In the pages that follow you’re going to find proven examples of winning email messages
from some of the top Internet marketing pros and eCommerce leaders. You’ll get plenty
of ideas to use and model for your own campaign.
Here are a few of the best ways and times to put emails to work for your business:
1. Acquiring New Customer at incredibly low costs (not spamming)
2. Special customer-only sales.
3. New product announcements.
4. Contact your email list during holidays and events.
5. Email newsletters to stay in touch with customers and prospects.
6. Endorsing other products and services through your affiliate links.
7. Recruiting Affiliates and joint venture partners.
Pay careful attention and study all of these samples thoroughly because each one is a
proven moneymaker!
Million Dollar Emails
© 2001 Surefire Marketing, Inc.
EEmmaaiillMMeessssaaggeessffoorrAAccqquuiirriinnggNNeewwCCuussttoommeerrssaannddOOpptt--iinnSSuubbssccrriibbeerrss::
Stephen Mahaney
Stephen is president of Planet Ocean communications, and he literally “wrote the book”
on search engine optimization strategies. He is the author of “The Unfair Advantage
Book On Winning The Search Engine Wars" and also "Business Course in Permission
Email Marketing". Stephan is a master marketer and someone I’ve learned a lot from.
Web sites:
Search Engine Help
Business Guide to Permission Email
* * *
Background On Email:
This email message directly produced about $800,000 in sales. When taking into
consideration the still ongoing renewals, affiliate sales, and new sales that are still being
built on the foundation of this email sales campaign, it is easy to say this email message,
coupled with the website it refers to, became the cornerstone of what is now a multimillion
dollar business -- Planet Ocean's Search Engine News --
http://www.searchenginehelp.com/breakthrough
The message below was sent out to businesses with websites almost continuously starting
in late January 1996 thru early October 1998. Average mail-out was approx 10,00015,000
email per week. The approximate number of emails sent over this period of time
was approximately 1.5 million which also reflects the approximate total number of
business websites by late 1998.
Results: This email is responsible for $800,000 in sales and starting Stephen’s multimillion dollar business, Planet Ocean. He was very generous to share a complete
explanation of why it worked so well.
To: webmaster@yourbizsite.com
Subject: Your Web Site's Findability
Reply-to: poc-senews@se-news.com
Would you like to improve your website's
"findability" in the Search Engines?
During the past year, my company has placed over 100
webpages into the Top Ten -- the front page -- of the
major search engines... and, for a small fee, I am
willing to show you exactly how we did it.
My name is Stephen Mahaney. I am the president of
Planet Ocean Communications. My web marketing company
has literally "written the book" on how to position your
website on the front page -- the Top Ten -- of each of
the major search engines... guaranteed!
Our 45 page book identifies every trick & technique that
is being used on the Internet to gain an almost "unfair"
advantage in landing websites at the top of the search
engine lists -- right where you need to be so that
potential customers who are seeking your services or
products can find you.
Our monthly Newsletter keeps you abreast of the latest
techniques and frequent changes that take place in the
dynamic world of "search engine" science.
However, understanding the process does not require
a degree in "rocket" science -- nor do you need to be
"technically oriented". Whether your website is
a
"do-it-yourself" project or you are paying someone
to maintain your site, you (or your webmaster) need
to know the tricks in this book in order to compete with
the professionals who are dominating the front pages of
the various search categories.
To learn more about how you can obtain this essential
information and receive a free subscription to our
Newsletter -- Search Engine News,
go to...
.
http://www.searchenginehelp.com/breakthrough
You'll be glad you did.
Sincerely,
Stephen Mahaney - President
Planet Ocean Communications
**************************************************
*
Note: We have contacted you based on information that
we gathered while visiting your website - If you would
prefer not to receive mail from us in the future,
simply reply with the word "remove" and you will be
automatically excluded from future correspondence. Thanks
How to Hypnotize People into Reading Your Sales Materials!
by Joe Vitale
On a sunny, warm day in August, 1996 I kneeled over the grave of P.T. Barnum and had
one of the most remarkable experiences of my life.
I had begun researching the famous showman in order to write my forthcoming new
book, There's a Customer Born Every Minute (to be released in October, 1997). I had
visited the Barnum Museum, the Historical Library in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and met
with Barnum scholars, biographers, and collectors of his writings. I wanted to visit
Barnum's grave and pay my respects. Little did I know that the incredible, magical
experience would change my life forever...
Recently I went online to hunt for old books by some of my favorite authors, this time I
went after anything by Robert Collier, mail order advertising genius and author of such
classic books as The Secret of the Ages and The Robert Collier Letter Book.
I typed in his name at one of my favorite book search engines (which I'm going to keep a
secret as long as I can), and to my amazement several new (to me) titles came up. I
stared wide-eyed, my mouth open, as I saw that someone had two copies
of a magazine Collier edited in the late 1920's called "Mind, Inc." I couldn't believe it. I
immediately grabbed the phone, called, and bought those magazines. A few days later
they arrived.
I opened the brown package, my heart racing with excitement, and nearly drooled as I
slid the little paperback sized magazines onto my desk. They were well worn but intact. I
thumbed through them and marveled at my find. Here were new articles by one of my
heroes, my mentor, a man who changed my life not once but twice with his books. I felt
like a happy child on Christmas morning, getting the gifts he longed for and needed
most.
As I looked over Collier's magazines, something shifted in me. I saw an advertising
technique at work that seemed hypnotic in power. I had one of those "ah-ha!"
experiences great inventors write about. I held one of the issues in my hand and read
the back cover. Collier had an ad there that began -
"How can I tell if I am working aright?" many people ask. There is an easy, simple rule.
With it in front of him, not even a child could go wrong. Just ask yourself one question. If
your answer is "Yes." You are on the wrong track, and you will never make much
progress, until you get off it and on the right track.
If your answer is "No," then you are working in the right direction, and you have only to
keep it up to attain any goal you desire.
That question is the basis of the Lesson in the next issue of "Mind, Inc." If you are
looking for a road map to guide you through the mental realm, send for it!
Did you catch what Collier did?
Let me give you another example. This one comes from Collier's editorial in the opening
pages of the other issue I found:
Dear Reader: Twelve years ago, the three examining physicians at the head office of
the Life Extension Institute made a thorough physical examination of the writer. They
had him hop and jump and do sundry things to stir his heart into action, then they
listened with their stethoscopes and nodded knowingly to each other, finally gathering in
a corner to whisper earnestly together, with many a meaning glance in the writer's
direction.
The upshot of their conference was a solemn warning against all forms of violent
exercise. The heart was dangerously affected, in their opinion. Tennis, horseback,
swimming --all these were taboo. Even running for a street car was likely to result
disastrously. If the writer wanted excitement, he might walk (as long as he did it
sedately) or crawl about the floor on all fours!
That was twelve years ago, remember. A few months back, he had occasion to be
examined for life insurance. The examining physician knew of the Life Extension Institute
findings, so he asked the Head Examiner of his company to check his report. The
Head Examiner came, made the same exhaustive heart tests as the Institute and put
away his instruments with a chuckle. "When you get ready to pass out," he said, "they'll
have to take out that heart and hit it with a rock to make it stop beating. Work, play, do
anything you like in reason. The heart can stand anything you can!"
What made the difference? Perhaps the following lesson may give you an indication."
