Below, I’m going to share three easy, yet effective strategies anybody can use to write better copy.

The first technique is to create a survey for your customers to fill out and ask specific open-ended questions about your product or service. Then you want to go through all the responses and look for valuable “copy nuggets”, which are gems of copy, written by your customers in their language, as they describe your product or service. You want to look for recurring themes and unique descriptions that you can later use as you write your own copy.

A great way to create surveys is through Survey Monkey (non-affiliate link). Survey Monkey allows you to create any length survey and it will host it online so you can direct prospective or current customers, clients, and patients directly to the survey where you can then analyze the results of, online. You can even embed the surveys into your web page, email them, or more!

What you can do when analyzing your survey results, is to browse through for interesting copy nuggets. Just looking in my own account with surveys I've done I've found some great items such as, "saves me time," "keeps the reader engaged," "quick to use."

You can also dump all of your survey results out into a report so you can view all of the answers at once and browse through for customer-written open ended responses you can pull copy writing nuggets from to use in your copy.

Another unique way to write better copy is to review comments on Amazon.com (non-affiliate link).

Here’s how this works:

The first thing you want to do is search for books on your topic. Let’s use copy writing as an example.

Recently I went into Amazon.com and just searched for the keyword "copy writing." When I clicked on the first  book that came up I was able to see all  of the reviews from customers and pull out words, phrases, and triggers I could use in my marketing copy. I always find some great phrases that I may not be thinking of, but customers are.

Just looking at the first review I recently came across, the word, "indispensable" stuck out for me. This isn't a word I would normally use, but it is a great word to add to my marketing and I can write about how CopyDoodles are indispensable for copy writers.

My last easy copy writing tip is the easiest of the three to use immediately. It has to do with writing email subject lines for your business.

Most of us are doing some sort of email marketing in our businesses and as we write these emails, often times we have our marketer/sales hat on and not our me to you, "I’m a friend" hat on.

The result can be a very corporate and impersonal sounding email and subject line and if your subject line doesn’t get attention, the email isn’t going to get opened.

What you want to do is go through your personal sent emails to friends and family and identify the difference in the way you write these subject lines versus the way you write your business subject lines. Chances are there’s a difference, not only in the words themselves, but also in how they look.

Next time you write a business email subject line, picture your best friend as you craft it, write in that style and see the difference it can make in your open rates.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these easy copy writing tips. Start implementing today to start seeing great results.

I'd love to  hear your easy copy writing tips, too so please leave them below!

Just this week, CopyDoodles Access Club Member Alan Steacy sent us this note…

Thanks Alan for the kind words.

Alan’s note prompted me to write this article on how others are using CopyDoodles to spice-up their marketing mix and add some “eye dazzle.” I think you’ll enjoy seeing some of these recent additions to our CopyDoodles Hall of Fame!

This first example is one I just highlighted in the current episode of 3 in 3 at www.mikecapuzzi.tv. It’s the world’s largest CopyDoodle (as far as I know) from Darin Spindler's marketing mix. He added a CopyDoodle to the tour bus he’s currently using to tour around the country and promote his Kids Bowl Free program.

I no sooner sent out the email about Darin’s bus, when I received an email from super-marketer Michael McLean who told me he added to his marketing mix, CopyDoodles that were as big as a house on his office building. Check out his newest banner (and green CopyDoodle arrows) on his office up in Perth, Canada…

At the other end of the CopyDoodles size spectrum, I met Dr. Jacquelyn Stanfield at the Glazer-Kennedy SuperConference and she showed me, from her marketing mix, her brand new business card that was inspired by a recent episode of CopyDoodles TV.

It’s a die-cut, multi-panel business card featuring CopyDoodles and more. Talk about eye-catching! Great job Dr. Stanfield for adding CopyDoodles to her marketing mix!

Keeping with the dental theme, Dr. Brian Berg shared his most recent newsletter from his marketing mix where he used our special “punch-out” CopyComics to add a bit of humor and personality to his marketing mix. Check out his million-dollar bill comic and his web site comic…

Switching to an online example, here’s a great looking squeeze page from Michael Carroll's marketing mix where he’s using CopyDoodles very effectively to help build his list.

