You might have heard of Rosser Reeves if you have read “Ogilvy on Advertising” or Bob Bly’s “The Copywriter’s Handbook“. Both of these I’ve read recently in which Rosser is mentioned multiple times.

Funny story on how I got my copy…

So about a week ago I was going over my book “The Copywriter’s Handbook” by Bob Bly where he mentions USP (Unique Selling Proposition) which Rosser coined while working for Ted Bates Agency. I decided to look up Rosser on Amazon.com to see if I can find his book “Reality in Advertising” and I did except copies were kinda pricey, starting at $175. Looking at the cool image of the book cover I noticed that it said below it “Customer image from Mockingbird Books” and immediately clicked on the link because that’s the name of my uncle’s rare book business.

I emailed him right away and asked if it was him and sure enough it was. I was totally surprised. I knew he sold rare books but never thought I would stumble upon a book I wanted on Amazon that he was selling. I told him I was interested in the book and he told me I could have it free of charge. How awesome is that?!

Not only did he send the book he included another not so famous book (but cool nonetheless) “How to Advertise” by Kenneth Roman & Jane Mass. It does have a small foreword by David Ogilvy though.

Ok, so I had to go back through my books on copywriting and advertising to figure out exactly where Rosser Reeves was mentioned and I found what I think is a brilliant quote in “Ogilvy on Advertising” by Rosser. In the book “Reality in Advertising” Rosser says”

I’m not saying that charming, witty and warm copy won’t sell. I’m just saying that I’ve seen thousands of charming, witty campaigns that didn’t. Let’s say you are a manufacturer. Your advertising isn’t working and your sales are going down. And everything depends on it. Your future depends on it, your family’s future depends on it, other people’s families depend on it. And you walk in this office and talk to me, and you sit in that chair. Now, what do you want out of me? Fine writing? Do you want masterpieces? Do you want glowing things that can be framed by copywriters? Or do you want to see the goddamned sales curve stop moving down and start moving up?

That pretty much sums up what advertising is supposed to be about…

Here’s Rosser Reeves on Unique Selling Proposition:

Each advertisement must make a proposition to the consumer. Not just words, not just product puffery, not just show-window advertising. Each advertisement must say to each reader: ‘Buy this product and you will get this specific benefit.’

The proposition must be one that the competition either cannot, or does not, offer. It must be unique-either a uniqueness of the brand or a claim not otherwise made in that particular field of advertising.

The proposition must be so strong that it can move the mass millions; i.e., pull over new customers to your product.

Fun fact: Rosser helped oversee the M&M’s “melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” campaign which is still in existence.

So a personal Thank You goes out to my Uncle Mike who was so kind as to send me those books! Thank you! And if you happen to be interested in rare books at all you can find a link to his inventory on his home page at http://www.mockingbird-books.com/

Stay tuned for a “Reality in Advertising” book review…

If you want to pick up your own copy of Reality in Advertising they are going for about $130 on Amazon.com right now.

A study conducted at the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine found that - to forge closer relationships with the people they treat - some physicians reveal personal information to their patients. Stuff like details about their health, family members, travel, politics, hobbies, and other interests.

You’d think this would help establish a bond between them. But guess what? According to an article in Rochester Review , the study showed that these disclosures “have few demonstrable benefits.” In fact, doctors chatting up the people they’re treating may even “disrupt the flow of important patient information.”

The lesson?

Other people care more about themselves - their worries, their concerns, their fears, their hopes, their dreams, even what movie they saw last weekend or where they went for dinner last night - than they do about you. Therefore, if you want people to like you, you have to stop talking… and start listening.

I am introverted and not social. But people who meet me at business and social functions often report a positive experience.

The reason is simple: I ask them questions and listen to their answers. I don’t interrupt them, but let them talk as long as they want. When they are done, I don’t switch the topic to me. Instead, I keep the conversation focused on them - by asking another question.

When do you stop catering to the other person… and start talking about yourself? Well, if you’re a businessperson trying to make a sale, the answer is never.

