ULTIMATE

MONEYMAKING
NEWSPAPER

By David Fowler
The nation's #1 newspaper ad expert
 Editor: Sheila Ketabian
Book Design: Wesley Doyle

Ultimate Moneymaking Newspaper Ads Copyright 2009 by Ads-Up Publishing.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form
without written permission except for brief quotes used for the purpose of a book
review. Please send inquiries to: Publisher, Ads-Up Publishing, 2229 Lagoon View
Drive, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007.

Printed in the USA

 THE WAY IS LAID OUT. JUST

"The most effective ads you'll ever see

are some form of irresistible bribery."
- David Fowler
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface 1

Introduction 3

Section 1
Be ready to grow your business before you advertise
Step 1: Know what ads WORK in newspapers 8

Step 2: Create ads that grow your business 16

Step 3: Know the purpose of your print ad 19

Step 4: Create a niche that attracts ideal prospects 24

Step 5: Set goals for your ads 32

Step 6: Use a database to sell your customers more stuff, more often 36

Step 7: Track your leads and measure your results 40

Step 8: Overcome the biggest result-killing competitors 42

Section 2
How to create ultimate moneymaking ads
Step 1: Target the ideal prospect 46

Step 2: Know what prospects are really buying 51

Step 3: Romance your prospects to "YES!" 57

Step 4: Make your offer REALLY irresistible 61

Step 5: Write a headline that compells prospects to read it...OR ELSE THEY WON'T! 67

Step 6: Write a call to action phrase that prompts immediate response 76

Step 7: Determine if you need "short" or "long" copy. 82

Step 8: Give readers the "proof" they need to respondand more will 86

Step 9: Use pictures that support your offer. 91

Step 10: Use type that's instantly readable 96

Step 11: Design an effective layout 102

Step 12: Pre-Test your ads 112

Direct Response Ad-Builder Strategy Form 114

Summing it up 118
PREFACE
In case you haven't noticed, there's a lot of negative press about newspaper advertising floating around.

The rumor is it doesn't work anymore.

I agree. Most of the so-called "advertising" you see in newspapers across the country, doesn't work. By that
I mean, most ads lack the essential strategies needed to generate a significant number of leads and sales. And
when ads don't drive enough quality leads and sales, naturally advertisers look for other ways to invest their
marketing dollars.

Also when their ads don't work, rather than look at their own methods, a lot of people blame the newspaper
instead.

But do ads fail because newspapers really don't work? No. Newspapers capture millions of readers every
single day. Newspaper readers do read the articles. They do read the editorials. And they do read, (or at least
glance at), the ads.

The problem with newspaper advertising lies with the people who create them. Because most of them don't
have a clue what they're doing.

I wrote this book to show businesses and newspapers exactly how to create effective newspaper ads.

And when I say "effective", I'm talking about the kind of results that have the power to blow the lid off
response rates and sales.

So when the skeptics, (the people who don't know the principles for creating effective ads), say newspapers
are past their prime, or that they don't work, I say, look at the response rates generated by the people who do
know how to create moneymaking newspaper ads. Then decide if newspaper ads work or not.

Here are some real numbers given to me by some of the people whose ads I showcase in this book:

Jon Spoelstra's newspaper ads routinely generate between $7 and $14 for every $1 spent on an average
placement.

Steve Wexler's newspaper ads routinely generate up to $10 for every $1 spent on an average placement.

Bill Fryer's newspaper ads routinely generate between $7 and $11 for every $1 spent on an average
placement.

I recently created a small space ad that brought my client 10,000 leads and $500,000 in sales in 3 days; a full
page ad that brought my client $960,000 in new business within 6 months; another full page ad in small markets
that brings my client $80,000 in revenues per weekeach time the ad runs.

1
 Yes, all from newspaper ads...that supposedly don't work anymore.

Are these "freakish" results abnormal in the world of newspaper advertising? In other words, did I have
to hunt high and low to unearth the only ad results like this in the world just to write a book about it to prove
newspaper ads are effective?

No. I didn't do that.

The ad results above are consistently common for this group of uncommon marketers. And similar results
could be yours tooIF you learned and applied the principles you'll find in this book.

--David Fowler
Cardiff by the Sea, California

2
INTRODUCTION

guessing...and start
using the proven strategies for creating
newspaper ads that bring you 200%, 300%,
500% or more return on your money.
I have to assume you're reading a book about newspaper advertising because your ads don't work.
Or they barely workjust eking out a few calls or leads.

In any case, your ads are costing you money, leads, and frustration.

There's a reason your ads are failing. And it's not because the newspaper doesn't work anymoreit
does. The reason your ads don't work is because MOST of what you think is right about newspaper
advertising is wrong.

In fact, most of what newspapers themselves know, most of what ad agencies know, and most of what
your competitors know about newspaper advertising is wrong too.

I only know your approach is wrong because I learned (from failing a lot more times than you have)
which strategies do work.

This book prescribes a radically different way to write and design newspaper ads than you're prob-
ably used to.

In fact, the ideas in this book are so different from the traditional ideas found in most ads that even
if you decide to use them you'll lay yourself wide open to criticism.. .probably lots of it. You may be
laughed at. You may get ridiculed by other businesses or business associates. Heck, even your own fam-
ily members and friends may criticize you. And you'll certainly be disliked and bad-mouthed by com-
petitors.

But take that as a good sign. It means you're on the right track.

I think the biggest challenge you'll face as you adopt the ideas in this book will be standing up to
social pressure and ridicule.

I know this is true from experience. In several cases, I've created ads for businesses that quickly
brought a ridiculous downpour of new leads and sales, and the owners of those businesses turned around
and dropped the ad campaigns because they couldn't handle the family and social pressure caused by the
"image" and content of their new ads.

3
 If you're serious about growing your business quickly, be prepared to have your self-esteem tested...
maybe a lot.

And if financial success and security is of paramount importance to you, find the guts to use the ideas
I'm about to present in these steps. I'm betting the money you'll make will help you resist the strong
social tendency to move with the crowd whose own marketing efforts produce lukewarm results at best.
Remember the best fruit is out on the limb!

You know, for years I've heard many of the so-called brightest marketing and advertising "experts"
proclaim newspaper advertising doesn't work anymore. They claim the audience has moved online and
that newspapers are past their prime.

That's a silly argument. Hundreds of millions of people have read a newspaper today.

When you question the people who insist newspaper ads don't work, you'll find in reality these
people are talking about their ads.. .THEIR newspaper ads don't work.

I have overwhelming proof that newspaper ads not only work; they work like gangbusters. In fact, I
recently created an ad for a client who attended one of my ad workshops that resulted in 233 leads to his
business in 3 days.

I'm not saying this to brag but to tell you the newspaper as a sales medium for growing your business
is extremely effective.. .IF you learn the strategies and techniques in this book.

In this book you'll see a lot of actual examples of highly successful newspaper ads which illustrate
the points being made. And the examples are from ads that I've written or were written by other top
copywriters. The point is this: each example was selected to dramatically prove how the right newspaper
ad strategies will increase your leads and sales.

In the ad workshops I conduct, there's always someone who voices what I suspect most of the others
in the audience are thinking: "If newspaper advertising is so effective, why am I getting fewer and fewer
results from my ads?"

And when I see their ads, I realize I've seen these same problems a thousand times
over. The repeat issues are:

0 The ad isn't targeted to get the attention of the right prospect.

^ There's no compelling or irresistible offer in the headline.

^ There's little or no "proof" to substantiate the offer.

Q There's too much emphasis on the look or image of the ad and too
little emphasis on sales.

0 There's no compelling reason for prospects to respond NOW.

4
 When you apply the principles in this book, you won't make these mistakes anymore.

And just in case you're wondering, this book you won't teach you anything about IMAGE ads
the ones with pretty pictures and few words. And there won't be anything about writing CLEVER or
WITTY headlines or copy, and absolutely nothing about designing GRAPHICALLY BALANCED
ads those delicate pieces of fine art that make designers go "Ahhhhh."

In some cases, I even opt for graphically UNBALANCED ads because they're more effective.

This book is about generating massive amounts of leads and sales to your business...and using "di-
rect response" newspaper ads to do it.

Direct response ads are the only ads I know that are fully accountable for sales. They're account-
able because their response rate is "measurable." Response is measured by tracking mechanisms like
coupons, dedicated phone numbers, or some prescribed action that measures response so that sales and
revenue can be tracked back to the ad itself.

Done correctly, direct response ads don't even look like adsthey look more like editorial content
of the paper or an urgent message.

True, these ads usually have more text than most ads.

And no, they're not very pretty...unless you think increased sales are pretty.

Like I do.

Okay, so let me give you some advice for reading this book: Drop your assumptions about what
you think makes a good ad. (Remember, you're reading this book because YOUR IDEAS DON'T
WORK.)

And don't skip steps. This book gives you a logical sequence for building successful ads. The meth-
odology is proven, and if you follow the steps your ads will improve your bottom line.

Finally, apply what you're learning to your adsas you read. Also test each new applied idea as
you go, and you will see a BIG difference in the number of leads you attract and the money you make.

I also want you to read and devour everything written by Ted Nicholas, Dan Kennedy, Jon Spoel-
stra, Jay Abrahams and Gary Bencivengawho make up the greatest brain trust of direct-marketing
know-how on the planet. I'm constantly learning something new and valuable from each of them. You
will too.

This book signals the end of newspaper advertising as we know it. Embrace the new strategies and
you will skyrocket your ad's response rate.

5
 Warning:
If you create one more newspaper ad
without first reading and applying
every sales proven, response-generating,
moneymaking idea in this book,
don't complain when your ads DON'T work.

6
 BE PREPARED
TO GROW BEFORE
YOU ADVERTISE

In this section you'll learn:

Exactly what kind of ads work in the newspaper and

HOW they work.
The one and ONLY objective your ad has
The purpose your ad serves in growing your business
How to create a niche that attracts the right prospects
How to set goals for your ads
How to track and measure your ads response
How to beat your REAL competitors

7
STEP 1
Know what ads WORK in the newspaper

OVERVIEW:
There is only ONE kind of ad that works successfully in the newspaper, and this step tells you exactly
what kind of ad it is. This step also tells you why this particular ad works best. Pay attention because
it's critical you learn and apply the information here to get maximum profit from this book.

Let's get right to the heart of it. The only kind of ads that work successfully in the newspaper to pull mas-
sive leads and sales are DIRECT RESPONSE ADS.

And the reason direct response ads work so well in the newspaper,
(and pay close attention to this insight), is because

THE NEWSPAPER IS
A PERFECT DIRECT-
RESPONSE MEDIUM.

So there are two things you need to know. One: Exactly what is a direct response ad? And Two: What
makes the newspaper a perfect direct response medium?

8
 Before I explain what a direct response ad is, let me show you what a typical ad looks like. The following ad was
written by an excellent direct response copywriter, Bill Fryer. Bill lives in the U.K., but writes for the U.S. market too.

Those people who say they "wouldn't read all this
copy" are not afflicted by "High Blood Pressure".
It's a serious topic and this ad specifically targets
those who sufferand makes a product sales
presentation effectively because it's hidden in what
appears to be an "article".
This very successful direct response ad works because
the "testimonial teaser" headline pulls in a targeted
reader. Using a testimonial to sell a health benefit is a
very effective method. Note the incentive to respond
quickly? "Shipping and handling is free if you re-
spond to this advertisement within 14 days".

9
 As its name implies, a direct response ad compels the target audience to respond directly to the offer made
in the advertising.

You're probably thinking that's why you run ads already. Right? Well, the difference between your ads and
these is a direct response ad uses a specific strategy to compel response. Another difference is the leads and
sales they generate are measurable and can be tracked back to the ad itself.

By contrast, most of the ads running in today's newspaper are "branding" or "awareness" ads. Or they
could be image ads, sale ads, informational ads, business card style ads, or ads that spotlight products, product
lines, sales staff or customers.

Most of the ads in the newspaper are not trackable, so real results cannot be defined. I personally think a lot
of ad designers and creators prefer it that way.

And if you use any of these ads, you already know...they DON'T WORK. They do not have the "response
triggers" necessary to drive massive amounts of leads or sales to your business.

Here are the basic elements that comprise a direct response ad:
They always target a specific reader.
They always sell something the target audience wantsnow.
They always have an offer.
They always give the prospect a reason to respondright now.
They always have strong, factual copynot fluff or exaggerated hype.
They always have tracking mechanisms in the ad, like dedicated phone numbers or coupons or some
tracking device. And...
They are tracked so results can be measured.

Now here's the answer to the second question...

What makes the newspaper a great direct response medium?

There's a 2 part answer.

1. How people read the newspaper is the first part, and...

2. The FRAME OF MIND people are in when they read the newspaper is the second part.

Have you ever closely watched HOW people read the newspaper?

If you have, you've noticed that the reader's eyes move quickly over the page. That's because there are lots
of pages to read. And lots to see. It has articles, editorials, information, photos, cartoons, entertainment, games
and ads. And for most newspaper readers, there's not much time to take it all in.

