In early October, I signed up for the Internet Master Series - a 12-part teleseminar program run by Lynn Carnes and Natalie Judd. Following in the virtual footsteps of Harris Fellman, Brian Edmondson et al., Carnes and Judd have scheduled an impressive list of experts for their interviews. In becoming prime-time teleseminar hosts, the duo is raising their Internet profiles, becoming experts in their own right, and offering members a great opportunity to further improve their marketing knowledge.
The October 26th call featured none other than Dr. Joe Vitale, founder of Hypnotic Marketing Inc. and the world's foremost "hypnotic" copywriting expert. Dr. Vitale's academic and professional accomplishments have made him as a Top 5 World Marketer. He has nurtured a lifetime of wisdom in three disciplines (hypnotherapy, marketing, and the metaphysical sciences) to define and build a unique niche.
Hypnotic Communication Basics.
Early in the call, Vitale gave listeners a basic outline of the hypnotic philosophy, including three basic definitions:
1. Hypnotic Writing:
Text (i.e. e-mails, sales letters, advertising copy, etc.) with the power to hold your attention to the exclusion of everything else. Writers must be completely focused on their writing, not distracted from the task at hand, and aware of "stimuli" that compete for their audiences' attention.
2. Hypnotic Selling.
One-on-one activity with customer aimed at getting the sale.
3. Hypnotic Marketing.
Series of activities aimed at answering the question:
"What are their problems and how can I solve them?"
Dr. Vitale's "New Definition" of marketing is:
Sharing your passion with people who most want to hear about it.
Separating the Creative and Editorial Processes.
Being a bland and formulaic writer will not do. You should tell your story to readers/prospects as if you were at the office water cooler. By being natural and conversational in delivery and tone, subscribers will be drawn to you. Give them a chance to know you, like you, and trust you.
How can you translate the personal "touch" into writing? Well, according to Dr. Vitale, we must avoid traumatization, or self-traumatization. When putting words down on paper or a word processor, the editorial "voice" often takes control of the writing process. It causes "stuttering" on paper, which in turn conflicts with what you really want to say. The editorial voice is necessary, but should not be turned on before a first draft.
Using Your Verbal to Assist Your Written.
The best way to avoid writer's block and a dominating editorial voice is to record your thoughts with a friend, then transcribe the conversation. Speaking your mind will produce the content of your web copy. Then, sit down and "mind-read" your prospects - adjust your words based on educated guesses of what your readers want to hear from you.
As an extension of using conversations to help produce sizzling copy, Dr. Vitale advocates embedded dialog. Like in a novel, dialog breaks the monotony of pure prose in e-mails and web pages. It enlivens the text, and can help fill any "holes" before the sales letter order button.
Finding the Right Tone.
All writers, including Dr. Vitale, must find their own voice. Hence, use language that your target audience will accept. Using humor can be counterproductive, even dangerous ("Consumers do not buy from clowns..."). However, sharing personal messages and experiences is acceptable, so long as they advance the sales process. Perhaps counter intuitively, revealing human imperfections in e-mails will help you build a stronger rapport with your list subscribers. Remember, a reader who knows, likes, trusts, and respects you will buy from you...
Long Copy versus Short Copy - Which is Better?
We live in an age of skepticism, so stories and testimonials are essential for sales and marketing success. However, who wants to read a fifteen page sales letter? Dr. Vitale noted that recent studies suggest a direct correlation between sales copy length and product price. So:
- Use shorter sales letters for low-end products like reports, short e-books, introductory CDs, etc. costing less than $100.
- Use longer sales letters to promote integrated marketing products that cost $200 or more.
- Intermediate products ($100-$200) are a judgement call.
Adopting a Personal Writing Style.
Copywriting should be an intimate process that links writer to reader. Even though you may have hundreds, even thousands of list subscribers, Vitale tells us to imagine writing to one person only. Intimacy will come through naturally in your words, and your writing process will become more relaxed. When people ask you, "Was your last e-mail directed at me only?", you have made it...
Your ads should be focused on the target audience only. The more telegraphic and transparent the message, the more direct (positive) responses you will receive. To quote Dr. Vitale, "Get out of your ego and into the other's ego." Park your ego outside the sales message and do not impose your personality on it.
Dr. Joe's Secret to Success.
In response to Nathalie's question about how to succeed in Internet Marketing, Dr. Vitale asks all of us to take care of our "inside". Overcome your fear of failure, and believe that you deserve success. He spoke of the power of intention, where the universe is arranged to help you achieve your goals. The world rewards speedy and massive action, so behave accordingly.
Vitale advises aspiring Internet marketers to stay modest as your online presence increases. Keep core strategies and tactics to yourself. Find a 2-5 person MasterMind group that will offer support, share experiences and intentions with you, and add an element of accountability to your activity.
Conclusion.
A one-hour teleseminar does not do Joe Vitale justice. Like contemporaries Mark Joyner and Mike Filsaime, Dr. Vitale has a special talent for conveying seemingly complex concepts in a simple yet meaningful form. Internet Marketing continues to be dogged by credibility issues. Yet, with people like Vitale on the scene, newbies and experienced marketers alike have a real-life example of how to do it right.
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Joe Vitale will appear on CNN's Larry King Live November 2nd and November 16th.
For a complete list of Dr. Vitale's accomplishments, current projects, and available resources, please visit his main website: http://www.mrfire.com
Lynn and Natalie's Internet Master Series is hot! Click here to access future teleseminars.
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