Donnie Bryant

Donnie Bryant is a direct response copywriter and marketing consultant. He helps small businesses and solo professionals connect with and convert their “should-be” clients with unusually effective marketing messages and systems.

Workshop: How to Create Irresistible Offers

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Persuasion

Who is the most persuasive person in the world?

I bet it’s not who you think it is. In fact, it may be the last person you’d consider.

And I’ll be happy to tell you…if you attend Blue Top Marketing‘s workshop tomorrow (Saturday, June 7th) in South Holland, IL.

We’ll be talking about how to create irresistible offers. This will be my most in-depth treatment of this topic to date. We’ll talk about persuasive techniques as ancient as the human race, cutting-edge discoveries in neuroscience and the secrets behind blockbuster Hollywood movies.

Get the details on Blue Top Marketing’s registration page.

Here are a few of the specific topics we’ll cover in this 2-hour long session:

  • a method proven to “transform insignificant objects into significant ones,” so much so that people happily pay as much as 132.5 TIMES their original value. Your “significant” products and services can skyrocket in perceived value in exactly the same way.
  • why the truth isn’t good enough and how you can fix that — without the slightest bit of deception
  • what kind of marketing messages are magnetically repulsive
  • how one sentence changed the entire TV home shopping industry, breaking sales records left and right — and how you come up with a similar sentence to revolutionize your customers’ perception of your business
  • 3 biological reasons the human mind rejects most perceived attempts at persuasion and
  • how to flip the mind’s resistance using its own force.

I’ll take a look at your marketing materials and make suggestions on how to make your offers irresistible. You’ll leave the presentation with specific advice you can put into practice the same day.

Not sold yet? Let’s sweeten the deal a little bit.

All attendees will get

  • a DVD of all 3 of the Marketing Strategy Implementation sessions courtesy of Boss Lady at Blue Top, Stephanie Walters,
  • a free copy of my book Stealth Selling: Non-Pushy Persuasion for Professionals
  • a second round of sales copy critiques any time in the next 90 days. I normally charge $200 for critiques, but attendees will get a freebie.

When an offer is strong, saying “yes” is easier than walking away. During this workshop, we’ll help make that a reality in your business. Register now

P.S. Sorry for the last minute reminder.

Is Something Missing from the AIDA Formula?

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AIDA

Almost every marketer and salesperson in the English-speaking world knows about AIDA. It’s often one of the first lessons in many of our training programs. As a framework for persuasion, it has stood the test of time in every industry you can think of for over 100 years.

A – Attention
I  – Interest
D – Desire
A – Action

It is my contention that there is something crucial missing from this basic sales and marketing formula. I talked about this in a recent newsletter (if you’re not subscribed, you should fix that expeditiously). If you missed it, you can find out what’s wrong with AIDA as it currently stands in my newest guest posts on the Rhino Daily blog:

Is AIDA Outdated As a Marketing Process? Part 1 and Part 2

P.S. The article wasn’t written in two parts, and to be frank, I’m not crazy about the split. It reads better as a single piece. But I submitted to the Rhino Daily editorial process. The good stuff is in Part 2, but you Part 1 forms the foundation for my ultimate conclusion.

Worst of Signs, Pt. 3

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Same Day Appointment Sign - Calumet City

I took a picture of the sign above at a dentist’s office in my Calumet City neighborhood. (That’s in Chicago’s south suburbs, if you’re curious.) What’s wrong with this sign? On the surface, nothing. But think about the wording “Same Day Appointments” for a moment. Is this dentist so efficient that he can guarantee to look at your teeth the same day that you call? Or is business so slow that there are always open slots in the schedule?

(To be fair, I’ve never visited this office, so I can only speculate about any specifics about the business and it’s success.)
Speaking of slots, The next sign is a doozy.
Slots Sign - Calumet City
This photo is from a bar, also in my neighborhood.

The bar changed the sign after about a week. Must not have worked as well as they thought…

Either that or the slots really do pay out too much and they started losing more money than they made in drinks…

In which case the lead generation method really was brilliant. The lifetime customer value was just too low or the owners were too short-sighted.

Like the dentist’s office, I’ve never been inside this bar, so I’m speculating again.

A few people told me I took the whole thing too seriously; the sign is probably just a joke. And maybe they’re right. (I could just walk down to the bar and ask the owner.)

But even so, marketers have to be careful; if customers feel misled, they’re not going to be happy.

That’s one of the reasons humor is risky in marketing.

What do you think?

