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I loved it to death (literally)

March 18th, 2014 |

I loved it to death (literally)

addited to computer

I held on too long… and choked the life out of it…

Running on blind passion fuelled by an 8-year obsession with daily motivation books, audios, DVDs and seminars…

…I eagerly dived headfirst into my first REAL business.

Since it was my first shot at a business, I thought,

“I know, maybe I’ll start with… Trying to change the WORLD”

Made perfect sense.

My plan was to run personal development workshops for kids between 7 and 13…

…And fill them up with all the vital life-skills missing from the typical schooling curriculum.

Like:

  • Self Esteem
  • Confidence
  • Resilience
  • Communication skills
  • Overcoming fear
  • Setting goals
  • And so on…

Told all my friends, family (even strangers) about my vision and I got a resounding,

“HELL YEAH BRET! Sounds awesome!”

(Just like I thought).

Chest puffed out, I walked up to my boss and announced my resignation.

I thought I’d share my vision with him at the same time…

Maybe he didn’t hear me properly, or something?

He didn’t seem impressed one bit.

Weirdo.

Anyway…

For the next 3 months, I contacted every person who LOVED my idea and encouraged them to enrol their kids/s into my first 2-day workshop.

Insert: “Sound of a Cricket”

Dismal response, on all counts…

I bashed my knuckles on the doors of all the local schools…

(Surely they’ll be keen)

… But I was quickly tangled up in more red tape than even a rich politician could escape from…

You see…

Everyone LOVED my idea… But no one was prepared to pay for it.

After 4 months, my funds were dangerously low…

Go here for the full story of my marketing turnaround from $16K to $200K+ in 12months

I needed help…

I tracked down Australia’s best marketing gurus, like Mal Emery and Andrew & Daryl Grant.

These guys were the first people who told me straight…

My business model SUCKED!

They then mumbled some fluff about needing a better marketing system, or some gibberish.

Boy, weren’t they disillusioned…

Little did they know I was standing on the shoulders of great men, like…

Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Maxwell Maltz, Anthony Robbins, David Schwatz, Og Mandino, Jim Rohn, and more…

How could it NOT work?

I had determination, perseverance, confidence, stamina, vision, belief, motivation and INTEGRITY.

On top of that… it was my PASSION… So there!

I loved my business idea

I loved it… to death.

After 12months, while raising my 3 sons who were (and still are) my primary motivation, I made a total of…

$16,017 for the year

Had to move back into my parent’s house.

At 33.

And that’s when I decided to learn direct-response marketing.

Go here for the full story of my marketing turnaround from $16K to $200K+ in 12months

Today’s lesson… Don’t fall in love with your product.

You can have all the altruistic, noble, philanthropic qualities out there…

But to succeed in business… First and foremost… you need to know direct–response marketing.

Here’s your best way to startClient Rush 3D Book

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. When you order, I’m looking forward to sitting down at my desk and writing you a personal message, in your new book 

Are you guilty of LAZY marketing? (Avoid this)

March 5th, 2014 |

Are you guilty of LAZY marketing? (Avoid this)

dog lazy shutterstock_176223206

 Why Being A Slack Marketer Can STUNT Conversions

All the pros tell you to swipe winning headlines and tweak them for your own…

Makes sense right?

Some of the most ripped off headline templates are over 30-years old.

But be warned… Just because something worked 30-years ago doesn’t mean it would work in today’s market.

In fact, something that worked 12 months ago might not cut it in today’s market…

Truth is… Your market-audience is getting wiser.

No doubt, your competitors are rehashing the same BIG benefits and promises you are…

Your market is becoming more sophisticated.

Their advertising-intelligence is evolving.

And they’ve been numb to the hype for years.

Take this in, please…

Their awareness is moving to higher stages… and with that… your marketing has to evolve also…

If you’re just starting… sure… use an old template, because it’s probably a safer bet than a rookie ‘opinion-based’ headline.

No ribbing from me if you do…

However… for you sophisticated marketers… especially if you’re in a mature, competitive market…

… Then you need a new hook.

Eugene Schwartz, in his all-time-classic book, “Breakthrough Advertising” called it a ‘Mechanism’.

Meaning, you need a new element to hook your reader.

The weight loss industry passed through the BIG BENEFIT stage…

How many times have you seen promises like this?

“Lose 10kg in 10-Weeks”

They have to fight between the other 10,000 businesses promising the same thing…

The smarter marketers evolved to adding a new mechanism as the hook, to differentiate themselves, like…

“A Secret Nutrient Discovered In A Fruit Only Found In A Remote Tropical Island Off Hawaii That Strips Fat Without Exercise”

And so on… you get the idea…

And when that level of awareness tires out, then you have to adapt again…

Keep current… And keep testing fresh new appeals to your audience, so your conversions are growing not declining…Client Rush 3D Book

I’ve got a crash-course, cheat-sheet tutorial on how to write killer headlines.