Perhaps you have heard the saying, “You have two ears but only one mouth - so you should listen twice as much as you talk.” That ratio is tilted in the right direction, only not far enough. One of my mentors, the late Howard Shenson, once told me that, to be successful in business, you should listen 80 percent of the time and talk only 20 percent of the time.

A common misconception many salespeople share is the compulsion to - at some point in the conversation - get their prospect to stop talking long enough so they can finally make their “presentation.” Their mistaken belief is that the presentation - an orderly recitation of the features and benefits of their product - is necessary to make the sale.

In fact, if you listen, your prospects will tell you exactly what you have to do - and say - to get them to buy. Just follow their lead… and forget about your “presentation”… and you’ll close more and bigger deals, more often.

The more the prospect talks, the better it usually is for the salesperson.

People are happiest when they can talk to someone who is paying attention to what they are saying. On the other hand, if you launch into a “presentation,” they may become bored and lose interest.

I once watched a graphic designer sitting in a marketing director’s office talking about designing a brochure. The marketing director was interested and ready to sign on the dotted line. But instead of letting her do so, the graphic designer said, “Let me show you some of the other things we’ve done” - and began unzipping one of those big simulated leather portfolio cases.

“That’s not necessary,” said the marketing director, clearly pressed for time and ready to issue a PO.

“But I want you to see our latest work,” the designer insisted.

Before the marketing director could protest further, the graphics person opened the portfolio and began flipping pages.

The marketing director was clearly bored - and in a hurry. She tried to end the dog-and-pony show, but the designer was oblivious, droning on about minute details of this catalog layout or that printing challenge.

Finally, the artist got the message. But it was too late. When the marketing director saw me observing the scene through the door, she shook her head, as if to say, “What a blockhead!” And I later found out that the project was awarded to another firm.

Yes, by talking too much, you can actually talk yourself out of a sale.

A good rule for selling: Say only as much as you have to. The more you talk, the greater your chances of saying something that the prospect will find objectionable or disagreeable. Result: sale gone.

The same “put the listener first” principle works not just in selling, but in virtually every interpersonal situation - from an employee persuading his boss to tackle a task in a certain way to two spouses debating what color tile to use in the new bathroom.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

This article itself is written by Bob Bly - who wrote this article for Early To Rise.

Bob Bly is an independent copywriter and consultant with more than 25 years’ experience in business-to-business, high-tech, industrial, and direct marketing. He has written over 70 books, many of which are about copywriting. He writes and great newsletter you can sign up for free as well as ETR’s newsletter. I subscribe to both.

I mentioned above how strange it was that so many copywriters play instruments. Turns out, according to Georgetown University researchers, that might not be a coincidence.

Not only does their research say that music and language — word use — use the same areas of memory, but that we also unconsciously learn the “rules” of what sounds good in both music and language, in the same way.

So if you have a good ear for melodies, you might also have a good ear for what sounds good in the printed or spoken word.

Research from the New York Academy of Sciences takes it even further: playing music, they say, can make you smarter. It can also beef up your immune system, improve your memory, and keep you sane, for lack of a better way to put it.

How they explain why so many musicians seem to go nuts or die young, I don’t know.

But what their research shows is actual increased grey matter in the part of the brain that manages hearing, which gets more pronounced in people who play music often.

Even listening to music –- and not just Mozart –- can give you some of the same benefits. But actually playing it seems to be even better.

The recitation involved just seems to help your brain’s neural network get “organized” so it can run more efficiently. Go figure, eh?

This article is published with permission from John Forde - A top copywriter who releases a free newsletter on copywriting every week you can get for free. I’m a subscriber and it’s is superb. It’s why I’ve chosen to reprint his article here. Go sign up!

“So,” one of them said, “here’s a question we’ve been dying to ask…”

Uh oh, I thought. Here we go.

“…uh… I’m not sure how to put this…”

I couldn’t even begin to guess.

I instinctively started crafting my alibi.

“Are all copywriters… well, you know… so ‘nice?’ I mean, we just keep coming across copywriters who are really friendly.”

Oh. That.

