Yanik Silver, Sure Fire way to your Marketing success

How To Create Powerful Offers That Drive Your Sales Through the Roof

By Yanik Silver

What does a mafia boss know about marketing?

Lots. Read on to find out...

Do you remember in the movie "The Godfather" when Don Corleone says, "I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse"?

And it’s this simple concept that’s the backbone of any successful sales proposition you make. (However if I were you, I’d probably leave out the threats of violence in your sales piece.)

From now on, your job is to create such powerful offers that anyone reading it would say to themselves, "My goodness, I’d have to be a complete idiot not to take them up on this deal!"

And creating a powerful offer like this is easier than you think.

Let me share with you one of the most compelling offers I’ve seen. It took a dying hotel on the wrong side of the Vegas 'strip', where you had to watch your wallet at every turn, and transformed it into a super moneymaker.

This is from a very successful ad that used to run for Bob Stupak's Vegas World hotel. Listen to this deal and see if you wouldn't act on this even if you were just an occasional gambler:

"Act now, to receive a virtually free Las Vegas vacation. For $198 per person or $396 per couple I will:

1) Put you up in a luxurious mini suite in an exciting Las Vegas hotel right on the famous strip.

2) I will give you free tickets to a show with name entertainers.

3) I will put a chilled bottle of champagne in your room for free.

4) I'll let you drink as much as want for free, whether you're at the gaming tables, playing slots or in one of the lounges.

5) I'll hand you $1,000 of my money to gamble with for free.

6) I'll let you keep all your winnings.

7) I'll guarantee you'll win a color TV, VCR or a faux diamond ring.

Obviously I'm not going to give this incredible deal to everybody in the whole world. There can only be (small number) of these vacation packages available. First come, first served."

If that's not an irresistible offer, I don't know what is. The closer you can get to something like this, the more customers you’ll have falling all over themselves to give you their money.

Does this give you a few ideas?

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Using The Bonus Pile On

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Vegas World’s offer uses a concept I call "Bonus Pile On". And the way it works is to keep piling on bonus after bonus until finally you have to say "no mas" and whip out your charge card.

It was the same thing with the famous Ginsu knife commercials a few years back. They used this technique perfectly to sell millions of dollars of cutlery. The announcer would say "And if you act now you’ll also get..." and then about 15 different knives and kitchen gadgets would pop up on the screen.

It made you think about how much value you were getting for such a little price. That’s the power of the "bonus pile on".

So what’s the best way to start using this in your business? Well, one of the best ways I know is using paper and ink. You can give away a series of valuable reports with any purchase. What’s more, you could even make this information available as a download from your website so you’d have zero distribution cost.

Or you could make deals with other businesses where they’d let you give away a product or service from them to your customers. If you really use your imagination here you’ll come up with lots of ways to create a "bonus pile on".

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Make Prospects Take Action Now!

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There’s no doubt about it - deep down, everyone of us is a lazy procrastinator. That’s why you need some kind of deadline or scarcity factor to make prospects take action now. If your prospects believe an offer is going to be around forever, there’s no reason to take action.

That’s the reason deadlines work so well. In one of my businesses, I’ll stamp a red deadline on the order form for the last day prospects get over $2,000.00 in free bonuses. And believe me, it’s not unusual to get people ordering right on the very last day of the deadline just because of this stamp.

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100% No-Risk Guarantee

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Finally, the last component of a powerful offer is to make your deal as risk-free as possible. Nobody wants to make a mistake and be stuck with something that doesn’t deliver as promised. That’s why you should make every effort to lift the risk from the prospect and place it squarely on your shoulders. Make a bold guarantee and make it for as long as possible. If you have a quality product, you shouldn’t worry because most often return rates will drop the longer you extend guarantees for.

Another strategy to try is offering a 30-day "hold-your- check or charge slip" trial. That means people will send you checks postdated 30 days out or you won’t charge their credit cards for 30 days. Joe Karbo used this to sell tens of thousands of copies of his book "The Lazy Man’s Ways to Riches".

Now you have all the keys to creating your own irresistible offer and watching your sales soar. Just keep adding value and more bonuses until you come up with an offer than makes your prospect feel guilty for not ordering.

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, including his newest resource for online copywriting - Ultimate Copywriting Workshop =================================================================

How to Make This Year Your Best Year Ever

By Yanik Silver

Every year I've been in business for myself online has been better than the previous one. Recently, I decided to create an "Apprentice" program (Yes, even before Trump) and I was extremely pleased that we had nearly 100% of my Apprentices get an online venture up and running.

I've gone back and thought about their projects and how they developed and I came to a striking conclusion that will be worth a lot of money to you this year if you heed it. There was one key aspect that got them off their butts and making money and it came down to one thing...

...A Deadline!

As simple as that sounds, once a firm deadline was established that's when the rubber met the road and all obstacles melted away like snow flakes in a frying pan. I'll give you a perfect example for one Apprentice we were going back and forth a bit tidying up some finishing touches on the project and trying to get it out the door. Many times people can try to make everything too perfect and it never gets out making money so we said we are launching this project at the LIVE Apprentice Summit. That was it and that was final.

The date of the Summit was getting closer and closer and I could see this Apprentice start to sweat a bit. But I made him make the commitment to this deadline publicly during our group call and he couldn't back out now.

Fast forward to the day of his launch he had multiple obstacles that would normally have put the project on hold get swept away but not now. With the firm deadline in place and the opportunity for him to be embarrassed our fine Apprentice finished his project. We hit the 'send' button and he made a tidy sum from a tiny list over the weekend. And this was just the start because his project has made well into the five figures already. And why did it get finished?

The deadline once again.

What's your deadline for your first project or your next project?

Is it something that's in your head? Not a good idea. It's pretty easy to keep moving that forward or letting other things take precedence.

Who knows about your deadline and who's going to hold you to it? In some cases it's not a good idea to share your deadline or goal with another person, especially if they're the kind of negative energy vampire a lot of well-meaning friends and family are. But if you've got a group of colleagues all with the same thinking use them. This works especially well if you don't want to look like an "idiot" in front of them and they are people you really respect.

I'll tell you what works for me and maybe it'll work for you too.

For me, I work best when I absolutely "have to" perform.

For instance my first product on Internet marketing might never have been made (or at least it would have taken much longer) if I didn't sell it before it was done. In 2000 when I first started marketing online a lot of people wanted to know exactly what I did and how I started making money so fast.

Well, I got my first opportunity to share my story in Atlanta at an Internet seminar. I was extremely nervous and my heart was beating out of my chest to go talk in front of 100 strangers. I gave my presentation and then I sold this product (yet to be created).

I told people it would be delivered in a few weeks so they knew it was a prepublication offer. I walked away with 10 orders at $200 bucks. All well and good except I couldn't charge anyone until the manual was done. Even though it was only $2,000 (less what I had to pay the promoter)

I knew that at least people wanted this information and I could keep selling it once I finished it. I probably had a week or two of 3 o'clock in the morning work sessions but I completed it and charged the cards. I was under pressure to get the manual done because these people paid me (though I didn't charge them) and I owed them the material.

Since then I've updated my course material and it's been worth well into the six figures just because "I had to do it".

How can you set something like this up for yourself? If you can stand the pressure - you can decide to put on a tele- seminar. This is one of my favorite ways of creating product by a deadline. You can do either a one-time tele- seminar or series of tele-seminars and you get paid to produce the product. How great is that? It doesn't matter if you have 1 person or 1000 people on the call because this is forcing you to create product and perform.

Once you've set your deadline for anything you'll "magically" see certain resources fall into place. Trust me, it's a bit eerie but when it occurs every time you set a firm deadline you know there's something to it. Just the act of making the decision sets these events into motion for you. It's also because what you focus on becomes your reality. Your perception has changed. Your internal "radar" is now attuned to resources, allies, etc that can help you get your project completed.

Now I leave you with one more secret...Set "mini deadlines".

When you're looking at the whole task of setting up an Internet business (or anything really) it's easy to get overwhelmed. But if you break everything up into small tasks with their own deadlines you'll be at your destination before you know it. I promise it'll work for you. In fact, that's one of the reasons I really like Franklin planner systems (now Franklin Covey). I've been using them since 1998 and that's when I first started making some significant changes in my life.

Actually the founder of Franklin, Hyrum Smith has a great book called "The 10 Essential Laws of Time and Life Management" - this should be required reading for you!

Even though I hate ad slogans (since they don't work) this one should become your mantra for the year - "Just Do It".

As cliché and overused as it is - that's all it comes down to. Whether you're willing to roll the dice and put yourself out there a little. I promise whatever the worst case scenario you're thinking, it is far from the reality.

And if you need someone to send your deadline list to - go ahead and email it to me. I'll keep it confidential and we'll celebrate together when you reach your destination.

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, including his newest resource for making this year your best yet - 33 DaysTo Online Profits =================================================================

How To Skyrocket Your Sales and Crush Your Competition Even if They Sell the Exact Same Thing You Do

By Yanik Silver

Over 70 years ago, one man had the answer to increasing almost any product's sales and literally crushing the competition.

His name?

Claude Hopkins. And today his advice is even more valuable than it was during the 1920s.

Hopkins was one of the most famous ad men and really the Father of modern advertising. His two books "My Life in Advertising" and "Scientific Advertising" are worth reading and re-reading.

If you read on, I'll share with you one of Hopkins' greatest secrets for attracting more business.

Listen closely - the secret is *EDUCATION*.

By educating a prospect about how things are done in your business, even it's the same exact thing any one of your competitors could tell, will produce a tremendous selling advantage.

Don't believe me?

Look around at nearly all the advertising being done based on the plea: "Buy my brand", "Come to my store", "Give me the money which you give to others". Typically this falls in the category of boasting and bragging advertising. Frankly, consumers don't care one lick about you or your company, they care about the benefits they'll get from dealing with you.

