Have you considered the lucrative opportunity in finder`s fees? You could become a professional finder and earn a fortune from this alone. Alternatively, you could supplement your present income with finder`s fees.
A finder is someone who finds something for a person or business. The amount paid for this service is called a finder`s fee.
What is the difference between a finder and a broker or commissioned salesperson?
A broker or commissioned salesperson gets paid a percentage of the sale made. Usually, such person acts as an agent for the owner of the goods or services sold. He becomes actively engaged with the sales process, supplying information to facilitate the sale, negotiates the contract, arranges financing, and completes paper work.
On the other hand, a finder simply introduces a buyer to a seller for a fee. He does not become involved in the sales process and is not an agent acting on behalf of the seller.
The best areas to earn finder`s fees are those in which you already have expertise and interest. For example, if you are an expert on airplanes and have connections in the aviation industry, you could earn finder`s fees finding suitable planes for those needing them.
You can earn finder`s fees in many areas including equipment (used or new), equipment leasing, finding locations for franchises or vending, scarce materials, commodities, financing, et cetera.
Connections are the inventory of a finder. You are being paid to find something of value by someone who doesn`t know where (or doesn`t have the time) to find it. Your knowledge of where and who to get something from is invaluable information that people are willing to pay for.
Protect yourself with written contracts. Also, document all efforts you have made to earn your finder`s fee.
Before you introduce a buyer to a seller, have the seller acknowledge in writing that they have agreed to pay you a finder`s fee of so much upon successful completion of a sale. After obtaining a properly executed written contract (which may be a simple one page letter agreement), inform the person by written correspondence (sent by registered mail) about the buyer. Keep all copies of correspondence and other written documentation in case it becomes necessary to enforce your rights later. Proper documentation should help you to avoid any misunderstandings.
Just as the business that sells something pays its sales staff, likewise the seller generally pays the finder`s fee. The seller is the one that makes a profit from the sale and so usually is the one that pays commissions or finder`s fees.
However, if a buyer is particularly anxious to buy something, he might offer a finder`s fee. Therefore, it is possible to collect such fees from either the seller or the buyer.
It is possible to find finder`s fees opportunities offered in magazines, newspapers, and newsletters. You can find additional opportunities by doing your own research. Use your contacts, reference and phone books at the library, the Internet, persons you know (or don`t know) who might have the information you need, as well as other sources to find what is needed.
For example, if someone tells you they can`t find a pilot with an airplane outfitted with geophysical survey equipment, have you considered talking to airport employees, pilots, business acquaintances, exploration companies and manufacturers?
Make sure that all your communications and dealings (telephone, correspondence, letterheads, contracts, et cetera) reflect the professional nature of your business.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Successful Books
Like most first time authors, I figured that once the word was out that I'd written a book, the world would beat a path to my door wanting to buy it. I'll admit I gave little thought to marketing until the day my first printing of Handbook To A Happier Life was delivered. In a panic, I called a published author I knew and asked, "What do I do now?" She suggested several books about book marketing, which I bought immediately. I was on my way.
Success in book selling is a three step process: 1. Write the book. 2. Print the book. 3. Sell the book. That last one can be bit tricky:-)
Space does not permit me to go into all the details of my process or to list the many people who helped, however, there are a couple of very important points I learned early on which made all the difference.
The most important thing I learned was to identify my reader. As much as I hated to admit it, not everyone would buy my book. My early feedback told me entrepreneurs, network marketers and salespeople were buying my book. I began to ask myself focused questions as to how I could best reach these people. I set goals. After all, if you don't have a goal, how will you know when you've succeeded? I took specific actions daily. That's important. Consistent action will make all the difference.
There were days when I was ready to give up but I kept taking action. I refused to give up. Another important point. Never, never, never give up! One day, a door opened. I had located a distributor who was selling to the market I wanted to reach. They reviewed "Handbook To A Happier Life" and it was put on a recommended reading list. It went into eight printings with almost 100,000 copies sold and was translated into several languages, and then sold to a big publisher. I knew all along that once people saw this book, they would want to read it.