Newspaper readers are constantly searching the pages for pictures and headlines that reach out and grab
their attention. And because newspapers offer so much to see and read, you'll notice that once someone reads
a page they rarely, if ever, go back to pages they've already seen. A finished page is old news.

Actually, if you really looked, you'd notice that newspaper readers don't really read much. At first their
eyes scan a page. And they scan pages fast. In fact, the average reader scans a page in about 3 seconds or less.

10
 And they scan until... (and this is what's really important to advertisers) they find a REWARD that
interests them. The reward may be a unique, interesting, or curiosity enticing picture. Or it may be an
engaging or enraging headline. Or it may be an ad.

What best describes the newspaper reader's frame of mind while reading the paper is this: They're on
the look out for a REWARD and they want the reward to gratify them instantly.

Granted, a juicy reward may be to get the latest on a devastating train wreck. Or to see if Brad is re-
ally going back to Jennifer. Or to cash in on some year-end tax tips or to read what a Wall Street execu-
tive has to say about an emerging market.

The point is, newspaper readers want a payoff for reading. They want to be rewarded. And they want
news that rewards them NOW.

Direct response ads weld the two desires together. The newspaper reader gets rewarded with urgent
or juicy news and information. The direct response ads sell desirable rewardsin a form that looks like
"news."

The newspaper reader and a good direct response ad are a perfect match.

How direct response ads take advantage of the "frame-of-mind" of

newspaper readers

The insider's secret for you is that ads and sales pitches formatted as "news" FAR out-sell and out-
perform ads formatted to look like ads.

When you create ads that appear in the form of a news article, you're getting agreement in the news-
paper reader's mind that it's safer to accept the information presented. The sales pitch is camouflaged as
news, whereas traditional advertisingwritten and designed to look like an "ad"creates immediate
resistance because the reader identifies it as a sales pitch.

The following three insights reveal how direct response ads gain acceptance and response without
resistance due to their non ad-like appearance.

NEWSPAPER READERS scan the headlines of articles looking for urgent, serious, entertaining
or late-breaking news stories.

DIRECT RESPONSE ADS WORK because the headlines are written in the editorial style of the news-
paper in order to be identified as urgent and serious "news" rather than appearing as a sales pitch.

NEWSPAPER READERS seek news stories that not only pique their interest but use text that's
long enough to satisfy their curiosity. Newspaper readers want lots of information, hard facts, statistics,
expert insights, interviews, and the meaning behind the headline.

DIRECT RESPONSE ADS WORK because they not only pique the readers interest, they also provide
long copy, written as urgent news giving the reader useful information, substantiated research, hard facts,
statistics, expert testimonials, and customer testimonials.

11
 NEWSPAPER READERS believe the "news" comes formatted in columns and is written in easy-
to-read serif typefaces like Times New Roman and Garamond.

DIRECT RESPONSE ADS WORK because they MIMIC the editorial look and style of a newspaper arti-
cle. They also use serif typefaces that look like those used in the newspaper. And the most effective direct
response ads do not use a company logowhich would minimize its effect by tipping off the reader that
it's really "just an ad."

Of course the newspaper will not let you (in most cases) use their typefaces in your ads, and they'll
require you to put the word "Advertisement" at the top of the ad. But this is a small price to pay for dra-
matically improving the readership and response to your ad.

Gary Halbert, one of the greatest direct response newspaper ad copywriters of all time, once said his
research proved that ads which appeared to look "editorial" in nature got a whopping 5 times more re-
sponse than ads that "look" like ads.

Here's the psychological reason direct response ads work. By not appearing to be an ad or sales pitch,
the reader's guard is down and their internal "spam" filter is turned off. Therefore, they're not resistant to
the information. And because the ad looks like news, it filters through to the reader unblocked.

The beautiful twist is the news article they're reading also gets them to open their wallets and buy some-
thing.

You'll Get The Cleanest Carpet In Pensacola

See how this ad "rewards" the reader?

1) The "guarantee" is a powerful one;
2) You get "Free Spot Cleaning" and,
3) you get a "BONUS Gift".
This small space ad ran in a small local paper.
John Braun, business owner and creator of the
ad, booked 17 jobs in one day. By week's end the
ad had generated a response of $22:$1

12
 If you have a choice of newspapers in your area, make sure your target audience reads the paper
you're considering.

In addition, choose a paper the readers feel passionate about. By passionate I mean:

They LOVE the paper's special niche in the marketplace.

They LOVE the paper's point of view or position on issues.
They LOVE the paper's purpose or mission.
They LOVE the paper's content.
They LOVE the paper's attitude and style.

When you find an audience passionate about the paper they're reading, you've found an audience
that's fully ENGAGED in the paper's message. And when people are engaged, interested ,and excited
about what they're reading, that same excitement transfers over to your advertising messageespecially
if your message relates to the niche or editorial point of view of the paper.

I know of businesses that advertise niche products and services in niche publications and get 15, 20,
or even 30 times their investment back.

Put a good niche ad in a good niche publication in front of an audience predisposed to your niche, and
they'll DEVOUR it like a fresh slab of meat thrown to a wolf.

If you have a "Christian" business, run ads in a Christian newspaper.

If you sell "crystals" or "mystical books" run ads in a new age paper.

If you sell horse trailers, run ads in The Horse Gazette or Briddle & Bit newspapers. (Yes, they really
are "newspapers").

You get the idea...

On the flip side of the coin, if the audience isn't really engaged with the paper's niche and content,
you're job of influencing them to care about your offer will be much more difficult.

I see a lot of business owners putting a good message in front of the wrong audience. That's a big and
costly mistake. To avoid this mistake...

Study the niche of the paper and be sure your business niche and im-
age harmonizes with theirs

A study of the paper's audience and the newspaper's editorial point of view will keep you from mak-
ing a costly mistake.

13
 Remember, the difference between newspapers is the difference in the mindset of their readership.

The Bargain Shopper reader may also read the large city metro Times, but when they're reading the
Bargain Shopper, they're looking for bargainsthey're in the bargain mindset!

Readers of The Wall Street Journal or The Financial Times are in a "money" mindset. These readers
are looking for smarter ways to invest or save their money.

And no, your ad CAN'T CHANGE the mindset of people reading a particular publication to fit in
with your ad's point-of-view. So don't try.

Different newspapers exist for different reasons. Do your homework and find out the purpose of the
paper. Is the newspaper's focus...

A specific philosophical or religious point-of-view?

A counter-cultural or alternative point-of-view?
A political point-of-view?
A nationalistic or cultural point-of-view?
An international focus?
A national or statewide focus?
A specific category focus like finance or entertainment?
A regional or local focus?
A local community or hometown focus?
A specific industry category focus?
A regional or local "bargain hunter" advertising focus?
Or combinations of the above?

If you're not sure of the specific readership demographics, lifestyle, and the point of view of the ma-
jority of readers, call the newspaper and ask them. They can tell you who reads their paper and why.

And one last thought...

Don't dabble. Don't have one toe in and one out.

If you're going to use the newspaper to grow your leads and sales (and this goes for any media for that
matter), go all in.

In my own consulting practice over the years, I've seen that the people who commit long term to their
advertising and promotion do far better than those who don't or can't. Why? Because commitment is
about character; it's about staying with your decisions until they produce results. Commitment propels
you to "go deep" and to expand your base of knowledge and learn.

Applying what you learn as you go enables you to succeed.

Those who place ads in newspapers to "try it" or to "see if it's going to work" are in fact dead before
they start.

14
 Stopping and starting is a poor practice for growing your business. It destroys your momentum for-
ward. It also kills the enthusiasm of the people working around you.

Advertising requires trial and error to learn what really works. And while this book shows you specifi-
cally how to create successful ads, it's not a free ticket to successful advertising. You still have to apply
the principles to your specific business and learn.

Be relentless about your promotion. Promote every day. It's the only way to grow your business and suc-
ceed.

15
STEP 2
Create ads that grow your business

OVERVIEW:
One of the biggest reasons ads don't generate massive numbers of leads or sales is their
"objective" is weak or unclear. This step will show you how your ad can grow your business
dramatically and how to line up your ad objectives with making a lot more money.

What are the objectives of your ad?

No, it's not a trick question.

And sure, your knee-jerk answer is probably, "to make more sales"... right?

Good. But exactly HOW will your ad generate the leads and sales you want in order to grow your business?

Believe it or not, the answer (below) makes all the difference between an ad that generates leads and sales and
one that doesn't.

Here it is: Your ad's objective is to INVITE your prospects to receive an ETHICAL BRIBE so IRRESISTIBLE
they immediately postpone (or rearrange) other important tasks on their priority list today to CALL or VISIT your
business to take advantage of your offernow.

If your objective is anything less, you're going to get less!

The fact is your ads aren't appealing to your prospect's GREED sentiments. The test of the effectiveness of an
ethical bribe is this: the bribe is so overwhelmingly compelling, magnetically attractive, and enticing, your pros-
pect would walk a mile in a snowstorm to get it!

Motivating people to act, even when they didn't intend to, is the purpose for using an IRRESISTIBLE BRIBE.

When I talk with business owners, I get a LOT of resistance to the idea of "bribery"even though I stipulate
the bribe must be "ethical."

The real reason businesses don't use BRIBES in their advertising is because owners are uncomfortable with the
implications it poses.

They're at odds with the idea they have to "buy" a prospect. They think they're lowering their standards (as a
human being) by giving away gifts, services, or other valuables to influence the prospect's behavior. And they're
uncomfortable even if the results bring a lot more prospects (and money) into their business!

16
 No...bribes don't cheapen your business image. No, they don't make you look desperate. And no, you're not a
"sleazy" sales huckster because you use them.

Sure, I understand your internal conflict. But here's my advice...

If you want your ads to work, you need to get over it

YES, overtly bribing prospects to your store or business may rub against your sensibilities, your self-esteem, or
your personal life philosophy.

Howeverand this point is the KEY TO SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING "buying" prospects deliberately is
exactly what it takes to win new customers.

You paid a sign company for signs to entice cus-

tomers to your business.

You paid a printer for brochures to persuade cus-

tomers to buy from you.

You pay the newspaper for ads to induce custom-

ers to respond.

These are acceptable business forms of "brib-

ery". They're all "carrots". But for the most part the
marketing tools businesses useespecially the ads--
businesses use to enough of a "pay off"

To grow your business, it takes BIG bribes and

the guts to offer them.

It took guts for AOL in the mid 90s to give away

250 millions free disks to everyone in the country
to connect online free for 30 daysa strategy that
brought AOL 23 million new customers fast.

It took guts for a pre-owned car dealership to

let customers "test drive" any of their cars for "30
days"or return it, no questions asked.

It took guts for a small lunch cafe with numerous

competitors to offer a "FREE" Chicken Sandwich
"for several weeks" ... until he had an addicted
lunch clientel.

17
 The marketing you currently dowhether it's traditional ads, store front signs, brochures, flyers, or whatever
is a form of bribery. It's just a lot more expensive than the bribery I'm asking you to commit to.

I'm asking you to get over your resistance to overtly "bribing" prospects and to do it anyway. The choice to
do so is a choice to make money and grow your business. The choice not to do so is a choice to waste money on
advertising and not to grow your business.

The formula for getting past any resistance is to practice in private first. Here's what you do:

1. Take a couple of hours "off" work away from your office.

2. Bring a pad of paper and something to write with.
3. Put yourself in your customer's shoes while you work...
4. Make a list of at least 5 totally outrageous bribes you could make in your ads that WILL, without fail, bring
qualified leads to your business.
5. Choose the one that's the most outrageous and attractive.
6. Write the "bribe" down on another piece of paper and put it in your pocket.
7. Pull it out and read it to yourself once every half hour throughout the day.
8. As you read it each time, ask yourself, "Would my prospects respond to it immediately?"
9. If they would, ask yourself, "How would this change my business?" "How would this change my life?"

Here are some sample bribes used by other

businesses in their ads to attract prospects
F r e e d i n n e r for 2
F r e e V W B e e t l e with p u r c h a s e o f C o n d o
F r e e C a r W a s h a n d Breakfast while y o u wait
2 nights in L a s V e g a s a n d m e a l s on us
O n e W e e k in Hawaii includes airfare a n d a c c o m m o d a t i o n s
Free vacuum cleaner
Free S p a day
F r e e H a i r c u t ( $ 5 5 v a l u e ) with c o l o r
F r e e s e t o f G l o b a l K n i v e s with p u r c h a s e ( a $ 6 2 5 v a l u e )
F r e e g e n u i n e A F L g a m e ball ( w o r t h $ 7 5 )

18
OVERVIEW:
This step explains the one and only purpose your ad serves. It also illustrates the 2 types of direct
response ads that can achieve the ad's purpose. Apply the concepts here and prosper!

