Posts Tagged ‘Bret Thomson’

Why I Bribe My Kids To Read

May 12th, 2012 | Bret Thomson

The Ode Of A Copywriter

Ignore the bad singing and enjoy the message of how reading changed my life… And my ongoing dilemma of getting my kids to do what I NEVER did!

Why I Bribe My Kids To Read

Yep, it’s true.

I bribe my kids (with cash) to read books.

Good? Bad? Whatever. Nothing else works.

The idea of them reading a book… heaven forbid… outside of school hours… would cause a raucous mutiny… Thinking back, I was the same…

My only appetite for reading as a kid was Alfred. P. Newman’s “MAD Magazines”… or the occasional “Choose your own adventure” books… (Might explain some things)

So with my boys… why did I revert to bribery? Cos books (eventually) changed my life, as you’ll hear when you read on…

And let’s face it folks… as any truth-telling parent would admit… We tend to fill the voids from our own life with a caring hand of direction to our kids. True or true?

I needed to inject some outside positive dialogue into their noggins… To open their eyes up to what’s possible in life… So they can see the unlimited potential in themselves, like i see in them.

Don’t get me wrong… They get smothered with my daily positive brain droppings…But you know how that goes. I never listened to my old man till i was in my thirties (thtupid me)… So they need to hear it from someone else, i.e. Books.

And besides… wearing the “Strict Dad” hat with my hard-nosed-drill-sergeant routine doesn’t always work with my kids. So I found another way (maybe not the best way, but a way)… I got creative and bribed them.

There Is Madness To My Method.

I’ll tell you why in a sec… and… believe it or not… this relates to your marketing success too. But first…

Here’s a typical scene at our house:

I’ll whip out a $10 (or $20) note and tape it to the inside back cover… with an inch or more of the note sticking out the top.

I’ll call my boys (usually 3 or 4 times) into the room to announce the challenge…

“Okay my men, first person to read this book, cover to cover, get’s to keep the cash. I have no way of checking if you’re cheating or not. I’m trusting you.”

Then I’ll say, “You’ll have to live with your own guilt if you take my money dishonestly. And besides, I’ll be quizzing you about sections of the book anyway”

I’ll rant about the book and tell ‘em why I think it’ll benefit them. Then I’ll slap the book on the table, tell them how awesome they are, and walk away.

I’m Sure Qualified Quacks Would Preach 101 Reasons Why This Is Wrong.

Whatever.

Look, it’s getting harder to fill their minds with positive stuff these days, would you agree?

Man… I thought the X-box and PlayStation were a brain drain for kids… Pfft… that’s nothing… Facebook dominates that role now. Don’t get me started on that…

Moving on. Like I said, books changed my life. But here’s something that might surprise you…

I didn’t start reading till I was in my mid twenties. True story. Prior to that, the only reading I’d do was the “Did you know” quiz under beer bottle caps.

Oh yeah… Mr Suave, thank you.

Actually, I do remember reading one article once… about how excessive alcohol is highly damaging to your brain. Blew me away. Stunned, I was.

So I made a firm decision that day.

I Was NEVER Going To Read Again.

In time, I smartened up. The first book I ever read (by my own choice) was when I was 26, called, “Awaken The Giant Within” by Anthony Robbins.

Changed my life forever… and launched me on a never-ending journey of personal excellence. I had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge… I devoured books like a piranha let loose in a fish farm.

These days, I tell my boys…

If You Can’t See Where You’re Going In Life Then You’re Not Standing On Enough Books

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said, “The books you read and the people you meet will determine where you are in five years.”

Friend, that’s especially true with your business…

Whether you do your own copywriting and marketing… or you get me and my word-slinging A-team to do it for you… the point is this…

You’ve gotta keep yourself educated… stay sharp with your marketing… cos things can change fast, amigo…

That’s why I created http://www.thecopywritingsystem.com

So fellow biz owners, entrepreneurs and copywriters can get weekly breakthrough insights on how to annihilate their competition with edgy marketing and copywriting power.

To open their eyes up to what’s possible in their business… So they can see their unlimited potential with effective (and affordable) marketing… like I see.

