Here, lemme explain…

Remember back in high school the person who you had a crush on, but they didn’t have a crush on you?

Remember how that made you even crazier about them? And how you filled with that stomach-churning jealousy every time you saw them with someone else?

You can do that to your prospects, too.

Well… Not the whole “stomach-churning if I don’t have you then life is pointless” mindset like you had back in highschool…

But taking away your offer – or – talking about who your offer ISN’T for can have a similar effect…

Increased desire.

So say no in your writing. You and your product are not for everyone. I know that my copywriting services are not for people who expect my copywriting to be their magic bullet, or for people who don’t trust my judgement and expertise, or for people who aren’t going to take my copy and use it for great things.

And when I talk to prospects I let them know this.

The result?

I only work with the people I want to, and those people appreciate working with me even more knowing that I turn away others.

It makes them even more valuable. And they are. Because I greatly value their positive mindset and attitude.

Do you see where I’m goin’ with this?

Turn away business in your writing. Here, I’ll send you off with an example:

Whoa, hold on there just a second!

Now I’m definitely NOT saying that buying this product is going to solve every one of your problems and make you a millionaire overnight.

If you think that then I’m going to have to ask you to leave this page.

What I’m saying is if you put it to proper use – if you take the time to go through the directions and use it just as me and many other people have…

You’ll see great results with it. And if you don’t? Send it back. Please. And you’ll receive a full refund, too.

etc., etc., etc.

Have a great one,

David

I hope you are having an awesome day/night/morning/whenever it is you’re reading this.

I have a very special interview for you with my very own brother, Steve Hochman, who has personally been a mentor to me both in business and in life.

Steve went from living on the hardwood floor of his ex-girlfriend’s mother’s floor, to now earning close to 7 figures a year (and without a doubt he’s hitting 7 figures this year).

And the cool thing is he constantly helps personal trainers and boot camp owners skyrocket their incomes to live the incredible life that he now does.

Anyway, click play below to get started. Steve reveals some CRAZY-GOOD marketing/copywriting tips that you can instantly apply to your own business.

Oh, and if the audio seems to skip at places, it’s because our connection cut out a couple times, but we always picked back up where we left off.

(By the way – the first 2:30 is me and Steve laughing and goofing off. So if you just want the pure content, skip ahead to 2:30)

Also – in the beginning we talked about special ed for a second. Steve really was in special ed all through school, so we’re not two jerks picking on people who were born with mental deficiencies!

Actually, that’s part of why Steve’s story is so cool because he was a kid who no one thought would succeed, yet he didn’t listen to a word of anyone, took massive success by the reins, and now lives an awesome life with his wife and two daughters out in California.

Here’s the interview. Enjoy

To learn more about Steve Hochman, and pick up some incredible marketing tips, click this link: Fitness Marketing.

Talk soon,

David

How are ya? I hope you had a killer Thanksgiving (for you Americans – for everyone else hope you had a very normal Thursday lol).

Funny story about Thanksgiving…

My life partner, Louisa, and I drove up to St. Louis to visit my family.

(If you didn’t know, Lou is also the co-founder of our design, copywriting, and marketing company Unexpected Ways.)

Now, me and Lou don’t believe in marriage. We completely respect other peoples’ right and choice to get married – but for us, it’s just a title that doesn’t change our relationship at all or add any kind of significant value.

So we call each other life partners.

Now get this…

For the ENTIRE week, my family tried to convince us that we needed to get married as if the world would end if we didn’t.

(Disclaimer: I love my family very much and I know they’re just looking out for me)

Here’s the funny part…

These were their reasons:

1. My aunt told me that her husband’s son had no respect for her because she was just “his dad’s girlfriend.” So she got married to show the little bastard that she was important…
2. Tax cuts…
3. And if one of us gets sick, the other can make medical decisions for the sick one (even though there are other ways of giving people this right)…

Now, notice that not one of them said anything remotely like this:

• Marriage is a sign of commitment, love, and dedication…
• Marriage is a way of letting everyone know how you feel about each other…
• Marriage is a way of making a concrete statement that you’re serious about your relationship, and about starting a family together…

Apparently to my family marriage is just a way to put little kids in their place, get a break from the government, and an answer to the fear of what happens when your loved one gets sick.