To be perfectly honest, I’ve noticed pretty much the same thing: Most copywriters I know do seem extra welcoming and easy-going, most of the time.

Why is that?

Sure, there are some exceptions. And in private, we all loose our cool once in awhile. Yet, it’s true. All the best copywriters I know are extra- generous with their time and advice.

Speak with them once, and they’ll usually remember what you’ve talked about. Introduce somebody and they’ll be happy to shake hands. In restaurants, they almost never snarl at a waiter. And I don’t know a single one among them who would ever kick a dog.

Does the industry attract those types… or make them? I can’t really say. Maybe it’s a typical chicken-and-egg kind of situation.

I tend to think those who have those qualities do better as copywriters, simply because, to write effective sales copy, you’ve got to develop some insight into what matters to other people.

You’ve got to know want they want. You’ve got to know what they need to hear to get them there. And to get there, you’ve actually got to stop, drop, and listen to what they’re talking about.

And that, as anybody who’s ever cracked the spine on a Dale Carnegie book, also happens to be the secret to forging any kind of connection with anybody.

There’s a dark side to the typical copywriter personality, of course. At least in direct response, everything we do is measured to the penny. It either works or it doesn’t. And everybody notices, either way.

We’re hired, fired, and respected based almost entirely on performance. That can make one more than a little self-conscious. Even defensive and arrogant. In a debate, we can also be stubborn — simply because we spend so many working hours piling up proofs to back our claims.

What else have I noticed about copywriting types?

I’ve yet to meet a good copywriter who doesn’t have a good sense of humor, even though humor is something so rarely used — at least overtly — in direct-response sales writing.

And not just a passion for jokes. “It’s dry,” says my wife. We’re also observant. But sometimes, observant to a fault. That is, we can get caught up in subsets of details… while even bigger trends and events blow right past us, simply because they exist outside of whatever we’re focused on at the time.

Most copywriters I know also read widely. Some read history books, others read blockbusters, still more are sponges for trade journals, news clips, blogs, and popular magazines.

We like movies. And music.

In fact, we’re generally drawn to popular culture, even more than most, because it’s yet another way to soak up what our target markets are talking about.

Strangely, a lot of copywriters I’ve talked to don’t watch much TV, even though that flies in the face of what I’ve just said. Why?

Again, I can’t say for sure. But I can guess. TV eats up time, but gives back little in exchange. It’s also addictive. And that’s something else about copywriters. Like a lot of other writers, we can have slightly addictive or compulsive personalities.

Not necessarily the usual compulsions, either.

For instance, a lot of the copywriters I know are collectors. Of everything from puns and trivia… to chateaus and high-priced automobiles. For me, there was awhile there that I couldn’t help buying cheap used guitars. Until I acquired a few nice ones.

Which is another thing… I don’t know why, but easily 8 out of every 10 copywriters I know seem to play an instrument. And more often than not, that instrument is the guitar.

Not all of us are good, mind you. But we at least appreciate music. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve sat past 2 am, muddling my way through Dylan and Stones covers with fellow writers.

Copywriters are also a curious bunch.

By that I mean, we tend to be especially inquisitive. About everything. Even those things we’ll never write about.

David Ogilvy once said that curiosity was the key trait he looked for when hiring a writer. Be warned, if you don’t like asking questions, this might not be the field for you.

We’re storytellers. In print or conversation, copywriters love to default to the story form. Sometimes, more often than our listeners can stand.

The same goes for analogies.

We make — or should I say test — a lot of them. Analogy lies close to the core of creativity. A good analogy can make a complex idea sound simple. It can make an unfamiliar idea feel like an old friend. That doesn’t mean we always get the analogy right. But you can bet that when we don’t, we’ll try again.

A handful of the copywriters I know are doodlers or artists, yours truly included. That’s not a universal trait in this industry. But common enough to make it worth mentioning.

I think it’s because copywriting demands an especially strong mix of both left and right brain thinking. During the research mode, you’re all strategy and calculation. But then you need to jump to the other side of the divide, where your passion for the rhythm of word-craft resides.