Finally, Linda Steele Thom used CopyDoodles in their marketing mix on a recent coffee mug promotional piece for a trade show she attended. Another fun and eye-grabbing example how folks are using CopyDoodles in their entire marketing mix!

So not only are CopyDoodles perfect for traditional marketing projects like direct mail and online marketing, they can be used on the sides of buses, office building and even coffee mugs!

I would love to see how you’re using CopyDoodles in your marketing mix - drop us a note and let us know what you’ve done and we may add you to our CopyDoodles Hall of Fame!

Fortunately there are number of excellent books and courses for direct response marketers to improve their copy writing skills – unfortunately for the day-to-day business owner, these often take a lot of time and energy to complete.

If this sounds like you, I have good news for you, because in this article I am going to share two very important direct response copy writing techniques that won’t cost you a dime and which will help you to become master direct response marketers in minutes! Trust me, if you implement just these two ideas in your future copy, you should see an immediate improvement in response!

Direct response marketer copy writing tip #1 - Write to only one person

One of the most profound copy writing strategies is to write “me to you.”

In all of our marketing campaigns, we are not writing to just one person and unfortunately our copy sounds vague and impersonal. When you sit down to write an email for your 2,000 person list, your mind is not focused and your writing style suffers. Rather than writing “me to you” you’re writing “me to many” and the difference is obvious.

Here’s a very cool strategy that many successful direct response marketers I know use to help get a crystal clear picture of who you’re writing to.

What you do is you get a photo of your best customer or prospect; the one person who, if you had hundreds more, would take your business to the next level.

Now put this picture in a picture frame and set it right next to your computer monitor and the next time you sit down to write an email, sales letter or some other form of direct response marketing copy, look at the picture and write to this one person!

Great direct response marketers don’t write to the masses – they write to this one person. By doing this, your style and tone will instantly change and will result in a more personal message.

For a recent workshop with direct response marketers, I actually had picture frames made up and on the frame, I had the acronym W.I.I.F.M. imprinted on it, which stands for "What's In It For Me?"

The idea behind this was to remind every attendee to write to their best customer or prospect and to always be thinking “what’s in it for them.”

I use this technique when I sit down to write copy and I suggest you do the same.

Here’s an example of how I use it in my business. Let’s say I want to write an email to my entire list about a webinar I am hosting. I think about certain folks who I believe would benefit the most from the webinar and then I pick one. In this case, Kathee and I write my email to Kathee.

If I have her picture, I literally put that picture in front of me before I write and I will even put her name in the salutation. I type my emails in Word and then we bring them over to Infusionsoft, take out "Kathee," put the merge field in and send it out.

Why do I do this?

Because mentally and physically, I don't want to be writing to the thousands of folks who are on my list, because when I do that, I write in a very impersonal manner and it comes across as impersonal.

But if I'm picturing Kathee and I literally have a picture of Kathee on my desk to remind me of what she looks like and who she is, my writing style is going to be different. And that's the writing style you want to have when you're communicating with your customers and prospects.

Think about this for a second. If you're sending an email to a good friend of yours, odds are, your subject and the way you write the email is extremely different than if you were writing an email to your whole list.

And yet, when we write e-mails, auto-responders and follow-up sequences, you can tell the writer was not thinking of one person but instead shouting out to the masses.

Many direct response marketers simply picture their best target market and writing to that one person. Hence why all their copy will sounds great (and yours will sound better).

Direct response marketers copywriting tip #2 – Write like you talk!

The second tip I want to share is as beneficial as the first and just as simple to implement in your next direct response marketing piece. It also helps reinforce the “me to you” feel of your copy.

The technique, widely used by direct response marketers, is to write like you talk – which is quite different than what we all learned in school.

I don’t know about you, but I grew up in corporate America with a lot of MBA types around me. Trying to digest their written correspondence was like taking a college course and often left me confused and bewildered.

Successful direct response marketers realize, one of the most effective copy writing strategies is to write like you talk, which for some of you may be profoundly different. Forget all the jargon and impressive sounding words. Your marketing copy is not the place for all that.

For me and other successful direct response marketers this means tweaking my copy and removing formal sounding words and phrases – like changing “you are going to benefit” to “you’re going to benefit.”

These simple little changes make your copy sound much less formal and wordy and convey a much friendlier tone.