I firmly believe most books will sell once you have taken the time to clearly define your market, set your goals and commit to taking daily action. And more action - keeping in mind that there are many places you can sell books besides bookstores. Go for it!
The Best Business Card You Ever Had
"Keep in mind Jim, this is a great business card." That was my first lesson as a new author and it has served me well over the years. On a lark, I sent 20 copies of my new book to the presidents of several big direct sales companies. The result was a glowing testimonial from the president of one of the companies, along with an order for 250 books. Was it worth the cost of giving away the 20? You bet it was! I like to think of giving away books as planting seeds. You never know which ones will spout or when.
Many professional speakers and coaches willingly give away their $12 paperback book (with a cost of a $2-$4) and attract clients and bookings worth thousands of dollars from it. Others obtain high priced consulting contracts using the book as a door opener.
Success in book selling is a three step process: 1. Write the book. 2. Print the book. 3. Sell the book. That last one can be bit tricky:-)
Space does not permit me to go into all the details of my process or to list the many people who helped, however, there are a couple of very important points I learned early on which made all the difference.
The most important thing I learned was to identify my reader. As much as I hated to admit it, not everyone would buy my book. My early feedback told me entrepreneurs, network marketers and salespeople were buying my book. I began to ask myself focused questions as to how I could best reach these people. I set goals. After all, if you don't have a goal, how will you know when you've succeeded? I took specific actions daily. That's important. Consistent action will make all the difference.
There were days when I was ready to give up but I kept taking action. I refused to give up. Another important point. Never, never, never give up! One day, a door opened. I had located a distributor who was selling to the market I wanted to reach. They reviewed "Handbook To A Happier Life" and it was put on a recommended reading list. It went into eight printings with almost 100,000 copies sold and was translated into several languages, and then sold to a big publisher. I knew all along that once people saw this book, they would want to read it.
I firmly believe most books will sell once you have taken the time to clearly define your market, set your goals and commit to taking daily action. And more action - keeping in mind that there are many places you can sell books besides bookstores. Go for it!
The Best Business Card You Ever Had
"Keep in mind Jim, this is a great business card." That was my first lesson as a new author and it has served me well over the years. On a lark, I sent 20 copies of my new book to the presidents of several big direct sales companies. The result was a glowing testimonial from the president of one of the companies, along with an order for 250 books. Was it worth the cost of giving away the 20? You bet it was! I like to think of giving away books as planting seeds. You never know which ones will spout or when.
Many professional speakers and coaches willingly give away their $12 paperback book (with a cost of a $2-$4) and attract clients and bookings worth thousands of dollars from it. Others obtain high priced consulting contracts using the book as a door opener.
Building & Competitive
Many webmasters spend a lot of time tweaking their sites for the search engines because they think that search engines will bring them the most traffic for the time and money spent. It is a good use of time but combined with a link building campaign and some competitive intelligence work, any webmaster can triple the traffic created or better.
Strategic Link Building
Link building is directly related to search engine optimization. Because of this many webmasters fail to think about link building as a strategy of its own separate from the search engine optimization aspect. Strategic link building can bring in a lot of targeted high quality traffic to your website. There are three good methods for obtaining quality links. Each method becomes more powerful.
The first method is simple and easily implemented. You go surfing for sites that you like, and would appeal to your visitors, and you ask for a link. It helps to offer a reciprocal link in exchange but it is not always necessary.
To get results, you’ll need to send your request to about ten sites for every one positive response you get. Once you get some experience, these odds will improve. So, expect to do a little work. The results will be worth it.
Please Note: In approaching the prospective website’s webmaster, make sure you are sending them a relevant link request and make it personal. Let them know you visited their site and why a link would be valuable. There are a few link building software programs that send spam to webmasters. You want to make sure that the email you send is sincere. Link building is a legitimate marketing strategy and approached ethically it can have significant impact on your bottom line. It’s worth taking the time to do it right.
