"The Dark Art Of Selling..."

To elaborate on my last post, I'm offering this link, to you.

These are people who don't want to recognize human nature for what it is. All they will listen to is that which supports their definition of reality.

Some of them made an obvious attempt at sounding knowledgeable, while stating the diametric opposite of the truth about the effectiveness of sales letters and sales letter styled websites.

• Never mind the millions and millions of dollars spent on testing.
• Forget the billions of dollars represented by the testimonials on your right.
• Don't give a second thought to the fact that I'm credentialed as a computer systems engineer and might have a clue...
• Phooey on the detail that they're referring to a $2 trillion industry...
• And why bother with the fact that much of my copy is scrutinized by lawyers and compliance officers and executives before it's even tested. Their verdict is, "It's scammy, Sammy."

Their hot comments reflect the zeitgeist, though. And facts are irrelevant to popular opinion.

Bottom line, I'm not willing to become a target of anticipated castigations by posting the content I promised you, publicly. So, I'm thinking about protecting myself against a chiding by using password protected access.

And beginning with a psych lite while I explore the implications of publishing something that can be used for purposes best described as diabolical.

Obviously, I'm still thinking this one through. Not if I will deliver on my promise to you, but how to handle the publishing.

We'll see...

--Peter

Comments

[Kyle Tully]

Hi Peter

I scanned that page quickly... where do you start, I wanted to reply to every comment and set them straight.

The words that kept catching my eye were design and usability.

Not sales.

I wonder how many business owners were posting in that thread? My guess is that none of those guys ever did any advertising with their own money on the line.

Yeah they're "web savvy", so is my 5 year old niece. That doesn't mean they know the first thing about salesmanship and making money.

Cheers
Kyle

p.s. The fact that the very site they're posting on is essentially long copy text with a headline, poor design and a call to action (comment) seems to have gone over their heads...

[Robert]

Loved the link. I have to fight those battles about once a month. My tolerance for them is growing razor thin.

After a split-testing death-match, one of my clients decided that lead generation and sales pieces to outside customers that were direct response design in nature were clearly the winner, but the heavy pretty html, reverse type, brown text on a brown background look wold be used for their customer communications and main land pages on the website.

(In the test I sold 1200 magazine descriptions in a single email – an email their design and marketing people all declared wouldn't work, wouldn't be read and would damage their image - their piece sold nothing)

Okay, end of rant, on to the Psych lessons...

I would encourage you to password protect them. I remember back in the day putting on joint ventures with Jay and the venture partners would suffer from paroxysms over the phrase "ethically exploit the hidden opportunities you your customer data base".

One of my clients is having to eliminate the appeal of "increase the size of your commissions" from their marketing because their industry is undergoing heavy media and regulatory scrutiny. Making higher commissions for more value provided is seen as evil.

So, sometime in the future you have a $78,000 gig on the line and someone internally who's queasy about this outside guru coming in pulls up your post on the truth about human nature...

The truth will set you free...or get you crucified. Doesn't seem to be a middle of the road when it comes to truth.

[Copywriter, Peter Stone]

Kyle and Robert,

This is exactly what I'm going to address in an abbreviated presentation...

The motives of these pockets of people.

These motives are; loneliness, boredom and a quest for significance.

They're bonding and establishing social significance and social order, by putting something, or someone, down.

To them, what they put down has little to do with anything at all. Certainly not facts.

The juice is all in the ritual.

They seek popularity.

--Peter

[Elizabeth Purvis]

First things first... you're a systems engineer? Cha! I have an MS in computer science and spent 10 years as a Unix administrator for internet and social networking companies. Here's a picture of me on my last night in the datacenter (Jan 07):

http://www.elizabethpurvis.com/pix/dc1.jpg

And here are a few of my former charges:

http://www.elizabethpurvis.com/pix/dc2.jpg

I got tired of hanging out in that crazy joint at 2 a.m. so I quit to write full-time. :)

Anyhoo. Carlton's got some great posts on this; very worth reading and full-bore Carlton goodness. What gets up my nose is the semi-rabid whitewash view that SELLING == SCAM. Just because one is actually trying to sell a product, and, and one actually, oh, I don't know, explains in great detail what the product can DO for the customer (if he gets off the couch), and one actually ASKS FOR THE SALE, does not make one a rip-off artist.

What's also awesome is that at least some of these folks are the same ones who drool through late-night infomercials with the phone within reach.

It's so tempting to go on there and, ahem, divest them of their misguided notions. Whip up a l'tl course correction, as 'twere. As a newbie copywriter it feels like I've got the least to lose.

On the other hand, that energy is probably better spent funneled into the next sales letter!

[Copywriter, Peter Stone]

Systems Engineer by credential. I thought I needed it for greasing the skids to pitch my copy to the high-tech market.

Regarding photo #1: My gosh you're attractive! Sorry for pointing out the obvious.

Regarding photo #2: I'm entirely impressed and somewhat intimidated.

And while I'm on the social portion of my response to your comment, thank you for your kind review of my blog, Elizabeth. Your appreciation counts.

And now, on to business.

This debate over design, long copy vs. short copy and blah, blah, began some time ago. I've concluded, my participation in it is fruitless. Except for times when I have nothing to say, here. It's great self-promotional fodder ... that's long ago run its course.

Again, I don't think their (rude) discussion has anything to do with the subject matter. Were they earnestly seeking answers, they'd simply test the variables to a statistically viable conclusion (one way or the other) and be done with it.

I mean, when increased actions to the tune of several hundred percent are on the line, it's time to stop opining and test, for the sake of your clients.

Doesn't that seem reasonable to you?

--Peter

[Elizabeth Purvis]

I'm curious: did the credentials help? Sometimes it's hard to tell how much that stuff really matters.

It's funny... tech writing would be such an easy sell for me, I think; I can speak the language of techies quite fluently and I interface (pardon the pun) easily with folks in both camps (indeed, this was a huge selling point in the tech field -- "you mean you're a big nerd who's actually somewhat normal? omg..."), but... I am just so burned out on the whole scene. Maybe I just need a break!

Thank you for the kind words. Those machines are not as intimidating as they seem! Your copywriting chops have me in awe, so there you have it.

And yes... I am all for putting one's money where one's mouth is, so to speak. Testing also has the added benefit of cutting the emotional drama and control issues off at the knees.

[Copywriter, Peter Stone]

Elizabeth,

Allow me to presume you're asking about the usefulness of your credentials to the process of selling your copy.

I'd use them in a logic link -- 'If you want more sales, you'll need to articulate your value proposition more distinctly than your competition does. In and of itself, that demonstrates yours as a superior understanding of your clients needs, over your competition's recognition of them, doesn't it?'

Or...

'If your prospects feel their challenges are misunderstood, they won't perceive you as able to solve their problems? So, doesn't it then make sense that a writer with my background, my credentials, my accomplishments in the field could easily increase your profits?'

The idea is to align yourself with the idea of selling dollars for dimes.

Align yourself with the geek contingent and you'll be treated (and paid) on par with the geek contingent.

Same with grammar, etc. Claiming superior writing ability approximately aligns you with the clerical pool. Hence...

So, yes, your experience, your degrees and more, if exploited correctly, can enhance your sales as marketing assets.

Thank you for your comment on my writing chops. (-:

--Peter