Posted 8.27.07
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www.DAXRICH.com
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A DAX ‘SMUCKLE:’ Recent research discloses that when having sex, the average man burns up 200 calories. That gives a whole new meaning to the weight-loss program often described as ‘’Being on Jenny Craig.'’
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-THIS WEEK’S CONTENT-
DEAN’S RANT: Something ENTIRELY Different This Week!
MONEY MAKING: The Art Of Crafting Highly Effective Sales Copy!
PONDER THIS: My Rambunctious, Nasty Namesake!
HEALTH BOOSTER: More Help To Send ‘’Arthur'’ Packing!
TASTY REPAST: A DAX Exotic Soup!
READERS REACT: Dean, You’re Brilliant! (Well, duh . . . !)
DAX-YAX: Kiss-A-Me, Baby!
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DEAN’S RANT: Something ENTIRELY Different This Week!
As we have a very long but helpful article in our MONEY-MAKING feature this week, plus a couple other goodies that take up space - I shall not take up MY usual amount of space here and instead, by-your-leave, exit stage right . . .
-Dean
P.S. Not so fast! Just noticed my comment about my not taking up so much space here: In fact, I no longer take up as much space ANYWHERE as I have, as of this writing, lost 45 pounds since March. Will tell you about THAT in a few weeks.
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MONEY-MAKING: The Art Of Crafting Highly Effective Sales Copy
It can be argued that creating sales copy of any kind is actually more of a science, but I used the word ‘’art'’ in the caption for a reason to be explained later.
For well over forty years, yours truly has received numerous kudos, awards and such for being an innovative and ‘’hot'’ copywriter. It comes naturally to me, so I do not necessarily take any credit - other than realizing my talent early-on and developing the same as much as possible (or more truthfully, as much as needed) thereafter.
So, let’s see if my accumulated knowledge and experience can be of help to you - no matter at what stage of copywriting you find yourself - brand new or having travelled many an advertising avenue.
First, we must come to an inescapable agreement of fact that, as the great motivational speaker, and publisher of PARADE Magazine, the late Arthur H. (Red) Motley once declared, ‘’Nothing happens until someone sells something!'’ In our socio economic culture nothing could be more hard-core truth.
We - you and I and everybody else - cease to exist (for all practical purposes) the day our international sales engine grinds to a halt. Nobody works, nobody lives well (or perhaps, even at all), nobody does a darn thing unless and until we (all) sell stuff - a lot of stuff!
By the way - before I forget - I noticed on the web that someone by the name of Mark Munday has (apparently) appropriated the aforementioned Motley quote - at least it appears that way in an advertisement for a book or MLM deal or some such. Maybe, he bought the rights to do so, but having a few of my own ‘’famous quotes'’ proselytized over the decades - it makes me wonder . . .
SELL THE SIZZLE - NOT THE STEAK!
Another succinct saying that really ‘’says it all'’ when it comes to what really good advertising is all about - is that above caption as originally advanced by another great motivational speaker, Zig Zigler - whom I’m fairly certain is still alive and pontificating. It sums up the essence of what advertising is all about - when done properly:
Stress the readily perceived benefits of (whatever) to your prospect more than (but not necessarily to the exclusion of) the actual product or service, itself.
To use Zigler’s analogy: Someone who is hungry and made to think of the ‘’sizzle'’ of a nice hunk of meat - and the aroma, taste and feel of it in one’s mouth as it’s being chewed - is much more inspired to buy the product itself than if the seller merely said something like, ‘’Our steaks are all USDA Grade A, corn-fed, Black Angus, etc., etc.'’ Who cares? One wants to enjoy the sheer pleasure of the eating event - NOT the mechanics of farming, marketing or whatever.
And so it goes: Ever notice that really good automobile advertising focuses on the experience of owning/driving the vehicle moreso than the merits of the actual machine, itself? Oh yes, there are hard-nosed, macho-types that seem to get off on lots of horse power, dual exhausts, big fat oversized wheels and tires and such but why?
Because, in the final analysis they believe that somehow all that extra stuff will help them get laid - that’s why!
One of the most effective and memorable television commercials currently running is for the Hummer II - GM’s overblown, overpriced SUV that yuppy-puppies just gotta have - despite its requiring a tanker-trailer full of petrol to be hauled behind. The commercial I refer to comes in two versions - the original which is terrific - and a shorter version that distills its essence.