Not everybody can do both.

Copywriters can be extroverted, but most that I know are not. On the other hand, we rarely shy away from a debate. We’ve got deeply felt opinions on everything, including a few things we don’t know much about… yet.

This list could go on.

But you more than get the picture.

There’s plenty about this trade that can be taught. But even the best techniques and tools aren’t worth much unless you’ve got the right kind of knack for this career in the first place. I’d be cheating you if I told you otherwise.

But let’s say you’re not at all like the person I’ve just described, but you still want to find your footing in this profession? No worries. Just like everything else, there’s always the option to simply do your thing and let the market decide.

—

If you liked this post it was written by John Forde and was published in his newsletter. I enjoyed it so much I asked for permission to reprint it here.

You can sign up by clicking this link to the Copywriter’s Roundtable newsletter.

The Copywriter’s Roundtable is a free e-zine. Every week, John delves into the vaults of some of the sharpest copywriters in the business. Whatever he discovers, he puts in the newsletter.

If you’ve ever wanted to start a career in copywriting you will be interested in this product by Bob Bly - A top copywriter.

WHAT IF I COULD GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO START A COPYWRITING CAREER… ALL IN ONE TOOLKIT?

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But you can have them all at once… in a million- dollar toolkit that he’s practically giving away…

Fee schedules so you know what to charge… letters that get you new clients… sample e-zines, telephone scripts, and pre-drawn layouts for print ads, brochures, and full direct mail packages…

Find it all in Bob’s new “Copywriter’s Toolkit,” found here…

The concept was developed by an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto over 100 years ago.

Ryan Healy, a direct response copywriter has something to say about it:

The 80/20 Rule is simple. It says 20% of inputs create 80% of outputs. Conversely, 80% of inputs create only 20% of outputs.

For instance:

* In a house that is carpeted, 20% of the carpet will get 80% of the wear.
* On a blog, 20% of the blog posts will get 80% of the “reads.”
* In a business, 20% of the customers will produce 80% of the revenue.

In anything you apply the 80/20 Rule to, you will find both great leverage and great waste.

He goes on to say:

Writing copy the 80/20 way is about getting maximum results with minimum effort. It’s about doing more with less.

Don’t waste hours trying to create the “perfect” sales letter. Rather, write a letter that’s good enough. Then split-test it to success. Let the software do all the heavy lifting for you.

If you write all your own copy, give this approach a fair shot. I believe you’ll be pleased with the outcome.

Read more at Copywriting the 80/20 Way on Michel Fortin’s Blog

With a short description they are:

Repetition

Repeat your offer or case over and over again. Vary it up so you’re not repeating exactly the same thing. Use analogies etc.

Reasons Why

People respond more to reasons why… ie. Do this because if you don’t you’ll lose out later.

Consistency

People like consistency. Be consistent in your copy and overall message.

Social Proof

Offer testimonials, endorsements, proof others have purchased from you as well. People take comfort in knowing others are have chosen your business.

Comparisons

Everyone likes comparisons. Show how your product or service is different. Use metaphors, similes and analogies. If you’ve tested show exact test results.

Agitate and Solve

Show you understand a prospects pain by having gone through the same situation they are currently in. Show how the problem affected you and how you solved it.

Prognosticate

Predict future scenarios and convince people with your credentials.

Go Tribal

People want to have a sense of belonging. Offer a way of becoming part of a select group and you’ll have people on board.

Address Objections

Again, Reason Why… Address all objections someone has against your offer. Also called risk reversal. Take out all the risk of your offer and put it on yourself.

Storytelling

Basic storytelling. Writing persuasive copy comes down to being able to write compelling stories. It includes all the things above.

Read the original article over at Copyblogger

{btw, all resources are linked to at the end of this post}

It’s amazing how time flies when you’re engulfed in a learning period. You know, those periods where you take in huge amounts of information then you’re left to digest it all and hopefully put it to use. You know this if you’re autodidactic or an automath (a great friend taught me this word). In other words someone who is self taught, or self educates.

