Joe Sugarman’s Marketing Secret
January 19th, 2011 by Bob Bly
I recently listened to the CD of a talk given by Joseph Sugarman, founder of JS&A and widely recognized as one of the greatest mail order marketers of all time.
JS&A is the company that sells those Blue Blocker sunglasses you see advertised on TV and in magazines.
The glasses really work, by the way. Put a pair on, and everything blue is converted to a shade of gray.
Anyway, during the talk, Mr. Sugarman mentioned that he often tested three or four different ads for the same product ? and in some cases as many as 10 different versions!
?Typically, nine of the ads would fail but one would work spectacularly well,? said Mr. Sugarman, ?The profits from that one ad would more than cover the losses from the other nine.?
Do you do that ? create multiple ads and then test them to see which works best?
Or do you — like most businesses — create and test just one ad ? or one postcard ? or one e-mail ? or one sales letter or direct mail package?
If so, you are significantly reducing your odds of getting a winning promotion?.
The reason is that not all promotions work. In fact, most don?t.
Say one out of four promotions is a winner. And that?s being optimistic.
Jerry Huntsinger, a well-known copywriter in fundraising, once told me ?9 out of 10 of the things I do don?t work.?
And in his speech, Joseph Sugarman reported similar results ? sometimes having to write and test 10 ads to get one winner.
But let?s stick with the ?one winner out of every four tests? figure for now.
Based on those odds, if you run just one ad, or mail just one version of a sales letter, your chances of hitting a winner are only one out of four ? and the odds are 75% that your marketing effort will bomb.
What commonly happens is that a business decides to ?try? direct mail ? sends out a poorly written, amateurish letter or postcard ? and when they get no response, they proclaim that ?direct mail doesn?t work.?
Sure it doesn?t ? tell that to Nightingale-Conant ? or Boardroom ? or Publishers Clearinghouse ? or Day Timer.
On the other hand, if you create and test four different ads or letter versions, the odds are in your favor that at least one will work and be profitable for you.
My rule of thumb for improving direct marketing results is: Look at what the big players ? the successful direct marketers ? are doing. And do what they do.
And the one thing every successful direct marketer has in common is ? they test. A lot.
What do they test?
Headlines ? outer envelopes ? direct mail formats ? copy approaches ? sales appeals ? mailing lists ? prices ? offers ? guarantees ? terms ? anything with the potential to generate a big lift in response rates. Or even a small one, for that matter.
Does all this testing make sense?
On one such test, a marketer increased response to an e-mail marketing message by 50% ? just by changing the subject line.
In another test, a software company increased orders from a direct mail package tenfold ? simply by varying the wording of the offer.
And a computer school doubled the response rate to its newspaper advertising when they added the offer of a free career booklet.
Does all this testing make sense?
You bet it does!
Imagine ? just by changing a few words on a piece of paper or a computer screen, you can double your sales ? revenues ? and profits.
If there?s another area of business that gives you that kind of leverage, I?d like to hear about it.
One other point?.
In direct marketing, no one can predict with any degree of certainty which ad or mailing is going to work.
You only learn what works by testing and keeping track of the results.
You may have your subjective opinions about what you like and don?t like in advertising ? we all do ?.
But in direct marketing, you simply can?t argue with results.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 at 11:44 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
March 16th, 2011 at 11:34 am
Hi, Bob — Just now found your blog!
I used your suggestion in “Secrets of a Freelance Writer” and did a mailing with a simple A/B test to a list of qualified leads: one letter included a self-addressed business reply card, and the other didn’t.
The letter with the card generated a 20% return rate — FOUR times what the letter without a BRC pulled. Out of those responses, I got three new clients.
Thanks!
April 5th, 2011 at 3:28 am
advertising testing is like professional football, you score less points than you’re trying, guaranteed. but without trying, there’s zero guarantee you’ll score at least one.
May 20th, 2011 at 8:08 am
[…] Joe Sugarman™s Marketing Secret. […]
June 24th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
[…] Joe Sugarman’s Marketing Secret […]
August 24th, 2011 at 9:09 am
business is about trial and error. you may fail the first time or even the second time, but if you give up easily, success won’t come to you, so keep trying and go for the success you’ve been wanting.
– Jack Leak
September 6th, 2011 at 7:09 am
Oh man, I’ve seen Joseph Sugarman talk at a convention. He’s really inspirational.