Your print ad has only one purpose-

Ready?
The one single purpose of your ad is to ACQUIRE QUALIFIED PROSPECTS at the lowest possible cost in
order to accomplish the 2 most important business-building objectives:

1. Add new customer contact data (brought by the ad) to populate your database.

2. Use your database to sell more goods and services to existing customers over their life spans.

In my ad workshops, I speak to thousands of business owners a year. When I ask how many use their ads to
build and grow their customer database, only a few hands go up.

When I ask the group which does have a customer database if they use their database to grow retention sales
from existing customers, far fewer (sometimes no) hands go up.

That's not good.

What it means to me is too few business owners actually know that the purpose of their ad is to grow their cus-
tomer database as quickly as possible.

If you're like most of the small to medium sized business owners I've met, you're in a relentless pursuit of
NEW customers to feed your top line sales.

Not a good business building strategy for you, and not a good proposition for your customers either.

Here's why. For you it means you're working too hard and spending too much money chasing down new cus-
tomers, and those are your most expensive customers. For the existing customers (your most profitable customers),
it probably means they're being ignored because your focus is elsewhere.

Sure, they may still shop with youso you're not aware they may feel neglected or taken for granted. But if
you don't put some warmth and genuine outreach into the relationship with existing customers, there's nothing to
keep them from spending their money with your competitors.

19
A new approach that WILL build your business
First let's fix a common misconception, which is: the purpose of advertising is to convince a customer to buy
something from you. In a word, that's "WRONG."

The entire purpose of advertising is to BUY a

customer ONOE. This gives you a relationship
with the customer and their all-important "contact
information"...so that you can sell them your
products and services over their life time.
L j

Digging in and understanding this concept is important because it's the formula for success. Buying a
customer as inexpensively as possible is the purpose of the ad. It's the first step to working smarter in your
business, not harder.

Did you know the typical bricks-and-mortar business in this country spends about $450 to acquire a
customer? This is according to marketing guru, Dan Kennedy. This figure includes the costs of marketing
materials, ads, media, staff, and other costs of the sale divided by the number of new customers per month.

$450 to buy a customer is a ridiculously high number. So, in the approach I'm outlining here, you'll be able
to...

1. Spend less to buy new customers while attracting more

The only way to bring your customer acquisition costs down is by INCREASING the value of your bribe.

Think of it this way: If the average customer acquisition cost in this country is $450, and you spend $150
on gifts or services to bribe a prospect to become a customer, you will SAVE a significant sum of money on
customer acquisition costs.

You'll also attract a LOT more new customers by lowering your overall acquisition costs.

2. Calculate the lifetime value your customers represent

You'll be surprised when you do the math. Your customers are worth a lot of money to you when you look at
their lifetime values to your bottom line.

Determining your customers' value to your business can be one of the most enlightening, motivating, and
profitable things you can do.

Here's a simple way to calculate their value:

Determine the average amount they spend each time they purchase.
Determine how many times a day, week, month, or year they purchase from you.
Determine what it costs you in expenses to make residual sales.

20
 To increase your customers' value to your business, determine:
What other business could you work with to "cross-sell" your products or services to increase
your number of customers?
What products or services could you offer to "up-sell" your customers?
What could you do to increase customer visits?

Once you've acquired a customer (an asset), you want to keep that asset from going elsewhere. So you need
a customer retention strategy that makes it nearly impossible for a competitor to steal them away. That's why
you need to...

3. spend the majority of your time and marketing budget keeping exising
customers satisfiedthey represent more money, more often

I know successful businesses that spend 70% to 80% of their time and marketing budget devoted to keeping
their existing customers happy.

This makes sense since existing customers are your most PROFITABLE customers.

Research shows that for every month you DON'T communicate with your existing customers, you lose 10%
of your influence with them.

At that rate, it won't take long for your neglected, unappreciated customers to defect to your competitors.

And as you're probably aware, it's 5 times easier (and far less expensive) to keep your existing customers
than to sell something to a new customer.

Long story short, your existing customers are your most profitable customers because they:
Buy more from you.
Buy from you more often.
Refer friends who become customers (assets) too.

Focus most of your time, efforts, and resources on better serving your current clients. To keep your existing
clients, consider:
- Creating a loyalty program that extends preferential treatment.
- Giving them special discounts.
- Giving them "free" gifts -just because they're "special customers".
- Giving them special services.
- Sending them "Thank You" letters.

- Calling them on the phone periodically to "thank" them for being your customer.

Without being "touched" or made to feel special, customer's will leave you.

Remember, it's much easier to keep good customers happy than to spend more money replacing them.
The 2 types of ads that WORK in the newspapers to lower your customer
acquisition cost

21
There are 2 types of ads that will help you lower your customer acquisition cost. They are:
1. The "Buy Now" ad.
2. The "Lead Generator" ad.
1. The "Buy Now" ad. Typical "Buy Now" ads work best for selling season tickets, tickets to a
concert, play, or recital, or seats to a real estate seminar featuring Donald Trump. "Buy Now" ads sell
minted coins, alarm clocks, vacuum cleaners, Valentine Teddy Bears, cigars, fruit baskets, etc.

Here's a great example of a "Buy Now" ad created by Jon Spoelstra. Jon says this ad sold $47,850 worth
of tickets the first three days it ran.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

22
 1. The "Lead Generator" ad. As its name implies, a lead generator ad generates leads to your
business to build your database. Among other things, the ad directs prospects to:
Call your business to set an appointment to meet for a free consultation.
Call a special 800# to win a free trip to Maui for 2.
Call a special 800# to receive a free 3 month trial offer.
Call a special 800# to reserve space at a free seminar or workshop.
Email you to receive a free report or free catalog.
Visit your business to receive a free sample or gift.
Visit your website to receive a free booklet or DVD, or to download a coupon redeemable at
your place of business.
Bring a coupon to your business to redeem for gifts or samples.

This small 2 column ad below generated 180 leads in two days for a country club. The leads produced four
golf club memberships totaling $14,500 in revenues after expenses of $1,625.

1. Strong br ibe in the

headline pulls prospects
into the ad.

2. Using a "limited time"

element in conjunction
with the call to action
urges p rospects to
respond now.

4. How effective was this ad?
It earned $89.23 for each
$1 spent, not to mention
ongoing revenue from 3
restaurants, a hotel,
weddings, and banquets.
3. When prospects call this 1-800
number their contact informa-
tion is gathered so the club can
send ad ditional offers to each
prospect.

23
STEP 4
Create a niche that attracts ideal prospects

OVERVIEW:
Your niche is the ESSENTIAL strategy for attracting customers, being different from other
competing businesses, and making money. This step shows you how to find your niche and use it
to make your advertising effective and memorable.

It's much easier to create an effective ad for a company that has a niche that magnetically attracts customers and
stands apart from the "herd."

Conversely, it's difficultif not impossibleto create an effective ad for a business with lukewarm or unap-
pealing niches.

Your competitive niche is the

"bait" that attracts and hooks
the hungry fish you want.

Niches identify and serve an underserved "hole" or "gap" in the marketplace. Niches meet the customers'
needs in a way customers prefer when compared to other offerings.

Here are some samples of niches that attract customers, serve customer needs in a unique way, and stand out
from competing offers. They also have one further advantage: they're each a bit outrageous, which makes them
MEMORABLE.
A casino that guarantees every player winsevery visit.

A used car dealership that lets customers "test drive" their cars for 30 days and offers a money-back
guarantee if they don't love it.

A plumber that services broken or leaky toilets in one hour or less, 24/7, and guarantees perfect results.

A kitchen remodeling company that removes the old kitchen and installs a beautiful new one in 3 days.

A tax preparation company that gives customers their refunds in one dayguaranteed.

24
 The truly amazing thing about a good niche is how they level the playing field for the small business owner.
Each of the businesses above is classified as a "small" business. Yet these businesses can enter a market, make a
powerful impact, and even dominate over their competitors. And all without big investment dollars, high-profile
connections, or even experience by the owner in their business category.

A profitable niche identifies and feeds a "hungry market" with specialized products and services. The niche
itself is the essence of the ad's offer.

Here's an example of a profitable niche revealed in the ad's offer...

What elements comprise your niche?

As a marketing and advertising consultant for many years, I've worked with hundreds of small to medium
sized businesses. And I've learned that there are 4 interrelated "ingredients" needed to create a successful
moneymaking niche.
They are:

1. A CORE customerthis is a customer who you've developed a personal relationship with

and as a result he or she has a strong EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT to your business.

2. A CORE product, service, or expertisethis is the FIRST thing customers think of

when they think of your array of products or services. Your core product solves the customer's
problem or gives them what they want that would be hard to find elsewhere.

25
 3. The cORE competitive strategythis is the one thing that really STANDS OUT to
reward your customers and make your business DIFFERENT from all other businesses competing
for your customers' attention.

4. A cORE imagethis is the way your business looks, sounds, and feels at every "customer
contact point" to validate your products and competitive strategy. The image ASSURES your
customers that the results your business promises meets their wants and aspirations.

Find out what niche "position" you occupy in the marketplace

If your niche isn't driving lots of leads and making you lots of money, or if you're just curious to know what
niche POSITION you occupy in your marketplace, then I have an exercise for you.

Two pages away, (on page 36), you'll find "The Niche Map." I developed this tool to help businesses like
yours get a better handle on your competitive strategy. It will help you determine what niche you currently have
relative to the niches established by your competitors.

It also shows you what other possible un-served markets may exist in the marketplace where you could
develop a new niche and be more competitive.

The Niche Map has 4 quadrants. Each quadrant is its own unique niche strategy. There are numerous places
within each quadrant your business could locate. Sometimes a slight move (or adjustment) in your competitive
strategyto be a UNIQUE standoutcan make a huge difference in the number of customers you can attract
and the money you make.

Okay, so here's how to use the Niche Map. First, identify what niche you currently occupy. (See the sample
below).
So get a pen. Then put an A. on the map to identify the spot your business occupies.

Next, with a different colored pen, put a K^ (for "Competitor") on the spot your competitors occupy.

Now if you really want an educationand I highly recommend you do this ask your customers to locate
you and your competitors on the map.

26
 If the Niche Map shows that you're surrounded by competitors, each of you courting the same
customers with similar offers...
consider changing your niche.
You need to separate yourself from the herd if you're going to have a chance at attracting more
customers and making more money.

specific steps for changing or improving your niche strategy...

1. Move to a different location in your current niche quadrant or find a

new niche quad rant altogether. Let's say you are one of 35 mortgage brokers
in the "Pice" quadrant. And like the others, you offer the "Lowest Rates and Fast
Approvals." You could consider moving into a different section of the quadrant. You
could go to the lower side and offer "discount fees" or "$1,000 Back at Closing."
Or you could move to the high side and offer " f e d Carpet Treatment" to prospects
buying homes in "La Jolla" or "Rancho Santa Fe" or "Greenwich," where saving
money isn't as important as being served in a special way.

Or you could move to a different quadrant. For example, you could move to the;
"Narrow or Unique Product or Service Line" quadrant if you have few or no
competitors. By moving there, you could differentiate yourself by being the broker
who specializes in "Foreclosure Lending" or "Mortgage Restructuring to Avoid
Foreclosure," or come up with another strategy. With no other direct competitors, you
become a stand alone specialist.

2. Pick an IDEAL core customer. Whatever location in a quadrant you pick, you'll
probably find much of the customer profile "built in" due to a specific need. But you
still need to identify who is the IDEAL customer and stop frying to serve everybody.

big part of the strategy for separating your business from others. So make a list that
profiles your ideal customer. Maybe you want to focus on first time buyers. Or maybe
it's the very wealthy. Or blue collar workers or teachers. The point is to choose an
ideal customer, including their character traits. By setting up your business to attract
your ideal customer, you will attract them and ward off those you don't want.

When your niche focuses on solving the problems of an ideal customer, it's easier to
add emotion to your ad's message...making the ad more effective like this does...

28
 NICHE EMOTION METER
Measures how "emotionally attached" customers are to the business

1.
The headline here does 2 things:
1) solves a "nasty" problem, and
2) presents a clear unique niche
that's desirableespecially when
your toilet's broken!

2.
This niche ad may not seem
emotional at first glance. But when
your toilet leaks or breaks, the ad
soothes an emotional "pain". Plus the
Toilet Doctor isn't as expensive as
a plumber either. Doesn't that make
you feel better?

3. Pick a new core product or service expertise, or improve the one

you've got. Your core product or service is the "anchor" that identifies your
category of business. Choose a core product or service your customers want and
have a hunger for; then build your business around it.

If you have a restaurant, it's a "signature" dish. Or your core is trashy lingerie. Or
an environmentally friendly paint. Or antique or hard to find books. Or a spa day
experience. Or pre-owned luxury cars with less than 30,000 miles on the odometer.

You get the idea.

4. Pick a new core competitive strategy, or improve the one you've got.
If you offer a product or service that gives your core customer an "advantage," you
have a powerful way to further differentiate yourself from competitors. What kind
of advantage? Kinko's core product is "copies," but their competitive strategy is
"Open 24 hours." That gives customers an advantage not found elsewhere.