By the way, as you may have noticed, many advertisers will have their agency develop a long version of a commercial and later, after it’s run for a goodly period, have the agency pare the thing down. It’s cheaper to run, of course, and the thinking is this (at least I’m guessing it is):
Once prospects have been exposed to the original, more satisfying longer message, they will have socked away in their pea-brains any vital data that is missing in the shorter version - and will connect the dots on their own. To my mind, that’s good economics but lousy marketing. An example:
YOURS . . .
$100,000 IN 90+ DAYS!
Without a penny of investment
Without leaving your home
‘’Working'’ about an hour a day
The foregoing illustrates just the primary and sub-heads from a full page ad for one of THE best-selling ‘’How-To'’ books of the 20th century and no doubt, within a short list of the top five of all time!
You could say that it ‘’Put DAX on the map.'’ I WILL say that it certainly ‘’Put Big Bux in the BANK!'’ (That famous report is still available - check out the BOOK NOOK tab on the MENU BAR).
We ran the full page ad thousands of times in every major, minor and in-between publication in the universe a couple decades back. Untold BILLIONS of people worldwide were exposed to it yet, if we were to just harvest a few words from the original full page ad (per the example above) and condense into a cheap classified, perhaps, a few people would understand the entire concept (having seen and recalled the original advertising) - but it’s doubtful it would do much in the way of garnering actual cash sales.
THAT ORIGINAL HUMMER II COMMERCIAL:
They used the British group, WHO, singing ‘’Happy Jack'’ as a voice-over rather than the customary dialogue approach. It plays during the entire commercial which in itself is a complete story: Jack decides to compete in a soap box derby. He has little money or resources whilst his competitors are presented as monied brats.
Jack works with some scavenged wood and metal parts in the barn and a pretty girl his age donates the steering wheel. One wonders what the back-story there is - where she may have appropriated the wheel, that is. Later, the girl is also seen sitting on a hill with binoculars - monitoring Jack’s progress once the race is underway.
There’s a smirking little competitor - giving the fish-eye to our hero’s home-made vehicle which is a small, cobbled-together version of a Hummer II. The race starts and Jack cuts through the back country instead of following the established path the others take - and naturally, he wins the race!
There’s a whole lot of psychological stuff going on: Jack’s an underdog . . . he rises to the challenge - overcomes many obstacles . . . his maybe-yes/maybe-no girlfriend is an integral part - not a mere motivation for victory but actually, an important helpmate . . . he brushes aside his detractors . . . he takes an unconventional approach to waging and winning the competition.
That boy is a Hummer II man in the truest sense, and the commercial tells the viewer that it’s okay - even good - to be different from everybody else: Who needs those whimpy Ford Explorers, Lexus or other plush SUVs? Why not cut from the traditional ‘’me-too'’ pack and do your own thing? Get a gas-guzzling Hummer II and let the naysayers be damned! I love that commercial because it is darn near perfect as far as construction, motivation and (I’d guess) sales-results!
MOTIVATION IS THE KEY
And there you have what creating good and effective advertising is all about - regardless the form or terminology of the medium used: You must cause your prospective buyer to see the value of what the product or service can DO rather than what it actually IS. Simple, really - wouldn’t you agree?
As such, I would submit that the craft is one of science rather than art - as I eluded to earlier. The reason I used ‘’art'’ in the title harkens back to an unknown-named (at least to me) Hollywood publicity agent of the 1930s. In those days it was common for an aspiring actor or actress to change their given names to more suitable and marketable ones. Leonard Franklin Slye became better known as Roy Rogers, Frances Ethel Gumm is forever known to the world as Judy Garland, Rock Hudson started out in life as Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., Norma Jean Baker became Marilyn Monroe - and so forth.
The PR fellow got it in his head that people could better remember names if either the first or last name - or better still, both - contained at least one ‘’R.'’ There is psychology behind that thought - as there is in the well-known preference of comedians to use a word - any word - that has a ‘’K'’ in it. Thus, you probably won’t hear your favorite jokester say, ‘’And she was as big as a Chevy'’ but rather, ‘’She was the size of a Buick!'’
But I digress: I decided many years back that not only should words I use in advertising - but especially, the titles and captions - have as many ‘’Rs'’ as possible, but the use of words should be in what I call the ‘’action form'’ rather than the lackadaisical mode.
I do realize there is a proper way to express the different uses of phrasing - but about the time I decided to quit my formal education (two weeks short of my 16th birthday) I also decided not to pursue my original plan of becoming an English professor at some Ivy League college (so . . . there!)
Anyway, I would phrase a caption like this: ‘’How To Earn A Million Bux Per Year And Savor Life To The Max!'’ Rather than: ‘’Earning A Million Dollars Every Year And Enjoying Life!'’ I guess it’s the ‘’ing-thing'’ I don’t like.
