they buy
Do things in your copy to discourage them
Life Event-Driven Buyers
Mid-Life Crisis
Why Boomer Demographics are so important
Divorced guy 45 to 50yrs old
Read Marketing to the Affluent
We are trying to do 2 difficult things with copy:
Create a connection from a distance
Sell an intangible
Connection
Copy is about Connection. Most people handicap themselves severely by insisting on crafting "one size fits all" messages and delivering them to too broad of an audience and try to overcome the handicap with extraordinary copy.
They sacrifice connection
If your client list has different categories then each category should be spoken to differently.
Difference in geography can affect this to.
You need better matched copy.
You need a precise match as close as you practically can.
They all think that my life/situation is different and you must overcome this in your copy as they converse with it. Your copy must talk to them.
You need Empathy
The more you disclose the more people with connect with you. Disclose things that most people would not reveal. The more you reveal the better the chance someone will connect with that topic.
DK used to reveal that he was bankrupt in his Magnetic Marketing speech.
He revealed that he stuttered
There are 11 disclosures in that speech.
Current Events
This requires you to update your copy all the time to stay current.
What already going on in their minds is related to current events
Anchors
You can connect to anchors that people already have a sense about
Ben Suarez ad page 14 – only the mantle is Amish
Amish means to people old fashioned values, great craftsmanship, trustworthy, etc
It creates instant trust
Are you ready to step up to the big leagues page 17
The age of the target prospects all had the pedal car in the photo and wished they had the convertible
T.J. Rohleder letter sends photos, reasons for photos and detailed descriptions of his small town as to convey what they are not selling. Small town means trustworthiness in peoples’ heads.
What Do They Actually Buy?
What They DON'T Buy (Or Buy LEAST)
Products
Information
Education
What They DO Buy...
Ideas & Concepts
the concept of the 4 hour week for example
Antidote, Solution
Relief - from pain, frustration
Positive Benefits
HOPE of a better life
End Result Outcomes - Meaningful Specifics
Amounts of money to be made
Tools
Not the easiest to sell
Speed / Convenience
"Secrets"
Personality, connection with
Association
Status, Recognition, Respect
Safety, Security
Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.
Why Do They Buy?
They arrive at a place and have Confidence or Lack of Confidence to buy. The need confidence in:
Seller
Seller's Basic Premise (people can earn more by using these strategies, someone who hates selling can learn how to do it)
Seller's Understanding of Them (they will not buy from someone who does not understand them)
Seller's Factual Assertions (you know as facts but they don’t so you need to back it up)
Quality / Legitimacy of Product
Seller's Promises (how do they get their money back, back of magnetic marketing has a bit about how many have been refunded and this backs up this point)
Value Proposition
Urgency (why do they have to do it now)
Advanced Secret: They need confidence in themselves
Clicks On A Dial – Copy Devices
Plug-in
.... can be used in different places; in some cases for different purposes
Template
..... as close to fill-in-blank as can get .
Purposed
..... used to achieve a particular objective
Inventory
..... you have your own
..... you have an extensive 'swipe file'
Important Copy Devices Frequently Used
Origin Story
(Blackie Story) – dying mans secret
How you got to be where you are and why you are there selling them your stuff
Charles Atlas story – the bully kicked sand in his face, never going to happen again and he turns into this body. If he can do it, anyone can do it. This of course sent him on a mission to save other weaklings from trauma and embarrassment and turns them into body builders too
John Alanis has a good one.
Story Of Two Men
Wall Street Journal letter
Could be 2 parents, restaurants, bald guys, etc...
What This Is Not
Describe what it isn’t
Who is this for
Who is this not for
Good ad on page 36
Especially good if the offer is not that appealing
"They All Laughed, Until ... "
Page 42 Dave Dee ad
Before/After
Ground Floor Opportunity
Tastes Like Chicken
This is how you explain something to someone that is hard to understand
For example when describing what rabbit tastes like, we say it tastes like chicken
Example page 48 – doctors office, country club & restaurant
Picture this / Imagine this
Create a mental picture
Against the enemy/Ally on your side
Reason why
People want to know why you are selling this to them other than money
Page 43 Paragraph 3 today,....
Page 44 Why am i..
Specific Devices
Presentation of Price
Apples-Oranges comparison
Price minimization
Objections
Reasons not to buy = best reasons of all to buy
Stubborn skeptical converted
Most people treat all the objections the same with the guarantee. But this isn’t the only way. 100% guarantee is good but no cigar and doesn’t invoke real intrigue. You need good language
The other way is through proof. Testimonials.