Don’t miss these related posts (with pictures from my neighborhood!):

It Was the Best of Signs, It Was the Worst of Signs

Worst of Signs, Pt.2

Small Restaurant, Big Lesson

Pork Chops and Big Promises

10 Tips for Copywriters in Training

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Copywriters Write

A few days ago, I received an email from one of my newsletter subscribers. We’ll call him Paul. He’s taking a copywriting course and wondering how long he should wait to start seeking clients.

Here’s my slightly modified response to him. I think it’ll be helpful for any copywriter near the beginning of his career.

—–

Good morning, Paul. Thank you for reaching out.

Let me ask you a question: when you look at a website, email, even a TV commercial do you know — almost instinctively — what the advertiser was trying to do, where he went wrong and how you could make it stronger?

Now, I don’t know you, but I’d be willing to bet that the answer is an emphatic “yes.”

With your studies of Hopkins, Kennedy, etc., you’re probably already good enough to be very helpful to 75% of the business owners in America.

So my answer to your question is, YES, you should begin looking for work now.

Let me share a few thoughts:

1) Copywriting, like any other discipline, requires continual study and learning. You’ll never know it all. So there’s no need to wait until you’re done “studying” to launch out into the deep. Or at least stick your toes in the water.

2) Freelancing can be tough. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not bringing in Bob Bly-level fees in the first year. Realize in advance, strengthen your resolve and go for it.

I spent my first 2 years or so as a moonlight copywriter. I worked as many as 80 hours a week in management at Kmart, then came home to prospect and work on projects. I tell that story in some depth in an interview I did with Michael Zipursky in 2012 –> http://www.consulting-business.com/direct-response-copywriter-and-consultant-interview-with-donnie-bryant.html. If I recall, it’s about 30 minutes long. If you have the time, it might be an encouragement for you. I get lots of good feedback.

3) You’ve probably heard it a hundred times, but you should spend a good chunk of your time promoting your services. 50% promoting, 50% doing client work and improving your craft, or something like that.

4) Most copywriters start out as generalists, but the sooner you find a niche (and maybe you already have experience or deep knowledge of some particular industry) the better. Position yourself as an expert in that niche and focus your efforts there.

5) Get some copywriter friends. I can’t tell you how helpful it is to have the camaraderie. You’ll come to cherish those relationships.

6) It’s also helpful to build relationships with people in other industries. Especially people with bigger audiences and established authority. These are people who can interview you and put you on their websites or in their newsletters, recommend your services to their people, do joint ventures, make valuable introductions, give opportunities for guest blogging, etc. Proactively seek out and nurture those kinds of relationships. If you’re looking to provide mutual benefit (and not just be a self-seeking mooch), you’d be surprised who will be open to connecting with you.

7) Be generous, but do your best not to undervalue yourself or your work.

8) Try to get paid upfront, even if it’s just a deposit. Save yourself from getting burned. And watch out for bad barter deals. Sometimes they’re worth it, but a lot of times you end up frustrated with what you get out of the deal.

9) Start building your email list ASAP. Even if you don’t know how you’ll keep in touch with them. Someday, maybe sooner than later, you’ll be glad you did.

10) Read a lot, but don’t let reading stop you from writing. I suggest reading non-marketing stuff and stuff outside of your area of expertise to continue giving your brain more raw material to build creative ideas with.

Curiosity is one of the characteristics of most, if not all, great copywriters have common.

People are often amazed by the stuff I know. From pop culture to ancient history and from biology to philosophy, I know a lot of random stuff. I have a “swipe file” (if I can call it that) of quotes I like about anything, everything. Never know when a powerful idea will spring forth from one. They make good writing prompts, too.

While you’re reading, please add the Bencivenga Bullets to your list: http://www.marketingbullets.com/archive.htm. Now that I think about it, I’m going to work my way through them again…

Here’s the big one:

10) Almost no one wants a copywriter. Almost no one even knows what copywriting is, as you’ve probably noticed.

That means 2 things: A) look for clients who know what copywriting is and how much it’s worth, and B) don’t position yourself as a copywriter, per se, for people who aren’t familiar with it. Focus on your own benefits versus the “feature” of being a copywriter.

I think that’s about enough to start out.

Thanks again for reaching out. I pray you have more success than you dream of.

—–

What’s your best advice for a starting a successful copywriting career?

Bloggers Should Be Anarchists

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I’ve been an anarchist (to varying degrees) since my failed attempt to become student body president in 8th grade.

True story: after my nomination was rejected, a small group of my friends agreed to help me take over the school. Overthrow the faculty and everything. Maybe we’d watched too much professional wrestling, because the NWO “hostile takeover” of WCW was fresh in our minds, but for some crazy reason, we thought we could pull it off.