Collier did it again! Did you catch his method?
Collier told you just enough to intrigue you, to get you hooked, to get you interested -and
then he stopped!
In the first example he cleverly trapped you into wanting to know the question he kept
referring to. But he never told you the question. He snared you and then asked you to
send for the next lesson, where the mystery of the question would be
revealed. How could anyone not send for it? I sat at my desk reading Collier's ad more
than seventy years after he wrote it and I wanted to send in the coupon, too. But Collier
is long dead. I'll never know the question!
In the second example Collier cleverly told you two intriguing stories, asked the question
that every reader would then have on their mind --put then didn't answer it! Again,
Collier generated interest, and then told you to read the magazine to find the answer.
Talk about hypnotic writing!
And that's how you get people to read your sales materials. You pull them into it. You
grab their attention, keep them reading, get them wanting what you have and then -stop
and tell them to send in a check, or call you, to get what they now so badly desire.
Did you notice how I began this article?
Million Dollar Emails
© 2001 Surefire Marketing, Inc.
I used the Robert Collier technique to hypnotize you into reading more. I began saying I
had an experience at Barnum's grave. What was the experience? What happened?
What's my new book about? All of these are questions in your mind as you read the
opening. It's hypnotic. And if you've read this far, you know the method works.
The next time you want to write something and be sure people actually read it,
remember the Robert Collier technique. Start by writing about something that will interest
the people you are addressing. Tell them an interesting story. Get them wondering about
something that they want to know more about. And then STOP. Change direction. Write
about something else that may still be related to the opening, but don't resolve the
opening until the end of the article. And maybe not even there. Maybe you'll want people
to send in a coupon or call you for the answer. For example:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On a sunny, warm day in August, 1996 I kneeled over the grave of P.T. Barnum and had
one of the most remarkable experiences of my life.
I had begun researching the famous showman in order to write my forthcoming new
book, There's a Customer Born Every Minute (to be released in October, 1997). I had
visited the Barnum Museum, the Historical Library in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and met
with Barnum scholars, biographers, and collectors of his writings. I wanted to visit
Barnum's grave and pay my respects. Little did I know that the incredible, magical
experience would change my life forever...
Recently I went online to hunt for old books by some of my favorite authors, this time I
went after anything by Robert Collier, mail order advertising genius and author of such
classic books as The Secret of the Ages and The Robert Collier Letter Book.
I typed in his name at one of my favorite book search engines (which I'm going to keep a
secret as long as I can), and to my amazement several new (to me) titles came up. I
stared wide-eyed, my mouth open, as I saw that someone had two copies
of a magazine Collier edited in the late 1920's called "Mind, Inc." I couldn't believe it. I
immediately grabbed the phone, called, and bought those magazines. A few days later
they arrived.
I opened the brown package, my heart racing with excitement, and nearly drooled as I
slid the little paperback sized magazines onto my desk. They were well worn but intact. I
thumbed through them and marveled at my find. Here were new articles by one of my
heroes, my mentor, a man who changed my life not once but twice with his books. I felt
like a happy child on Christmas morning, getting the gifts he longed for and needed
most.
As I looked over Collier's magazines, something shifted in me. I saw an advertising
technique at work that seemed hypnotic in power. I had one of those "ah-ha!"
experiences great inventors write about. I held one of the issues in my hand and read
the back cover. Collier had an ad there that began -
"How can I tell if I am working aright?" many people ask. There is an easy, simple rule.
With it in front of him, not even a child could go wrong. Just ask yourself one question. If
your answer is "Yes." You are on the wrong track, and you will never make much
progress, until you get off it and on the right track.
If your answer is "No," then you are working in the right direction, and you have only to
keep it up to attain any goal you desire.
That question is the basis of the Lesson in the next issue of "Mind, Inc." If you are
looking for a road map to guide you through the mental realm, send for it!
Did you catch what Collier did?
Let me give you another example. This one comes from Collier's editorial in the opening
pages of the other issue I found:
Dear Reader: Twelve years ago, the three examining physicians at the head office of
the Life Extension Institute made a thorough physical examination of the writer. They
had him hop and jump and do sundry things to stir his heart into action, then they
listened with their stethoscopes and nodded knowingly to each other, finally gathering in
a corner to whisper earnestly together, with many a meaning glance in the writer's
direction.
The upshot of their conference was a solemn warning against all forms of violent
exercise. The heart was dangerously affected, in their opinion. Tennis, horseback,
swimming --all these were taboo. Even running for a street car was likely to result
disastrously. If the writer wanted excitement, he might walk (as long as he did it
sedately) or crawl about the floor on all fours!
That was twelve years ago, remember. A few months back, he had occasion to be
examined for life insurance. The examining physician knew of the Life Extension Institute
findings, so he asked the Head Examiner of his company to check his report. The
Head Examiner came, made the same exhaustive heart tests as the Institute and put
away his instruments with a chuckle. "When you get ready to pass out," he said, "they'll
have to take out that heart and hit it with a rock to make it stop beating. Work, play, do
anything you like in reason. The heart can stand anything you can!"
What made the difference? Perhaps the following lesson may give you an indication."
Collier did it again! Did you catch his method?
Collier told you just enough to intrigue you, to get you hooked, to get you interested -and
then he stopped!
In the first example he cleverly trapped you into wanting to know the question he kept
referring to. But he never told you the question. He snared you and then asked you to
send for the next lesson, where the mystery of the question would be
revealed. How could anyone not send for it? I sat at my desk reading Collier's ad more
than seventy years after he wrote it and I wanted to send in the coupon, too. But Collier
is long dead. I'll never know the question!
In the second example Collier cleverly told you two intriguing stories, asked the question
that every reader would then have on their mind --put then didn't answer it! Again,
Collier generated interest, and then told you to read the magazine to find the answer.
Talk about hypnotic writing!
And that's how you get people to read your sales materials. You pull them into it. You
grab their attention, keep them reading, get them wanting what you have and then -stop
and tell them to send in a check, or call you, to get what they now so badly desire.
Did you notice how I began this article?
Million Dollar Emails
© 2001 Surefire Marketing, Inc.
I used the Robert Collier technique to hypnotize you into reading more. I began saying I
had an experience at Barnum's grave. What was the experience? What happened?
What's my new book about? All of these are questions in your mind as you read the
opening. It's hypnotic. And if you've read this far, you know the method works.
The next time you want to write something and be sure people actually read it,
remember the Robert Collier technique. Start by writing about something that will interest
the people you are addressing. Tell them an interesting story. Get them wondering about
something that they want to know more about. And then STOP. Change direction. Write
about something else that may still be related to the opening, but don't resolve the
opening until the end of the article. And maybe not even there. Maybe you'll want people
to send in a coupon or call you for the answer. For example:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Almost Flunked English But Went On To Make Millions of Dollars Writing Sales Copy
By Joe Sugarman
The Guinness Book of World Records listed Joe Girard as the "World's Greatest Retail
Salesman" for 12 consecutive years. He holds the singular distinction of having sold an
average of six cars a day over his career. Recently, Joe Girard told me:
"Joe, I can sell in person to individuals in a personal way – in fact, I can sell more cars
per day than anyone else. Yet, I can't do what you do --you sell millions of products to
masses of people through the sheer power of print."
