I was in the fine city of Chicago this week to speak at a marketing conference. And I learned some interesting things:

1 - Traffic in Chicago is much worse than the allegedly bad traffic in Atlanta where I live. We left the hotel downtown at 3 p.m. and were parked on the "highway" a few minutes later.

The Lesson Learned:

I am thankful - as I know many of you are - that I don’t have to leave home and fight through this terrible traffic on a daily basis. Life’s too short to
suffer like this regularly. The stress level of doing this would take years off my life.

2 - Despite the traffic, I arrived at the airport early enough to rebook my ticket (by paying the $25 fee) on a flight leaving 90 minutes earlier than my original schedule. That was the good news.

The bad news turned out to be that this flight would leave 45 minutes late so I didn’t gain very much for my $25.

Obviously, I can afford the $25, but that’s not the point.

The Lesson Learned:

It’s not about the money. It’s about the perception of value received for the money. When I made the deal with the airline to book the earlier flight, I did so with the specific understanding that I was investing $25 to buy 90 minutes.

But, I ended up only getting 1/2 that time - 45 minutes. So, I felt like I’d gotten screwed in the deal.

People - like us and our customers - invest money with us based on the perception of the value they’ll receive in exchange. If you don’t deliver on your promise, then the customer is not going to be happy with the deal.

If you deliver more, the customer should be ecstatic. That’s why you’ll usually find extra - unadvertised - bonuses when you purchase my products.

It doesn’t matter that I probably would have spent the $25 to get the 45 minutes anyway - that’s not the deal I bought.

3 - When I booked my hotel reservation, the website promoted the fine history of the property. When I was standing in the lobby, they had an interesting wall display listing the famous people and many presidents who had stayed there years ago. And they specifically mentioned how they had upgraded the hotel with the latest in electrical, plumbing, etc.

I’m not sure how long ago someone wrote this fiction, but it must be at least 30 years ago - maybe longer. Perhaps the reference to Diamond Jim Brady should have clued me in.

I won’t bore you with the sordid details about the sagging mattress and matted down carpet, but it was depressing to enter my room. Especially when I opened the curtains so I could look 15 feet across the air shaft at other rooms.

The Lesson Learned:

Next time I’m booking a reservation in a "historical" hotel, I need to be certain to ask if they’ve stayed true to their history or entered the new millennium.

Of course, for $39 a night, I might have expected something like I got. But, when I’m paying $120 for the discounted conference special rate, I’m not seeing the value in the deal.

For many products and services - like hotel rooms - we have an understanding of what we think we should get for the money we spend. It doesn’t matter whether our preconceived notion is correct - we’ve got it in our heads already.

As marketers, we have to deal with the public that has these preconceived ideas. When we’re not going to fit with them (like charging way too much for a crummy room), we should be fair and make that clear. But we’ll obviously want to do this in a fashion that will show why this is a still a fair, if not great, value proposition.

4 - But this story gets even more interesting…

I was chatting with Paul Hartunian (the PR expert who once sold the Brooklyn Bridge - legitimately) and mentioned that I was not happy with my room. He remarked that other people had also voiced similar opinions, but he loved his room.

Turns out he had asked the hotel about upgrade options and, for $20 more, you could get a completely updated room with a wonderful view of the city and Lake Michigan.

Of course, no one volunteers this when you call to make reservations. And it’s not mentioned at all on their website.

But I’ll bet the people that work in this hotel are wondering why more people don’t choose the upgrade option.

The Lesson Learned:

Don’t hide your light under a bushel basket!

Think about this…the hotel could have turned many unhappy people into raving fans simply by mentioning the $20 option. Plus, they could have been grabbing an extra $20 a night from dozens of people for doing absolutely nothing.

Sure, we’re sitting here in judgment thinking how stupid this is. But…unfortunately, we occasionally make the same kind of silly mistakes and don’t make the really fine benefits of our product or service crystal clear.

To sum up:

1 - Don’t play in traffic. It’s hazardous to your health.

2 - Explain the value in your offers and deliver what you promise (preferably more).

3 - Don’t hide your best benefits and offers. Put them right out front so your prospects will become happy customers.