December 28th, 2011 at 1:15 am
Best weight supplement…
[…]Joe Sugarman’s Marketing Secret – bly.com blog – bly.com direct marketing blog[…]…
November 21st, 2012 at 9:26 am
[…] and his company used to sell those “Blue Blocker Sunglasses.” The second copywriter, Bob Bly, calls this formula, “The 4 U’s.” If you want to learn more about copy writing, I suggest […]
March 22nd, 2013 at 3:54 pm
likes is really effortless, never avoid above steps and save your Facebook Web page Likes. Also check out Here you can check how to divert your Facebook Web page traffic to you Site Connect with TricksWindow on
March 25th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
“Say, you got a nice blog post.Thanks Again. Really Cool.”
March 26th, 2013 at 10:13 am
I have been surfing the internet more than three hours this morning, but still I never have found any interesting post like yours. It’s pretty much good enough for me. In my opinion, if all webmasters and bloggers made great posts as you did, the net will be a lot more useful than ever.
March 31st, 2013 at 1:58 am
Your personal message to 500,000 UNIQUE Contact-Emails.
All interested in your service or product.
These are not regular emails. The list members chose
to join it by double-optin. Most people find the list is high
response. What more could you ask for? Order now and we Will Boost The Contact-Email to 1,500,
000. Plus, A Global-Marketing Membership And Silver Submitter Access.
Today Only Get It All For Just $9.95!
April 2nd, 2013 at 8:09 pm
I am not used to blogging. How can i add a subscribe function to my website so new post goes to their email?
April 4th, 2013 at 2:40 am
Hi everyone, it’s my first pay a quick visit at this website, and article is actually fruitful in support of me, keep up posting these articles or reviews.
April 4th, 2013 at 11:22 am
Good day I am so happy I found your website, I really found you by accident, while I was looking on Google for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say many thanks for a fantastic post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the great job.
April 8th, 2013 at 8:35 am
Hi! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a marvellous job!
April 8th, 2013 at 1:28 pm
[…]we like to honor many other world-wide-web websites on the net, even if they aren?t linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages really worth checking out[…]
April 9th, 2013 at 12:00 am
“Hey, thanks for the article. Great.”
April 9th, 2013 at 1:58 am
Great web site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours nowadays. I really appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!|
April 9th, 2013 at 5:01 pm
Very interesting post. I think your site really needs a re-design though! lol
April 10th, 2013 at 4:10 am
I truly enjoy looking through on this site, it has superb posts .
April 21st, 2013 at 10:46 am
What a lovely blog. I’ll surely be back again. Please keep on writing!
April 27th, 2013 at 2:04 pm
At this time it appears like Drupal is the preferred blogging platform accessible right now. (from what I’ve read) Is the fact that what you are employing on your weblog?
April 28th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
in case you want an awesome wedding decoration, just fill them up with lots of flowers and laces-
April 29th, 2013 at 2:20 am
reading tech blogs to maintain me updated on technology is what i do everyday. i am a tech addict.,
April 29th, 2013 at 7:08 am
I simply couldn’t leave your web site prior to suggesting that I really loved the standard info a person supply to your guests? Is gonna be back regularly in order to investigate cross-check new posts.
April 30th, 2013 at 5:22 am
just before you buy some incredibly expensive Seo Tools, always look for any review very first before you invest on them;
April 30th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Hi there, I discovered your website by the use of Google at precisely the same time as searching to get a comparable subject, your net website got here up, it appears fantastic. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
May 1st, 2013 at 6:30 am
Loads of thanks for all of your difficult work on this web site. My niece seriously likes acquiring into investigation and it is effortless to understand why. My companion and i discover all concerning the compelling tactic you present invaluable issues through the website and as a result attract participation from others about this article so my simple princess is often beginning to understand an incredible deal. Make the most of the remaining portion in the new year. Your conducting a genuinely fantastic job.
May 17th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
I gotta bookmark this web website it appears extremely handy extremely helpful
May 20th, 2013 at 12:41 pm
Your blog is amazing dude. i enjoy to go to it everyday. very nice layout and content material “
May 26th, 2013 at 12:15 am
I am normally thought about this, thankyou for placing up.
