“It doesn’t matter what the offer is, if you’re trying to sell something that somebody doesn’t want!”
Never a truer word said.
This came straight from the lips of direct response copywriting legend, Gary Halbert, at a Direct Mail Bootcamp in the early 90s.
Yet, so much of what he teaches is timeless. And has direct application, even in our internet-saturated world.
It really made me stand up and take notice when he pointed out this CRITICAL question to ask yourself…
Would someone take your offer… the thing you were selling… even if it was free?
He said business owners are surprised (and hurt) to find out people often DON’T want it… no matter the price!
He was pressing the point about how fixated many people get on their “amazing product.”
I can imagine him standing up the front…
Just shaking his head in dismay at the many “screwball offer ideas” (as he called them) that people keep dreaming up.
He told the story of one guy who came to him, all super-excited. The conversation went a bit like this…
“Gary, you’ll want to be investing in this, too, when you hear about it!”
“Go on.”
“Well, you know those Ouija boards that everyone’s into?”
“Mmm.”
“I’m going to make one with just the numbers 1 through 44 on it.”
“Uh-huh… why?”
“So people can find their numbers for playing the lotto!”
“So… let me get this straight… you’re going to sell broke people a Ouija board to help them pick their lottery numbers?”
“Yeah. YEAH! So… waddya think?”
🤦‍♂️
Good luck squeezing money from THAT stone.
The key with marketing and selling anything is to know your market well.
It means you have to put a cup to the door and listen to what they’re whispering on the other side.
It might mean nonchalantly wandering into Facebook groups.
Or just being one of the crowd listening to the moaning on Reddit.
And if you’ve built an email list… listening for questions your subscribers ask. And the responses that came from previous offers you’ve made.
See what works for the people you serve.
And if it doesn’t work?
Better to ditch it… than flog a dead horse until you’re choking on bone dust!
I’m acutely aware that my offers may not last forever. And what people want help with can change.
And that’s OK… because I want to be responsive to my email list.
But in the meantime…
I’m going to keep offering things like my products. And list-building services.
Ready to build your email list? Go here…
EmailForTheWin.com
Chris Milham