Remember… He who markets the best wins!

Just one idea… one tweak… one insight… one paragraph from a book (when actioned)… can fling you into poll position. It’s true in life… and in business.

Keep your saw sharpened my friend…

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. Spread the love and share or comment below. Catchya

I Thought I Was Tough? My Son Is My New Hero…

May 1st, 2012 | Bret Thomson

I Thought I Was Tough…

My Son Is My New Hero

I’ve always had the reputation in the family of being fearless.

If anyone will “have a go” it’ll be Dad.

Bungee Jumping… Phft… easy.
Sky diving… Piece of cake, baby.
Karaoke… Just try stopping me.
Rock climbing… what about it?
Big surf… I’ll race ya there.
Snakes, spiders… not even a flinch.

But night diving… as in snorkel, flippers, torch, in the open waters… at night??

Are you serious? That’s friken insane. Crazy, I tell ya. No way man… I mean, Hello? Even a 4 year old knows what lurks around the waters at night, right?

Starts with “S” and ends in “harks”… That’s right Einstein … Why nominate yourself as potential shark bait? No thanks.

So when my teenage son told me he was going on a school excursion to Tangalooma beach this week… and one of the activities was “Night Diving”… I knew he wouldn’t do it. No chance.

We’re talking about a kid who fused himself to a side railing at SeaWorld when I suggested he come on the Pirate Ship with me. Took 4 grown adults and a 3-foot jimmy bar to pry him off the railing… until I promised he didn’t have to go on it.

In fact… Just the night before he left for Tangalooma, he was even nervous about being away from home camping for a few days… let alone the thought of diving at night? Forget that.

But to help him feel comfortable about leaving for his trip… I thought I’d give him some good ol’ “DAD ADVISE”. Funny though… he didn’t even asked for it? They never do…

I said, “You’ll be right buddy… You’ll have a ball my man… Remember… On the other side of your fear lies your greatest victory”

“Yeah, yeah, Dad, I know, I know”

I figured that bit of advise slide past the goal keeper like most of my “Dad Talks”. Apparently not. Get this.

He calls me up on his first night camping and says, “DAD! DAD! I went night diving!”

“WHAT?!?! ARE YOU SERIOUS? You went night diving?… At night?”

“Yeah, It was AMAZING! It was so cool Dad. It was uuuunreeeal.”

“OH MY GOD! I’m so proud of you. Were you scared?”

“Hell yes. It was so scary. There was about 15 of us and we had to swim 200 meters back to shore with our torches. It was pitch black. The water was about 10 metres deep. About half way along I dived under and saw this GIGANTIC turtle. It was HUGE! It’s shell was bigger than me. So I grabbed onto it’s shell and it took me for a ride underwater for a few meters.”

“NO WAAAAAY?! That’s AMAZING?! My man…That’s the cooolest thing I have ever heard. EVER. You’re a LEGEND! You are my new hero. I am soooo proud of you buddy.”

“Thanks Dad”

(We stayed talking for another 20 minutes or more…)

Now you tell me… is that cool or what? Goes to show that on the other side of fear waits a tremendous victory. The same goes when I work with clients to come up with their BIG IDEA.

It’s often the scariest idea that will pull in the biggest financial rewards.

I push concepts way beyond the ‘comfortable zone’… where most marketers shudder with fear. But the financial windfall is stunning.

It worked for me when i pushed past the fear barrier and made my 7 hour sales letter video. (Nearly didn’t happen).

It worked for my clients when I suggested a creative way to offer a $10,000 Grant to their first property buyers. Turned out to be a multi-million dollar a month idea, that one.

It worked for another client when I convinced them to run a newspaper ad asking people to qualify to do business with them… Result? A cool 1/4 of a million bucks in 3 months, thank you very much.

It worked when I twisted my clients arm to turn his guarantee into a public $100,000 challenge… creating a flood of responses… no surprise to me.

And it’ll work for you too when I think about your business… when i rattle the cage of fear and uncover the scary BIG IDEA that’ll be a game-changer for YOU… and YOUR business.

