A Lesson in Big Ticket Marketing from Ted Nicholas

We can learn a lot about Big Ticket Marketing by studying what people who have had a lot of success in that area have to say.  Here is an article I posted to the Double Birthday Bash blog recently.  I am currently out of town in Whistler, BC, Canada. But I wanted to keep in touch with you.  I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

One of the guests of honor at the Double Birthday Bash, is of course Ted Nicholas, who celebrates his birthday along with Joel.

If you haven’t already, you can sign up at:

Ted and Joel's Double Birthday Bash

Here is a brief bio of Ted taken directly from his bio box on the main Double Birthday Bash web page you see after you sign up to learn more about this event. 

“First of all, there’s Ted Nicholas (Joel’s business partner
and master mentor).

Ted is a living legend in the offline direct marketing world.
He’s known as the “4 Billion Dollar Man” because that’s
how much of HIS OWN products he’s sold using offline
marketing methods.

Stop and think about that!… four-frickin’-billion dollars!

Sheesh!

And he did it all WAY before there was much anything
published about how to be a “direct marketer”!
This guy is truly a living legend… a true master of marketing.

And he’s coming all the way from Europe ( Montreux, Switzerland)
to celebrate his and Joel’s birthdays with you in a grand way!

Ted is currently on the Board of Directors of several highly
successful companies, has consulted within 47 different
industries on five continents – and is a major shareholder
in one of the fastest growing companies in the world.

Mr. Nicholas is also the best-selling author of 15 books
including his latest masterpiece “How To Turn Words Into
Money”… he’s considered the “King of Print”, the
“Copywriter's Copywriter”, the “Entrepreneur’s Entrepreneur”
and the “GodFather of Direct Marketing”

Although I am looking forward to meeting and learning from all of the speakers at this event, I am most looking forward to meeting Ted.  I have not had the privilege of meeting him at any other event although I am becoming more and more familiar with his talents and his amazing achievements through reading about him, reading his newsletter and learning from home based study systems that include his material.

In particular, I want to improve my own copywriting skills and Ted is definitely a master in this area and many others. 

Below you will find a copy of an article that Ted wrote for his “The Success Margin” newsletter.  It really struck a chord with me.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Business-to-Business Marketing is a Myth

(c) Copyright 2005 Ted Nicholas – All rights reserved

The Success Margin

Saturday, February 5, 2005
--------------------------------------------------
Recently I had the following conversation with a well-known direct marketing reporter.

“Ted, you are undoubtedly either the world's most successful business-to-business (B-to-B) marketer in the last 25 years, or at least in the top 5. I'd like to write a feature article about you.

“First, a question. What do you feel are the biggest reasons for your amazing success?"

Here is how I replied.

"When you hear my answer I doubt whether you'll still want to go ahead with your story. I'm successful largely because I do not agree with or accept the commonly used term 'B to B.'

Why?

"The reality is, there is no such thing as B-to-B marketing! And I get sick and tired of hearing B to B being used."

The reporters looked shocked and amazed.

I continued, "Businesses don't buy a single thing. Ever. All buying is done by people, not businesses. Whether they are profit or non-profit institutions makes no difference. People are still doing the buying."

All my sales letters, ads and e-mails are, therefore, directed at human beings.

Most B-to-B communications are incredibly dull and boring. They are aimed at some emotionless institution.

Many so-called B-to-B direct marketers are today lamenting their low response rates.

It's no wonder. They are not preparing their sales messages with strictly a logical appeal.

This does not work very well. And never will.

Yet, response rates from my copy, especially to the owners of small business owners and executives, continue to increase each year.

How come?

Here is the real secret.

Forget the B-to-B nonsense so prevalent in today's business world. Prepare and direct your sales messages in such a way they appeal to the emotions of individuals who are in a position to buy.

Let others do it their way. Do not emulate what other failing direct marketers do. To succeed, you must create appeals that touch human emotions.

As I've stressed in The Success Margin numerous times before, all buying decisions are primarily emotional. And this rule also applies to any highly technical audience.

Sure, you must include logic and reasons why in your copy. But logic is not the main cause of an order.

You must touch both the mind and the heart to cause your prospect to read and respond to your message.

Use emotionally-charged benefits with strong visual words to describe the benefit of your business product to the recipient of your sales message. And watch your sales go through the roof.

Your correspondent,

Ted Nicholas

P.S. I'm so excited about my upcoming special Double Birthday Bash March 18-19, I can hardly wait! Real-world training proven to work by 16 world-class experts on the speaking team will boost your success whether you re a beginner or an advanced marketer.

Plus, you'll be interacting with 20 honored guests, including best-selling authors, business people and other celebrities. And you'll be helping to make a significant contribution to the suffering Tsunami victims.

Please join Ted, Joel and myself at the Double Birthday Bash!

I really hope I get a chance to talk to you there.

Find out more here:

Ted and Joel's Double Birthday Bash

-Chuck