12:41pm
East of the Miss’ippi
Friday night was a date night.
Wife and I don’t get many of those.
So when we do, “we” hope for a great experience.
The first place we tried, we couldn’t find parking downtown.
So we headed towards home, passing a dozen restaurants that just didn’t fit what “we” were looking for.
We ended up at a once-favorite pub that changed owners, changed menus, changed staff, and changed the bathroom locks.
(The locks now work.)
But it being winter and all, we ended up freezing cold when they sat us at the front window.
The food itself was not great (“great” meaning “excellent”).
I won’t be going back.
But the bill for just the two of us?
Oh, that was great (“great” meaning “a large amount”).
We couldn’t have known our experience ahead of time, of course, and that’s often what holds people back from trying new things.
It’s why businesses often offer a “Satisfaction Guarantee” on their products or services.
And I get it. And all the direct response greats suggest a purchase guarantee (“great” meaning “above average eminence”).
However, I don’t offer a guarantee for my one-man operation.
Instead, I offer revenue sharing for those willing to take me up on it.
Because it’s not a purchase. It’s an investment in our relationship.
And with advertising, everything is a risk.
Wrong target. Wrong headline. Wrong emotional driver. Wrong benefits. Wrong media. Wrong offer.
So if you’re not taking at least a small risk, you’re not playing the right game.
And as Ben Settle quoted adman Walter Bregman in his Dec 22, 2018 email:
“When the penalty for failure outweighs the rewards for success the result is mediocrity.”
Recent B2B ads I’ve written have a 1.0% click rate… 1.2% click rate… even a 7.8% click rate…
Above average, though every market is different.
Now, even those ads didn’t take as big a risk as I’d like. (B2C is a lot more fun.)
The ads were, however, backed by my decade of experience and training in direct response marketing and buyer psychology.
How about you?
Are you taking some bigger swings now and again?
Stay warm,
Jeffrey
PS. Do you want me to step up to the plate on your behalf, write a few ads or emails, bring in some customers?
If I can perhaps help, reply to this email and let’s chat.
I don’t work with everyone, and maybe we’re a fit to work together, or maybe not.
But only one way to know.