Let me share with you how Hopkins used this advertising secret to rocket a so-so beer brand from 5th place into a tie for 1st place in just a matter of months. Listen to this:

Schlitz Beer hired Hopkins to increase their falling market share. Every beer manufacturer at this time was screaming "PURE" in their ads. In fact, companies were spending a fortune just advertising this 4 letter word as big and as bold as they could. They even took out double pages ads to put that word in even bigger letters. All this shouting and no explaining was making zero impressions on the buying public. Nobody ever explained what 'pure' really meant until Hopkins came in.

The first thing Hopkins did was take a factory tour. On this tour he was shown plate-glass rooms where beer was dripping over pipes. Inquiring the reason for this, Hopkins was told that those rooms were filled with filtered air, so the beer could be cooled without any impurities.

Next, he was shown huge expensive filters filled with white- wood pulp that provided a superior filtering process. The manufacturer then went on to explain how they cleaned every pump and pipe, twice daily to assure purity. And also how each bottle was sterilized not once or twice, but four times before being filled with beer.

Then, Hopkins was shown the 4,000 foot deep artesian wells dug to provide the cleanest and purest water available, even though the factory was right on the shore of Lake Michigan. (At this time Lake Michigan was not polluted and could provide clean water.)

Finally, Hopkins was lead into a laboratory and was shown the mother yeast cell, that was a product of 1,200 experiments to bring out the robust flavor. And he was told all the yeast used in making Schlitz beer was developed from that original yeast cell.

After his tour Hopkins exclaimed, "Why don't you tell people these things?"

The manufacturer's response was because every beer manufacturer does it the same way.

And to that Hopkins replied, "But, others have never told this story..." And he went off to create an advertising campaign explaining to people what makes Schlitz beer pure. Once again he told the same story any brewer could have but he gave a meaning to purity. And this is what took Schlitz from 5th place to a tie for 1st place in market share.

Really, this whole process is just educating.

Educating prospects about the how's, the why's, the good, the bad and the ugly. You simply cannot over educate people.

Now maybe you're thinking anything from the 1920's can't possibly work today -- WRONG!

Murray Raphel, a retail direct marketing consultant, tells the story of how he was visiting one of his clients, Ethan Allen Furniture, and he noticed carpenters in the back room repairing furniture. He asked, "Do you make furniture here?"

The reply from the manager of this store was, "No, those are carpenters doing work on Ethan Allen wood furniture." He went on to explain how every customer is given a lifetime guarantee on all their wood pieces. And he quickly added, "But all Ethan Allen stores do this."

But of course no other store advertises this fact.

Soon Raphel ran an ad stating *Every Piece of Ethan Allen Wooden Furniture is Guaranteed For Your Lifetime!*

And wouldn't you know it, a competitor soon ran the same guarantee in their ad. But guess who got the credit for the guarantee?

That's right -- the original store.

So here's the bottom line: Take the time right now to write down exactly what you do in your business (even if it's the exact same as any other competitor). Write down absolutely everything and tell people everything. Don't suffer from the curse of assumption - let people know and they'll knock down your door to order!

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, which can be found at 33 DaysTo Online Profits Video CDrom =================================================================

Creating A Winning Order Form That Makes The Sale

By Yanik Silver

Most people don't pay enough attention to their order forms (or worse, they have no order form). The majority of sales are abandoned online at the order form or the shopping cart page. Translation – tons of lost revenue.

That’s why right now I’m going to give you some simple tips and a few examples to try and squeeze out more profit for you just by making a few simple changes.

Your order form needs to reassure the prospect they're making a wise decision, restate all the benefits and the irresistible offer, plus be extremely simple to fill out. Your order form needs to make such a compelling case for your product that it could stand on its own.

You want to think about your order form as a “mini pitch” for your offer. In fact, that's the way I would judge an order form. Step back and consider for a moment if somebody just clicked on the "order now" link, would they be compelled to order? If not, rework your form with more compelling copy. But on top of copy changes there are some basic elements that I see missing in the majority of sites I review.

So let’s start at the top…

Order form mistake #1: Calling it an Order Form. Gee, how exciting. Think headlines – your order should also have a headline. In the past I’ve successfully used…

* "Risk Free Trial Action Form" * " Acceptance Form" * "100% Risk-Free Activation Request"

Order form mistake #2: No assurance of security. On our order forms right up top we use a “secure key” graphic so people won’t feel nervous about giving their credit card information. Yes, some people are still a bit nervous about handing over their credit cards online even though millions of transactions are run per day – but only if someone gets their credit card data hacked does it make big news.

I’ve also seen secure certificates, Hacker-safe, BBB Online, etc. all used to help alleviate concerns about safety and security.

Order form mistake #3: Not written in customer’s own, excited voice. I use a very similar order form format as mail order advertisers have used for decades usually starting with the word "Yes" (which is a very powerful selling word!). Then I use the prospect's own voice to restate the offer and the guarantee. This helps solidify the order in their heads.

Order form mistake #4: Making it too hard to order from you.

I’m sure you’ve been frustrated more than once trying to fill out an order form and just said, "Screw it" and left. Use a clean layout for all fields (name, address, email, etc.). Another thing to keep in mind is how much information you are asking for. Typically the less information you ask for, the easier it is for customers to purchase. But don’t get me wrong – ask for a home phone number if you are going to use it. It’s better to have data and not use it than to wish you had it later on.

Also, pay attention to giving explicit directions to the customer. Will they get a password immediately? Will they need to hit “continue”? Will they have to give their credit card information to Paypal? Whatever the case is, don’t leave them guessing. The biggest secret to a user-friendly order form is to have a few friends and colleagues try your order process and tell you what they think.

On top of the four main mistakes – let me also give you a few optional elements you can consider…

1. Testimonials. Sometimes I like to include an extra testimonial or two on the order page. This is another small help to push fence-sitters over to whipping out their credit cards.

2. Checkboxes. I haven’t tested this – but one prominent online marketer found an increase when he made customer manually check the box next to "YES." You can also let them check off boxes next to each bonus to build up the "yes" momentum.

3. Photos of the product.

4. Upsells. This is huge and usually overlooked by most people. This little “magic trick” can instantly increase your profits 20-66% even without getting any additional business or website visitors. It works great because your prospect is all hot and heavy and ready to buy. They’ve got their credit card in their hand and they’ve already made the commitment.Make the upsell something that goes hand-in-hand with what you’re selling and you’ll see a nice increase in sales. Even the “big boys” do this. Try buying a book on Amazon and you’ll see a couple recommendations that automatically are featured. I guarantee you’ll be surprised by the results of a good upsell.

Here’s a little order form “cheat sheet” for you:

* Assurance of security and safety * Affirmative excited, first-person voice * Restate guarantee * Restate bonuses * Necessary elements like (name, address, etc) * Specific instructions * Possible checkboxes * Possible photo of product * Possible additional testimonial * Possible additional upsells

Now the last thing is when should you write your order form? Some people tell you don't save the order form for after you've created your sales letter because by that time you'll have run out of energy and excitement. And for a good order form you really need to muster up all the excitement and energy you can! Or the flip side is creating your sales letter and then take the best elements and include in your order form. Personally, I create my order forms after the sales letter – but see what works best for you.

Bottom line – your order form needs to make it as easy as possible for people to give you their money and now you know what to include.

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling resources including - Instant Sales Letters =================================================================

How to Create a Profit Windfall When Launching a New Product

By Yanik Silver

Unless you’ve been in a cave, you know that Harry Potter mania is a worldwide phenomenon. Kids and grownups alike eagerly await the release of each book and movie, and I'm one of them. I even devoured the last book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," in less than a day. But even more interesting than the stories, from a business point of view, anyway, is the fact that 6.9 million copies of that book were sold in just 24 hours. Wow!

Actually, I had my own “big” release just a few days before the boy wizard – it was for the tapes of my "Underground Online Seminar," which are now sold out. However, I have to admit I didn’t fare anywhere near the multi-million dollar payday J.K. Rowling had, but it still wasn’t too shabby. I raked in over six figures (actually $193,380 to be exact) in the first 24 hours of my release.

So what do these two releases have in common? One word...anticipation.

Whether it’s for the next blockbuster summer movie (think"Star Wars") or for Harry Potter or even your product – if you really want a big, monster payday you’ve got to create an event. I’m going to let you step behind the curtain a little bit so you can use some of these same strategies I used.

First of all, I need to give credit where credit is due. My friend, Jeff Walker, helped me formulate the plan for this release. Jeff was one of my featured speakers during the same "Underground Online Seminar" and his topic was on exactly this same point – "how to create six-figures in less than seven days with a product release." So let’s dive right in…

Secret #1: Create Anticipation We’ve already talked about this, but let’s give a few more specifics. I started an "early-bird" list from my subscribers and customers. I got people to raise their hands and say "Yes, I want to know first when you’ll be releasing these DVDs." Then once people were on this list we started "dripping" on them. We used a blog to post everything from "spy photos" of the product (which came in a very cool, individually numbered suitcase) to actual video clips from the event. Each communication whet the person’s appetitie for the upcoming release. Please keep in mind, these updates were planned out before the start of the promotion so it wasn’t just thrown together by the seat of our pants. Secret #2: Secure Partners' Participation Over the years I’ve built up a network of friends and business associates. I don’t "hit up" my Internet friends and associates too often to promote products, so most of them were eager to help with this promotion. This is the same thing you can be doing in your own marketplace. Instead of thinking of competitors – you should consider them potential promotion partners. Also start "digging your well before you are thirsty." That means building relationships and networking with people in your industry and marketplace who have influence and carry weight.