What you use if you are starting out is proof of concept.
Page 53 has generic proof that isn’t related to what he is selling. It works
Page 54 psycho cybernetics plays on safety in numbers
Joe Karbo page 56 this includes every device in one ad such as origin story then into before/after and they laughed. Next column is proof. The only proof is newspapers saying how good the book is from a book critic. It’s proof because the headline says proof. He creates a picture with reading and going to the beach. It has doesn’t require..(what it’s not). It has an apple oranges (book is compared to something that is not a book)
Procrastination
Reason not to = best reason to act now
Wish I had done this sooner
What we regret most story
You want to use every device you can in copy.
DVD 02
GKIC Webstore Customer Path
Google AdWords
Learn from Bill Glazer
Should be testing this a lot with google analytics
All this is for is a free marketing tips course but they do make offers as it goes along
Squeeze Page
Also should be tested a lot
Photos
Testimonials (they found taking them out helped conversion!!)
First one did a lot better
Thank You Page
Most valuable real estate you can have
Make an offer on it to move them from opt in to buyer
First one did better (ugly ones convert better)
Product Page (UpSell)
Name goes in top left corner
Always be taking them to the next step
$613 offer
Success Marketing Strategies Emails
They have 700 of them
2 per week
They all have links to the webstore
or a specific product that is relevant to the email
or to the $613 offer
GKIC Webstore
Most Incredible FREE Gift Ever
This converted 5.8% with their best online letter and now the video is now a 9.3% converter.
Traffic comes from:
Affiliate Email
DanKennedy.com
MIFGE Video 1 (Bill)
MIFGE Video 2 (Bill & Dan)
6 Email Follow-Up Sequence
Online Video
Currently one of the biggest opportunities in your marketing (and if you're not using it, you're missing out)
We've been trained (television) to receive information by watching people
When most people visit a website they are inundated with text and more text. Having video differentiates you
Video caters to audio, and two visual senses
You are in more control of the process. This is huge. You are in control of how the information is delivered. You don’t have this with written words.
Tips when using Online Video
Use less text
Use a combination of talking heads (you on screen), PowerPoint style text, and scrolling text.
Test letting your visitors know how long the video is (make your video only as long as it needs to be). You generally get away with 10mins or less. They may be at the office
Know when and when NOT to use auto play. You need to test this too. BG likes auto play because it keeps him in control.
Test using Music Scores
Video is just another form of Direct Response Marketing
Headline
Make a BIG Promise (early)
Urgency (At the beginning and the end)
Explain Features and Benefits (what you are going to get and what it will do for them)
Explain the Guarantee (Risk Reversal)
Testimonials and Case Studies
Bonuses (and Stacking Bonuses)
Value Build and Price Expectation (apples to orange)
Have a Call To Action (Act NOW!!)
You have to lead them by the hand.
MIFGE Video 1 (Bill)
Enter your information came up after 15 seconds to get them to watch some of the video
He talks faster than he normally talks
Time is valuable so they sped the video up to where it plays 10% faster
It’s really a squeeze page
MIFGE Video 2 (Bill & Dan)
Reason why – respect and care about entrepreneurs
The time is stated on the top and counts down at 2 minutes a time
Bill does the offer
3 webinars on speed is what was being sold here
Webinar 1- 10 big breakthroughs in business life
1) how to avoid being a advertising victim
2) Easiest customer to sell
3) Second easiest customer to sell
4) Hidden goldmine
5) Big mistake
6) Get better customers seeking you out
Webinar 2 – sales letters
Lee Milteer webinar 3 productivity
Bonus session with Dan putting it all together
3 bonus online workbooks
2 full months of free gold membership
If you would like to take advantage of this offer now - Order link comes on when 3 webinars are mentioned
People need to understand what they are getting
Use continuity language such as automatic billing
All they did was read the last written letter
6 Follow-Up Emails
1) Frankly ... I'm Puzzled!!
2) The Top Three Reasons...
3) Members Speak!
4) Answers to Common Questions...
5) A Video is Worth a Thousand Words...
6) I Give Up!
