The only 3 marketing ideas you need to sell. Ever.
Part 2 — This is your chance to finally change your life forever!!
In the last article, we talked about the ‘Urgent Problem’ big idea.
How you should address the problem head-on and make it the focus of your message.
It’s the de facto approach by most companies.
Because you know that you should speak to the problems your people are facing. Show you understand them completely.
Show them they can move past those problems, how your product solves them. Moves them closer to their desire.
And whilst this is a perfectly sound strategy there’s an unavoidable downside…
If everyone is defaulting to it, you’ll find yourself up to your neck in competition ( unless you’re heavily niched down…which ain’t a bad idea these days).
Your message sounds the same. Speaks to the same problems.
So your ads, webinars, emails…they get drowned out as you try to tell the same story everyone else is.
I’m not trying to invalidate the case for the Urgent Problem idea. It works. It definitely does. It’s reactive to an urgent situation. And I’m sure many companies will have used it to great success…
But think about it this way.
You want to create marketing that sells.
I understand that, so I present you two options.
Which do you choose?
Number 1: The option speaks to your problems. How difficult it is to craft a winning idea. To then map that idea out into a campaign. And then sympathize with the effort it takes to finally implement that campaign.
I tell you I have a solution that solves all those problems. It makes coming up with a winning idea a breeze. Lays out the steps to quickly turn that into a strategy. And gives you shortcuts to implement them.
Number 2: This option presents something entirely different.
A new technology that means you no longer have to think about crafting winning ideas. You leverage my A.I. network that scours the web for trends. It cross-analyses the conversation of your target market with these trends and identifies an idea will that will resonate best.
All so you have the highest chances of hitting a home-run the first time you market your product.
From there the software runs your idea through multiple, tried and tested campaign strategies and lays them all out in front of you. So you can quickly see which is the best fit for you and your market…without risking it all on a dud.
Better yet, the software will analyze the performance of all those campaigns against historic results. So you can identify exactly which campaigns have the highest chance of success with your market. Maximizing your money-making ability.
Finally, this software will automatically churn out copy selected from successful campaigns (in your niche), that you can fill in the blanks on. All so you have a starting point. And get your offer to market fast to test your idea.
And even if that all falls down, you can quickly switch out your idea for a new proven template campaign and have it running in days, not weeks. It just takes a few clicks and you’re up and running almost instantly.
For the price of the software, you unlock the ability to test hundreds of proven campaigns in a matter of months. Allowing you to find the perfect fit for you, without a mountain of guesswork. All so you can get results fast, without the pain of starting again from scratch. And when you consider you only need one campaign to be successful…you have the opportunity to truly change your life.
That’s pretty cool, right?
So which do you choose?
Well if you take some time over it, you’ll find the premise for number 1 is still the same as going your own way.
You still have to do the same work. The same process. I’ve just made it easier. Clearer. Faster. Less risk of failure.
That’s the Urgent Problem big idea (although it doesn’t fit the Urgent problem framework very well….it’s not really that urgent)
However number 2… it’s something completely different. A new way to achieve the benefit you desire. Which tackles the problems you already have.
It also gets the results faster. Easier. Less risk of failure.
It never really voices your problems…it just shows you it can and solve them. But it doesn’t dwell in the details.
The choice is still yours.
But arguably most will choose option 2.
It’s new, it’s different. It makes things seem fast, easy, and free.
Yeh, but why do those things work?
I’ll explain more in a bit but I’ll save the majority for another article. (here)
However, all of this makes for a sumptuous segway into today’s big idea.
The 10x opportunity.
The 10x opportunity is a marketing idea that puts the chance for a real transformation in front of the customer.
It’s not about improvement. It’s a new way of doing things. A complete change in how someone is currently solving a problem.
An opportunity to achieve their desired benefit (what they want) in a way that’s new.
We’ll dive into some examples soon…
Again though, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention something.
The 10x Opportunity idea is being heavily popularised by Russell Brunson in his book “Expert Secrets”.