May 26th, 2013 at 12:19 am
of course every nation need to respect copyright but there are actually third globe countries that just can not respect copyright at all;
May 30th, 2013 at 11:47 am
I’m commonly to blogging and i actually respect your content material. The short article has seriously peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your internet site and hold checking for brand new information.
June 2nd, 2013 at 9:27 pm
Yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a poor determination great post! .
June 6th, 2013 at 12:46 am
Hey man, .This was a fantastic page for such a hard subject to discuss. I look forward to reading much more excellent posts like this one. Thanks
June 6th, 2013 at 11:00 am
nowadays we would constantly use eco-friendly stuffs like, eco friendly foods, shoes and bags~
June 16th, 2013 at 10:57 pm
There exists apparently a good deal to recognize about this. I suppose you created some great points in attributes also.
June 27th, 2013 at 1:46 am
I think that might be a captivating element, it created me feel a bit. Thanks for sparking my pondering cap. Now and again I get so considerably within a rut that I basically actually feel like a record.
July 12th, 2013 at 6:24 am
Can you please send an e-mail to me the code for this script or please let know me in detail in relation to this script?
July 12th, 2013 at 9:44 pm
I am actually pleased to glance at this website posts which contains lots of helpful data, thanks for providing these kinds of statistics.
August 17th, 2013 at 4:43 pm
” Defining SEM is a bit tricky as many authorities have varying ideas as to what the term means. So, how do you make sure yours is not one of those failing. If the sites come to the search results capturing the first few pages, visitors are likely to show interest in entering the same.
November 16th, 2013 at 9:30 pm
Hi there, this weekend iis pleasant designed for
me, as this point in time i am reading this great educational post
hereat my house.
December 21st, 2013 at 11:54 pm
A powerful reveal, I immediately given this on a colleague who was doing a bit evaluation on this. As well as he in fidelity bought me breakfast because I set up it for him.. smile. As a result agree to me modify that: Thnx for the treat! However yeah Thnkx for spending the time to argue this, I feel starkly on the subject of it and love studying further on this topic. Proviso viable, as you explain into undergo, would you thoughts updating your blog with added particulars? It’s enormously effective used for me. Large thumb up representing this blog post!
December 26th, 2013 at 8:50 pm
It is our outlook in our life often changes our viewpoint. Sometimes this change is good and sometimes this change is bad but it is our point of view that controls over what we see.
March 22nd, 2014 at 1:16 am
Not sure if this is really a secret but good info. regardless. Always good to do more than one marketing campaign.
April 25th, 2014 at 7:26 pm
Ditto many of the pleasant comments, and it has restored my faith in mankind. That is what lifetime should be about, not exactly how much nuts and bolts bring at an auction to the greedy wealthy that only believe of how they will pad their bank account. God Bless all included, and that includes Hemmings.
March 8th, 2018 at 9:20 am
To get the exact and accurate result of 5th and 8th Class. PEC education department was established by the Government of Punjab with the purpose to conduct exams of 5th and 8th Class in all the districts of Punjab. Result 2018 of 5th Class
August 24th, 2018 at 6:35 am
Marketing is a science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market, different from competitors, at a profit.
November 26th, 2018 at 3:31 am
Good post
February 6th, 2020 at 4:07 am
Amazing posting this is from you. I am actually and truly thrilled to read this fantastic post. You’ve really affected me today. I hope you’ll carry on to do so!
February 6th, 2020 at 4:11 am
Thanks for updating this sort of information. https://mazeministry.com/amanda-fuller/ I am adopting your blog for further information in the future.
March 7th, 2020 at 3:16 am
It is wonderful to be here with everyone, I have a lot of knowledge from what you share, to say thank you, the information and knowledge here helps me a lot
February 22nd, 2021 at 4:40 am
I have been surfing the internet more than three hours this morning, but still I never have found any interesting post like yours.https://www.infobrez.com/scada-software
March 1st, 2021 at 9:13 am
court marriage in pakistan court marriage in pakistan
March 1st, 2021 at 9:15 am
divorce procedure for overseas pakistani
divorce procedure for overseas pakistani divorce procedure for overseas pakistani
March 1st, 2021 at 9:16 am
divorce lawyer in pakistan divorce lawyer in pakistan divorce lawyer in pakistan
March 17th, 2021 at 2:07 pm
Great to see such blog posts. Nice topic shared here. I learn a lot from you and the way of explanation is just wow. Thanks for such a beautiful explanation. Here we are sharing our profile about fake information generator.