I know a realtor whose core product is "listings," and his competitive strategy is

29
 "Your home sold in 30 days, guaranteed." Now that's a huge advantage for customers.
I also know a fly fishing store whose core product is "fly fishing rods," and their
competitive strategy is "every rod guaranteed for life." That's an advantage for
customers.

What advantage could you offer to make your customer's life better, easier, less
stressed, more successful, or happier? Maybe an outrageous guarantee. Or 2 products
for the price of 1. Or a unique delivery and pick up service. Or an experience that
relieves stress.

Find a way to make your customer's life better. And do it in a way your competitors
aren't doing, can't do, or won't do.

5. Pick a core image, or change your image to fit your niche strategy. The
image of your business is critical to your success. It's the first thing customers see. It
tells customers you're for real. And that's why your company's image can make or
break you in an instant.

Customers are gathering "evidence" about your business when they see your logo,
your signs, your business cards and stationary, your store or office front, your website,
your brochures, your trucks, your staff uniformseven your price tags give customers
visual "clues" that validate the promise of your being niche...or not...

Your company image should reveal what your competitive strategy implies or means
by projecting concrete pictures.

For example, if your competitive strategy is "on time delivery always," the picture
you want to portray about your company is that you're "FAST" and "RELIABLE".

So you choose images, colors, typefaces, taglines, slogans, etc. that convey "FAST"
and "RELIABLE". You may or may not be able to combine these two images, so pick
the image that best conveys your niche strength. Images that come to mind are "Road
Runners", Speeding bullets", or "Supersonic Jets".

And if your company's competitive strategy is "fast and reliable" you want to project
this image at each and every customer contact point.

How fast should you answer your phone? One or two rings.

How fast should a delivery arrive? When you promise or before.

Make sure your image reinforces your niche strategy..

30
 Don't switch your niche until you read this...

If you are going to relocate your niche on "The Niche Map," be sure:
1. You have the knowledge and skills requisite to be successful in the new niche location.
2. You genuinely like the people the new niche will serve.
3. You have the personality to interact comfortably with the people the niche will attract.
4. You can deliver on your new niche promisewhatever it is.

Bear in mind the more outrageous your niche, the more "memory space"
customers give you
People are more apt to remember you if your business CONTRASTS sharply with the businesses around it.
What's different gets noticed...

Contrasting your business to all others has a more important psychological reason behind it.

By being unique enough to appeal to your core customer, you stand a greater chance of moving from SHORT
TERM MEMORY which holds words, digits, and ideas in the mind anywhere from 12 to 20 secondsinto
LONG TERM MEMORY, which can hold an image or an idea anywhere from a few days to a few decades.

If your niche can cause customers to recall you in an instantrecall that they need your products and
services oftenyour niche is doing its job!

31
STEP 5
Set goals for your ads

OVERVIEW:
A little used "secret" to generating significantly more leads and sales is to set intentional goals for
your ads. This step will help make your ads accountable for results.

Ad goals produce higher revenue results

I'm aware most businesses don't set goals for their newspaper ads. Their logic goes like this: "Why should I
set goals if I can't measure the results?"

Since you will be learning to create direct response ads that have specific "tracking mechanisms" like
coupons and dedicated 800 numbers, you won't have that problem anymore.

You won't be relying on imprecise data from sales people asking customers if they're there in response to
the ad. You won't be relying on your hunches, guesses, or assumptions about how much traffic you think the ad
produced.

Tracking mechanisms in your ads WILL tell you if your ads are working or not working.

The knowledge you glean from "tracking results" is money in the bank. Measuring your leads and sales
makes money because it motivates you to take practical actions to constantly improve your ads and to hit and
exceed their goals!

Set goals for your ads that are:

1. Specificthey have exact, defined "revenue" or "lead" outcomes.
2. Strategic when achieved, they make you more money.
3. Measurableuse numbers so you can track progress.
4. Reachabletheir attainment supported by ads can drive response.
5. Writtenput down on paper so you and others can read them daily.
6. Sharedeveryone in the company understands and supports them.

And set goals that let you account for each ad dollar spent; that's why you...

Set "lead generation" goals for your ads

I'm one of those strange people who believes your ad must generate the number of leads it has been assigned
or else you replace it with an ad that will.

32
 Ads are like employees. They either produce or they're fired!

And like an employee with a specific assignment, your ads are assigned the task of generating a specific
number of leads. Why else would you spend money on an ad if it didn't have specific ROI goals?

I'm aware you probably don't think about your ads this way. Not many businesses do.

But I want you to start thinking about them this way. When ads are accountable for a specific number of
leads, their performance gives you the hard facts you need to make good marketing decisions.

So to find out how many leads your ad needs to generate, do the following exercise.

If you're concerned about HOW your ads are going to reach your lead goals, just relax. Remember, this book
will teach you the ad strategies you'll need to reach your goals.

All you need to do now is calculate exactly how many leads your ad needs to generate so you can look at
hard, accurate numbers.

There's another way to set goals for your ads too...

One of the best books on marketing and advertising I've read is Marketing Outrageously by Jon Spoelstra. In
the book, Jon describes a method for setting goals for his ad performance that he simply calls "The Ratio."

Here it is: he expects his ads to achieve a ratio of 4 to 1. That is, he expects $4 in revenue generated by the
ad for every $1 spent on ad development and media costs.

33
 The Ratio is how Jon gets feedback on his ad's performance. Ads that generate at least $4 for each $1 spent,
he keeps running. Ads that fall below the ratio get the ax and are replaced.

Whether you choose to set "lead generation" goals or use Jon's 4:1 ratio goal is up to you. The point is to set
goals and make each ad accountable for specific results.

More effective ads are the result of expanding your comfort zone

Right now your ads are achieving the precise targets you're shooting for, giving you the results you want. Or
put another way, your ads are giving you familiar results you're comfortable receiving.

I believe that expanded ad and sales results can only come from expanding your comfort zone beyond where
you feel secure and confident. It's at the shaky "edge" of comfort that our best and least familiar ideas come.

Let me give you an example. The new marketing director of a local casino near San Diego asked how he
could improve his ad's results. In short, I asked him to set goals for his ad. Then I asked him to stretch beyond
his comfort zone and create an outrageous offer and use a tracking device. He did all three things.

Here's the ad he created....

Here's the result: this ad generated 10,000 leads to the casino in 3 dayshe more than tripled his
lead goals. The casino made an average of $50 per customer (after expenses)...$500,000...all because the
marketing director chose to set goals and objectives outside his comfort zone for his ad.

There was one slight problem though. The marketing director had to pull the ad on the third day because
the Food & Beverage manager wasn't prepared for the traffic the ad generated. There weren't enough
servers, cooks, or dishwashers at the casino to handle the influx of traffic.

The moral of the story: as you step outside your comfort zone to create new ad strategies, look at all the
areas of your business that will be impacted by growth, and have plans to handle it.

34
 T. Harv Eker, the author of The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, writes that our comfort zone equals our
money zone. How true this is!

Don't just
set goals.
Set goals
you can feel.

35
Use a database to sell your customers more stuff,
more often

OVERVIEW:
If you don't have a database or if you don't actively use your customer database to grow
your back end sales, stop everything and do it now. This step will show you how to use your
database to make a LOT of money.

Customers and customer datathe real assets of your business

So your ad brought you a new customer. Great. Now what?

It's simple. Leverage your contact information in your customer database so you can sell them your
goods and services over and over again...as long as they live.

What, you don't have or use a database? Well fix that glitch NOW because you're not selling as much
as you can to your easiest and most profitable customers your existing ones.

Your database will help you do 3 things to grow and monitor your customer base:
1. Organize your customer information.
2. Store your customer information.
3. Retrieve your customer information stored in data fields so you can continuously sell more to
your existing customers.

Your existing customers are the real ASSETS in your business.

Few businesses get this. One that does is a high end jewelry store in La Jolla, California. They generate
60% of their topline revenues not from new customers but from mining the information in their database to
bring back their existing and most profitable customers throughout the year.

Liz Rayon, manager of Swiss Watch Gallery, says that mining their customer database 6 times a year
(or more) and sending out personalized sales letters and emails, and even making personal calls, brings in
their best customers, who spend more, more often and refer others to the store.

36
 The Swiss Watch Gallery database is comprised of very simple fields. Liz says the information they gather
from new customers consists of:
Name
Address
Phone
Email
Birthday
Anniversary
Name of significant other

Matt Brennan, marketing director for South Sun Products, one of the largest beading stores in the world, is
another person who gets it. He relies heavily on his customer database to grow their business. Matt says they
send primarily emails to their customer base. Each weekly email includes a coupon. He also says their retention
advertising brings the company nearly 80% of their total yearly sales. It's the easiest, cheapest sale they make.

(Hope you're paying attention to this!)

And in case you're wondering, Matt also says he uses QuickBooks Point of Sale because it tracks all sales at
the cash register by scanning barcodes, and it tracks the number of sales and types of items sold and categorizes
those items. It handles all inventory activity and runs on Windows. It also manages customer information and
issues customer rewards.

Both these companies estimate they spend less than $50 per customer per year to retain and grow their
existing customer base. They pay peanuts for gold!

Without a database and a retention programyou're losing business

Have you ever wondered why the average customer leaves a business?

Well, a very famous marketing guru by the name of Dan Kennedy did the research. And here are his findings:
1% die
3% move away
5% follow a friend or relative's advice and switch to their recommended supplier
9% switch due to a better price or better product
14% switch due to product or service dissatisfaction

If you did a quick calculation, you found the total of these percentages only adds up to 32%. So the question
then is why do the remaining 68% of all customers leave a business?

The biggest percentage leaves because of INDIFFERENCE.

YOUR customers will leave and spend their money with your competitors if they don't feel valued,
appreciated, or important to you. They'll leave you if they feel they are merely taken for granted.

You get the idea. You need a database and a customer contact system to let your customers know they're
valued, appreciated, and wanted. And you also need a database to leverage your relationship with them so you
can make a lot more money.

37
 So now that you're convinced your business needs a database...

what fields should your database include?

Your database fields don't need to be complex, just relevant to your business. You need fields for data that
will help you stay in touch with customers and bring them and their money back often.

Here are the fields I recommend including in your database:

The customer's first and last name
The customer's physical address, city, zip
The customer's email address
The customer's last purchase date
The last items purchased by the customer
The amount of the last purchase

Of course you have to customize your data fields to fit your particular business.

Your database isn't complete without a systematic plan for connecting with your customers. Your plan needs
to identify the purpose of the communication and firm delivery/contact dates.

You may send emails like Matt's company (mentioned earlier) or you may alternate between emails and
mailings to a physical address and personal phone calls.

Whatever you do, the key is to be CONSISTENT.

I recommend being in contact with your customers at least monthly and no fewer than 6 times a year.

Another key to a successful customer contact program is to personalize your cards or letters using your
customer's name in the greeting or throughout the communication. Your database can be set up to do this.

So, what should your customer contact plan include? Here's a short list of ideas used by other companies to
get you started:
Greeting cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays
Newsletters
Gift Baskets
Writing pens with your company name engraved
Postcards featuring special sale items
Email coupons
Small gifts of sample products, or a $10 Starbucks gift card
Personal letters
Personal phone calls

And if (God forbid) you've lost a customergo get them back! Send them a personalized letter, include a
gift. And yes, call them...it will make a big impression because they won't be expecting it. And no, don't send
an email.

Remember, this isn't the time for a sales pitch, but rather it's a time for apologizing for being out of touch,
and for making amends.

38
 My company will custom-design your database if you need help. We can also help you create a customer
contact plan as well as write and design personalized letters, newsletters, post cards, etc. We will even custom
create your email blasts. And if you need them printed and mailed on schedule, we do that too. Log on to:
www.ultimateemailads.com

Or you can buy a database program and manage it yourself. If you go that route, I recommend any of the
following:
FileMaker Pro
Lotus Approach
Microsoft Office Access
QuickBooks Point of Sale
TrackVia

39
STEP 7
Track your leads and measure your results

OVERVIEW:
The only accurate way to gage your ad's effectiveness is to track its performance and
measure or compare results to goals. In this important step, you'll learn a simple way to do
just that.

Ad tracking is simple, and results are profitable

If you're not used to tracking ad results, you may feel hesitant or resistant to do this. Don't blow this off
just because you've never done it before. That's not a good enough excuse. Tracking gives you valuable
information about which ads are working and which aren't so you can run more profitable ads.

The first step is to set up a simple system to capture the data, like the one shown below.

Use an Excel spreadsheet or, if you're not comfortable with that, keep records in a notebook.

To help you get started, copy the example below. If necessary, add whatever fields make sense to your
business so you can get accurate feedback about your ad's performance.

40
41
Overcome the biggest result-killing competitors

OVERVIEW:
Your ad faces BIG competitors, but they aren't "out there" lurking in the marketplace. They're
closer and more dangerous than you think. This step will show you exactly what competitors
your ads face and how to overcome them.