Yeah…

I’m starting to think I know why the divorce rate in this country is so high now lol…

Okay, so I’m mostly kidding, and I know my family didn’t get married just for those reasons – but can you imagine me sitting there in conversation after conversation hearing these things over and over? lol

But anyways – on to the good stuff!

When do you tell people your prices?

Ah, the age old question. Luckily it comes with an age old answer.

Unfortunately, though, not enough people know this answer because I’m asked this question all the time. And on tons of websites I visit and sales pitches I hear, I can tell that most people out there still don’t have a clue.

Here’s a general rule of thumb for stating price:

When your reader knows exactly what they’re getting for their money, and they’ve already made the decision that they really want what you have to offer, you tell them the price.

Pretty simple, right?

That’s why on long copy sales letters the price is always at the bottom.

But let’s come back to the first part of that statement…

“When your reader knows EXACTLY what they’re getting for their money, and they’ve already made the decision that they REALLY WANT what you have to offer…”

This is the important part. You have to convince them inside and out that what you have will, without a doubt, improve their life.

Then you tell them how much it costs. That’s because by this point they’ve already made the decision to buy, so they’ll be more likely to shell out for however much it costs.

But any time you tell people how much money you’re going to take from them – they get scared…

They get this instinctual reaction of “is my money safe?”

And you want to immediately answer them, “Yes!”

That’s what the purpose of a guarantee is. So right after you state your price, instantly make your reader feel safe by offering a guarantee.

For instance…

• 100% unconditional money back guarantee…
• Try it FREE for 30 days. If at the end of 30 days you’re not happy, just let me know and I’ll issue a full refund. Say nothing and you’ll be billed for the full price…
• Try it for just $1 for 1 week. If at the end of the week you’re not happy in any way, let me know (etc)…

Cheers,

David

p.s. Scroll down a little bit and leave me some comments! Ask your questions too (I know you have some!)

If in your career you ever decide to create an ad that is so abhorrent, so off-putting, that no one will ever bother to even glance upon its headline, here are 5 pieces of advice to carry out your mission.

Or, if you’d rather not accomplish this feat, then avoid these 5 dangerous mistakes at all cost.

1. Do exactly what everyone else is doing

This way your business will not stand out in any way. You will not come off as unique or better than your competition. In fact, you may blend in so well that no one will even notice you at all.

Bonus Tip: Research “camouflage” on Wikipedia

2. Promise more than you can deliver

Build your prospects’ expectations only to send them crashing down in a fiery ball of disappointment. If you promise a free trial or sample, inform all callers that they missed the deadline by 5 minutes. When they claim that the ad said there was no deadline, simply change the subject, or disconnect the call.

Bonus Tip: In the ad, tell readers to call between the hours of 4-7 pm. When they call, tell them you’re extremely busy and that is in fact the worst possible time to reach you.

3. Design your ad according to these specifications

Headline: Small font, neon in color, over an image of similar color

Body: Bold and capitalized over an enlarged version of your logo.

By putting your text over images, it’ll be very difficult to read. Most people won’t even bother.

Bonus Tip: For added effect, change font size of headline and body text periodically throughout your ad.

4. Write about yourself as much as possible.

Never mind about your prospect. This ad is an opportunity to finally get your 15 minutes of fame. It should include your biography, the name of your 3 best friends, as well as your favorite color (if you have many favorite colors, explain why it’s so nice to have more than one). And don’t forget your entire resume.

Bonus Tip: Include pictures of all pets you currently, or have ever, owned. If you don’t have photos, get out your crayons and go to work.

5. Confuse your call to action

If you insist on having a call to action, make it a difficult process of re-direction. By this I mean have your call to action be a link to a website. Have this website contain a contact form. 3-5 days after your prospect fills out your contact form, send them an e-mail with a 1-800 number which contains a voice recording saying to call another number. Make sure that your prospect will find this number to be either disconnected, or connecting them to a foreign country.

Bonus Tip: Or simply place a wrong number in very small letters in a corner of your ad.

If you follow these 5 tips, I guarantee no ad you ever write will succeed. Or, if you’d rather make money and achieve success and high demand, take my advice and do the exact opposite.

To better writing (and more money),

David

When a lot of us hear the word “meditation” we think of monks sitting cross-legged with their hands in some weird shape, saying the word “ohmmmmm….” for hours and hours.

Well, that’s their version of meditation – but it doesn’t have to be yours.

For some, meditation is cooking, playing music, taking a walk. It’s anything you do that makes you forget your stresses, and allows you to find some inner-peace, and let your imagination loose.