Yours in success,

Shawn Casey

P.S. If you missed the incredible Jeff Paul teleseminar this week - or just want to review it and take some more notes (Jeff talks fast and delivers a lot of info), you can hear the recorded version here:

http://www.ShawnsNews.net/JeffPaulRecording.html

(Scroll down a little when you get there)

Internet Millionaire Shawn Casey’s "Mining Gold On the Internet" is one of the best selling Internet books with over 85,000 copies sold. In "Mining Gold", Shawn reveals the same step-by-step strategies he uses to create millions in Internet sales => http://www.ipcgold.com/ad/100/CD3839  Benefit from Shawn’s 7 years of Internet experience and learn from someone who has actually made millions online.

You can turn your vehicle into a rolling advertisement. Costs start at just a few dollars, and you can put your business name, slogan, phone number and web site URL in front of thousands of potential customers while you are driving along the freeway, stuck in traffic or even while you are parked. Here are some of the best ways to use your vehicle as a marketing tool.

Bumper stickers are so inexpensive that you may want to print enough for employees, friends, family members, customers and others. Publisher Susan Sabo of Small Dogs Press made bumper stickers saying, “I do bad things for love,” along with the Small Dogs web site URL. The line is from one of their books, and everyone who sees the bumper sticker wants one. Sabo sells them at her web site, and gives them away at book fairs. Of course, she has one on her car, and says she has given them to all of her friends, too.

License plate frames are a favorite of car dealers and auto repair shops, but they can work for any business. You can have them custom made with your business name or slogan, along with a phone number or URL.

Magnetic signs are an easy and low-cost way to put a lot of information on your car. Put them on both sides of the car, and make sure the lettering is large enough to read, even from a distance and when the vehicle is in motion. Personal chef Sue Gaughenbaugh added an effective twist to this idea. She bought a supply of magnetic business cards and placed them around the sign on her truck. When customers see her truck in a parking lot, they can pick up a card to take with them. Gaughenbaugh started getting calls from new customers within days of putting the take-away magnetic cards on her truck.

Vinyl decals and window stickers are a highly visible way to promote your web site. Put the URL in large letters across the width of your rear windshield. After all, you never know who might be behind you in traffic. This is most effective if you have a catchy and descriptive domain name. Custom stickers are available at prices starting under $20.

You can order many of these items from local printers and sign shops. Or, do an online search for companies that can create bumper stickers, magnetic signs, decals and other promotional items.

And when you are ready to go all-out, consider a vehicle wrap. These vinyl decals look like a custom paint job and cover your entire vehicle with bright, high-quality graphics. This is not a do-it-yourself project, but you can hire companies such as www.coloredink.com to design and install the graphics. At an estimated cost of $3,500, this option is much more expensive than the others described here, but it will certainly make an impression on the other drivers you encounter.

When your car is a traveling billboard, the time you spend in traffic will become more productive.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with creative strategies that help your business excel. Get free tips and discover what she can do for you at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.

Your marketing and advertising won’t be effective if your potential customers don’t believe the claims you make. So how can you prove your that you can do what you say you can?

Tone it down. Even if it is possible, your claim that dieters can lose 50 pounds in a month probably won’t be believed. Make it more realistic and representative of typical results.

Get customer testimonials. Let them see that others have had great results. Testimonials should be specific and include the customer’s real name for the most credibility.

Get endorsements from experts. Respected authorities who say that your product or service is good make you look good.

Positive media coverage will make you a star. Media coverage provides an implied endorsement from a respected source.

Show a track record. Have you been in business for 20 years? Customers are more comfortable doing business with someone they believe will be around if there is a problem after the sale.

Make yourself accessible. Give a phone number or e-mail address where customers can contact you (or support staff) directly with questions. Phone numbers are especially valuable in creating the awareness that you are approachable by clients. Add live chat at your web site to resolve support issues.

Cite statistics from a reputable source to back up your claims. There is a joke that 67.8% of all statistics are made up on the spot. When you use statistics, tell where they came from.

And, never make claims that aren’t true. If you are caught in a lie, it can be difficult or impossible to reclaim the trust of your customers.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with creative strategies that help your business excel. Get free marketing tips and discover what she can do for you at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.

Imagine tossing a pebble into a crystal clear pond on a still day, & watching the ripples make their way to the shore. A tiny cause has a massive effect.

But on a windswept stormy day? You could hurl the largest boulder into the same pool, and the effect would be felt for no more than a few feet.