Certainly, it’s a good idea to study psychology - in particular, the motivational and inspirational aspects of the human condition. In past articles I have related certain tear-jerking sentences or vignettes that illustrate just how almost anybody (who is not a sociopath) can be influenced and caused to react - even when they sincerely believe it would be unlikely. I could illustrate several such but one will suffice:
It directly involves advertising - in this case, so-called, ‘’point-of-purchase'’ - the outer colorful label on a large can of Cristo shortening - that artery-clogging crap that is used nowadays only by the Amish, as far as I can determine. I’ve always hoped this story was apocryphal, but I suspect there is a large grain of truth in it. Here ’tis:
An uneducated young mother with a family to feed and very little money goes into a grocery store, and walks through the aisles - trying to figure out where best to spend the few dollars she has so as to provide sustenance for her children.
She spots a can of Crisco with a pretty photograph of a nice batch of fried chicken that has been used to illustrate one of the uses for the product, i.e., preparing chicken. The woman buys the container of Crisco, takes it home and opens it to find only the white greasy goo - no delicious chicken. (Okay, she’s uneducated AND dumb!)
Those few lines there illustrate how easy and quick a copywriter can use words to tug at the heart strings, or instead to give someone a feeling of joy, inspiration or whatever.
Early on in my career, I coined a few phrases that I still like when describing a program, system or whatever, such as ‘”’Wallet-fattening,'’ ‘’Eye-Popping,'’ ‘’Wealth-Building, ‘’ and so forth.
Not the Gettysburg Address - but a few well chosen words that have served to support me and mine plus countless other DAX-DOERS worldwide for lo, these past 45+ years, eh wot?! (Have you ever wondered that if you lived in Gettysburg, what would be YOUR address?!)
ADVERTISEMENTS -v- COMMERCIALS
Earlier, I mentioned the word ‘’commercials.'’ Once again, it is important that we agree on the correct lingo to be used in advertising circles and you will soon discover that even today’s so-called professionals are unaware of the not so subtle difference between ‘’commercials'’ and ‘’ads.'’ ‘’Ad'’ is of course, shorthand for ‘’advertising,'’ and you will often hear someone refer to a ‘’television ad.’
Well, he or she is just wrong - and ignorant! (Do note the significant and often confused difference between ‘’stupid'’ and ‘’ignorant.'’ Not sure? Don’t be ignorant - look it up! If you refuse to learn - the word ‘’stupid'’ does come into play!)
‘’Ad'’ or ‘’advertising'’ refers to the print media: Newspapers, magazines and other published sources. Those of us who have been around long enough to have earned an opinion, also have declared that the term ‘’advertising'’ should apply to that found on the web - even though it can be reasonably argued that the ultimate recipient of such advertising is, in a very real sense, exposed to said advertising via a monitor - which is only a few bytes away from a teevee.
So, let’s call advertising that appears on television and radio what it has always been known as - commercials. Advertising that we see in the print media are ads/advertisements - not commercials. The latter definition seems to be easier to understand than the former for most people, I’ve noticed. Unlikely that someone would say, ‘’Did you see that interesting commercial in the New York Times yesterday?'’ You can see where the two terms are definitely not interchangeable.
Okay - I know - I tend to get hung up on semantics now and then - but it does seem like some of us who care ought to point out the tragedy of our too-often murdered language! (Or as Rex Harrison declared in ‘’My Fair Lady,'’ ‘’Why, the Americans haven’t even learned to speak English, at all!'’)
A FEW GOOD ONES THAT GOT AWAY
Despite all my sales message ‘’hits'’ over the years, there were some notable ones that ‘’got away.'’ Actually, I continue to believe they were real ‘’gems'’ but never saw the light of day because of some nincompoop who was in control (yet another vital reason for being self-employed so YOU can call all the shots!)
The first that comes to mind: Years back when Taster’s Choice coffee was first introduced, my late brother Wellington ('’The Duke Of'’) told me about the product. He was a consummate coffee drinker - and until his death preferred the ‘’real stuff'’ brewed in a pot. But he told me how good the TC was, so I bought some. I always hated the mess and bother of brewing coffee and when I first tried a cup of the new instant product I was delighted and have consumed nothing else since.
At the time, the company was flying some supercilious teevee commercials that did everything BUT tell prospects how good the new product was and how true to the taste of brewed coffee. I sat down and wrote out a commercial which essentially (and very simply), told people how unbelievably delicious this new product was - absolutely indistinguishable from a brewed product.