You’ll get it all on pages 54 to 73 when you order my book Client Rush

Inside that section are about 50 of the best headlines to “Inspire” you for ideas…

And they’ll also sharpen your skills for email subject lines and bullet points.

Till next time…

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. My post-office day is tomorrow and I’ve got a bundle of new book orders (personally signed) I’m mailing out, so if you want me to add your book, then follow this link to order it now

Your Baby Is Ugly (Tough Love)

February 20th, 2014 |

Your Baby Is Ugly (Tough Love)

Man as baby_Vignette

Hard-Ass Marketing Advice For Thick-Skinned Readers

 

I wasn’t the most popular kid on the block last week…

One after the other, a bunch of enthusiastic business owners fronted up on a Skype call with me to see if they qualified for my Super-Six coaching program…

They proudly shared their business idea with me, like it was their first-new-born baby…

Then came the hardest part in my profession.

I had to tell them their baby was ugly.

Ouch.

I first heard my ol’ mentor Mal Emery say, “No one likes being told their baby is ugly”.

Damn right.

But in the marketing game, you need a tough, straight-shooting coach, or you could lose money faster than a reckless gambler…

And just as risky if you ask me…

Remember all those horrifically painful (and hilarious) auditions on ‘Australian Idol’, by obviously “musically-challenged” wanna-bes?

Question… Where were their TRUE friends to stop them from publically humiliating themselves, huh?

Disillusionment at it’s best!

And now they’re scarred for life (thanks to YouTube).

In case you’re wondering… If I was to look at your website or review your marketing strategy, I don’t take the ‘warm, fuzzy, sugar-coated’ approach…

My critiques may come across harsh and blunt, but it’s tough love… and at least you know where you stand… and how to improve it fast!

Just this week, I turned one client’s business model on its head and mapped out his entire funnel… The RIGHT way.

Result?

He’ll make double the returns in 2-weeks (instead of 8 months).

The lesson? Strike when the iron is HOT.

Your clients are ‘generally’ the most excited on their first encounter with you.

As each day passes, their excitement level decreases. So don’t slow down the sales process of making your best offer…

Strike when the iron is HOT!

What I mean is… Email auto-responders are fantastic for building relationship and trust, but making your best offer, nice and early, is the smartest move…

You’ll make more moolah… and faster… plus you’ll help your client get faster results.

WIN/WIN

Okay, that’s enough for you to run with today.

But… if you need my help, keep reading…

If you want my masterful eye to review your website and sales pages, plus critique your marketing strategy, then I’m happy to do that…

… But there’s one small condition…

I have to be confident I can help you first.

Some ‘GURUS’ grab the purse no matter what.

Not me.

If I don’t think my ideas will help you make a significant financial difference… then no money will be exchanged.

Simple.

Some of my Super Six applicants were blown away by the free advice I gave them, even though I still turned them down, wanting nothing in return.

You see, my goal is NOT to make more money… It’s to make more of a difference…

And the finances will take care of themselves.

That’s for another convo… Anyway, here’s what you should do next…

Shoot me an email at info@bretthomson.com and I’ll email you back with the cost of my LIVE critique/strategy sessions.

No decision necessary on your part… I’ll just let you know what I’m offering and you can decide if it’s for you or not…

Easy. Zero pressure.

Talk soon…

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. I’m only accepting 3 or 4 of these BIG IDEA/Critique sessions for Feb, so send me an email at info@bretthomson.com and I’ll shoot you the details right away…

Is Your Brain Culling Your Sales Too?

February 18th, 2014 |

Is Your Brain Culling Your Sales Too?

shutterstock_86058322VignetteHere’s when OVER thinking will dry up your flow of sales like a barren, dusty riverbed.

 

After a flurry of back-to-back qualifying calls with dozens of the Super-Six coaching applicants…

… I was reminded of some old-school truths.

One of them being…

Don’t try to be TOO clever with your message.

It’s the curse of newbie-copywriters and ambitious business owners.

The obsession with using big, fancy words and clever twists will only suffocate your marketing efforts.

Strip your message raw, to the bone, and answer this question…

“What’s your big promise?”

What are you SPECIFICALLY promising your prospect?

Okay, imagine I’m your prospect…

Explain it to me (in simple language) like I was a fidgety, sugar-junkie-14-year-old-kid with ADHD.

(Don’t laugh, that’s the equivalent attention span of most adults today, so take it on board)

You’ve got 10 seconds of my attention – Don’t waste it. What have you got? – What’s the big promise?

Any mumbo-jumbo intellectual jargon is doing nothing more than feeding your own ego.

Any creative waffle is purely for your own entertainment.

Don’t compare yourself to your competitor.

Your game is not trying to impress them, or outsmart them…

You’re trying to impress me. Your purpose is to catch MY attention and interest. You want me to have clarity and desire to want to know more.

Don’t over think it.

A confused prospect never buys.

Shave down your message to the core promise and start from there.