So there you have it. Two easy-to-implement, copy writing strategies for direct response marketers who want to improve the response of their marketing.

I would love to hear what you think of these strategies and your own techniques for creating a more personal, me to you sound in your copy. If you’re a direct response marketer and writing your own copy, leave a comment below!

Today I want to focus on an often over-looked, left to the last minute component of many direct marketing mail packages – the envelope. If you were to study any of the great direct mail marketers, each will reaffirm the critical importance of the design and look of your envelopes and how certain design principles can result in very profitable increases in response.

If you were to ask any layperson what the purpose of the envelope is and they will typically say its job is to hold your mailings contents together and get them delivered as you intended without them getting lost or damaged.

And they would be right. This would be the “physical” job of the envelope (and an important one at that), but it would not be the answer we marketers are focused on. Ask any sharp marketer what the purpose of an envelope is and he or she will tell you it’s to ensure the recipient notices your direct marketing mail and opens it immediately.

This is what your envelopes must do and in today’s world with all of the junk mail that we receive, this is no small task. Whole books have been written about envelope design and strategy and if you’re so inclined I would suggest you seek out books written by Dick Benson, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Denny Hatch, and Dan Kennedy.

If you don’t have the time or interest, you’re still in luck because I am going to give you several useful and easy-to-use strategies for ensuring your envelopes are getting ripped open immediately.

Two Envelope Design Strategies

There are two basic strategies you can employ when designing your envelopes. The first is what I call the positive recognition strategy. This strategy is designed to result in an “Oh, it’s from your-name-here and I need to open it” response.

This strategy works when you have a relationship with your recipients and that relationship alone is enough to get them to open the envelope (thought you may still want to use several of the envelope booster strategies I mention below).

The second strategy is to arouse significant curiosity from your recipient with your direct marketing mail piece. This strategy can be used with any type of market, cold or warm and it taps into one of the strongest human emotions – curiosity – to get them to open your envelope.

There are different ways you can arouse significant curiosity with your direct marketing mail envelopes, including:

• The envelope that carries a promise
• The important-looking envelope
• The questioning envelope
• The tell-all envelope
• The blind envelope

There are certain parameters that need to be considered when and how to use one of these styles of envelopes and to see examples of each of these, watch this video:

http://www.mikecapuzzi.tv/

Direct Marketing Mail: 10 Smart Envelope Boosters

Regardless of which of the two design strategies you use, there are several “envelope boosters” you can use on your envelope to get the attention of the recipient and practically guarantee they will open it immediately.

These envelope booster strategies are all concerned with “the look” of your envelopes and what you are doing on them to grab attention and yield response. Each is easy to use and anybody reading this article can and should use all of them when designing their envelopes.

1. Fun, live postal stamps – actual first class stamps get more response than bulk rate stamps. Consider using special edition, fun stamps to get more attention.
2. Use both sides – printing on both sides of the envelope can be a smart strategy to get your envelopes to stand out from the rest. Consider adding photos or testimonials to the other side so they will be seen as the envelope is being opened.
3. Non-paper envelopes – there are several alternatives to traditional paper envelopes, including translucent, mirror, linen, denim and clear envelopes.
4. Unique envelope shapes – consider sending your next direct marketing mailing in a unique sized envelope that stands out from all the #10 and 9 x 12 envelopes that fill your mail box. One size I like to use is the invitation sized envelope to send personalized mailings.
5. Colored envelopes – a smart strategy to tie into the time of year or an upcoming holiday (e.g. red envelopes for Valentines Day). There are just as many envelope colors as there are sizes and materials.
6. Tease with CopyDoodles® - using handwritten fonts and doodles and teaser copy on your direct marketing mail envelopes helps them stand out and get noticed right away.
7. Alert with CopyStamps – simulated rubber stamps on your envelopes creates a sense of urgency. Like any of these boosters, these should be used within the correct context of your entire mailing.
8. Engage with CopyComics – Putting cartoons on your direct marketing mail envelopes can be a fun and unique way to engage your recipients, especially when they are personalized to the individual. Check out this video where I show smart ways to use cartoons in your marketing.
http://www.mikecapuzzi.tv/advertising-a-business-using-comics
9. Fun, quirky elements – In this day and age, anything that stands out from all the plain vanilla marketing is a good thing. There are certain elements you can add to your envelopes to make them appear as one-off and individualized as possible.
10. Unique photos – I love using fun, unique photos on envelopes. Photos are proven attention-grabbers and should be used in your direct marketing mail design arsenal.