June 11th, 2021 at 8:44 am
Bringing home a new puppy is a wonderful experience involving the whole family, which is why we begin training early to ease the transition to their new home and family. Making sure they are raised and trained properly a great amount of support, we assist in the preparations to make it less stressful. To provide a completely different environment for our puppies, we thoroughly researched and make sure this puppies will only go to respectable families
https://pugslandbreeder.company.com
June 28th, 2021 at 3:12 pm
https://savannahbengal.company.com/
September 5th, 2021 at 10:22 am
It’s a gclub man And I would like to take this picture to forward and share it on social media to get more likes. Thank you.
October 16th, 2021 at 11:12 am
Hello, it is good for me to visit this web page. superlot This includes useful information.
January 4th, 2022 at 11:22 am
Ndure offers their customers jackets of all types, including Denim Jackets For Women, eather jackets, puffer jackets, and Sherpa denim jackets. Buy the best available winter blue jeans Jackets for women online in Pakistan from Ndure. We bring you high quality bomber jacket, Puffer Hooded Gilet for womens online.
January 25th, 2022 at 1:42 pm
Hi there, I discovered lsm99 be like great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
June 14th, 2022 at 12:10 pm
I constantly read the smaller articles as well as clarify their motives, and that also happens with this article!No Name Poncho Man With
July 22nd, 2022 at 8:15 am
Perfect foot scrapers and foot filers are offered by Rios, a multi brand retailer The shop wants to give customers delight by offering top notch goods like the best foot filer Their foot scrapers are perfect and precisely what you require With their products like foot filer, Rios satisfies all of your needs.
July 28th, 2022 at 2:44 am
Metro Shoes is offering flat chappal for girl online in Pakistan. Buy Latest chappal online at cost-effective price.
July 28th, 2022 at 5:55 am
Jazmin constantly offers amazing sales on their brand of women’s clothing, including their ready to wear dresses. Grab these stylish and trendy sale on brands in pakistan dresses online. Jazmin.pk offers the best sale of any women’s clothing brands all the time. Buy from their sale and keep your wallet happy.
August 10th, 2022 at 1:23 pm
Thank you for writing a good article, you worked very hard to bring good information to us, for which we thank you, keep publishing articles filled with such good information. Andheri Escort Service |
August 24th, 2022 at 2:23 am
Rios is a multi-brand store providing amazing Lipsticks and lipstick shades The store aims to provide satisfaction through high quality products like lipstick colour Their lipstick shades are perfect and are just what you need Rios fulfills your every demand, with their items like Lipstick kits
September 21st, 2022 at 8:26 am
Great
https://www.citizendailypost.com
https://www.metrodailyreporter.com
September 22nd, 2022 at 1:16 am
Sceneca Residence by MCC Land. Hotline 61004343. Get Discounts, Direct Developer Price, Floor Plan, Price List, Brochure & More. sceneca residence singapore
September 22nd, 2022 at 11:59 am
Freehold condo at draycott park. Hotline 61004343. Get Discounts, Direct Developer Price, Floor Plan, Price List, Brochure & More. one draycott singapore
September 26th, 2022 at 2:17 am
Benefit as much as possible from primarily premium substances – you will discover him or her for: stainless 18 gauge brads
October 11th, 2022 at 10:18 am
You are a good writer you publish important information thanks https://www.ayushibosus.com/
October 14th, 2022 at 12:13 pm
Rivaj brings only the best cosmetics and related products like powder Foundation and liquid foundation. So, grab their liquid foundation sets today and enjoy. Their powder Foundation sets are truly unbeatable and offer a high degree of satisfaction. Rivaj offers the best makeup powder Foundations to their customers every day.
October 17th, 2022 at 7:32 am
Rios a multi-brand store providing amazing Concealer and Maybelline concealer. The store aims to provide satisfaction through high quality products like TEMPLATE. Their best concealers are perfect and just what you need Rios fulfills your every demand, with their items like the best concealer in Pakistan.
October 18th, 2022 at 6:54 am
Flormar a Turkish cosmetics brand offers the best eyelash mascara in Pakistan. Grab your eyelash mascara and match the fashion.
October 18th, 2022 at 8:29 am
ECS is the most reliable place for you when it comes to buying sneakers shoes for girls. Our product is made with best and high quality leather material.
