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What Makes This Email So Persuasive?
By Todd Brown | April 14, 2008
There’s one over-riding principle that made the following real email I sent out (promoting a webinar) so effective at getting readership and response.
Can you tell me what it is?
For the first person to post a comment with the correct answer, I’ll do a video critique of your website for you.
Go ahead, read the email and then post your comment letting me know what you think the main persuasion factor of the email is:
Keep in mind, I changed the niche and plugged in “Hunting Store’ for this post. Hey… I couldn’t think of anything else right now. 
——————————-
Hey ~Contact.FirstName~,
This is going to sound like an odd
question for you, but trust me… it
has to do with your hunting store and
personal income.
Did you know…
There’s another place, besides Israel,
called the Holy Land?
Well, there is. Really.
And, besides getting ready for the little
hunting event you’re invited to
this Wednesday, I’m also getting ready for
a little trip to this “Second Holy Land”.
More about that in a second.
First, are you going to be there, with all
of the other hunting store owners who registered, this
Wednesday, March XX, from 3PM-4PM ET?
What am I talking about?
The LIVE Web Demo of the Hunting Store Widget.
****************************************
Go Here To Attend The LIVE Demo:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/XXXXXXXXX
****************************************
If you haven’t registered yet, you still
have some time.
As I write this email there are still
62 spots available.
Obviously there’s no cost, and if you
want to see LIVE how the Hunting Store Widget gets
you new hunting customers every week on autopilot
this is your shot!
****************************************
Go Here To See Everything LIVE:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/XXXXXXXXX
****************************************
Anyway, what does this LIVE web demo have
to do with this “other” Holy Land I mentioned?
Well, first, let me just say this…
The Holy Land I’m speaking of and planning
a little excursion to with my family this
weekend, is a very large, multi-acre
outdoor/indoor exhibit and tour of a replica
of the real Holy Land in Israel.
It’s actually located about 15 minutes or so
from Disney Land in Orlando, Florida.
And, from what I’ve heard it’s supposed to be
pretty incredible (for a Holy Land exhibit in
Florida, that is).
I’m SUPER-EXCITED, to say the least!
But, what does all of this have to do with you
and your hunting store and personal income?
Well, it reminded me of something I said
to a possible new employee years ago when
I was working as the Vice President of Training
for a company in central New Jersey.
I was ramping up for a serious growth initiative
and in the process of recruiting a potential
new manager for us.
During the interviewing process this potential
new manager leaned over and asked me if he would
really make that much more money working for me.
I said, “Will you make more money with me?!? You
come work for me and I’ll lead you to the
Promised Land. And, you can take that to the bank!!”
Less than 36 months later, together we took the
department from less than $50,000 a year to over
2 MILLION!!
Later, after I left that company to create the
Dashboard technology, that same 75-person department
I created and oversaw cracked the 3 MILLION a
year mark and even won the “Best Of The Best”
Industry Award out of 18,000+ other companies.
I turned the department over to that new manager
when I left, and since, his life has never been the
same (especially his monthly bank account statement).
So, to say I came through for that new manager
is an understatement.
Today, I’m going to say the same thing to you…
Can the Hunting Store Widget make you
more money? Grow your business? Give you an
incredible lifestyle as a hunting store owner?
And do it all even during difficult economic
times??
Well, attend the LIVE web demo this Wednesday,
March XXth at 3PM ET.
And, let me show you why I guarante.e the
Hunting Store Widget will now lead YOU to the
Promised Land of business success!
(And, frankly, how it’s already done it and
doing it as I write this for hundreds of other
hunting store owners just like you!)
****************************************
Go Here To Watch LIVE And See How The Hunting
Store Widget Gets You New Custoemrs Like Crazy:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/XXXXXXXXX
****************************************
I hope to see you there,
Todd Brown
P.S. At the end of the Web Demo you’ll also
get to claim a special $97.00 package I’ll
be sending you in the mail… at NO COST!
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/XXXXXXXXX
Tags: internet marketing, internet marketing tactics, internet marketing habits, todd brown, internet marketing strategies, internet marketing audio, internet marketing business, internet marketing video
Popularity: 100% [?]
Topics: Internet Marketing, General, Business Management, Entrepreneurship |
April 14th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Looks to me that you are curiosity as a hook
Alex
April 14th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
the effectiveness of this email is based upon telling a story and holding the reader with questions
April 14th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Even though there are lots of good elements that helped contribute to the high response, I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say the biggest contributing factor was the proof you provided. You not only told them what you could do, but you illustrated it with a story, complete with specifics and details about the results you achieved.