The second link strategy is also very powerful. It is also simple. Submit articles to free content sites and to be included in other site’s ezines. These free content sites will post your articles on their websites and offer your article to webmasters to reprint on their sites and newsletters. This is a great strategy. You don’t even have to write the articles, you just need to obtain one. You can hire a ghostwriter or a guest writer. The key is that each article has a resource box that contains your website name and a link. The article can be reprinted only as long as it also contains the resource box. If you have a popular subject, your article and link can get published on thousands of websites this way.
And talk about targeted traffic. If you’re selling fly fishing rods to an upscale audience you can write an article for that audience and by the very nature of the article it will get picked up by websites that attract your clientele. They will read your article and click over to your site. This is high quality targeted traffic.
As you are have probably already thought about, the links are also great for your search engine rankings. The link in your article is surrounded by your site keywords. The article itself will populate the search engines and the links to your site will support higher page rank. It’s all good.
The third strategy has been around since the internet began. It is to post to forums and news groups. It’s easy and fun plus the links are valid and hold a lot of weight. The search engines like forum post links a lot. In fact, the best way to submit your site to the search engines is to post your website link in a popular forum. The forum will be spidered within 72 hours and your site will begin the submission process on it’s own.
Here too, stay on topic and be honest about your posts. You can buy a spam poster and post to ten thousand forums automatically but, being about the oldest trick in the book, it will get you in a lot of trouble. It’s not good business. Seek out forums you like and get involved. That’s all there is to it.
If you want to learn more about article distribution here are two links that will help. The first one is for an ezine article submission program and the second link is for submitting article to article directories.
Strategic Link Building
Link building is directly related to search engine optimization. Because of this many webmasters fail to think about link building as a strategy of its own separate from the search engine optimization aspect. Strategic link building can bring in a lot of targeted high quality traffic to your website. There are three good methods for obtaining quality links. Each method becomes more powerful.
The first method is simple and easily implemented. You go surfing for sites that you like, and would appeal to your visitors, and you ask for a link. It helps to offer a reciprocal link in exchange but it is not always necessary.
To get results, you’ll need to send your request to about ten sites for every one positive response you get. Once you get some experience, these odds will improve. So, expect to do a little work. The results will be worth it.
Please Note: In approaching the prospective website’s webmaster, make sure you are sending them a relevant link request and make it personal. Let them know you visited their site and why a link would be valuable. There are a few link building software programs that send spam to webmasters. You want to make sure that the email you send is sincere. Link building is a legitimate marketing strategy and approached ethically it can have significant impact on your bottom line. It’s worth taking the time to do it right.
The second link strategy is also very powerful. It is also simple. Submit articles to free content sites and to be included in other site’s ezines. These free content sites will post your articles on their websites and offer your article to webmasters to reprint on their sites and newsletters. This is a great strategy. You don’t even have to write the articles, you just need to obtain one. You can hire a ghostwriter or a guest writer. The key is that each article has a resource box that contains your website name and a link. The article can be reprinted only as long as it also contains the resource box. If you have a popular subject, your article and link can get published on thousands of websites this way.
And talk about targeted traffic. If you’re selling fly fishing rods to an upscale audience you can write an article for that audience and by the very nature of the article it will get picked up by websites that attract your clientele. They will read your article and click over to your site. This is high quality targeted traffic.
As you are have probably already thought about, the links are also great for your search engine rankings. The link in your article is surrounded by your site keywords. The article itself will populate the search engines and the links to your site will support higher page rank. It’s all good.
The third strategy has been around since the internet began. It is to post to forums and news groups. It’s easy and fun plus the links are valid and hold a lot of weight. The search engines like forum post links a lot. In fact, the best way to submit your site to the search engines is to post your website link in a popular forum. The forum will be spidered within 72 hours and your site will begin the submission process on it’s own.
Here too, stay on topic and be honest about your posts. You can buy a spam poster and post to ten thousand forums automatically but, being about the oldest trick in the book, it will get you in a lot of trouble. It’s not good business. Seek out forums you like and get involved. That’s all there is to it.
