What you get:

Module 1 - Understanding the Basics of Marketing

Get started with the fundamentals of marketing through the lens of persuasion and copywriting. You will be lead through the power of persuasion in marketing communications, master essential copywriting techniques, and learn from the wisdom of famous copywriters who shaped the industry. This foundational module sets the stage for your direct marketing to finally be a cut above the rest.

Module 2 - Mastering Direct Marketing Principles

Here you'll see the core principles that make direct marketing work. You'll tackle general marketing questions, learn how to write effective copy with the help of the illustrious Drayton Bird, discover the importance of emotion and connecting with your prospect, and understand why testing is crucial to your success. This module builds your strategic foundation.

Module 3 - How to Present

Learn the art of presentation straight from the mouth of one of the greatest in the world - Andy Bounds. You'll understand what direct marketing really is - salesmanship in person. Drastically improve your presentations, discover how to make your campaigns stand out from the competition, and develop the confidence to win clients through deeply compelling pitches.

Module 4 - How Do I Get Started?

Turn theory into practice with immediately effective advice. You'll get answers to common startup questions, learn 20 quick and simple ways to improve your business immediately, gain insights from successful entrepreneurs such as Parris Lampropolous, and understand the psychological schemas and deep emotions that drive customer behaviour.

Module 5 - Helpful Tips and Ploys

This is where you'll get the proven tactics and strategies. You'll learn how to plan an effective direct marketing strategy, discover 102 Helpful Ideas to apply to your campaigns, explore 31 Direct Marketing Ploys that get results, and get your burning questions answered by some of the best in the biz.

Module 6 - Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Direct Marketing

Quite a claim! But you'll gain comprehensive knowledge of direct and digital marketing - from economics to execution. You'll understand the financial aspects of direct marketing, grasp fundamental marketing ideas, and learn real world insight from industry veterans who share straight talk about what actually works in the field.

Module 7 - The Bibles

Study the timeless classics that every marketer should know. This module provides unequalled access to essential texts from marketing legends including Claude Hopkins, David Ogilvy, Eugene Schwartz, and others. These foundational books contain time-honoured, battle-worn, proven principles and techniques that remain deeply relevant today (as we know - times change, people don't). You'll find wisdom from the pioneers who laid the groundwork for modern copywriting, marketing and advertising.

Module 8 - Copywriting - Start from Scratch

Build your copywriting skills from the ground up. You'll learn how to plan media for direct marketing campaigns, study the legendary Gene Schwartz's approach at Rodale, master the art of writing sales letters that actually sell, analyse successful campaigns like Drayton's unrivalled Save the Children letter, and develop your ability to write persuasively. Perfect for those ready to put pen to paper.

Module 9 - Clients and How to Keep Them

Discover what it takes to attract clients and then build lasting relationships. You'll learn psychological triggers that make people buy, master autoresponder strategies, understand customer behaviour patterns, and discover what your customers truly want. Once you've got a client over the line, the most important thing is to keep them - do you have what it takes? 

Module 10 - Don't Make the Same Mistakes as Everyone Else

Learn from the failures of others to fast-track your success. You'll discover the pitfalls that can ruin your marketing efforts, explore the 7 deadly sins of marketing, identify common business mistakes to avoid, and get hilarious and candid insights from Drayton and others about what really goes wrong in marketing. Save yourself time, money, and frustration by learning what not to do.

Module 11 - Do a Complete Selling Job

Master the entire customer journey from first contact to final sale. You'll understand databases and lists, learn how to use AdWords and psychological triggers effectively, explore the customer experience and "journey mapping", discover how to sharpen your marketing senses, and understand the power of personalisation. Learn how to cover every base in your sales process.

Module 12 - Creative and How to Create It

Develop your creative capabilities and learn to produce work that sells. You'll discover how to get better creative work - whether it's from yourself or from your collaborators. Gain fresh perspectives from those who have failed - so you don't have to. Understand what makes creative work effective, learn how to evaluate your own creative output, and find out how to avoid screwing up your creative efforts. This module balances creativity with commercial effectiveness.

