Add a Johnson Box to your Sales Letters

By Bob Bly

Sixty years ago, Frank H. Johnson was looking for a way to increase the impact of his sales letters.

Johnson decided that instead of forcing readers to wade through a mass of copy before making the offer, he would highlight the offer in a centered rectangular box placed at the very top of the letter above the salutation. The results were terrific, and the "Johnson Box" has been going strong ever since.

Copywriter Ivan Levison shares some tips you can use for putting a Johnson Box to work the right way:

1. Put the right content in the box. What should you include there? The offer. The main product benefit.

2. Use it in the right kind of letter. If you're writing a non-personalized letter that's going out bulk rate in a window envelope using teaser copy, a Johnson Box will fit right in.

3. Make it the right size. If you're mailing an 8 1/2" x 11" letter (folded twice down to 3 5/8") you want the Johnson Box and the salutation line to appear above the fold.

4. Use an appropriate box shape made from a fine-ruled line. For added impact, throw a screened-back second color inside the box.

5. Use a box in the body of the letter. There's no law that says you can't throw your guarantee into a small box somewhere within the letter. Or a few testimonials. Or a short excerpt from a glowing product review.

6. Show your fulfillment piece in a box or at the top of your letter. If you're offering a report, guide, White Paper, Executive Summary, whatever, use a picture of it.

Source: "The Levison Letter."This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter."

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33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession

Here's a nice, quick report, "33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession."

With today's tough economic times, every small business owners and entrepreneurs are looking for that competitive edge. Check our this free resource for 33 keys to make sure your business thrives during the current recession.

Among the tips include:

• Mine your customer list.
• Emphasize the value you provide.
• Have a risk-free introductory offer.
• Pursue publicity.

Again, the PDF is free. Download "33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession" here.

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The Keys to Persuasion, by Bob Bly

If you want to persuade people to believe something, do something, or buy something, you must rely on three factors, according to Herb Cohen:

1. They have to understand what you're saying. It's imperative that you put your reasons into analogies that relate to their experiences, their particular imprinting. In order to do this, you must enter their world. (That's why it's so hard for you to negotiate with someone who's stupid or who you think is a lunatic.)

2. Your evidence must be so overwhelming that they can't dispute it.

3. Their believing you must meet their existing needs and desires.

Of these three factors, the third is by far the most important. Why? "Even if you present me with overwhelming evidence I understand, should the conclusion depress me, I will remain unconvinced," says Cohen. "Your facts and logic may be unassailable but their acceptance will not meet my existing needs and desires."

If you want to persuade people, show the immediate relevance and value of what you're saying in terms of meeting their needs and desires.

Source: Herb Cohen, You Can Negotiate Anything, Carol Publishing. This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter.

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4 Secrets for Selling Value Instead of Price

Are your customers worried about price and not seeing the value of your product or service?

Tessa Stowe, who teaches small business owners and recovering salespeople simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy, offers four secrets that can help you sell on value so that price is no longer an issue.

Tops on the list... Forget about selling and trying to get your prospect to buy your products and services.

Read the complete article at Business Know How.

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Use Unconventional Ideas to Grow Your Business During These Tough Times

Karin Price Mueller writes that during these tough economic times, growing your business takes money, but capital can be hard to find in today's economic climate.

"If you've planned well enough that you have money in the bank, that's great, but you'll be taking a risk if you spend everything in an attempt to grow. That doesn't mean you have to put expansion plans on hold. All it takes is a little creative financing."

Mueller offers nine unconventional ways you can grow your business without blowing your stash. Among the ideas:

• Offer educational sessions
• Stage a publicity stunt
• Use social media
• Form an alliance

Read the complete article for all nine ideas and more details on each.

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Be Sure to Create Value for Your Sales Calls

From "The Sales Blog" by S. Anthony Iannarino comes a good article on ensuring that you create value for your sales calls. Among Iannarino's suggestions:

• Know the Buyer’s Stage in Their Buying Process
• Confirm Your Agenda and Include Their Agenda
• Have a List of Powerful Questions
• Help Them To Better Understand Their Needs
• Help Them See Their Vision of a Better Future More Clearly

Iannarino conludes by noting that "to advance from commitment to commitment in moving your deal forward, you have to create the value on every sales call that will earn you the right to your next sales call."

Read the complete article online on The Sales Blog.

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Be a Better Networker

by Bob Bly

1. As soon as possible after meeting new contacts, jot down notes on the back of their business card. Your notes should include memory joggers (mustache, red hair), reminders of where you met, what you discussed, and things you have in common.
2. The next day, transfer their details and your notes into your contact management system.
3. Follow up. Send a short note or e-mail to strengthen the initial contact. Note: unless sales information was specifically requested, your first follow-up should not be marketing oriented.

