How a full stop (or period) can put a full stop to sales …

Today I got two messages about Denny’s book. One, from a friend in Sri Lanka who is one of smartest direct marketers I know read:

“I’ve NEVER ordered a book so fast in my life.

And, bearing in mind that $89 = approx $400 in real cost terms here in Sri Lanka, you had to do a pretty good selling job to make me reach for the plastic.

Just ONE WORD on the book cover made me return to a sales letter and rewrite the whole damn thing.”

Well, that made me feel good. Till I got one from Denny Hatch who said:

“When I clicked on the URL that you have in your Blog, it got the equivalent of TILT on a pinball machine. It did not get to the bookstore.

Here is the URL you used:

http://tinyurl.com/29a5mv5.

Note the period at the end. That screws it up.”

So if any of you had problems, here’s the correct link.

Years ago I read that putting a full stop at the end of headlines reduced readership. Now I’ve learned another lesson!

WRITING WEBINAR: I shall send news about this later today – I’m putting toegther all the ordering details.

Right now I’m going for a health check. Most mornings this consists of breathing on a mirror to see if I’m still alive. But today is the real thing.

About the Author

In 2003, the Chartered Institute of Marketing named Drayton one of 50 living individuals who have shaped today’s marketing.

He has worked in 55 countries with many of the world’s greatest brands. These include American Express, Audi, Bentley, British Airways, Cisco, Columbia Business School, Deutsche Post, Ford, IBM, McKinsey, Mercedes, Microsoft, Nestle, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, Unilever, Visa and Volkswagen.

Drayton has helped sell everything from Airbus planes to Peppa Pig. His book, Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing, out in 17 languages, has been the UK’s best seller on the subject every year since 1982. He has also run his own businesses in the U.K., Portugal and Malaysia.

He was a main board member of the Ogilvy Group, a founding member of the Superbrands Organisation, one of the first eight Honorary Fellows of the Institute of Direct Marketing and one of the first three people named to the Hall of Fame of the Direct Marketing Association of India. He has also been given Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Caples Organisation in New York and Early To Rise in Florida.

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