Social Marketing

Me, I do what converts best. Period. I’m selling, not coddling.

Michelle,

One more point I think is missed in the entire conversation:

1. Sales letter is written with One Person In mind - The Perfect Customer.

It is designed to appeal to that customer and weed out people who are not qualified for product anyway. While mark has valid points - he simply fell into the category of those people this copy was weeding out.

My $0.02 anyway

Very interesting topic. I feel the same way as Mark, I also tend to discredit long sales letters and don’t even read them, sometimes I will immediately click away from a site that looks like one big sales letter.

Video on the other hand has a tenancy to keep me around a little bit longer and I think it is something that will be taking off a lot more in the future.

Ultimately, I think it depends on your market and customers. Test and tune to find out what works best.

I agree with Mark - although I’ve purchased from those ‘heavy duty marketing pages’ before. Now I just click away.

Michelle, your idea about ‘build a business, not a product’ is excellent. I would contend that yes, the conversion may be better on ‘marketing’ style pages but I think you have a better chance of developing a long-term relationship with a customer and in turn selling them more products by using a lower pressure approach.

If I buy because you pushed a few emotional buttons I have a higher chance of developing ‘buyers remorse’ and turning your message off the next time you contact me. Take your time and woo me a bit, I’ll eventually make an informed, rational decision and will be much more satisfied long term. The next time you come calling it’ll take less work to sell me because I trust you now.

Whether selling online or offline one thing is for sure, you will never please everyone all the time.

Mark makes some interesting points, but they are his own feelings and the vast majority of people do respond to longer email copy.

We are all different and that is one thing that makes this all such fun!

Paul

Some of you (Alex, Paul) I know as product owners. Some of you are responding from the customer’s point of view (I don’t know if you are product owners or not). I’d love to hear what those of you responding as CUSTOMERS would do in the position as a product OWNER. Would long copy that converts better become more attractive?

I pretty much loathe writing copy, and that’s why this comment on my own results pains me greatly:

In every market I’ve written copy for, the longer the sales letter, the better the sales results.

While I don’t like writing the copy, and part of me wishes short copy sold just as well, the smart part of my brain says:

If short copy doesn’t sell, and my competition is as lazy as the average, I’m going to continue to do well because I’m willing to go the distance.

So, there are my two takes.

Will

Just noticed Michelle wanted more of the “CONSUMER” side… Since I buy a lot of stuff, I can comment on that, too.

I barely even read all the headlines. I look for primary benefits and the price.

The long copy doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I often will search (CTRL+F) the salesletter for a certain phrase to learn whether the product will really do the specific things I want.

Just about the only part of a sales letter I diligently read is the guarantee, and that’s only after I decide I am going to buy.

Will

I would recommend reading The Contrarian Effect by Michael Port and Elizabeth Marshall. All about how rejecting the old sales methods are better in the long run for your business.

The world is changing - burning a potential long term customer for a short term gain makes a salesperson shortsighted and pandering to their own greed.

Not only that you are burning those that will sell for you with good word of mouth.

We don’t ride around in horse and buggy anymore, and using a sales process that worked back before the internet existed is the equivalent of insisting we do.

I don’t believe in that kind of selling and do not participate or encourage anyone to use it. 21st century thinking is all about relationships, connections and wanting to feel like a person not a sales figure. Sales letters are just words screaming GIVE ME YOUR MONEY, and “good copy” is just saying that best.

Like Frank Kern says honestly “buy my shit”

All those people that say “it works” should really be saying “I have no idea how many sales I am missing out on, nor the effect on my long term business success, but I will keep maintaining the status quo because that’s what everyone else says to do”.

@Allison Reynolds: Excellent points - but I have to add a few.

(1) Kern uses long copy, ugly salespages, etc. - exactly the type of page some folks RECOIL from. He says “Buy my shit” but there’s a lot leading up to that - tons of emotions, storytelling, HUGE income claims, etc. Some of what he’s been doing lately transfers those principles into video, but the principles remain. That’s what Mass Control is all about. Honesty & long copy aren’t mutually exclusive.