If you want to learn more about article distribution here are two links that will help. The first one is for an ezine article submission program and the second link is for submitting article to article directories.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Article Marketing
I am signed up to receive emails from one of my favorite restaurants. I signed their email list because they send me a free appetizer coupon on my birthday. Because of this I'm willing to let them send me other emails throughout the year. I have often thought about how they are wasting this opportunity. This is because they never send me emails that interest me.
This restaurant is practicing direct mail marketing. They have access to my email, and so they have access to me. They send me letters trying to tempt me to go get food from them. What they aren't doing is sending me information that interests me.
Article marketing has to potential to link businesses and consumers in a very unique way. A successful article will interest the reader. The restaurant that sends me emails could be sending me articles that I'd be interested in. If they did that I would anxiously open their emails rather than just delete them without reading them.
It's not easy to figure out what is going to interest a customer. If a business is sending them direct mail then they are trying to reach them on a somewhat personal level. Article marketing also attempts this fictional one-on-one relationship. Really, direct mail marketing and article marketing go hand in hand with each other, and benefit greatly from one another.
It wouldn't take much to get me to open an email from the restaurant. For instance, if I received an email from them telling me all about a farm that they get their food from, I'd probably read it. I'd read the entire article, and the whole time I'd be getting more and more hungry for their food. I might go to their restaurant that night.
A well written article is a powerful tool. If a business has the power to get an article to a potential client, then they should do it. In today's world interest is everything. If you can captivate, then you can sell.
Article marketing works well during a slow economy. People think they have no money, but they do. They go out searching for something free. An article sent to their home is free. If it looks interesting then they'll read it. If it interests them then you've got them. They will give you what money they have.
The restaurant I receive emails from will ever rise to their potential. It doesn't matter much, because they're pretty crowded every night anyway. Other businesses cannot afford to be so sloppy with their resources. How often do company's email things that aren't going to interest the receiver? Why email it in the first place?
The key to successful direct mail marketing is to interest the person receiving the mail. Article marketing works under the assumption that you can interest people. If used together both modes of advertising can reach greater heights.
So the next time you're putting together your direct mail package, think about putting an article in there geared toward your client. It just might do the trick.
This restaurant is practicing direct mail marketing. They have access to my email, and so they have access to me. They send me letters trying to tempt me to go get food from them. What they aren't doing is sending me information that interests me.
Article marketing has to potential to link businesses and consumers in a very unique way. A successful article will interest the reader. The restaurant that sends me emails could be sending me articles that I'd be interested in. If they did that I would anxiously open their emails rather than just delete them without reading them.
It's not easy to figure out what is going to interest a customer. If a business is sending them direct mail then they are trying to reach them on a somewhat personal level. Article marketing also attempts this fictional one-on-one relationship. Really, direct mail marketing and article marketing go hand in hand with each other, and benefit greatly from one another.
It wouldn't take much to get me to open an email from the restaurant. For instance, if I received an email from them telling me all about a farm that they get their food from, I'd probably read it. I'd read the entire article, and the whole time I'd be getting more and more hungry for their food. I might go to their restaurant that night.
A well written article is a powerful tool. If a business has the power to get an article to a potential client, then they should do it. In today's world interest is everything. If you can captivate, then you can sell.
Article marketing works well during a slow economy. People think they have no money, but they do. They go out searching for something free. An article sent to their home is free. If it looks interesting then they'll read it. If it interests them then you've got them. They will give you what money they have.
The restaurant I receive emails from will ever rise to their potential. It doesn't matter much, because they're pretty crowded every night anyway. Other businesses cannot afford to be so sloppy with their resources. How often do company's email things that aren't going to interest the receiver? Why email it in the first place?
The key to successful direct mail marketing is to interest the person receiving the mail. Article marketing works under the assumption that you can interest people. If used together both modes of advertising can reach greater heights.
So the next time you're putting together your direct mail package, think about putting an article in there geared toward your client. It just might do the trick.
Market Prospecting
I've heard a lot of debate about the whole "Warm Market" thing. Traditional network marketing guru's seem to have a strong opinion that warm market prospecting is the only effective method, while the new marketers of the digital age think they're crazy and can't imagine going to their "friends and family" when they can access over a billion people online.