Yes, there are more advanced, bolt-on techniques to make your message even more irresistible and compelling…

But this is the ONLY place to start.

Got it?

Look, if you wanna nail this (which most people need to) then here’s how…Client Rush 3D Book

You’ll learn all about these magnetic sales tactics when you flick over to Section 2 (page 35) of my marketing bible, “Client Rush”

And just like Joe Vitale (Featured on “The Secret”) said…

“You can no longer complain about needing more clients again because the answers are inside this book. An amazing jam-packed treasure-chest of ‘client-attraction’ tactics for you to immediately apply” – Joe Vitale

I’m heading to the post office tomorrow, so if you want me to send you your signed copy, click here now.

And yes, if you’re a kindle-lover, you can devour it on kindle as well…

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. Come on… Go grab this book already 😉

Why Most New Year’s Resolutions and Sales Letters Fail

January 9th, 2014 |

Why Most New Year’s Resolutions and Sales Letters Fail

Nerd Party VignetteHere’s why most New Year’s resolutions fizzle out early like a soggy firecracker (The SAME reason most sales letters fail too)

I started writing a gnarly New Year’s REV-UP email for you… then I scrapped it.

Don’t worry… I’ve salvaged the most important tip for you as a bumper-guard, to keep you in the right lane.

… But you know what’s funny?

The reason most New Year’s resolutions fizzle out early like a soggy firecracker is the SAME reason most sales letters fail.

Fix this one area in your life and marketing and expect an avalanche of results…

Let me demonstrate…

Enter, Bob.

Bob’s FIRED-UP about his new year’s resolution. Followed the goal-setting ritual to the tee.

–       Wrote his goals down as if they’d already happened

–       Read them out daily

–       Even spent time visualising

–       Told his friends and made it public

–       Started daily tasks to make it happen

Way to go Bob. Off to a flying start…

Press the fast forward button to mid February.

“Real life” has caught up and sucked Bob back into his old routines.

He’s missed quite a few days… now stretching into a week with no goal-activity…

It’s okay but… He’s justified in his mind that “Life” got waaaaay too busy to maintain his new daily tasks.

No one is asking how he’s going, so he doesn’t mention it either.

To top it off… He satisfies his ego with a paperweight promise that he’ll start again when things slow down…

Hmmm. We all know how that one plays out, don’t we?

Here’s the main problem.

He was running on logic not emotion.

Logic alone won’t keep the engines burning. You’ve gotta fill your tanks with emotion.

Logic isn’t going to get you out of your warm, snug, cosy bed at 5am on a chilly morning to exercise or to study…

It’s only the high-voltage emotional reasons that’ll spring you out of your comfortable state and into action.

It’s your heart-felt emotional reason that’ll keep you in the fight when life’s comforts and routines back you into a corner…

“The true test of a man’s character is to carry through a resolution long after the mood in which it was made has passed”

Emotion is the key.

And it’s the same powerful emotional reasoning that’ll compel YOUR prospects to take action and buy from you.

Are you trying to logically convince your prospects why they should buy from you?

It’s not enough.

Logic might get their attention…

Logic might stir their interest…

Logic might get them thinking about buying from you…

But logic alone will rarely (if ever) pull them over the line to take action.

Can you convince a hardcore Apple iPhone user that the new Samsung is better?

Logic rarely works… The emotional connection is often too strong.

Each logical point must be backed up with powerful emotional reasoning…

Can a QLD State-of-Origin supporter logically convince a NSW supporter that their team is better?

Even after 8 straight wins?

Nope. Cos they’d be lying anyway (wink).

If you saw two unknown tennis players battling it out on TV… Two elite athletes both as deserving of the win as each other…

But one of the players has a story.

Their father/coach sadly died one week earlier… and now the player is trying to win in their father’s honour.

Who are you going for now?

You see, when people buy weight loss pills, face creams or exercise programs… their reason is not simply because they feel they need them or even like them…

… It’s because their emotion of vanity compels them.

Successful marketers don’t appeal to people’s intellect… They appeal to EMOTION.

The world’s most popular religions attract the masses by emotion.

You, me, your prospect, and every other humanoid… we all carry, consciously and unconsciously, a dominant emotional desire that occupies our mind every minute of every day.

Tune into that emotional desire with your sales copy and you’ll get their immediate attention. Tie it up with what you’re offering and you’ll be closer to getting the sale.

Here’s one of my favourite examples.

A classic old headline with an emotional appeal for a National Cash Register company,

“If someone were to make your son a thief… Feeling as you do about your own boy, is it right to put temptation in the way of other men’s boys?”

I love that.

So what’s the dominant emotion for your prospects?

If you need help nailing the emotional appeal with your marketing, let us find it for you and put it to work…

That’s what my “Project-Success” team does…

Go here to see how we can work together on your next project www.BretThomson.com/project_success

Think big. Be different

Bret Thomson

P.S. Let me know your thoughts with a comment below or freely share… Talk soon…