To becoming successful, meditation is as important as breathing.

And here’s why: you actually have a mechanism inside of your mind that accomplishes all of the goals you give it. In fact, your life right now is a collection of accomplished goals that you gave your mind to accomplish, most likely without knowing it.

For instance, for years I put myself in situations where I had no money because I believed money was bad. So I gave myself the goal of “put me in situations where I am destitute.” I did that through the images, feelings, and thoughts I had when money came up in a conversation, or when I thought about money. And you know what? I became great at accomplishing that goal.

But then I tried something different…

I became aware of my thoughts about money and success, and I tried to “re-program” them. And that is where meditation came in. For me, meditation is playing guitar, or taking a walk in nature. When I do these things, I feel relaxed, calm, and I imagine my life the way I want it to be. I imagine every single detail of it, including how the hardwood floors of my million dollar home will feel against my heels.

Often music is an extremely powerful gateway into meditation. The right song can trigger such a peaceful, meditative state. That’s why I’ve compiled some of my favorite tracks to meditate with.

Each track is one-minute long, so you can have “one-minute power meditation” sessions

Here’s how you use these tracks – press play, close your eyes, and imagine your life the way you want it to be. Feel how it would feel to be successful, to have no more money worries, to have unlimited time for the people, places, and events you love most. The more detail you imagine, the faster it will happen. I know this from experience.

Jazz:

Experiment:

Venture Out:

Old Soul:

To your success,

David

p.s. I created these tracks myself Enjoy.

This week I’m going to break down the infamous “Dear Friend” letters that you so often see on sales pages. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s an example…

Dear Friend,

It seems like yesterday that I was 80 pounds overweight. Well.. That’s because it was practically yesterday.

Just six months ago I was 260 pounds. Now I weigh 180 pounds. Let me tell you how this is possible, and how you can get the same results.

Look familiar? Now let’s get into how to write a damn good one of these.

Tip #1: Be genuine

The best Dear Friends are genuine. Tell a true story – and tell it exactly how you would tell it to your best friend. Use the same kind of language you would use in everyday conversation.

Tip #2: Overcome adversity

Everyone loves a hero – so tell your heroic story about you overcame some sort of adversity. Whether it’s overcoming being overweight, or overcoming feelings of insecurity and self-doubt, think of something in your life that served as an obstacle for you to overcome. It helps if it relates to your product or service you’re selling, too.

Tip #3: Give your reader hope

Even if your reader decides not to hire you or buy your product, let them walk away with something they didn’t have before: hope that their problem can be solved. After you’re done telling your story, talk about how and why your reader can accomplish all of their goals, or solve a specific problem they have. You’ve just proven that the problem can in fact be solved because you solved it yourself – now give them hope that anyone can do it, including them.

Now, here’s an example of these three tips at work:

Dear Friend,

I know we’ve just met, so maybe it’s a bit early to be calling each other friends, but the fact that you’re reading this page shows me that we have a problem in common: money.

We both want more of it, and we want to spend less time earning it. Well, I think I’ve come a long ways in solving this problem. Let me show you what I mean, and how you can solve this problem of yours, too.

It all started when I began using Craigslist to advertise my guitar lessons business. I started just like everyone else on Craigslist – writing long paragraphs about why I’m such a great teacher. But there was a problem… No one wanted to read these long, boring paragraphs! So I didn’t get a single call.

So I started to think… How can I make people want to read my ads more? And then it hit me.

I began learning HTML, and using this code (which is the same code used to make websites) to design my ads. I made different text different sizes, and different colors. Plus, I also used time-tested sales writing tips to make my ads powerful and persuasive.

And you know what? My phone started ringing off the hook!

Then, I partnered up with a graphic designer, and together, using my powerful writing skills, and her expertise in graphic design, we made ads that were irresistable!

And we’ve designed a system so anyone, in any field, can use these same ads. You too can use Craigslist to blow past all of the long, boring paragraphs and shine through with a well-designed, powerfully written ad guaranteed to attract clients. And the best part is as soon as you get just one client, the system pays for itself.

To better writing (and more money),

David

David Ogilvy

This company was smaller than the #1 company, it didn’t have the same number of employees, and it had fewer locations.

And you know what? David used every one of these “weaknesses” to present this #2 company as the stronger choice for rental cars.