For more details on these 10 envelope boosters and to see examples of each, please check out this video:

http://www.mikecapuzzi.tv/

I hope this article has opened your eyes to the rather important job your envelopes have and the major part they play in getting maximum response out of your direct marketing mail campaigns. Your envelopes should not be an afterthought when it comes to creating profitable and response boosting direct marketing mail.

If you would like to discover more ways that your marketing can stand out with the use of CopyDoodles and copy cosmetics, check out our Copy Boosting Profits Secrets Course and our CopyDoodles Best Practices Webinar Series!

My fax back was short and to the point… HELL YEAH!!!

I own the very first edition (1990) of The Ultimate Sales Letter and it was the book that introduced me to Dan Kennedy and his powerful marketing strategies.  To be asked personally by Dan to contribute to the 2011 edition of this book is an honor and shows how important Dan considers the topic of “copy cosmetics.”

As a matter of fact, back in May, I was the guest of Dan at his Business of Copywriting Academy where I discussed the topic of copy cosmetics and the critical relationship between HOW your copy looks and the response it gets.

Over the past few years, I’ve immersed myself in the study of copy cosmetic techniques and strategies.  One of these techniques includes the use of handwritten margin notes and doodles, which triggered the idea for CopyDoodles® first for my own client work and most recently for thousands of business owners around the world.

Copy cosmetics are an often overlooked, but critically important topic for any direct response marketer or copywriter.  Their proper use allows you to create attention-grabbing marketing that is easy (and fun) to read and makes an emotional connection with the reader.  Plus they set you apart from the 97% of marketers who don’t use them.

Plain Vanilla Letter

Letter Using Several Copy Cosmetic Strategies!

I’ve already started working on the chapter outline and I’ve identified 27 unique copy cosmetic strategies everybody should be using when crafting their copy (online or offline – it doesn’t matter).

Just today I was interviewed by restaurant marketing expert Rory Fatt, on how independent restaurant owners can use these techniques (if you would like a copy of this interview along with a cheat sheet of 27 techniques I will be writing about in the next edition of The Ultimate Sales Letter, simply share your copy cosmetic thoughts below and I will make sure we email it to you when it’s ready).

What others say about you and your products and services is much more compelling and powerful than any marketing copy you could write for yourself.

The important lesson here is the word “real.”

Lately, I have seen an increase in a practice I personally detest and one I believe has no place in a business built on integrity, authenticity, quality and service.

It’s the use of canned, pre-written testimonials or what is more appropriately called a “testiphonial.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I know fake testimonials have been around as long as there has been authors and copywriters writing ads and sales letters.  What  I am talking about is different and it’s done with the guise of being an acceptable way to market in this age of “too much to do and too little time.”

It goes something like this.  A marketer has a new product or book that has yet to be released.  In an effort to build up their testimonials they will send out a slew of requests often with an incomplete product or the first few chapters of the book.

Due to the nature of product marketing, this is often a necessary practice, but here’s where it gets slimy.

Also sent is a list of pre-written testimonials about the product with a wink and nod that “these are being sent to give you ideas for your testimonial.”  All you need to do is pick which testimonial sounds like what you would write and put your name on it and send it back.

Ask the marketer why they do this and they’ll tell you nobody really has time to read the book or check out the product, so why not just write it for them.

BOLONEY!!!

This kind of marketing is an example of the epidemic of low quality, no-relationship, do-whatever-it-takes-to-make-a-sale mentality that is rampant out there.

Personally, I would not use a pre-written testiphonial. In fact, I know others detest this practice and refuse to endorse  products or services they cannot experience first-hand themselves.

The really interesting fact is, in my experience, whenever a customer writes a "real testimonial" it sounds SO MUCH BETTER than anything I could have written for them.  There’s a sense of authenticity and realism that cannot be duplicated by even the world’s greatest copywriters.

Folks, today when skepticism and cynicism are at an all-time high and when, via the Internet, ill-will can spread like wildfire, it’s more important than ever to market with integrity and true value.