A man who’s sold millions online and has built a $360+ million per year software company. All about helping people sell better.
(No pun intended) He is an expert at this. The way he teaches it is fantastic. You should absolutely check it out.
And he makes a great point in there about most offers.
“Most often, when people start thinking about the product or service they want to offer, they start by looking around at what is already out there, and then they try to “build a better mousetrap”. When you do that, you are not offering them a new opportunity, you are offering them what we call an improvement offer”
And improvements offers do not sell.
Russell explains that improvements are hard.
An improvement carries a large part of the old process with it by nature. It is an improvement on the solution someone already has. People are already familiar with it and have struggled through it. They don’t want to repeat that. So they avoid the improvement offer.
Improvement offers also require a certain person to accept them. They need to be tenacious and willing to go back through the pain of what failed them the first time. Those memories are difficult to shake. And people often steer clear of improvement offers for those reasons as well.
But arguably the most important reason people don’t take up improvement offers, Russell says…
Is because the prospect believes the improvement will decrease their status.
The idea that they will look stupid, less important, less intelligent for trying.
The above reasons link into this well. If they tried the old process and failed, they will look even more foolish trying something similar. What would their friends and family think? How does that affect how people perceive their intelligence?
How will it affect their external appearance of wealth, power and happiness?
We’re social creatures. As much as we may not like to admit it…we do care what people think.
Or more precisely, we care what we perceive others think.
Especially people close to us.
As such, we are driven by status.
Russell puts it best when he says:
“Almost every choice in your life has revolved around status — whether you know it or not.
What school did you go to? You (or your parents) picked a school because you thought it would elevate your status. Who did you date? Who did you break up with? Who did you marry? You pick those people based on who you thought would elevate your status. What school do your kids go to? What books do you read? What car do you drive? What car do you not drive?
All these things are tied into status. Almost EVERY decision you’ve ever made was based on this one subconscious question:
Is this thing I’m considering going to increase my status or decrease it?”
The improvement offer can have a negative effect on our perception of status. So we avoid it.
And so do your prospects.
OK. So now we know why improvement offers aren’t all that great. And what ultimately drives a prospect’s decision…
But what makes new opportunities so good?
And that’s a good question.
If there’s no compelling reason to move to a new opportunity, then why would you take it?
If the 10x opportunity was not substantially better…then it would simply be an improvement.
So what makes the 10x so much more appealing? What goes on in the human mind that has people go crazy for them?
Those reasons will obviously be different for each 10x opportunity. Your market pursues them for different reasons.
However, Russell gives some universal reasons why 10x opportunities are appealing.
I think they are worth sharing, so here they are.
The “New Discovery” appeal
Here the idea is that the 10x opportunity is new and exciting. It gives the prospect a lift in status when they share the idea.
The person is seen as a curator of sorts. They go to their friends and say — “look what I found, how cool is that”
They desire for the person they show to say “Yep that’s cool” — and then by extension, the curator is seen as cool themselves.
To back this up, Russell refers to viral video researchers, who have found that ideas went viral when they are cool and new.
People like to share them because of how it makes them appear when they share it.
Side Note:
I’m not too convinced by this one. I’ve never been drawn to do it.
I can understand where Russell is coming from.
But I’d argue it’s a different kind of status increase…
I’ve tried typing it out in a sentence. Every time I do it sounds naff. So I’ll explain it.
The prospect wants to see themselves as the type of person the product produces/is related to. Someone with higher status.
So they are excited by the opportunity to move towards said new identity.
I don’t think the excitement comes from sharing the idea.
I think the excitement comes from the thought of people perceiving the prospect as someone who is successful. I.e. what the product promises they will be/ who the prospect wants to be (a successful entrepreneur for example)
The prospect thinks they will become an entrepreneur and imagines how everyone will see them. A big, bolder individual. Who’s making it on their own.
And they see the product you offer as a way of achieving that identity they desire. It gets really exciting when the path your product takes them on…
Is not related to old attempts that have failed them before.
(which your 10x Opportunity needs to be…otherwise it wouldn’t be a 10x Opportunity).