Sure… you might “GULP” at my ideas… you may even skip a heart beat or two… you’ll probably think I’m crazy at first… (You’d be right)… but it’ll pay you well.

I believe YOU are just one BIG IDEA away from YOUR million dollar pay day. And it’s probably floating in my brain right now… just waiting to be awakened. Your call.

I guess you’re thinking, “Well how do i get it out of your head and make it real?

Check out this shiny orange link to see how we can make this happen.

http://www.BretThomson.com/project-success

Here’s some free “Dad Advice” for you…“On the other side of this link waits your greatest financial victory.”

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. Spread the love by sharing this post… or lets chat below. Catchya…

What’s holding you back?

April 4th, 2012 | Bret Thomson

What’s holding you back?

“Fear knocked on the door, and when courage answered, no one was there”
Is fear holding you back?
A lot of people I speak to (and coach) are crippled with fear.

Paralyzed to the point of not taking action.

While others “seem” to be in motion… swinging the hammer, so to speak, but only with half strength.

Again. Held back by a fear of some sort.

Some smart dude once said, “The enemy of success is to be comfortable”

Yep. That’s one hell of a dangerous place to be. And if you’re not careful…you can curl up and die with your life unlived.

If you’re justifying a plateau in your life… then you need to eyeball this sucker called fear once and for all. And that’s what I’m going to tackle in this post today.

Look. Fear comes in all shapes and sizes. Oh, and don’t think I’m any different. No sir-ee.

If I were you, I’d be wary of listening to a “guru” who tells you they didn’t feel fear… Sometimes on a daily basis. It’s a good indictor you’re pushing the boundaries and growing.

There’s a cool quote that goes something like this…

“Fear is the scarecrow of fools and the beacon of wise men”

I love that one. So yes, we all have it. In different levels…and at different times. But it’s always there. The trick is… what you do with it that matters.

What am I talking about? I’m glad you asked.

Think about this…

Are you feeding your fear… or starving it?

Cos let me tell you amigo… fear has a gluttonous appetite. It needs to feed to stay alive…

And you could be feeding it without realizing.

One of the fastest ways to fatten up your fear is to compare yourself to others.

Oh boy does that ever throw you into a negative spiral. Dangerous game. Very little good can come from it.

Money can’t flow easily in an environment where you are comparing yourself to others. That kind of thinking suffocates money-making creativeness.

Instead…

Money and ideas FLOURISH when you think “What’s possible”

Big difference.

So is there a way to overcome fear? Yes, there is. Well… there are probably a whole bunch of ways. But I’ll share what worked with me.

First of all, let’s look at the consequences of this self-inflicted debilitating toxin they call fear.

In plain simple English: Fear stops you from being the best you can be. Holds you back.

Friend, we want to see you at your best. We’ll always like you no matter what, but don’t waste your unused potential. We like seeing you at your best. We love seeing you shine.

We know you have more to offer. And deep down… you know it too, don’t you?

If fear is holding you back, then let’s fix this once and for all.

From this point on… No more feeding your fear.

I’ve heard…

“What you feed – grows. What you starve – dies.”

Makes sense, right? But be careful… Sounds smart, but I’m not convinced it’s entirely true.

If “starving it” means to ignore it, then I reckon it’ll rear its ugly head up again, one time or another.

Are you doing your best to ignore it? Hard act to keep up. Tiring. Don’t ignore it and sweep it under the rug.

Talk to it. Confront it. Eye ball it. But with compassion… empathy… and understanding… Recognize it. Validate it. After all, it’s a part of you. Make it work in your favour.

Now bear with me here… this next part may sound a little airy-fairy… but it’s not.

It got me out of a stagnant place when I was tangled up with thoughts of being inadequate.

It worked for me, so do with it what you will. And besides… I’ve come this far… might as well unpack the whole basket…

Here’s a conversation you can have with yourself…

Say… “Okay fear… I understand you’re afraid of <fill in the blank>, but here’s something greater to be fearful of…

It’s way more scarier to:

Live your life half lived… and never know how good you could have been
Never get out of debt… and never having enough money to do the things you love
Not being able to help family members out financially
Your kids not looking up to you because you’re not the action taker they once believed you were
Your partner losing respect for you because you’re not living up to your promises
Giving up on the dreams you once believed in… Giving up the fight.