Salesmanship in Print
When you look at it from Joe Girard's perspective, it's hard to deny the awesome power
of writing good sales copy -which I call "salesmanship in print" --a power that anyone
can take advantage of. You don't need good looks, a charming personality or even great
intelligence. In fact, you don't even have to pass English.
This is why it baffles me when people desperately rack their brains trying to find ways to
make money --when the greatest opportunity is staring them right in the face. What's
even more mystifying is that those very same people, when presented with ingenious
approaches to writing copy that sells, take the skill for granted and don't use it to make
personal fortunes for themselves.
Flunking English
Not many people know this, but I almost flunked English back in high school. In addition,
I don't know many big words, unlike the rest of my advertising and marketing colleagues
--and my writing style is quite unsophisticated to boot. Yet, by learning to incorporate
into my sales copy all the things about how the human mind reacts to certain words and
phrases that I've learned over the years, I have made millions of dollars for myself.
The most important lesson you must remember is this: If you learn nothing else but the
proper use of psychological principles in writing sales copy, you will always make more
money than you'll ever need.
The Million-Dollar Grapefruit Farmer
If you're one of those people who believes that you're not a good enough writer --and
that you couldn't possibly learn to write ad copy that sells --I want to tell you the story of
a man who attended one of my seminars. This man was a grapefruit farmer who had
never written sales copy prior to attending my copywriting seminar. In fact, he
expressed his doubts that he would get anything at all from the copywriting lessons he
learned. Yet, by the end of the seminar, he was able to write direct mail copy to sell
grapefruit by mail which, over a period of ten years, has earned him millions of dollars.
Success Leaves Clues
For many years I specialized in "space-age" products, and my claim to fame was in
building and selling "the better mousetrap" --from state-of-the art smoke detectors to
chess computers to new-fangled calculators --and more recently --to BluBlocker®
sunglasses. But you don't need a space-age product to make a million dollars. In fact,
that is the downfall of most people who enter the marketing field. They find a product, fall
in love with it, and try to get the market to buy it. With an unproven product, you could
lose a lot of money in the process.
Instead what you should do is find a product that's already selling well --and use
compelling copy to sell it better.
Harmonize with the Marketplace
One of the psychological principles I describe in my book, "Triggers," is simply this: Your
product needs to harmonize with the marketplace.
Here's a tip that you would definitely find useful: When you're looking for a product to
sell, go to the library and flip through the back issues of magazines --particularly the
tabloids. Note those mail order ads that are running week after week, month after
month. There's only one reason why those ads keep running --they're making money.
Those products are already proven to sell well --they've demonstrated that they
harmonize with the marketplace.
Even if there are many companies that are already competing in those product
categories (example: weight loss, hair restoration, and wrinkle products, etc.), don't
worry. If you apply good copywriting guidelines, your marketing efforts will fare better
than those who are making money, despite their poor sales copy.
"Splish Splash I Was Takin' A Bath"
Take a clue from Bobby Darin, a popular singer of the '50s. Darin was a young singer in
New York who, for a long time, tried unsuccessfully to break into the music business.
He would go from record company to record company trying to convince them to
make an album of him singing popular jazz oldies. He was rejected.
So one day, Darin sat down and wrote a song that fitted or "harmonized" with what the
public was buying at the time. What was popular at the time was good old rock and roll
sung by black artists --it was called the Motown sound.
The song he wrote was called "Splish Splash" and the words started out, "Splish splash,
I was takin' a bath/ 'Round about a Saturday night." It had a good old Motown rock and
roll sound --and it became a smash hit, selling millions of copies.
Darin recognized what the market wanted, and he created something that harmonized
perfectly with the prevailing market. From his earnings, he himself produced a record in
the music genre that he really loved --popular jazz oldies. His song, "Mack the Knife"
went on to become a multimillion-selling single and made Bobby Darin famous.
To summarize, you must first have a product that harmonizes with your market. If you
haven't made a substantial amount of money from your marketing efforts yet, sell only
products or services that have a ready market --this is the path of least resistance.
Afterwards, with the money you make, you can blaze new trails with other products of
your own preference.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Joe Sugarman, the best-selling author and top copywriter who has
achieved legendary fame in direct marketing, is best known for
his highly successful mail-order catalog company, JS&A, and his
hit product, BluBlocker Sunglasses. Joe's new breakthrough
book, "Triggers," reveals 30 powerful psychological triggers
that influence people to buy what you're selling.
http://www.roibot.com/r_psy.cgi?R1100_ptarttext2
The Guinness Book of World Records listed Joe Girard as the "World's Greatest Retail
Salesman" for 12 consecutive years. He holds the singular distinction of having sold an
average of six cars a day over his career. Recently, Joe Girard told me:
"Joe, I can sell in person to individuals in a personal way – in fact, I can sell more cars
per day than anyone else. Yet, I can't do what you do --you sell millions of products to
masses of people through the sheer power of print."
Salesmanship in Print
When you look at it from Joe Girard's perspective, it's hard to deny the awesome power
of writing good sales copy -which I call "salesmanship in print" --a power that anyone
can take advantage of. You don't need good looks, a charming personality or even great
intelligence. In fact, you don't even have to pass English.
This is why it baffles me when people desperately rack their brains trying to find ways to
make money --when the greatest opportunity is staring them right in the face. What's
even more mystifying is that those very same people, when presented with ingenious
approaches to writing copy that sells, take the skill for granted and don't use it to make
personal fortunes for themselves.
Flunking English
Not many people know this, but I almost flunked English back in high school. In addition,
I don't know many big words, unlike the rest of my advertising and marketing colleagues
--and my writing style is quite unsophisticated to boot. Yet, by learning to incorporate
into my sales copy all the things about how the human mind reacts to certain words and
phrases that I've learned over the years, I have made millions of dollars for myself.
The most important lesson you must remember is this: If you learn nothing else but the
proper use of psychological principles in writing sales copy, you will always make more
money than you'll ever need.
The Million-Dollar Grapefruit Farmer
If you're one of those people who believes that you're not a good enough writer --and
that you couldn't possibly learn to write ad copy that sells --I want to tell you the story of
a man who attended one of my seminars. This man was a grapefruit farmer who had
never written sales copy prior to attending my copywriting seminar. In fact, he
expressed his doubts that he would get anything at all from the copywriting lessons he
learned. Yet, by the end of the seminar, he was able to write direct mail copy to sell
grapefruit by mail which, over a period of ten years, has earned him millions of dollars.
Success Leaves Clues
For many years I specialized in "space-age" products, and my claim to fame was in
building and selling "the better mousetrap" --from state-of-the art smoke detectors to
chess computers to new-fangled calculators --and more recently --to BluBlocker®
sunglasses. But you don't need a space-age product to make a million dollars. In fact,
that is the downfall of most people who enter the marketing field. They find a product, fall
in love with it, and try to get the market to buy it. With an unproven product, you could
lose a lot of money in the process.
Instead what you should do is find a product that's already selling well --and use
compelling copy to sell it better.
Harmonize with the Marketplace
One of the psychological principles I describe in my book, "Triggers," is simply this: Your
product needs to harmonize with the marketplace.
Here's a tip that you would definitely find useful: When you're looking for a product to
sell, go to the library and flip through the back issues of magazines --particularly the
tabloids. Note those mail order ads that are running week after week, month after
month. There's only one reason why those ads keep running --they're making money.
