Thursday, October 29, 2020

#113 Phil Brown Letter

 

 http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2020/10/113-phil-brown-letter.html

 

#113 Blog Post – Wednesday, October 28. 2020

 

Posted by Denny Hatch

 

Got a Book in the Works?

Here’s a Sweet Sales Pitch! 



During my direct marketing/junk mail career, I would run into Phil Brown two or three times a year at various business gatherings. We were always glad to see each other and catch up on industry gossip and news.

 

This past Monday I received a personal letter from Phil, whom I had not thought of for years. When I say “personal” I mean it. See my name and address hand typed on the envelope. And the handwritten “Personal” to the left of address block.

 

Plus two First Class stamps—one affixed to the outer envelope, the other on the reply envelope.

 

Phil has a story to tell and he’s spending money to get me involved!

 

I grew up in the book business. My father wrote 44 historical biographies. I have written 7 business books and 4 novels.

 

Never in the 75 years I have been reading books have I ever received a letter like the one below—an author to a friend/acquaintance.

 

The letter touches nearly all bases. My name, Denny, is mentioned 5 times in the letter: address, salutation, twice in the body of the letter and at the close. Phil is talking to me.



Phil Played by the Rules

• He starts with the COVID lockdown. This is current news. He has my attention.

• He will personally sign and dedicate my copy.

• Shipping is free.

• Plus a premium: a free copy of his children's book, Rorag—A Dragon's Quest

 

Dick Benson on Premiums

• A premium is a bribe to say Yes now.

• Promptness is often the best reason for giving the premium.

• Dollar-for-dollar, premiums are better incentives than cash discounts.

• Desirability is the key element of a premium; the relationship of the premium to the product isn’t important.

• Two premiums are frequently better than one.

 

  Additional Rules Phil Played by

• “Short words! Short sentences! Short paragraphs! —Andrew J. Byrne, Freelancer

• "Use your real signature—untidy, with flourishes, ugly. Make it obvious YOU signed the letter. Not some damn computer. Your signature is your handshake." —Malcolm Decker


Where Phil Broke the Rules

As I recall, Phil Brown’s entire career was spent in the business of direct mail. He knew all about it—the arithmetic, the mechanics, lists and list rental, printing, inserting, Post Office Regulations and discounts. It is a hugely complex and enormously expensive medium. Try it on your own—without expert guidance—chances are you’ll lose your shirt.


But alas, he broke four long-accepted rules.

 

1. It's Too Long

50% of adults cannot read at an eighth grade level." —Literacy Project

The addictive nature of web browsing can leave you with an attention span of nine seconds—the same as a goldfish.” —Dr. Ted Selker, MIT Media Lab

When I submitted my first novel, Cedarhurst Alley, my publisher, a laconic Swede named Paul Eriksson, gave me an 8-word critique: “Clean it up and cut it in half.” It was a nightmare but I did it. Cut characters, cut scenes, cut, cut, cut.  It was better, stronger. Funnier. High point in my fiction career: A short review in TIME magazine.

 

Phil’s letter goes on and on for four pages and runs out of steam well before you get to page 3.”

 

My suggestion: Phil shouldda cut it in half.

 

2.  What’s with the Green Type?

Letters should look and feel like letters,” said the great guru Dick Benson.

 

Nobody types a personal letter and uses green type as part of the body copy. Old Remington typewriters did not have green type! Green type says, “Whoops! This is techno-stuff—not a personally typed letter.


3. Also Included...


Phil included this "brochure" — the "it" copy. The letter is the main salesman and is all about "you": what these features and benefits will do for you.
  
The brochure is all about "it"—showing it (the product), what it looks like, testimonials and reviews. This 8-1/2" x 11" piece was printed on one side only. The back is blank.
 
An early rule I learned: never send a blank piece of paper in the mail. Paper is heavy. You know that from lugging a ream of paper for the printer home from Staples. My advice to anyone: design a 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" (half the above piece) and use both sides.
 
4. The Ultimate Problem
Before anything, always run the numbers. It is absolutely, positively impossible to make money sending out a hugely expensive full-dress direct mail package selling a $12.99 product. 