Our coup d’état was stopped by forces beyond our control. President Clinton declared the entire city a disaster area after downtown was flooded by the swollen Red River, just a matter of days before we enacted the plan.

I can neither confirm nor deny that I was placed on an FBI watch list for my activities in 1997.

In reality, I was more of a rebel than a true anarchist, in those days. Yes, there’s a difference. A rebel or revolutionary fights against the “powers that be” with hopes of replacing them with powers he likes better.

An anarchist wants to remove those powers and replace them with…freedom.

Embracing Anarchy as a Blogger

The word anarchy literally means “without ruler.” I like this definition of anarchy from Vernard Eller:

“’Anarchy’ … is simply the state of being unimpressed with, disinterested in, skeptical of, nonchalant toward, and uninfluenced by the highfalutin claims of any and all arkys (powers).”

For bloggers (or would-be bloggers), this should be a liberating concept.

There are no kings before whom you must bow in the blogosphere. Even if there were, you’re not obligated to bow in their presence or follow their rules.

That’s one of the things we love about the internet – blogging in particular: Freedom! 

But so often, we find ourselves tied up…restricted by some imaginary rule. Or squeezed into a mold that someone else designed.

The truth is, we’re doing it to ourselves. Knowing the truth shall make you free.

This call to anarchy is a call to freedom.

What does that mean for you, specifically?

Even though there are no kings here, the blogosphere is full of “arkys” (to use Eller’s word) trying to govern our thinking and shape our behavior.

If you did a search for “rules of blogging,” Google will give you over 55 million results. Bing gives twice as many. There have been tens of millions of attempts to tell you how you should blog.

How do we deal with that?

Well, as your brother in anarchy, I won’t try to tell you what to do. But if you don’t mind, I’ll share some observations with you and maybe that will shed some light on the situation.

In short, becoming an anarchist is a declaration of independence – even from the advice I’m about to offer.

De-throne every form of fear

Fear may be the Number One provider of blog abortions. And if it doesn’t stop blogs from being born, it often keeps bloggers from making them all that they could be. It smashes brilliant ideas before they ever hit the page.

Fear only has as much power over you as you give it. So refuse to give it any.

That doesn’t mean that fear just goes away without a fight. Arkys never do. Your decision to ignore fear doesn’t mean it won’t scrape and claw to maintain its hold over you. Fear will strike. You’ll be nervous to express your ideas sometimes, if not every time. You’ll feel trepidation as you move the mouse to click Publish.

Blog anarchists recognize fear’s strength but refuse to allow it to paralyze them or determine their decisions.

Feel the fear and keep moving forward.

Although the battle is never truly over, freedom from fear enables you to…

Celebrate your creativity

“You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you.” – Arthur Polotnik

It’s important to know what you want to accomplish with your blog; what is your overarching theme? Who are you writing for? Will you position yourself as a friend, a teacher, a whistleblower?

The beauty of building your own blog is that you can say whatever you want, however you want (as long as you don’t break any laws outside the blogging universe):

Your subjects.

Your style.

Your format.

Don’t care for the rules of proper grammar? Throw ‘em out the window. (That usually makes you a better blogger/writer, anyway.)

Leaders, Not Rulers

Seth Godin writes on his blog every day.

Matt Loomis blogs somewhat randomly.

Lamar Tyler, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t blog at all.

Some of Ramit Sethi’s blog posts are over 3,000 words. The last Jeff Goins post I read was barely 300.

Who’s doing it right? Who has the right formula?

I don’t have to answer that for you.

They do what’s best for themselves and their audiences. They have the freedom to do that.

As outstanding as these writers are, they don’t define what good blogging is, no matter how many fanboys you come across proclaiming “Seth’s way is the best way.” (I haven’t heard any of these guys make that claim for themselves.)

You don’t have to fit into anybody’s box.

Great bloggers don’t impose authority on their readers; they inspire admiration. And, hopefully, action. Rather than push you into a specific way of doing things, they pull you forward into your own unique greatness.

Can I be honest about something? Sometimes the great ones are so good at what they do, lesser mortals like me can feel intimidated. Ever read a post that was so good that it made you want to quit?

Maybe that’s just me. I’ve felt as if I’d never reach the level of skill required to write that well and momentarily felt inadequate. It happens from time to time.

If you’re passionate about your craft and honest about your own skills, you may have similar experiences. Be encouraged; moments like these illustrate how much you care about growing and improving. Try to flip that intimidation back into inspiration and press on.

Throw Off the Chains

“Elephants can pull over 1,000 pounds with ease and yet a 10-pound chain will cripple them. Elephants have for centuries been contained by humans simply by placing a chain around their ankle… there is a conditioned response that if a chain is around their ankle, it cannot move…”  ~ Brett Faris

Did you know that you and I have this same conditioned response built into our brains?