So with this in mind, I want to offer you a few strategies I've used with much success over the years for getting real testimonials.  Many of these were developed back when I did consulting for software companies, where it was common practice for me to implement testimonial programs for every single client.

Interestingly, we had little problem getting top-level executives to give us their feedback and endorsement in writing or often times on video (this was back before the Flip camera so we had to go through the major effort of sending a multi-person crew to capture their words).

Strategy #1: Believe you can get the testimonial.  Many times getting a real testimonial is as simple as asking.  Of course this is based on the notion you have a relationship and proven track record with the person, so why wouldn’t they give it to you?

Strategy #2: Let them know why you are asking for the testimonial, who you are ultimately marketing to and how you intend to use the testimonial.  This is a critical step and gives your testimonial target a chance to say no if they feel it’s not a good fit. (If you are targeting V.I.P. “celebrity” testimonials, this is very important).

Strategy #3: Ask them to write you a testimonial.  If they are a current satisfied customer again this should pose no problem.  However, if you are requesting a testimonial for something that has yet to be pre-released, give them as much background information as possible.  If you are writing a book, send them a pre-release version that is at least 75% complete (when I published my first book, “Dream, Inc.” I waited until the book contents were written before sending out requests).

Strategy #4: There will be times when you send a request the person will push back and tell you to “write it for them” and they will edit and send back.  At this point explain why getting a testimonial from them – in their own words – is so important to you and if they could take the time, it would really help you (remember, more times than not, people like to help one another).

If they continue to push back, you have two choices.  Forget trying to get this testimonial or try strategy #5.  Either way, I would resist the temptation of creating a testiphonial for them.

Strategy #5: Conduct a five minute phone interview.  I’ve used this with much success over the years and you will be surprised how easy this strategy is.  What I will do is request a five minute phone call (I state this exact time right up front).  I will get the person on the phone and let them know I am recording the call so that we can transcribe the call later and create their testimonial from the actual conversation.

When you’re on the call, make sure you get all their contact information as they want it and then ask them some probing questions about your product or service. You’ll be amazed just how much people appreciate this type of interaction and how much they will open up.  The sound bites you get on these calls are invaluable.

Strategy #6: In the event the product is not complete yet, try to get a testimonial based on the overall idea or theme of the product or service.  Or one based on their personal experience with you and your abilities.

Yes this will sound different than if it was specific to your actual product or service, but it can still be extremely valuable in your marketing efforts.  When I created CopyDoodles®, I sent a number of marketers a small collection of CopyDoodles that would eventually be only a small portion of the final product, but it gave them enough to test.

I hope this article gives you a few practical ideas to help you collect real testimonials as you continue to grow your real business.

I would love to hear your thoughts about all this and if you have any of your own proven strategies for collecting testimonials!

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I just got back from the 2010 Glazer-Kennedy SuperConference in Dallas, Texas.  It was another four days of intense learning and powerful networking and as usual, it was great to see old friends and meet new ones.

At the 2009 GKIC SuperConference, I had the opportunity to be a presenter and this year my SuperConference participation continued with me leading a marketing round table and my company exhibiting for the first time ever.

For two hours I hosted a number of packed marketing round tables on the topic of “increasing conversion” – can you find me in the pic?

Many thanks to the hundreds of SuperConference attendees who stopped by and visited us during exhibit hours.  It was humbling to hear so many CopyDoodles success stories and get so many video testimonials!

And a very special congratulations to the following ten individuals who became CopyDoodles customers and won our Mastermind Experience Contest, which includes a one-day mastermind experience and attending a Philadelphia Phillies game with me in a private V.I.P. suite in July.

Mastermind & Phillies Game Winners!

Jeff Giagnocavo, Mitch Tublin, Rollie LaMarche, Traci Bild, Glenn Fukuda, Will Fishkin, Jill Wolforth, Greg Lake, Barbara Hales and Barry Wells.

Dan and Carla Kennedy stopped by to say hi to my wife Becky and I at the booth.

During the exhibit, we showed for the first time ever, the brand new CopyDoodles® Access Club.  Our fans are calling this “CopyDoodles 2.0” and it is indeed the future of all things CopyDoodles!