And, (2) I can say long copy works because I’ve tested it vs. straight features/benefits/price type pages. For me, my copy isn’t about maintaining the status quo, it’s about numbers.

Alex had a very good point as well - copy (long, short, whatever) is (or at least, should be) written to identify one’s ideal customer. What I do attempts to speak to my ideal customer (someone who likes selling & new web/social media). Mike Filsaime, for example, has a very different voice. Perhaps one isn’t better then the other if, in the end, we’re all attracting our ideal customers?

I think you’re absolutely right that things change - which is why, for example, we’ve seen so much video in the last 2 years. Adapting to change is paramount to one’s success in internet business in particular, because things move so fast here. But having a new platform on which to sell (the internet, video, etc.) doesn’t necessarily mean that the principles of selling don’t hold true anymore - they just have to be adapted to a new medium.

Allison,

All those people that say “it works” should really be saying “I have no idea how many sales I am missing out on, nor the effect on my long term business success, but I will keep maintaining the status quo because that’s what everyone else says to do”.

Do you really think people Don’t Test? I think your comment is a bit shortsighted - every business owner who sells on the internet should be testing multiple things with sales letter. I have tested Not Only Short VS Long copy but colors used on page, images, headlines - you’d be amazed how small change makes huge difference and while I can’t speak for everyone - when I wrote my comment - it comes as result of testing.

Once again - if the copy is Not Written for YOU as perfect customer - you will leave anyway, it is DESIGNED to do so. But if you are within the category whose needs addressed - long copy tends to do better because it provides more points Why This should be the product to buy, more Reasons To Help you make the buying decision. I’m no copywriter but that are the bases of it as I understand it.

Great topic Michelle,

Thinking back to when I first got into internet marketing, I used to read almost every word of a sales letter to fill a empty “hopes and dreams” cup. Now, I will watch the videos and try to find the features and benefits to quickly decide if a product is right for me. If I cant easily find them I will leave. That being said, a possible solution might be to provide a short version of the letter for those tired of the hype and promises that most long copy letter contains. Consideration must also be given to, who your market is and what they are looking for.

I agree that honesty and long copy aren’t mutually exclusive - but the title of this post is ‘Slimy “Internet Marketing” Salesletters’ and that is what I was responding to.

There is a sucker born (and added to the internet world) every minute so overhyped salesletters will always convert well.

My business motto has always been ‘underpromise and overdeliver’. I want my customers to be blown away after the sale and become raving fans - spreading the word so I don’t have to.

How do you know who has walked away from BOTH forms of copy Alex?

This is where social marketing becomes scary for old school thinkers because you just can’t measure immediately the effect of what you are doing.

Tell me this, how many of you read a sales letter before joining your religion… how about that sports team you support….where you go for a good night out. All things you will probably stick with FOR LIFE (unless they mess up) and encourage others to do so. You were sold on them by social means, not sales means.

I know that i feel better building relationships and servicing customers than trying to take their money by force (and that is what sales letters do, velvet glove an iron fist (of greed for some)). I know that this is the future of sales and I am happy about that.

There are still people that ride around in horse and buggies, but they are quaint and sell to tourists.

Whenever I see this topic discussed it’s always on a venue like this where the participants are all interested–in one way or another–in Internet Marketing.

To me it seems that skews the discussion. Of course people who have peeked behind the curtain of IM feel an instant pang when they reach a page using the tactics they understand are designed to sell.

What would be more interesting is a study of long vs. short copy with consumers in a IM/MMO free market.

Most of my time is spent in markets outside of Internet Marketing and my own testing over the years has always shown the same results, the long copy works.

I never ask myself how many sales am I missing out on by using long copy, simply because it’s a numbers game and I know that number is smaller than how many sales I made.

If long copy gets me twice as many (or more) sales and leads with permission to upsell to later, that’s what I’m going to continue using and someone else can work for the few who were turned off by my delivery.