The REAL competitors you should fear are not external forces in the
marketplace

You have competitors in town.

You have competitors in your region.

You have competitors on the internet.

But these are the competitors you can see. And in Step 4, I explained how to create a unique niche that
attracts customers and repels the "outside" competitors like the ones mentioned above.

Over the years, I've identified 5 ad-killing, competitive forces. They're the most entrenched competitors
you'll ever face. These competitors are the invisible social and psychological "biases" that govern whether
or not your prospects will respond to your ads or not.

The most powerful of these biases are part of our survival program. Others are built into our DNA
they're instinctual. And still others are the more complex forces of the social conditioning that governs our
behavior in groups.

The point is, our responses to incoming messages are almost automatic and unquestioned. These
powerful forces comprise the FILTER your ad must pass through to reach your prospect and cause a
response.

42
Here's the list of competitors and some basic strategies to overcome them.
Attention Deficit Disorder:
Research says people in the U.S.
see roughly 16.5 marketing
messages a minute...about 16,000 a
day, which includes 3,400 ads. To
survive the overload people reject
most "incoming" information.
2. Physical Comfort of Readers:
Research says people seek comfort
for privacy and to avoid threats or
stress. When readers get
comfortable with the paper they
"detach" and are less likely to
respond to ads or interact with
others.
43
To overcome resistance:
Target your ad to a specific
readernot to everyone.
Identify the prospect's wants or
aspirations prominently in the
headline.
Make headlines 4 to 5 times
bigger than body copy.
To overcome resistance:
Make the offer in the headline more
rewarding than the reader's "relaxed"
state or to "painful'1' to consider not
responding.
Use a commanding voice in the Call
to Action phrase that tells prospect's
h o w to respond.
Give readers a ""gift" or ""reward" for
responding; more people will.
In this section you'll learn:
- How to target ideal prospects
- How to know what prospects are really buying
- How to romance your prospects to "YES!"
- How to make your offer REALLY irresistible
- How to write a compelling headline
- How to write a call to action phrase
- How to determine if you need "short" or "long" copy
- How to give readers the "proof" they need to respond
- How to use pictures that support your offer
- How to use type that's instantly readable
- How to design an effective layout
- How to test your ads
- How to use the "Direct Response Ad-Builder Strategy" Form

45
Target the ideal prospect

OVERVIEW:
The first step in creating an effective ad is targeting those prospects perfectly suited to your
offering. This step will show you how to identify the ideal prospects so you can target your
ad message more effectively.

The secret to getting a greater response to your ads is to target your message to a specific individual
who best represents your ideal "core" customer.

Narrowing your target to an "individual" may seem restrictive. You might think you're limiting your
potential sales opportunities.

Actually the opposite is true.

If you target a specific individual with a specific problem or a specific desire, you'll attract more of
those ideal customers. And just as importantly, attracting the ideal customer helps you limit the number of
responses from people who aren't your ideal customers...those people who will (guaranteed) waste your
time and the money it takes to find out they're wasting your time.

Here's how you define your best customers:

1. They want and need your specific products and services.
2. They're willing to pay for your products and services.
3. They have the authority to buy your products and services.
4. They purchase your products and services more frequently than anyone else.
5. They spend more money re-purchasing your products and services than anyone else.

Attracting ideal customers is how you're going to make more money.

Because once you have them, it costs you very little to market to them repeatedly. Plus, your ideal core
customers are more likely to refer you to their friends, who are for the most part just like them.
By thoroughly identifying the specific individual who represents your ideal prospect, you can create
advertising messages that speak directly to your customers' real wants, concerns, and problems. And
highly targeted messages to the right target audience will give your ads greater sales impact.

First find your IDEAL core customer

You should select customers who have a "strategic" purpose for being your customer.

46
 By "strategic" I mean they not only bring you more money more often, they also do so in a way
you prefer them to. Like they pay "cash," pay "50% up front," or "pre-pay." And just as importantly,
"strategic" customers should have the values, behaviors, and personal characteristics YOU want to attract.

Attracting the ideal customers makes your business more fun because you're attracting the kind of
customers you really like doing business with.

Don't make the mistake of failing to identify your core strategic customer.

And don't make the common mistake of assuming "everyone" is your customer. Because "everyone"
is not your customer. If you think they are, you'll be forever trying to please everybody...which pleases
nobody.

But you won't make that critical mistake. Will you? So let's move on.

If you're a bricks and mortal business, your first step is to identify the "geographic" range of customers.

Geographies
(Segmentation of the market based on where people live)

Are your customers city, urban, suburban, or rural dwellers? Percentage of each?

What radius do you draw from?

Now determine the "demographic" profile of your ideal customer.

Demographics
(The common physical characteristics that segment a prospective audience)

Are your prospects male or female? Or both? What percentage of each?

What is their age range?
Are your prospects married? Or single? Separated? Just divorced?
How educated are they?
What's their occupation?
Are they homeowners? Or renters?
How much do they own in assets?
What kind of car do they drive?

In the next step, you have to get further inside your customer's head to understand how they think,
reason, and rationalize. Then you can more accurately target your message to join the conversation going
on in their head.

There's no way around it. You've got to spend time with customers to find the answers.

Or you can do what one large car dealership here in Southern California did. You can by-pass this
important learning and assume you know what motivates your customers. The dealership bought a very
expensive full page ad in the newspaper and used the following headline: "Help us reach our sales goals!"

Yes, it is a dumb, self-absorbed headline. And no, it didn't work.

47
 Nobody's motivated by helping you reach your sales goals. Your prospects are motivated by what they
want, not by what you want them to want. And their buying decisions are motivated by a complex combination
of conscious and unconscious emotions.

Which you need to understand.

So spend face-to-face time with your customers. Find out their real "hot buttons." Learn how they
rationalize making a buying decision. Figure out what psychological obstacles you face inside your prospect's
head.

But whatever you do, DON'T substitute your own assumptions about what you think customer's think for
what customers actually think.

Don't be lazy about this. Get the answers to the following questions...

Psychographics
(The psychological and attitudinal characteristics that identify the prospect's personality)

Are your prospects conservative? Liberal? Independent?

What characterizes their lifestyle?
What thoughts are they preoccupied with?
How important is their appearance? Why?
What are their aspirations?
What fears do they have?
What are they frustrated about?
What are they angry about?
What are their interests?
Are they spenders? Or are they savers?
Are they investors? What do they invest in?
What magazines do your prospects subscribe to?
What labels do they buy?
Who influences your their buying decisions? A spouse or parent? Why?
What common "life philosophy" binds your most ardent customers?

Hidden Desires
(The powerful, sometimes irrational, and unconscious forces that influence behavior)

What do your prospects secretly, ardently desire most?

What do your prospects want but don't think they deserve or can have?

How would your prospects react and feel if they achieved their most sought after desire?

Once you've identified the core customer, analyze your findings.

What similarities do your best customers share in common?

What patterns do you see among customers?

What lifestyle do they share in common?

What life philosophy and values identify them?

48
 By looking for the meaning behind the facts, you'll discover things about customers you probably
didn't knowfacts that will help you create ad messages that relate specifically to your target customer.

Using research to improve ads

Interesting enough, the owner of the Glass Doctor franchise in a small, rural California town knows
exactly who his clients are. He's done a lot of "research" to support what he knows. But the ads he runs
(see sample below) don't reflect his knowledge. He ignored what his own research said. Not unusual.

Like the Glass Doctor, you have to translate your customer research into the right words and phrases
that motivate prospects to read and respond to your ad. And before he could solve his ad's biggest
problems...all solve-able...he had to first see the problems. Here they are:

49
AD STEP 2
Know what prospects are really buying

OVERVIEW:
What are your customers really buying when they buy your products and services? No,
they're not buying the products or services just for themselves. It's more than that. This step
will help you understand the psychological benefits your customers are buying and why they
want them.

What really attracts customers to your products and services are the "benefits" they receive.

No one really buys concert tickets, motorcycles, or swimming pools for the "things" themselves.

They're buying an evening with friends they'll always remember; they're buying freedom and
independence on an open road; they're buying years of family togetherness and fond memories with
friends.

If you stand in your customers' shoes and ask, "What benefits are they really buying?" you'll learn
what you're really selling.

And when you learn what you're really selling, you'll be able to sell a LOT more of it.

For example:

You are not selling pre-owned luxury cars. You are selling affordable status and admiration of others.

You are not selling whiter teeth. You are selling happier smiles and greater self-confidence.

You are not selling flowers. You are selling beauty, inspiration, and romance.

One of my favorite quotes on this topic is from Charles Revlon, the lipstick and nail polish king, who
said, "In the factory we make cosmetics. In the store we sell hope."

This great ad below by Steve Wexler hits a lot of psychological hot buttons and sells a lot of product.
So what does this ad sell women? Can you spell "S-E-X"...as in "sex appeal"?

51
 If you know your prospects "psychological triggers" you can create the emotion you want your prospects
to "pre-experience" in the ad itself. In other words, if you want prospects to feel "aroused", "bothered", "on
edge" or "sweety"so they'll immediately respond to your ad, you need to infuse these emotions into the
ad. Like Steve Wexler does in another of his "emotionally charged" ads...

So that you can learn to identify the "hot button" response triggers in your prospects, I'd like you to
make 2 lists. On the first list write the direct product or service benefits you sell. On the second list write the
psychological and emotional benefits you offer.

53
 For example, if you have a store that sells Big Screen TVs, the first list of direct product benefits
would most likely include:

Increased viewing impactpulls you into the action

Sharper, more defined color
Sharper image clarity
Sharper sound quality
Thinner and lightereasier to move
Easy to mount on any wall
Stylish home decor accessory
Multiple channel viewing
Can be used as a computer monitor

Let's continue with the Big Screen TV store. If your target customer is a man, you would probably
rank his psychological benefits in the following order:
Escape
Distraction
Entertainment/amusement
Admiration
Approval
Status
Influence
Prestige
Power

Be aware that psychological and emotional benefits have a ranking. And it goes like this. Those
psychological or emotional benefits with the most emotional "charge" for your target audience rank
closest to the top, and those with the least emotional "charge" are at the bottom.

Of course you can't know which benefit has the most charge until you test your ad on prospects.
In fact, testing psychological and emotional benefits for "charge" is so important, I recommend you
create several ads and pre-test them before you place the ads in the paper to see the winner.

I've found that the psychological benefits outsell direct benefits because they tap the prospect's
deeper desire. But direct benefits are important motivators as well.

Let's switch gears. Suppose you sell a solution to "back pain" which millions of Americans suffer

The following ad by Bill Fryer demonstrates his ability to tap into the suffer's painful problem and
solve it: "Blissful relief in 12 minutes!" No wonder this ad averaged better than $8: $1.

54
 The following list can help you identify some of the most common psychological and emotional
benefits we humans desire.
Love
Health
Energy
Romance
Sex
Desirability
Attraction
Admiration
Approval
Security
Safety
Confidence
Freedom
Knowledge
Information
Protection
Power
Achievement
One-upmanship: owning something others don't have
Advancement
Recognition
Independence
Importance
Status
Influence
Happiness
Wealth
Money
Peace
Comfort
Self-Esteem
Hope

Just remember, emotions are the fire of human motivation. By linking psychological and emotional
benefits with the most "charge" to your offer, your prospects will become hyper in response to your ad.

56
 One dating coach in Manhattan offers a "bootcamp" that teaches men how to get a date from hot women.
It applies to ads. Here's the short course that teaches what's involved in getting a date:
Make eye contact
Smile
Have a non-threatening approach
Have good opening lines that interest and intrigue woman
Be natural and authentic
Be cocky and funny to get a woman to laugh and feel at ease
Be interesting and know what to say
Be a tease
Induce sexual tension

And the biggest key to getting the date? The guy cannot apply pressure to the outcome; he must be so
appealing that when he does ask, she can't help but say "Yes!"

According to the dating coach, the most successful men do not SELL the woman on the date...she does
that herself!

The "slam-bam" man, on the other hand, starts off being needy. And it goes downhill from there.

He approaches a woman with the motivation of "closing the sale." He comes on strong. He pushes hard.
He insists. And throughout the whole painful ordeal he doesn't realize his intentions make the woman feel
trapped like a rabid dog backed into a corner. Her back against the wall the inevitable happens he gets
rejected.

Getting a woman to say "Yes!" to a date and getting your prospects to say "Yes!" to your ads are nearly
identical.

Drawing from the dating analogy, here's how your ad can go from "zero" to "Yes!" in no time:
1) Your ad must make "eye contact" with the right target audience.
2) Your ad must have a "smile;" it should be positive, warm, and inviting.
3) Your ad should have a good opening line, like "Free Laser Hair Removal" or "Have dinner for 2 on us
tonight!"
4) Your ad must be non-threateningthere's no pressure because you're not selling anything!
5) Your ad should have something interesting to say which the prospect wants to hear... Again, the word
"free" is very interesting.
6) Your ad should be honest and straightforward...no hidden agendas.
7) Your ad can be cocky and funny; in fact "friendly" works just fine.
8) Your ad says how to take advantage of the offer.
9) Your ad is definitely a "teaser;" it intrigues the hell out of your prospect.
10) Your ad induces "tension" because your prospect wants it before it becomes unavailable.