Those products are already proven to sell well --they've demonstrated that they
harmonize with the marketplace.
Even if there are many companies that are already competing in those product
categories (example: weight loss, hair restoration, and wrinkle products, etc.), don't
worry. If you apply good copywriting guidelines, your marketing efforts will fare better
than those who are making money, despite their poor sales copy.
"Splish Splash I Was Takin' A Bath"
Take a clue from Bobby Darin, a popular singer of the '50s. Darin was a young singer in
New York who, for a long time, tried unsuccessfully to break into the music business.
He would go from record company to record company trying to convince them to
make an album of him singing popular jazz oldies. He was rejected.
So one day, Darin sat down and wrote a song that fitted or "harmonized" with what the
public was buying at the time. What was popular at the time was good old rock and roll
sung by black artists --it was called the Motown sound.
The song he wrote was called "Splish Splash" and the words started out, "Splish splash,
I was takin' a bath/ 'Round about a Saturday night." It had a good old Motown rock and
roll sound --and it became a smash hit, selling millions of copies.
Darin recognized what the market wanted, and he created something that harmonized
perfectly with the prevailing market. From his earnings, he himself produced a record in
the music genre that he really loved --popular jazz oldies. His song, "Mack the Knife"
went on to become a multimillion-selling single and made Bobby Darin famous.
To summarize, you must first have a product that harmonizes with your market. If you
haven't made a substantial amount of money from your marketing efforts yet, sell only
products or services that have a ready market --this is the path of least resistance.
Afterwards, with the money you make, you can blaze new trails with other products of
your own preference.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Joe Sugarman, the best-selling author and top copywriter who has
achieved legendary fame in direct marketing, is best known for
his highly successful mail-order catalog company, JS&A, and his
hit product, BluBlocker Sunglasses. Joe's new breakthrough
book, "Triggers," reveals 30 powerful psychological triggers
that influence people to buy what you're selling.
http://www.roibot.com/r_psy.cgi?R1100_ptarttext2
How A Hidden Psychological 'TRIGGER' Makes Prospects Practically Line Up and Beg To Do Business With You
By Yanik Silver of www.instantsalesletters.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 nose job?
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.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*
How Much Is One Good Sales Letter Worth To Your Business?
Yanik Silver has created the ultimate no-brainer, fill-in-the-blank sales letter
writing resource. In less than 3 minutes you can create a winning letter
guaranteed to sell your product or service...WITHOUT WRITING! Check out:
http://www.instantsalesletters.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 nose job?
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.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*
How Much Is One Good Sales Letter Worth To Your Business?
Yanik Silver has created the ultimate no-brainer, fill-in-the-blank sales letter
writing resource. In less than 3 minutes you can create a winning letter
guaranteed to sell your product or service...WITHOUT WRITING! Check out:
http://www.instantsalesletters.com
Email Copy Tips
When writing your email copy throw everything you learned in English 101 out the
window.
1. Personalize
There’s nothing better for a person to see their name. Use personalization in the subject
line and inside the body of the email (but don’t overdo it so it looks hokey).
2. Write just like you talk
Use plain, easy to understand English. Nobody cares if you can use xenophobia and
ostentatious in a sentence. Write almost like you’re talking to a buddy over a beer. So that
means use contractions. Be friendly and personable in your writing.
3. Put passion into your email
Since you won’t have the luxury of seeing your prospect eye-to-eye to gauge their
reactions you need to put extra passion into your message. Even if you think you are
overdoing it when you write, your letter will end understated when it gets read. Get
enthusiastic!
4. Write to one person
Try to think of the ideal prospect as you are writing and make the message just for them.
Even if your web site will be read by thousands of people each day -- every person will
read it one at a time. Use “you” and “your” liberally. Focus on them, not yourself.
5. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short and simple.
Period.
Sentences (and even paragraphs) can even be one word like that last one. And paragraphs
should be no more than 4 or 5 lines. You want your email to look easy to read with a lot
of white space. Make it inviting. Long blocks of words are scary. Paragraph breaks do not
need to be determined by content.
6. Use plenty of compelling subheads
Subheads should be like mini-headlines. Use them to break up large bodies of text and to
bring people back into the body of the letter.
A lot of people will scan your email so you need to make you subheads give a complete
selling message by themselves. Also, be sure to use different graphic embellishments.
7. Eliminate excess wording
Simplify. Convey your message in a clear and concise manner -- but remember that
doesn’t mean keep it short. You need to ruthlessly edit your email for flow.
8. Use action verbs whenever possible
If you see too many “as”, “is”, “was” or “were” replace them. Sentences using action
verbs are more powerful.
When writing your email you want it clear enough so any 6th grader could understand it.
Now you probably think your prospects are a lot smarter than 6th graders but nobody has
time anymore to sit down and figure out what you’re trying to say --so keep your writing
simple and straightforward.
In fact, to help you even more with this important aspect of email marketing, I’m
reprinting several articles here:
window.
1. Personalize
There’s nothing better for a person to see their name. Use personalization in the subject
line and inside the body of the email (but don’t overdo it so it looks hokey).
2. Write just like you talk
Use plain, easy to understand English. Nobody cares if you can use xenophobia and
ostentatious in a sentence. Write almost like you’re talking to a buddy over a beer. So that
means use contractions. Be friendly and personable in your writing.
3. Put passion into your email
Since you won’t have the luxury of seeing your prospect eye-to-eye to gauge their
reactions you need to put extra passion into your message. Even if you think you are
overdoing it when you write, your letter will end understated when it gets read. Get
enthusiastic!
4. Write to one person
Try to think of the ideal prospect as you are writing and make the message just for them.
Even if your web site will be read by thousands of people each day -- every person will
read it one at a time. Use “you” and “your” liberally. Focus on them, not yourself.
5. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short and simple.
Period.
Sentences (and even paragraphs) can even be one word like that last one. And paragraphs
should be no more than 4 or 5 lines. You want your email to look easy to read with a lot
of white space. Make it inviting. Long blocks of words are scary. Paragraph breaks do not
need to be determined by content.
6. Use plenty of compelling subheads
Subheads should be like mini-headlines. Use them to break up large bodies of text and to
bring people back into the body of the letter.
A lot of people will scan your email so you need to make you subheads give a complete
selling message by themselves. Also, be sure to use different graphic embellishments.
7. Eliminate excess wording
Simplify. Convey your message in a clear and concise manner -- but remember that
doesn’t mean keep it short. You need to ruthlessly edit your email for flow.
8. Use action verbs whenever possible
If you see too many “as”, “is”, “was” or “were” replace them. Sentences using action
verbs are more powerful.
When writing your email you want it clear enough so any 6th grader could understand it.
Now you probably think your prospects are a lot smarter than 6th graders but nobody has
time anymore to sit down and figure out what you’re trying to say --so keep your writing
simple and straightforward.
In fact, to help you even more with this important aspect of email marketing, I’m
reprinting several articles here:
3 Ways To Get Your Email Opened And Read
By Russ Phelps, www.russphelps.com
As you may know by now, the battle these days in the "email game" is to get
your email message opened and read. Here are three ways to "stack the
marketing deck" in your favor. If you follow these three formulas, you'll
enjoy greater response, sales and profits!
I know, because my clients and I are using these tested formulas right now to
do just that!
If you're like most people, you can barely keep up with the email flooding
your mailbox on a daily basis.