This exciting new advancement will allow existing and future CopyDoodles customers to access all our powerful, attention-grabbing content –  even faster and easier than EVER BEFORE!  This includes CopyDoodles, CopyComics, CopyFonts, CopyFlash, and our innovative CopyGenerators.

A sneak peak at the brand new CopyDoodles Access Club!

You will be hearing more the CopyDoodles Access Club over the next few weeks as we begin to roll it out, so stay tuned.

There are two things that made the 2010 SuperConference truly memorable for me.  The first has to do with the amazing generosity of SuperConference attendees and Bill and Karen Glazer.  In December of 2009, the GKIC world lost a master marketer and member when my friend and GKIC-Philly chapter member Eric Paul lost his battle to cancer.

Eric Paul

It was just two years ago Eric attended the 2008 SuperConference and predicted (and I agreed) he would be a future GKIC Marketer of the Year.  Unfortunately life threw a curveball and Eric is no longer with us.  He left behind four beautiful young children.

At the SuperConference, my friend Darin Spindler, created an emotional video and attendees donated over $10,000 to help Eric’s family as they deal this their loss.  It was amazing to see a line of hundreds of attendees as they turned in their contribution forms.

On a more upbeat note, GKIC-Philly member and my Elite Experience Mastermind member, Charlie McDermott, won the title of the 2010 GKIC Marketer of the Year!  It was during our February Elite Experience Mastermind meeting that our group suggested Charlie enter the contest and being a man of massive action Charlie accepted the challenge and won the entire contest!

Charlie McDermott getting feedback during our Elite Experience Mastermind meeting in February.

This is an amazing accomplishment for Charlie, especially since he’s only been a GKIC member since the fall of 2008.  Congratulations to Charlie and his team for their impressive presentation at the 2010 GKIC SuperConference!

And finally, I want to thank all the GKIC-Philly chapter members who attended the SuperConference (and stayed up late to get this photo).

GKIC-Philly in Dallas! Andrew Mazer, Becky Capuzzi, Dan Kennedy, Jeff Giagnocavo, myself, Jim Palmer, Bill Glazer, Charlie McDermott and Dave Frees

In more practical terms, what I mean by “marketing context” is the appropriateness and sensibility of a particular marketing message delivered to a particular target in a particular way.

For example, you should be talking to your current customers/clients/patients differently than you would talk to a cold prospect.  When talking to a customer, the context of your relationship allows you to be more informal and personal because of the existing relationship.

With a prospect, the relationship has yet to be created, so the context of the relationship is one of a “warm-up period” where, over time, you allow them to get to know, like and trust you.  I always use the analogy of dating.  Chances are most people do not ask their spouse to marry them on the first date.  There is a courting period, an engagement period and finally marriage.

Let me share a specific example of marketing context and how it relates to day-to-day marketing.  My friend and mentor, Bill Glazer, often talks about his most successful marketing piece which was a four-page letter on yellow legal paper that appeared to be hand-written.  The piece generated a ton of business and Bill even won an industry award because of its success and uniqueness.

Other marketers see this letter and try to emulate Bill’s success.  In particular, I heard about one story where a marketer basically did the same thing Bill did, but got ZERO RESPONSE.

The reason Bill was successful and this other person was not was because Bill understood the context of how to use the handwritten letter, whereas the other person did not. In Bill’s situation, he sent the letter to people who already knew him and knew what he stood for (including some pretty outrageous marketing).  The context of the relationship was familiarity and a hand-written letter from Bill was congruent with the relationship.

On the other hand, the marketer who copied the letter, sent it to COLD PROSPECTS!  Think about this for a second.  You receive a funky-looking, handwritten letter from somebody you don’t know.  Does this make sense?

Probably not, which is why his response rate was zero.

I teach people how to improve the attention-grabbing power of their marketing by using copy cosmetics.  These are proven techniques to grab attention and keep the reader reading.  In the case of Bill Glazer’s sales letter he used several techniques, including simulated handwriting.

So even though I am a huge fan of copy cosmetics there are times when the marketing context dictates I use only a few copy cosmetic techniques.  For example, when I create a multi-step, lead-generation direct mail sequence, I tend to use only the basic copy cosmetic techniques like underlining, boldfacing, subheads, etc.