Growing up, we’re taught to follow rules, no matter how arbitrary. To give the “right answers” instead of expressing ourselves.

It doesn’t end when we get out of school. Most of us carry this conditioning into every part of our lives.

(Funny thing: the great leaders we learn about in history class, the pioneers who fill the physics books, the geniuses who advanced math beyond counting fingers and toes – they were basically all rule-breakers. Paradigm-shatters.)

Bloggers need to throw off every chain the keeps us from being great. Or how will we make it into our children’s history books?

Today is the day. Declare your independence – from “rules”…from fear…from the need for external validation…from the need to emulate one of the big names in the blogging world.

Today and forevermore, let us live by our own rules. Let us be fully ourselves. Let us be anarchists.

P.S. What other blogging “rules” do we need to unchain ourselves from? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

[Post appeared originally on BuildYourOwnBlog.net)

What Being a Christian Entrepreneur Means to Me

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I’ve never been one of those guys who uses his faith as a “hook.” It’s never been part of my sales pitch.

But I’m not shy about being a Christian.

I had the chance to talk with Roger Bush about where my business life meets my spiritual life on the Entrepreneur By Faith podcast last week.

Roger asked a question I’ve never answered publicly; he asked me to describe a failure I’ve experienced in my business. The story I told isn’t something I should be ashamed of, but a big part of me didn’t want to talk about this. Only a few people had heard this story…until now.

It’s strangely liberating to let the cat out of the bag. But I’m not going to let it out here. You gotta listen to the podcast.

Check out the 43-minute interview here: Entrepreneur By Faith Episode 3.

Listen to the other interviews on the site, too. You’ll get to know some great people and get inspiration, encouragement and direction at the same time.

Update: The URL where this interview was previously located is currently unavailable. You can listen to the audio at the bottom of this post.

P.S. Roger got in touch with me after reading Unexpected Insights for the Christian Entrepreneur Pt. 1. If you’re a Christian running a business — a secular business, in particular — you might find some helpful ideas in that series.

When Business Gets Bloody

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“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

Writing was Hemingway’s profession. All he had to do to reach legendary status as a writer was bleed.

I don’t know what success looks like for you. I assume (which is usually a dumb thing to do) that you want to build a solid, profitable business, provide for your loved ones, gain the respect of your peers and attain some level of freedom. Maybe you hope to reach legendary status in your profession.

Take heed to Hemingway’s advice. All you have to do is approach your business or career with a willingness to bleed.

Pouring Out You

As a small business owner or solo professional, you probably know exactly what Hemingway means in the quote above. Your business is an extension of yourself. Day after day, you pour yourself into it. You’re committed to its protection and growth.

In many ways, identifying yourself so closely with your business makes you vulnerable. At the same time, that vulnerability also makes your business appealing:

Your values shine forth. The things that are important to you are the driving force behind the decisions you make. You’re willing to take a courageous stand for what you believe in, even when it doesn’t conform to the industry standards. This can have a polarizing effect; some people will love you and some will hate you. People who share your values and beliefs are more likely to become loyal customers and enthusiastic supporters than they would be if you “played it safe.”

Your “brand” is authentic. What the public sees is what it gets. And what they see is the real you — in the form of a product- or service-providing business. More than ever, consumers are looking for transparent brands to buy from. More than ever, inauthentic brands are shown for what they really are: hucksters more concerned with turning a profit than serving their customers.

It’s hard to connect emotionally (remember: emotion is critical to every purchasing decision) with brands that don’t seem authentic.

Your message has personality. Generic marketing stinks. Personality and uniqueness of voice will make it easier for your business to stand out from the robotic sounds of the boring majority. Your distinct voice will be more attractive to the customers you want to do business with most; your personality demonstrates that you’re one of them! You “get” them! The bond you form can be deeper, i.e., more personal, than anything that can be achieved with pricing or even product specs. I always refer to Apple because they’re a great example of this principle.

Your hard work pays off. If success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, how can you win without a willingness to bleed?

Not everyone who bleeds succeeds. But blood-letting usually precedes success.

Disclaimer: Pouring yourself into your business is no guarantee that you’ll succeed financially. It doesn’t even mean you’ll be fulfilled emotionally. All it guarantees is that you’re more likely to connect with the people you want to serve, partner with those closely aligned with where you are, and that if you do succeed, it will be on your terms, not someone else’s.

