Let\u2019s see, where were we\u2026\u00a0 oh yes, you were bitching, er\u2026 complaining that your post card wasn\u2019t long enough to sell your products, and I said you\u2019re right – it isn\u2019t. \u00a0 The ONLY job of the post card is to make the reader pick up the phone and call YOU, then YOU sell your products.\u00a0 To do that, offer something FREE.<\/p>\n
A FREE CAR is good, but wait – it\u2019s expensive.\u00a0 A FREE Mont Blanc pen is nice – but wait, heck that\u2019s expensive, too.<\/p>\n
Hummm\u2026 if there was only something that we could pique the reader\u2019s interest in so keenly, and drive him to the phone.\u00a0 If there were just something we could describe in one or two lines, so that he wanted it, needed it so badly that if he threw out the post card, he\u2019d wake up in the middle of the night and come running down to get the card out of the trash and respond.<\/p>\n
Oh, if there were only some information that we had, crucial information that he needed so badly that he would call and ask for it; critical information that\u2026 what?\u00a0 Wait.\u00a0 Wait a minute. Information?\u00a0 Did I say \u201cInformation?\u201d \u201cInformation the reader needs?\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s it!\u00a0 Information he needs.\u00a0 Information he needs badly!\u00a0 By Jove, I think we\u2019ve got it!<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll offer information.\u00a0 An informational booklet!\u00a0 A FREE informational booklet.\u00a0 They\u2019ll call for that, hummmm\u2026\u00a0 if we can just make it sound interesting.<\/p>\n
Maybe if we write a catchy title \u2014\u2014 something our clients really, really want\u2026 and need.\u00a0 Certainly something they\u2019d dive in the trash can to recover.\u00a0 More than that\u2026\u00a0 Something they\u2019d drive across town to find out!<\/p>\n
Maybe\u2026 Information they\u2019d need and want so badly they\u2019d swim across the English Channel to get.\u00a0 Information they\u2019d sell their spouse to acquire!\u00a0 Information so valuable they\u2019d take my wife and keep her.\u00a0 You\u2019d have to be crazy to\u2026 never mind.\u00a0 OK, maybe this last idea was a little much. But certainly information they need and want.<\/p>\n
So, settled!\u00a0 We\u2019ll offer information.\u00a0 Information about how they can easily resolve their wants, satisfy their needs.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good thing your products and services can do exactly that.\u00a0 If only we could figure out how to make them pick up the phone and call\u2026<\/p>\n
But wait – I just had an idea!\u00a0 How about a booklet titled \u201cHow To Solve your Biggest Wants and Needs.\u201d\u00a0 Nah\u2026 too general.<\/p>\n
How about offering a FREE \u2018Informational\u2019 booklet? Yes with \u201cFREE\u201d written in all capital letters. Maybe a title with the number of ways readers can solve their most pressing problems?<\/p>\n
\u201cHow To Solve your 9 Biggest Headaches.\u201d\u00a0 Excellent!\u00a0 How about \u201cFREE BOOKLET shows you 9 ways to solve your\u2026!\u201d\u00a0 Yes, even better! Just fill in the blank part yourself\u2014with exactly what your customers are looking for.<\/p>\n
Solve a specific problem: \u201c9 Ways to Cut your employee payroll without layoffs!\u201d Yes! \u201cHow to increase your profit without increasing your sales!\u201d Yes! \u201c12 Different Ways to Instantly Find a Leak in your Roof!\u201d YES! \u201c7 Easy Things to Check when your Car won\u2019t Start\u2026 and 5 ways to Get it Started!\u201d<\/p>\n
Just \u201cCall Now for your FREE booklet!\u201d (Don\u2019t forget to tell readers exactly what you want them to do.\u00a0 \u201cCall now and get\u2026\u201d)<\/p>\n
Booklets are cheap to produce, easy to change, light to ship and make excellent giveaways that your customers will hold on to for years if you provide valuable information.\u00a0 And they\u2019ll call if you can hit the title on the money by offering information your readers really want.<\/p>\n
You see, it\u2019s the TITLE of the booklet that makes it valuable,\u00a0 irresistible for the reader, and makes him call.\u00a0 It\u2019s not really the booklet itself – just the title.\u00a0 People call just because of the title.\u00a0 They don\u2019t see the booklet until later.\u00a0 By that time, the booklet title, and the post card worked.<\/p>\n
The best way to create a title for your FREE informational booklet?\u00a0 Yep\u2026 Same way you came up with your headline, The Jeff Dobkin 100 to 1 rule:\u00a0 (Remember the deal we struck-up from the first article – you were going to send me 5 bucks each time you used this?)\u00a0 Write 100 headlines, go back and pick out your best one.\u00a0 Best way to create the most irresistible booklet title.<\/p>\n
Article Summary<\/p>\n
1. Get your post card through the first round of Glance Readership by having a super-compelling headline, tightly written sub-headlines and outstanding graphics.<\/p>\n
2. Get the objective right: The objective of the post card isn\u2019t to sell your product or service, it\u2019s to generate a phone call.<\/p>\n
3. Make the phone ring by offering something irresistible, for free.\u00a0 I mean for FREE (all capitals)!<\/p>\n
4. FREE informational booklets work really well.<\/p>\n
5. The title generates the call. The title owns 100% of the responsibility of driving the reader to the phone to make the call. The better the title = the more calls.\u00a0 When the phone rings, the card worked.<\/p>\n
6. Finally, when the phone rings, YOU sell your product or service.<\/p>\n
Glance Readership: The better your graphics, the better your headline, the more people read your post card.\u00a0 The more readers the more opportunities you have to offer something for FREE.\u00a0 The better your free offer as determined by the title of your free booklet, the more calls you receive.<\/p>\n
The more calls you receive, the better the post card worked, the more business you\u2019ll enjoy.\u00a0 Any questions?<\/p>\n
– Jeff<\/em><\/p>\n
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