Secret #3: Promotion Tools Everybody has too much to do and too little time to do it,so the more you can “spoon-feed” your partners the better. Yes, some people will take the extra effort to do their own promotions, but most people would rather have a pre-made "cut and paste" email or letter to send. That’s why I provided my partners with "content" in the form of video clips from the seminar that they could release to their list. This put more people on the early-bird list who were "glued" to that particular partner. Cater to everyone’s laziness and make it "fill-in-the-blank" or turn-key simple.

Secret #4: Get People Buying I wanted to make sure people were really excited about the release, so we reminded them the day before and also one hour before the release time. Plus, I even added a special time-limited bonus that expired after 4 p.m. on the first day of the launch. That gave people one more incentive to order right away. You can’t stop with one notice about a launch – you’ve got to remind them multiple times when everything is happening.

Follow these 4 secrets and you'll see some big numbers in no time flat!

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, including his newest resource - Ultimate Copywriting Workshop =================================================================

Three Inner Secrets of Internet Success

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

In only a few short months I've achieved the ultimate Internet "fantasy" of making a lot of money from a simple (almost primitive) web site that runs itself virtually on complete autopilot. Starting from scratch I banked over $51,351.94 my first 6 1/2 months online, just working part- time out of the corner of my living room.

Now today at age 31, I've gone on to earn over 7-figures.

How did I go from a standing start to banking mega profits?

To do that, what I think you really need are these inner secrets to mega internet success. This has nothing to do with search engines, pay-per-clicks. It doesn't have anything to do with any of the tactical stuff. It's all a lot of stuff that goes on in your head.

* Secret #1: Cheerful Expectancy *

One of my biggest mentors is Earl Nightingale. He passed away several years ago but you need to get everything he recorded at Nightingale.com. He has a program called "Lead The Field" and "The Strangest Secret." Just listen to that thing over and over again. He talks about cheerful expectancy.

There's a big difference between having expectancy versus hoping or wishing something is going to occur. When you have that cheerful expectancy, you know it's going to occur. And that doesn't just come from being "Pollyannaish" or having rose-colored glasses.

It comes from having knowledge. And you get that knowledge from studying in your field whatever it is. It could be Internet marketing or it could be neurology. That means reading, studying and buying everything and absolutely immersing yourself in it.

I learned from Earl Nightingale that if you want to be an expert, you spend an hour a day reading on whatever subject that you're interested in, that you want to be an expert on. So I said, "Well, what would happen if I read for three hours a day?"

I just started learning as much as I possibly could, and that knowledge gives you the confidence to know that you have that positive expectancy. Your expectations determine your results.

* Secret #2: Do one proactive thing a day *

You don't need to do 100 things a day. Just get that one proactive thing a day. So each little brick builds a big wall for you. Trust me it's easy to be overwhelmed with hundreds of tasks. You're like, "Oh, we need to do e-zine ads and free-for-alls and pay-per-click search engines, and I need to do all this other stuff." Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

But just relax and do one task a day.

Your action will create more and more and more action for you. You simply need to make a commitment to do one proactive thing a day no matter what. Even if you're dead tired and worked a 14-hour day - come home and mail one letter or send out one joint venture proposal. I'm telling you - just these little tiny proactive things will have an immense impact.

Most everyone has heard of the '80/20 rule' or the Pareto Principle. It says that 20% of your actions produce 80% of your results, and the other way around. 80% of your work only creates 20% of your results.

So go back and look where your successes came from, and I know that they're from a tiny little group of actions. So if you just get that one proactive thing a day (from the 20% group) that is going to propel you further, that's going to bring you to where you want to be.

Make it a point to focus on those "20% activities". In Stephen Covey's famous work "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" he calls these activities "important but not urgent".

One of my Apprentices, Peter Woodhead, from the UK is a perfect example of simply doing one proactive thing a day. A lot of Apprentices bolted out of the gate during our one year program but Peter was an Internet newbie and he also had a full time job so he was a bit slower getting started. However, he took my advice and simply managed to do one proactive thing every single day. No matter how big or how small. It could be writing one autoresponder message or it might have been writing 50 headlines. No matter the day - Peter was moving ahead. And not surprisingly his project was completed before many of the other Apprentices were finished.

* Secret #3: Decision *

This is such a big point. A lot of people have so many problems with decision. That's because they don't like it because it cuts off other options. But frankly that's exactly what you want. You want to cut off other options.

One of our top apprentices, Cindy Kappler, WebAdMagic.com, had no other option but to succeed because she quit her job. Now I'm not encouraging you to do that if you still have a real job but it does prove if you cut off your options, you're much more motivated. Successful people make decisions quickly.

There's a magic of attraction when you make your decision. However, when you're hemming and hawing, you don't experience this magic. I don't want to get into too much woo-woo or metaphysical or spiritual stuff.

But there's this magic of attraction. I can't even explain it. When you set your mind up that you're going to do this, all of a sudden, at the next dinner party you're attending you meet somebody that can help you get to where you want to go. Is that luck or is that something else?

I don't think it's luck.

It's like once the decision is made your mind is tuned into the solution and all kinds of 'freaky' coincidences and occurrences happen.

And that brings me to another important point about decisions - fail quickly. Don't be afraid of failure. A lot of people are so afraid of screwing up, or making a mistake that they are forever frozen. Who the hell cares? Screw up quickly! I screw up all the time. And you want to fail quickly.

That's the great part about the Internet. You want to go out there and find out if your dumb idea is going to work right away. You can do it in days instead of months. Sometimes hours and if it doesn't work, you move on. You say, "Next!"

Look, I know a lot of people who are working on their products for the last two, three, four years. Get the damned thing out! You just make it better as you go along.

InstantSalesLetters.com, our first product was not where it is now. We've added a ton of stuff to it and made it better. But I just wanted to see if the thing was going to sell.

It wasn't complete and utter rubbish, as my British friends say, but it was enough that it made the point. It found out if there was a marketplace for it. So find out.

Some people like to go around at dinner parties and so on and say, "I'm writing a book. I've been writing a book for five years. I'm an author."

Uh huh...

I can show you 6 different ways to have your book done in days. It's a cop-out and complete B.S. Bottom line - make the decision to get the product out there. See what happens and fail quickly.

Now get out there and do it!

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, including his newest resource for online copywriting - Ultimate Copy Writing Workshop =================================================================

3 Overlooked Profit Opportunities on Your Site

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

If you're already selling anything online this article is going to show you how to add extra revenue you didn't even know you had "hiding" in your site without getting any more visitors.

* Overlooked Way #1 - An Upsell:

If you've been in marketing for any time you've probably heard of "upsells" or "bumps". Car dealers are excellent at using this technique. Once you have agreed to buy a car you then go into the finance office. This finance guy is really another place where they try to extract as much money as possible from you; dealer financing, extended warranties, rust coating, a low-jack security system, etc. These additions will normally add as much, or more, profit to the dealer as the original sale. These are upsells or cross- sells.

Another great example is if you've ever called a late night infomercial you will be given an upsell. They will offer you a special deal on the third bottle of super grime cleaner if you buy 2 bottles. These upsells usually end up bringing more profit than the original item people intended to purchase.

Why not do the same online?

This little "magic trick" can instantly increase your profits 20-66% even without getting any additional business or website visitors. It works great because your prospect is all hot and heavy and ready to buy. They've got their credit card in their hand and they've already made the commitment. (If you read Robert Cialdini's book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" you'll see commitment and consistency is a key psychological trigger.)

There are a couple ways I've successfully used upsells on my sites:

First you can use an "intermediary" page. Once prospects click on the order buttons they're taken to a new page (and not the order form). This page tells people about a special offer that is for today only and that they can get a 'deluxe' or 'gold' version of the package for X dollars more. You can make the upsell a big dollar amount or a small insignificant little 'bump'. I do this on www.Instantsalesletters.com and my numbers have been quite good using this technique - as high as 68% some days. So think about my additional profit margins just by inserting this one extra page. Awesome!

Another way of doing this is by "recommending" a product. Anytime you buy something from Amazon - that's exactly what they do. Up come3 a page that "Customers who bought __ also bought__" and then they have a slew of products.

Next, you can also have the upsell right on the Order page. I've even used something as simple as putting a check box on my order form on www.InstantInternetProfits.com. It could be that simple. On this we get a 25% upsell rate. Take a look at what appears at the bottom after the customer has already filled out their info to buy the course

You have to play fair and let people get the original price and package you offered but there's no reason you shouldn't add a complimentary upsell immediately. The upsell is one of the easiest (and most profitable) techniques you can start implementing tomorrow. This is like the "would you like fries" strategy. Unless you're offering "fries" you're missing out on tons and tons of profit. You simply need to come up with a couple more compelling bonuses, packages or up-sells that people will get for the upgrade.

* Overlooked Way #2 - Thank You Pages:

After upsells, I'd say 'thank you' pages are one of the most overlooked profit hot-spots. Once again, there are several ways I've used this technique. First of all, anytime somebody buys a product from you online - they are taken to some kind of thank you page. Most people will simply put "Thank you for your order" and that's it. They leave the customer with their credit card in their hands to go off to some other website and give them money. Why not give people a special deal on the thank you page or at least give them links to your other products or other people's products that you make an affiliate commission on?

Now if it's a digital product - then they need to get their download but you can also put some recommended resources right on the download page. At the bottom of the digital download page for www.PublicDomainRiches.com we have a recommendation for the new Public Domain Gold Mine(tm) package.

Those aren't the only thank you pages. Many people totally forget about the 'thank you' pages that come up after someone signs up for your list. Now where you want to send them will depend on where they are in the sales process - but you can have a list of recommended resources that comes up AFTER people subscribe to your email list. Why not? If that's the last action you were expecting - you should look for ways to profit from this.

