Got to have a deadline

Happy New! Can you believe it’s already 2010?! Weren’t we supposed to be in flying cars by now like George Jetson? Last week we wrapped up our discussion on guarantees. To see that last post, visit the blog. Today we’ll start in on two big topics. Two that makes direct response marketing what it is. (Direct response is the kind of marketing I teach in these tips)

Those, of course, are deadlines and offers. These are what truly separates direct response marketing from main-stream, “Madison Avenue,” brand building advertising.

Pure and simple, if you don’t have a deadline you don’t have an offer. Most businesses that aren’t tuned in to direct response hide their deadlines in tiny sized invisible ink hoping you won’t see it. This is just the opposite that you want to do. You want to create ungency, you want them to act now, which is just the opposite of what most big, dumb companies do.

Something to consider with your deadline is people are more motivated by fear of loss than personal gain. So often times a deadline where they ‘lose out’ on something after an elapsed time is better than gaining something if they respond early.

Some ways to use deadlines are:

• Response required within “X” number of days
• By a certain date
• By a date stamped in RED on your letter
• Limited to the first “X” number

Deadlines are a great way to create urgency which is what you want to do, so don’t hide them and make them very clear to your clients or prospects.

Blog Readers Only Special

In honor of the New Year and the new decade we’ll celebrate all month by giving you 10% off any order from now until Jan. 31, 2010.

Go online and make your purchase and enter 2010 in the promo code box at checkout, and I’ll automatically take 10% off. Or give me a call at
888-250-1834 to place your order and mention 2019 and I’ll do the same. Just be sure you do this before Jan 31, 2010!