The fact is, most people sort through their email by just looking at the
"Subject" heading. Then, they often DELETE the email without reading it!
(Haven't you done this yourself?
)
If the "Subject" heading doesn't grab them by the brain, arouse their
interest and curiosity, then your precious email message will often get
DELETED without being read…
For education purposes, here's the theory behind what I am saying. (By the
way, the purpose of my "Ad Copy Tips" is to not only to tell you what's
working, and what to do, but also to explain "why" it works based on timeless
direct marketing principles, strategy and tactics. That way, you not only
get hot tips you can put to work right away in your business, but you also
get a training session in savvy marketing and advertising.)
Savvy internet marketers know that they must apply timeless direct marketing
principles, strategy and tactics to their internet marketing in order to be
effective. Here's how profitable direct marketing applies to email marketing
on the internet.
1) Think of your email "Subject" line as the teaser copy on the envelope of a
direct mail piece. Envelope teaser copy has one over-riding purpose - to get
the envelope opened! And the purpose of your email "Subject" line is to get
the email opened!
2) Think of the email "Subject" line as the headline on a sales letter. The
purpose of the headline is to make the prospect read the letter. And the
purpose of the "Subject" line of your email is to get the prospect to open
the email and read it!
Keeping that in mind, let's move on. Simply apply the principles of writing
good teaser copy and headlines to the art and science of writing good email
"Subject" lines.
Here's how:
1) Put the offer in the subject line. For example, here's one I just wrote
for an office products company:
1000 Address Labels Only $12.99 -Save $6.00!
Clear as a bell, ain't it?
The key is to boil down your offer to the 60 or so characters you have
available in your Subject line. Do whatever it takes! Test different ways
to word your offer. If it hits them in the head like a bull's eye, they'll
open your email to find out how to take advantage of your offer.
2) Put your web site URL, link, response code or affiliate link code in the
Subject line, with a "call to action." For example:
Check out www.greatwidgets.com/12345
Simple, isn't it? The truth is, if your wordy and windy email message ends
with a call to action that sends them to the same place, why not put it up
front in the Subject line? Chances are, many readers will go there directly
from the Subject line without even opening the email, just to see what's
going on! Mission accomplished!
Then again, some will open the email to find the "reasons why" you want them
to go there! And, if you email sales message does the job well, THEN they
will go where you want them to go!
3) Apply the "Yellow Post-It Note/Tearsheet Mailing" technique. Did you
ever get one of these in your snail mail box? It's a direct mail piece that
looks like a newspaper or magazine article, with a yellow post-it note that
says something like:
"Bubba -get this! It's great! J"
Well, these direct mail pieces are VERY profitable! I know -I've
written dozens of them, and my clients have mailed millions of them, thus
raking in much cash! (In fact, I was featured in the book "Million Dollar
Ads, Sales Letters And Marketing Pieces" on this very topic!) Now, here's
how to apply this to email Subject lines:
For personalized email to your house list:
David -Read this now -It's Great! From Russ
OR
Angie -go to www.greatwidgets.com/update -new stuff!
For opt-in email, non-personalized or "cold" email that is NOT spam:
Go to www.hotstuff.com/offer3 -It's Great! (From J)
Well, dear reader, does this get your creative juices flowing? If so, GREAT!
Now think: How would you write an email subject line for your business, in
each of these three styles?
Now some homework: Write at least one email Subject line in each of the
three styles outlined above. Then test it against what you are doing now
-
or use it to start a new project.
Test and compare many different approaches. Roll out with the winners.
And then keep testing new Subject lines and go for a breakthrough!
It's do-able! I know! My clients and I are doing it right now!
Now go thou and do likewise.
And let me know what happens, OK?
As you may know by now, the battle these days in the "email game" is to get
your email message opened and read. Here are three ways to "stack the
marketing deck" in your favor. If you follow these three formulas, you'll
enjoy greater response, sales and profits!
I know, because my clients and I are using these tested formulas right now to
do just that!
If you're like most people, you can barely keep up with the email flooding
your mailbox on a daily basis.
The fact is, most people sort through their email by just looking at the
"Subject" heading. Then, they often DELETE the email without reading it!
(Haven't you done this yourself?
)
If the "Subject" heading doesn't grab them by the brain, arouse their
interest and curiosity, then your precious email message will often get
DELETED without being read…
For education purposes, here's the theory behind what I am saying. (By the
way, the purpose of my "Ad Copy Tips" is to not only to tell you what's
working, and what to do, but also to explain "why" it works based on timeless
direct marketing principles, strategy and tactics. That way, you not only
get hot tips you can put to work right away in your business, but you also
get a training session in savvy marketing and advertising.)
Savvy internet marketers know that they must apply timeless direct marketing
principles, strategy and tactics to their internet marketing in order to be
effective. Here's how profitable direct marketing applies to email marketing
on the internet.
1) Think of your email "Subject" line as the teaser copy on the envelope of a
direct mail piece. Envelope teaser copy has one over-riding purpose - to get
the envelope opened! And the purpose of your email "Subject" line is to get
the email opened!
2) Think of the email "Subject" line as the headline on a sales letter. The
purpose of the headline is to make the prospect read the letter. And the
purpose of the "Subject" line of your email is to get the prospect to open
the email and read it!
Keeping that in mind, let's move on. Simply apply the principles of writing
good teaser copy and headlines to the art and science of writing good email
"Subject" lines.
Here's how:
1) Put the offer in the subject line. For example, here's one I just wrote
for an office products company:
1000 Address Labels Only $12.99 -Save $6.00!
Clear as a bell, ain't it?
The key is to boil down your offer to the 60 or so characters you have
available in your Subject line. Do whatever it takes! Test different ways
to word your offer. If it hits them in the head like a bull's eye, they'll
open your email to find out how to take advantage of your offer.
2) Put your web site URL, link, response code or affiliate link code in the
Subject line, with a "call to action." For example:
Check out www.greatwidgets.com/12345
Simple, isn't it? The truth is, if your wordy and windy email message ends
with a call to action that sends them to the same place, why not put it up
front in the Subject line? Chances are, many readers will go there directly
from the Subject line without even opening the email, just to see what's
going on! Mission accomplished!
Then again, some will open the email to find the "reasons why" you want them
to go there! And, if you email sales message does the job well, THEN they
will go where you want them to go!
3) Apply the "Yellow Post-It Note/Tearsheet Mailing" technique. Did you
ever get one of these in your snail mail box? It's a direct mail piece that
looks like a newspaper or magazine article, with a yellow post-it note that
says something like:
"Bubba -get this! It's great! J"
Well, these direct mail pieces are VERY profitable! I know -I've
written dozens of them, and my clients have mailed millions of them, thus
raking in much cash! (In fact, I was featured in the book "Million Dollar
Ads, Sales Letters And Marketing Pieces" on this very topic!) Now, here's
how to apply this to email Subject lines:
For personalized email to your house list:
David -Read this now -It's Great! From Russ
OR
Angie -go to www.greatwidgets.com/update -new stuff!
For opt-in email, non-personalized or "cold" email that is NOT spam:
Go to www.hotstuff.com/offer3 -It's Great! (From J)
Well, dear reader, does this get your creative juices flowing? If so, GREAT!
Now think: How would you write an email subject line for your business, in
each of these three styles?