* Overlooked Way #3 - Thank You Emails/Confirmations:

Don't forget the initial email confirmation you send back to your customers. Last technique we talked about making offers on the thank you page but your 'thank you' email is one of the most read emails. In addition to the 'typical' stuff you should include like customer service information, who will bill their credit card, etc why not add a simple P.S. to the bottom of the email like I do offering additional resources (or even a special deal just for customers).

I guarantee just putting these 3 easy overlooked ways to work on your site will help squeeze out even more profits for you & without adding a single visitor. Give it a try.

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, including his newest resource - Ultimate Copy Writing Workshop =================================================================

Are You Carrying Buckets?

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

I let my personal trainer, Jeff, borrow a copy of "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. A few weeks later during our workout session he blurts out, "You know what -- I'm carrying buckets!"

"Huh?" I replied.

Jeff reminded me in the "Rich Dad" book Kiyosaki gives the example of someone carrying buckets to supply a town with a water and another person building a water pipe line to carry the water. It took longer for the pipeline to be built but once it was done - the money would continue to come in with or without him.

What are you doing?

Sadly most people are carrying buckets. They are getting paid based on the hours they work. Even if you are a highly paid surgeon or attorney your income is still limited by the hours you can work. Everybody has been taught to think the harder you work the more money you make. What if that's completely wrong? What if it's the smarter the work, the more money you make?

Personally, I prefer to work once and get paid over and over and over again. And there are lots of ways you can create recurring revenue for yourself. It could be via royalties from an invention, a song, or a book. It could be from network marketing. It could be from real estate. It could be dividends from investments. Or it could be from a multitude of other ways aside from the typical 9-to-5 grind.

The majority of my income day-in and day-out is a direct result of work I did 1, 2, 3...even 6+ years ago or more. For instance, if you create an information product to sell (like a report, ebook, software, video, etc) you only have to do the work once of creating it and once to write the sales letter.

Then if you set up some automatic promotion avenues like an affiliate program or autoresponder messages - you can continue to get paid for that product indefinitely. One of biggest income streams is a product I created 5 years ago and still makes me a nice six-figure income each year.

Frankly, I couldn't turn off my recurring revenue streams right now if I tried. That's because much of what I've created has fed on itself. One product refers people to another. Our affiliate network (over 35,000) refer people to our sites. Some of our sites cross-promote our other sites, etc. etc.

When you keep working on activities that have recurring value you'll create a momentum that's tough to stop. But the truth is -- it IS hard work in the beginning. It's like a rocket taking off in which it burns most of its fuel on lift off.

You need to put in the hours and effort upfront and then you can ease off the throttle. But if you don't put in the extra effort upfront you'll never achieve lift off and get that momentum you need.

The more you think about doing the work once and being paid multiple times the more creative your mind will become. Ask yourself the right questions and you'll get the right answers.

In fact, even this article, if I'm lucky, will become a recurring income producing activity. I wrote this material once and the publicity from it will hopefully get a few people to my websites and into my marketing funnel.

Now of course, I'm not saying that every activity I do each day is highly leveraged because I still do some "dumb stuff" like checking email or filling out tax forms. But I'm working on outsourcing as much as I can and focusing just on income producing activities (just like you should).

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

How to Sell High Priced Products Online and Offline

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

During my presentation at my recent Underground Online Marketing Seminar (www.UndergroundOnlineSeminar.com) - I talked about my own "Underground" secrets. One of the things I covered was how to sell super high-end products.

Personally, I've sold everything from $17 ebooks to $14,500.00 "Apprentice Programs" and lots in-between. My most recent high-end product is a $7,995/month program for cosmetic surgeons.

I really love high priced products and you'll see why in a moment...

First off, if you want to make $1M this year - then you'd have to sell 20000 copies of my 'doohickey' at $50. Or it could be 2000 copies at $500. Or better still 200 copies at $5000.

It's a lot easier dealing with 200 customers than 20,000. Think of all the customer service and infrastructure, etc. Plus, as a general rule - the buyers of a high-priced product or service are better buyers are easier to deal with than someone who bought a $9.95 ebook and drives you crazy.

The other thing is these customers pay more attention and revere the information or product/service more. I've attended $500 seminars and I've attended $10,000.00 seminars. Which one do you think I was paying more attention to? So having higher priced products is actually better for your customers because they are more committed. Think about the last time you gave free advice to someone - what happen? That's right. Nothing. But if you had made them pay you for consulting - they would have taken it to heart.

But there's still more on the economics side...

With a higher priced product that means you have more money to advertise. If I'm going against someone selling a $19 ebook and I'm selling a $199 home study course in the same market - who can spend more?

No contest, right?

My competitor can only go up to $19 (unless they've got a back-end product) but I can actually spend up to $199. But what else does that let me do? I can come into a marketplace and suck up a big part of the resellers because I can give more commissions. Hey, that's the name of the game for many affiliates. I can give them $100 to promote my product instead of the measly $10 my competitor might give them.

And of course speaking of economics there's more money in it for you. If you've got a high priced product there should be a very high margin built in. If not, raise the price. I'm serious most people are undercharging for what they provide. My rule of thumb and one of my values I look at it every morning in my planners says "I am rich by enriching others 10x - 100x what they pay me in return".

That's a big deal for me. If you pay me $1000 for a product - I want to make sure it delivers $10,000 in value for my customers. I suggest you consider something similar. If your product isn't good enough for you to raise your price on it - make it better!

Here are just some of the high-end products you could sell in the information marketing world (I've successfully sold all of these and taught many of my students how to do the same):

* Live events like workshops and seminars

* "Big" boxes of manuals, CDs, DVDs, CDroms, etc

* High end facilitated group masterminds

* eClasses

* "Done it for them" services

* Coaching

* Reprint rights and licenses and many more...

And don't think high-priced products can only sell if you are selling 'how to make money' related products. I have students and friends doing very well selling high priced products to the fitness marketplace, the dating markets, small niche obsessive-compulsive markets, self-help, career marketplaces and many more.

Now a lot of people think selling high priced products are a lot tougher than low-priced products. Not true. You usually spend about the same effort trying to sell a high- priced product as a lower priced product.

Now when selling a high-priced product most people make the mistake of just trying to "1-step" it. That means sending people off to a webpage or sending them a sales letter and then nothing more. Only a small percentage will buy this way. I prefer lead generating where I get people to "raise their hands" and say "yeah I'm interested". This way I can now afford to spend more to chase those prospects. And it's not enough to just email them follow-ups. I prefer to have a whole arsenal at my fingertips if needed like direct mail, voice broadcast, telephone calls, postcards, etc.

If over-delivering on value - hold your breath and add an extra zero to your price. You'll thank me for it! ;)

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

When Is Your Independence Day?

By Yanik Silver

July 4th for Americans is a chance to celebrate our independence. Trust me, I'm not going to get on a soapbox and start waving the flag - but I do think it's important no matter what country you live in to really think about that word "independence" and its meaning for you.

My father reminded me that July 3, 1976 was his "Independence day" since that's the date my family came over to the United States from Russia. (Pretty cool since it was right before the bi-centennial celebration.)

For me, my independence day was on July 1, 1999.

That's the date I left my father's business to work on my own. It was by far one of the hardest decisions of my life. You see, I had worked for my dad since I was 12 and he thought I was going to take over the company. I had that same thought as well until I got the "bug".

In fact, my wife, Missy, and I were talking about this recently. She was talking about how when she met me 9 years ago, I had only one thought: "how to grow my father's business". I would stay late working on new ads and marketing pieces. I was in early calling my accounts trying to make sales, etc. etc.

Now I had been studying direct marketing, and results were really paying off for my dad's business. (Actually they still use a lot of the ads I wrote in 1998 because they still work today.) But with every ad I wrote I was getting more and more aggravated. Not because the ads weren't producing sales - they were - but because of the grief and politics I had to deal with. Everybody seemed to be an advertising expert even though they've never studied or read anything on the subject. People mistakenly believe that if they wouldn't "read all that copy" then nobody will. Or if the ad is "ugly" and has no pictures or pretty graphics it won't work.

Complete and total crap.

For every ad I wrote I had to fight to get it out there. I got sick of it and decided I would create my own product so I could write ads for myself. My first product was to help dermatologists who wanted new cosmetic patients. It was a big kit (manual, tapes, reports, diskette, etc) based around some marketing consulting I was doing on the side for one of my customers.

I ran my first ad in April 1998 in Dermatologic Surgery magazine. I got 10 responses so I sent them the 20-page sales letter I'd written selling this $900 kit. Not one order.

I waited...

Sent out a 2nd notice to those 10 respondents.

Nothing...

Then I sent a 3rd notice telling them the expiration date to get all the free bonuses was only 10 days away. Finally on the very last day of the expiration date I got one order over the fax machine.

Yipeee!!

I still remember that doctor's name in Flushing, NY. What an incredible feeling. That was the start of my independence. I realized I now had the power to chart my course as I wanted. That first sale. That's one of the greatest feelings in the world - when something you've created is sold. It took me a little over a year after that first order to realize I wanted my freedom and I finally quit on July 1, 1999.

Maybe it's the new confidence you get when you realize you've created something that people want and are willing to exchange money for. That first sale is usually the hardest (but also the most rewarding).

It's wonderful when I help turn on that light in people. I've seen it first-hand working my Apprentices and seeing them launch their products. How amazed they are by the money pouring from around the globe. I love it!

And my wife is striking out on her own with a little bit of my help. She set up her first web site - (www.InstantThankYouLetters.com) and she's getting checks each month.

So when will your independence day be?

If you've already achieved it - I bet you can remember it perfectly. Sometimes the bleakest times that we believe are terrible actually turn into a perfect opportunity.

Take my good friend, Jim Edwards', for example. His independence day came because he got fired. To him that wasn't a blessing at first but as he looks back on it - it's the best thing that ever happened.

