John, a hypnotherapist, asked me, “Is there some way I can
get more people to come to my free seminar? I’ve had this message out there for
four days and there are only two sign-ups”
Gail chimed in, “Make ‘em pay for it!”
I had to agree. Even a small investment generates more commitment.
Gail continued, “I could not believe a networking event in a
bar downtown the other night. When I signed up on line there were only a dozen
seats left. Later that day I got an e-mail that said 300 people had registered!
And when I went, it was wall to wall people! And no I don’t think I got any
good leads but if you are looking for some youngsters about to get out of
college…”
“Hold on for second” I said, “Lets find out what John was doing
to get folks to come.”
“I put the notice on the Meet up site and I decided to let
some folks know about it with a personal e-mail,” John responded.
Gail rolled her eyes and said, “You start.”
My advice was this:
“Use every possibility you can think of to reach out to
people such as
- The Meet
up site - Your email
list - Your
wife’s e-mail list - Any
friend’s email list (if they are willing) - Linked
In - Mention
it in your blog - Have friends
mention it in their blogs
Gail asked the inevitable question for a copywriter, “What
were you saying?”
John sheepishly pulled out a print out of his Meet up message.
She asked, “Why did you start it with 16 questions?”
“I wanted to cover all the reasons they might come,” he
replied.
She grabbed him by the ears and looked straight into his
eyes and said, “Focus.
There is one overriding reason that people will come. They need
to believe that you can solve a problem they have. Being specific about one of
these problems you’ve listed here might work but given the fact we have only a
few days we need to shift the message to those few things that everyone can see
in their lives that need fixing.”
“But first,” I said, “we need to straighten out this subject
line. Do you really believe people are going to open a message with the subject:
Life Improvement 101?
What you say and what people hear are two different things
particularly when we’re talking about hopes and dreams. Touch their hearts to
get them to act
Lose the word ‘Improvement’ Make the subject line Life
Change 101. Improvement is incremental and sounds like a process that will take
a lot of time. Change is what these prospects want. They want to break a habit
or have a breakthrough. They want to believe you can help them do it.”
Gail picked up there and said, “The copy has to be short but
full of promise. Sometimes when I have this kind of requirement I write the
bold leads first. Here is what I’d suggest for this message:
You can change your life.
The secret is within you.
You know it.
You can get that one thing that is stopping you out of the way
John will help you get to your “ah-ha” moment.
You’ll go from good to excellent to outstanding
Learn to be a new you.
That last line is followed by a direct request that they register
today.”
And they did. In the next four days 18 more people signed
up.