The Greatest Headlines I Ever Wrote

How important is a great headline?

Legendary copywriter Eugene Schwartz writes in his classic book, Breakthrough Advertising, that “your headline as only one job—to stop your prospect and compel him to read the second sentence of your ad.” Some of his memorable headlines include…
*At last, a plastic surgeon’s diet
*How to make up to 13% on your savings or more—all fully insured
*Turn up your “digestive furnace” and burns fat right off your body
*Break all the rules and win a 35-year-old body at 50-60-70 and beyond

And who can forget David Ogilvy’s memorable headline for a Rolls Royce ad:
“At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls Royce comes from the electric clock.”

Or what may well be the most famous headline in advertising, John Caples’ unforgettable headline:
“They laughed when I sat down to play the piano. But when I started to play!”

This got me thinking about some of the greatest headlines I ever wrote, all that proved to be very, very successful. These include…

[ ] Beyond Glucosamine and Chondroitin: The Next Breakthrough for Joint Discomfort
Many vitamin buyers with joint discomfort were buying Glucosamine and Chondroitin, yet finding these solutions were not working for them. This headline got their attention and promised something new.

[ ] The Surprising Truth About Co-Enzyme Q10
Most prospects had heard about CoQ10, but few knew that in its most common form it was very hard to digest and absorb. This piece promised three times more CoQ10.

[ ] A Rare Sea Plant That’s Better than Green Tea?
Green tea was hot as a super antioxidant. But doctors and scientists found something even better 200 feet below the ocean.

[ ] “62-cent Green Energizer Keeps You OUT of the Doctor’s Office”
This headline brought a mundane, green drink alive with big promises of money savings and super health.

[ ] How Annie, age 74 of Arizona, WOKE UP!
Age-related memory loss can make the brain fall asleep. But this headline promised a wake up call!

[ ] A Doctor’s Shock!
What would shock a leading natural doctor?   The fact that the vitamins he was taking were falling short in his quest for self healing.

[ ] The 4 Most Costly Estate Planning Mistakes Made by Those Worth $3 Million to $250 Million
This headline did two things well: Teased readers to the fear of expensive estate planning mistakes and called out the readers.

[ ] For Futures Traders Who Hate Losing Money
Fear and greed are two of the biggest emotional triggers to get the attention of investors. This headline focused on fear.

[ ] Secret formula beats the market 3-to-1
This headline focused on greed—and learning something the big “fat cats” on Wall Street knew—now revealed.

[ ] XXFIRST NAME LAST NAMEXX, you stand a 55% chance of being misdiagnosed in a hospital
This personalized headline was so effective, we had people calling and writing us with comments such as, “How did you know about my health problems?” What does a review of these great headlines teach me?

Each project is unique and every headline needs to be looked at fresh—based on the uniqueness of the product/service…and needs and wants of the prospects…and the emotional triggers to get them to respond.

The truth is, there is no easy or magic formula for writing a great headline. It takes a lot of hard work and tons of research. Sometimes I get a great headline idea from a testimonial…from an interview with the expert behind the product/service…or from a nugget of research. Lots of blood, sweat and tears. But the end result is worth it.

The Importance of the “Straw Man”

In direct marketing, have a “straw man” or bad guy in the picture can dramatically boost response and sales.

Whether it’s greedy Wall Street stockbrokers…bumbling bureaucrats on Capitol Hill…rich drug companies…or anyone trying to pull a fast one on consumers, identifying the “enemy” sets the stage for successfully making your sale.

How? By exposing the “straw man” and showing why your solution is better.

Take for example the successful promotion I wrote for a natural health newsletter, Chinese Medicine Healing Miracles.

The cover headline, Why the Chinese Don’t Get Sick Like We Do… “17 times les heart disease and 5 times less breast cancer” sets the stage for a eye-opening comparison between the shocking failure of Western Medicine and the amazing success of Traditional Chinese Medicine.



This promotion exposes why Western’s medicine’s cut, burn and medicate philosophy means over 770,000 Americans are injured or die each year from drug side effects…and less than HALF of surgeries, drugs and tests that doctors recommend have been proven effective.

But the promotion gives hope to the reader with once forbidden healing secrets used for over 4,000 years by Chinese healers such as…

*How to reduce high cholesterol 44% without statin drugs…with food that mimics the drugs, yet with no deadly side effects

*The risk of stroke is CUT in half…with an easy, ancient stretching secret

*Pain vanishes in knees…using nothing more than the palms of your hands

*"I laughed, when the doctor rubbed by ears—but then my allergies vanished!"