I remember the conversation we had right after it happened. I was drinking a bourbon and Jim was having a beer. We were talking about different projects he could try and pursue and do now. We were throwing around some ideas and we came up with "33 Days to Online Profits". (www.33daystotoonlineprofits.com)

It was right there during that call that we outlined each of the days and moved forward from there. And "33 Days" has been a tremendous six-figure income earner for both of us and it doesn't seem to let up.

So what can you do to achieve your independence?

I'll give you a couple things to take to heart. I can't remember the author who said this but he said if you show me what a man does in his spare time I'll show you the type of man he'll become. What are doing with your spare time?

- Watching TV or reading?

- Napping or practicing your copywriting?

- Yakking to your friends or studying direct marketing?

It all comes down to the choices we make every single day. In fact, you shouldn't let one day go by without making sure you are taking at least one proactive step towards your own independence. Just because the thought of you doing what you want when you want may seem so far away - don't let that stop you from taking those baby steps each and every day. That's one of my rules and I hope you'll adopt it.

What else?

Learn to be different. The truth is you need to become extraordinary to achieve extraordinary results. You can't be like everyone else (and why would you want to). That means doing the things other don't (or won't) do. That means not listening to their advice (unless they are doing what you want to do). Frankly, if you simply did the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing you'd turn out okay. Why? If only 5% of people are truly successful and the 95% are the mediocre majority - doesn't that mean the majority is wrong? Don't engage in their thinking. Don't follow their lead. Don't adhere to the same values and standards the "95-percenters" do.

Two people who really helped me clarify my thinking on this was Early Nightingale and also Dan Kennedy. (See next article for his insight and a special gift I've arranged for you.)

Please don't get me wrong - in no way am I trying to be elitist. I'm not. But it is tremendously important to go through your day with your eyes wide open. The truth is most of your friends (right now) probably don't want you to change and succeed. That would imply that they are losers. That would mean they are failures. Nobody is going to propel you to succeed except yourself.

So get on it and proclaim your own Independence Day starting T-O-D-A-Y!

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

The Little Known Marketing Secret Weapon That's Free For The Taking

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

By now we've all become accustomed to the "bonus pile on" that's almost a required part of any online offer. But even though it's quite common place, never forget that adding extra value to your offer is essential - especially when you're selling information products.

This bonus concept is so important, I have frequently taken something out that I was originally going to put into the product just so I could use it as a bonus. Bonuses really do sell (if you handle them the right way)!

Most people put some lame bonuses in that have been "around the block". A bonus can't just be an afterthought. It's got to be part of your initial offer strategy.

I know a lot of people struggle with bonuses so here's an easy way to develop bonuses with high perceived value. Just look for public domain works you can repackage.

I love public domain bonuses for many reasons. First, they're completely free - you don't have to pay anyone to write them. Second, they're often truly unique - with millions of pages of public domain material available, you're bound to find a "sleeper" on a great topic.

And best of all, they can jazz up just about any old information product. Even a commonplace how-to course can seem extra special when you've added some "vintage gems" as bonuses. Talk about an underutilized marketing secret weapon!

Here are just a few ways to use public domain materials as bonuses...

Software - Believe it or not, many software developers don't copyright their works because they want them to be free for public use! Check out what's available by typing "freeware" in your favorite search engine. Don't forget to clear the rights with the author first.

eBooks - Even if you can't find a public domain work on a related subject, inspirational and motivational topics go with just about anything. There are thousands of public domain works that fit into this category, from words of wisdom to prayer books.

Government publications - US Federal works (and some state) are in the public domain, and they are an absolute gold mine. For example, when I created an anatomy drawing book for artists (also in the public domain material!), a little quick searching revealed government lists to grants for artist. People love free money, making this an awesome bonus with a high perceived value!

Diagrams, patterns, technical spec sheets - While finding these may take a little more digging, they're perfect for marketing to hobbyists, crafters, or collectors. If you're selling a how-to guide to hand quilting, just a couple of vintage quilt patterns will make your audience swoon. Or what about diagrams or specifications for antique car parts or vintage airplanes? Here's one instance where your audience might grab your product simply to get the bonuses!

Drawings and photos - The copyrights on many old illustrations and antique photos have expired - or they were never copyrighted to begin with. Bundle these graphics into themed sets to complement your product. While scanning in old artwork may be a bit time consuming, this is one of those "work once, reap the rewards forever" products.

Finally, here's a bonus for YOU. Remember that the more unique your public domain bonus is, the more likely you can package or even sell it in its own right! Sometimes something as simple as changing a title can give your bonus even more perceived value.

What a great way to breathe new life into those old forgotten works... and pile on value-added bonuses that justify a premium price tag for your product!

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

Italian Persuasion and Sales Secrets

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

During a recent vacation to Italy I've been watching, listening and observing how the Italians persuade, influence and make the sale. It's fascinating and extremely profitable to study.

First, as tourists we are influenced by recommendations by someone we perceive as an authority. For starters there's our guide book. All the major guide books will give you sleeping recommendations and dining spots. My wife, Missy, and I brought along 2 books. The Rick Steves guide to Italy and also Frommers. So if Rick or Frommers says go to this restaurant we're more likely to go there. Or by asking the front desk or concierge for a recommendation we'll take it.

Next, let's talk about shopping. Many of the sales people I've encountered who work retail have a very understated yet effective way of making the sale. In Florence, we went to many of the high-end Italian shops. Inside the Armani store I was looking for a new sport coat. I found a wonderful jacket that I wanted to try on. The problem was I was wearing a polo shirt and that's a bit thicker than a regular dress shirt so the jacket wouldn't fit right. So my sales guy gave me a new Armani shirt to try on underneath my jacket. He quickly took a look at me and brought back the exact right size.

The gentleman then brought me 5 different jackets to try on but none of them worked. However, all was not lost since after trying on the jackets I fell in love with "my" Armani shirt. Yep, I ended up buying it even though it was way overpriced.

A few steps away down Florence's "5th Ave" we walked into Gucci. There were lots of items in there with the famous "G"'s that we don't have over here in the States. I immediately sprinted over to a burgundy Gucci motorcycle helmet and stuck it on my head to continue the tradition of being an obnoxious American. :)

After making a fool out of myself, I wandered up into Men's shoes and found a pair of loafers I loved I asked the girl working in shoes to help me find my size and she brought them out for me to try on. Then she did something I've never seen before at retail...she kept absolutely silent. Missy and I talked about the shoes and if I should get them or not. We discussed the comfort of them and if they were slipping or not. But during all of this - the sales girl remained quiet.

From negotiations we know silence is the most powerful tactic any side can take. Usually the sales rep is telling me how great the shoes look, how carefully they are constructed, etc. But here absolutely nothing but silence. I'm sure you can guess - I bought the shoes.

Now if you think I'm the only one who was shopping - think again. Missy did her fair share in Venice.

Since it got a bit colder, Missy went looking for warmer clothes. We went in and out of boutiques all day and even returned to the same ones 2 or 3 times. Once Missy found a sweater to try on and before she could leave the dressing room, the sales rep came bounding in with 2 or 3 more colors in the same model.

In another boutique, Missy would be trying on one top and the sales rep would have the other colors lined up for her on the counter and several other outfits that matched her choice. It was pretty amazing to see them in action. Of course, she ended up buying more than she originally came in for.

Another thing we saw at retail shops was the packaging. For many of the items we bought they immediately wrapped them up so they would be suitable for a present. We even went to a Pharmacy to buy Advil because my back was hurting and the pharmacist wrapped that up like a present.

What else do you do on vacation besides shopping? How about eating?

Italian waiters do a masterful job at selling and persuading patrons that's really worth studying. One of my favorite meals in Florence the waiter used the assumptive close to take our order. I asked for a recommendation on appetizers and he would mention the mushroom and tomato dish was excellent. Then he'd start writing and talking at the same time, "one mushroom and one tomato for the lady."

He went on like that with the pastas and entrees assuming we'd have 2 of everything. He was wrong but I'm sure they do a whole lot more business like this. After the meal the show continued. When explaining dessert he said, "We have the World's best cheesecake and Europe's number one chocolate cake."

Who gave them that honor? I'm sure no one. They just said it. We did split the cheesecake and it really was delicious. It tasted a bit like 'no bake' cheesecake - but Missy and I both love no-bake cheesecake at home so we're biased.

In Venice it's the experience usually and not the food that takes center stage. In Saint Mark's square we sat down and had a glass of wine, a coffee and a water. The bill? A jaw-dropping $45. We were charged for music and bread/cover charge plus the outrageous amount for our 3 beverages. But it's okay because it was an experience we were paying for and not the drinks.

This restaurant has a complete band outside playing classical Italian music and the whole experience of sitting in the center of the Square to watch the people mill about was worth it. But it just goes to show you if you create an experience you can get away with highway robbery.

And what is the most famous experience in Venice? Gondolas, right? There's no better example of paying for an experience because where would you pay about $150 for a over glorified canoe? Now I'm not complaining because the gondola ride is a must for many tourists. And Missy and I loved it - but when you stop to think about it you wouldn't pay for this anywhere else.

Now before you dismiss all of this and say "My business is Different!" - just stop, re-read and think about how you can apply this in your business. I promise you can.

Ciao! :)

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, which can be found at 33 DaysTo Online Profits Video CD Rom =================================================================

Why Working Hard Is Not Enough

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

As I was sitting here writing out this newsletter we had a chimney repairman and a landscaper come out to the house. Out of my window I could see both of them doing their jobs. Let me tell you these guys work *hard*.

Both of them get up very early in the morning and put in a full day's work. The chimney repairman is dangerously perched at least 50 feet above the ground for most of the day. And our neighborhood landscaper is breaking his back carrying heavy bags of mulch all day.