Allison,

You have great points - no argument there and I agree with many of them. I guess my only judgment on effect of MY sales letter is comments of my customers.

If the Sales Letter was a lie in attempt to sucker them and sell with only the attempt to get the buck - I wouldn’t have had so many custoemrs happy to pay the price.

I absolutely agree on paying attention to social media when it touches your business and if I had bad feedback on my product - I would re-evaluate results produced by the Long Sales Copy, until then - my conversion test seem to agree to my customers opinion.

And what better way to judge effectiveness?

Alex

Excellent discussion going on here - thanks Michelle for bringing it up, and thanks everyone for offering such wonderful insight.

I have a confession - I was a long sales page hater too. And I scoffed at doing them for a loooong time.

But, the fact is, when people see your sales page, they naturally have questions about how your product or service is going to help them.

I use longer sales pages to hopefully answer a majority of the questions someone has.

In my own tests for my own business, the longer pages do better.

Someone also brought up the fact that different parts of a page will appeal to different prospects. I agree.

Personally - I’m a skimmer. So if I see a long page that I’m interested in, I’ll skim headlines, sub-heads and bullets.

But - I know clients that read every single word on my (and other) sales pages.

In the end - there is no one right formula. It always always always comes down to what works between you and the people you want to serve.

Looking forward to where else the conversation leads

Warmly,
Jenn

@Allison Reynolds

=
“This is where social marketing becomes scary for old school thinkers because you just can’t measure immediately the effect of what you are doing.”

Scary for old school thinkers? Like who? All “Social Marketing is simply getting out there and connecting with people, joining the conversation and building relationships with your customers as you stated.

=quote=
“I know that i feel better building relationships and servicing customers than trying to take their money by force (and that is what sales letters do”

Alison, the danger in making a bold statement like that is you’re basically saying EVERYONE with a salesletter is out to take money by force.

I do agree with you that there’s a lot of slimy and annoying stuff out there, but what about the single mother of 3 that is trying to make a living and has a salesletter or the 64 year old boomer that finds out his retirement is only a few hundred bucks a month?

What about them that are trying to provide for their families and make an honest living?
=

I just think you keep doing what you’re doing, serve people first and don’t worry about the slimes out there.

You’ll make it happen

Again we’re skewing the topic. Some are talking about long copy - others about ‘Slimy Salesletters’.

I have no problem w/long, short, skinny, fat if it’s genuine and you deliver more than you promised.

@alejandro - let’s take it the other way. If that single mother of 3 or the 64 year old who just lost his job and retirement bought from your sales letter would they be glad they did 2 months later?

That’s the difference between slimy manipulation and offering true value.

@Dean Martin: But… some people think long copy automatically equals “slimy salesletters,” and I think that’s where a lot of the confusion about this issue is.

Long copy does not = lying. Short copy does not = truth. But there IS a perception that they do, and I find that interesting.

As I wrote to Mark, I *get* that folks might not like being “sold” to. What I don’t get is people placing more or less moral value on a particular kind of copy (assume it’s all factual, of course). Selling is selling is selling.

Great discussion!

I think most people who get into sales without having done it before are afraid of coming across like a slimy used car salesman. I know I feel that way. I hate being sold to in a heavy handed way way so I hesitate to turn around and be the perpetrator.

I have ALWAYS wondered why long copy performs better than short copy but that has been proven repeatedly. As a customer, long copy drives me nuts and I do not have the patience to read it all. I can not imagine ANYONE having the time or patience to read it all. My theory about why long works better than short is that people assume whatever portions they DON’T read are just as convincing as the portions they DO read. And if there is tons of it, then by golly, the product must have a lot of good points, or how else would they have so much to say? They wouldn’t just make it all up would they?

Being the world’s biggest cynic, I say, sure they would! But that is me. I am not even remotely typical so as a marketer, I want to do what WORKS. If someone “hates” me for it, I’ll get over it! See ya at the bank!

