Conference Update: The #1 Thing To Test In Your Sales Letter

In this video clip, Mike Filsaime asks copywriter Gary Halbert about testing in a sales letter. And Gary responds…as only Gary can.

Pay close attention–this is a great story.

Save on the Home Study till Friday midnight

More to come from MaryEllen Tribby…stay tuned.

Rich



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Written by: Rich Schefren on February 25, 2008.on September 28, 2011.
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Comments:
  • http://TheFreedomOfWealth.com Greg Gerdes

    We have been testing offers lately with great results.
    Cost, shipping and timers. Amazing Results.
    Greg Gerdes
    TheFreedomOfWealth.com

  • http://www.mybusinessblueprints.com Jason

    Great advice from Mike. we have to test test test.But also it is very important to test the most important things in our sales process.(the offer, the headline, the Guarantee etc.) I will be wathing this blog very closely and absorbing all these golden nuggets. thanks rich for being so Generous.Take care and keep it comming.

    Jason
    http://www.stepbystepblueprints.com

  • http://www.jerrywwilliams.com Jerry Williams

    I would love to hear these clips, but there is no sound.

  • http://www.conversionblogger.com Paul | ConversionBlogger.com

    Great insight from Gary Halbert. Let’s face it, while an ugly background or font might put some people off, a really great offer could more than compensate.

    I’ve always said that the biggest challenge of testing is deciding what to test, and “offer” will always be my #1 from now on.

    I’ve had some interesting results testing things like…

    One-off payment vs 3 payments vs $1 trial vs 30 day delayed.

    Thanks for the video.

    Paul Hancox
    http://www.ConversionBlogger.com
    “Turning visitors into customers”

  • http://www.myvirtualpartner.com/blog Deborah Carraro

    This will be an a-ha moment for many online marketers who are too busy testing the wrong things and wondering why their sales results are not improving.

    Thanks for the video

    Deborah Carraro
    http://www.myvirtualpartner.com/blog

  • http://www.myvirtualpartner.com/blog Deborah Carraro

    This will be an a-ha moment for many online marketers who are too busy testing the wrong things and wondering why their sales results are not improving.

    Thanks for the video

    Deborah Carraro
    http://www.myvirtualpartner.com/blog

  • http://www.InternetMarketingDreams.com Cyndi Parker

    Thanks for being generous with the video. I will be sharing this with our Newbies. Test the offer, test the offer….then test everything else!

  • http://profreelancing.com Chad

    Awesome clip. While I do think testing the headline is important, you rarely hear advice as good as this.

  • http://www.spamarketingtools.com/?Schefren John – Spa Marketing Guy

    Glad the mention of Gary Halbert came up… follow him to a ‘T’
    He was a legend and proficient at what he did.
    Cheers,

  • Flashy Version

    Took Mike Filsaime 2 years to understand what an offer means, to be able to finally test it out. Those who grasp the concept from this video are his beneficiaries, so to speak,… thanks Rich for the share.

    I can’t help wanting to know, Is there a way to test your “positioning”, or your USP? Could these elements be split tested at all?

  • http://www.webcopy-writing.com/blog/ RAY EDWARDS

    I agree that the offer is one of the BIGGIES but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t test the other smaller factors that Mike mentioned.

    “These ye ought to have done and not leave the other undone” -Jesus

    Ray Edwards
    http://learncopy.com

  • bizbark

    Thank You. Thank You. Thank you…….
    How simple and how true!
    Thank You.

  • http://www.garymccaffrey.com Gary McCaffrey

    Video no longer available?

  • http://businesscoaching.typepad.com Paul Simister

    Thanks Rich. This is a great clip although I was surprised at the answer since I have heard Jay Abraham stress the importance of the headline as the “ad for the ad”.

    Still it’s always nice to hear different opinions.

  • http://www.thebusinessrebel.com John Morley

    Good one Mike and as a Jay Abraham ‘protege’ I need to add some things for your readers.

    If Gary says testing the offer is the most important, and I agree with that, then you have to understand that there is one thing that is even more important than that – and I am assuming that Gary was pre-supposing that this thing was already taken care of – IT’S THE TARGET MARKET.