 ###

 

Word count: 736

 


 You Are Invited to Meet Denny Hatch: http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2020/03/87-geezer-fast-yoga.html

At age 15, Denny Hatch—as a lowly apprentice—wrote his first news release for a Connecticut summer theater. To his astonishment it ran verbatim in The Middletown Press. He was instantly hooked on writing. After a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1958-60), Denny had nine jobs in his first 12 years in business. He was fired from five of them and went on to save two businesses and start three others. One of his businesses—WHO’S MAILING WHAT! newsletter and archive service founded in 1984—revolutionized the science of how to measure the success of competitors’ direct mail. In the past 55 years he has been a book club director, magazine publisher, advertising copywriter/designer, editor, journalist and marketing consultant. He is the author of four published novels and seven books on business and marketing.

CONTACT

dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Note to Readers:  
May I send you an alert when each new blog is posted? If so, kindly give me the okay by sending your First Name, Last Name and email to dennyhatch@yahoo.com. I guarantee your personal information will not be shared with anyone at any time for any reason. The blog is a free service. No cost. No risk. No obligation. Cancel any time. I look forward to being in touch!

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE POSTING A COMMENT… Email Me!
Google owns Blogspot.com and this Comment Section. If you do not have a Google account — or if you find it too damn complicated — contact me directly and I will happily post your comment with a note that this is per your permission. Thank you and do keep in touch. dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Invitation to Marketers and Direct Marketers: 
Guest Blog Posts Are Welcome. 
If you have a marketing story to tell, case history, concept to propose or a memoir, give a shout. I’ll get right back to you. I am: dennyhatch@yahoo.com
215-644-9526 (rings on my desk).
You Are Invited to Join the Discussion!

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

#112 Blog Post - "Oh, My Mail!"

 

http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2020/10/112-blog-post-oh-my-mail.html

 

#112 Blog Post - Wednesday, October 21, 2020

 

Posted by Denny Hatch

 

“OH, MY GOD!”
“OH, MY GOD!”

“OH, MY MAIL!”

 

 

On November 22, 1963 my client and late great friend Paul Goldberg was having lunch with two list brokers at the Pierre Hotel on 5th Avenue in New York. It was an uneventful lunch until the maitre d' stopped by the table, leaned in and said quietly, "Mr. Goldberg, the President has just been shot and killed." 


“Oh, my God!” said the list broker on Paul’s left.
“Oh, my God!” said the list broker on Paul’s right.

“Oh, my mail!” muttered Paul.

 

Paul nailed the problem. At the time, he was circulation director of Consumer Reports with six million subscribers. Paul—who knew more about the mechanics of direct mail than anyone I have ever met before or since—had just dropped a huge mailing the week before and the envelopes were all arriving across the country precisely when the assassin struck with his Manlicher-Carcano rifle from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository at Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

 

For the next two weeks the entire country—consumed by paroxysms of grief and disbelief—was glued to our TV sets for the incredible drama that continued to unfold:

• LBJ taking the oath of office on Air Force 1.
• Jackie in her pink pill-box hat and blood-spattered suit.

• The capture of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

• Jack Ruby murdering Oswald live on TV.

• The funeral with princes, prime ministers and presidents.
•Three-year-old John-John's salute to his father.


Nothing of this magnitude had ever been staged or seen by this many people—live and in color—in the history of the world!

 

Meanwhile, direct mail was being dutifully delivered by the U.S.P.S. (albeit slowly, as letter carriers stopped in front of the TV sets in appliance store windows to gawk at the unfolding tragedy). Paul had to deal with a loss of $75,000 in unopened mail plus the loss of a projected $400,000 from the revenue these mailings (and renewals) would have brought in.

 

What did the recipients—consumers and business people—do with the mountains of junk mail that was coming their way in this Christmas season?  We let it pile up. And at the end of the second week when things calmed down, we chucked it all out. It was time to start our lives over.

 

What Triggered This Column: Trump
And the Threat of a USPS Slowdown.

My former neighbor on Gaskell Street emailed me:

Hi Denny and Peggy,
I saw this suggestion in this past Sunday's NYT letters to the editor. Is this feasible? How would it be implemented?
 