Here are the top five myths I've heard, and my take on each one:
1. You can only build a network marketing business in your warm market.
This one should simply be re-phrased to, "I can only build a network marketing business in MY warm market." Because this is only said by traditionalists who don't know any other way. There are just too many success stories in the online network marketing arena to back up that claim.
2. Nobody has built a big team online or with leads.
Again, this statement should simply be re-phrased to, "I don't know anybody who builds online who's successful." Well, this is simply a matter of you not educating yourself on the current marketplace. They're out there, but you haven't met them yet.
3. Home meetings are the best way to build your business
This one is purely subjective. Have home meetings built massive teams? Absolutely. And if you love home meetings, go for it. But that doesn't make it the best method for everybody, it just makes it the best for you. For me, home meetings are the WORST way to build my business. I'm a family man, and when I'm home I'm home. I love time with my wife and kids, and I'm busy with their sports, singing, church activities etc, and I want to keep it that way. Because I build my business online, my home remains a home, and my online systems work for me 24/7, building my business automatically.
4. Weekly hotel meetings are essential for network marketing growth.
This is another very subjective thing. According to Randy Gage, weekly meetings are only effective in the start up phase of a business. After that they become a hang out for "professional meeting attenders," and the meeting numbers stay fairly flat while core people meet weekly to show off their new clothes and cars to each other. But the ratio of guests to distributors is terrible.
So if you love a weekly meeting, go for it! But to assume it's essential for growth is simply not true.
5. It's a relationship business.
Now here's where I'm going to get in some hot water. What if that statement isn't true? It's one of the core beliefs of traditional network marketers, but let's analyze it for a minute.
Why is network marketing considered a relationship business? I mean, all network marketing is is a network of distributors recommending products or services to others, who then do the same. In the end, will these people buy the products or services because of a relationship, or because of the merits of the products themselves? Remember, every company out there believes their product or service is strong enough to stand up in the marketplace regardless of whether there's a compensation plan attached or not, right? So it stands to reason that people will continue to use a good product even if they DISLIKE the person who told them about it.
So the fact is that the person who actually will make the most money isn't the one who builds the most relationships, but the person who has the most volume in their organization. It's a brutal reality, but there it is.
But before you go screaming that Dave Sherwin is some heartless marketing monster, I'm really not. I love people. I just choose to build my business online. And the fascinating paradox of this warm market vs. online marketing debate, is that my "warm market" is bigger than it's ever been! I have friends all over the WORLD! I have distributors in countries I haven't even visited! After all is said and done, I have more relationships than ever before because of online network marketing.
So if you are fascinated by the world of online network marketing, go for it! It works, it's fun, it's rewarding, and it can be VERY profitable.
Dave Sherwin is a Network Marketer who won the "Rookie of the Year"award in a large international network marketing company, building a team of over 700 people his first 6 months.
Here are the top five myths I've heard, and my take on each one:
1. You can only build a network marketing business in your warm market.
This one should simply be re-phrased to, "I can only build a network marketing business in MY warm market." Because this is only said by traditionalists who don't know any other way. There are just too many success stories in the online network marketing arena to back up that claim.
2. Nobody has built a big team online or with leads.
Again, this statement should simply be re-phrased to, "I don't know anybody who builds online who's successful." Well, this is simply a matter of you not educating yourself on the current marketplace. They're out there, but you haven't met them yet.
3. Home meetings are the best way to build your business
This one is purely subjective. Have home meetings built massive teams? Absolutely. And if you love home meetings, go for it. But that doesn't make it the best method for everybody, it just makes it the best for you. For me, home meetings are the WORST way to build my business. I'm a family man, and when I'm home I'm home. I love time with my wife and kids, and I'm busy with their sports, singing, church activities etc, and I want to keep it that way. Because I build my business online, my home remains a home, and my online systems work for me 24/7, building my business automatically.
4. Weekly hotel meetings are essential for network marketing growth.
This is another very subjective thing. According to Randy Gage, weekly meetings are only effective in the start up phase of a business. After that they become a hang out for "professional meeting attenders," and the meeting numbers stay fairly flat while core people meet weekly to show off their new clothes and cars to each other. But the ratio of guests to distributors is terrible.
