Marketing Lessons – Contest: Help Bill Glazer Find Number 5 Of His Outrageously Effective Marketing Principals

Glazer-Kennedy Insiders Circle President Bill Glazer Visits Philadelphia, PA USA

Bill Glazer, one of the most celebrated direct response marketers in the world, visited the GKIC-Philly Chapter on September 9, 2009 to present his 10 Outrageously Effective Marketing Principals and share signed copies of his new book, Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful.

He spoke before a jammed crowd at a monthly meeting but this time the crowd swelled way past the group's normal meeting space at West Chester University's Business Campus and had to relocate to a ball room of a local country club.

But There Was A Problem With Bill's Presentation

Bill is known for his outrageous advertising… like when he was photographed in a straitjacket to emphasize that people thought he was CRAZY for offering so much for such a low price.

Or the time he was behind bars because you'd swear he was doing something illegal to keep his prices so low.

Or the time he was on a donkey and asked which one was the bigger ass (the animal for carrying Bill or Bill for offering such value at such a low cost).

But while his Recession-Busting presentation was superb, his math left something to be desired.

It wasn't so much a case of false advertising; it was a case of "Oops, how did that happen?"

Taking Notes For This Blog Post, I Discovered Bill's Mistake

Anyone who knows me (and all of you who come to this website) know(s) what a student I am of Bill Glazer and his business partner, the legendary Dan Kennedy.

(Did you ever hear the story that I was the drinking game when out for dinner with my family one night? Every time I'd say "marketing" or "Dan Kennedy," my family members took a drink. It took me 5 or 6 times before I realized what was happening… and that was all before dinner was served! Sometimes my family thinks I need a 12-Step Program to get me away from marketing!)

I listen to Bill at least once a month on a CD he sends to me. I read the monthly Gold Newsletter that is delivered to my door. I've read all of Dan's books (well, he's always writing them, so perhaps I missed one!). I've attended seminars where both have spoken. I live, eat, breathe, and dream about marketing.

I even gave the answer at last night's overflowing, crowded meeting when Bill asked about the most difficult part of creating a photograph with him dressed like Superman (answer: finding a phone booth – Superman would have NO place to change his clothes these days because phone booths are a thing of the past and a thing of museums. And that's where Bill found one – in a museum).

Help Bill Find Number Five

So… what was the mistake? Bill left out Principal #5 from his list.

"Where's number five," I asked as Bill advanced his Powerpoint presentation from four to six.

He backed up the presentation, and advanced it. Sure enough: NO number FIVE!

"I've given this presentation before and you're the first one to notice that I skipped number five," he said. Hey, Bill can admit when something's gone wrong and it wasn't earth-shattering… but we DID come for TEN and he only delivered NINE!

So I had a thought!

Let's help Bill find NUMBER FIVE!

Here's his list so you know what he presented last night (with my comments in parentheses after each title):

10 Outrageously Effective Marketing Principals

1. Your marketing piece isn't worth a damn if it doesn't get opened and read. (Work all you want on your sales letter, email, online marketing piece, but if people don't open it and then read it because you grabbed their attention, it isn't worth squat!)

2. The Headline is the MOST Important part of your advertising material. (And forget your name at the top – it means no more to your prospect than if I wrote "Joe's Bar And Grill" at the top of one of MY pieces – Grab their attention and draw them in!)

3. Testimonials – what other people say about you is at least 10 times more believable than what you say about yourself. (I always tell clients to come up with at least TEN things they want said about themselves and then get their customers to say that about them. Too many people omit testimonials… and they are THAT important.)

4. Copy – What you write is Salesmanship in Print. Your Goal is to SELL something. (Forget white space – last time I looked it hadn't sold ANYTHING – it's what you WRITE or what you SAY (in a video) that sells and since YOU can't be there 24/7 the way your marketing materials can, you have to be sure you put it all out there for others to understand what you are offering.

5. (Oops… where IS this one?)