    Because you can have the best offer in the world but unless you are appealing to the right target market then it won’t sell.

    So, the offer has to be right for the TARGET MARKET. The headline has to flag down the TARGET MARKET.

    You see so many ads, direct mail etc etc and you (Mike) are guilty of this too in your emails to me! You don’t make it clear who you are talking to.

    The 1st question someone asks themselves when they receive or read an ad or letter is: “is this for me?” and “why are they sending this to me?”

    Most people don’t make this absolutely clear….. they launch off into their spiel, into their offer without flagging down and getting rapport with their target market. e.g.

    You are writing to a butcher about a better way of cutting meat, then the opening line needs to say ‘butcher’. It’s a no-brainer, isn’t it.

    But I get so many emails from these so called ‘gurus’ and I would have to read way too much before I can see if it is meant for me! …. then I throw it in the bin because in this attention age, I don’t have time to read and read just to see ‘if’ it may be for me.

    John Morley… theBusinessRebel

  • Fellow Marketer

    Good input, but how do you test it.

    Especially when using Mike’s own Butterfly Marketing. You have one One Time Offer page which you can only point to one download page.

    It’s great to know what to test, but if you can’t test it what do you do?

  • http://www.planetbluto.com John Caviani

    I can agree with this comment without a shred of doubt in my mind. And to go extend even further into the offer, prospects don’t care as much that everyone and their brother (endless number of testimonials) gets results. What they care about is that THEY get results. There is nothing more powerful than them seeing it for themselves. I don’t care how many testimonials you line up and by whom.

  • http://www.artempiregallery.com dr Tan

    Hi,Rich,
    It is very kind of you allow me to view the vedio of the event.You are great to bring the internet business into a New
    era.Congratulations…….
    dr Tan
    http://www.artempiregallery.com

  • http://www.powerfulvideomarketing.com/ Powerful Video Marketing – Lasse

    Great advise from Mike,

    Thanks for sharing this, I will start to test these ideas tomorrow.

    Keep the videos coming,

    Lasse

  • http://www.zenshoproducts.com Timothy Jordan

    damn, Did I mention that I wish I were there? that sounds like a reverse postcard or something. Man, I would love to to be soaking up all of this fantastic info, as well as some better weather than here in the Northeast. I look forward to the next round of presentations. thanks again. tim jordan

  • http://www.bigdogjv.com Josh Stein

    That is a great audio. Thank you so much for sharing it. I too thought “Headline” when I read the email and thanks for teaching me to test “offer”

    Live Victoriously,
    Joshua Stein
    http://www.bigdogjv.com

  • http://copytactics.com/blog Andy Havens

    Too funny! I just re-posted this on my own blog. While I offer a service testing 5 elements – headline, offer, guarantee, P.S., and lead paragraph – it makes sense to focus on the offer – it’s what I recommend writing first. However…

    I believe price is important also. Why did I leave it out of the package? IMHO it should be tested by itself.

    I agree with Ray Edwards – there is no reason not to test everything else. I believe John Reese recently reported a 22% bump by combining a headline with audio.

    God bless,

    Andy

  • http://DominantPokerOnline.com Scott

    Great video! Mike talks about testing which is a subject near and dear to my heart. I’m wondering what software folks are using to test their offers. I have been playing with Split Test Accelerator and am reasonably happy so far.

    Anyone have comments and/or recommendations about other software?

  • Bert

    Thank you! I’ve been testing the offer and the price. By testing the price we raised it, for our best selling product, from $39.00 to $59.98 in two years and our sales went from $27,000 to $73.000 per month. We will now try the “free for 30 days (pay only for s&h)…”

    We’ve also tested the testimonials (number posted on the home page within the sales copy and at a column on the right hand side of the page) and what people say to us in those feedbacks. We publish them to get people to assess who is the product for (is this for me?). Plus to illustrate visitors about how much a newbie should purchase and how should the products be used for the best results. By doing so the average first time purchase went from $67 to more than $108.-

    Testimonials are also great to create a rapport with visitors as visitors resonate with the pain of other people and right there, from others (not just us), they learn there is hope… (so on average each of our many websites has, on the home page three sets of testimonials (early on the sales copy, close to the call to action and on the right hand column after briefly featuring our 7 products) and the page also has a link in the top menu to more testimonials (all from repeat customers).