So it is with marketing new ideas.

Your prospects are in a trance that is like a still pool of awareness. They are in an “I’m worried about money” trance. They are in an “I wish I could finally find that somebody special” trance. They are in an “I’m sick of my dead end job” trance, & so on.

If you enter that trance with your words, your prospects will follow you. They will accept your suggestions. They will give those suggestions power, like the pebble that makes its presence felt on the shore, because receiving your message is effortless.

On the other hand, any striving on the part of your prospect to maintain their attention on your message, because it fails to harmonize with their trance, & no power will be granted.

“Belief Is All-Powerful!”

To enter the buyer’s trance, begin your sales message by showing where your position agrees with their accepted beliefs.

As you move forward, make a logical connection between that which is accepted, & another conclusion that is a step closer to the new conclusion you wish to promote.

This act of mental agreement creates momentum.

For example, let’s say your target market believes that Guaranteed Investment Certificates are the best way to invest for their retirement. Are they likely to listen to you if you boldly proclaim the superiority of Mutual Funds?

But would they give you some attention if you began with, “Would you be interested in more of the kind of money growth you’ve enjoyed through Guaranteed Investment Certificates?”

And then, “If there were a low risk strategy for using GICs, together with Mutual Funds to increase your returns by 53% or more, would you want to find out about it?”

And then, “Give me just 15 minutes, & I’ll show you the failsafe secret to an earlier retirement!”

By establishing empathy in your sales message, you enter the trance. And you can begin marketing new ideas.

Each successive point or question should do three things.

1) Echo accepted belief.

2) Introduce a new element that when logically combined with the previous conclusion, creates a new hypothesis.

3) Raise the level of commitment to the new idea.

You begin pursuing small yes responses, & gradually grow those agreements into bigger YES responses, until your final call to action.

Do you see how this works?

Use questions, statements, & logic that get your prospect thinking YES & OK!

Why Does It Work?

To be human, is to have unlimited freedom of choice. We are able to consciously decide our response to every stimulus. This is our god given gift.

However, we forget this. Instead, we are a bundle of conditioned responses. We hypnotize ourselves into believing that external circumstances give rise to our thoughts.

For instance, if I were to say to you that you are stupid, you would probably become angry. You would think I was a jerk for saying so. That is a choice you make.

You could just as easily make a choice to ignore my remark. You could make any choice you wish. You could even decide to think that I am a jealous fool, & feel sorry for me. The choice is all yours.

On the other hand, if I were to say to you that you are brilliant, you would no doubt feel pleased with yourself. Again, this is a choice. You could just as easily decide to pay no attention to my opinion.

But you forget you are making a choice. You automatically become angry or flattered, depending on the stimulus. You are in a trance of your own making.

To be human, is to be filled with such conditioning.

When we accept a logical conclusion that contains our own beliefs, we are conditioned to accept another one, & then another. Until without even realizing it, we have before long accepted a new belief that we would not have accepted, had it been forced on us in the first place.

Such is the judo of persuasion, & marketing new ideas.

Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct response copywriter based in Toronto Canada. Recently, Daniel & world-renowned publicist & copywriter Joe Vitale teamed up to co author “Million Dollar Online Advertising Strategies – From The Greatest Letter Writer Of The 20th Century!”, a tribute to the late, great Robert Collier.

Let the legendary Robert Collier show you how to write words that sell…Visit the below site & get 3 FREE Chapters! http://www.Advertising-Online-Strategies.com/ad-strategies.html

Boring is one thing you can’t afford to be when it comes to marketing your business. With more than 3000+ marketing messages pummeling consumers on a daily basis, you need to be more, and do more, if you want to be heard above the racket.

Your marketing message is how you communicate with the public; it needs to be appealing and memorable. In order to do that, consider the concept of the meme. A meme is a thought, idea or belief that replicates over time. What that means in terms of your marketing is creating a marketing message that is strong, bold, and exciting so that it stays with the customer and becomes a part of their thinking.

A good example of this is Nike’s “Just Do It”. This phrase is used in a lot of different contexts outside of talking about Nike’s products. People get what it means because it has permeated our culture. Below are some ways that you can avoid being boring by adding extra marketing appeal to your message.