58
 Speaking of removing the "pressure" off this prospect in order to romance an easy "YES!" this powerful
small space ad does it. Created by Steve Wexler, there's a lot of romancing the prospect and very little to
say no to. It offers a"Pain-Free Bracelet", a "Free 30 day Trial", and a "FREE Bonus pouch" A lot of good
romance here....

Disarm the prospect's automatic rejection button

While it's true people like to buy, it's also true nobody likes being sold. We resist sales advances
whether it's coming from an ad or a used car salesman.

THE KEY to getting your target audience to consider your offer is to make them an offer they cannot
resist. And you'll greatly improve your success if you...

Clyde Hopkins, one of the founders of modern advertising, was one of the first to truly understand
the problem that advertiser's face. He said, "Any effort to sell creates corresponding resistance."

59
 That's true, isn't it? Pick up today's newspaper. You'll find ads with headlines like the ones I found,
that seem like a man desperately seeking a date...
"Lose 50 lbs in 2 months!"
"Make $1,000 a day on the internet!"
"We'll beat anybody's carpet cleaning prices!"
"Best deli sandwiches in town"

Yikes. Let me hit the "Reject Button."

So the question is how do you remove the obvious SELLING copy from your ads and still sell your
products and services?

You have to make the "first sale" first. And the first sale is to sell your prospects on giving you their
time and attention.

If you don't want the prospect to push the auto reject button and blast you to kingdom come...then
don't try to sell your products or services in the ad.

In the next step, I'll show you how to get to first base with your prospects by making them easy-to-
accept, non-threatening offers...

60
AD STEP 4
Make your offer REALLY irresistible

OVERVIEW:
Very few ads are truly irresistible. Not that promoting an irresistible offer is hard. It's not. But
few advertisers know what bait to use to attract large volumes of response. This step will show
you how to make offers that compel prospects to respond.

It's all in the offer you propose, silly!

Like an attractive women bombarded with propositions, your prospects are bombarded with marketing
propositions all the time.

And because your prospects are hit on so much, they've been conditioned to expect the moon and stars.
And not only do they want discounts, deals, premiums, free gifts, and prizes...

They feel "entitled" to them.

That pretty much sums up the NEW MARKETING REALITY.

And if you're not prepared to give the "entitled prospect" what they want, your competitors on the
internet, TV, radio, or in magazines, direct mail, or Yellow Pages, will.

Remember, in the last step I told you the first sale is to sell the prospect on giving you their time and
attention. This is your most important sale.

Marketers call it "making the sale before the sale."

You will be able to gently persuade your prospects to lower their guard and give you their time and
attention with irresistible offers like:
"Free teeth cleaning while schedule openings last"
"Free Low Fat Yogurt Dish Topped with Fresh Fruit"
"Free Storage for 2 months and we pick up and deliver free too"
"Free Report: 6 Steps to Immediately Stop Foreclosure, Save Your House
and Your Credit"

The dictionary says the word "irresistible" means "that which cannot be successfully resisted or opposed;
overpowering."

61
 Do the offers above fit this description?

Here's the point: The offer is the sole purpose for your ad. So spend the majority of your time coming up
with an irresistible offer. The rest of the ad will follow.

The question is, "What offers do 'busy' and 'distracted' prospects find the most attractive and irresistible?"

Ready?...

The 3 most "irresistible" offers

Irresistible offers, those most capable of grabbing the prospect's attention, are:
Desirable now
Easy to understand
Easy to obtain
Benefit laden
Free or easily affordable

Below are the 3 types of offers prospects find most exciting, interesting, and appealing. There is the "free"
offer, followed by the "self-liquidating leads" offer, followed by the "discount and premium" offer. Each
includes some samples so you can see how you might apply them to your ads.

1. The "free" offer

The word "free" is an eyeball magnet. Everyone wants to get something for nothing.

The point of offering your prospect something for free is to generate a lot of leads. Leads that canwith
good follow-up marketingturn into sales.

The "free offer" is effective because it can quickly open up a relationship with customers you didn't have
before. It puts you on their map.

No, not all of those leads will turn into a sale, but a lot of them will certainly enough new leads to make
this well worth doing.

Don't blow this off just because your products are expensive. I'm not saying to give away a car, boat,
furniture, or a housealthough I've seen developers give away cars, boats, and furniture as premiums and
sell a lot of houses and condos as a result.

What I am saying is you can give something of value to attract prospects to your dealership, marina, store,
or office.

62
Here's a list of proven offers that you can borrow or adapt:

A free sample of the product

A free sampling of the service
A free checkup
A free membership for 60 days
A free audit
A free catalog
A free analysis
A free report
A free first lesson
A free consultation
Free information
A free video or CD or DVD
A free e-book
A free booklet
A free dinner
A free lunch
A free newsletter for 3 months
A free room cleaning
A free cookie
Free eggs, butter, or milk
First month free
Free 30 day trial
Free case studies

63
 If you've got a problem with the word "FREE" (and yes, some businesses do) then use any of the
following alternatives:

Complimentary dinner
Complimentary e-book
Complimentary 1-hour consultation
Complimentary survey results
Complimentary
Complimentary seminar
Complimentary DVD Report sent overnight to you
Dinner is on us
I'll pay for dinner
Let me pay for dinner
Let us pay for dinner
Be our guest for...
You're invited to be our guest and r e c e i v e .
No cost to you
You pay nothing
Your cost? Absolutely n o t h i n g .
Pay nothing as our guest
I invite you to sample at no cost to you

2. The "self-liquidating" offer

Some of the most qualified leads come from "self-liquidating" offers because the prospect "invests" a
small sum of money to receive something they value or want.

True, you won't attract as many leads as the "free" offer attracts, but these prospects are more likely to buy
products or services quickly because they are qualified.

Because these prospects are "hot" leads, it's vital that the materials and products you send have strong
sales presentations that "close" the deal.

You're wasting a lead, time and money if you only send a product sample and neglect to send sales
materials that intice the prospect to buy.

Another benefit of this type of lead is you get some money from prospects who pay for the products
or materials you send. Another benefit is each lead has a lower cost per sale because you send out fewer
"marketing" pieces.

Consider the self-liquidating offer for:

A special report
A sample kit
An e-book
A DVD
Sample of an Audio cassette program
A sample of the product
A sample of the service to be performed
A teleseminar
A special workshop
A course
An e-Course
A tour
A subscription
Tickets
Wine tasting
64
 The following "self-liquadating lead was created by Steve Wexler. LIke a "Trojan Horse" the prospect
receives a "free" video of a great sales presentation!

3. The "discount with a premium" offer

There are endless ways you can offer a discount with a special premium gift to add incentive to
respond. Since these offers are becoming more popular, you want to be sure your offer is truly special
and not a copy of a competitor's offer.

If you use these offers, be sure you don't confuse people. Most people understand an offer that says
"50% Off," yet many have trouble computing what "60% Off" really means. And if your prospect isn't
exactly sure what the percentage off means, they won't respond. The point is to make offers that are easy
to understand and to explain them too.

65
66
No, you don't need to be a professional copywriter to write effective head-
lines

I believe just about anyoneeven if your writing skills are equal to a 6th gradercan write a good
headline that will get results.

I'm not saying writing isn't important. It is. I'm saying coming up with a strategic offer is far more
important than being an ingenious or eloquent writer.

To me, writing headlines is first about finding the offer that will attract hordes of people.

Then it's about stating the offer clearly in very understandable words.

Use my technique for writing headlines and you'll find it works more
times than not

After years of writing headlines and teaching others to write headlines, I discovered a secret that improves
one's ability to write good headlines instantly.

Here's the secret: Do N-O-T try to write a headline.

Take the pressure off yourself.

Instead of writing a headline, just write down your offer in plain and simple words. Like this offer: "Free
1-hour back massage with this coupon."

Just plain, simple, straightforward English.

And you know what? 64 people responded to the "Free 1-hour back massage" offer headline. Written by a
copywriter? No. Written by a massage therapist who knew next to nothing about writing ads.

The beauty of my method is you don't have to be clever. You don't have to be witty. You don't have to
feel the pressure of writing a headline.

But you do have to create a good offer. OR ELSE you'll find yourself struggling to BE an innovative,
ingenious copywriter to compensate for the lack of a good offer!

STEP 1: Target the offer in your headline to your prospect

By now you've identified your target audience and their hot buttons. So the first step is to think like them.
As you write, put yourself in their shoes. Feel their situation or circumstances. Feel their pain. Feel their
aspirations.

Consider using words that identify your target audience. This has the same effect as calling out someone's
name...they respond faster. Identifier words in your headline pull in the right readers. So use words like:
Seniors
Snowboarders
In Debt
Home owners

69
 Nurses
Owe the IRS
Men in their 40s
Single women
Renters
SUV owners
CEOs
Back pain sufferers
Vegetarians

Here are some samples of how identifier words can be used in your headline. "Back pain suffers: get relief
in 30 minutes..." "Avoid foreclosure now even if proceedings have started..." Or, "Warning Seniors: Avoid
these 5 common phone scams to steal your money... "

Step 2: Present your offer in the headline

There are 2 basic headline offers that work well in newspapers. They are:
1. The direct offer headline.
2. The implied offer headline.

A direct offer headline can be a "Free offer," like:

"Free Chicken Sandwich"
Or it can be a "self-liquidating offer," like:
"Make $300 a day on the internet doing next to nothing - Special 75 Page Report only $4...a $20
value"
Or it can be a "Discount and Free Premium offer," like:
"2 Custom Made Italian Suits for the Price of 1 and Choose Any 5 Silk Ties FREE"
As I said earlier, you don't need to embellish a good offer. You just need to have one. Then your headline
will practically write itself.
Now onto the implied offer. These can be very effective at getting the reader to move from your headline
into the main body of the ad, where you then promote things like a Special Report, a Free DVD, an E-Course,
or Seminar.

With these headlines, the most important factor is to arouse the reader's "curiosity" and build that factor
into the headline. And if you can hit the reader's "pain point" or "aspirations" that's a big plus too. Like these
do:
"Why women yell at their husbands"
"How to ignite your sex life even if you're partner isn't interested in sex anymore..."
"WARNING: If you have not filed your taxes read this now"

Step 3: Choose the right tone and attitude for your headline
Two things motivate people. One is greed. The other is fear.

The "positive" headline approach focuses on feeding greedgiving your prospect something they want
and need. It gives them what they aspire to have, to be, or to own.

Obviously the more intense the greed factor, the more motivating your offer will be.

70
Step 4: Make sure the "scanning" reader understands your headline at a glance

The average reader spends approximately 3-seconds scanning the page of a newspaper. They will scan your
ad even faster!

The key to getting your headline read in a scanning environment like the paper is to use simple words your
target audience uses in daily conversation.

Don't try to dazzle your reader. With news headlines and other ad headlines surrounding yours, stand out
by being simple and easy to read. Like:
"Your jewelry bought today for more than it's worth"
"Free Breakfast TuesdayAll-You-Can-Eat"
"Roundtrip to Hawaii $299, includes Free Luggage Bag"

Use the simple, everyday words your target audience uses and they'll more easily identify with your
headline.

step 5: Catch your reader in the first 5 words

Newspaper readers scan quickly looking for words that stop and interest them.

And if your headline doesn't stop your reader in the first 5 words, they'll move on to something else and
you've lost them.

As I said early, the most important words are those that identify the target audience. The following list
is from Clayton Makepeace, one of the world's best copywriters and a savvy businessman. I use these in
headlines, subheads, and body copy and so should you. These words stop and intrigue readers:

New
Free
Introducing
If
Sex
Secret
How to...
What
Discover
Money
Improve
Exciting
Strange
Unique
Start
Begin
Why
Amazing
Rich
Simple
Stupid

72
Reveals
Powerful
Amazing
Astonishing
Astounding
Announcing
At Last
Bargain
Bonus
Breakthrough
Comfortable
Discount
Discovery
Easy
Effortless
Exclusive
Fearless
First Time Ever
Forever
Gift
Guaranteed
How I ...
Hurry
Immediate
Improved
Inevitable
Instantly
Intense
Introducing
It's here
Just Arrived
Last Chance
Limited
Locked-In
Miracle
Money
Never Before
Nothing To Lose
New
Now
Opportunity
Painless
Premium
Prestigious
Priority
Promise
Proven

73
 Prestigious
Priority
Promise
Proven
Quick
Revolutionary
Right Away
Rush
Sale
Save
Savings
Scandalous
Announcing...and of course the most powerful word...
YOU

Step 6: Use anywhere from 2 to 20 words

I don't like rules. But in some cases, like when it comes to how many words to use in your headlines, they
can be helpful.

