Clayton Makepeace Examples Flashcards
The ‘How to’ bullet
This is probably the single most popular type of bullet/fascination and you see loads of it, both online and off. It works because we seem to have a natural affinity and curiosity for “how to” information. That’s especially true if the “how to” information is tied into our deepest feelings and desires. That’s the key to making it work.
How to use the secrets of “loading” your body for maximum power! (Traditional swings rob you of this potential power — while the Triple Coil Swing actually increases it two-fold!)
lHow to make yourself safer than 89% of other car passengers — page 89.
lHow to rub your stomach away. The simplest and most natural way to lose weight is by this effortless two-minute exercise.
The ‘Secret to’ bullet
- The “secret to” bullet
This formula is perfect when you have a piece of information not commonly known — something that can be legitimately called a “secret”. Typically the “secret” is centered on “how” your prospect will get the bene t. Be careful not to overuse this idea, however, or your prospect will become excessively skeptical. After all, if everything is a secret then each one becomes a little less unique and enticing. These bullets MUST be based on information not commonly known and varied for maximum impact.
The secrets of “Single Finger” takedowns … using moves that are indefensible even by a larger and more experienced opponent!
Little known secrets that can steer you to tremendous profits ts in gold … even if bullion drops to $250 an ounce!
The secret of “that schoolgirl complexion” revealed! This is the natural compound you must have for health, beauty and long life. Develops that youthful beauty from within.
The ‘Why’ bullet
This bullet is ideal for building intrigue. Essentially, you’re promising to reveal why something is a certain way — with the implication that knowing why will make a difference in your prospect’s life. So make extra sure the info your promise presents
is … (a) something your prospect is instantly curious to know more about and (b) directly beneficial in his life.
l Why if this disaster strikes the US, you’ll pay up to 5 times more money for cheap imitations of your favorite supplements — and why that’s the good news!
Why up to 70 percent of
all poisonings happen to children under ve. And the best prevention of them all. Page81
Why you can’t trust your pension fund: Dirty tricks they play with your money — and how to stop them COLD …
The ‘What’ bullet
“What” bullets work well in two ways. First they can give your prospect very specific instructions for action (“What you MUST do now to avoid …”). Second, they often offer him elusive, valuable information (“What doctors don’t tell you about …”). Both do
a wonderful job of bumping up the perceived value of the information, while at the same time hiding it for added curiosity!
What you must do immediately before November 5th, 200 to preserve your wealth and …
What you must do at once if you receive a mild shock when you touch an electric appliance — page 26.
What the Corporate Fat Cats don’t tell you about their CoQ 0 supplements …
What to watch when you’re eight feet apart (it’s NOT his eyes — a terrible mistake most fighters make that gets them hurt) … and what to watch inside the two feet “crunch time zone” … to keep you a precious step ahead of even superbly-trained fighters!
The ‘What NEVER’ bullet
If you’ve ever read a Boardroom report, I’d bet big money you’ve seen this type of bullet. They popularized it with the following bullet that became a blockbuster headline:
What never to eat on an airplane. The dirtiest, deadliest airplane in the whole wide world.
Here’s another example:
What never to keep in your deposit box. Never. And how to stop the state from stealing it.
This kind of bullet/fascination can be applied to many, many pieces of information. And it’s powerful because it alerts him of a possible mistake (tapping into fear emotion), promises information that will protect your prospect from the mistake (bene t), and also builds curiosity and intrigue because he doesn’t yet know the answer. If you’re selling supplements, you could say,
“What NEVER to take along with Vitamin C …” If you’re in the investment market, you could say, “What NEVER to invest in as inflation rises …” The list could go on for miles.
Along the same lines, you can present any other type of “What NEVER” information with leads like “Why you should not …” or “The absolute worst …” or “What to avoid …” — because the premise is exactly the same. Just play around with the different versions and see which works best for your information. Here are a few more examples:
lWhy you should not use soap anywhere but under the arms and on the genitals. Page 7.