The Phenomenon Re-launch
Pre-Launch Emails (to build a list of people who have interest)
4 prelaunch emails that ask them to look at videos for feedback
1st & 2nd ask them to do the survey
3rd & 4th ask them to look at another video
The idea is to give them lots of content to build desire and get them involved in the process
Survey (to find 'hot' buttons)
Page 51
3) Survey is posted on a Blog
4) Re-launch - Video List Emails
Sends videos to opt in list
1. I'm concerned
2. "I Won't Apologize" - Dan Kennedy
3. Video #3: The Story of Practitioner 10X!
4. Time is running out!
5. [First Name], open before 9/17
6. 4th video - "How can you trigger it?"
7. Sneak Preview (open before 1:30 Eastern)
8. The All-New Phenomenon is LIVE!
9. An important reminder (pls. act)
10. The truth about "mindset"
11. An important "Saturday" note
12. 38+ minutes of Dan-on-Demand (new bonus)
13. Too bad about this
14. Your deadline is Midnight on Sunday (last chance)
These went out before it went on sale over a period of 2 weeks
Videos
Release date
There is an offer to sell
4 constant videos for them to watch during the course of the 14 emails
Order Process
Preview Video
Brian Sacks name your own price
Reason why is that they want to find the next class of practitioners
2. Online Sales Letter
3. Follow-Up Emails to Non-Buyers
4. Order Page
5. Upsell to Live Event (Thank You Page)
Give them an option to read the letter instead of the video of their connection is crap
Moves them to online sales letter and then to oreder form
6. Follow-Up Upsell Emails to Buyers
7. Upsell Video
8. Offline Sales Letter
Same letter thats online
Has a calendar that shows the date
7) Post-Order Process
Key part
Getting Inside Your Customers Head
Mistakes my prospects make
List 12 in 20 mins
What to do with your list of Prospects Mistakes:
Mark off the ones that .....
Mistakes that they don't know their making
Mistakes that they think they should be doing (but shouldn't)
Building Your Own "Sydney" (your ideal prospect)
Describe your ideal customer's traits (i .e. age, personality, how they live, what they enjoy doing, political affiliation, religion, male vs. female, marital status, children/grandchildren, etc. etc. etc.
Name your "Sydney" and determine his or her 8 most common traits from your long list of traits:
Establish Credibility With Your "Sydney" By Building Out Your Own Story Letting Him/Her Know That You Know What It's Like To Be In Their World:
NOTE: If I were "Sydney, how would I like to be talked to?
Use YOU or YOUR
Say it in the clearest and simplest way you can
Using 3D Mail In Your Info-Business to cut through the mailbox clutter
3D Mail has length, width and depth outperforming the same mailing
without the 3D item.
3D Mail is typically on the top of the stack.
Mailing that is different get's noticed (Most mail is boring)
While 3D Mail cost more , it typically pays for itself in much higher response rates
3D Mail Can Also Be Used As A "Freemium"
(When you send somebody something of value for free, they feel obligated to at least give your mailing their time)
Eight Reasons to use 3D Mail In Your Info-Business
Increase Response
Generate Leads:
Reduce Returns:
After the sale, send follow up 3D mailings (often called a 'stick' campaign) to reinforce the purchase your client has just made
Reactivate Lost Clients/Customers/Members Example:
A three step campaign :
Step 1: A Boomerang with a headline We Want You Back
Step 2 : A compass with the headline Are you Lost?
Step 3: A small plastic bug is inserted into the envelope with the
headline, This is the last time I’m going to bug you!!
Drive Offline to Online
Stimulate referrals
More business with current clients
Find qualified prospects at a trade show
DVD 03
Thou Shalt Not Underestimate The Difficulty Of The Task
"Nothing can keep 'em from not coming to the ballpark." - Yogi Berra
Examples of· THE HURDLES to overcome
Works, But Not For Me .... Because
People are magically powerful at disqualifying themselves. If they can come up with an excuse, they will.
You need to deal with these with testimonials
They are working out why it won’t work for them
Not Using What I Already Know
You must address this
Won't Use (Waste Of Money)
Investing in yourself requires a relatively high standard of self esteem
Too Hard To Do
You must make it as magic pill as possible
You must make it sound as easy as possible
Never say the word “work”
Spouse/Associate Disapproval
They might have to justify the purchase to someone else and if they don’t feel they can then they won’t buy
ADVANCED SECRET: I Bought A Lot the last time I went (Fear I Don't Want To Buy More)
If I go I will buy more.