 
 
My response:

 

Bob,
Great hearing from you.

From a mailer's point of view it's not a bad idea. The hysteria, anger, angst and divisiveness will be reaching fever pitch those first days of November. Direct mail is expensive as hell—the most expensive medium. No experienced direct mail marketer would dream of sending out anything and expect normal results in that time period.

 

An Elegant Experience:
Vote-by-Mail in Pennsylvania

I’m 85. Peggy considerably younger. We’re damn careful about going out. So early on we decided to vote-by-mail. Back in the days when we ran WHO’S MAILING WHAT! we saved all our mail and analyzed it (along with that of a dozen correspondents around the country). Having downsized to a 2BR Apt w/vu, I save nothing.

 

However, President Trump’s complaint that voting by mail is a huge scam is hogwash. I can personally attest to receiving probably 20-mailings and 10 emails concerning the disposition of our ballots.

 

“We received it….” “Watch for it…” “It’s on its way…”  “Here’s what to do when your ballot arrives…” “Watch the mail for your ballot…” “You should have received it by now…” “If you haven’t received your ballot….” 

 

We dutifully filled them out, took the bus to City Hall and waited (briefly) in line.

 

It was beautifully organized and staffed with enthusiastic, knowledgeable volunteers. We were in and out in oh, maybe 10 minutes.

 

Whereupon more mailings arrived from the USPS and various organizations: “If you decided to vote in person on Election Day…” “Be sure to send in your ballot!...” —a positive blitz of urgent reminders. Finally this showed up in my in-box:

 


                         Takeaways to Consider

• If a catastrophe occurs during a big mailing—a giant mail truck rolls into the Mississippi River taking your mailing with it... or an airliner is hijacked and lands in North Korea—thus causing the news to overpower your mailing (and revenue projections)—just eat it and get on with your life. Shit happens.

 

• Unlike email—which is basically free—direct mail is expensive as hell. List rental, paper, printing, envelopes, inserting and the biggest cost— postage. Minimum is 50¢ a pop. Often a buck or more.

 

• With email you are a mouse click away from oblivion.

 

• Direct mail is physical. It must be handled. It will be noticed. It takes a conscious effort to decide throw it out and throwing it out requires actual labor.

 

• Contrary to what the President said about the U.S.P.S., it is brilliantly efficient. And reliable.

 

• “U.S. Postal Service Tops List Again as Americans’ Favorite Government Agency.”

###

 

Word Count:846

 

 You Are Invited to Meet Denny Hatch: http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2020/03/87-geezer-fast-yoga.html

At age 15, Denny Hatch—as a lowly apprentice—wrote his first news release for a Connecticut summer theater. To his astonishment it ran verbatim in The Middletown Press. He was instantly hooked on writing. After a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1958-60), Denny had nine jobs in his first 12 years in business. He was fired from five of them and went on to save two businesses and start three others. One of his businesses—WHO’S MAILING WHAT! newsletter and archive service founded in 1984—revolutionized the science of how to measure the success of competitors’ direct mail. In the past 55 years he has been a book club director, magazine publisher, advertising copywriter/designer, editor, journalist and marketing consultant. He is the author of four published novels and seven books on business and marketing.

CONTACT

dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Note to Readers:  
May I send you an alert when each new blog is posted? If so, kindly give me the okay by sending your First Name, Last Name and email to dennyhatch@yahoo.com. I guarantee your personal information will not be shared with anyone at any time for any reason. The blog is a free service. No cost. No risk. No obligation. Cancel any time. I look forward to being in touch!

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE POSTING A COMMENT… Email Me!
Google owns Blogspot.com and this Comment Section. If you do not have a Google account — or if you find it too damn complicated — contact me directly and I will happily post your comment with a note that this is per your permission. Thank you and do keep in touch. dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Invitation to Marketers and Direct Marketers: 
Guest Blog Posts Are Welcome. 
If you have a marketing story to tell, case history, concept to propose or a memoir, give a shout. I’ll get right back to you. I am: dennyhatch@yahoo.com
215-644-9526 (rings on my desk).

You Are Invited to Join the Discussion!

