Among the many comforts of knowing Jillian is my forever lady is the assurance I’ll never have to dive back into the dating pool.
That’s because I’ve simply run out of interesting things to say.
You see, I’ve immersed myself in the worlds of marketing, copywriting, and influence so obsessively, I fear the pendulum can no longer swing back toward any normal person’s idea of fun.
Here, I’ll prove it to you …
Just for laughs, let’s say I still had the youthful courage to approach a woman at a bar.
If this charitable young lady let the conversation go long enough to ask what I was reading, I’d say: “A 1935 sales training manual for the AGA Cooker.”
Game. Set. No match.
And with that, I’d be back to roaming the earth with unkissed lips and a tear-stained copy of Gene Schwartz’s Breakthrough Advertising under my arm.
Now, before you dismiss that scene as amateur fiction, I should confess that bit about the training manual is shamefully true.
So, whether it’s out of curiosity, pity, or I’ve caught you in a generous mood, please stay with me. Because I’m gonna try to make this piece of ancient literature worth our short time together.
Onward! 📢
The reason why this 1930s-era training manual jitterbugged its way into my library is because it was written by a fresh-faced 24-year-old named David Ogilvy.
This was long before people referred to him as the “Father of Advertising.” But you don’t need to get far into the introduction to see that young Ogilvy already had a gift for assembling words that commanded attention.
I’m bringing this up because earlier this year, I talked about the benefits of mining classic wisdom for marketing advice that’s just as relevant now.
So, today, I thought we’d look at a trio of snippets from this 90-year-old material to see if the guidance still holds up.
We’ll hear from David first …
“If you have never called on householders as a salesman it will not take you long to find out that there are hundreds of other people doing the same thing. In some towns it is not unusual for as many as twenty salesmen to call at a house in one day. Few, if any, of them get in.”
Still fresh? ✅
You may not see as many door-to-door salespeople today. But competition for your audience’s attention is coming in hot from every direction.
That’s why the only way to get noticed is to abandon the expected with marketing that breaks the pattern. You can do that by telling a compelling story, offering a perspective-shifting insight, or surprising us with something we never saw coming.
Another legendary ad man, Bill Bernbach, said: “Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.” That’s why your safe option is also your most risky.
“Find out all you can about your prospects before you call on them—their general living conditions, wealth, profession, hobbies, friends and so on. Every hour spent in this kind of research will help you impress your prospect.”
Still fresh? ✅
Audience research isn’t just for “when you have time.” It’s a necessary step toward knowing your readers at their emotional core.
You’ve got to go deep on people’s hopes, dreams, fears, desires, pains, anxieties, objections, the consequences of doing nothing, and most importantly …
The words they use to express them.
Only then can you acknowledge your readers’ personal truths and vulnerabilities. You can say: “We see you. We get you. We can help you.”
“You must always be faced sooner or later with questions and objections which may indeed be taken as a sign that the prospect’s brain is in working order, and that she is conscientiously considering the AGA as a practical proposition for herself.”
Still fresh? ✅
It may seem counterintuitive, but when your prospect voices an objection, they’re not putting up a wall. It actually means they’re interested. Only now, they have questions.
When developing your message, make a list of every possible objection you can think of. Then, answer each doubt with unquestionable proof that backs up your promise.
When you recognize someone’s skepticism, you’re meeting them at the conversation they’re having in their head. By taking the time to drain your readers’ objections, you clear a path toward a worry-free purchase.
There were loads more colorful observations I intended to pull for you, but I don’t want to push my gift for clearing rooms beyond what we’ve already covered.
Still, I think we’ve proven these decades-old approaches work as much today as they did when there were ashtrays in every conference room.
That’s because while times have changed, human nature hasn’t budged an inch.
Unless your employee handbook includes warnings like: “If you find yourself one fine day saying the same things to a bishop and a trapezist, you are done for.”
Then you, dear reader, are stuck in 1935.
Here’s a song to play you out >>>
See you next time. — Matt
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