The point of the headline is to stop your reader and convey your offer. And you need to use the necessary
words to do that. You can grab the reader's interest, state a benefit, and add curiosity in a minimum of 2
words, like:
"Free Breakfast"

And if you grab the reader's attention early on in the first few words, you can explain your offer using up
to 20 words. Like this headline written by the great Gary Halbert:
"Free Report Reveals Little Known Secrets Overweight Women Use
To Look 15 Pounds Slimmer Than They Really Are!"

Step 7: Delete unnecessary words

After you're done writing your headline, pu^^t away. Re-read it a day later. And when you do, do it with
the idea of ruthlessly deleting words that:
Needlessly embellish.
Don't add positive value.

Detract from the clarity or power of the headline.

First Headline:
"If I can't sell your home in 30 days for top dollar, I'll buy it from you
myselfguaranteed"
Headline After Ruthless Editing:
"Your home sold in 30 days for top dollarguaranteed"

The Key: eliminate unnecessary words until you get to the essencethe heart and soul of your offer.

Step 8: Begin sentences with benefits if possible

Readers read headlines for the benefits. They want to know, "What's in it for me?" So tell them, and your
headlines will attract more readers.

74
Instead of a headline that says:
"For only $4,500 you can get a gorgeous new kitchen installed in 3 days"
Try ...
"Get a gorgeous new kitchen installed in 3 days for only $4,500"

Or instead of a headline that says:

"Invisible Miracle Ear Hearing Aid lets you hear words again clearly"
Try .
"Hear words clearly again with invisible Miracle Ear Hearing Aid"

Step 9: Make it effortless

Here's an important "secret" you need to know about your prospects and customers...they don't want to
learn anything or do anything. Prospects want you (your product or service) to do the work for them.

If you use phrases like "Discover how to..." or "Learn how to ..." or "I'll teach you to ..." you are
implying the prospect has to do something, learn something, or discover something for themselves. And
really, they don't want to.

If you make your offer appear effortless, you'll get a better response. Say, "My internet program will
make you rich." "I can remove your lower back pain." "This session can save your marriage." "We'll get the
IRS off your back."

Step 10: Test your headlines before the ad runs

Don't write just one headline and stop there. Write 20 to 30 headlines that feature the same offer.

Then test the different headlines on your customers and prospects. Show them your list. Let them judge
the winner.

Testing does 2 very important things:

1) It quickly shows you what offers, words, and word placements have the most impact on your
customers. And...
2) It will enable you to get a better return on your ad investment.

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AD STEP 6
Write a call to action phrase that prompts immediate
response

OVERVIEW:
Next to the headline, your Call to Action phrase is the most important selling element in your
ad. Because if your Call to Action doesn't motivate your prospect to call, order, visit, or set an
appointment, you lose the lead, the sale, or both. This step shows you how to create Call to
Action phrases that motivate prospects to respond to your ads.

You've just written a powerful and attractive headline.

As a result of your headline, you've got your prospect's attention and interest. And they're drawn into the
main body of your ad.

Clearly the prospect is considering your offer. And they're convinced they're going to act on your o f f e r -
maybe not right this second. Because now they have something important to do. But they're going to get
around to responding to your offer sometime today. Or as soon as they're done doing what they're doing.

Guess what? You just lost the sale.

Your ad didn't seal the deal. Why? Because at the critical tipping point (turning point) when your prospect
was considering your offer, you didn't have a powerful call to action phrase that REWARDED the prospect
for completing the action right NOW.

Most call to action elements I see in ads don't usually involve more than an address and phone number.

Your address, phone number, or web address will NOT motivate a response (even from an interested
prospect) in most cases.

You must sell the prospect on responding

The call to action phrase has a big job: it must SELL your prospect on responding to your offer now.

Your prospect might be interested in your offer, but if you can't sell them on putting aside other priorities
to respond to you ad now...they won't!

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 For example:
"Call now to reserve your place at tonight's seminar and receive 2 free Dodger tickets for this
weekend's game... "
"Come to the store today and claim your voucher for 4 free passes to Sea World"

Yes it's "bribery." And yes, it works.

Next to creating an irresistible offer, create an irresistible Call to Action phrase that compels response,
regardless of what else is on the prospect's "to-do" list.

Here's an example of one powerful Call to Action phrase by John Spoelstra. It's a long summary of
"bribes". What NY baseball fan can resist?

Pinstripe Plan.
Here's what you get in my backyard with each Pinstripe
Plan:
All you can eat. At each game, you get all the freshly
grilled hot dogs,
Add a "Reward" for calling or visiting
hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, soda and water you
and MORE people will respond!
want. All this
food comes with the ticket. To induce your prospects to respond, "bribe"
Seven of our very best home games, including sold- them with:
out weekend Hats
games. (We have three different Pinstripe Plans Check T-Shirts
Dinner
out each plan
Movie Tickets
on siyanks.com/pinstripe.)
Event Tickets
Free replica of Yankee Stadium and a S.I. Yankees Bracelets
cap. Rings
Free ticket to a Yankees Old-Timers game in Staten Books
Island. Flags
Free ticket to a Yankees game in the Bronx. Mugs
Highly affordable. Just $15 per game; $105 for each Framed Photos
7-game Pinstripe Plan. Luggage
Exchange games. Can't go to a game on your Free shipping and handling
schedule? Don't worry.
Exchange the ticket for a game you can go to.

Check out the different Pinstripe Plans on our website.

Go to:
siyanks.com/pinstripe.
Staten Island Yankees
75 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
Phone: (718) 720-9265
Fax: (718) 273-5763
www.siyanks.com

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Your Call to Action Phrase should feature 3 Response Mechanisms

If your ad is only designed to attract the "buy now" customer, you're losing the majority of people
reading your ad since the "buy now" group represents the smallest percentage of respondents.

Most people reading your ad need to warm up to you...need you to convince them there's no
downside...need to feel secure you'll deliver the benefits promised.

If you force everyone into the buy now funnellike most ads doyou'll lose the majority of prospects
interested and leave a lot of money on the table.

The reason for using 3 Response Mechanisms is to catch ALL prospects regardless of where they are in
the buying-cycle.

Here are the 5 different Response Mechanisms. Pick 3 for use in your ad:
1. A business phone.
2. A toll free number or dedicated 800 number with a recorded message.
3. A website "landing page" URL that's specific to your offer.
4. A redeemable coupon.
5. A business address.

The Business Phone

"Call us today at 772-3355 and Ask for Mary. She'll explain how you can receive your Free Box of
Belgian Chocolates."

Or this...

"If you call the store and ask for Department 1, you will be immediately entered in the 'Free 7-Day Trip to
Maui' contest. Be sure to leave us your complete address as the winner will be contacted by mail."

The Toll Free Number or Dedicated 800 Number

Just call this TOLL-FREE number and listen
to our exciting 5 minute Recorded Message:
"The Miracle Hearing Aid That Lets You
Hear Words Clearly Again"
1-866-555-0025
Call now! The call is FREE
and so is the booklet!"

Or this...
"Find out the 42 things you need to know
(and must know) if you are going to buy
foreclosure properties in Southern California.
For your Free Report, Call Our Toll-Free 24 Hour
Prerecorded Hotline at 1-800-555-1155, ID #1226

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TIP 3: Start the copy with the word "Yes!" It's a positive and powerful word that draws people to it.

TIP 4: Use color for headlines and sub-headlines (red, blue, purple, etc.). Keep the main text in black. Black on
white is easier to read than any other combination except black on yellow.

TIP 5: Capture as much contact information as possible. Name, address, city, zip, phone, email, even birthday
and anniversary dates if you can.

TIP 6: Dramatize any gifts or free bonuses you may include within the offer. Photos, strong titles, and
descriptions really improve response.

TIP 7: Restate a powerful money-back guarantee. The longer and more prominent, the better. 30 days pulls
better than 10 days, 60 days pulls better than 30, and so on. A lifetime guarantee is the most powerful of any
time period. Always include the signature and title of the most senior person at the company at the end of the
guarantee.

TIP 8: Add the words "Please Print" on the coupon.

TIP 9: Don't forget to include all your company's contact information. You'd be surprised how often even the
largest marketers make this basic error.

The Business Address

"Visit our store at 55 North Broadway and 2nd Avenue before Saturday, May 3rd and enter to Win the Brand New
Harley Davidson Motorcycle on display. No purchase necessary. Drawing held May 5th and the winner will be
contacted that day. Good luck!"

Or this...

"Bring this ad with you to the dealership before February 10th; take a quick test drive in any of our new BMWs
and instantly receive a free $100 gas card. And if you purchase a car this weekend, we'll send you and a friend
to Cabo San Lucas for a 3 Day, all expenses paid holiday...as a special Thank You! (We'll even drive you to the
airport and pick you up on return.)"

...But Wait! Claim 3 FREE BONUS Tips!

1. Include a deadline because it increases the sense of urgency and builds response. Print a specific date when
the offer and price expire. Or print the words "Please respond within 7 days."

2: Give clear directions for how to respond. And explain what will happen when they do respond. Like this...

"Have Dinner on usFREE at the Olive Garden here in Layton! Just for taking a fun 20 minute tour. You
must be among the first 30 people to tour our new facility by Saturday, December 20 to receive the free dinner
offer. Please call Mary at 555-1212 to set up your appointment. Your dinner Gift Certificates will be waiting
for you when your tour is completed. Please hurry, this offer expires when gift cards are gone, or on Saturday,
December 20,2008 at 1:00pm."

3: Explain the consequences for not responding. Like this...

"This seminar is filling up so fast there are now only 21 seats left. Call now to reserve one of these few
remaining seatsor lose out on the most important internet moneymaking information to come down
the pike in the last 7 years. If your business has a website, you cannot afford to miss this once in a
lifetime opportunity."

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AD STEP 7
Determine if you need "short" or "long" copy

OVERVIEW:
There's a raging debate among advertising people over the length of copy that works in an
ad. Does longer copy outsell short copy? The answer depends on one thing... How much
information does your prospect need in order to respond? In this step you'll find out how much
copy your ad needs.

So exactly how many words does your ad need?

Answer: as many words as it takes to persuade your prospect to take action and not one word more.

People who say they absolutely will not read long copy ads haven't read a long copy ad that could keep
their interest from start to finish.

Those same people who claim to have "short attention spans" read newspaper articles and editorials; they
read books, brochures, travel guides, lengthy interviews, and newsletters...they will read...
If the copy fascinates them and holds their interest.

That's pretty much true for all of us.

Who has the time or interest to read copywhatever the lengththat's boring? The only exception I
can think of is when you're forced to read a "Bicycle Instruction Manual" to have the bike assembled for
Johnny's birthday party.

Your ad copy is "salesmanship in print." So imagine standing in front of your prospects explaining your
offer. How many words does it take to get your prospect to take action?

Use the answer as your guide to see if yours should be a "long" or "short" copy ad.

And remember, people will read ad copy gup to 1,500 words and more if:
1) The copy is targeted specifically to them.
2) They have a genuine desire to learn about your offer.
3) The copy answers their questions and handles anxieties.
4) The copy holds their interest.

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Your ad is probably a long copy candidate if you sell:

A new product that needs explanation to be understood.

A new service that needs explanation to be understood.
An expensive car, jet, boat, home, or island with details needed by the prospect.
A complex medical procedure that requires details and explanation for the prospect.
A complex financial product or service that requires details and explanation.
A complex legal service.
An event that needs an explanation
Extensive listings (houses, cars, wine selection, computer equipment, etc.)
Anything that requires "proof elements" to substantiate the claims made by your offer. (This is
explained in the next step.)

CAUTION: Be absolutely sure the person writing your ads knows what
sales points ARE NEEDED to close sales.

In many cases what should be a "long copy" ad is shortenedand

leads and sales are lostsimply because the copywriter doesn't know the
"pitch sequence" or because the copywriter chooses to shorten the copy for
"personal" or "graphic" reasons because they are not the customer.

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AD STEP 8
Give readers the "proof" they need to respondand
more will

OVERVIEW:
Making bigeven "irresistible"offers and claims in your ad without substantiating them kills
reader response. You need "proof elements" to support what you claim is true. This step will
show you the most important proof elements to boost credibility and increase your response
rate.

People are by nature skeptical.

They're especially skeptical of the claims made in ads.

Your ad needs to establish credibility with the reader to make your claims believable. And by backing up
what you say with "proof," you overcome the toughest enemy your ad facesthe reader's skepticism.

If you want to side-step the reader's built in skepticism and make your ad copy flow with believability, I
suggest making the following proof elements a tangible and visible presence in your ads...

The "reason why" you're making your offer now.

Your strongest case histories.
Endorsements from well known people or authorities.
Current (and local) testimonials.
Your success stories with statistics.
A strong guarantee.
What experts say about you or your product/service.
Your niche specialization.
Your reputation within in your industry.
Complete, straightforward candor and honesty.

How to use "proof elements" to overcome reader resistance

Giving prospects raw, dry facts and statistics to prove your claims are true doesn't automatically make
them believe what you say.