That’s why new is exciting. Because there is a belief (naive or not) that this opportunity can lead them to the identity and status they desire. One that is disconnected from the old way of doing things.
Anyway. That’s just me. The world is a lot more varied than me. So I’m more than willing to be corrected
Side Note ends here!
Next up, the “no pain of disconnect” appeal
Here the opportunity is appealing because the prospect will not have to admit they made a bad decision in the past. “There is no longer a pain disconnect from what they are currently doing,” says Russell.
No decrease in status.
“They can just move onto something brand new”
I agree here, this makes a lot of sense.
Russell makes a great point too that can help differentiate an Urgent Problem big idea and a 10x Opportunity.
“Improvement offers sell THROUGH the pain, where new opportunities sell AWAY from the pain”
So the 10x opportunity sells away from the problem by proposing a new, 10x opportunity. A new mechanism. A new method.
The Urgent Problem doesn’t do this.
The third is the “Dream Replacement” appeal
Russell puts this really well. I’ll just quote him here:
“One reason people struggle to make the changes they want and need in their lives is the fear of failure. If they try to change and it doesn’t work for them, then their dreams are dead. So they will give up potential success for fear of losing their dreams. We know that “without vision, the people perish”. When you make a new opportunity, you’re giving [the prospect] a new dream to move toward”
Again great. And highlights the avoidance of a loss of status someone would perceive if they gave up on their dreams.
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And finally, the “Greener Pastures” appeal
The classic “grass is always greener on the other side”.
It’s a simple case of showing people the other side.
Russell makes another great argument for the 10x opportunity here.
“Instead of trying to convince people that their grass is green or offering to fix their grass, allow them to follow you to the other side of the fence. That’s where they want to be anyway. Stop trying to make existing things that aren’t working better, and focus on fresh, exciting NEW ideas that will inspire people to follow you.”
Hopefully, you’re starting to see why this big idea is so successful and…
Why it makes it easier for the prospect to say yes.
If not, here’s another, less obvious examples.
The iPhone.
Why use the iPhone?
Because it is probably one of the biggest examples of how status drives sales. The logo itself is a symbol of style and attention to detail.
When Apple launched the iPhone, it was a roaring success for its time. 1.12 million units sold, capturing 5% of the global smartphone market in Q4 2007.
Back then it only took a crappy web browser and clunky email client to classify as a smartphone.
Apple brought a brand new concept of a phone that we are more than familiar with today. A fully working HTML email service, music player, functional internet browser and phone. All in one. With no keyboard.
At the time it was a truly 10x opportunity.
But as the company progressed, they had to continue to innovate. To present their audiences with newer, far better opportunities that jacked up their perceived status.
That’s why sales would rocket whenever an innovative design was released.
From ~34 Mill sales of the Original Iphone/3g from 2007 to 2009, to 197 Mill sales in the iPhone 4 and 5 era. This was a radical design change from the original design and a bold new look for the iPhone.
The same happened again in the iPhone 6 era jumping to ~400 Mill a few years later. Another complete redesign, moving away from the old image the iPhone 4 and 5 touched on.
Whilst many factors would have influenced the markets’ decision to buy (features, new tech etc.), the appeal to status was always renewed with each new iPhone. Just search for sites that rank all the best iPhones and they seem to always mention how their winner is there due to a completely new design/phone. Like this, and this
Anyway, I hope that clears things up.
We’re going to dive into some examples to clear everything up.
Before we do, here’s a very high-level outline of how the big idea for a 10x opportunity might read/sound.
“By using this (method/vehicle), the prospect can get (the desire the prospect is after) 10x better, faster and/or easier.”
To make this clearer, let’s use Clickfunnels to fill in the blanks.
“By using Clickfunnels’ sales funnel builder, the prospect can become a successful business owner, easier, faster and make 10x more money than they ever did.”
The rest of their copy focuses on convincing the prospect that this is the case.
Make sense?
OK.
Time for those examples.
So what you’re seeing here is a promotion by an Agora Financial publication.