In fact, the aroma and taste bud arousing sensation of Taster’s Choice was far superior to any other - and all one needed do to prove that - was to decide to get some and taste it . . . and hey! - maybe, that’s why it’s called Taster’s Choice! Something like that - I don’t remember precisely.
Another brainstorm I had was in response to a contest that Volkswagen ran and heavily promoted. It was at a time when the familiar Beetle-Bug version of the car was so popular, and VW had just invented an electronic diagnostic device which they supplied to each of their dealers’ service departments. The service fellow need only connect the machine to the engine and instantly was told what was right or wrong with its performance.
The contest was to come up with a name for that marvelous gizmo. Without a doubt, I came up with the best and only obvious name: ‘’The Bug Plug.’ Oddly, nobody ever heard from VW after the contest expired, and they never used anybody’s idea - whatever it was and even if (and I’ll give you this as a possibility) someone else came up with something better than ‘’The Bug Plug!'’
Finally, we had for many years a certain Secretary of State here in Michigan. No one could oust him, it seems. In the midst of the sweeping foreign car craze he decided to do his official part in trying to get people to think more in terms of U.S. produced vehicles and fielded a contest which asked citizens to come up with a good slogan that could be used on our license plates.
There would be no prize - just the warm fuzzy feeling that you helped reverse a nasty economic trend. Well, in about three seconds I came up with the perfect slogan for Michigan: ‘’Wheels For The World.'’
It was never used and indeed, once again, no one else’s slogan was used either. I cannot even tell you (without looking - which I shall do in a moment) what our state’s slogan is. (Just looked - it’s ‘’Great Lakes.'’ Not ‘’Great Lake State'’ (which ’twas many moons ago) or even ‘’Water-Winter Wonderland'’- another actual slogan from the last century.) Again, someone in Lansing is merely trying to sell the steak - rather than the sizzle!
By the way, that Secretary of State I mentioned was soon-after caught in a motel flagrante delicto with a woman other than his wife and later left office (and this planet) in great disgrace. If only he had elevated himself with my gift of ‘’Wheels For The World . . . ‘’
Nowadays, with the Mitten State having gone down the ol’ Kohler Convenience - the result of total mismanagement OF the state, as well as inroads made by mostly Japanese auto makers who are turning out superior products (and SERVICE) we should probably, put on our license plates a slogan such as, ‘’Meth For Idiots!'’ as we have become one of the biggest producers of THAT crap in the nation.
So, what’s in a name? To find the birth names of famous people, go to this (very long) URL: http://www.fiftiesweb.com/dead/real-names.htm There, you’ll find thousands of interesting facts, such as: The real name of Prince is/was: Hershel Geguzin. Madonna started life as (and incidentally, IN the very hospital as yours truly - in Pontiac, Michigan) - Louise Veronica Ciccone.
To muddy the Madonna waters: She has recently announced that henceforth, she shall be called ‘’Esther.'’ President Gerald R. Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., comedian Red Buttons was originally Aaron Chwati and my two oddly-named favorites are: Humorist Albert Brooks (born Albert Einstein - really!) and Truman Capote. I met him once in New York years ago and we chatted about interesting elements of ‘’novelizing,'’ but I did not know then that his real name was Truman Strekfus Persons. ‘’How’s goin’, Strekfus?!'’
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PONDER THIS: My Rambunctious, Nasty Namesake!
Last year one of the season’s potentially big storms was dubbed Hurricane Dean but it more or less fizzled. This year, my namesake went hell-bent-for-leather and caused a great deal of damage, deaths and general mayhem. It sort of proves the adage: ‘’If at first you don’t destroy, blow, blow again . . . ‘’
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HEALTH BOOSTER: More Help To Send ‘’Arthur'’ Packing!
Additional research seems to confirm what we have been saying for many years: MOST ‘’nightshade'’ foods DO increase arthritis pain! In one study 25% of patients got worse when they ate any or all of the following:
Eggplant, white potatoes (yams and sweet potatoes are okay!), tomatoes, tomatillos, tomarillos, sweet and hot peppers and even pimentos in or out of olives!
I’ve known for years that every time I eat tomatoes two things happen: I start getting hives and soon after, my arthritis gets worse. So what do I do every cotton-pickin’ year when the fresh crop of Amish tomatoes come in? I eat my fill of ‘em - that’s what! And I suffer for it, BUT as they say, ‘’ya pays for your thrills!'’
A GLUTTON FOR GLUTEN?!
Incidentally, in case you are also unaware of THIS: Many people are allergic to gluten - the stuff found in most grains but especially, wheat and corn. I did NOT know that I was allergic to that until recently. Nor may you: Try some tests and find out.