Module 13 - What Makes Great Copy?

Analyse and understand what separates great copy from mediocre writing. 

• Study detailed ad analysis and commentary
• See powerful demonstrations of copywriting principles in action
• Compare good versus bad examples to extract valuable lessons
• Learn core marketing principles
• Discover how to sell effectively using both words and pictures.

Module 14 - E-mails and Copy

Master the specific skills needed for effective email marketing and business-to-business copy. You'll learn proven techniques for writing emails that get opened and drive action, discover how to truly sell to business audiences, and understand the nuances of digital copywriting that differ from traditional formats.

Module 15 - Bird on...

Exclusive insights from Drayton Bird on marketing's most important topics and figures. You'll hear his perspectives on legendary copywriter John Caples, Claude Hopkins' principles, the art of building swipe files for inspiration, the critical importance of testing, and his take on social media marketing. This module offers Drayton's wisdom distilled from over half a century of experience. 

Module 16 - Drayton, 67 Years of Nonsense

The collected wisdom from Drayton Bird's keynote presentations. You'll explore marketing basics that never go out of style, understand why customers should choose you over competitors, follow the customer journey from his unique perspective, and learn what truly drives marketing effectiveness. This capstone module brings together insights from a lifetime in marketing.

Throughout the modules you'll be tested on the knowledge you've picked up, and after passing the final exam and submitting an original piece of copy for review - you will receive a certificate of completion. 

The Power of Emotion in Sales and Copywriting Success

• Most purchases are driven by emotional needs, such as desires for status, comfort, or security, and ignoring these needs can be detrimental to sales
• To increase income, one can write successful copy, become unavailable, and have clients raise their rates, and eventually, offer clients a choice, such as a flat fee or a royalty-based payment
• Clayton Makepeace's biggest success includes working with a small coin company, which saw a 10-time increase in sales after using his sales copy, and later achieved $16 million in sales per month
• Clayton Makepeace achieved significant sales, including $7 million in six weeks and $10 million in sales in August, by focusing on the benefits and emotions that drive customer purchases
• He emphasises the importance of understanding the customer's perspective and what motivates them to buy, rather than just listing product features, and uses a "dominant emotion" approach to connect with customers

Navigating Challenges: Mistakes, Resilience, and Optimism

• Makepeace's biggest mistake as a copywriter was sticking with a client for too long, even after the client's company began to self-destruct, which cost him millions of dollars
• He attributes his success to optimism and persistence, quoting Winston Churchill on the importance of courage and the ability to go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm

The Path to Mastery: Mentors, Learning, and Testing

• Makepeace learned from various mentors, including Mike Engler, who introduced him to the works of marketing masters like Hopkins, Ogilvy, and Dick Schwab, and later from Gary Bencivenga, who became a friend and influence
• Gary Halbert's promotions were widely read and his copy was highly regarded, with many people, including the author, subscribing to his publications to read his work
• The importance of reading books and studying advertising is often overlooked, with many people in the industry not taking the time to read classic works such as "Scientific Advertising”
• One of the biggest mistakes in marketing is the failure to test and measure the effectiveness of advertising, with many companies willing to spend large amounts of money on advertising without knowing whether it is working

Foundations of Persuasive Communication

• Charming people make others feel good, and to write good content, one needs to be charming, as David Ogilvy said, charm is the secret of success in the business
• The six steps to getting a response include gaining attention, creating interest, engendering desire, fostering conviction, asking for action, and making an offer, with the most important moment being when the reader is about to take action

Strategies for Effective Copywriting and Business Growth

• Research is crucial, and doing thorough research, like Eugene Schwartz did when selling books, can help one know more about the product than the author, and long copy can be effective in selling, as seen in successful emails and web pages
• Voicemails and subject lines should be concise and attention-grabbing, with the subject line being similar to the beginning of the copy
• Websites can be a "bloody menace" if they are not designed to sell something, and landing pages are more effective because they have a clear focus and do not allow the visitor to navigate away
• Effective copy should be honest, clear, and free of jargon, with a focus on benefits rather than features, and should include a strong guarantee to build trust with the customer
• Claude Hopkins is an example of a successful individual who made a lot of money, with others like Peter Hargreaves and Steve Lansdown following in his footsteps, and an ad was written to get an enquiry for a free financial guide
• The main reason people don't stay with a company is that they don't feel like they're being talked to or shown interest, and it's easy to get replies if something simple is done, such as writing a letter that shows the company is interested in the customer
• Testing is important, including testing in advance to see if something works and testing alternatives, and using the right typeface can make a big difference, with Courier being easier to read and working better online

Understanding Modern Influences and Communication Techniques

• The concept of "sf" or social factor is mentioned, referring to the extent to which an idea is mindlessly regurgitated on social media, and how it can be used to make a lot of money
• The importance of clear and simple language in writing is emphasized, citing George Orwell's rules for writing, which include using short words and avoiding jargon
• The use of faces and human touches in advertising is discussed, with the example of a baby being conditioned to look at faces from birth, and how this can be applied to marketing strategies

Key Principles for Advertising and Branding

• The importance of attention to detail is highlighted, as stated by the Duke of Wellington, who attributed his victories to this trait
• A list of commandments is provided, including the need for relevant surprise, such as American Express's statement that their card is "not for everyone"
• The importance of understanding what a product represents and conveying a quality that appeals to deep emotions is discussed, with examples from Visa and American Express

Achieving Results: From Ideas to Action and Success

• The problem to be solved is related to making money, as seen in the example of Fisher Investments, which made money when others were losing it
• The discussion involves the ten commandments and thinking creatively to come up with new ideas, such as writing down 30 ideas to take action
• The importance of taking action and doing something with the ideas and knowledge gained is emphasised, with the goal of making a positive impact and achieving success, as encouraged by Ken Fisher's example

Changing Small Details (e.g., Lowercase Letters)

• Changing small details, such as using lowercase letters in copy, can significantly increase response rates, as seen in an example where the cost per lead decreased from £3.40 to £1.69

Using Autoresponders

• Using autoresponders can improve response rates, with one example showing a doubling of response, and can make life easier by automating email sequences

Remarketing

• Re-marketing, which involves following up with people who have shown interest in a product, can increase response rates by up to 30%

Translating Content for Non-English Audiences

• Translating content for non-English speaking audiences can increase response rates, with some cases showing a 400% increase

Using Simple, Sincere Videos

• Using simple, sincere videos can be more effective than fancy, high-production-value videos, with one example showing a 321% increase in response

Sending Follow-up Emails

• Sending follow-up emails, such as a second email in the evening, can increase response rates, as seen in an example where 5 additional replies were received

Using Landing Pages Instead of Websites

• Using landing pages instead of websites can increase profitability, as they allow for a more focused, distraction-free experience

Testing Different Typefaces

• Testing different typefaces, such as Courier or Tahoma, can increase response rates, with some examples showing increases of up to 60%

Using Plain Text Emails Instead of HTML Emails

• Using plain text emails instead of HTML emails can be more effective, as they are more personal and can increase response rates

Envelope Customisation Strategies

• To increase response rates, try putting a message on the envelope, using a different size or colour envelope, or adding texture to the envelope, as these methods can make a significant difference

Putting Faces in Marketing Materials

• Putting faces in ads, on landing pages, or at the top of a letter can increase response rates by as much as 20%, as people are conditioned to react to the human face

Using the Content Network

• Using the content network, which is 100 times bigger than Google, can be a more effective way to advertise, and testing different approaches can be done quickly and cheaply to gain knowledge and increase profits

Handwriting or Hand-Addressing Mail

• Handwriting or hand-addressing letters and envelopes can double conversion rates, as it adds a personal touch and makes the communication more relatable

Emotion in Persuasion

• Emotion is the most important element in persuasion, and using emotional statements, painting pictures, and relating to people's feelings can be an effective way to connect with them and increase response rates

The Core Objective and Process of Marketing

• The primary goal of marketing is to make money, but many people in the field are unaware of this and instead focus on brand awareness and other metrics
• The key to successful marketing is to get more customers, get them to buy more, and keep them longer, which is a simple yet often overlooked concept
• Relating marketing to real-life experiences and testing different approaches can be an effective way to achieve marketing goals, as demonstrated by the speaker's personal experiences and examples
• The process of marketing involves making an offer, building a database, confirming details, and treating people according to who they are, with the goal of maintaining loyalty and upgrading sales 

A peek behind the curtain...

Just fill in the form over there <-- to sign up - and get access to Module One for free - right now.

If you have any questions - get in touch at draytonandkelly@gmail.com.

Key Digital Strategies: SEO and Data-Driven Marketing

• Search engine optimization (SEO) is about finding the right people and providing relevant, authoritative content on a website to attract the attention of Google
• The key to successful marketing is measuring everything and having a process, which includes acquiring new customers, growing data, and trying new creative approaches to sell to customers more cheaply and effectively

Understanding and Leveraging Customer Behaviour for Growth

• Customers who have inquired or recently made a purchase are more likely to buy again, with recent customers being 2-3 times more likely and existing customers being 3-8 times more likely to make a purchase
• The key to understanding a list is to consider the recency, frequency, and monetary value (RFM) of customers, which helps identify the best prospects
• The best sources of business are lapsed customers and recommended customers, as people who are similar tend to flock together, making viral marketing and sales optimization important

The Power of Word-of-Mouth and Experiential Marketing

• Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, with surveys showing that people are more likely to buy a product if it was recommended to them, rather than seeing it advertised on TV
• Experiential marketing, such as demonstrations and test drives, can be highly effective in getting people to try a product and recommend it to others

Defining Your Unique Value and Communicating Clearly

• Defining the target customer and understanding the ultimate advantage of a product or service is crucial in creating effective marketing, and can be achieved by bringing together the benefits of the product and the needs of the customer
• When marketing technical products, it's essential to make the message clear and simple, as even clever people can be "stupid" when receiving marketing messages, and they need to understand what the product does for them
• The most important question that customers have, but marketers often fail to ask themselves, is "why should I choose you," which is crucial in differentiating a product or service from others
• A key factor in marketing is understanding what sets a product or service apart from others, and using that unique aspect to attract customers, as seen in the example of a couple who opened a successful pub by offering refreshments and a unique experience

Influencing Perception, Branding, and Sales Dynamics

• People tend to like things that are expensive because they think it must be good, and companies like United, Virgin, and British Airways offer similar services but with subtle differences in treatment, which is what sets them apart
• Most slogans are ineffective and a waste of time, with examples like Visa's "on" and Toyota's "off" being unclear and unconvincing, and it's better to focus on what makes a product or service unique and valuable
• When selling something, it's essential to consider factors like the medium, cost, familiarity, complexity, and brand trust, as well as the customer's stage in the market, whether they're looking for something new, comparing options, or focusing on what sets a product apart from the competition

Insights on Advertising Content and Presentation

• The discussion starts with a critique of a fish counter and Sainsbury's, highlighting the importance of honesty and transparency
• Al, a partner, made comments on various topics, including the use of infographics and the importance of putting people in advertisements, rather than just pictures
• The conversation also touches on the work of Rick Pullen and the use of headlines to grab attention, with the goal of making a lasting impression on the reader

Crafting Persuasive Sales Copy: Emotion and Structure

• Exclusivity is a powerful emotion that can be used in sales, as people want to feel special and part of a select group, and an example of this is the American Express card, which was successful due to its exclusive nature
• To write effective sales copy, one should understand the problems of the target audience and use emotions such as greed, fear, and exclusivity to connect with them, as seen in the example of a 16-year-old's successful job application email
• Using long copy and addressing objections can be an effective way to sell, as it allows for a more detailed and persuasive pitch, and following a template such as Bob Stone's can help to create a profitable sales page

Sustaining Marketing Success: Consistency, Benefits, and Value

• To be successful, continually build a list, be helpful, and make offers, with the goal of making a profit, which allows a business to become professional
• Phrasing benefits in a compelling way is crucial, and telling a story can be an effective way to engage people and make a sale
• Using technical language and jargon can be effective in technical sales, and providing value to customers, such as saving them time and money, is key to making a sale

Strategic Use of Incentives and Navigating Industry Realities

• A friend, Graham McCorkle, who started one of the best direct marketing agencies in Britain, advised being generous with incentives, but not to the point of going broke, like Hoover did with their free holidays offer
• The average length of tenure of a marketing director in the country was 18 months, allowing time to make promises, screw up, and get another job, as companies often look for someone who has already done the job, regardless of their performance
• The idea of being generous with incentives has been copied and adapted by many clients, as it is a combination of before and after, and a story that can be effective in marketing

The Importance of Direct Marketing

• The key to success in internet marketing is understanding direct marketing, which has been around for over a hundred years and includes methods like catalog sales, direct mail, and infomercials
• To succeed in internet marketing, it's recommended to spend 10 units of effort learning direct marketing principles for every one unit of energy spent on learning internet marketing

Drayton Bird's Direct Marketing Career

• Drayton Bird, a powerhouse in the direct marketing industry, started his career as a journalist and later moved to advertising, where he discovered the importance of measuring results and getting judged by customers, not just opinions
• Drayton Bird's experience in direct marketing includes working with legendary figures like Gene Schwartz and eventually starting his own direct marketing agency, which became very successful
• Drayton Bird built a successful direct marketing agency in England with his partners, becoming the biggest threat to other marketing agencies within three and a half years, despite initially owing a lot of money to the tax man
• Bird's agency was eventually sold to Ogilvy, and he got on well with David Ogilvy, who had been influenced by John Caples, and Bird learned a lot from Ogilvy and Russell Reeves, who invented the USP

Core Marketing Principles: Customer Understanding and Persuasion

• Bird believes that marketing is extremely simple and that people often make it complicated, and he thinks that the key to success is bringing together the product or service with the customer who wants to buy it, whether online or offline
• The key to successful marketing is understanding the customer, as Harvey Mackay pointed out, knowing something about the customer is more important than knowing something about the product
• To persuade customers, start with something they cannot disagree with, and then build on that, making it difficult for them to disagree with the next point, and so on, until the final call to action
• Understanding people and their needs is crucial, and this insight comes from digging, interviewing prospects, and talking to existing buyers, as seen in the example of working with Lexus Nexus, which resulted in a significant revenue increase

Wisdom from Marketing Masters: Halbert and Ogilvy

• Gary Halbert was a fantastic person who sent an email about two weeks before he died, and his approach to marketing was to have fun and get rid of dull people who spread gloom
• David Ogilvy was a great man who took research very seriously and had a background in research before becoming a copywriter, and his approach to business was based on knowing more and coming up with better ideas

Further Principles for Marketing Success: Knowledge, Creativity, and Differentiation

• The basis for success in marketing is not knowing about techniques, but rather knowing about customers, the process of persuasion, and what tends to work and what doesn't, and considering the context in which the customer exists
• Having too many sources of information can be overwhelming and make it difficult to make a decision, making it better to have one consistent source of information
• The key to success is creativity, which comes from taking disparate ideas and putting them together in new and surprising ways, and this can be achieved by expanding one's mind and looking beyond their original area of interest 
• To be successful, one should strive to be both relevant and different, as being only relevant can make it difficult to stand out, and being only different can be pointless if not relevant

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If you have any questions - get in touch at draytonandkelly@gmail.com.