You can't "prove" something for another. Proof is relative and is judged by what we believe is true or not.

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 But you can use vivid word images together with facts to get the prospect to imagine an outcome or result,
and they're more likely to believe it.

Daniel Lewis, a brilliant marketing consultant and copywriter, said, "If you want to convince somebody of
something, make them experience the reality of that something in their imagination first. Backing it up with raw
facts and figures is important, but secondary."

Let me take each proof element one by one and give some examples of how to use them in your ads to
produce better results.

The "reason why" you're making your offer now.

The better your offer, the higher the prospect's skepticism. Why? Because your prospects don't believe
there's a "free lunch" or an unconditional "good deal." And if you do offer a free lunch, people are
curious to know what the "catch" is. And there IS a catch. But if you don't explain what it is, the
prospect will not trust you. So tell them what it is.

By explaining why you're making your offer, you relieve any underlying anxieties about your motives
and make your offer more believable and desired.

Rather than 50% Off New Stereo Equipment...see how a "reason why" gives
credibility...
50% Off New Stereo Equipment Because of Our Recent Fire
See how a reason why makes a 70% off carpet sale believable.

We blew it. We bought a truckload of high quality carpets with

strange colors and unusual patterns and can't sell them at regular
prices. Come in this weekend and get 70% off while they last.

Current (and local) testimonials.

Prospects want to know what other satisfied customers say about you, and they're more willing to
believe what someone else says about you than what you say about you.

The best testimonials are:

1) Local and current. Use local names like Kevin Jones, or K. Jones, Reno, NV. Use a date, like
12/3/08. It says you're tracking results in real time.
2) Believable. The best testimonials feature real benefits experienced by real people.
3) To the point. If you have to edit anything, chop unnecessary words and highlight the benefits. If
more than one benefit is mentioned, use an ellipsis in the copy...like this...to focus the reader's
attention.
4) Natural. Make testimonials as unedited as possible. Sure, clean up spelling and grammar, but
keep the words your customer wrote (or spoke) if possible.
5) Detailed. Include details, specifics, data, juicy numbers, facts. Details are the best "proof."

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 Your strongest case histories.
These don't need to be long.. .just hit the high points. Be sure to include:
The type of customer. Business, size and location, and goals.
The problems faced by the customer. What consequences did the customer face before the problem was
solved?
Explain why they called you. If they had other choices, why you?
Tell how you solved the problem. What did you do? How?
Result: What was the result of your help? What deliverables did you provide? What did you fix, solve, or
improve?
Summary: What measurable benefits did the customer get as a result of your help?

Endorsements from well known people or authorities.

Ask people who have used your product or service, and loved it, to recommend it to their friends,
colleagues, and workmates. Also, if you can, get an endorsement from a well known celebrity; it will
mean extra sales for your product.

Your success stories with statistics.

If you've got success stories, use themthey're interesting and they build a strong case for your products
and services.

Explain who you helped, how you helped them, how long it took, what you had to overcome, and what
results you accomplished. Use as many facts, quotes, and details as possible. Your prospects want to know
why they should choose you over the competition.

What experts say about you or your product/service.

Using expert testimony in your ad is a very powerful and persuasive tool. When an "expert" has
something good to say about your business, leverage it. Use it in your ad copy. Just remember, you have
to give your prospects a way to compare and contrast your business from others. These kinds of third
party endorsements give you credibility.

Your niche specialization.

If you have a specific area of specialization, if you solve a specific problem, or if your customers have
specific circumstances your business addresses, leverage it. Explain how your niche gives customers just
what they want. And be sure to point out what specific advantages your business offers customers that are
not offered by competitors.

Your reputation within in your industry.

If you have a good reputation in your specific industry, then say so. Have you won an Industry
Achievement Award? Have you been recognized in your industry as a "Leader?" Then showcase it in your
ad copy. It impresses prospects when your industry appreciates and rewards you.

Complete, straightforward candor and honesty.

One of the strongest and most overlooked "proof elements" in advertising is honesty. I don't mean that
advertisers lie. But most advertisers "couch" and "frame" their words. They embellish. They adorn their
ad copy with well turned phrases.

Frankly, people are jaded by polished "sales pitches."

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90
AD STEP 9
Use pictures that support your offer

OVERVIEW:
Powerful visual images can bring more eyeballs to your ads. But you want to bring the RIGHT
eyeballsnot just anyone. This step will show you how to use pictures, illustrations, and
graphics to target prospects, support the offer in the headline, and attract more response.

Where did your eye go first? To the picture, right?

That's because people "read" pictures before they read words...no matter how "rewarding" the words
may be.

Pictures are your eye's natural environment. Research says that roughly 85 percent of how we receive and
remember information is visual. Our eyes are busy all day "reading" the environment, so it makes sense that
pictures are what the eyes know best.

Because bigger visuals are the first thing your prospects see in your ad, the picture (or pictures) must instantly
signal what your offer is about.

The job of pictures in ads is to be interesting and to communicate or imply a benefit made by the offer. Pictures
should cause the casual reader to begin to understand your offer at a glance. And pictures should make your
prospects want to read the words.

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 You're objective is to create ads disguised to look like "news."

That's why you want pictures that appear to have been shot by a photo journalist. This will give your ad the right
appearance. Not too flashy. Not too raw and amateurish. But real.

Now does that mean you can't put some appealing photographic "eye candy" in front of your prospects? Hell no.

Go for it. You want your ad message to be the most appealing and interesting "news" on the page.

And if, for example, your offer is appealing to women, like the following ad written by Dr. Harlan Kilstein, (a brilliant
copywriter) then make sure women will be attracted to and lured in by the visuals.

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How to use the 2 basic types of visuals in ads
Big visuals designed to make eye-stopping impact are what I call "feature visuals." The big picture in the ad above is
a feature visual.

Smaller visuals, which are usually product photos, "emphasis" photos, or illustrations of graphs and charts, I call
"minor visuals." They play a visual support role to the feature visuals.

Here are some good rules for using both:

Using feature visuals

Because feature visuals are designed to catch eyeballs quickly, make sure they are high quality. Hiring professional,
experienced advertising photographers and illustrators for this job is a great investment. And of course for more generic
shots you can always use stock photo images from online sources like istock, shutterfly, or photos.com

For the best results, use the following guide:

In most cases, use photographs in your adsthey're more believable than illustrations.
Show your product in use, solving the prospect's problem.
Show the end result of using your products or services.
Use photos to tell a story that engages the reader's self-interest or curiosity.
Show your products in the natural environment in which they are used.
Use before and after photosthey offer "proof' of your offer, and readers like them.
Use clear and simple photos and illustrations with "high contrast" because they reproduce well in the newspaper.
Use pictures of people with whom your prospects can identify.
Show familiar objects and concepts the reader understands.
Don't use head shots of the owner or photos of the teamthey're boring.
Use well-defined illustrations that "pop" off the page.
Use photos and illustrations that personify your image and maintain a consistent style in every ad.

A word of caution: Beware of using strange, grotesque, repulsive, or weird visuals in your ad just to capture
eyeballs. Yes, you will attract people. And yes, you will more than likely turn people off. But no, they don't help you
sell, UNLESS you're deliberately trying to shock people into changing a habit or supporting a cause. Showing charred
lungs may work for anti-smoking ads. Showing a helpless Pelican soaked in oil to protest an offshore drilling proposal
may also work. These kinds of photos can be VERY persuasive in motivating people to act or send money.

Using minor visuals

Minor art includes photos and illustrations of your products, like bikes, running shoes, cars, or pictures of vegetables.
They can also include charts, maps, graphs, etc.

While the feature visual gives the "big picture," the minor art illustrates the products, steps, or methods that make the
big picture possible.

And like the feature visual, the minor art has a big responsibilityto help the reader understand the offer. The minor
art must be:

Clear and easy to understand at a glance.

Respectful of its place in the sale of the desired benefits.
Consistent in style, tone, and quality with the feature visual; there's nothing as confusing as a variety of styles
and looks.
Proportionate.
Easy to reproduce in the newspaper.

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 The 5 typefaces with "serifs" are primarily used for the main body text, while the 5 "sans
serif" typefaces are primarily used for headlines and subheads.

Rule of thumb: use no more than 3 typefaces per ad

I just saw an ad that had 17 different and unique typefaces.

Bad idea.

Why?
1) Because numerous typefaces will only make your ad LOOK like a freakin' ad!have you ever seen
an article in the paper with 17 typefaces?
2) Numerous typefaces put too much emphasis on the look of the type, distracting the reader away from
the offer.

Don't use more than 3 typefaces in your ad. Articles and editorials in the paper generally use no
more than 2: a sans serif face for the headline (and subheads) and a serif type for the main body of the
message.

The other point in minimizing the number of typefaces you use is this: You want the focus of your
ad to be on the message. So...

Use a typeface so easy to read that

readers don't notice the type.

How important is your choice of a typeface to the financial success of your ad?

I saw the exact same ad tested using 2 different typefaces. The first ad used a difficult to read sans
serific face throughout. The second used a serific face. The first ad netted 11 leads. The second ad
netted 62 leads. Same paper, different day.

Here's the moneymaking secret of using type. Choose a type that is mostly invisible to the reader.
Like the type you're reading now.

The ABC's of using type in your ad

Although there are times when an ad breaks all the rules and still succeeds, it's safer to err on the
side of communication than on the side of type design, especially in the newspaper.

Here are some proven strategies for what to do and what not to do when setting type in your ad:

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AD STEP 11
Design an effective layout

OVERVIEW:
You can do everything I've taught you to do and still blow it if your layout doesn't make it easy
to comprehend the offer. This critical step will show you how to create effective layouts every
time. Ignore the advice in this step and your ads will failguaranteed.

Here's a sobering fact: your prospects will do very little, if any, WORK to understand your ad's message. In
fact, when readers see your ad, they make snap decisions to either read it or move on.

Why do readers make these "read" or "no read" decisions so quickly?

In a nutshell, readers are lazy. And they're in a hurry.

Readers prefer ad layouts that not only look easy to read but ARE easy to read and comprehend. If they
think your ad looks difficult to understand, they'll leave.. .fast.

The first goal of your layout is to enable readers to "get" the ad's primary offer by glancing at the headline
and subheads.

The next goal of the layout is to cause readers to begin reading your ad before they realize they are
reading!

When you study effective advertising, you begin to notice how simple looking great ads are.

Effective ads are effective for a reason: they do a lot of the heavy lifting work for the reader, so the reader
doesn't feel they have to do much work to understand the offer.

Presenting your offer on a "silver platter" so it appears effortless to read takes some doing. It requires a
good deal of visual deception to make reading and comprehending seem easy.

So...I'm going to show you some effective "mind tricks"...some effective eye-fooling "devices"...that
cause readers to WANT to read your ad because they feel it's easier to do so than not.

Remember, if your ad looks like "work," you're dead. People reading the newspaper want to relax.
"Work" isn't on the agenda. So make reading easy...effortless...and possibly entertaining.

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Summing it up
This book was designed to inspire and teach you to create newspaper ads that generate LOTS of money for you
and your business.

I haven't done my job if you are still contemplating using the ideas this book presents.

Success in advertising calls for actionnot prolonged contemplation. There are some radical steps prescribed in
this book, all written with one idea in mind: to cause you to take action and implement them.

So if you're still sitting on the fence.. .get off.

Every hour you wait, you're losing business...business that should be yours.

Print advertising is a powerful competitive tool. Over the years I've seen well-planned print advertising triple a
small store's revenues. I have seen small ads cause traffic jams. In each case, the owners were willing to take risks
to be different from their competition. And each owner constantly strived to find new ways to delight and surprise
customers.

Granted, being new and different from your competitors is a challenge.

But if you weren't up for the challenge, you wouldn't own a small business. To succeed in today's competitive
environment, you must strive to be a different business tomorrow than you are today.

It's a battle to attract customers and keep them supremely happy. Inspiration for new business and advertising
ideas comes from pushing through boundaries.

The first challenge in presenting an innovative advertising message is really a marketing challenge: you have to
actually become a different kind of business. You have to have a niche that attracts new customers.

The secondary challenge is to communicate your difference through advertising.

Advertising doesn't stand on its own; it cannot be a smokescreen for a business that doesn't constantly reinvent
itself and take exceptional care of customers. If your advertising isn't as effective as you want, it may be because
your niche concept is not fully developed. Or it means you need a new one.

The point is this: determine how you can give customers an "advantage" they can't get anywhere else. Then let
your strategy determine your ad message. Own a niche that gives customers exactly what they want every time
they buy from you, and do it in a way that undermines the competitors' strategies.

If you're already using the ideas in this book, great...keep going. You've joined a league of other business
owners who are making a lot of money. Come up with your own outrageous ideas to attract leads and sales. You
will be rewarded...and you'll have a lot of fun enjoying your success.

One last thing: send me samples of your winning ads and the specific results you got...I may use them for my
next book. You can contact me directly through my website: www.davidfowlerads.com

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