Those, my friend, are more terrifying consequences to be afraid of.

Like I said… Fear is a part of life… so I reckon you might as well choose your own list of fears… Fears that’ll propel you in a new direction…

If you let fear stop you from being the ultimate version of yourself, then the consequences are miserable.

Look… I’m having trouble explaining this. I’m not satisfied you get it. Not your fault. Words are inadequate. I’ll press on anyway…

Listen… Try using fear as motivation to move forward… to take action.

Be the best you can be.

Can you flick a switch and instantly turn into the super confident version of yourself?

Possibly.

But for most, it’s not that easy. It takes daily work. Create new daily habits. Call it your self-esteem workout. Just 5-mins a day… but something…

Think of a time when you were at your highest point of confidence and happiness.

Tap into that feeling. Relive it. Meditate on it if that’s your thing. Read a positive book; call a friend for some positive feedback about yourself. Have a card in your pocket with a list of positive affirmations to read throughout the day. Whatever works.

Daily habits. What ever suits you, but take that step forward.

The key is immersion. Repetition. Tilt the scale so you’re top-heavy with positive… and if you feel fear creeping in… Remind yourself of your new list of fears that’ll push you in a new direction.

We want to see you shine. The world is longing for you to be your best. We want to see more of you…

It’s your time to shine.

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. I’ll land this plane with one of my all time favourite quotes:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~Marianne Williamson

Amazing Split Test Results! Can You Pick The Winner?

February 14th, 2012 | Bret Thomson

AMAZING SPLIT TESTING RESULTS!

Can You Pick The Winner?

See if you can pick the winning “Subject
line” that got a whopping 54% increased
open & click through rate than the other!

I had an idea that sounded pretty insane …

But I thought I’d give it a go anyway…

The risk of it not working… or being a raving success…

Believe it or not… lies in your hands.

Then I had another ripper idea…

Actually… this next idea kept me up in the wee hours of the morning scribbling hieroglyphics on my trusty bedside notepad.

Ahh… the 3am brain snap ideas! Amazing clarity.

You know, I reckon it’s true… notes taken in the early hours of the morning hardly need editing!

So where was I? Oh yeah… So do you wanna know what my idea is?

I bet you do… but not so fast my eager friend.

I wanna see how this one flies first. Test the waters.

So as most copywriters love to say, “Let me explain”…

It started like this…

First up – I love split testing.

Trying to choose what headline, offer, design, subject line, whatever, will resonate best with the mass market… fascinates me!

It gives the grey cerebral matter between my ears a grilling work out.

I love the challenge of trying to pick the winner!

But believe it not… (This may shock you)…my guesses are not always right!

Weird huh?

Another one of life’s hard-to-grasp mysteries…

Up there with the pyramids.

Anyway. Moving on…

A few weeks back I sent an email out to all my intelligent, marketing savvy subscribers.

The email was pointing to a recent blog post I did.

I thought I’d split test 2 different subject lines.

Subject line (A):

How To Belt A Home Run With Your Next Promotion

Subject line (B):

Open This To See Some Killer Sales Copy Examples

It was the same email, just a different subject line.

Now here’s where it gets interesting…

I thought I had a pretty good idea of which one would get a higher open rate.

But this time I was actually wro… wr…wr…wro… wron…

I was in correct.

And yes… I know what you’re thinking…

I checked, and it wasn’t a technical glitch.

Fact was… I had to face defeat.

Think you can do better?

Alright wise guy (or gal)…I’ll give you a chance to guess… Let’s see how YOU go, okay?

Wait. To be fair… you need to know more about the people who are on my email list.