The point is these guys put in an honest day's labor for honest day's wage every day. They aren't sleeping on the job or goofing off. They're working their butts off - but that's not enough!

Do you know the big secret neither one of these fellows (or most other people) ever figure out?

It's so simple once you understand and it can have a profound effect on your wealth. Here it is...

Your income cannot be limited by the amount of hours you can put in. Each one of us are given 24 hours and it doesn't matter if you are a chimney repairman, landscaper, CEO, homeless bum, or Internet entrepreneur. We all have the same 24 hours to work with. Most people simply work - get paid, work - get paid, work - get paid. You put in 8 hours on the job - you get paid for 8 hours. You put in 40 hours a week - you get 40 hours in salary. That's the way we've been taught to do it - and the sad truth is you'll never get ahead doing what everyone else does (that's a lesson in itself).

You need to think about how you can turn more and more of your activities into ongoing revenue seeds. First you build one ongoing income stream and then another, and another and another.

Let me give you a real example from my business to illustrate this.

I created Instant Sales Letters (www.instantsalesletters.com) in February 2000. Every single day we get orders for this product and at $40 - $55/pop it adds up. Last year this one site brought in Six Figures for me. I created the product once and now get paid over and over again (Though I have added to the letters and revised them several times.) Now think about that. Work I did once keeps paying me every single day no matter what I do. That's a good deal.

Once that first stream is rolling - you can expand into another stream. For me, it came from people asking me how I grew Instant Sales Letters and made it so successful online so fast. That's when I started teaching Internet marketing based on what I did not just reading about it or talking about it. So my second stream was a product called "Instant Internet Profits" (www.instantinternetprofits.com). This was a complete guide I created that documented everything I did. That sold well and kept selling. And just a few months ago I totally revised it based on everything new I've learned in the last few years.

After "IIP", I went to work on creating additional products. Of course, some sell better than others but together they are responsible for bringing in millions and millions each year.

My thinking is squarely on how can I get the most leverage and ongoing income from any activity. For instance, if I do a teleconference series (like www.webcopysecrets.com) then I will sell the LIVE calls for "x" amount and then have the calls recorded to turn it into a product I can keep selling for "y" amount. Then going even further, I could take excerpts from that product and use them as articles or free ebooks to be passed along to get additional business. Do you see how it works? Try to get paid over and over again for activities done once. Make that your mantra.

One more example. Instant Sales Letters is one of our hot products so now I've started selling it on CDrom at Amazon. Just last month it brought in an extra $386. Nothing too crazy - but for doing the work once of putting it up there - it's not bad.

To take this further I have also licensed one section out of the Instant Sales Letters to a company selling CDroms with consumer mailing addresses and they pay me $1,000/month for this.

Now here's the warning. With all this said, don't get fooled by the idea nearly everyone gets. It goes something like this - "Well, if I can create 10 different products each making $1,000/month - I'll make $10,000 every month." Yes, that's a great thought but what happens is you get sidetracked and lose focus working on more than one project at once.

Believe me, I fall for this trap also. Your best bet is to focus on product #1 first and *only* after you have that securely in place move along to product #2. Trust me, I realize there are so many opportunities available online that you want to grab each one - but the only thing you'll do is run around like a headless chicken.

You can see from my examples my multiple revenue streams consists of information products. I love info products because of all the incredible advantages.

But this advice will work just as well for any kind of passive revenue stream. I hope you spend some time to think about this.

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

How to use the Power of the World's Easiest and Most Effective Headline Format to Turbo Charge Your Business

by Yanik Silver www.InstantSalesLetters.com

Did you notice the title for this article?

Of course, it's a headline. That's right and it uses a shop-worn classic format which still continues to amaze me with its power. Just 2 simple words...

"How To..." Stick with me on this, I know it sounds too easy.

The simple, lowly "How to" headline is still tops in my book for simplicity and effectiveness. You really cannot go wrong with it. The 'how to' headline is so versatile. You can follow it with several benefits, a question, an offer, almost anything - and it works great!

In fact, using the 'how to' formula is one of the best places to start when writing headlines because it forces you to think of what your product/service actually does for the person.

Here are a couple of winning examples to get your juices flowing:

How to Collect from Social Security at Any Age

How To Get FIVE Money-Making Web Sites In 29 Minutes Or Less...Without Spending A Fortune!

How to avoid the biggest mistake you can make in building or buying a home

How to cruise the world for $19 a day

How to get Enthusiastic Applause - Even a Standing Ovation - Every Time You Speak (Ted Nicholas)

How To Win Friends And Influence People

How to make your car invisible to radar and laser!

How to make your computer as easy to use as your telephone

How to fix cars

Check out the last winning headline on our list - "how to fix cars". I mean it really can't get any simpler than that, but it works...and it works big time!

Now here are a few "How To.." headlines you can plug-in and use right away when brainstorming:

=============== "How to" Formulas ===============

How to get ____________ How to have __________ How to keep__________ How to start __________ How to begin _________ How to become ___________ How to improve your _________ How to develop _____________ How to get the most out of_____________ How to avoid ________________ How to end________________ How to get rid of _____________ How to conquer _____________ How to enjoy _______________

Even just adding the word "how" in front of a headline gives it an additional appeal. Compare these 2 examples:

A strange accident saved me from baldness

How a strange accident saved me from baldness

Which one is more compelling? I think you'll agree #2 does the trick. And that one is a winning headline used over and over.

Okay, but maybe the tried and true "how to" is too boring for you. No problem! Spice it up by adding a little something before the 'how to'

Here's HOW TO...

Discover HOW TO...

If you think a 12% annual return on your money is good, here's HOW TO set your sights on 100% or more

All new course reveals HOW TO use Pop-Ups to double your opt-in rate, explode your sales, and squeeze up to 300% more revenue out of each visitor to your Web site! (Jonathan Mizel)

I'll show you HOW TO hit golf shots as straight as you can point, or this video golfing lesson is free...and I'll pay you $25 for wasting your time! (Jeff Paul)

Ohio man discovers the secret of HOW TO escape the American Rat Race

Or if you still want to change it up a little - just use "How you..." or "How I..." like these winning examples:

HOW I earn my living in 4 hours a day

HOW YOU Can Make Well Over $300,000.00 Per Year As A Real Estate Agent Working Less Than 40 Hours A Week.... Have A Top Income AND A Life..... And NEVER Have To Make A Call You Dread Or Waste Your Time With Unrealistic Sellers Or Insincere Buyers, Ever Again (Craig Proctor)

I think you'll agree for getting the most bang for your buck - "how to" headlines are the way to go.

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

A Good Title Is A Work of Genius

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

That's what Emanuel Haldeman-Julius said about changing the title of a book to increase sales. And he should know, he's the guy who single-handedly sold more than 100,000,000 "little blue books" during the first part of the 20th century (Yes, I said 100 million copies).

His book entitled "The First Hundred Million" gives a rare glimpse into how to use certain tested title words to increase your sales. In fact, his book is one of the most scientific studies of what a title change can do for your sales.

The most remarkable thing is that Haldeman-Julius simply advertised his books by title alone. There was no selling copy, only the title of the book. That's it.

So before you decide on any haphazard title for your next ebook, manual, ezine article or free report, you might want to take advice from this savvy marketer.

Haldeman-Julius had a policy in his business - if a title didn't sell over 10,000 copies a year it was sent to a place in his office called "The Hospital". Inside the Hospital he went to work coming up with a new title for the poorly selling book and re-releasing it. If the revised title didn't sell, the book went into the 'morgue".

He tells about a book originally being titled "The Art of Controversy" which never really sold until it was changed to "How to Argue Logically" and then it leapt up to 30,000 copies. The amazing thing is that nothing else was changed inside the book, just the title.

And from this "in the trenches" research, Haldeman-Julius discovered certain title words that could increase the sales of almost any book when applied. For instance the words "The Truth About" increased sales for one book starting its publishing life as "Patent Medicine". This book by Dr. Arthur Cramp only sold 3,000 copies in 1925 but when the title was changed to "The Truth About Patent Medicine" it rose up to a respectable 10,000 copies.

Therefore the words "The Truth About" are magical.

Next, he found the words "Life" and "Love" to work well. Followed by the worn, but still very powerful phrase "How To". Books with "How To" in the title were almost always placed at the top of his sales list. Take for example, the title "How to Psycho-Analyze Yourself" sold 43,000 copies while a similar title "Psycho-Analysis Explained" sold 5,000 less copies. And the title "How I Psycho-Analyzed Myself" managed to attract only 13,500 buyers.

What's more, Haldeman-Julius discovered the public was (and still is) clamoring for facts. So the words "The Facts You Should Know" proved a big winner.

So how can you apply this information?

Easy! The way you should use this wisdom from the ages is by applying it to titles, ebooks, ezine articles, free reports and your headlines. For instance, if I was a cosmetic surgeon I'd give out free ebooks like this: "The Facts You Should Know About Liposuction" or "The Truth About Laser Hair Removal" or "How To Erase The Years With Laser Resurfacing". Each of these could almost be a headline by themselves. That's what you want to strive for because that's what people want!

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

Sales Letter Secrets From The Man Who Sold Coal By The Train Carload

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

If you were to ask any of the top copywriting pros who they've learned from - one name is sure to be repeated over and over again -- Robert Collier.

In the 1930s, Robert Collier was able to sell just about everything from train carloads of coal to men's clothing simply by using the power of his pen. And right now I'm going to share with you 2 of the most powerful letter concepts he repeatedly used to sell millions!

One of Collier's most successful letters was his "will you do me a favor?" letter. It was based on a story he read about how a manager of a company asked a competing business for a favor, which started a relationship that blossomed into the two companies joining together.