Of course if I’m wrong, I’m already thinking of how I can S&D this example for my own niche.
Thanks!
April 14th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
All very good answers. And, one very close. But, not there yet. Here’s a hint:
It has something to do with the way the human brain works.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
The first paragraph is leading the person to affirmatively “connect the dots”. The questions help condition a “yes” response.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Hi Todd!
I’ve been trying to figure out these type of emails since about five months ago.
Well, first, let me just say this…
Your writing style reminds me of Rich Schefren (especially the Orlando part) with a mix from Yanik Silver ;).
More about that in a second.
I would say the effectiveness of your email is based on several marketing principles:
First of all, combining curiosity and scarcity factors to push readers into action; and using limited quantity of selling units and special offer time deadlines, to produce a killing offer.
Not only that…
As another guru always points up (Yanik), I’ve checked all the facts and numbers that are written on your newsletter.
My strong hunch is that spicing it up with Specifics and testimonials to increase credibility, and joining them with “phrases that keep attention” (like Rich’s Bucket Brigade of 472 words and phrases) creates an explosive no-brainer offer that keeps readers attention till the end!
To higher profits,
Rod
P.S: Most readers only read the headers and the P.S of newsletter, so your P.S also empowers your call to action and gives the readers one last time to click and buy.
P.S 2: There is still ONE thing I CAN’T figure out. Why do all email marketers repeat the link so many times?! I resist to do it myself, don’t you feel readers could get offended as they could feel they are underestimated by having someone tell them “Click Here” more than once!? Or that they’ll consider it as spam?!
P.S 3: Todd, if you read carefully, you may find some funny things about the writing style I used in this post. It was a great thing to find your page and view your videos, I hope we stay in touch. Thanks! Cheers!
April 14th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Sideways marketing.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Hi Todd,
By my count you use the phrase “Holy Land” and “Promised Land” at least 8 times. This term has a strong emotional appeal to a very high percentage of people. The email cleverly associates the reader’s emotional response for the “Holy Land” to the “LIVE Web Demo”. Interestingly, you also capitalize and use LIVE seven times. Our subconscious translates that into “life” or “to live” which has another strong emotional response.
Tapping into emotional need to “live in the Holy Land?”
Of course there’s also social proof a few times, scarcity, and techniques such as secrets, hypnotic patterns, and ask until (6 times by my count).
Very helpful Todd. Thanks for sharing!
Trevor
April 14th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
making the prospect visualize
April 15th, 2008 at 12:26 am
You had me at:
“There’s another place, besides Israel,
called the Holy Land?
You then lost me at:
Disney Land.
I literally closed by browser and did not read any more of your email until I reopened to write my answer…
Mystery. You string the reader along until they find out the answer.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:10 am
I think the persuasiveness has to to with the “conversation” that is taking place between you and the recipient. It actually feels like you are predicting and “inserting” my thoughts in response (or in reaction to) what you are saying. This makes makes the email very effective. It is as if a two-way conversation is taking place, but in reality it is not. Brilliant.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Ahhh, you are all so very astute. All great answers! Some great lessons to be learned in your comments.
BUT… the main principle at work still has NOT been mentioned yet.
Let me expand on my hint (see my comment above for the original hint):
I did something twice in the email above that the human brain desperately doesn’t like.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Hi Todd,
The brain likes closure.
If you start telling a story and don’t finish
it, people are left hanging (unless their right-hanging) and continue on to get some
resolution.
What other Holy Land?
In one of the Dirty Harry movies a criminal who gets caught by this lawman has just gotta know if there was another bullet in Harry’s gun.
Why does have to know?
If there’s no bullet in the gun he could have gotten away.
More about that in a second.
Its like a joke that has a big build-up and we
never hear the punch line.
Starting a second story without closing the first,
sets up pressure inside that wants to be released.
It can also be aggravating instead of persuasive.
In NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) this technique is called nested loops. Before you close orend the first story or loop, start the next one.
Whatever you do don’t leave it open.
And as you consider that an image appears in your mind’s eye. Its Clint and he’s aiming the gun at the head of man he has captured and shoots.
Click!
April 15th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Hi Tom,
First, are you going to reply to the winner by email, even if he doesn’t have a website?