From what I understand, this promo was quite successful ( I don’t have any figures for that, so you’ll have to trust me :S)
It’s a great sales letter to read and I thought it was a good example because it’s just so different to most things you see.
Anyway, from the headline you can quickly tell the premise of the Ad.
“Multimillionaire computer wizard and silicon valley insider James Altucher Cracks the “Crypto Code”
…and can now predict which penny cryptocurrencies are set to jump 800% or more starting in the next 2–3 weeks
***The first one he targeted turned every $25,000 into $1.8 million”
Let’s try to fit that back into our formula:
“By using this (method/vehicle), the prospect can get (the desire the prospect is after) 10x better, faster and/or easier.”
OK. Starting at the start. What’s the method/vehicle?
Well supposedly a multimillionaire computer wizard and silicon valley insider, James Altucher has cracked the “Crypto Code” and is using it to predict which investments will produce big returns.
So the vehicle here, is supposedly the crypto-code? Not quite…
You’re told what the piece of code does. What it means. Just not how to find it.
Because if you knew that, you wouldn’t need Mr. Altucher. So it is Mr. Altucher himself who is the vehicle.
The desire? A straightforward one. Make big money. Fast. Easy. With minimal downside risk (it always is with these financial promos).
So our sentence looks like:
“By using James Altucher’s knowledge, the prospect can make big financial gains, 10x better than what they are currently making, faster and easier, with minimal downside risk.”
All good right?
Ahhh….not quite.
Trying to sell a prospect on needing someone else gets old fast. Nobody likes to listen to someone brag about themselves. Especially for 30+ minutes.
And how many ways can you spin a sales message just talking about yourself? Not many.
So that’s why the sales letter cleverly builds up a desire for James Altucher’s knowledge through the Crypto Code idea.
If the Crypto Code seems like a compelling idea that helps the prospect get what they want…
… and only James knows…
…well then they need James Altucher’s knowledge.
So our statement would read like
“By using James Altucher’s knowledge *OF THE CRYPTO CODE*, the prospect can make big financial gains, 10x better than what they are currently making, faster and easier, with minimal downside risk.”
The offer is presented as a chance to make more than 10x better returns on your investment. In a way that’s new and gives the reader reason to believe it’s possible.
There’s also a huge status element in there. Make a tonne of money.
Mucho money means mucho status in a lot of people’s minds.
With that idea in place, you can now see why the sales letter spends time ensuring the prospect believes that the crypto code is worth their time, can help them get what they want, is proven to work, and that James has the information they want and is a person worth listening to etc.
The reader is made aware of the great opportunity…they just need convincing it is the right thing to do.
How do we do that?
By removing limiting beliefs that are holding them back from the sale.
Is this starting to make sense?
Good.
Let’s jump into another example.
The headline on this one is awesome.
And testament to John Carlton’s creative excellence, it’s still a control over 10 years later +.
For those that don’t understand what that means:
In 10 years + of attempts to create an Advertisement that outperforms this one…none have beat it.
So… what’s the big marketing idea? (if you guessed 10x opportunity you did good, kid.)
And what’s the might our marketing idea read like?
Well let’s take it step by step. Let’s look at the framework again.
“By using this (method/vehicle), the prospect can get (the desire the prospect is after) 10x better, faster and/or easier.”
The desire here is fairly straightforward. Golfers (mostly male) who want to add more yardage to their golf swing.
But why is that?
Status of course. The perception of power and dominance/superiority the golfer has over its competitors or friends as they hit the ball further.
The idea they will be admired or have one up over their buddies.
Cool. Got that bit.
The method?
I’ve included a link to the Ad below the picture so you can dive into this one if you want.
But in short, it’s a video course. That covers the knowledge Darrell Klassen (the out-of-shape 55 year-old golfer) has to share with the prospect. That gets them the to hit longer, straighter drives in just 3 swings. Guaranteed. And the prospect doesn’t need any fancy equipment, no prior experience and it works even better if they are out of shape
So here’s the statement:
“By using Darrell Klassen’s video course, the prospect can hit stronger and straight drives in just 3 swings (fast and easy), guaranteed. No equipment, no prior experience, no physical fitness. “
Now you may be wondering… why this is a 10x opportunity?