Now some homework: Write at least one email Subject line in each of the
three styles outlined above. Then test it against what you are doing now
-
or use it to start a new project.
Test and compare many different approaches. Roll out with the winners.
And then keep testing new Subject lines and go for a breakthrough!
It's do-able! I know! My clients and I are doing it right now!
Now go thou and do likewise.
And let me know what happens, OK?
Useful Information for Ebay Users
Ebay is the largest and most exciting auction service on the internet. With more than 3 million auctions running, and many millions of users, if you want it you probably can find it there. If you want to sell it, you surely can find buyers. Warning: It can quickly become addicting!
Below you will find official links from Ebay, links that are not part of Ebay, but offer help to Ebay users, and general informational links that will assist you both on and off of Ebay.
Ebay E-mail Addresses:
Just Click on the address to send E-mail.
| For General Support & Technical Questions | support@ebay.com |
| For Account and Billing Information | billing@ebay.com |
| Misuse by a user or violating Ebay Rules | safeharbor@ebay.com |
| Something that needs Immediate Attention? | timesensitive@ebay.com |
| Suggest a New Category | brian@ebay.com |
| Comprehensive list of Ebay e-mail addresses | eBay Addy-Busters! |
Useful Links on Ebay:
See Tables below for General, Sellers, and Buyers.
General:
| To Get Help from Experienced Users | User to User Q & A Board |
| Ebay Announcements Important to Users | Announcements Board |
| Ebay Site Map: The Roadmap to the Ebay Site | Site Map |
| Ebay Help Overview (Index of help topics) | Ebay Help Overview |
| Safeharbor: Misuse of Ebay by a User | Safeharbor |
| What you agree to when you use Ebay | User Agreement |
| Create a My Ebay Page (Allows you to track your auctions) | My Ebay |
| Create Ebay About Me Page (Tell a little about yourself) | About Me |
| Changing your userid | Change User ID |
| Changing your Password | Change Password |
| Changing E-mail address | Change E-mail Address |
| Changing Registration Info (Address, phone number, etc.) | Changing your registration information |
| To get information on a user, including Contact Information | User Information |
| To Register to use the Ebay service | Register! |
| Information on Ebay as a Company | Investor Relations |
| Explanation of different auction types | Auction Types |
| Explanation of Dutch Auctions | Dutch Auctions |
| Explanation of the Feedback System. How you rate on Ebay | Feedback Forum |
| Billpoint Credit Card Service for Users (test at present) | Billpoint |
| Insurance Ebay Provides for Transactions | Insurance |
| I-Escrow Services for secure Transactions | I-escrow |
| Dispute Resolution when transactions go wrong. (Over $100) | Dispute Resolution Overview |
| Official Ebay Time Clock | Ebay Time |
| Where Is An item? (Gives category position, gallery, etc) | Where Is An Item? |
Links for Sellers:
| Sell your Item | Sell Your Item |
| Revise your item up for auction (Can't have bids) | Revise Item |
| Add to the Items Description | Add to the Items Description |
| Canceling Bids Placed in Your Auction | Canceling Bids |
| Ending Auction Early (Must do step above first if has bids) | Ending Auction Early |
| Mr. Lister (ebay's bulk listing tool, loads multiple auctions) | Mr. Lister |
| What can you sell, and how? | Listing Policies |
| Things you can't sell: Prohibited or Infringing Items | Prohibited, Questionable & Infringing Items |
| Seller's Tips | Seller's tips |
| Category Overview: List of all Categories on Ebay. | Category Overview with category numbers |
| Check your Account Status | Account Status |
| Ebay Non-Paying Bidder Policy | Non-Paying Bidder Policy |
| Non Paying Bidder Alert (starts the process for credit) | Non Paying Bidder Alert Form |
| Final Value Fee Credit Request (second step, 10 days after) | Final Value Fee Credit Request Form |
| Ebay Images Tutorial | Ebay Images Tutorial |
| Common HTML Tags for Ebay Use | Common HTML Tags |
| Ebay Images/HTML Board: Help with Images & HTML | Ebay Images/HTML Board |
| Listing and Final Value Fees for Ebay | Fees |
| Place or Update your Credit Card for your Ebay Account | Credit Card |
| Someone copying your photos or auction text? | Copyrights, Trademarks & Your Listing |
Links for Bidders:
| Search For Items to Bid On | Find Items |
| Retracting your bid (to be used only for legitimate reasons) | Retract Bids |
| How bid Increments are computed | Bid Increments |
| Tips for Bidders | Bidder's Tips |
| Explanation of Different Auction Types (Reserve, Dutch, etc.) | Auction Types |
| Explanation of Proxy Bidding. Ebay bids for you to your max | Proxy Bidding |
Ebay Boards:
These are chat and help boards on Ebay that can help you with many subjects. From identifying items, getting help with buying or selling, or just a place to chat or talk on many various subjects.
Non-Ebay Links:
These sites are generally not a part of Ebay, but provide helpful information pertaining to Ebay or useful to Ebay users
General Links:
Both Buyers and Sellers
| Nehi's Mystery Mail (payment without name, address, etc.) | Mystery Mail |
| Happy99.exe e-mail virus/worm fix | Happy99 worm fix! |
| PrettyPark.exe e-mail virus/worm Information | Prettypark.exe info |
| WhoWhere (Locate an e-mail address, phone, address) | WhoWhere |
| Bigfoot (peoplesearch and more, addresses, e-mail, etc.) | Bigfoot |
| Online Auction Users Association (Group for auction users) | OAUA |
| Online Traders Web Alliance (Group for auction users) | OTWA |
| AuctionWatch: Discussions, Boards, Tools, Hosting & More | AuctionWatch |
| U.S. Patent Dating chart. (Design Patents also.) | Patent Chart |
| English Registry Marks (Dating Charts) | English Registry Marks |
| BidPay (Send money order using Credit Card) | Bidpay |
| PayPal (Send money to anyone with an E-mail address) | PayPal |
International Trading:
| International Traders Board FAQ (ebay users on Int. Board) | International Trading FAQ and Links |
| Have an international bidder/seller? Need language help? | Babel Fish: Alta Vista Translations |
| International Codes for E-mail and the Web | International Codes |
| International Currency Exchange (Calculator and tables) | http://www.x-rates.com/ |
| Dave's Information on Trading With Canadians | Canadians |
| International Postal Rate Calculator (USPS) | International Rate Calculator |
| Helping Foreign Buyers Send Payment | Tessa's Foreign Payment Help |
| Kenzy's International Shipping Guide | Kenzy's International Shipping Guide |
Seller's Links:
| Some Helpful tips if you have buyers who won't pay | Tessa's Non-Paying Bidders |
| Item damaged or lost in shipping? What to do. | Tessa's Lost or Damaged |
| 411 For Ebay Users (Tutorials and Links) | 411 for Ebay |
| Zelda's HTML Help & HTML Practice Board | Zelda's |
| Step by step Tutorial for AOL Users to add Images | http://www.twaze.com/aolpix/ |
| United States Postal Service: Rate calculators and more. | USPS Web Site |
| United Parcel Service (UPS) | UPS Web Site |
Bidder's Links:
| Some Helpful tips if you have been Ripped Off on Ebay | Tessa's Tips If you've been ripped off! |
| AuctionRover. Multiple Auction Site Searches | AuctionRover |
Books On Selling on the Internet, and Internet Auctions:
| Ebay for Dummies® (IDG Books) | Ebay for Dummies |
| Internet Auctions for Dummies® (IDG Gooks) | Internet Auctions for Dummies |
| The Official Ebay Guide | The Official Ebay Guide |
| Collector's Guide to Buying, Trading, Selling on the Internet | Collector's Guide |
| Selling Books on the Internet Tessa Hebert (Includes Ebay) | Selling Books on the Internet |
Image Hosts:
Places on the net to store pictures for Ebay, some free, some you have to pay for. While free sites may work fine, some of the pay sites may offer better reliability or additional services.
