Posts by Bob Bly
The Worst Positioning Statement in the World: “We’re Better”
Here’s a trick question: What’s better – chopped liver or filet mignon? Most people answer “filet mignon.” But filet mignon isn’t better than chopped liver. Nor is chopped liver better than filet mignon. If you picked “filet mignon,” what you SHOULD have said is “I LIKE filet mignon better” … not “filet mignon IS better.”…
Read MoreConfessions of a Mail-Order Rip-Off Artist
I have a confession to make. Although, as a businessman, I’m a direct marketer … …as a consumer, I make it a regular habit to rip off direct-marketing companies. And if you follow the advice I’m about to give you, you – as a consumer – can get some of the greatest deals on Earth…
Read MoreThe Proof Is in the Promotion – or Should Be
Nowhere do some marketers think less like consumers than when it comes to proving the claims they make in their promotions. And to the reader, an outrageous claim that is not backed by one single iota of proof sticks out like a sore thumb. For instance, I was writing a sales letter to sell subscriptions…
Read MoreIn Marketing, Flattery Will Get You Everywhere
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” the saying goes. But actually, flattery can get you almost anywhere – especially in marketing. The reason: People want to feel good about themselves … and if you give your prospects a legitimate way to do that, you get their attention and make them receptive to your sales pitch. Of…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Secret to Achieving Outrageous Success in Any Business
Most people, when they go into a business, think that if they are good at what they do, they will be successful. For instance, a photographer believes that all he has to do is take good pictures… and he will have more business than he can handle. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t work out that way…
Read MoreAvoiding Sticker Shock
When you reveal your price to your customer and she’s flabbergasted because it’s so high – that’s “sticker shock.” And it greatly reduces your chances of closing the sale. If your customer immediately protests “I could never afford this,” it means that you have not convinced her that the price of your product is a…
Read MoreHow To Determine Whether Your Business Idea Will Fly
At least once a week, someone comes to me with a business idea – typically, one for a new product or service – and asks, “Will this work?” Perhaps you too have an idea for a new product or service … but would like to know whether it has a realistic chance of success before…
Read MoreThe 4 Levels of Features and Benefits
You’ve heard it before: When advertising your product, stress benefits instead of features. But it’s a little more complicated than that. To be accurate, what you can say about your product doesn’t just fall into one of those two categories – features or benefits. Experienced marketers know that there are actually four levels here: features,…
Read MoreWhat Donald Trump Can Teach You About Direct Marketing
I never thought of Donald Trump as a direct marketer. In fact, from what little I had seen, he seemed largely ignorant of the principles of DM. For instance, on the first season of “The Apprentice,” the two teams had to come up with an ad campaign for a company that made corporate jets. The…
Read MoreWhat the World’s Most Successful Marketers Do
I recently listened to a talk given by Joseph Sugarman, founder of JS&A and widely recognized as one of the greatest mail-order marketers of all time. JS&A is the company that sells those Blue Blocker sunglasses you see advertised on TV and in magazines. And, by the way, the glasses really do protect your eyes…
Read MoreCreate a Powerful, Memorable “Unique Selling Proposition”
‘Rosser Reeves introduced and defined the USP and its three components in his 1970 book “Reality in Advertising” . . . and the book is long out of print. I remember reading the three-point definition of a USP in Reeves’ book years ago, but when I went back to check it, the book was somehow…
Read MoreThe Four-Letter Word That Gets EVERYBODY’S Attention
“I saw the word ‘free’ used effectively in an ad recently,” ETR’s editor Charlie Byrne told me. “Jimmy Buffett is coming to town, and there are MANY tickets for his concert being offered on eBay. If you look at the listings, you’ll see ‘Buffett Tickets for Sale!’ . . . ‘Jimmy Buffett — Good Seats’…
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