I think as long as the PRODUCT is good, the buyer will not care whether the original letter that got them to buy was long or short. But if the product is terrible, that is what will turn them off.

Cheers to all.

I agree with Scott. The basic old style sales letter like Jim Edward’s mini-sites works well in niches outside of the IM free-for-all, but not always in it. If I see one more headline that starts, “Who else wants…” I’m gonna shoot my computer.

I think the way to adapt to the social media world is to use much more story telling. I know, story telling is as old as copy writing but many of the “slimy” sales letters use it poorly. You can build a relationship with hypnotic stories and get past defenses without using a hype-powered battering ram. Longer, more conversational testimonials are also part of a kinder, gentler approach that can be very effective with your ideal client. As the saying goes, you enter the conversation that is already going on in their mind.

Now that I’ve said all that, I guess I’ll take my own advice and go rewrite my sales pages!

Rocking Hot discussion! Sales letters are just that–> SALES letters that are made to convert. There are evolving new processes that we are testing out, but here is my question: Do you want to put up a sales page to look pretty and soothe tattered nerves or feelings? Or convert and do what it is supposed to do? THINK- it’s a Communication piece- and yes, there are different ways to do things- but if it does not give you results-then you have a great looking piece of wasted words and internet real estate. YES! Be real, be authentic, and non-slimy. But if you are not converting,then you do not have a sales page- but a landing page that is perfect for koombayah land.

Hi Girls,

You make some fantastic points, Actually I was making another post on a social site that in short was about push, pull, or towing your customers to see things in the light that you do. When all of the sudden, from the chair across the desk from me came a voice. Yes it was Sheryl reading this spitting sputtering and carrying on as usual. So I had to come see for myself. Normally I am quietly in the background building or fixing something so I admit I don’t get out as much as I should.

I do agree that long sales letters convert better than short ones, this issue has been discussed for a very long time. There are a lot of people that made allot of money because of them, totally cool. My question has always been, of all the people that have made these purchase ( most of them internet success products) how many people have actually become successful with the information they have purchased? Meaning what is the actual value of the product. Trust me I have purchased some of these when I was first starting out. When I used to read every word of a two mile sales letter, soaking up every word of how my lack of knowledge and inadequacies would be forever taken care of. It really didn’t take me very long to figure out that most of what I was buying was redundant and incomplete. But don’t get me wrong it was my fault that the information didn’t work for me. Because I was supposed to put my own twist to it and be creative myself, after that I needed to do extensive testing. If I was told in the beginning that were the case, I could have saved allot of time and money and just done my own thing been fine and ahead of the game.

Don’t get me wrong now there is a bit more real content in some of the products available today. If I look at a sales letter now I am actually scanning through looking for claims. I totally agree the longer the sales page the more stretched the claims get. I am a personal fan of short and sweet, truth has always produced a better relationship for me.
Alejandro said ” I do agree with you that there’s a lot of slimy and annoying stuff out there, but what about the single mother of 3 that is trying to make a living and has a salesletter or the 64 year old boomer that finds out his retirement is only a few hundred bucks a month?
What about them that are trying to provide for their families and make an honest living?
I just think you keep doing what you’re doing, serve people first and don’t worry about the slimes out there.”
I totally agree there are allot of people out there looking, allot of desperate people looking for a short cut. I think part of serving people is being honest and throwing a word of caution to the wind. I sure would have liked to know a little more of what to look for way back when.
Like good responsible people we do a little testing and reading to try to stay on top of things. Alright maybe we are a little excessive at times. I have a folder in my mail that I keep all the stuff I have subscribed to, my list of the lists I’m on. I have noticed a major turn in the frequency of sales letters being sent. Some people that I would get maybe get a letter every week or two, are now sending two and three a day. I will not mention names but there is a fairly large group of them that seem to be showing a bit of desperation. Not sure just an observation, but I’m not seeing as many bank account pictures either.
The new trend I have seen coming for a while now. That’s right it’s an old trend coming back, “True Networking”. The actual interaction to form real personal relationships and making sure the people that surround you are successful. With your network healthy you really have nothing.
Time to shut up now and crawl into the back end of my site, Sorry if I got off track in any way I always seem to have way too much to say. I’ll shut up now.
Always my Best!
Brad West ~ onomoney

The discussion is a great one, but I have to tell those of you who feel the need to pigeonhole everyone based on how they market that you are doing the same thing you are accusing the slimy marketers of doing.