| andale.com (free, other auction tools as well)(formerly honesty.com) | http://www.andale.com/ |
| Auction Patrol | http://www.auctionpatrol.com/FREEHOST/ |
| AuctionWatch | http://www.auctionwatch.com/ |
| Pics-Plus Image Hosting (Auction Editing Software included) | http://www.pics-plus.com/ |
| MyItem.com | http://www.myitem.com/ |
| Picture@ (Free trial for 10 days) | http://www.pictureat.com/ |
| UK image host | http://www.auctionpix.co.uk/ |
| Free Image Hosting Reviews | http://www.ftpplanet.com |
FTP Programs:
To put images on the internet, you may need an FTP (File transfer protocol) program to actually list the items on the internet. Below are some programs that are fairly easy to use. Most are shareware, if you try them ,and like them, a nominal fee will need to be paid to the program author.
| WS_FTP (This is the program I use) | http://www.ipswitch.com/ |
| Cute FTP | http://www.globalscape.com/ |
| Coffeecup FTP (Free) | http://www.coffeecup.com/ |
Auction Counters:
To install free counters on your auctions, so that you know how many folks view your auctions:
| honesty.com auction counters | http://www.honesty.com/ |
| Ruby Lane counters | http://count.rubylane.com/ |
| Auctioncounters.com | http://www.auctioncounters.com/ |
| Beseen | http://beseen.com/hitcounter/index.html |
| bay-town | http://www.bay-town.com/free/ |
Auction Management Software& Services:
Makes managing or listing your auctions much easier for sellers.
| Mr. Lister (Ebay's bulk listing, composing tool) | http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/mr.html |
| Auction Assistant, Auction Assistant Pro, Auction Ticker | http://www.blackthornesw.com/ |
| Auction Poster98 | http://www.auctionposter.com/ |
| eAssist | http://www.ricksplanet.com/efeature.html |
| Pre Lister3 (Auction software for Macintosh users) | http://www.blackmagik.com/gavelware.html |
| AuctionDesk | http://www.auctiondesk.net/index.shtml |
| Pics-Plus (Auction editor, image upload, and hosting) | http://www.pics-plus.com/ |
| AdGen (Auction Ad template, does the html for you-Free) | Adgen |
| Auction Patrol Tool Suite (Ad generator, and more) | Auction Patrol Tools, Sonny |
| AuctionPro2000 (Ad Generator. Free) | Auctionpro2000 |
| Auction Wizard (Ad Creator, auction management) | Auction Wizard |
| Easy Auction (Auction Management including reporting) | Easy Auction |
| The eBay Assistant (Auction management software) | The eBay Assistant |
| ManageAuctions.com (web based auction management) | ManageAuctions.com |
| VirtualAuctionAdPro (Ad Creator and auction management) | Virtual Auction Ad Pro |
| AuctionSidekick | AuctionSidekick |
Bidder's Auction Software:
Will help you keep track of your bidding, and some even bids for you
| Cricket Jr. (bidding Software) | Cricket Jr. |
| Honesty Multi-Bid (bid tracking software, auto bidding) | Honesty Multi Bid |
| Auction Browser (web browser with built-in auction tools ) | Auction Browser |
| Auction Ticker (Keeps track of auctions for seller or bidder) | Auction Ticker |
Still having problems?
Visit the User to User Question & Answer board on Ebay. Nice, friendly, and very knowledgeable users available there at all hours to help. The folks there are volunteers, and do this for fun, and out of the spirit of community that has kept Ebay the #1 auction service. There is a very wide range of experience with shipping, HTML, selling, buying and identification of items. Few other places you can go and get such comprehensive advice. To visit, click on the link below:
That's it - your eBay success awaits you. Good luck and we hope you benefit nicely.
Tips-n-Tricks!
Certain auction items are geared to the housewife, others to the work force and many times, like a high ticket item, may require the decision of more than one person to make a bid.
TIP -If your market is for the housewife, start your auctions in the morning. What time in the morning? Since eBay is located in the Pacific Time Zone and you reside in the Eastern Time Zone you will want to start your auction early in the morning. To hit the Pacific Time Zone at 10 A.M., start your auction at 7 A.M .in the Eastern Time Zone. This will reach the other time zones at 8 A.M. and 9 AM. Keep in mind, all auctions end at the same time they start.
TIP - Use the evening hours to list items for the working families and the major ticket items for those folks who need to make a joint purchase decision of the larger amounts.
This is all subjective and if you have done your homework you should have the times charted for that category for the highest traffic times the bidders are active. Advantage: seller.
TIP - Which days are the best? The best I can say about my auction success in the categories I use is that I have narrowed it down to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for when I want my auctions to start and end.
So, if I list on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings, then I will run a seven day auction. If I want to list on a Sunday evening, I will list the item for a 3 day auction to end on Wednesday evening. Again, chart the categories and you will soon see a pattern develop that works the best for you.
Before you know it, you will be on your way to becoming a marketing pro in the Auction Houses.
TIP - The best months are January to the middle of June, then from the middle of September to the middle of December. The in-between months are the traditional vacation months. Don't get me wrong, it just slows down in that time frame. I also find the week after Christmas to be a very good exposure period with all the new computers being hooked up on Christmas day. Everyone wants to rush out and see what all the excitement is about on eBay.
TIP - Use the reserve price to set the minimum amount that you will take for your item if you are starting with a minimum bid far lower than what you will accept if your item sales. So, set the starting bid at or near the amount you want. Ex.: if you want $50 dollars for your item and start the bid for a penny and it only gets one bid for that penny, you are committed to sale that item to the bidder. If you start making excuses like the dog ate it and refuse to let the item go at that bid, you could lose your eBay privileges.
As you research the auction items you will see where sellers will start a bid at one Penny just to get you to look at the item and then you will see the (reserve not yet met). Well, that person may have set a $1,500.00 reserve and the bidders will start getting impatient when they are bidding on what they feel is reasonable for that item and just quit and go look for another like item to bid on.
eBay recommends you keep the starting bid around 25% to 70% of the reserve price you have set. I tend to agree with them.
TIP - If you type this after the title of your auction item, NR or N/R, you will get more bids per visitor. The NR and N/R indicates to the buyer there is no reserve price to be met. This will create bidding frenzies to get started in some instances.
TIP - The hottest bidding times are when a listing is new and the last hour. So don't get discouraged if there is not much bidding activity during the days in between. The bidders are not asleep, they are like you, just monitoring their favorites. I have had items jump by $400.00 in the last 10 minutes of the auction.
The best way to view this activity is to go to the "going, going, gone" in the categories you are most interested in and take note of the price of the last bid. Then visit that page to see what the actual prices of those items went for. This is the area that items have five or less hours to go before the auction closes.