It all started on our vacation through Norway a little under a month ago. We had probably around 16 hours of driving time ahead of us so right before we left I created about 30 cd’s with audio interviews I downloaded from Michel Fortin where he talks to John Carlton and Gary Halbert (all three top copywriters) about copywriting and direct marketing. I also included audio from Brian Tracy(sales guru) on none other then sales. I also printed up Claude Hopkins’ “Science of Advertising”, a swipe file of sales letters and even printed Peter Stone’s sales copy on his website to read and go over.

I know it seems now like I was going on more of a intensive copywriter’s bootcamp then a real vacation. That’s how much I wanted to suck this information in and absorb it and that’s really what it turned out to be.

To say the least my wife was sick and tired of listening to the audio on the trip but I couldn’t get enough. I knew what I was hearing was pure gold.

After getting back, it was back to work but I couldn’t stop devouring all this new info. So instead of working I went out and got even more information on the subject of copywriting and direct marketing. First I read 12 Month Millionaire by Vince James which is over 300 pages long and by far the best book I’ve read in a long time. If you want to make a ton of money you need to read everything you can from him.

Gary Halbert calls it “The most important marketing product ever put together” and goes on to say:

“He(Vince) created a business that generated $100,000,000 in 23-short months. He did this with just a pen, a pad, and a simple idea. I believe this is by far the most important marketing product ever put together. In it, he reveals a lot of secrets that even I have never before revealed to anyone (except a few clients and my closest friends). If you dare say the information you get from this product was already known to you or it wasn’t worth the money, you are much more than a shitweasel. You are a stone-cold, unethical liar.
Believe it or not, much of this information is so electrifying; it was unknown even to me. And I am now using these secrets when I create advertising for myself or for my clients.”

Gary said himself that he doesn’t give out praise very often but the fact he states it as “The Most Important Marketing Product Ever Put Together” says a lot. A lot of eye opening secrets are revealed and they are worth millions, seriously. It’s something you read and are totally blown away by. If you are interested in how the ceo of “Girls Gone Wild” makes over 100 million a year, or how the company that makes ProActiv makes even more then you will want to read it.

So, all excited and pumped I went out and got Masters of Copywriting 2007 by Daniel Levis. This is another enormous info product with well over 700 pages of content as well as audio bonuses which include interviews with Michel Fortin, Jay Abraham and Rick Schefren and much much more. There are literally hours and hours of interviews that are filled with true gems of information. Stuff that if you implement will make you literally millions of dollars.

I’ve gone through almost all of it. I’ve filled my head with so much info it’s practically bursting.

Epiphanies Occur, That Aha! Moment Arrives

I would like to describe it as, when all the answers appear. When that small window opens up and gives you insight into the future. It could also be described as “when the dust clears”.

I’ve had multiple epiphanies in the last 30 days. Which have changed my views and will forever change the way I do things. And it all starts with how I’m going to start writing and communicating.

See, I used to write a lot more back in my school days. I started in about the 7th grade when I first learned how to type. That was also the same year I took my first computer class. It was 1988. Anyway, I used to love writing short stories. The funny thing was I wasn’t that excited about reading. My brain always felt reading was boring and so I was more prone to be doing active things like sports.

I did read, but I’d much better prefer looking at photos or graphics in magazines then reading the articles per se. I’ve always been into art and drawing and hence my degree in graphic design and art. My mind is more visual by far. I never put that much thought into what the words were saying in things I was designing, just how to essentially make the piece look pretty and readable. After all it’s the copy writers job to write the copy right? Don’t get me wrong, I love language, but using language to persuade someone to take action… That’s a whole other story. Yes I’ve written proposals and reports in my life but I never knew the basics of writing a convincing sales message.

When you realize that the words you use and the way you use them are more important then any fancy graphics you use you look at marketing and your business in a whole new light. And that’s one of the things that has really hit home in the last month or so for me.