    Just our 2cents…

    Great to learn from experienced people. Unfortunately I was unable to make it to the coaching in Walt Disney… looking forward to another event like that one… I really apreciatte all you are sharing and the generosity…

    Bert

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  • Flashy Version

    @Andy,

    Unless I’m wrong here…. from what Mike is saying, isn’t Price an integral part of the Offer?

    If Mike’s definition of Offer holds true, I would be surprised if your 5-elements testing service does not already include Price. It should have…

  • http://www.trueclassic2.com Stephen Salamone

    It seams that every one only sees one video??!

    I see there is 6 videos on this page.

    Your only seeing one :~)
    TrueClassic1

  • http://www.waghorne.tv Rush Waghorne

    How long is it going to take for the public to realize that the new Madison Avenue is YOU GUYS!!! Love the generous sharing and great content. I assume the reason for the use of video is from massive testing? ;) Keep it coming!! ~~Rush, internet video guy http://www.waghorne.tv

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  • http://thesmallbusinessmarketingblog.com Kenney Edwards

    I love Gary…Gary had a way in one word, one sentence, one letter make you feel like you know him personally, making you want to rip stop what ever you’re doing and rip out your wallet to buy whatever he is offering.

    If you ever want to see what Gary called “the most valuable website on the entire internet” then go to http://thegaryhalbertletter.com/

    Also there is a whole book written by the Mark Joyner on creating “The Irresistable Offer”. Which so happens to be the name of the book. Look for it at Amazon.com.

    Anyway, thanks for the video Rich (and Mike),

    Kenney Edwards
    Small Business Marketing Magic

  • http://www.andrewstark.com Andrew Stark

    I couldn’t agree more John, there’s no point in testing the offer if you’ve not found your target market.

    The stuff Mike says is great if you already have a market and know that people are already buying, but what happens if you don’t already have an “irrestible offer” in place?

    Guess I need to re-read Mark Joyner’s book…

    Andrew

  • http://www.yoebo.com Louis Raven

    Amazing!

    This kind of info belongs in the hall of fame right next to Ted Nicholas and price testing.

    It’s gonna be a struggle but testing the offer is now priority.

    Good luck everyone.

    Louis
    Home Business Forum

  • http://www.mrjv.com Rod Beckwith

    Hi Guys,

    The offer is a very misunderstood concept and I think Mike did a great job in clearing it up.

    Thanks!

    Rod
    http://www.lockitnow.com

  • http://www.uvmeclub.biz Jumaani

    Dear Rich,

    Please continue to add some magnificiant info packed clips, trust me ” WE LOVE YOUR CONTENT”. WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THE INTERNET STARS IN ACTION LIKE MIKE F. GBU RICH.

  • http://www.wantedebooks.com James

    Thank you Rich and Mike. The only questions I ask when I watch your guys videos: when I’ll be ONE of you?

  • http://mysuccesskeyplan Lovely

    Thanks

  • http://www.money-reviews-online.com Joe

    Great stuff as usual Mike… hope to see more.

  • http://www.ebook-site.com Bryan

    I’ve been following Mike’s advice for some time now.

    Great Stuff

    Thanks

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  • http://Moving4ward4Profit.4t.com Anthony Whyms

    Rich & Mike,

    Once again you guys prove why you’re the best. Rich you make sure quality content like Mike’s video gets out there, and Mike always delivers just what’s needed without a lot of fluff.

    Way to go mavens and keep ‘er coming!

    Anthony Whyms

    Moving4ward Marketing
    http://Moving4ward4Profit.4t.com

  • http://profitlanceexposed.com affiliate marketing

    I just got done listing to Mikes conference call (part of the elitesessions.com package)

    Just brilliant stuff. Thanks you guys, allot for your all your help. It’s because of you that
    I have had so much success.

    Keep on Rocking,

    Paul A

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