And that’s a good question. The only answer I have is, it’s always relative.
Relative to the market. Relative to what they are already being sold.
The person supplying this information breaks all the rules. They are out of shape. They have factors against them that should limit their game. Yet they still manage to beat out PGA pros on the underground golf circuit.
The prospect is likely an older male, who golfs casually or below semi-professional.
I imagine (this is a guess, so take it as such) most products sold to these people were from the pros. People who’d trained years. Were in peak fitness (for a golfer) and were young and in their prime. They could hit a ball hard and not feel the effects the next day.
The things they may have required from the market to achieve the desire they want may have caused the prospect to fail.
Darrell Klassen would seem to defy all those requirements. He gives a completely different avenue to pursue the desire the prospect is after. And he’s done it without requiring something the prospect likely can’t do.
I imagine that’s why it was a 10x opportunity.
Alright this is starting to click right?
Nice!
Let’s keep it up…
As the great Jackie Chan once said in Shanghai Noon…
“Uno Mas.”
And it’s only fitting with showcase Russell given everything he’s shared with the marketing community.
Here’s his presentation: Link
If you have the time, watch that video. It’s a fantastic example of selling with the 10x Opportunity. Take note of every story he tells and WHY. What objection is he overcoming? What belief is he trying to convince you of. Alternately, at the end of each story, pause the video. Ask — “What do I accept now, given what I’ve just been told”.
You’ll quickly learn how, given that Russell knows his big idea, all he has to do is build on the desire you already have and convince you his thing works.
In this case, Russell is obviously trying to sell the prospect on the idea of the sales funnel.
They can help people sell a lot more of their stuff. They are proven. And Russell has examples of that to boot.
They beat out the traditional website and work non-stop.
And what’s the best way of making sales funnels?
Clickfunnels of course.
So his big idea is…
“By using clickfunnels to make sales funnels, the prospect can sell more of their way more of their stuff using proven systems(10x better), not have to rely on a tech guy (easy), and have it up and running in just a few clicks (fast)”
If you’ve experienced trying to sell anything online, you can understand why this is appealing.
An entire generation of business people using unorganised websites hoping people will buy their thing.
Russell provides his prospects with a simple to use system. Which quickly integrates direct response marketing into someone’s business.
Principles that are proven to work. And allow people to grow their businesses with far fewer headaches.
What Russell sells takes out a tonne of hard work out of selling. And the fact he throws in how to best use his software so you have the highest chance of success. It makes the deal even sweeter.
It’s no wonder he’s dominating his competition.
Not bad Russell. Not bad at all.
Summary
Well…another adventure ends.
This time we looked at the marketing big idea — 10x opportunity.
We looked at why improvement offers just don’t sell and how perceived status plays a huge factor in any decision we make.
We then dived into why 10x opportunities are seen as more appealing in the human mind (they’re new, they let people absolve themselves of past failures etc.)…
Then we defined the Big idea sentence so we can start to frame our own 10x opportunity big ideas.
Before then looking at the examples above.
All in all a biggy.
Also, I’ll go out on a limb here and say it:
I think every sales message implies some sort of opportunity. And should do it.
Even if it’s solving a problem. It’s an opportunity to move away from the problem.
Understanding why, hopefully, shines some light on that.
In the next article in this series, we’ll be covering the final big idea.
One use to craft some of the most successful selling campaigns in direct response history. Multiple millions off of a tiny book. That didn’t just get people to buy in droves…
But completely changed the minds of their audience.
Real-life Inception…Powerful stuff. Verging on the realms of mind control.
You probably think I’m talking crap. I’m insane.
But it’s happened many times before. And companies keep using it to sell more and more of their stuff.
I’ll show you how in the next one.
See you then!
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Originally published at jamesjmelling.com on March 15, 2019.