So if you love a weekly meeting, go for it! But to assume it's essential for growth is simply not true.
5. It's a relationship business.
Now here's where I'm going to get in some hot water. What if that statement isn't true? It's one of the core beliefs of traditional network marketers, but let's analyze it for a minute.
Why is network marketing considered a relationship business? I mean, all network marketing is is a network of distributors recommending products or services to others, who then do the same. In the end, will these people buy the products or services because of a relationship, or because of the merits of the products themselves? Remember, every company out there believes their product or service is strong enough to stand up in the marketplace regardless of whether there's a compensation plan attached or not, right? So it stands to reason that people will continue to use a good product even if they DISLIKE the person who told them about it.
So the fact is that the person who actually will make the most money isn't the one who builds the most relationships, but the person who has the most volume in their organization. It's a brutal reality, but there it is.
But before you go screaming that Dave Sherwin is some heartless marketing monster, I'm really not. I love people. I just choose to build my business online. And the fascinating paradox of this warm market vs. online marketing debate, is that my "warm market" is bigger than it's ever been! I have friends all over the WORLD! I have distributors in countries I haven't even visited! After all is said and done, I have more relationships than ever before because of online network marketing.
So if you are fascinated by the world of online network marketing, go for it! It works, it's fun, it's rewarding, and it can be VERY profitable.
Dave Sherwin is a Network Marketer who won the "Rookie of the Year"award in a large international network marketing company, building a team of over 700 people his first 6 months.
Effective Brochure
A brochure is your best opportunity to provide your readers with enough information to establish clear communication about products or services. A brochure can range in size and page count so there is a great deal of flexibility. However, remember that an effective layout is crucial to ensure that the information or message is effectively communicated and read. Here are some brochure layout tips.
Decide on the size and brochure style. Will it be 8.5x 11" or 11x 17"? How many pages? Do you want to make it booklet form? There are many options and you need to look at each one carefully to decide which best suits your particular situation or project.
Make sure you design the layout for the page size you intend to use. In other words if you designed the brochure for a 6x9" format but then used letter sized paper, the end result would be disappointing. It may seem obvious, but these types of errors happen more often than you might think. It's best to give a lot of forethought into the overall design.
Allow for bleed. If you intend to use graphic elements which will go to the edge of the paper, remember that most printers cannot print all the way to the edge so you typically use over-sized paper and then trim it to size.
Make sure the images you use are high resolution. Many images on the Internet are about 75 to 90 dpi. This is sufficient for viewing on a web page. However, if you cut and pasted this type of image to use on a brochure, it would print poorly.
In general make certain that all pictures and graphics you use are at least of a 300 dpi resolution. This will ensure that they will print out clearly and add to the overall effectiveness and attractiveness of your brochure.
Choice of fonts can make a huge difference - Times Roman and Helvetica are very popular fonts. However, experiment with other font styles and allow for creativity to seep into your overall design. Check out what your competitors might be doing or what fonts are used in brochures you find attractive. You may find other font styles which greatly enhance the look of your brochure.
A good balance of text and graphics is key to a successful brochure. Your audience does not simply want to read only text nor can you expect them to get a clear message with only images. A suitable balance of strong headlines, effective graphics, and clear, precise text is key to getting your message across in the best possible manner.
A brochure is your best opportunity to provide your readers with enough information to establish clear communication about products or services. And the brochure layout is the most important aspect of putting a brochure plan into action. For all of your Detroit brochure needs, visit Detroit Print Shop in Detroit, Michigan.
Decide on the size and brochure style. Will it be 8.5x 11" or 11x 17"? How many pages? Do you want to make it booklet form? There are many options and you need to look at each one carefully to decide which best suits your particular situation or project.
Make sure you design the layout for the page size you intend to use. In other words if you designed the brochure for a 6x9" format but then used letter sized paper, the end result would be disappointing. It may seem obvious, but these types of errors happen more often than you might think. It's best to give a lot of forethought into the overall design.