Can make a BIG difference in your comfort level if you suffer any sort of pain caused by inflammation such fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, etc.
Even a bowl of popcorn can trigger an attack, as I found out!
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TASTY REPAST: A DAX Exotic Soup!
This recipe has become SuEllen’s favorite soup of late and she has asked me to make it several times. I also like it - not THAT well - but it is certainly worth trying sometime when you’re looking for something with a slightly different taste than the ordinary.
Get about 3-4 good-size leeks plus 2 heads of fennel - preferably, with some of the green fuzzy stuff still attached.
Cut MOST of the (usually tough) green leaves off the leeks and discard. Start a sink full of cold water and whilst that’s running, slice each of the leeks lengthwise, and then cut across into 1 inch pieces. Drop them into the cold water and stir them around vigorously and then, allow to float and further clean themselves by gravity.
Hold the fennel heads under cold running water and rinse well. Drain, and cut the ends away from the fennel heads. Save that fuzzy green stuff for later and place on a paper towel to dry.
Slice up the fennel into 1 inch pieces.
In a large pot, liberally drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Place the leeks in a colander, drain the sink, clean it out and then place the leeks back in for a second thorough rinsing. Sometimes, leeks can be VERY dirty - with sand interleaved throughout. In that case, you may need to rinse a third or even fourth time. It’s just the nature of the beast.
When (eventually!) clean, drain and place the leeks and the fennel pieces in the hot oil and cook covered for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Smells GOOD, doesn’t it?! The fennel has a fragrance similar to licorice.
Next, add a cup of no-sodium vegetable broth, 6 ounces of tomato paste, a handful of raisins and a smaller handful of Pinolas (pine nuts) and a healthy sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
NOTE: A couple times, I have also added a half jar of roasted red peppers - straight from the container (NOT rinsed, that is) and that adds a whole new dimension of flavor to the soup.
Also, you may wish to add another cup or so of the veggie broth to the admixture to increase the volume, hence, the number of portions you can get out of the effort! I personally HATE too-thin soups - it all goes back to the first time I drove all the way to Cleveland to meet my second wife’s parents for the first time and . . . well, that’s an old story that serves no purpose here!
When serving, garnish on top of each bowl some of that fuzzy green stuff that you earlier saved from the fennel. Serves no real purpose, but it looks darn fancy!
Let me know if you make this soup and how well you like it!
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READERS REACT: Dean, You’re Brilliant! (Well, duh . . . !)
(Excerpt from a much longer letter):
Dear Mr. Du Vall, Sr.,
I was completely amazed and stunned when I received the very last (hard) copy of your very excellent PERSONAL SUCCESS - The Newsletter (February, 2007) but fully understand your reasons for nixing it after all those years in favor of the online DAXRICH.com.
Your pithy style and sharp wit have always been refreshing, and you sir, were my first inspiration for writing a newsletter and for encouraging me to take a closer look at the information publishing industry.
I have well-worn copies of both ‘’$100,000.00 in 90+ Days!'’ and ‘’13 Sure-Fire Roads To Riches!'’ that I purchased nearly 20 years ago. I have been a student of Marketing in general since 1987, and of online marketing since 2000 in no small part to you and one of your colleague’s Alan Shawn Feinstein.
Thank you for the ways you have impacted my life, Dean. In my opinion, the information and wealth of experience that you have to share is invaluable and there is a whole generation of people that should have the privilege and opportunity to learn about you and your excellent line of informational products.
And thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read this letter.
Stephen Boutelle, Tennessee
Dear Stephen:
Your first name is easy to remember - ’tis the same spelling of my youngest grandson - who is now, what . . . 12!
I don’t consider it ‘’taking time'’ to read nice stuff about myself - I look upon that as my REWARD! Thank YOU for the kind words.
-Dean
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DAX-YAX: Kiss-A-Me, Baby!
A man and his wife were driving their RV across Florida when they noticed a sign for an upcoming town called Kissimmee. They wondered aloud whether that would be pronounced KISS-a-me, kis-A-me or perhaps, kis-a-ME?
Soon, they were at the edge of the town and decided to stop and get something to eat at a fast-food restaurant. After placing their order, the man said to the waitress, ‘’Pardon me, but my wife and I just can’t seem to figure out how to pronounce the name of this place. Will you tell me where we are and please, say it slowly so that I can understand?'’
‘’Sure thing - no problem. You are at Buuurrrgerrrr Kiiinnnggg.'’
-30-
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