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

#111 Blog Post, Blu Blockers

 

 http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2020/10/111-blog-post-blu-blockers.html

#111 Blog Post - Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Posted by Denny Hatch



The Awesome Power of Testimonials! 

The Product That Blitzed America (20 Million+ Sold!) and. . .
The Secret of How the Irrepressible Joe Sugarman Pulled It Off!


One of the revolutionary direct marketers and copywriters in the 1980s and 1990s was Joe Sugarman. He changed direct marketing forever when he introduced the toll-free 800-number.

 

In addition, Sugarman was the first to market a cordless telephone and  digital watches to everyman (and woman). His print ads in newspapers and magazines were everywhere you turned. For example, if you traveled for business or pleasure back then, every issue of every in-flight magazine of every airline was certain to have two or three full-page ads for Sugarman's goodies and high-tech gadgetry. They were immediately obvious with bold, catchy headlines and long copy that grabbed the reader by the throat and would not let go.

 

                                The King of Testimonials
In my opinion, Sugarman's greatest contribution to the lore and practice of direct marketing was his spectacular Blu Blocker TV infomercial that ran for 6 years. His secret: assembling man-on-the-street (and woman-on-the-street) drive-by testimonials—and cramming a whopping 35 wildly enthusiastic endorsements into 28 minutes. 

 

I've never seen anything like this—in terms of entertainment, pure fun and old-fashioned salesmanship—before or since!

 

                          The Blu Blockers Phee-nom!
After twenty years of selling bizarre products via traditional print channels—magazine and newspaper ads and catalogs—Sugarman's hit the jackpot. The product—of all ho-hum things—sunglasses! His print ad (see illustration above) was a masterpiece with a simply terrific lede:

 

Vision
Break-
through

___________________

When I put on the pair of
glasses what I saw I could
not believe. Nor will you.
____________________

 

By Joseph Sugarman

I am about to tell you a true story. If you believe me, you will be well rewarded. If you don't believe me, I will make it worth your time to change your mind. Let me explain. . .

 

This is intimate, personal direct marketing using mass media—magazines and newspapers.

Note the byline. Few copywriters sign their work.

He uses "I" and "me" (as opposed to "we," "us" an "our.") 

"The most important word in direct copy is not 'you'—as many of the textbooks would have it—but 'I,'" freelancer Richard Armstrong wrote to me. "What makes a letter seem 'personal' is the sense that one gets of being in the presence of the writer... that a real person sat down and wrote you a real letter."

 

Whereupon Sugarman ledes with a story.

 

Tell a Story If Possible
"Everybody loves a good story, be it about Peter Rabbit or King Lear. And the direct mail letter, with its unique person-to-person format
is the perfect vehicle for a story. And stories get read. The letter I wrote to launch the Cousteau Society twenty-some years ago has survived hundreds of tests against it. When I last heard, it was still being mailed in some form or other. The original of this direct mail Methuselah started out with this lead: 'A friend once told me a curious story I would like to share with you'..." —Harry Walsh, Freelance copywriter

 

"Story telling is very, very important. Some of my greatest ads, most successful ads, started with a story. And the story often has very little to do with the product you're selling or the service you're offering. But... people love stories, because when they were very young, when they were very small, they were read stories. And that's how they communicated and understood the world. So story telling is a really important part. It's one of the psychological triggers that I use a lot."
—Joe Sugarman


Marketing Genius Joe Sugarman

 

Now Watch These Two Simply Wonderful Videos!

Video #1: The Intriguing Backstory of Joe's Wildly Undisciplined, Unscripted Ad Hoc, Ad Lib infomercial.
Joe Sugarman's marketing of Blu Blockers was stunning—first via print and then all over television with his amazing infomercial.
Before I give you the link to the eye-popping, rule-breaking sales pitch, here is Joe revealing the Blu Blocker Story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyWtKxOf_xo

  

Video #2: Click Here for Joe's Brilliant Infomercial!
Watch for: 35 Real-life Testimonials (Count 'em!) in 28 Minutes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wuB_ufWhi8

 

Takeaways to Consider

• Whenever I get a copy assignment, I immediately want to know everything about the product or service. I want to see it, hold it, use it, get to know it, get from the client all the specs, features, benefits (what these features will do for me), USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and the story of the person or the company behind it.