1. Add visuals. There are so many ways to bring attention to your marketing message. One of the best ways is to add something visual. As a picture speaks a thousand words, so too can it communicate all sorts of things about you and your business. What types of pictures or graphics would you use to convey who you are? Adding a picture of yourself on your website or in other marketing materials will help form a stronger connection between you and potential clients.

2. The meaning of colors. Colors hold great meaning when it comes to your marketing message. Yellow elicits high levels of attention. Orange and red indicate quickness. The concepts of money, health, and nurturing are symbolized by green. Black can mean power and strength, but it can also indicate hiding or blending into the background. Purple is the color of royalty and wealth. What types of colors are you drawn to? What meaning do you want to convey to people by the colors you use on your business cards, brochures and even on your website. Too many colors are distracting and look chaotic. Certain colors on colored backgrounds can cause the same reaction. Make sure to work with a professional when selecting colors so you can communicate your business in the best light.

3. Try technology. Adding audio or video to your web site is a great way to allow someone to get to know you better. Adding real audio recordings of your classes, an interview, or even a welcome message gives someone an opportunity to hear your voice. Because technology is so low priced and easy to use nowadays, you might even consider adding a short video as well. Again, it will help to develop a rapport with your audience. One thing to keep in mind is that while technology is great and exciting and can do wonderful things for us, not everyone has the bandwidth to enjoy it fully. Over 50% of consumers are still using dial-up computer access which limits their ability to enjoy both real audio and video to its fullest.

4. Creative business cards. One great way to stand out from the crowd is to develop a creative business card. Add your picture to it or a professionally designed graphic. Use a brochure type card, which allows you 4 different surfaces to print contact information as well as information about what you do. You can include quotations, a mini-brochure about your company, or even some helpful tips or a short quiz. Think about the use of colors and type of fonts, which also can add excitement and pizzazz.

5. Action. When people see or read about action, they often feel empowered to take action themselves. Employing motion on your website is another way to add appeal to your marketing message. You can have text that changes colors on its own, or graphics that move. You might even have a marquee. One thing to keep in mind is that motion can also quickly drive people away from your site as it can be considered obnoxious and childish. Talk to a web professional before using these techniques. You can also imply action by the types of words you use in your web copy.

6. Target your audience. A quality-marketing message speaks directly to its target audience. Who is your target audience? Is it moms, singles, seniors, solo-professionals? The words you use to communicate with a mom are quite different from the words you would use to communicate to a corporate human resources manager or to a medical doctor. The words you use must fit your audience. If they don’t, you’ll have an immediate disconnect with people who read your message.

7. What’s in it for me? Fundamental to all marketing messages must be the mantra…”What’s in it for me”? The only reason anyone is even looking at your brochure, viewing your website or reading your business card is to see what they can possibly gain for themselves. People are busy and are inundated with thousands of marketing messages each day. The only ones they will pay attention to are the ones that really speak to their needs. They have problems or issues they want solved and they are looking for solutions. An appealing marketing message is one that speaks to the typical problems faced by your target audience. Communicating how you can solve those problems quickly and cost effectively is critical to attracting new clients.

8. Ask “yes” questions. If you want to capture someone’s attention, ask them questions that they can answer “yes” to. Whether you are asking questions on a website, in a brochure, or during a sales presentation, make sure they are worded in such a way that the respondent will answer “yes” consistently. The word “yes” opens people up to accept more feedback, whereas the word “no” will quickly close them down. Also, create questions that can help the reader or viewer identify with what you’re saying, giving them the sense that you truly do understand their problems or issues.

9. Features and benefits. Don’t just tell people what you do. Instead, relate the features and benefits of what they can experience as a result of doing business with you. A feature is some aspect of the product whereas a benefit is the feeling or result that someone will experience as a result of that feature. For example, a hospital unit might feature some of the latest innovations in new baby care and services. The benefit to the new mother will be the confidence, security, and peace of mind that she and her baby will be cared for in the best ways possible.

10. Be unique. Show how you, your product, or services are unique. Not only will that help people to remember you, it will make you remarkable. The sense of being remarkable is that people will comment about you to others. Word of mouth advertising is some of the best advertising because it costs you nothing and it comes with a testimonial from the person who is telling others about you. Can you relate what you do to someone in history? Or are you the first at doing something or introducing something? Do you use unique ingredients in your products or employ specialized knowledge in the work you do? This type of information will make your marketing message not only interesting and memorable, but remarkable.