The absolute worst time for your body to do paperwork or read. Page 26.
The One Place NEVER to Store Your Gold: It’s practically an engraved invitation to thieves. Where to store your gold for maximum safety and convenience.
The ‘Plus’ bullet
The “PLUS” bullet is a greed bullet — it gets your prospect into the mindset of more, more, MORE! Its structure isn’t terribly unique — essentially it’s just one of the other formulas with a PLUS at the beginning. PLUS bullets work best at the end of a list, helping finish with power and momentum. Here’s an example from some of Clayton’s financial self-mailers:
PLUS — How to turn the tables on them: Insulate your wealth and then USE their treachery to lock- in pro t potential of up to 562%!
PLUS my complete list of ,8 7 companies that we suspect of fudging their earnings — make sure your stocks are NOT on this list!
The ‘ Number’ bullet
Use this kind of bullet when you
can group together multiple ways of doing something, multiple secrets or multiple reasons why something will happen. It’s a great way of condensing unique information into a value-added team of enticing secrets, methods or ways of delivering a desired benefit.
Four ways to stimulate the body to release its own natural pain- killers.
The seven little-known signs of internal bleeding and what to do about each — page 21 .
The world’s two most powerful inflation fighting strategies: PLUS the stocks that can hand you gains of up to 562% as in ation returns …
Often overlooked investment vehicles that can make you up to 20 times richer when the next earnings scandal bursts into the headlines.
The ‘Right/Wrong’ bullet
There are times when you’ll be able to bank on your prospect having certain assumptions. That’s where this kind of bullet comes in. You suggest the assumed idea or belief and then you immediately debunk it with … WRONG!
It’s great because everybody wants to know why or how they could be wrong about something they thought they knew. Especially, if there’s a killer bene t in knowing the right answer!
Sneezing into a tissue prevents colds, right? Wrong! Page 2 explains why.
The bathroom medicine cabinet is the best place to store medicine, right? Wrong! It’s the worst. The facts are on page 20.
“Unscented” products have no scent? Sorry. Many are masked with a chemical that can cause allergic reactions. Page 2 .
The ‘Warning’ bullet
It’s perfect for when you want to alert your prospect of a danger ahead. You’ll often also see the words “caution, alert, danger” at the beginning instead of warning. This is particularly effective when your promotion targets the fear emotion.
Of course, this bullet works much better when you give proof that you have the solution (bene t) to the problem you’re warning your prospect about.
WARNING — Your # asset is now in extreme danger! Why the equity in your family’s home may be vulnerable to an all out attack in 200 -2006 — crucial self-defense …
WARNING: Avoid These 2 Popular Gold Investments Like The Plague! Ignoring this single warning could leave you broke and holding the bag!
Cell phone DANGER! Avoid sleep disruption from electromagnetic waves …
CAUTION: Washington
and Wall Street are conspiring to HOODWINK YOU! They only want you to THINK that they’ve cleaned up Wall Street. Discover the shocking TRUTH that can protect you from being fleeced again!
The ‘Are you..?’ bullet
With this bullet, you ask your pros-pect about something you strongly believe he’s already doing. Then you offer him a specic benefit, advice, or instructions with as much credibility as possible. This bullet is particularly strong because you get your prospect to say “yes” and nod his head, building momentum toward the sale.
Variations on it can be
“Do you …?” or “Does your …?” or “Is your …?” — all work equally well!
Are you and your doctor making these common mistakes with your health? One of the Country’s most respected M.D.’s exposes the 9 deadliest flaws in disease treatment that could be robbing you of your health and hard-earned money.
Does your broker have a “rap sheet” with the SEC or NASD? Here’s how to nd out — FAST!
lDo you take any of these 6 popular vitamins or supplements? If so, please read this M.D.’s urgent warning!