In his ad, he said something to the extent of:

“Yes, we’re the #2 rental car company in America. And because of it, we have to work extra hard to make sure you are happy, because unlike the #1 company, we can’t afford to have you walk away unsatisfied.

“That is why when you get into your rental car, the gas tank will always be full, the ash tray emptied, and the seats clean to boot – it will feel like stepping into a brand new car.

“Plus, our lines are shorter.”

My business partner and I use a similar technique when pitching our services to potential clients.

When they express concern at the fact that we’re new to the marketing/copywriting business, I tell them,

“You know what? You’re absolutely right. And it’s because we’re new that every single client we take on has to walk away completely happy with their product, and with more money in their pockets.

“Because unlike a big agency, or an experienced business that has a large client base, we can’t afford to let one single client walk away unhappy. We need your testimonial, and we need you to say great things about our business. For us to become successful, you have to become successful too.

“If not, we’re doomed to fail. So when we take on your project, we’re not just doing it for you – we’re doing it for ourselves, too.”

And you know what? It’s true! Being the underdog has its advantages. We know that what we produce is just as good, if not often better, than what many experienced agencies produce – but our prospect doesn’t yet know that because we’re so fresh to the industry.

Underdog!

But once they see what we’re capable of, it’s a different story.

So if you’re launching a new business – use that to your advantage! If you don’t yet have testimonials – use that to your advantage! Don’t try to hide it!

Instead, look your prospect in the eyes, and tell them,

“You’re right. We don’t have testimonials, and we’re not as well known as our competition. But you know what..”

And tell them why that’s such a blessing.

To better writing (and more money),

David

Hi, I’m David Tendrich, founder and writer of –

LOL sorry – I’m so used to writing “Dear Friend” letters that I almost turned this blog post into one. Do you ever have that problem too? You write copy so much that it starts coming out even when you’re writing to friends? Or talking on the phone? Or maybe I’m just obsessed…

Anyways…

Here is 1 simple element that you MUST add to your copy if you currently don’t. If you do already use this – share your methods in a comment. But if you don’t – prepare to increase your conversions like crazy -

This one tactic will separate you from 99% of copywriters out there – and every time you sit at your computer, you’ll need to bring a big bag – because when cash comes flying out through your monitor you might want something to catch it with.

"Yes, I am a computer that spits cash. Muahaha! ...Oh come on, evil laughs are still cool!"

Here’s the tactic…

For every promise you make – prove it!

These days, testimonials are not enough to prove that your product or service works!

"I dun know about dese testimonial!"

People are skeptical of testimonials because they see them everywhere – and they wonder, “Are these things real? They sound too good to be true!”

Back up what you’re saying in other, creative ways – like out-of-the-box money back guarantees, scientific reasons why your product works, etc.

For example when I write ads and websites for fitness professionals – I always talk about the science behind the exercises.

For instance -

“Studies show that cardio boosts your metabolism by up to 500% – so you burn fat even while you sleep. This is why you’ll get tons of cardio in every one of my workouts. In fact, you’ll start automatically losing weight after just one of my workouts.”

Even if I talk about a boot camp being fun – I explain that. For example -

“This is not a boring, clipboard workout – you will have fun at my boot camp! Expect to laugh and smile the whole way through! Afterall – the more fun you have, the more you come to boot camp. And the more you come to boot camp – the faster you see results!

This is why fun is such an important part of every one of my boot camp workouts!”

Even in that short paragraph I prove why having fun is important. It’s not some empty claim – and I prove what fun is too (smiling and laughing). It just makes sense – have fun = come to boot camp more = better results.

Anyone can understand that, and agree to it.

Are you making empty claims?

Here are examples of claims that are empty until you prove them. Never just throw out a claim without explaining it.

• The #1 Boot Camp in Tennessee!
• With my personal training, you’ll lose 2 pounds every workout!
• Read my e-book and start getting 2 dates every week!
• Now you can grow back all of your hair – everywhere! (haha…)

"This photograph indisputably proves the existence of Big Foot..."

Now, these claims are intriguing (some more so than others). But intrigue is only Step 1 – Proof is Step 2. As soon as someone is intrigued by one of your claims – they’ll begin to search your page for information supporting your claim.

Don’t let them go away empty handed!

They’ll become frustrated, and leave your site/ad.

Anyways, thanks for reading – and leave me comments about your ways of proving your claims – or what you got out of this post.

To better writing (and more money),

David

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