© Copyright 2004 by Alicia Smith

Alicia Smith is a Coach and Trainer whose specialty is helping coaches to Make Money Now. This article is derived from just one of the 90 lessons contained in her e-course, 90-Day Marketing Marathon. To learn more about that course and her other products and services, please visit the following sites. (You also can email her at alicia@aliciasmith.com.) http://www.90DayMarketingMarathon.com http://www.discninja.com http://www.InternetAssessments.com

Joint Venture Marketing and business match making web sites and consultants are beginning to pop up all over the internet, and the affiliate marketing arena is leading the pack.

New arrivals to the internet marketing scene are reading the illustrious e-books on Joint Venture Marketing and devouring the promises of instant credibility and overnight profits. However, what many find out when getting to the web site promoted in many of these e-books, is yet another site filled with highly published names, but little substance.

Acceptance into the “Good Ole Boys” network charges fees that would rival many country clubs. But what do you get out of it? Is it worth $75.00 a month or more for the honor of rubbing elbows with top earners? Is there a service provided somewhere in all the hype?

As with anything you consider exchanging your dollars for, it’s a buyers beware situation. And again, educating yourself before plunking down your dollars is critical to finding successful joint ventures without having your wallet needlessly eviscerated.

Joint Venture Marketing is the temporary partnering with another entity for the mutual benefit of participating parties. It is a delicate, intricate and sometimes labor intensive construction of a relationship that has to be based on an element of trust. This isn’t done overnight, no matter what some e-books tell you. It can be enormously profitable, but your profits are reflected by the groundwork you put into it.

A Joint Venture, in the internet marketing arena could vary in nature, from something as simple as a link exchange, to a full blow agreement to promote a product to another party’s consumers. Finding a business that can exchange ads, endorsements, offer a testimonial or trade promotions of each other’s e-zine lists takes time and research.

Searching for joint venture marketing is akin to the singles dating scene for business. There is a matchmaking art to it that should be recognized and practiced. Some do’s and don’ts for your foray into joint ventures:

Don’t - just fire off generic letters of proposal to a mass of potential partners.

Do – Get to know your potential partner(s) before offering a deal. This means possibly signing up for their newsletter, or emailing them and showing an interest in their business. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most businesses online will be flattered with genuine questions about their product or service.

Don’t – focus on yourself or your product when writing your proposals.

Do – Focus on the fulfillment of the needs of your PARTNER’S CLIENTS, in relation to your product. A person coming to you to buy a drill doesn’t want a drill, they want a hole. A person looking for insurance doesn’t want insurance, they want protection. A person looking to buy advertising doesn’t want advertising . . . they want SALES.

Don’t - Lay everything on the table in your first contact or email, even in the proposal itself. You are not placing an ad, so don’t write your proposal like a sales letter.

Do – Write a short, three to four paragraph proposal to include the BENEFIT to your potential partner’s clients, and the benefit to your potential partner (is it splitting profits on the sale, or exchanging endorsements). You can work out the details later if he is interested. Get something in agreement in writing before allowing the promotion to take place.

Allow your potential partner to ask questions about your service as well as yourself. He is considering endorsing your product to a client base that he’s worked hard to acquire. Therefore, he also needs to be able to trust you and your ability to deliver. Don’t be offended. This is a positive sign! Reply with empathy.

If designed properly, a joint venture marketing deal can open many doors for you, not only in sales, but in building a business ally, acquiring new clients, expanding services and appeal for your potential partner, as well as saving you money in advertising costs.

Haphazardly diving into joint venture deals can also result in stolen ideas or a ruined reputation. All sides of the deal must do their homework on respective members of the deal, and the product being presented. A bad deal can cause backlash for both parties.

I have participated in partnerships that have netted me thousands in sales in a short amount of time. I have also been a victim of a bad deal that killed one of my affiliate programs. I could run a graph of the varying experiences I’ve had, but the bottom line is this . . .

The reason Joint Venture Marketing is so appealing is because it works. If approached professionally and researched thoroughly, a joint venture deal can effectively launch your new business, obtain more sales in a shorter amount of time and enhance your credibility while significantly reducing your advertising costs. Of all the methods of advertising and marketing online today, it is probably the least risky in terms of ROI (return on investment).