By saying that someone who uses a long form sales letter is a “horse and buggy” marketer is like saying that everyone who reads a long form sales letter will pull out their wallet when they reach the end of the letter.

Social marketing is a “new” concept for the Internet. It has been around since the horse and buggy days, since you had to go to the blacksmith to get your buggy and your horse worked on, and you did develop a relationship with that blacksmith. No, he didn’t need a long copy salesletter, because he was there to answer the questions of every prospect.

The sales letter is the relationship builder, since the product owner is not available 24/7 to answer questions and build relationships.

Alejandro stated that it is dangerous to assume that everyone who writes a long copy sales letter is out to take money by force, and I agree, since the goal of the salesletter is to develop a relationship with the prospect to get them to the point where they feel it is a good decision to place their money in the hands of this person that they have never met before for a product that they have not had a chance to try.

Sure, there are copy writers who do use high pressure sales tactics to get people to make an uninformed buying decision before a certain time runs out, but those same people also get more refunds than the folks who take the time to develop the relationship with their copy.

I did not start making sales until I started explaining who I was, and what I had to offer. That added at least an extra 3 - 6 pages to my salesletter, because people want to know who I am and that I deliver what I say I am going to.

Testimonials, when they are genuine, are the best way to figure out if someone’s product is good. I once had a marketer who gets a lot of respect tell me, “write whatever you want about yourself and your product and put my name down.” I simply refused to include his testimonial on my sales page, because I did not want to just make up my testimonials, I want to show that my product and my service stand on their own!

So, before accusing people of being in the horse and buggy days, make sure you are not pointing yourself out…

Hey Great people of this thread,

I told you I couldn’t shut up.

There is nothing wrong with the horse and buggy days. Heck I learned what networking was back in the early 80s. When the telephone, shaking hands and confronting people in their living rooms was where it was at. Those days were lost for a while but the concept is reemerging fast. I actually know what you mean though and there is no offence on my part.

I think this is my point with most long sales letters. There always seems to be a major highlight on the, look what I have, look how much I make, I am fantastic!

People fall for the dreams that they can do the same. We know that is so not true in most cases.

I have been waiting a long time for a personal testimonial that says, Look at the thousands of people I have helped make tones of money. As a matter a fact here are 112 people that are actually making more money than I am because of my helping them. I love what I do and the people that I help are like my family.

Not that would be something to brag about. And I guarantee it would sell in a short sales page, if it were the truth. Because we all know the truth always comes out, especially out here.
Hell I think that will be my next goal, Help the most people make money, and brag on the shortest sales page in the world, so I can help more people make money.

Something that has been widely overlooked is that if you are really not helping people make money, they won’t have any to spend.

Always my Best
Brad West ~ onomoney

Just to chime in again, Brad touched on a great point above which I often think adds cloud to this discussion when it comes up.

The standard I set for anything I’ll promote is does it provide value beyond its cost to the consumer? I want repeat business so that’s where I set the bar.

Unfortunately, most buyers in the IM/MMO market are seeking the magic, secret, super-underground and no-work-required code to instant profits. That one piece to what they perceive is a grand puzzle which will suddenly bring them the success they’re craving.

I wonder if those who feel strongest against long copy are often those who felt let down by products they’ve purchased in the past?

Mainly because there are no magic bullets or secret codes. Online or off, success comes from smart planning, hard work, good timing and maybe a little luck.

Most of the IM products I’ve ever seen offered decent information.

But that information alone doesn’t = value, only if it’s applied does it become valuable to the consumer.