However on subsequent steps, I may techniques that convey a more informal approach, such has handwritten notes, because I have already started a relationship with the reader.  Their use is suitable as the reader starts to get to know me.

You should always be considering the context of your marketing message and consider whether or not it makes sense for your target.  Is it appropriate for the current state of your relationship and the situation surrounding it?  Most importantly, remember, the context is from the point of view of your target - NOT YOU!

So I was pleasantly surprised while having dinner the other day with my business partner at a local restaurant. This restaurant is owned by an entrepreneur who “get’s it.”

I know for the fact the owner is a consummate marketer and his success is evident at the large number of restaurants he owns.  As a matter of fact, he just published his first book, which was available for purchase as we entered the restaurant.

But this is not the smart strategy I am referring to.  The smart strategy, and one you can steal for your business, is what happened at the conclusion of our dinner.

When the waitress appeared with our check, she also handed both of us, two pieces of paper (notice she didn’t give us just one set, but two – one for each of us).

The first was a “business card” giving us a 20% discount at a future visit.  This is an extremely smart strategy to study for several reasons.

•    First, it was presented as a “thank you gift” for visiting that evening.  Who doesn’t want to be thanked and acknowledged for their patronage?

•    Second, the discount was substantial enough to get my attention.  Had it been a 5% discount – the card wouldn’t have mattered.  But a 20% discount is worth holding onto.

•    Third, the owner understands that consumers are funny and while they may enjoy dinner at his restaurant, it doesn’t mean they’re coming back.  By offering a substantial future discount, he tapped into human nature knowing that few of us can pass up saving money while enjoying a nice meal.

The only improvement I would suggest to him is putting a deadline on the card so that it forces me to use it by a certain date.  It could be a generic “Must Use Within 30 Days” or he could leave room for the waitress to stamp a date based on my visit date.

The other piece of paper was an invitation to join his VIP Club.  Again this example is worthy of study for several reasons.

•    First and foremost, he’s making a serious effort to get my attention and contact information.  I am sure he has an impressive marketing follow-up strategy by both email and direct mail.  I wonder what I will receive on my birthday and anniversary?

•    Second, he’s giving me several reasons to give him my contact information, including lunch at a 50% discount, giveaways, event specials, etc.

•    Finally, he’s reassuring me that my information is safe.

If you’re a bricks and mortar business owner – how can you use these two strategies in your business?

If you’re allowing people to visit your location and not giving them a BIG reason to want to return and be contacted by you in the future, you’re leaving large amounts of money on the table.  Study the Doc Magrogan example and use it in your business to improve your marketing!

To recap:

1) Ask for feedback (and capture contact info)
2) Create and share your story
3) Foster an environment of idea sharing
4) Create a “behind-the-scenes” experience for your customers

5) Disney speaks “Disney-ese”
Leave it to Disney to make the guest experience even more magical by coming up with its own language.   For example:

•    “Guest” instead of customer
•    “Cast member” instead of employee
•    “On-stage” and “backstage” to describe the “front office” and “back office”
•    And words like imagineering, edutainment, and merchantising are all further proof of Disney’s uniqueness and the effort they go to stand out.

Developing your own language and unique names for processes and services in your business is smart and helps prevent competitors from making an “apples to apples” comparison to you.

When I consult with business owners, we often spend time on this process trying to create a unique positioning (complete with a name) in the mind of their prospect and customers.

CopyDoodles® is an example where I created a word that has now taken on its own life.  When marketers mark-up their copy they refer to it as “copydoodling” or their letter was “copydoodled.”

Spend some time and think about how you can come up with your own language for your business!

Which brings me to our final lesson learned at Disney…

6) Disney has a profound belief and presence of its corporate culture
As we were touring the behind-the-scenes corridors and spaces of Disney, signs and posters for the cast members constantly reminded them of why their jobs were so important.

Even our hostess had a small business card that had certain values printed on them that she carried with her.

What does your business stand for?

If you have employees – do they understand why your business exists to serve its customers and clients?

Disney is a stellar example of a company that understands why it exists and it does everything in its power to make sure all the guest members do the same.

So that’s the six big lessons we learned this week at Disney.  I hope you can benefit from them.  For more information about my Elite Experience Mastermind Group, please email me at info@mikecapuzzi.com.