This is a big problem for niche players who are filling seminars with the same people
Problems Of Being Away From Business
Time I Too Busy .... Bad Timing (Go Next Time)
This is my busy season
Costs I Inconvenience I Fear of Travel
Fear heightened by 9/11
People also have funny ideas about travelling
Can't Afford It (Now)
A reluctance of spending the money
Too Smart For Room
They think they know it all
Too Dumb For Room
The more you make the copy for the veteran they might think they are too dumb
Writing Copy To Sell Seminars, Boot Camps & Conferences
What is it about?
Speakers
Sessions
Titles and subject of sessions
Activities
Fun / Entertainment
Exhibits
Gold Plus room
Networking
T shirts & caps
Panels
ADVANCED SECRET: You’ve gotta give people take-home Stories
You must point out in your copy that they will be taking home great cocktail party stories
Set Rory Fatt on fire, Shot out of a cannon, come in on a elephant, celebrity speaker
People get pushed over the edge by getting a photo with Gene Simmons
Get the photos taken in front of a banner of your company
Telling them about all this beforehand is more important
ADVANCED SECRET: "History In The Making" Event
Theme
Yanik Silver’s spy theme
Give you an umbrella to put everything else under
Sets up the marketing
Marketing comes first and then fit the seminar around it
Making your event into a place to be
Make it easy for people to socialize
Networking
ADVANCED SECRET: Place To Be / Be Seen
The place to be in your industry
A place where it is important to be seen
Shopping Opportunities
ADVANCED SECRET: Reinforcement Of Status or Aspirations - "I Am Because I Belong & Am Here"
This is where people I want to be like go
Outcomes
Examples:
Renegade Millionaire on page 6 states activities to over come just another seminar
Rory Fatt Circus theme with circus theme and language with side shows. If you are going to use theme, use it all they way through.
Theme effects copy, the speakers you choose and how you write the copy about those speakers to tie them into the theme
It has busy in the office copy
He had the event in a tent
Animal crackers grabbers
Whole sequence is circus themed
Advanced Secrets
Place To Be / Be Seen - Attendance Is Mandatory
Make it sound in your copy like it is the place to be
Have the assumptive position that this is where your people go every year because that’s what they do
Light finally going on inside their head
This is the answer to them not doing anything with what they bought.
The room is full of people just like you who haven’t done anything but they the light went on when they were here and they went home and did all manner of great things
Making speakers relevant
You must connect the speakers with the prospects
Have they spoken to your type of prospect before?? Do they have relevant testimonials??
You have to also make them relevant to your theme
Talk to different prospective attendees differently
People too smart and people too dumb
You need to divide them and speak to them differently
People who were at last years bootcamp
People who skipped last year but went to the other ones
Newbies
Driving distance
Long distance
People who have bought but never attended a bootcamp
People in a small town
People in a big city
Advanced Advanced Secret
To influence, be a person of influence.... in their lives
Do this in your newsletters and copy and reveal things about yourself
Joe Karbo said the best writing was like writing a letter to catch up with an old friend
It’s what you would do naturally
Q&A
Going straight from content to sales copy is a big leap. You need to have a relationship with the herd (they like you, are inspired by you). If all you are delivering is content then it will be tough. You also need to be delivering personal contents. You can also do a survey asking them what they want. Report back the results of the survey and be the great savior and sell it to them. They essentially have given you permission to ask them for money.
You need to address the recession in your copy but you need to make whatever you are selling the solution to it.
There are online resources for using material in your letters. There is as book called the direct mail law-book that goes into the nitty gritty of this.
The copy for seminars is much the same copy for membership sites. The big commonality it trying to get them come to a place. The big difference is that there isn’t as many physical barriers to get them to go. One of the barriers of moving people from offline to online is underestimating the difficulty of the task.
The way GK gets women to events, they allow people to bring their spouses at a greatly reduced cost and they have break-out sessions for women only. They also have female speakers specifically for this purpose.
When promoting a bootcamp after the deadline, you should segment your list into:
People on the list for 6 months or less
People on the list greater than 6 months
People who have bought from you before
People who came to the last event but didn’t register for this one
Speak to each differently and make different offers to each list. For example if you have a new member you might make a more generous offer. After this then you do the “I’m puzzled copy as a last ditch effort.” Some people only make decisions at the last minute anyway. GK use 101 contacts for the seminar (this includes newsletter inserts).
The time to start promoting your next event is at the current event. The time to really start all the contacts is 6 months before it.