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter.

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Postcard Marketing: Bond With Customers

by Marcia Yudkin

Imagine the difference between a company whose customers have so-so feelings about it and one whose customers wouldn’t dream of buying from anyone else. That’s a tremendous gap that can be narrowed with just a little expense and effort, using an inexpensive, often overlooked tool – the postcard.

By sending simple yet strategically chosen postcards to people who have already bought from you, you can turn an iffy, indifferent buyer into a sticky, delighted one. Here are five ways to use postcards to create a bond with customers and thereby encourage them to become strongly loyal, to refer friends and colleagues to you and to send interesting opportunities your way because they care about your success.

1. Thanks. Set up an ongoing thank-you postcard campaign that sends a card to each new customer the week or month after they first bought something from you. If it’s feasible to have a handwritten signature, that’s best. You may choose to include a limited-time special offer, such as 20% off their next purchase or a free gift if they stop in the shop again before a certain date, but even if you don’t do that, a warmly worded thank-you card makes a significant impact.

2. News. Remember when it was common for financial services companies and other professionals to send a monthly or quarterly newsletter to clients? This stay-in-touch technique reinforces your expertise and helps the customer remember you when they need your services again. Printing one newsletter item on a postcard rather than sending a four-page, folded-twice newsletter is much more cost-effective and much handier for the customer to save by the phone or post it on a bulletin board or refrigerator. Make sure there’s a human element in the postcard content, with the word “you” liberally sprinkled around it.

3. Come-back offers. Don’t let your buyers feel faceless and interchangeable. Send periodic postcards with an appealing discount or bonus and a friendly message. I doubt very much your competitors are doing this. I travel a lot, and only once in my life have I received a “come back and see us” postcard from a hotel or inn where I stayed. In fact, I still remember who sent it, even though it was years ago: The Jailhouse Inn in Newport, Rhode Island. Design the postcard so it tells an inviting story about a customer who’s bought from you again and again or an anecdote about someone on your team who went above and beyond for a customer.

4. Birthdays or anniversaries. Do you have or could you get your customers’ birthdays? Some businesses wow their clients and create a closer bond with them by sending a postcard for a free haircut, massage, house plant or dessert in honor of their birthday. You could do the same for a milestone that was specific to the recipient, such as their child’s first summer or winter, or halfway through their fiscal year.

5. “Wish you were here” cards. Don’t you like it when friends and family members send you funny or gorgeous postcards when they’re on vacation? Think up convincing and appealing reasons for you to send postcards to new clients when you travel. For example, if you’re attending a conference or trade show in New Orleans, you could show a photo of the French Quarter with a chatty message about how you’re collecting ideas and inspiration at the XYZ national show that you’ll be sharing with anyone who sets up an appointment for June. This way, you come across as active, interesting, thoughtful and constantly reaching out to customers.

Which of these ideas are you excited to implement? Get started on your next postcard campaign today!

Veteran postcard marketer, consultant and author Marcia Yudkin teaches the strategic, logistical, design and copywriting secrets of successful postcard marketing. Discover the top 10 ways - some of them simple and inexpensive - to generate results using postcards in her Postcard Models Report.

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The Business Card Project

Even with the power of social media, online marketing, websites and viral videos, the old fashion business card is a powerful marketing tool. And right now, small business owners and entrepreneurs have a chance to get their business cards redesigned -- for free!

That's right. The Business Card Project, created by the folks at Moo.com, are holding a contest to find 500 small businesses who will receive free design services and 50 premium business cards.

If you'd like to enter your company for consideration, visit http://businesscardproject.com. But hurry. The contest is only open until the end of August.

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Generate More Leads with a Bait Piece

By Bob Bly

Never do a lead-generating promotion -- ad, banner ad, e-mail, direct mail -- without a "bait piece."

The "bait piece" is an informative booklet, white paper, or special report addressing some aspect of the problem your product or service helps the reader solve.

Example: Fala Direct Marketing, a letter shop specializing in producing personalized direct mailings, offered a free booklet, "Should I Personalize?" It helps clients decide whether and how to personalize their mailings.

You will greatly increase response to your direct mail and other promotions with the offer of a strong bait piece, e.g., "Call or write us today for a copy of our FREE booklet, '7 Ways to Reduce Energy Costs.'"

Conversely, not having a bait piece will significantly lower the response rate to lead-generating direct response promotions, whether business or consumer.

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter." Learn more at www.bly.com.

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