So if you are interested in boosting your sales and sky rocketing your business the first thing I’d do is look at your sales material, your overall message. That’s assuming you already have a hungry market and a superb product. If you want to increase sales you have to make your statement clear and alleviate any worries your prospect has with doing business with you. That means spell out all the benefits of owning your product or service with plain ol’ words. You have to grab them by the eyeballs as John Carlton says and tell them why they are better off owning your product.

Now I’ve heard plenty of people say that they hate those long hype filled sales letter type sites. You know the one’s that have huge headlines, sub headlines, testimonials, audio clips, sometimes videos that go on and on forever. People complain how they’d never buy anything from a site that looks like that because it’s clear all they want is your money and they’re just ugly. I used to think the same way 7 years ago, when I bought my first downloadable ebook, which was on body building btw. You know, one of the ebooks you read but never use.

I didn’t start really reading “ebooks” until 2004 when I got my hands on Michael Campbell’s Revenge of the Mininet and Dynamic Linking eBooks. It seems so long ago but those ebooks are still relevant even today. The point is that that’s when I started paying more attention to these sales letter type sites. I never really knew just how much these internet marketers were making from sites like this until about 2005.

I was blown away. Can you seriously make over a million dollars in 24 hours selling a set of info products online? John Reese did it back on August 17th, 2004 with his Traffic Secrets product. And other internet marketers are doing the same thing on a monthly basis it seems.

Even if you’re not an internet marketer, even if you don’t own a website it makes you wonder how they are able to pull in thousands of dollars and sometimes millions in a 24 hour period. It for sure grabbed my attention and got me thinking. I wanted to know how they do it. It’s not enough to have a product and a website. You need a salesman selling your product for you 24 hours a day. That salesman is your sales letter, the sales letter on your website or the sales letters you send out to future prospects.

I wanted to know how these internet marketers were making so much and so I learned how they do it. Not only how they have products produced or how they build their sites but the most fundamental of all things you can learn.

What All Successful Marketers Understand and Use

Every successful marketer is using secrets first introduced by the old masters of advertising. Stuff written in the early 1900’s. And what it basically boils down to is being able to write a persuasive sales message. Using basic salesmanship in copy. Using words that grabs their prospects attention and gets them to not only read their entire letter but to believe their story and then take out their wallets and place an order.

It might seem so obvious but with our day to day distractions it’s easy to overlook such critical things as our sales message. When I really started to think about how I do things online I realize I am doing things very wrong. And that is so important for growth, seeing where you lack and improving that area.

The Lesson’s Learned

If you want to grow you must learn and it’s always best to learn from the guru’s. Gather the best information you can afford. Go back to the beginning and see who the guru’s learned from. Spend the money. Go out and buy all the best books you can. Read them all and then read them over again.

Put those new ideas into action immediately and start testing. Don’t wait around till tomorrow to take action. You can start seeing more sales by tomorrow if you make certain changes to your message. It’s knowing what to change that makes all the difference.

I’ll share some of my tests later as I’m sure you’ll want to here how they go.

Links to resources in this post:

Audio:

• Over 6 Hours of Audio from Michel Fortin - Download them free

People Gurus: - Smart tip, go sign up for every single one of their newsletters or subscribe to their news feeds right now.

• Michel Fortin - Top Online Copywriter
• John Carlton - Copywriting Guru & Marketing Rebel
• Gary Halbert - Direct Marketing UberGuru
• Rich Schefren - Marketing Guru and Coach
• Jay Abraham - America’s Number One Marketing Wizard
• Brian Tracy - Great Sale Coach
• Peter Stone - Another Superior Copywriter
• John Reese - Online Marketer
• Michael Campbell - Online Marketer - Author of 2 of the first ebooks I ever read (Revenge of the Mininet and Dynamic Linking)

Info Products:

• 12 Month Millionaire
• Masters of Copywriting 2007

Not Mentioned but I also got these.

• Giant Headline Swipe File
• Dan Locks Instant Cash Copy
• Dan Locks Outsource & Delegate
• Instant Sales Letters - Very Good!

Free Downloadable Ebooks - Must Read: Old Masters - you can download these free right now and redistribute them.

• Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins
• Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill