And here's what Sackheim has to say about using ideas from other places,
"Every advertising man is familiar with the phrase "my business is different." Nearly
every time I have tried to convince an advertiser that a plan which has worked
successfully in another business might work successful in his, he has at least thought, if
he did not say it, that his business is different. But old and used ideas can be adapted to
any business."
The underline is my own. Now, what can you learn from Sackheim's
book-of-the-month business? A whole lot. One of your hardest jobs is getting people to
do something...pick up the phone, call you, buy from you. People are like big lazy
sloths. No disrespect intended, but why do you think successful ads must use deadlines,
one-day sales, and other limited offers to get people to do something.
You know in my own company - sometime when we put out a mailing we we'll
use a deadline date stamped in red - and we get a lot of sales on the last day. These
people wait and wait until the last day finally rolls around and they decide to buy.
Well, Sackheim discovered how use this common human characteristic to his
advantage by employing a "negative option plan". Every month members of the book
club would be notified of the selection of the month and then it would be sent
automatically to them unless they sent back the BRE (business reply envelope)
provided. This way if they had to say "no" to buying the book and unless the company
received back a "no" reply is was assumed they wanted the book.
This concept is so successful that almost every "of-the-month" club today
operates in this fashion.
Let me give a modern example. I recently saw a print ad for "Proactiv solution".
Maybe you've seen the infomercial for this product. It's an acne product designed by
two dermatologists and endorsed by Judith Light ("Who's the Boss" star).
The print ad use a great coupon order form - here is the copy:
"YES! I would love to have clear, smooth, blemish-free skin! Please send me
Proactiv Solution, the advanced Dermatologists' system that heals and prevents acne,
with a risk-free 60 day guarantee!"
"When you order now, you'll receive free membership in the Proactiv Solution
Clear Skin Club. You'll automatically receive a new kit every two months, and you'll
lock-in the low wholesale price of only $39.95 as long as you are a member. That's a
savings of nearly 50% over individual product prices in the kit. There are no minimum
number of kits to buy, and you can cancel your membership at any time."
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