If you are unsure about how to approach a deal, then get some help. There are services online that will broker a deal for you, or match your particular product or service to other complimentary businesses out there. If you are new to this, it is worth it to use these services.

Find a brokering service that will walk you through deals, so that you can learn and eventually find deals on your own. Do a search on “Business Matchmaking”, “Joint Venture Brokers”, or “Joint Venture Marketing Dealmakers”. However, you will want to take the same due diligence before laying down your money.

Some business matchmaking services will charge you a monthly fee that usually runs about the same as a dating site. Other services will only charge you a small percentage of the profits generated. Others will charge you an up-front fee or all of the above.

Find what you need, email them and research any service. Ask for referrals. Inquire on their record. There are good services out there and it pays to use them if you feel you need some help getting started.

I highly advocate Joint Venture Marketing, if treated as a professional marketing technique and not a punch-line. It’s not a country club for the self-exploited internet marketers. It’s a viable and highly profitable alternative to the ever-increasing cost of marketing your business. Handle it with care.

Bonnie manages a joint venture marketing membership site where she assists new product development and marketing through writing articles, press releases and matching potential partners at http://www.trinityonlinemarketingschool.com

Quality Care Options is an established company advocating for the right of all seniors to receive excellent service and product. The organization recommends Certified Senior Approved Services to its elderly clientele.

Through its highly visible web sites and monthly ezines, Quality Care Options (QCO) attracts both the senior and the businesses that serve the senior population.

Barbara Mascio, Founder of QCO, has been inundated with requests from healthcare businesses for recommendations towards resources that would further promote an elder or healthcare related business.

These requests include; ‘Who should I call for the best liability insurance coverage?’ ‘Who do you recommend as a resource for market analysis?’ ‘How do I start an elder care business?’ and even ‘Who can handle our maintenance and lawn care?’

“Every business serving our senior population needs resources towards recruitment, security checks, lead generation and advice on marketing how-to’s and so we’ve provided a very affordable method for businesses offering these products, services and resources to reach our web site visitors”, states Barbara.

Not all advertising will be accepted. You must first submit your banner or text by following the guidelines found on http://www.qualityeldercare.com/advertising

Speakers and professional networking groups are offered special low rates of just $10 per month for an ad with a hyperlink to their web. Businesses to Business advertising can be purchased for as little as $20 a month. “We’re not trying to make a living from advertising revenue, that’s not what this is all about, states Barbara. We simply want to cover the administrative costs and provide our web visitors the resources they need to further grow their business.”

For businesses marketing directly to the senior citizen, please see http://www.qualityeldercare.com/providers to review how to apply for Senior Approved Certification as no advertising is accepted for this segment of our business.

Advertising on the Internet can be a crapshoot. You should do your homework before spending any amount of money. Does the web site have enough unique visitors each day interested in the service you offer? One site to check traffic stats on line is http://www.alexa.com Simply enter the url address of any web site to review certified traffic results. Obviously, you want a site to have higher web traffic than your own, or at the very least, equal to your traffic.

Barbara Mascio is the founder of http://www.qualityeldercare.com and of http://www.seniorsapprove.com

How many times has this happened to you?

A friend recommends a film that just came out: "You’ve GOT to see this movie! It’s SO (funny, scary, suspenseful, etc.)." They start quoting lines, excitedly taking you through the plot. You’re hanging on their every word. Seems like cinema doesn’t get any better than this! So you run out and plunk down $10 to see the movie. And what do you discover? That this is “just another movie”… mildly entertaining, at best. Next time this friend starts crowing about another fantastic film, you’re not so willing to listen. In fact: you’ll never go to another movie on their recommendation again.

What happened? Too much build-up. Someone “over-sold,” and lost credibility because of it. The same is true for advertising. Too much build-up can break the sale. It’s what happens when your ads are “anticlimactic.”

What do I mean by advertising that’s anticlimactic?

Let’s say you came across an ad for a mysterious “something” that can give you the same ecstatic feeling as being in love. The advertiser doesn’t mention what it is… he’s too busy painting a picture of how this thing can change your life. The ad goes something like this:

“Ahh, that blissful, lighter-than-air feeling of being in love! When you feel like this, you’re at your best… like you can do anything. When you’re in love, you’re on top of the world! Now imagine if you could summon this feeling to life at any time you wanted. Just think of what it could do for your career, for your personal relationships, for your quality of living!”

How would you feel if, after reading paragraph after paragraph about this elusive euphoria that can be yours for just a few dollars, you came to learn that the ad is about CHOCOLATE. You’d be a little annoyed, wouldn’t you? You might even feel like someone had played a dirty trick on you. How likely is it that you’d buy that chocolate (even if it happened to be Godiva-quality), knowing you were duped in such a way? Not very! In fact, you’d more likely buy chocolate from the guy who told you outright, with minimal fanfare, that he was selling delicious, gourmet chocolate. Because he was being honest. And you, the consumer, appreciate honesty. Don’t you?

Right now, hard-hitting ad copy is all the rage. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably seen those long sales letters that promise the moon and the stars, if you just BUY NOW. Looks like those internet gurus have become pretty darned successful, right? And you want what they have: persuasive skills that guarantee results for your business. You want it so badly you can taste it. That’s why when they dangle their secrets under your nose, you listen with rapt attention. And you think, well, if they’ve become millionaires with their hard-sell strategies, maybe I should follow suit. But should you? Or will it just come across as a big build-up followed by a letdown? How will you avoid the trap of creating ads that are anticlimactic?

I write ad copy for a living. Lately, my clients have been coming to me in a frenzy looking for “that thing” that the Yanik Silvers of the world have. The first thing I ask them is, what are you selling? Is it something with many long-term benefits? Has your product made a difference for many people? If so, then yes, I believe you can build a case for what you’re selling with persuasive copy. But if it’s something like chocolate, or phone cards, or electronics, that will provide a bit of enjoyment in the here and now… then my advice to you is avoid the high-pressure sales pitch. It’s just going to create build-up that you can’t live up to. And if your product presentation is anticlimactic, your sales will suffer for it.

How are the web marketing gurus able to create such aggressive ads, without being anticlimactic?

Internet experts have something that everybody wants and only some people know how to get: success. The truth is, success doesn’t come in a box or in an e-book or in a four-day seminar. None of these things guarantee that success will ever be yours. But they MIGHT help, and that’s where the promise of success is ever-gleaming. That’s how the experts can keep you trying like hell to attain it - repeatedly forking over your hard-earned cash for their mysterious know-how - all the while thinking that "maybe this one will seal the deal and make it happen for me!" Their ads will never be anticlimactic because they have mastered the art of keeping their customers salivating for more. Can you do this with your product offering?

Is what you sell highly sought-after, and in the category of success? Is it a stepping-stone to something of great magnitude? Or is it merely something that can enhance quality of life in little ways? The truth is, it takes more than ad copy to sell a product. Sometimes… surprise… the product has to sell itself.

Despite what some would have you believe, no blown-out sales pitch is going to guarantee that you’ll become a millionaire. Just like the embellished movie review, an aggressive advertising campaign will attract attention, and it may even make you some money. But only until people realize that your product doesn’t live up to all the hype. At that point, they’ll lose interest. And then you’ll lose customers. What will happen the next time you’re ready to launch a new product? Surprise… no one wants to “watch your movie.”

What would you rather be: a one-hit wonder, or someone who draws a loyal following that’s ever-growing? For those that want the latter, here’s my advice: be realistic. Keep your advertising honest and informative. Present your product or service in a way that highlights its advantages without telling tall tales. Establish trust and credibility with your customers, and they’ll keep coming back. And above all, don’t base your advertising campaign on "what works for other people." Base it on what works for you.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with nine years’ industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys"R"Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.

The strongest and longest lasting brands branch off of an existing category. Branching takes patience and time. There are two speeds for launching a brand, each one with its own pros and cons.

Speed A, like a hot air balloon, takes a long time to prepare before the actual launch. PR, media marketing, favors A. Longevity success favors A. A tree grows stronger with a well-established roots. And this can only occur with good soil, careful fertilizing, watering, and time.

Speed B, like a helicopter, takes off quickly but requires more fuel on take off, fuel that isn’t there later on. Advertising favors B. Speed B for the Internet means viral marketing–spreading by word of mouth. For the Net, this is usually e-mail marketing.