Collier thought this same idea might work in print...and boy did it ever!

Here's how he used this concept to sell 20,000 raincoats at a time (and over a dozen other products). This letter is really universal in its application, so study it carefully:

* * * Dear Customer, Will you do me a favor?

For twelve years now, you know, we have been selling the famous "Keepdry" Coat direct to the consumer, at a savings of many dollars from the usual retail price.

This year I want to vary our line a bit, so I have changed the fabric to one that looks like a smart topcoat -- but will still shed rain. And instead of the usual double- breasted raincoat model, I'm using a single-breasted topcoat model that appeals to men because it has style, and yet retains that loose, comfortable look of the well- tailored light overcoat.

I believe that anyone who ever gets out in stormy or wet weather will like this "Any Weather" Coat better than any raincoat or topcoat he can buy, but you know how it is in merchandising -- you can never be sure of such things until after you have sunk a lot of money in them.

Which brings me to the favor:

I want to make sure of the demand -- or lack of demand -- before we sink too much money in this new coat. So I've come to you as a customer of the house:

Will you try out one of these new "Any Weather" Topcoats for me for a week -- WEAR IT -- see how it feels, how it looks, how it compares with topcoats you have bought at $25 or $30? Above all, how it keeps out wind and rain? And then write me?

---sidebar--- Letter goes on to explain features and benefits of the new coat with a special introductory price for customers only. -------------

Naturally, I am not making offers like this to everyone, so whether you accept it or not, I should feel obliged if you would return the card so as to insure against its falling into other hands.

Naturally, too, your opinion will be of value to me only if I get it NOW -- before the Fall season has really opened -- before we are definitely committed for any great quantity of these new all-weather coats.

Won't you, therefore, fill in the three simple measurements on the card TONIGHT if you can, and mail it? On second thought, better mail it right away -- while you have it in your hand -- so there will be no chance of forgetting it.

* * *

You should notice the subtle psychology used here. People love giving opinions and helping, so by asking, you make people feel important.

Boardroom reports, one of the top direct marketing companies in the country, (the people who write Bottom Line Business, Bottom Line Personal, and Bottom Line Health) are using this technique for two different offers (which means it's working very well). Here's the opening to a recent letter I received:

* * *

Our records show that you're one of our best customers, and that's why I'm writing.

Frankly, I need you help.

I'm asking you to take part in a little marketing trial I've put together. Our company has a lot riding on the outcome, so I'm really hoping you'll participate.

If you do, I'll send you one of the most valuable gifts we've ever given away. It's our giant new, 51,000-word book, the "DOCTOR'S LITTLE BLACK BAG OF REMEDIES AND CURES, Vol. I."

I'll explain our marketing trial in a moment...and why your "verdict" is so important to us. But first, let me tell you about the special free gift you'll receive just for taking part.

---sidebar--- Letter continues by explaining the free gift and goes on to explain how the fairest, most honest way to introduce new products is through sampling. -------------

* * *

That's pretty powerful stuff, eh?

Moving on to the second letter opening Collier found to be magical. Here are a few examples:

========================================================== "With your permission, I am going to send you FREE a new, self-filling black beauty fountain pen-pencil, with your name stamped upon it in 24 carat solid gold leaf." ==========================================================

Or...

========================================================== "With your permission I am going to make an analysis of the soil of your lawn to determine -- at my own risk and expense -- what elements are lacking in it, what you need for stronger, healthier, more closely grown turf." ==========================================================

These openings were used over and over again by Collier because they worked. And they still work just as well today -- here's how a recent mailing from Rodale press started (mind you this is the control for the last 3 years -- not an easy task when you mail millions):

* * *

Hot new book reveals... The Astonishing Sex Secrets Of The Most Satisfied...Most Knowledgeable...And Most Respected Lovers in the World!

Learn to enjoy the best sex of your life, at any age... with the amazing secrets and discoveries in this just- released "For Men Only" book that is dramatically changing men's (and women's) lives literally overnight...

Dear Friend,

With your permission (and with strict precautions for privacy), I am going to send you one of the most important and exciting books every released by an American publisher.

---Cut--- letter continues.

* * *

Now both these letter concepts are incredibly powerful and they've been proven to work for the last 70 years. (And my bet is they'll continue working for at least 70 more!) So what are you waiting for? Start putting these techniques to work right away in your business.

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

How To Use Testing For Breakthrough Marketing Results

By Yanik Silver www.SurefireMarketing.com

Advertising is expensive. And it costs you the same amount of money to run an ad (or mail a letter) that brings in 2 customers as one that drives in 20 customers. So that difference is in your ad (or letter).

Let's say you've come up with what you think is a good ad (powerful headline, good offer, sizzling copy, etc.), now you're ready to test.

Testing will help you:

1. Save yourself a bunch of money.

2. Improve any results you're currently getting.

3. Stop guessing about what works.

I'd say those are some pretty good reasons to learn all about testing and how to apply it to your business. So before spending loads of money on your new ad you can (and should) do a few low-cost/no-cost tests:

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Sleep On It Test =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

First, you should let your ad sit for at least a day. Then the next day you can come back to it with new eyes and a fresher perspective. You can find errors that weren't apparent before. Also, your chances of writing a good ad are significantly improved with rewriting. (I will rewrite an ad or letter 3, 4 or 5 times before I'm done.)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Reading Aloud Test =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I don't know what it is about reading something aloud versus reading to yourself, but you'll pick up lots and lots of insight into how good (or bad) your ad really is by reading it aloud. All the bumps and rough spots jump out at you.

Or a variation on this is to have someone else read it you. This is even better. As they're reading it, you should take out a copy of the ad and make notes on it. One big advantage of this is your reader is completely impartial. He won't stress certain phrases or words to make the meaning clearer. And if the reader is having trouble you know that's an area to edit.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Sneaky Opinion Test =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

This test is really great. Take your ad off your printer and make a xerox copy of it. Then go around to a few people who should be in your target market and say something like, "Take a look at this, I just found this in a magazine." Key point: Do not tell people you wrote the ad because they'll be say how nice it is.

You're gauging their response. If they say something like "Did you write this?" or "This is really good." What that really means is your ad stinks.

But if you start hearing "Do you know how I can get this done?" or "Do you do this?" then you know you're on to something good and ready to spend money on your test.

Opinions are great, but the only votes that really count are the ones that are paid for. The first thing you *don't* want to do is call every newspaper, magazine, throw-away, etc. You need to start by testing small. And that means spending as little as possible to get accurate results.

=-=-=-=-=-=- Test Small =-=-=-=-=-=-

Joe Sugarman (He sold millions of Blu-blocker sunglasses) tells how he would test all his ads in the Southwestern edition of the Wall Street Journal. Because this was the cheapest and smallest edition of the Journal to test.

That way he was able to read results quickly and then decide whether or not to 'roll-out' to other editions. So how can you apply this information to your business?

Easy.

Let's say you've been running ads in your local paper. Well, usually newspapers have zoned editions based on zip codes. So instead of paying for your ad to appear in the entire circulation, you simply put it in one of the cheapest and most representative zones available.

And by tracking the response (using a specific phone#, person, extension#, etc.) you can safely predict what results you'll get once you go out to the entire circulation.

One more point: It's better to run your test ad in a daily paper instead of a monthly magazine. Simply because you can ascertain information more quickly.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Don't Fall For Your Ad Rep's Traps =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

You cannot multiply zero. That means if there is no life in your ad -- kill it before it drains more money and time from you.

Don't listen to your media rep's b.s. about repetition and getting discounts for multiple insertions. Remember, these guys have no clue about how to create advertising that works. If they did, they'd be running ads in their own magazines and making tons of money.

Infomercial marketers realize this point. Imagine spending $100,000.00 to produce one single 30 minute spot and then buying $400 - $1,000 in media to test it out. That's what infomercial companies do.

They know if the phones aren't ringing after a couple of TV spots -- they're definitely not going to ring if they throw tens of thousands of dollars in media at it, either.

Follow these tips and you'll be able to save a lot of money plus increase response. Just test until you come up with a winner and then keep running it!

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

An Analysis of A Winning Sales Letter

By Yanik Silver www.InstantSalesLetters.com

Many people say they can spot a good letter when they see it, but the problem is when it comes down to writing one, they simply freeze up. That's why I want to take you behind the scenes of a successful sales letter I wrote and illustrate the thinking that goes into writing a killer letter that generated a healthy 3810% ROI. This letter sold all of the clients overstock merchandise and they even created a waiting list.

You'll find my comments in the side notes below so let's get started...

****

Can You Get A New $8,000 Power Table For $417?

------Side Note Comments------ First off, the headline is a grabber and makes people want to read more. Anyone interested in your product at a bargain price would certainly continue reading. ------End Comments------

Read The Amazing Facts To Find Out How...

------Side Note Comments------ Next, the subhead tells prospects that the answer is right inside this letter if they keep reading. ------End Comments------

Dear Friend,

Yes, it's absolutely true. You can really replace your old, worn-out exam table and only pay $417 out of your pocket (But only if you are one of the first 2 people to respond to this letter.)

Let me explain.

------Side Note Comments------ Your first sentence is absolutely critical to your letter. If your first sentence doesn't make people want to keep reading, you can expect your letter to end up in the circular file. So make sure it keeps their interest piqued and follow up on the headline promise in the first sentence.

In the first sentence I reiterate the fact that yes they really can get a brand new power table for such a low price. The second sentence I throw in a little scarcity right at the beginning of the letter so they won't just toss this letter aside for further reading. ------End Comments------

Last April, our little company took a big gamble and signed up for a power table promotion. In order to get on the promotion we had to agree to take 3 power tables - nearly $15,000. (And for a small company like us, that's a lot of money to be tied up in inventory).

Only one of those 3 tables were sold - so there are still 2 left.