Good stuff from around the Web
Brand Your Business with Genesis Storytelling: Great 6-minute video from Tom Wanek on telling the “genesis story” behind your business

What Your Client Really Means by Price Objecting: “Your client just told you that they’re not interested in dealing with you, at least not on this subject. That’s not a price problem, that’s a relationship problem. And that’s a big deal.” Charlie Green tells us what’s really going on when a customer says “It costs too much.”

The Truth About Recycled Ads and Pickup Lines: What happens when you try to pour someone else’s blood into your marketing. Or dating. Great illustration from Chuck McKay.

Leadership: Burden or Blessing?

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People generally don’t like feel like they’re being bossed around. But people need to be led. They crave it.

When we’re overwhelmed by options and inundated with information, we seek someone to clear away the clutter and noise for us. Or, where there’s not enough information, we search for people we can trust to guide us where we’re unable to find our way.

Leaders create a vision for the future. They inspire others and give them courage to move forward. They know (or at least seem to know) a little more than the rest of us and provide lantern-light so we can follow their path.

You should start thinking about your business in terms of leadership. Your customers and prospects are looking for someone to help them do something. The person or business which can eliminate the risk they’re facing, help them make tough decisions with confidence and show them the best path to take will gain unconquerable loyalty from those whom they serve.

The kind of leadership I’m talking about is based on just that: serving people. You’re leading them because you care. Leading because you can honestly help. Believe it or not, making their best interests your priority will pay off for you. As the late Zig Ziglar said,

“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

The concept of leadership has constantly pressed its weight on my thinking for the past 2 years.

I believe more than ever that your commitment to leadership is critical to reaching the greatest level of success your business is capable of attaining. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in. It doesn’t even matter if you don’t have any employees. If you have customers, or if you want customers, you have to start thinking like a leader.

You have to have courage…
…to make tough choices for yourself and your following
…to tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.

You have to take responsibility…
…to generate results and help clients get them, too
…to find and share the best information, systems, tools, etc.
…to help those you lead convert that information into action

You have to provide clarity
…create vision
…connect the dots
…instill confidence
…inspire action
…lead the way.

Who are you leading? Who do you want to lead? How are you going to get there ? If you don’t have a plan, it’s time to get started on one.

Hanging Out With Jeff Zelaya

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Jeff Zelaya's Google Hangout with Copywriter Donnie Bryant

It’s not often that you’ll catch me on camera; I have an irrational fear of leaving photographic evidence of my whereabouts and activities… (I’m just kidding)

But for my buddy Jeff Zelaya, I made an exception. We spent about half an hour on a Google Hangout talking about copywriting,  marketing and being self-employed. Fun times for everyone. Now I’d like to share the fun with you.

You could check out the video on Jeff’s fantastic marketing blog, where he says some very nice things about me (check’s in the mail, Jeff). There’s also tons of other great content, including Hangouts with other smart people. But for simplicity’s sake, I’ll embed the video right here:

Now, one of the nice things Jeff says about me on his blog is about how cute my 4 children are. He’s telling the truth, of course. And he knows cuteness when he sees it. Have you seen how adorable his son Elijah is?

Elijah

 P.S. If you enjoyed this, there’s a good chance you’ll get something out of my recent interview with Steve Lahey.

Steve Lahey Picks My Brain About Stealth Selling and Copywriting

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Small Business Talent Podcast with Stephen Lahey

Over the years, it seems like I’ve sold almost everything: Swiss watches, cell phones, warranties, coffee grinders and even plain old advice. You’ll never hear me say I’m a natural salesman. I wasn’t even always good at sales.

In 2012, I wrote Stealth Selling: Non-Pushy Persuasion for Professionals, an ebook revealing my personal selling philosophy along with insights and advice I’ve picked up along the way.

This week, I had the privilege of appearing on Steve Lahey’s Small Business Talent podcast. He asked me about stealth selling, ethical persuasion and life as an entrepreneur.

I even performed a live dissection (guess that would make it a vivisection) on his new service page sales copy.

It was fun and I’ve received a lot of great feedback. If you have about half an hour, I’d be thrilled if you listened to the interview here.

By the way, the Steve’s podcast is always excellent. If I were you, I’d check it out every week.

I’m also working on making a second edition of Stealth Selling. Up until the time I release it (hopefully by the beginning the end of April), you can pick up the original for $5, which the lowest price I’ve ever offered (a large percentage of buyers paid $19 for it). I’ll also send you the updated version as soon as it’s ready, free of cost.

If you’re interested, click here.

One more thing: if you listen to my interview with Steve Lahey, leave a comment and send a screenshot of the comment to db at donnie-bryant dot com, I’ll give you the book for free. Why? Because maybe what Steve said on Twitter is true: