MBA2337 Must Read: The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy

Summary

The $100 MBA Show: MBA2337 Must Read: The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy

Host: Omar Zenhom
Episode Release Date: July 17, 2023
Podcast Description: The $100 MBA Show delivers practical business lessons for the real world, providing no-fluff, actionable training for building and growing businesses with minimal resources. Hosted by Omar Zenhom, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience, the show covers everything from idea validation to marketing, sales, and reinvestment strategies.

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Introduction

In episode MBA2337, titled "Must Read: The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy," Omar Zenhom delves into the critical art of sales copywriting. He presents a comprehensive summary of Dan Kennedy's seminal work, "The Ultimate Sales Letter," highlighting its practical applications for entrepreneurs aiming to enhance their business communications and boost sales.

Overview of "The Ultimate Sales Letter"

Omar introduces "The Ultimate Sales Letter" as a foundational text in the realm of sales copywriting. He likens Dan Kennedy to a modern-day David Ogilvy, emphasizing Kennedy's expertise and influential role in shaping effective sales strategies.

Omar Zenhom (01:12): "Dan Kennedy is seen as one of the godfathers of sales copy and copywriting. Sort of a modern-day Ogilvy."

The book is praised for its simplicity and practicality, boasting over a thousand reviews on Amazon. Omar notes that it unpacks the complexities of sales writing, making it accessible even to those who initially find the concept daunting.

Key Takeaways

1. Sales Copy as a Mechanical Process

One of the primary lessons Omar highlights is Kennedy's assertion that sales copywriting is less of an art and more of a mechanical process. This perspective demystifies the craft, making it approachable for entrepreneurs who may feel intimidated by the idea of crafting compelling sales messages.

Omar Zenhom (02:45): "Dan breaks down the myth of sales copy being an art. It's not really an art, he says. He says it's more of a mechanical process, like putting a puzzle together."

2. Understanding Your Customer

A cornerstone of effective sales copy is a deep understanding of the target audience. Omar explains how Kennedy emphasizes the need to grasp who your customers are—their fears, desires, daily lives, and pain points. This understanding allows for the creation of tailored messages that resonate deeply with potential buyers.

Omar Zenhom (04:10): "Understanding your customer really well makes it easy for you to create effective copy because great sales copy addresses everything that's going on in the mind of the customer."

Omar shares Kennedy's approach to gaining this understanding, such as immersing oneself in the customer's environment, consuming the same media, and engaging directly with the target audience to glean insights.

3. Benefits Over Features

Kennedy advocates for focusing on the benefits of a product or service rather than just its features. Omar underscores the importance of communicating how a feature translates into tangible value for the customer.

Omar Zenhom (06:10): "Benefits are what they do. Benefits are actually more important than the features."

He provides an example from the book where a feature—slide templates for a challenge—is reframed to highlight the benefit of saving time: "You'll get beautifully designed challenge slide templates so you can create the slides for your challenge in minutes and not hours."

4. Ordering Features and Benefits by Importance

Organizing features and their corresponding benefits in order of significance maximizes their impact. Omar explains that presenting the most compelling benefits first captures and retains the reader's attention, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the sales message.

Omar Zenhom (07:00): "Order these features and benefits in order of importance. So the most important, most impressive one, first, second, third, fourth."

5. Admitting the Drawbacks

One of the standout strategies from Kennedy's book, as highlighted by Omar, is the tactic of openly admitting the drawbacks or limitations of your product or service. This approach builds credibility and trust, as it demonstrates honesty and sets realistic expectations for the customer.

Omar Zenhom (08:30): "Admitting one, you're not this. But by showing what you're not, you emphasize what you are. And it makes your product, your offer, more appealing because they have something to compare it to."

He cites an example of a local Italian restaurant that clarifies what it does not offer, thereby highlighting its unique value proposition and attracting the right clientele.

Practical Exercises

Omar recommends actionable exercises from the book to apply these principles immediately. One such exercise involves listing all possible reasons why a customer might hesitate to purchase a product or service. By identifying these objections upfront, entrepreneurs can proactively address them in their sales copy, thereby reducing friction in the buying process.

Omar Zenhom (05:30): "Just list all the reasons why your customer would not buy your product or service. What's stopping them?"

Personal Insights and Recommendations

Omar shares his personal journey with sales copywriting, admitting that he initially struggled but overcame these challenges through consistent practice. He emphasizes that writing effective sales copy is a skill that can be honed over time, much like learning to ride a bike or play an instrument.

Omar Zenhom (13:00): "Once you pick it up and you put some practice under your belt, it becomes second nature. You start to enjoy. You start to realize, hey, this is not that hard."

He passionately advocates for the book, mentioning that it's currently available for free on Kindle Unlimited, making it an accessible resource for aspiring copywriters and entrepreneurs.

Omar Zenhom (14:10): "I highly recommend you pick up this book if you are on Kindle Unlimited. It's free on Kindle Unlimited at the moment, so you can read it for free. It's fantastic."

Conclusion

Omar wraps up the episode by reiterating the transformative potential of "The Ultimate Sales Letter." He underscores that even minor improvements in sales copy can lead to significant increases in conversion rates, ultimately driving business growth.

Omar Zenhom (13:50): "If your sales pages are converting right now at half a percent. If you just get that up to 1.5%, you just tripled your sales by just changing the words on the page. Pretty, pretty cool."

He encourages listeners to embrace the strategies outlined in Kennedy's book, practice consistently, and invest in developing their copywriting skills as a means to enhance their business success.

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Notable Quotes:

• Omar Zenhom (02:45): "Dan breaks down the myth of sales copy being an art. It's not really an art... it's more of a mechanical process, like putting a puzzle together."
• Omar Zenhom (04:10): "Understanding your customer really well makes it easy for you to create effective copy because great sales copy addresses everything that's going on in the mind of the customer."
• Omar Zenhom (06:10): "Benefits are what they do. Benefits are actually more important than the features."
• Omar Zenhom (08:30): "Admitting one, you're not this. But by showing what you're not, you emphasize what you are."
• Omar Zenhom (13:50): "If your sales pages are converting right now at half a percent. If you just get that up to 1.5%, you just tripled your sales by just changing the words on the page."

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Final Thoughts Episode MBA2337 of The $100 MBA Show serves as an invaluable guide for entrepreneurs seeking to master the craft of sales copywriting. Through his detailed analysis of Dan Kennedy's "The Ultimate Sales Letter," Omar Zenhom provides listeners with actionable insights and practical strategies to enhance their business communications, ultimately driving sales and fostering business growth. Whether you're new to copywriting or looking to refine your skills, this episode offers the tools and motivation needed to transform your sales approach.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Narrator]

It looks like Jim from sales just got in from his client lunch and he's got receipts.

[Jim]

His next meeting is in two minutes. The team is asking can he get through his expenses in that time?

[Narrator]

He's going for it.

[Jim]

Is that his phone?

[Narrator]

He's snapping a pick. He's texting round.

[Jim]

Jim is fast, but this is unheard of.

[Narrator]

That's it. He's done it.

[Omar Zenhom]

It's unbelievable.

[Announcer]

On ramp expenses are faster than ever. Just submit them with a text. Switch your business to ramp.com hey o.

[Omar Zenhom]

Welcome to the $100 MBA show. Power up your business with our practical business lessons. I'm your host, your coach, your teacher, Omar Zenholm. I'm also the co founder of Webinar Ninja, an inhibited software company I started back in 2014. And today's episode is a must read episode. On our must read episodes, I share with you a book that I've read that has influenced me as an entrepreneur. I share with you its takeaways, its insights and why you should read it too. Today's must read is the Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy. Dan Kennedy is seen as one of the godfathers of sales copy and copywriting. Sort of a modern day Ogilvy. And his book the Ultimate Sales Letter is all about how to become a better sales writer. It's got over a thousand reviews on Amazon. People in the know rave about this book because of how simple and practical it is. Listen, writing sales copy is a big part of becoming successful as an entrepreneur. Whether it's writing emails in your newsletter, writing the words that are on your website or your sales pages, scripts for videos, you name it. The words you say make an impact on your customers. Choose the right words and it could be the difference between a dud business and a highly successful one. This book shows you how. Let's get into it. Let's get down to business. The Ultimate Sales Letter written by Dan Kennedy is a very easy to read book. It actually puts you at ease at the start, explaining to you that anybody could be good at sales copy. Dan breaks down the myth of sales copy being an art. It's not really an art, he says. He says it's more of a mechanical process, like putting a puzzle together. And if you know all the pieces, it's pretty easy. But he also emphasizes that great sales copy is indispensable in today's world. It's what's going to help be different. It's going to help you differentiate yourself from the competition. Now, I want to get in front of this and say that many people read this book and think it's really old school. And Dan is a really old school marketer, and he gives examples of actual physical letters that were sent in the mail to sell something. But I'm a big believer in adopting the old with the new, and so does Dan. Dan's written copy for some of the biggest companies in the world. He's done copy for infomercials, TV commercials, and some of the most profitable websites on the Internet. Words are words, okay? When people read your emails, when people read your offers, when people see your sales letters or your sales pages on your website, they're reading words. And what those words tell them will be the deciding factor if they buy or not. It's simple as that. It's the information that they're going to get through you through the words. Same goes with video. Say you're doing a sales video or a video on YouTube and you want to convince your viewer of something. It's all about the words that you say. And it all starts with sales copy. So when you hear the word sales letter, it's just basically the words that are conveyed to the customer. One of the points in this book that he really drills home and spends a lot of time focusing on because it's so important, is understanding your customer, understanding who they are, what their fears are, what they loathe, what they love, what a day in a life is like. Now, this should be easy if it's your own business, because you probably know your customer really well, but even gives examples if you aren't the business owner or you're not familiar with the product. Say you're an affiliate of a product and you're trying to sell this product to an audience you don't really know that well. He goes as far as saying you should read all the trade magazines that those people read, watch the same YouTube channels, or listen to the podcast that they listen to go to the neighborhoods they frequent, see what life is like, walk in their shoes. He gives this example where he had to write some sales copy to sell a real estate product. He knows nothing about real estate, but he need to understand the customer really well, Understand what they talk about, what they joke about, the terminology, the jargon, things that keep them up at night. So he actually went to a trade show for real estate that was in his local area. He didn't actually go to the actual conference, but he hung out at the hotel. He had drinks with the attendees. He even took one of the attendees to lunch in exchange to learn about this world. Understanding your customer really well makes it easy for you to create effective copy. Why? Because great sales copy, as he describes in this book, addresses everything that's going on in the mind of the customer. What's really cool about this book is that he'll explain a topic and then he'll give you a piece of copy that you could read displaying how to use that technique or the importance of what he just said. In the book. He gives this example of some sales copy to encourage companies to sponsor a telethon for a public television station, you know, to raise funds, and they're raising funds for arthritis. So he understands that big companies probably don't want to spend any money. They don't want to be hassled. They think this is like a waste of time, or maybe there's not going to really be a benefit to them. So through the sales copy, he shows how he addresses all these issues, how it could cost no money for them and they're going to get really a lot of exposure on tv, how this could be fun for their employees, and how this can be a great initiative for their company. But this copy would not exist, it would not be created if he didn't understand the fears and, and the wants and the needs and the objections that the customer might have. So one of the exercises that he shares that I highly recommend you could do right now, if you'd like, right after this episode, is just list all the reasons why your customer would not buy your product or service. What's stopping them, what would stop them in their head, whether it takes too much time to implement, whether they're not sure it's right for them, whether it's price, whether it's implementation, Maybe your product's cool, but they're not really sure how they can use it. The use case. Just list down as much as possible. Force yourself to come up with a. A long, long list of all the reasons why your customers would not buy this is critical because then you can have that all out in the open and you can address every single one of them in your copy. One of my other favorite parts of this book, he talks about the reader's attention. Now when he says readers, it means anybody who's consuming the words, the content. So this could be listeners on a podcast or viewers on a video. The point here is that attention is gold and you want to keep their attention. So instead of talking about things that are boring to them they don't understand, they're not familiar with, enter the conversations they're already having in their head. This is why you hear a lot of copy. Start with are you worried about XYZ? Do you hate it when 1, 2, 3. You're jumping right into something that they're already familiar with that's already occurring in their head? You got their attention. Yeah, that's me. Yeah, I recognize that. Yeah. This person's talking about my problems, my issues, my fears. Now that you have their attention, you can unpack all these issues and show them how your product or service can solve all of them for them easily. Pretty cool.

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[Omar Zenhom]

Now. He says when presenting your solution, organize the features and benefits in order of importance. Couple things here. He stresses the idea of benefits. Features are the things you give. Benefits are what they do. Benefits are actually more important than the features. And the key word here that I always like to use is so you can so whatever your product or offering has to offer, like a feature. Let's say for example, I'm running a five day challenge on how to build your first challenge. One of the features of this challenge is we're giving them slide templates for their first challenge. The feature is a slide template, but the benefit is what that slide template can do for them. That's really what's important. So you say something like, so, for example, you'll get beautifully designed challenge slide templates so you can create the slides for your challenge in minutes and not hours. So you can shows them the benefit. Shows them, hey, this is why this is important. This is why it's valuable. It's going to save you time. It's going to save you effort. Then he says, order these features and benefits in order of importance. So the most important, most impressive one, first, second, third, fourth. You get it. One of my favorite parts of this book is the strategy he shares, where you openly admit the drawbacks of your offer. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but it actually is magic because it actually enhances your offer and brings up your credibility to high levels, meaning that they can trust you because you're actually not just saying, we do everything. You're saying, we actually don't do this. The example he gives is a local Italian restaurant where they openly admit, hey, we're not this. They say, if you're looking for a fancy Italian restaurant that has white tablecloths and waiters with towels on their arms and menu items you can't pronounce, we're not that. But if you're looking for great Italian food cooked by an authentic Italian mama with plastic tablecloths and the choice between bottomless white or red wine, you're going to love us. So they flat out say, hey, we're not this fancy place. We're not this fine dining experience. We don't do all this fancy stuff. So if that's what you're looking for, we're not for you. But if you're looking for a great meal, one that's authentic and tasty and a good value, you're going to love us. What I love about this is that you're admitting one, you're not this. But by showing what you're not, you emphasize what you are. And it makes your product, your offer, more appealing because they have something to compare it to. You also attract the right customer who would not get disappointed. They're going to come to your restaurant knowing what they're getting, and therefore they won't complain or give bad reviews or things like that. You get in front of it. I love this strategy. There are so many unique, fun, interesting ideas in this book on how to be a better sales copywriter. But most of all, it breaks down how you can do it easily by just using the steps that he outlines. I'm telling you, after you read this short book, you're going to want to start writing sales copy, you're going to want to start rewriting your sales pages on your website, your emails. You're going to get motivated because now you feel empowered with a toolbox of tools that can help you make more money. And the greatest thing about sales copy is that just the slightest improvement can make the world of a difference. So let's say your sales pages are converting right now at half a percent. If you just get that up to 1.5%, you just tripled your sales by just changing the words on the page. Pretty, pretty cool. That wraps up today's lesson. I hope you enjoyed today's A Must Read Episode the Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy I highly recommend you pick up this book if you are on Kindle Unlimited. It's free on Kindle Unlimited at the moment, so you can read it for free. It's fantastic. Now I'm a copywriting junkie. I have actual some of my favorite copywriting examples by Ogilvy hanging on my office wall. That's how much I love copy. But it's not the writing that I love. It's just what it can do. From about 20 years ago when I started my entrepreneurial journey, I was just so fascinated with these people that can just choose the right words and generate a great income from it. So go pick up a copy or grab it on Kindle Unlimited for free. Before I go, I want to leave you with this. If you're new to writing, if this is intimidating to you, don't worry. So was I. I was absolutely horrible at writing when I started. Well, at least I thought I was. But it's like any skill. It's like riding a bike or learning how to ski or playing the piano or learning how to drive. Once you pick it up and you put some practice under your belt, it becomes second nature. You start to enjoy. You start to realize, hey, this is not that hard. But it's not going to get any easier by doing nothing. Okay? It only gets easier when you try. When you just do small exercises every day. Whether it's tweaking your sales pages, writing emails every day, blog posts using these techniques and these strategies shared. There's a whole lot more in the book by the way of how he organizes ideas and thoughts through index cards and all kinds of different strategies. So I highly recommend grab this book and get the practice going so that you get better and better every single day. It's a great investment in you and your business. Thanks so much for listening and I'll check you in Wednesday's episode Q and A Wednesday. I'll see you then. Take care.

[Narrator]

And we're back, folks. It looks like Jim from sales just got in from his client lunch and he's got receipts.

[Jim]

His next meeting is in two minutes. The team is asking, can he get through his expenses in that time?

[Narrator]

He's going for it.

[Jim]

Is that his phone?

[Narrator]

He's snapping a pick. He's texting.

[Omar Zenhom]

Ramp.

[Jim]

Jim is fast, but this is unheard of.

[Narrator]

That's it. He's done it.

[Jim]

It's unbelievable.

[Announcer]

On ramp, expenses are faster than ever. Just submit them with a text. Switch your business to ramp.