Posts by Clayton Makepeace
The Secret to Making a Billion Dollars
Love him or hate him, you have to admit it. Rush Limbaugh is a phenomenon. He doesn’t promise riches, better health, social status, to ease your workload, or get you dates. In fact, he never offers anyone one single benefit or presents a single “Reason Why” listening to him or reading him will improve your…
Read MoreWho Are You?
When someone asks, “What do you do for a living?” there is only one correct answer. It’s not “I have a business.” A business is something you own; not something you do. The correct answer is to declare loudly and proudly… “I’m a marketer! My specialty is attracting new customers… persuading existing customers to make…
Read MoreWhat Are Your Prospects Feeling?
Before you can write an effective piece of marketing copy, you have to know what your prospects are feeling — understand what we call their “resident” or “dominant” emotions. How do you do it? There are several techniques I use. But one of the best is to put myself in their shoes. As I sit…
Read MoreClayton and “the Coroner”
As The Redhead and I were chatting with some new friends between sessions at the Early to Rise Bootcamp, a big guy approached our little group. To other attendees, his tattoos, piercings, the skull on the front of his black tee — and the large yellow letters reading “CORONER” on his back — may have…
Read MoreWhy Sidebars Are Crucial
There are pretty much only two kinds of prospects in a marketer’s universe: (1) casual copy scanners, and (2) inveterate readers. Hand a sales letter to a dozen people, and you’ll see what I mean. Some of them — the inveterate readers — will read the headline and every page of the copy. The rest…
Read MoreAre Marketing Sea Changes Killing Your Response?
I’m so old, I’ll betcha my tie has gone in and out of style at least five times. Not that I pay much attention to such things, mind you. My professional life revolves around marketing trends. And there again, my advanced age means I’ve seen many promotional styles over the years.
Read MoreI reject your reality and choose to substitute my own
I was down at our new “getaway” digs over Labor Day. It’s a great place. Just outside of Atlanta and two hours from our North Carolina home. We bought it a few months ago so we could spend more time with my two older kids and three grandkids. They live in Atlanta, less than an…
Read MoreIt’s Time Web Marketers Grew Up
Twenty years ago, if you had told me that one day I’d be able to reach millions of prospective customers without paying a penny in printing, postage, or lettershop fees … and without paying through the nose for print space or TV and radio time … I would have smiled and backed away from you v-e-r-y…
Read MoreSolving the Marketing Model Mystery
It’s your lucky day: You’ve found a great product to promote. Maybe it’s a client’s product. Maybe it’s your own. And because your discovery possesses the six qualities direct-response homeruns share, you suspect you just might be looking at a grand slam: This product delivers benefits your prospects already want. It conveys these rational and…
Read MoreHow to Get 5 Times the Internet Revenues by Going Offline
Several months ago, one of my favorite clients asked me to create a Web-based promotion for a new investment advisory. But instead of beginning with a series of e-mails – or even a new Web page – I promptly sat down and wrote a 24-page DIRECT-MAIL package. Once the long copy was finished, I knew…
Read MoreSplitting Tasks Between Your Right and Left Brain
Every copywriting or marketing project requires copious amounts of creative, right-brain skull sweat, plus plenty of detail-oriented, left-brain elbow grease. So when I’m fresh and full of mental energy, I focus on the creative tasks associated with the project. And when I’m running a bit low on creative juices, I use my time to handle…
Read MoreWhy Good Sales Copy Is Priceless
About a week ago, a subscriber called to inquire if my direct-marketing agency, Response Ink, would build a website for him. Although we are not looking to add new clients at this time, his company has an intriguing – even ingenious – business model. And so my curiosity got the better of me. As we…
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