October 26

John Carlton’s Best Ads: The Nickel Letter

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Easily one of the best self-defense letters I’ve ever penned.  You open the envelope, you wonder why a nickel is attached to the letter … and suddenly you’re off on a wild ride to a dangerous Oklahoma skin-head bar where you’re not just unwelcome … you’re meat.

Why a nickel?  The client begged me to change the story so he could use pennies instead.  The extra four cents is a lot per letter when you’re mailing tens of thousands of the things. When you get up to the millions, it’s a small fortune.

But, somehow, a penny doesn’t carry the story as powerfully.  There’s an old saying drifting around most people’s heads, “not worth a plugged nickel”.  Now, a plugged nickel, of course, is a fake nickel.  But it would actually cost more to create fake nickels than to keep using real ones.  I insisted on the actual coin. It sticks with you – the guy’s life wasn’t worth that nickel.

Anyway, the results this letter pulls justifies the extra expense without question.

And the rule is: Don’t screw around with something that works.

There are several key phrases in here that push the reader toward needing this product.  The steel-eyed calm confidence you’ll suddenly have. The fact no one will be able to touch you.  End any fight in seconds. Learn it and forget it — it’ll be there when you need it. Chris will teach the system to you in the time it takes to eat a large meal.  The Navy SEALS love the training.  But you’ll get it cheaper.

And, of course … there’s the built-in “inner bodyguard” you’ll now have.

This has run for many years, both as a letter, and as a print ad in various publications.  We use a headline instead of the nickel in print ads:

“All Your Fancy Fighting Skills Won’t Earn You An Extra Second Against This Devastating New Natural Fighting System!”

Why are black belts, boxers, and Ju Jitsu wrestlers ... and especially those silly macho military guys who claim to be so tough. .. scared to death when faced with these amazingly simple new fighting secrets?

Check it out. See if you, too, aren’t just a little intrigued about unleashing that brutal warrior hiding inside you.


Click here to see “The Nickel Letter” ad.
(It will open in a new window or tab, so you can toggle between the ad and Carlton’s commentary below.)


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