By exposing the flaws of Western Medicine and reveal Chinese healing miracles now proven by the Mayo Clinic, the American Association of Cancer Research, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and by doctors worldwide….

…I was able to prove the power of Chinese healing miracles and substantially increase subscription orders by 20%.

Who is the “straw man” in your next promotion?

Secret of 1,000 Pounds of Sumo Wrestlers

I saw a funny but effective TV commercial last week. It sold sofa “lifters”—flat boards that you put under sagging sofas cushions to make them like new again. Firm, solid and higher up.

The proof? Two big sumo wrestlers, together weighing 1,000 pounds, sat on a couch that was “lifted” and guess what? The restored couch held them. Very powerful proof.

Reminds me of what Gary Bencivenga, hailed as “America’s Best Copywriters,” says about the importance of proof.

He says, “Without belief, nobody buys.” And “Make compelling proof the alpha and omega of your advertising.”

If you can demonstrate how your product or service works, like this sofa ad, great. But there are other ways to show proof.

I put proof into action in an ad I wrote to women for a natural supplement to help them with urinary urgency.

The ad explained the little known reasons that cause urinary problems in the first place. Then it when on to describe the unique nutrients scientifically researched for healthy urination. And continued on with proof of successful results with testimonials of grateful users.

The ad also highlighted the problem with a cartoon of a woman driving a car, looking like she really needs to find a bathroom, only to see a sign that reads, “Rest Stop 20 miles."


By harnessing the power of proof, this ad has been successful and is now being rolled out

How Much Would You Give for an Email Address?

My friend recently told me his wife got a FREE $30 dinner at Benihana for her birthday.

So this lady and one of her girlfriends, who also got a FREE dinner, enjoyed a delicious dinner on the house. Imagine sizzling shrimp, steak and chicken done "teppan" style by Benihana's famous chefs--yes, that includes flipping a shrimp onto your plate--cooked right before your eyes. YUM!
Sounded good to me, so I went to Benihana's website looking for my FREE birthday dinner--since my birthday is comping up.

To claim it was simple...I just needed to give Benihana my email address and the date of my birth.

It's a win win situation. I get a FREE $30 meal and they get two items of importance for keeping in touch with me.

For your business, I have two very important questions.

One--how valuable is an email address and some important personal information about a prospect or customer

Two--what are you willing to give to get theat information?

Ideas: a FREE product or sample bottle of a product (perhaps the prospect pays shipping). A FREE special report of value, downloaded instantly. A FREE copy of "notes" for an upcoming "webinar" to tease atendees to come. A FREE gift certificate for future purchases. Or a FREE meal.

(Of course, once you have the email address and personal information about a propect, you will need to know how to keep in touch with him to maximize your marketing. More on how to do that to come.)

The Value of a Great (and Creative) Guarantee

To drum up new business, some companies are getting very creative when it comes to "guarantees."

Take, Hyundai. Its Assurance Trade in Guarantee "future proofs" the value of your new Hyundai by guaranteeing today how much the car will be worth in two, three, or four years.

If you buy a new Genesis coupe and trade it in during months 24 to 30 of ownership for a new Hyundai, you're guaranteed 57% of its value.

Best Buy has been running commercials for its new "Buy Back Program." For an additional fee, you can "future proof your technology" by trading it in for a new model.

Say you buy a $2,000 television and pay and additional $179 for the "Buy back" guarantee. If you seel it back to Best Buy within seven months, you'll get a gift card with a vlue "up to 50 percent" of the original purchase.

These guarantees do two things: 1) take the negative of a declining value of a new car or soon-to-be technology and turns it into a positive and 2) gives the buyer one more reason to make the purchase.

In writing great promotions, it's critical to have a great guarantee--a guarantee that's specific, yet that covers all the bases to give the prospect yet another reason to buy.

Here, for example, is a guarantee I wrote for Ultimate Res3, a revolutionary age-fighting, health-boosting formula
This guarantee works because it...
* Recaps the Unique Selling Proposition of the product
* Includes not one but three guarantees
* Guarantee No. 1 focuses in on unique benefits of taking this product
* Guarantee No. 2 focuses on the fact you can take the very last capsule and still
get your money back--removes all risk
* Guarantee No. 3 focuses on the FREE gifts you get and can keep no matter what
* Takes away the buyer's risk with a LIFETIME guarantee--not prorated
* Is signed by Michale Cutler, M.D. for credibility

After reading it, the prospect is assured of Complete Satisfaction, or he gets all his money back.

Now that's an ironclad guarantee!

More important, this powerful guarantee is helping the prospect buy without worry--adding to the success of this piece.