TIP - Try bidding on an item to see and get the feel for it. As soon as you make a qualified bid, eBay will send you an immediate email that your bid was accepted and that you are the high bidder. When you are outbid at a future time, eBay will also send you an email to let you know that you have been outbid by another.
TIP - At the top of each page on the left hand side is a link called my eBay. This is a very important link to an eBay seller. It will give you a full accounting and stats of your eBay account.
Once you have logged in, be sure to bookmark this page for your records. This page will list all your activity, what you are selling, buying, feedback from others, your buyers email address and account balances which will include your listing fees and commissions paid.
TIP- Offer free shipping if the bid reaches a certain amount.
TIP - For credibility offer a money back guarantee.
TIP - Review your listing before it is submitted. Once a bid is made you cannot revise it. Also make sure your starting bid is what you want. If you push that "submit my listing button " you can not change the price. I once placed an item up for auction for $300.00 instead of the $3,000.00 I meant it to be. Thank goodness no one bid on that item! I sweat that one out the entire week. So please, review your listings before pushing that submit button.
You do have the opportunity to revise your listing so long as there haven't been any bids placed except for the price of the offering.
TIP - Always leave a positive feedback for your buyers and ask them to leave positive feedback for you when the transaction is complete. This establishes your credibility as your business grows. This is also the number you see behind the:
Seller (Rating) Their user id (23)
The (23) means they have that many unique transactions but the seller may have a true rating of (48). eBay has a practice of only crediting the seller with unique transactions and will not increment the number for repeat buyers that have left feedback in the past. That is their policy. So you may want to check the feedback of the sellers to see how that works.
TIP - You can re-list auctions that have sold! Go to the URL for the ended auction and click on "re-list". Ebay allows you to re-list the item even though it sold, saving you time and effort so that you don't have to copy and paste the title and item description into the form again. This is particularly useful for High Volume Sellers.
TIP - Use Ebay as a vehicle for advertising your products and websites! You can list your url on your auction page, however, do read the rules. There are rules like you your url on your auction page, however, do read the rules. There are rules like you cannot lead to a page that sells what you are selling at eBay, however you can lead
to other things you are doing.
TIP - Use Ebay's bulk uploading tool if you run more than 10 auctions at a time. With "Mister Lister", you can upload hundreds of auctions at once, saving you much time and effort. Click on the Ebay help files to see how it works and to download the software.
TIP - Dutch Featured Auctions are your key to success! The way to maximize your profits on Ebay is to determine your hottest selling items through market analysis and then list then as Dutch Featured auctions. Using this secret technique, you can make as much as $100,000 per month on Ebay, or more! Note, You cannot set a reserve price on a Dutch Auction. You also need 50 feedback, or a ID verification and at least 60 days as an eBay user.
TIP - Information is your greatest asset. Read up on online marketing and read EVERY Ebay FAQ and help file. Know everything about your venue of sale. Your success on Ebay, or with online marketing in general, is directly proportional to your level of knowledge and experience.
TIP - Don't be afraid to try new things on Ebay! List new products, try out new categories, and use the proven methods of Trial & Error to find out what works and what doesn't. DO NOT fall into a rut and remain content with a solid income of $1000 - $5000 per week. The profit potential on Ebay is tremendous - make it work for you.
TIP - Offer quick shipping! Your customers want their merchandise quickly and efficiently. Charge reasonable shipping rates and send their items priority mail when possible. Make each customer feel that his order is important to you - because IT IS. This will be your key to positive feedback and satisfied customers. Happy buyers come back for seconds.
TIP - Set up an E-Commerce account. You need to be able to take credit cards and online checks to be a successful Ebay seller. Many customers will only pay by credit card and will choose another vendor if you don't offer them that opportunity.
TIP - Don't put a ridiculous shipping price on your merchandise. Many purchasers look to the price of shipping before bidding. Do put a price in for shipping so your bidder can have a guideline. Do check with your Post Office for book rates and other special rates that you can use for packaging.
TIP - Package your merchandise well. Your purchaser will remember what great care you have taken to get them their product safely to them.
Customer Service
Always answer a customer's email.Whether the customer is praising your product or complaining, whether he is offering his input or asking a question, he or she deserves an answer.Particularly on Ebay, where feedback really counts!If you fail to answer emails, you may receive such comments as "unresponsive seller" or "ignored my repeated inquiries" in your feedback file.You will also earn yourself a poor reputation and lose respect in the online trading community. style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Finally, I strongly recommend creating a folder in your email program entitled "pre-written messages" in which you have template messages already created to answer common questions such as: 1) When has my item been shipped? 2) When did you receive payment? 3) How long does shipping take? Etc, etc.Customize your pre-written messages to fit your particular product, as you will notice very similar questions and comments from customers as time passes.It is MUCH EASIER to send out a pre-written form email than write a specific answer to each inquiry.However, make sure that it doesn't sound like you are using a form email and make sure to add a personal touch when possible. When considering email customer service, you must balance time, efficiency, and courteousness to maximize your working potential. |
The End of Your Auction
HOW ARE MY AUCTIONS DOING?
eBay has included a user lookup in their search section. Simply click on "SEARCH", go down to the area that says Seller e-mail and enter your e-mail address, as well as the options that they list, such as current auctions only, how you want the results sorted, etc. Hit "STATUS" and you will receive a complete listing of all of the items that you have up for auction. These include the item numbers, the starting date of the auction, the ending date of the auction, the current price of the item, the item title, and who the high bidder is.
THE AUCTION'S OVER, NOW WHAT?
Well, you’ve sold your first items on eBay, and you are excited!! Now, you see that this stuff can really make you some money. The first thing you do is send an e-mail out to the winning bidder, letting them know where to send the money and any other special instruction that they may need.
Let them know that you will notify them when you receive their payment, and also that you will let them know when the item has been sent. This will accomplish two things, first it will help your money arrive more quickly, and second it will make the buyer feel more at ease. Everyone is a little cautious when dealing with someone new for the first time, so good communications are a must. If you are delayed in getting an item out for any reason, let the buyer know via e-mail.
Once you receive the buyer's payment, it is only fair to leave them some positive feedback on the system. After all, a lot of people use this factor to decide if they want to do business with someone. If they have been good to deal with, please let other people know, and perhaps they will do the same for you in return!
It does not hurt to mention where they can leave feedback for your auction and
your service to them. You might leave a note in their package that you sent, or
you might send a follow up email to them telling them when you shipped their
product with a reminder that you would appreciate feedback.
WHAT IF THE HIGH BIDDER BACKS OUT?
There is not a lot you can do if a bidder backs out on you. What you can do first is contact eBay and let them know that the item did not sell for the high bid. Remember that eBay™ takes a percentage of the highest bid, so let them know that the highest bid backed out on you.
If the high bidder refuses to respond to e-mail inquiring about their reasons for backing out on the bid or is rude, then, by all means, leave negative feedback about the user on eBay™. Most problems can be settled via e-mail, so be sure before you affect the online reputation of a buyer through negative feedback. The buyer's hard drive could have crashed or have been shorted out by lightening. Family emergencies can also cause users to be away from their computers. Also remember, that if you need to re-list your item on eBay, you can probably do it for free! Just look at the link that eBay points to in the e-mail it sends you after the auction is over if for any reason you need to re-list the item.
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