Otherwise your guess will be a blind stab in the dark.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW:

Here’s a realistic snapsh ot profile of my email subscribers. They are…

38% more intelligent than most people
92% better chance of succeeding in life
Have a razor sharp marketing mind
Dedicated to higher conversions for themselves or clients
A mix of copywriters, consultants, coaches, business owners, Internet marketers & speakers
Some frustrated employees looking to break free and have more control over their income
People I’ve stolen from Pete Godfrey’s list
Members of my famous (and underpriced) coaching & mentoring program www.thecopywritingsystem.com
Owners of my signature product www.7hoursalesletter.com
Secretly wish they were Jack Bauer from 24
And one other thing… My accurate statistics prove that their chances of having a massive financial windfall increased by 273% as soon as they joined my list. True story.

All in all…

They’re all fellow “Direct Response Marketing Junkies” with a ravenous appetite for any hints, tips or ideas that’ll boost conversions…

Righty-o, enough rambling…

Now before you skip ahead and test your skills… I want you to promise me you’ll read the second part of this post.

Remember? When I mentioned my crazy idea earlier? Yeah, that part.

I want you to contribute something in the comment box below when this is over.

Don’t’ be scared. If you’re smart, (which you obviously are because you’re reading my blog), then you’ll see the benefit of doing it…

Geeez… I’m pushy aren’t I?

No harm intended… but feel free to feel guilty if you don’t.

Okay, are you ready?

Let’s see how you go…

Pick the winner…

Here are the stats.

One of these subject lines got a:
37.3% open rate – and a 15.8% click rate

The other one got a:
57.4% open rate – and a 23.5% click rate

But which one was it? A or B?

Please wait while the activity loads.
If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Also, this page requires javascript. Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled.

If loading fails, click here to try again

Pick the winner...

A	Subject line (A): How To Belt A Home Run With Your Next Promotion
B	Subject line (B): Open This To See Some Killer Sales Copy Examples

Question 1 Explanation:

Correct answer was (B)
That’s a massive 54% increase on getting the email opened... and a further 51% of people clicked the link! Worthwhile test? Hell yes!

Okay… so how did you go?

But before you get ahead of yourself… remember… no two lists are the same.

What works for my list may not work for yours! The key is to do your own spilt testing!

Which brings me to my next point.

… That idea that’s been rattling around in my skull for a few days…

First up, did you like that I shared my spilt test results with you? Yes or no?

Would you like to see more? Yes or no?

Good. Look, I’m happy to do that… but think about this…

Imagine if you got to see a whole bunch of split test results in one place? Not just from me… but from a whole swag of fellow marketers and copywriters?

Is it only me… or would that be ultra- cool?

Let me unfold my idea more so you can see how it relates to you…

It starts like this… I’m challenging anyone reading this post to contribute and leave their own split testing result in the comment box below.

Be it a… subject line, headline, price test, whatever.

But it starts with you.

No wait. I’ll break the ice first… I’ll put my #1 highest opened subject line below. Just to make you feel better….

But then you’re next, cool?

Relax… You don’t have to show the % stats if you don’t want. Up to you…

This is not an ego-stroking competition. Forget that.

Just a community of fellow savvy marketing fiends sharing and growing together…

What do you reckon… You in or what?

If this works…then you’ll LOVE my next idea!!

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. If you don’t do split testing or don’t have a business yet… but you enjoyed the post… then don’t keep it to yourself. Let me know below… And spread the love baby!

P.P.S. If you’re not already on my email subscribers… then you’re missing out on all my hot-off-the-press, in-the-trenches, sizzling hot direct response insights. I’ll make it easy for you by letting you join below

And don’t worry. I won’t email you every day. I should. But I don’t. Catchya…

Secret Ingredient For Belting Out A Home Run On Your Next Promotion

January 23rd, 2012 | Bret Thomson

Secret Ingredient For Belting Out A Home Run On Your Next Promotion

I was chatting to one of my copy-cub students this week. He was struggling with a piece of copy that wasn’t converting.

Couldn’t put his finger on it…

So he asked if I could run my masterful eye over it. He was hoping I could spot the leaking crack that flowed into the dark abyss of lost sales. Smart move.

So I checked it out. And there it was. Staring me in the face like a flashlight stunned Possum in the veggie patch.