The Lesson of "Salted" Caramels

Among chocoholics and those with a sweet tooth, there’s a new “star”—salted caramels.

Once a favorite of the culinary elite, these delectable candies have made their way to the masses. They can now be found at Haagen-Dazs in salted caramel ice cream…at Starbucks in salted caramel hot chocolate…and at Wal-Mart as one of their truffle flavors.

Even President Obama swears by these sweet, buttery treats first created in Brittany, France.

Why so popular? Because they give buyers what they want most: a sweet, delicious treat with a sprinkling of salt that makes them irresistible.

As a direct marketer, I must always, always give prospects what they want most. I must never forget to answer this question in the mind of prospects who thinking about buying something I’m selling: “What in it for me?” This is the million dollar question. Answer it well, with layers and layers of reasons why, and you’re on the way to a sale.

How do you know what prospects really want most? You do tons of research on their needs and wants…interview the best prospects or best buyers if possible…review testimonials…and find out as much as you can about them. Then, you position your promotion to give them want they want most.

For example, in a promotion I wrote for a new natural pain relieving product, I knew that pain relief was the #1 need of readers. And when I discovered that the unique ingredient in this new formula gave users more pain relief, I knew I was onto something.

The headline: “The little-known, clinically proven secret that gives you 240% more pain relief than glucosamine and chondroitin!”

This headline promised to give readers want they wanted most: More relief!

Bingo! This headline caught the attention of readers, and the orders poured in!

The lesson is clear: Give prospects what they want most—and they’ll buy and keep buying. Kind of like salted caramels.

Cheesehead for a day: Marketing lessons from the mecca of pro football, Lambeau Field

I’ve heard it’s on some people’s “bucket list”—to see a Packer game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Well, last Sunday night I had the privilege of going to the Packer/Dallas game at this mecca of pro football.

It included tailgating with some serious Packer fans for six hours (wow, those brats were delicious)…getting an on-field pre-game pass to watch the players warm up, close up (yes, they are strong)…visiting the Packer Hall of Fame and getting my photo with the Lombardi Trophy for Super Bowl winners)…and watching an exciting game without freezing.

Long day—left Sunday mroning at 9:00 am…back to hotel at 2:00 am Monday morning! But well worth it.

What I learned: The Green Packers have a hugely successful franchise—and from my short visit, I picked up some important marketing lessons.

One, whatever it is you’re selling, make sure it’s a superior product.

Not mediocre. Not average. But something better. For Green Bay, it’s about putting a winning team on the field each year. In pro football, win, and the fans will come, support and spend money on your team like nothing else. You must have a great product or service to succeed.

Two, make your customers feel part of your “team”.

As you may know, the Green Bay Packers are the only franchise owned by the public.

In 1950, 1,900 local residents each put up $25 a share to buy the team. Green Bay Packers, Inc., has been a publicly owned, non-profit corporation since Aug. 18, 1923, when original articles of incorporation were filed with Wisconsin's secretary of state. A total of 4,750,937 shares is owned by 112,120 stockholders -- none of whom receives any dividend on the initial investment. All money earned goes back to the club.

The Packer fans, many of whom are stockholders, have a vested interest in the team. They wear green, bleed green and have a passion for their team like no other pro football franchise—because they are the owners!

My friend Paul, a diehard Packer fan, owns one share which he bought a few years ago for $300. As a shareholder, he’s invited to special events at Lambeau field.

What are you doing to help your customers feel special, to feel more than just a buyer—but a valued customer? What special deals and/or privileges are you giving your best customers?

Three, give customers every opportunity to buy related products or services.

The Packers have this down pat. They have a HUGE store inside the stadium loaded with Packer gear ranging from jerseys to cheeseheads, from books to hats, from t-shirts to underwear. And an hour before kickoff, the line going into the store was backed up like crazy.

Walk around Lambeau for a Packer game, and it’s a sea of green.

I always tell my clients that their customers may buy from them, but are likely buying similar products from other companies. The goal? To get customers to buy one product from you, then multiple products as well.

What else can you upsell or cross-sell to your customers? How can you make them customers for life.

Four, use the “limited supply” secret to its fullest Season tickets for Packer game are like gold—actually better than gold. They are in such demand, there is a 30-year waiting list! These tickets are so valuable, they are part of divorce settlements and wills. That’s because there is a limited amount of seats (72,500) and no more.

Do you have special products or services for your best customers? How can you put a limit on the number you’ll see to heighten its value? How do you create an “inner circle” limit—an opportunity for only your premiere customers?

The Packers have it right. Sell out after sellout, passionate fans and millions of dollars in sales and profits. It’s a business model with great lessons.



Here I am as a Cheesehead!