6. Deadlines: No Deadline, No Offer. Bill likes 2 weeks from the date of receiving the mailing as the LONGEST deadline – he REALLY likes 4 days. (Have you ever seen a coupon where the expiration date is in the fine print like the company giving it out was ashamed to say they have a deadline by which it must be used? THAT'S WHAT DRIVES THE DEAL! Put a significant deadline on ALL your marketing materials, make it compelling, and then TELL people!)

7. Photographs – Use photos and graphics to help you sell more easily. (If I told you in a marketing piece that Bill Glazer was crazy for his rock-bottom prices you might understand it. BUT… put a photograph with Bill in a straitjacket and now you REALLY think he's crazy!)

8. Premiums will typically increase response by up to 30%. (Premiums, freemiums, giveaways to increase the VALUE of what you are selling really increases the desire people have to purchase from you. Did you ever see the free calculator being given away with a newspaper subscription? Or how about a free copy of last year's Swim Suit Edition to get you to subscribe to Sports Illustrated? THOSE are premiums.)

9. Sequence – Follow up at least 3 times in order to double response. (People who send ONE letter, ONE email, ONE anything are leaving Big Bucks on the table. If something is worth marketing, it's worth creating a SERIES of pieces, phone calls, post cards, etc – some of us have 14, 17, or even more steps in our sales campaigns to be sure to get all those who are inclined to purchase to get out their credit card and send us some money.)

10. And his Big Secret: Use S & D Marketing. (Find what works in one industry and adapt it to work for you. The wheel has already been invented – now adapt it to work for you!)

Enter The Contest Now! Nine Is Good – TEN Is Better

OK… there was his list – WHAT is missing?

You decide.

And let's make this fun.

Write in the Comment Space below what YOU think Bill left off his list.

The Grand Prize Winner, as judged by me, will receive a free copy of Bill's new book (it costs $19.95 but the information is priceless!), Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful, as a gift from me simply because you gave the best answer. (As they say: no purchase required!)

Deadline To Enter: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 2:37 PM EDT

I've gotten to talk with Bill over the past few years. He's a great guy, has lots of terrific ideas, is a charmer, and dresses really well (must be a hold-over from this days in Menswear when he owned two of the best producing retail stores in Baltimore, MD USA).

Let's help Bill complete his list.

The FIRST PERSON to come up with the "best answer" (before the September 15, 2009 deadline) will win (OK… I had to say that in case two or more people say basically the same thing here!)

What do the REST of the people leaving comments get? The recognition from everyone who sees this post that YOU are really knowledgeable about marketing. The chance to show your web address. A chance to show your Twitter user name.

Go ahead and put your website address below your name when you leave a comment… also your Twitter user name – BUT… just know that any comment with 3 or more links won't show up here because my system is set up to close that down. (And keep your language clean too… I'd hate for my former Sunday School Teacher to read anything I wouldn't write myself.)

Now's Your Chance But Time Is Running Out! Leave A Comment NOW!

Enter now. Come back with another idea if something comes to you. But do it NOW so you will be eligible to win Bill's book and show the world what a great marketer you are.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: Do this now! You will NEVER come back to do it later (no matter what your brain tells you) and then you'll miss out on getting a free copy of Bill's terrific book and letting everyone know how smart you are in marketing. Deadline is Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 2:37 PM EDT (1:37 PM Central, 12:37 PM Mountain, 11:37 AM Pacific, and lord only knows what time in the rest of the world!). Leave us your thought about what Bill missed as Number Five and we'll let the world see what your through is. Who Knows: you might just get a new client from this AND people may follow you on Twitter!

PPS: You can find me here:

http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads

http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr

http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesseymourjr

PPPS: Do you want to learn MORE than just these nine principals? Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!

Keep this with this article, please:

Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and direct-response marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at http://bit.ly/24eYTO to learn more about his successes.

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Marketing Lessons – Contest: Help Bill Glazer Find Number 5 Of His Outrageously Effective Marketing Principals

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