So, buyers looking for magic and sellers offering reality–there’s bound to be a backlash eventually.

Forgive me if I’ve strayed off topic a bit, but it relates to my biggest question whenever I see this topic arise.

Don’t you want the specs and system requirements before buying some software program? Isn’t it a plus to know how existing users of the software seem to feel about it?

Would you buy a car based on the color alone, or do you want to know how it handles on curves and how many miles per gallon it gets too?

In my mind long copy gives the consumer the best chance possible to make an informed purchasing decision with, so why would anybody object to that?

Consumer POV: I took the longest time to enter the IM space primarily because of “slimy internet marketing salesletters”. It wasn’t until I had developed a trust in someone in the industry and learned from them that these letters are the norm (and aren’t necessarily slimy) that I began to actually buy products. I still hate the letters. I don’t read them. I buy because I’ve been referred there by someone I trust. I’ve already made my decision to buy before I get there, so I scroll down to the purchase button.

When I come across a long sales letter (in any niche) from someone I don’t “know”, I click away. No amount of testimonials and benefits are going to persuade me because I have no idea who you are and I don’t TRUST you. For all I know, you & your slimy mates spent a drunken Saturday night seeing who could come up with the most believable testimonials to put in your letter so you could scam enough dollars for a week in Las Vegas. OK, perhaps I’m getting a bit carried away…

Marketer POV: I can understand why marketers persist with long sales letters. The numbers consistently say they work best. I can see the logic in providing the benefits, testimonials and overcoming obstacles.

But I can’t help thinking there must be a better way of achieving those things. One that doesn’t “cheapen” the purchasing experience. One that works just as well for the cynical consumers like me, and there seem to be a lot of us out there.

Leanne- Sales letters with integrity– and not screaming million dollar promises seem to be working today better than those that do. Video adds a lot of impact as well- as far as the start of someone really geting to know you initially . Social Media is changing the internet marketing zone, and thank God. It has been in some instances a slime zone too long. Conversion is everything. But if you want to dramatically increase your conversion- like has happpened in some instances with some of our sites, FIRST- CONVERSATION- the secret to social media marketing and today’s changing internet marketing. There is a new level of marketing on the iternet and seems to be in overdrive the last 12 months. We have found and teach what we call the 3 C’s of SMM–
Connection->Conversation–> Conversion.
This has worked for us really well the last year.

Well I gues I have my answer: which is that long form hyped letters still work.

I think it simply proves that there are too many foolish people in the world with too much time on their hands…but according to the real world experience I see in preceding posts they really do work.

…however, I think I will suspend my faith in humanity until they do not

Anyway, it seems that if I wish to market certain types of proucts/services effectively the lesson I learn is that I should use this format (as long as the product/service delivers on the promise and does not burn valuable relationships for short term gains).

Hmmm… I think I feel a headache coming on!…I better grab the “Head On” stick and rub that pointless goo on my forehead…it really does work right ?? :-O

one last quick comment…I think I know why so many of us hate slimy marketing. It is because when we are exposed to it we feel personally insulted that the author would think we are really that stupid.

[...] at Michelle McPhearson’s blog I added a few comments to a post that was talking about whether long sales letters/slimy long sales [...]

@Mark Underwood: “Head on - apply directly to the forehead!” Now if that’s not classic direct marketing, I don’t know what is, LOL. Love the ShamWow guy too - he’s amazing.

This argument between the old school and new emerging views will never end, will it? I see this all the time.

We just need to approach it as different tools… what will work for one market, might not work for another, that’s why we test and eliminate loosing variable to get closer to what works for specifically our market.

There is no need to compare apples with oranges. Both of them have unique characteristics and different set of vitamins, which we both need.

Better and better,
Narek Gabrielyan

“Long copy does not = lying. Short copy does not = truth. But there IS a perception that they do, and I find that interesting.”
Michelle, great point and this is what I was thinking. If it takes that much long copy to sell something, then I was figuring it was more of a scam. Not that this is a true statement - just my perception.
I will not read through any more long copy sales letters either. I’m turned off by them. If they were even just 1/2 the length - I might read them. I can get the point without all the testimonials, etc.