The main reason A is usually a wiser choice is because people are suspicious of new and different. Another reason why it takes any business years to build their success. A typical reaction: "Wait and see if this new concept turns out to be worth while". Letting the brand build slowly using PR techniques can be like watching a tree grow. You can be lulled into falling asleep, however, don’t be. There is a pivoting point where PR needs to turn into massive advertising.

There are two hurdles each speed endures–credibility and conventional. Advertising fails because it usually can’t convey credibility. It can create conventional–people want to buy what other people want. People buy to be normal. People like to visit restaurants that have lots of cars out front. Yet conventional cannot succeed without credibility. Credibility is why the most effective brand launching starts with PR. The only exception to this rule is selling to the early adopter market.

Real success is a combination of short-lived and longevity products and services. Short-lived can provide the additional capital needed to fuel big advertising campaigns or new research. If you look at the toy industry, you can see every Christmas they have short-lived fad items and they still maintain items, like the Slinky, now celebrating over 50 years.

Service businesses need to use a combination as well. Few in these areas understand the concept and usually brush it off as N/A, non-applicable, to them. Mainly due to the need for multiple marketing campaigns and the work needed to plan and implement. This holds a higher truth the smaller the practice usually due to time limitations.

Another gear in the branding wheel is the number of generations of buyers. Each generation have their own way of buying charactertics. The only answer for this, is to know how they are thinking and why they make the choices they do.

How do you move fast enough in a slow building process and still build credibility along the way? You can use the same method many public relations firms use–the leak. You leak the information before its ready for launching. The gestation length of the leaking period depends on the radicalness of the concept. The more revolutionary the concept, the less advertising should play into the campaign.

Advertising is used for brand maintenance not brand building. As I mentioned earlier, advertising lacks credibility, the crucial element for brand building.

The best way for PR use is to announce a new category not a new product. The media wants to talk about what’s new and what’s hot, not what’s better. What they say about you delivers credibility. It’s because someone else is talking about you.

Launching a PR campaign and an Advertising campaign are two totally different plans. This is a frequently misunderstood concept.

For the accompaning article, Seven Simple Steps To A PR Launch, visit the Abundance Center’s article section.

(c) 2004, Catherine Franz

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

Do you want to attract new customers while building greater loyalty among your current customers? Include your customers in your marketing and promotions. By creating greater awareness of your customers (and their businesses) you may help to build their businesses and increase their demand for your products and services. Whether or not using customers in your marketing causes them to buy more from you, your willingness to showcase them will cause them to feel more attachment to you and will encourage them to remain customers for a long time to come. Here are a few ways you can make this work for you.

Ask your customers to share their success stories and get their permission to use them. How have they benefitted from their association with you? Have them share their stories on audio or video or in print and use them in your marketing. In their ads, Sterling Bank in Houston has their small business customers tell how they grew their businesses with the help of their Sterling bankers. It sends a great message about the bank, and increases awareness of the featured businesses.

Tell your customers’ stories in your newsletter. If you publish a print or online newsletter, include profiles of your customers and tell how you worked with them to help them succeed. Or, use the stories in your print ads. A photo of a happy customer accompanied by the story of what you did for them is very persuasive.

Audio and video recordings of customer stories can be incorporated into your television and radio advertising. Hearing customers in their own words is a powerful way to communicate the benefits of doing business with you, and your customers will appreciate the visibility they get when they are featured in your ads. You can also use streaming audio and video files at your web site.

Feature links to your customers’ web sites from yours. It doesn’t cost anything to add a few links, and customers will appreciate the extra visibility. It may also help improve the search engine rankings, not only for your customers’ web sites, but for yours as well.

Make connections between customers. Do you have customers who could benefit from knowing other customers? Perhaps you could make referrals to bring them together. Or, host a networking event where they can get to know each other.

Include customers in your publicity. The media like to have multiple sources for stories, perhaps to back up what you are saying or to provide another point of view. In one case, I was able to get a client included in a story and she was able to get one of her clients into the story, too! Your clients will not only appreciate that you got them publicity, they will be impressed with your media "pull."

Promoting your customers as well as yourself is a great win-win for your business. Look for opportunities to create a greater bond between yourself and your customers by including them in your marketing and promotions.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with inexpensive and free marketing ideas. Get free marketing tips, articles and more at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.