Allow for bleed. If you intend to use graphic elements which will go to the edge of the paper, remember that most printers cannot print all the way to the edge so you typically use over-sized paper and then trim it to size.
Make sure the images you use are high resolution. Many images on the Internet are about 75 to 90 dpi. This is sufficient for viewing on a web page. However, if you cut and pasted this type of image to use on a brochure, it would print poorly.
In general make certain that all pictures and graphics you use are at least of a 300 dpi resolution. This will ensure that they will print out clearly and add to the overall effectiveness and attractiveness of your brochure.
Choice of fonts can make a huge difference - Times Roman and Helvetica are very popular fonts. However, experiment with other font styles and allow for creativity to seep into your overall design. Check out what your competitors might be doing or what fonts are used in brochures you find attractive. You may find other font styles which greatly enhance the look of your brochure.
A good balance of text and graphics is key to a successful brochure. Your audience does not simply want to read only text nor can you expect them to get a clear message with only images. A suitable balance of strong headlines, effective graphics, and clear, precise text is key to getting your message across in the best possible manner.
A brochure is your best opportunity to provide your readers with enough information to establish clear communication about products or services. And the brochure layout is the most important aspect of putting a brochure plan into action. For all of your Detroit brochure needs, visit Detroit Print Shop in Detroit, Michigan.
Stories Sell
Stories are one of the easiest ways to sell...
In copy, in person, it doesn't matter. But before you go out and tell stories for the sake of telling a story, it's smart to take a minute to understand why they work so well.
It starts with grabbing and holding attention.
It's easy to suck in a reader with a good story.
Once you have a reader hooked, if it's a good story, they're going to read all the way through to the end. We're hard wired to see stories through until the end. It's why you tune into your favorite shows every week or sit through a 3 hour movie.
Stories are very emotional. It's a lot easier to make a point through telling a story than it is to come right out with the lesson...
People are going to relate to a story about an underdog who fought the odds and came out a winner - That's going to resonate with people a lot more than if you just come out and say "you can fight the odds and be successful!"
A story allows your copy to do all of the stuff good copy needs to do...
It's going to suck the reader in.
It's going to spark curiosity and keep people reading...
Done right, they can change beliefs, shift mindsets and compel people to take action.
One of the most successful ads of all time was called "A Tale Of Two Brothers", a famous ad written for The Wall Street Journal.
It told a story of two brothers, one brother worked for the company, the other owned the company.
The only difference, the successful brother read The Wall Street Journal.
The story allowed them to illustrate their point, as opposed to saying "if you read our paper you can become rich and successful".
If you dig deep enough, you can almost always find a good story you can use to illustrate a point for you.
No ninja-NLP-guru copy tactics here...
In copy, in person, it doesn't matter. But before you go out and tell stories for the sake of telling a story, it's smart to take a minute to understand why they work so well.
It starts with grabbing and holding attention.
It's easy to suck in a reader with a good story.
Once you have a reader hooked, if it's a good story, they're going to read all the way through to the end. We're hard wired to see stories through until the end. It's why you tune into your favorite shows every week or sit through a 3 hour movie.
Stories are very emotional. It's a lot easier to make a point through telling a story than it is to come right out with the lesson...
People are going to relate to a story about an underdog who fought the odds and came out a winner - That's going to resonate with people a lot more than if you just come out and say "you can fight the odds and be successful!"
A story allows your copy to do all of the stuff good copy needs to do...
It's going to suck the reader in.
It's going to spark curiosity and keep people reading...
Done right, they can change beliefs, shift mindsets and compel people to take action.
One of the most successful ads of all time was called "A Tale Of Two Brothers", a famous ad written for The Wall Street Journal.
It told a story of two brothers, one brother worked for the company, the other owned the company.
The only difference, the successful brother read The Wall Street Journal.
The story allowed them to illustrate their point, as opposed to saying "if you read our paper you can become rich and successful".
If you dig deep enough, you can almost always find a good story you can use to illustrate a point for you.
No ninja-NLP-guru copy tactics here...
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