Posts by Clayton Makepeace
The Astonishing Power of Fear
Have you ever been tempted to squeeze someone’s irresistibly cute bottom? Tell a judge where he can stick that speeding ticket? Claim a tax deduction you don’t really deserve? Drink and drive?
So why didn’t you?
Read MoreConnecting With Your Prospects’ Dominant Emotions
When you set out to create a sales message that connects with your prospects’ dominant emotions, you have no choice. You have to begin with the prospect. You begin by considering his most intense feelings about … Himself relative to the subject at hand … The benefits your product and premiums promise … The medium…
Read MoreTime to Turn Lemons Into Lemonade!
So let me tell you a true story… The year was 1976, and life was NOT good in America. And it wasn’t just because disco was king and we suddenly found ourselves sporting silly-looking leisure suits. America’s name was being dragged through the dirt worldwide. In the preceding 24 months, Richard Nixon had resigned in…
Read MoreWhy Dominant-Emotion Copy Wins
Albert Lasker and John E. Kennedy revolutionized copywriting by introducing the concept of “reason-why” advertising. Their breakthrough was all about reasoning with a prospect just as a good live salesman would — presenting all the logical reasons why a product should be purchased. Just do that and your ads will do well. But will reason-why…
Read MoreHow to Grow (Very) Rich in Tough Economic Times
Let’s say you own a business and you’re trying to decide what kinds of products you should be developing.
Read MoreAdvertising, Schmadvertising!
Sometimes I wish I had gone into advertising instead of direct response marketing.
I can see myself nestled in a posh Madison Avenue corner office, hauling down six figures a year, creating beer-swilling frogs, taco-eating Chihuahuas, and other madcap characters…
Read MoreMind Games
The simple, objective fact is, there is absolutely, positively no reason why you shouldn’t have it all.
Billionaires are not a billion times more deserving than you are. Nor are millionaires a million times smarter than you.
Read MoreThe Moral of My Story
For the first several years of our lives, pretty much everyone lies to us. We’re taught to believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and, of course, the monster under your bed who’ll nibble your feet if you get up after you’ve been tucked in for the night.
Read MoreHow to Write Ads That Read Themselves
We humans don’t mind working. We’ll work to make good money. We’ll enthusiastically work to attract a lover. We’ll work conscientiously at raising good kids. We’ll work joyfully at a hobby. We’ll even work (as I did) for a sense of satisfaction and to make a memory.
… But ninety-nine-point-ninety-nine times out of a hundred, we will not work to read an unsolicited ad.
Read MoreHow to Double Any Company’s Revenues in 12 Months
Pretentious headline, right? A little “hypey,” no? Actually, no. Not at all. See, all you have to do to double your revenues is… (1) Bring in more new customers… (2) Compel customers to come back to you more often…
Read MoreSeduction
Most marketers approach their prospects like an army would attack a walled city: with a full frontal assault. We come at them with flags flying, trumpets blaring, and missiles flying. Our siege machines hurl fiery projectiles, our archers darken the sky with arrows, and we send row after row of armored warriors to storm the…
Read MoreMeet Sad Sack
The other day, a guy — a real sad sack — left a post on my blog. Said he’s been a copywriter for decades but has not been very successful at it. It’s not his fault, of course. It’s the world’s fault. More specifically, it’s the direct-response marketing world’s fault. And to get even more…
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