I will read long sales letters, just for fun. I’m a pretty big reader/writer, though.

I love the stories that long sales letters can tell, but I try to maintain an awareness of them so I don’t “fall” for them easily.

There are some sales tactics that I do despise, such as the shouting commercial guy (Easy Off Bam!). I do refuse to buy from that company based on their sales tactics alone, but I guess it works for them.

I’m a salesperson, short on focus. I do not read all of a copy that is too lengthy for me. However, I am aware that there are people who want more detail. I learned that from experience and having missed sales from people who were detail oriented. Also there are times when I skim, make a decision to buy. Later I have questions, go back to get more detail from the long copy I avoided reading in the first place. That being said, it is my experience that giving more information is better than not enough. When there isn’t enough info for me to go back to peruse, I get suspicious, wondering what is hidden and why.

I don’t see long copy as ’slimy’ sales but as more informative than I, a skimmer, generally needs, but respect the fact that others may need more info.

Two cents from a very new newbie.

TyAnne

@TyAnne: I’m the same way - I’m generally a skimmer, but at times want more detail - and I appreciate it when there is long copy so I can get that detail.

Forgive me if this has already been said. I didn’t read all the comments (too long).

Speaking as a customer, one of the first things I look at is the little scroll bar on the left. The smaller it is, the more likely I’ll just click away. I hate those ultra long sales pages.

There have been many times I will read the first 10-12 paragraphs and get excited for the product, but by the time I’m at the bottom of the page, I’ve forgotten what I was excited about.

Another thing that really bugs me is having to search for the price. “It’s $9000, it’s not even $900, or even $90.” Well then HOW MUCH IS IT???

Some people have even gone to the extreme of putting a link that says, “Click here for our discounted price.” The price isn’t even on the page. They have to have one heck of a product before I will even bother.

OK, I’ve blown off enough steam for one day. I feel better now.

Sorry, the scroll bar is on the RIGHT!

Hi Michelle, although I have spent many years in sales and marketing I’m fairly new to IM. Consequently I have been trying to get my head around long sales letters, what they are about, why people use them and what results they really produce. So for me this post is in itself really helpful and why I love your site so much. You approach subjects in a really open, honest and informative way.

The odd long sales letters I received prior to getting involved with IM, really turned me off and made me inherently suspicious with my brain going into a kind of, ‘looking for the scam mode’. I would not buy from them on principal, even if they apparently delivered something I was specifically looking for. They simply reeked of scam, scam scam! I therefore struggled to understand their place in the IM process as they seemed to me, to be horrible and ineffective.

Looking at the marketing world in this subjective way though is I think a mistake. When we decide to market, it’s important to be able to focus on what actually works as against what we would like to work. Or put another way, view the world as it really is and not get locked into a mindset based on our own biases.

The challenge is to capture people’s attention in a world were there’s way more information than anyone can possibly absorb and multiple sources competing for that attention. The marketing game is therefore always going to be changing, evolving new ways to be different, to be noticeable.

Long sales letters therefore would appear to have a place simply because they work. For now anyway. I suspect that like all methods of marketing though they will reach a point where they will become less effective and an alternative way of being different will evolve, clearly video right now is the emerging and hot process.

The big saving grace for IM and in my opinion one of the best things about the internet generally is the empowerment that the individual now has to deliver positive and or negative feedback not only to the vendor but also to other customers.

As a consumer what I want to see are ways that enable me to know if claims that are made are real or not. This is especially important to me if they are on a long sales letter. Am I being conned, am I being sold a poor quality product, or are the claims simply overstated? Canned endorsements are valueless to me personally; endorsements and or criticisms that I can trust or validate in some way are priceless though. Clearly this is where building a relationship of trust is maybe so important.

I wonder what your thoughts are regarding mechanisms for soliciting open feedback from customers, its value in reality and best processes for getting it?