 

• My last question is always: “Do you have testimonials from happy customers?”

 

• Astonishingly, the answer is often, “Oh, yeah, I think we’ve got some testimonials. I’ll see if we can find them. I Think they’re in a box somewhere.”

 

• “Don’t just say it — prove it!  Use testimonials, case histories.”
—Andrew J. Byrne

 

• A testimonial is another member of your sales team. It adds credence to you message.

 

• “If one testimonial tests well, try two. But don’t use testimonials by celebrities unless they are recognized authorities, like Arnold Palmer on golf clubs.”
—David Ogilvy

 

• "There are too many cases of testimonials being used in direct marketing campaigns without prior knowledge of the client/customer."
—Bob Martel

 

• “Always be clear what you are going to use the testimonial for and get their permission and ask them not to date it; that way you can use it for quite a while without anyone asking what has he/she done lately.”
Donn Richardson 

 

• “For testimonials, send the customer the text and have them type it onto their letterhead.”
Bob Wells

 

 • Ask the customer if you can use his/her name.
      • Full name (Doris Smith)?
      • Partial name (D. Smith)?
      • Initials (D.S., Peoria, IL)? 

  

• Always include a stamped, self-addressed envelope to make it easy peasy for the person to send you the testimonial.

 

• "Real testimonials have a genuine sound to them that’s very hard to reproduce, maybe the grammar is ever so slightly off, a peculiar choice of word usage, a point made that no professional copywriter ever would have considered; try and use these real raindrops wherever possible before you start seeding the clouds. Back in the days when silver dollars were common currency, bartenders, store clerks, etc. used to drop the dollar on the counter and listen to the ring... because it was distinctly different from the dull sound made by lead counterfeits.  I’ve found the same to be true of testimonials. People can spot the real ones from the made-up ones a mile away. So while I don’t disagree with the rules above, I’d be very careful about doing too much rewriting, suggesting and editing."
—Richard Armstrong 

 

• If you have a tiger by the tail (e.g., Blu Blockers) get the word out everywhere—with infomercials, TV spots, space ads, digital promotions, Social Media, direct mail, even maybe test roadside billboards. The effect can be cumulative. 


• If you use a person's testimonial, send a thank-you gift—flowers or one of your products—something that shows your appreciation.

 

###

 

Word Count:1162


 You Are Invited to Meet Denny Hatch: http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2020/03/87-geezer-fast-yoga.html

At age 15, Denny Hatch—as a lowly apprentice—wrote his first news release for a Connecticut summer theater. To his astonishment it ran verbatim in The Middletown Press. He was instantly hooked on writing. After a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1958-60), Denny had nine jobs in his first 12 years in business. He was fired from five of them and went on to save two businesses and start three others. One of his businesses—WHO’S MAILING WHAT! newsletter and archive service founded in 1984—revolutionized the science of how to measure the success of competitors’ direct mail. In the past 55 years he has been a book club director, magazine publisher, advertising copywriter/designer, editor, journalist and marketing consultant. He is the author of four published novels and seven books on business and marketing.

CONTACT 

Denny Hatch
dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Note to Readers:  
May I send you an alert when each new blog is posted? If so, kindly give me the okay by sending your First Name, Last Name and email to dennyhatch@yahoo.com. I guarantee your personal information will not be shared with anyone at any time for any reason. The blog is a free service. No cost. No risk. No obligation. Cancel any time. I look forward to being in touch!

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE POSTING A COMMENT… Email Me!
Google owns Blogspot.com and this Comment Section. If you do not have a Google account — or if you find it too damn complicated — contact me directly and I will happily post your comment with a note that this is per your permission. Thank you and do keep in touch. dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Invitation to Marketers and Direct Marketers: 
Guest Blog Posts Are Welcome. 
If you have a marketing story to tell, case history, concept to propose or a memoir, give a shout. I’ll get right back to you. I am: dennyhatch@yahoo.com
215-644-9526 (rings on my desk).

You Are Invited to Join the Discussion!