Here is the letter I mention in “Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets” where the personalized headline enraged so many people. I was only trying for a “visceral” connection in the headline — you know, give people’s hot button about vulnerability a gentle rap. Get a reaction.
Boy, did it ever cause a reaction.
This letter mailed on a Friday … and the phones were ringing early Monday morning when the first staff arrived in the office. Half the calls were orders. The other half were complaints.
I mean people who normally couldn’t be bothered to write a letter to the editor about matters that directly affected them… sat down and wrote long, pissed off missives to my clients and mailed them Priority. They were mad.
The technique is not new. Publisher’s Clearing House uses it once in a while: “This is what you’ll see in your letter of congratulations, Mr. Blow, if you win the sweepstakes: Joe Blow Wins A Million Dollars!” I had no idea it would create such a fuss.
But it did. My clients called me in a panic Monday evening. The good news was, orders were piling up. The bad news was, for every order, there was another formerly happy customer demanding to be taken off the mailing list.
We needed to fix the problem.
That’s where the second letter (“An Important Message From Bob Pierce”) comes in. It’s another great “lipstick” letter. The client apologizes and grovels and begs forgiveness… and offers a steep $27 discount if the offended reader wants to take another look at the original promotion — minus the offending headline. This “lipstick” letter was mailed to everyone on the list who hadn’t bought in the first mailing. Whether you were offended or not, you got the “I’m sorry” letter… and the bargain offer. (Note: The copy I’ve included is actually the manuscript from my files — thus the “[personalized name]” instructions for the printer.)
The result: The apology letter actually sold more product than the first piece did… and the total profit soared. They couldn’t have had a better response if they’d planned the whole thing.
Big problem, however. The client refused to mail the first letter out ever again, to anyone. So the campaign was over and done with after just two mailings. A darn shame.
Still, the lesson of the technique is valid: Don’t be afraid to push people’s hot buttons. If you’re not pissing somebody off with every mailing, you’re probably holding back too much in your copy. And if you inadvertently cross a line that pisses off everyone … well, here’s how to fall back on your salesman’s skills to back pedal and offer a super-generous “kiss and make up” bargain.
Again, people appreciate honesty and sincerity so much… they will forgive the occasional lapse of good judgment. Americans are much more forgiving than we’re given credit for. In the above debacle, after all the dust settled… my client only lost one or two customers. The others cooled down and accepted his apology. Many ordered the product.
There’s an old saying among savvy businessmen: All mistakes made from enthusiasm are forgivable. In advertising — as in dealing with employees or family members or friends or lovers — getting too excited or passionate about something may cause problems. It happens. It can be fixed.
And good people understand that.
Click here to see the “Piss Everyone Off… And Then Apologize” ad.
Click here to see the “Second Shoe” (the apology letter).
(They will open in new windows or tabs, so you can toggle between the ads and Carlton’s commentary below.)
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