The ‘gimmick’ bullet
Here you carefully extract an idea from information in your research and put a creative “spin” on it, assigning it a name. For example, say you’re selling a fitness book and you nd there’s a body fat test which requires you to pinch certain parts of your body.
You could create a gimmick like … The simple “pinch test” that instantly tells what your body fat levels are — with pinpoint, .5% accuracy.
This technique works effectively because it often combines a benefit t with specificity, intrigue/curiosity, and delivers a precise mechanism for achieving the bene t. AMAZING! And it does this ALL in a couple of simple lines.
The amazing “Towel Hanging” trick that increases the strength of your erection … plus your love- making stamina … allowing you to supercharge your love-life in a very short time! (You have to experi- ence these kinds of “rocket burst” orgasms to believe they’re possible! See page 9.)
And … the amazing “follow through” secret that is the foundation of making long, straight drives so easy you could cry with joy! This alone will change your game forever …
The “optical illusion” that absolutely destroys most golfers … the single most damaging “habit” nearly all amateurs suffer that GUARANTEES they will never experience a consistently great game! (Once you know the secret, however, you will OWN the course!)
The ‘sneaky’ bullet
This one is used very selectively by top writers — because overdoing it can make your copy feel contrived. Not everything can be “sneaky”. It typically applies when you have a piece of info that has some sort of conspiracy factor … or in less extreme cases: a hidden, guarded
or overlooked element. It’s most often used when there’s something a group doesn’t want you to know or is actively hiding from you.
The sneaky ways professional fighters use the element of surprise to turn around dangerous situations … even when they’re the ones who’ve been “jumped” by an assailant unexpectedly!
Sneaky little arthritis secrets that doctors never, ever tell you about …
Sneaky insurance tricks that could be costing you an arm and a leg. Make sure you’re not a victim.
For an example of this kind of bullet (and many others!), see page 2 of your Ride-AlongTM. It’s from The Bob Livingston Letter.
The ‘Statement of interest+benefit’ bullet
This formula works best when you have an exciting or intriguing tidbit you can lead with. Then you immediately follow it with a strong bene t. Often you’ll start with a fact and then use one of the “how to” or “why” types of bullets for the second line.
Drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death. But did you know it’s possible to save a drowning person even if you can’t swim? Page 5.
You walk into an empty self- service elevator late at night and press the button. Before the door has a chance to close you get back out fast. Why? (Nine ways to outwit a mugger.) Page 80.
Platinum Prices Up 90% since 2002 — Here’s How To PROFIT: Why platinum prices are expected to surge throughout 2005. Best coins and bars for profit- minded investors.
The ‘direct benefit’ bullet
Here’s where you simply make a claim (ideally a unique and powerful one!) in the opening line of your bullet. The first word is usually an action verb, instantly promising the benefit. Then the next line is spent deepening, proving, and adding intrigue or additional bene ts to the original claim.
Some examples:
BUILD ENORMOUS STRENGTH AND MUSCLE TONE without exercise! Ten-minute breakthrough naturally triples your growth hormone levels. Secretly being used by the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and many Hollywood stars. All you do is stand.
BANISH MENSTRUAL CRAMPS FOR GOOD with a common vitamin! Now shown to wipe out over 80% of all cases of cramps.
RECOVER FROM LATE- STAGE CANCER, even after it has spread to the bones. Just a tiny dose of this cutting-edge nutrient has now been shown to make it happen.
The ‘specific question’ bullet
This bullet hooks your prospect by leading with an intriguing question of importance. Just like many of the other formulas, what follows must offer
the desired solution either within the running text of the copy or the product that’s being sold. And, of course, it’s always good to mix in credibility, benefit, intrigue and curiosity.
Do you know that one- quarter of all household burglars gain entrance without breaking in? Here’s how they do it … and how to get them to stop doing it to you. Page 57.
Joint bank accounts? Close them fast and open separate ones … or you’ll pay dearly. Page 2.
What time of day are you at greatest risk for low blood glucose? This surprising answer will put you on alert.