------Side Note Comments------ The next paragraph I begin to explain the story of why we're selling this product at such a bargain price. I've discovered that telling people the truth and giving a reason why is actually one of the most powerful psychological motivators to action. ------End Comments------

And My Problem Is Your Opportunity

------Side Note Comments------ This subhead turns the letter back around to what's in it for the reader. Everyone is always silently asking themselves "So what?" and "Who cares?". You've got to keep the focus on what the reader will gain from the letter. ------End Comments------

In order to move these last 2 tables I've decided to do something somewhat bold and a little daring.

First, you should know that the manufacturer's promotion of these power tables ends June 30th. And any unsold inventory I have could be sold to another dealer at wholesale.

But instead of doing that, I would rather sell you the table at a wholesale price and gain your goodwill.

------Side Note Comments------ Here I explain how and why I'm willing to make a sensational deal. ------End Comments------

The regular price for a XXX power table is $8,000 but during this promotion they were on sale for $5,375 (which is a pretty good deal anyway).

But until July 15th (I've extended the offer 2 weeks), you can buy one of our last 2 tables for just $4,897. That's a savings of over $3,100.00

------Side Note Comments------ I introduce the special offer and the reason why we're selling the product at such a discount. That's a key point, because unless you give people a believable reason for the reduced price they won't believe you. Nobody thinks you're lowering the price because you're "such a nice guy" so let them in on the reason behind your offer. ------End Comments------

What? I promised you could get a power table for only $417 and here's how...

------Side Note Comments------ I answer an anticipated objection here since I promised they could get the table for only $417. ------End Comments------

Here's How To Get That New Power Table For Almost "Zip" By buying a power table, you can qualify for a 50% tax credit under section 44 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That's right Fifty Percent! All because a power table will glide up and down to accommodate disabled and handicapped patients.

And here's what else. You can also take the amount of the power table and deduct it off your taxes using Section 179. (That is if you haven't spent over $18,000 on capital equipment this year.)

That's not all, here are a few more incentives for you: We will give you a $150 trade-in for your old table (or you can donate it to charity for another tax break). And add an extra 2-year warranty ($1,000 value), plus, we'll pick-up your old table and deliver the new one all for free!

Pretty good, right? Wait, I have even better news for you...

------Side Note Comments------ Here I've explained each of the incentives and how they can really get the table for such a low cost. Plus added in a few extra bonuses and now I'll another bonus to really increase their desire. ------End Comments------

You Can Pay In 3 Easy Installments With Zero Interest We'll break up your payments into 3 easy installments, spread thirty days apart.

Why You Must Act Before July 15th First, I doubt if these tables will still be around until July 15th because the first 2 doctors that put their deposits down will take them. And when they're gone this offer expires.

But even if they are still here (highly unlikely at this bargain price) this offer has to expire anyway because we will be shipping out these tables to other dealers in the area.

------Side Note Comments------ I bring back the deadline here and scarcity again. So not only do they have a limit on the number of units available, but there is also a time deadline. This is a double whammy to get people to take action immediately. ------End Comments------

Here's What You Should Do Now

Pick up your phone and dial xxx-xxxx and reserve one of these last 2 tables with your credit card. Or in case, you're still undecided call us and ask for some more information to be faxed to you.

Otherwise, you'll be giving up the ease and convenience of having a power table at this bargain price. I really hope you're one of the 2 lucky doctors who decide to take advantage of this golden opportunity.

------Side Note Comments------ In this closing paragraph I give readers a little pain by mentioning what they'll be missing if they don't act on this offer. ------End Comments------

Sincerely, XXXX

P.S. Hurry! This letter is being sent to 1,283 local doctors and this offer is strictly limited to the first 2 people who respond.

------Side Note Comments------ The P.S. is your last place to help prospects make a buying decision. People go from the headline in a letter to the signature to the P.S., so your P.S. should be powerful.

Here I introduce even more scarcity. I let them know exactly how many people (specifics sell) are receiving this letter and it makes the limited quantity seem even more limited since so many other people are getting this same announcement.

------End Comments------

****

I guarantee by using the same elements, I just illustrated, you'll see your next sales letter produce incredible results.

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Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

How A Hidden Psychological 'Trigger' Makes Prospects Practically Line Up and Beg You To Do Businss With You

By Yanik Silver www.MindMotivators.com

Do you remember the stupid beer commercial a few years back with the tagline "Why Ask Why?" Well, completely unknown to the ad agency -- they had almost stumbled onto a breakthrough marketing concept.

Telling people the reason why you are doing something is one of the most powerful influencers of human behavior.

Robert Cialdini, Ph.D. in his book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" talks about an experiment by Harvard social psychologist, Ellen Langer, that concluded people like to have a reason for what they do.

Her experiment consisted of people waiting in line to use a library copy machine and then having experimenters ask to get ahead in line.

The first excuse used was "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I'm in a rush?" This request coupled with a reason was successful 94% of the time. However when the experimenter made a request only: "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?" this request was only granted 60% of the time. A significant drop.

Okay now for the shocker.

It may seem like the difference between those two requests was the additional information of "because I'm in a rush", but that's just not the case.

Because in a third experimenter, the experimenter asks "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?" There's no reason mentioned or new information presented, just the words "because".

This time a full 93% of the people said yes simply due to the word 'BECAUSE'! And it didn't even matter that there was no reason given. Just the word because triggered a magic response.

Using this psychological 'trigger' can massively increase your Marketing success.

Here's an example: John E. Powers, one of the top copywriters in the 1900's, wrote this ad for a Pittsburgh department store in severe financial trouble:

"We are bankrupt. We owe $125,000 more than we can pay, and this announcement will bring our creditors down on our necks. But if you come and *buy* tomorrow, we shall have the money to meet them. If not, we shall go to the wall."

Instead of yelling 'SALE' like so many other stores would, there's a legitimate reason given why people should spend their money at this store. And this ad was said to be responsible for saving the store.

Another ad written by Powers, for a different merchant, proclaimed "We have a lot of rotten raincoats we want to get rid of." This sold out the entire inventory of raincoats by the next morning.

Max Sackheim, famous for the long-running ad "Do You Make These Mistakes In English" and originator of the book-of- the-month concept, says this: "Whenever you make a claim or special offer in your advertising, come up with an honest reason why, and then state it sincerely. You'll sell many more products this way."

And this powerful strategy works just as well today.

Using this secret weapon for a medical equipment company, I helped them produce a massive 1,073% return on investment simply using "reason-why" copy.

The premise was how can we sell a product for the incredibly low price of only $477? (Regularly this product sells for about $695 - $895.) Then the ad went on to explain that the reason why the price was so low was because the manufacturer wanted to gain market share and get nurses and doctors accustomed to using their product. It was a huge winner and a big money-maker for the client.

So how can you apply all of this to your business? Easy. Let's say you have a slow time of year and you want to increase your business during this period. Well, write a simple letter to your customers making a special offer, only good during your slow period.

Maybe you'll throw in an extra free bonus, an extra service, or a special discount simply because it is your "slow time" and you need to pay your staff anyway.

Let people in "behind the scenes" at your company...

* Are you overstocked on merchandise because for some reason customers only want the deluxe widget - but you ordered tons of the basic one?

* Did you have a flood and you need to liquidate (pardon the pun) your inventory?

* Do you need to raise cash so you can pay for your nosejob?

Whatever the reason. Tell them the truth.

For some reason everyone wants to be mysterious about their business. If you're lowering the price nobody thinks you're doing it just because you're "such a nice guy". So let people in the reason why.

I know this probably goes against every grain of business sense, but I promise if you give people a good, believable reason why they'll respond with open wallets.

==========================================================

Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking websites...and he still doesn't know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, which can be found at - 33 DaysTo Online Profits Video CD Rom =================================================================

Creating True “Win-Win” Joint Ventures Online

By Yanik Silver

You’ll hear the word “JV” tossed around and banted about – but most people use it completely wrong. In my opinion, a true joint venture is a partnership where two or more parties come together to create something that’s better and bigger than what they could do on their own.

Partnerships and real joint ventures have been very, very good to me, to the tune of millions of dollars in extra sales. In fact, this is has been one of the driving forces behind my business growth without hiring additional employees.

I don’t have room to cover all aspects of joint ventures, but I want to introduce to one idea that could have a significant impact on your bottom line.

***Joint Venture on Services***

Think of all the money-producing tasks that you don’t have time to do or you don’t have an affinity for. Here’s a quick list off the top of my head…

* AdWords/PPC * Direct Mail * Product Launches * Buying Advertising * Testing * Telemarketing * Affiliate Management and Recruitment * Product Creation * Search engine optimization * Publicity * Copywriting * Coaching * and so on

Each of these and more can become a joint venture of sorts with trusted individuals who will help you make more than you could make on your own. In fact, that’s one of the criteria for a good joint venture for a service is a task that can be paid out of additional profits and measured that way. I like that.

For example, I know one information marketer who joint ventured with a telemarketer to run a phone room. He pays them a large percentage per sale for the events and high-end products they sells, and that’s it. This venture brings in millions and millions of dollars of additional revenue, but he doesn’t have the headache of babysitting and training a bunch of telemarketers. Or if I joint venture with a partner to do search engine optimization for my sites, it’s a pretty clean relationship because I can simply give them their own affiliate id# and let them have at it.

Personally I’ve worked with several partners on these service joint ventures. The first one is with a friend of mine, Rob Olic, to help me run all my direct mailings.

--- Side note: I’ve harped on this before. If you are only using email and online marketing you are missing serious revenues and not maximizing your profit. ---

Now I don’t feel like tweaking copy, handling my mailing list, coordinating with vendors, etc. If I had employees this would be a function of one of them – but since I don’t want employees at the moment I’ve gone to partnersh