You see… everything else in the copy was great. He tapped into the dominant emotion of the market with a crunching headline. Pulled them into a story from the get-go. Dug up all their objections, fears and desires. Transitioned into the solution like a seasoned pro. Drenched the piece with some undeniable proof to back it all up…

But just couldn’t drag them over the line…

So what was missing?

Lucky for you… my soon-to-be-enlightened-conversion-enthusiast… You’re about to find out.

Once I revealed this golden insight with my eager understudy, I thought why not share it here too?

Okay, enough stalling. Brace yourself…

Here’s what the missing ingredient was

He didn’t show them a R.O.I (return on investment).

Big mistake. Huge.

Showing your clients a R.O.I is a critical, powerful weapon to use in your copy to close a sale. Don’t forget this.

Let me show you how. To drive the point home… (You’re gonna love this)… I’ve even added in some examples from a couple of winning sales letters that I’ve personally written. Cool huh?

So let’s kick it off…

Okay, before I get started, let me drill this into your mind one more time so it sticks. Remember this..

Anytime You Can Show Your Prospect A

Return On Investment In Your Copy… DO IT”

In fact, go the extra mile to show them. This is one of the most powerful “copy clicks” you can ever use. Period.

To prove it… The kingpin of direct response copywriting, Dan Kennedy, rates the “ROI click” as one of his top five copy-clicks he uses every time he writes sales copy (as if you need any more convincing than that)

Think about the psychology behind it…

Keeping in mind that the majority of your prospects are secretly looking for reasons NOT to buy from you…

What do I mean? Well, let’s be honest here… Your prospects don’t spring out of bed in the morning looking to spend money with you, right?

Reality check:

If they can get the solution for free,

they’ll take it every time, no question.

So you need to knuckle down and work harder in your copy if you want them to part with their money.

Beware of the dangerous little voice in their head that whispers, “I don’t really need to spend money on this”.

It’s your job to silence that voice

Good news is… the ROI click can totally swing them around. If you can demonstrate (as simple as possible) how quickly and easy they can recoup the money they spend with you, then it could seal the deal.

That little voice will now say, “What have I got to lose? I’ll get my money back in X days/months, then I’ll be in front after that”

NOTE: If you hear more then two voices at the same time, please see a doctor immediately or stop smoking those “special” hand-rolled cigarettes.

Moving on… Let me give you an example of a ROI click. Sound okay?

The first example is from an ebook sales letter.

If you’ve seen me present on stage before… or watched my free-gift-DVD “How to write a winning sales letter”… then you may remember this example from the ‘Dog Breeding” letter.

Here’s how I used the “ROI click” for this $27 ebook

How this $27 ebook can make you $30,000

Then I got to thinking… now I know all the facts on dog breeding, and seeing that I LOVE the process…this little $27 ebook could make me some extra cash on the side. My calculations told me I could sell each puppy for around $1000 each, so with a litter of 11, that’s $11,000 for doing something I love.

Then my mind really started ticking over… I could do this several times per year and pocket around $30,000 and stay at home and enjoy life, instead of selling my soul to an unappreciative BOSS!

That example is pretty short and sweet – Probably all that’s needed for a $27 ebook. In hindsight, if I had taken the time to create a visual graph or table showing the profits, then it would convert even more.

Note to self: Go back and add a graph.

Okay, the next example is selling a high priced service for providing leads to financial planners.

As you’ll see, I’ve put a lot more emphasis on diagrams and tables to show the ROI. I’ve ripped out three pages from the letter for you to look at.

There’s a lot of great copy and psychology weaved through this example – so it’ll pay to read the lot. Yes, it’s long, but I had to convince the prospect to part with a lot of money here… so there is a lot more selling and convincing to do, so the copy needs to be longer to make the sale.

Example 1 Example 2

Example 3

End of example.

There are stacks of great chunks of copy you can be “inspired” by in the above example. But most of all… look at the powerful demonstration of ROI.

Use it where you can. It works.

Till next time…

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. Tell me… did you enjoy seeing real examples of some of my copy? Do you wanna see more like this? Let me know by leaving me a comment below. Cheers