October 27th, 2022 at 8:30 am
nice article sir, so informative blog stafaband
November 6th, 2022 at 11:36 pm
The secret to success in marketing is to find a niche. Whether you’re selling a product, service, or idea, you need to understand what your target market wants and needs. If you do, you’ll be able to create a compelling message la times crossword that will get your product or service into their hands.
November 6th, 2022 at 11:37 pm
However, finding a niche is not always easy. There are many different types weaver game of markets out there, and it can be hard to figure out which one is right for you.
November 29th, 2022 at 6:40 am
Hey, Very thank you for this informative post. Have you heard about Roll Dice or Dice Roller. What is the importance of Dice Roller? basically, it allows to generate a random number while playing game and helps to enhance your gaming skill. If you are interested to know more information, you can check out the Online Dice Roller Profile.
January 21st, 2023 at 2:34 pm
Are you in search of a New Design Dress in Pakistan? Highway fashions offer a large variety of women’s dresses online in Pakistan. So, order your favorite dress today and enjoy.
January 21st, 2023 at 4:04 pm
?anl?urfa Web Tasar?m
January 22nd, 2023 at 4:36 am
If you’re searching for the best Cannabis store, you’re at the right place! At Royal Leafs, you can find plenty of Cannabis products such as Cannabis pre-rolls, raw and milled flowers, drinks, and accessories such as bongs and vapes of the highest quality.
January 24th, 2023 at 2:07 am
Sifa provides wide range of Pakistani party wear dress, which is making your outfit gorgeous and delightful. Grab your favorite party wears dresses online in all over Pakistan at low prices with fast delivery.
January 24th, 2023 at 4:39 am
Complete your outfit with the best leather belts. Servis offers the best quality leather belts online in all over Pakistan. Get your favorite belts online at reasonable prices.
January 26th, 2023 at 4:53 am
Are you looking for sale on brands? So, come to Sifa online and get a sale on the latest dresses with discounted prices in all over Pakistan with quick delivery.
January 26th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
?anl?urfa Web Tasar?m
February 16th, 2023 at 2:18 am
Nice post I want to express my gratitude for this accurate and helpful information. Would you like to work in an office with a system? Words per minute are crucial for speeding up our typing. you may learn more about
Touch Typing Techniques where you will get more knowledge.
February 20th, 2023 at 7:44 am
This site was very enjoyable to me. It is such a wonderful resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. When you play games and suddenly your Xbox one controller turns off. In this situation, you should read this article to resolve this issue. Visit here How to Fix an Xbox One Controller, many Xbox one users found this article useful.
February 20th, 2023 at 11:53 am
Hari ini pasti WD main di texas77 aman dan amanah, slot gacor online.
Minimal depo 10k
minimal wd 25k
berapapun kemenangan langsung di bayar.
proses cepat dan lancar, pelayanan nya juga oke, selalu merespon.
yuk buruan join dan main di situ TEXAS77.
http://onlinebestgifts.com/
March 4th, 2023 at 5:37 am
We have the highest quality men shoes and leather shoes in Pakistan at great prices. Get Borjans amazing collection of men’s shoes online. Get your favorite …
March 6th, 2023 at 2:45 pm
Discover the variety of leather fashion jackets for men online at Sarmun. Sarmun provides a wide range of leather fashion jackets online all over America. So, grab your favorite leather jackets today.
March 18th, 2023 at 5:07 am
INFO TERBARU TEXAS77
Minimal deposit ke Bank 10 rb
Minimal withdraw 25.rb
Minimal deposit ke pulsa 10 rb tanpa potongan
(syarat withdraw TO x5 khusus pulsa)
Ayo bosku buruan deposit..
dan juga kami ingin menginfokan kepada bosku semua nya
Bahwasanya dalam permainan server slot PG Soft dan pragmatic play sedang banyak jackpot besar nya bos
di coba kembali bermain bersama kami bosku ^^
hanya dengan minimal deposit sebesar 10rb bosku bisa mendapatkan hadiah hingga puluan juta rupiah ^^
March 29th, 2023 at 1:50 pm
Explore the wide range of new dress design collections at Mushtaq. We offer stitched and unstitched dresses at affordable prices. Grab your favorite dresses at Mushtaq Clothing online.