And… well, first, let me just say that before you do this I must apologize that I totally missed
all my misspellings in my previous post.
If your brain hears a first here, then what do you think it does when it hears the first thing again
and that’s all?
You should never number things that are singular,
or spin your mind, unless you’re the first one to solve the puzzle.
trans4m
April 16th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I stick to my original comments about holding a persons attention and asking questions. The method of holding attention through creating visualization can be many.
“trans4m” accurately identified that the attention grabbing and holding is accentuated by the need for closure when the message deviates in a non-linear fashion.
This is likened to watching a “bad” movie through the end just to see what happens since you already started watching and got to deep prior to realizing that it is terrible.
This is a dangerous technique if not employed correctly and can do more harm than good.
If I captured a subscriber in my Auto Responder, I would much rather hold my prospects attention through quality content than a convoluted process of distraction.
Quality content with no strings attached builds credibility and trust. Multiple messages creating a constant need for closure would risk losing a subscriber.
Personally, I have no time for it, and it does not substitute for a quality product or referral.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Also,
Assuming that the closure technique is being employed due to Todd’s spacing between answers, I am deleting the blog link and email from my email account and unsubscribing.
It could not have worked to well as I now have absolutely no desire to know what the final answer would be.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
VERY GOOD trans4m! You got it!
The idea is the Nested Loop, sometimes referred to as the Zeigarnick Effect popularized by a Russian psychologist.
It works based on the idea that the brain craves completion, and anytime you open up a “loop” or story it needs to have that loop closed.
So, if you open up another “loop” or story, before closing the first loop, readers will still read on to have the second loop closed even after the first one is brought to completion, and so son.
The late Gary Halbert, one of the greatest advertising copywriters of all time, used to talk about using nested loops all throughout his copy to keep readers reading all the way until the end.
Even though on the surface this seems no different that just saying open a loop then don’t close it until the end (like Fox News or Soap Operas, etc.), it’s different.
This is a constant opening and closing, opening and closing, opening and closing, of loops all throughout the copy.
The closing of loops creates a good feeling within the reader, and the newly opened loops keep the reader reading on.
Congrats trans4m for nailing it!
Post your web address in a comment and I’ll do a full-blown video critique for you and post it on the blog.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Tras4m Congratulations!
I didn’t know that…
Very interesting
Todd, could you please explain why marketers repeat the call to action so many times?
What I mean, is why does the c”lick here” link appear more than twice in almost every marketing mail, sometimes even 4 times.
Is it to give the reader different opportunities to give in and click? So that for example, if the reader got interested by the first paragraph and then sees the link so he clicks. But- if he wasn’t so intrested he continues reading until the next paragraphs where he sees the other links?
In your case, I think that you made a great job since no link has the same call-to action text: “Go Here To Attend The LIVE Demo:” or “Go Here To Watch LIVE And See How The Hunting”. But- I’ve seen some emails that just say: “Click here” a repeated number of times.
My concern is if don’t you think some readers could get offended by seeing “Click here” three or more times in an email, thinking that the writer may have understimated their intelligence? And certainly, why do most marketers do this.
I would really appreciate having anyone’s answer. Thanks!
And Todd, again thanks so much for your valuable content, your blog is a great learning source.
Cheers!
Rod
April 17th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Hi Todd,
I don’t have a website.
Any other options?
trans4m
April 19th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Hey trans4m… you can send me a marketing piece or a web address for critique. Or, you can wait until you have a website for critique.
Also, Rod… I’ll be doing a post later next week with an answer to your question. It’s an important point for everyone to grasp - why we have so many links in the email, and do all of the other stuff we do.
It has to do with one 7-Letter Word.
(How’s that for opening a loop)
Have a great weekend,
Todd
April 19th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hi Todd!
Thanks!
I am anxious to read that next post :).
I’ve got something for You this time. I’ve made a written summary of your videos and decided to post it in my blog.
Here: http://edutainmenteng.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/the-habits-of-the-top-internet-marketers-summary/
I hope you enjoy it, it’s mostly a transcription and summary of what I consider the most important things you said.
Cheers!
Rod
June 9th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Hey Rod… great stuff! It’s always great to see my stuff getting passed along. Thanks for that.
Todd
August 25th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Good style. Send a link to friend
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Я думаю он ваш очень понравится.
Логотипы и картинки про кошечек.
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ditateaceошечка]gmail.com
Люительнитса кошечег.
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