The Copywriter’s Toolkit, one of my longest-running and most successful products to date, is on target for a complete makeover.

In version 2.0, dubbed the Conversion Toolkit, there’s updated content and resources for sure.

All the copywriting resources, videos, audio, PDFs, tools, and more from version 1 will all be updated for 2010-2011. Newer tools and web sites are popping up all the time, and version 2.0 will include many of the new offerings.

But that by itself isn’t what makes this upgrade so significant and special.

What really makes it shine is its shift in focus. That is, how much more inclusive of what it takes to produce online or offline campaigns that really boost response and profits. More than just sales copy, this version introduces marketing campaign strategies and tactics, the secrets behind successful offers, reverse-engineering successful promotions, and so much more.

In fact, its bigger and grander focus is why it’s been renamed as the Conversion Toolkit 2.0.

There’s also another big plus.

It’s going to be available on DVDs and CDs shipped right to your door.

Sure, you’ll still be able to access everything on the website, but for some of the content, I wanted a more intimate and pleasurable learning experience, one that’s better suited for viewing on your TV in your living room. Or listening in your car. Or your iPod or portable player. You get the idea.

That’s the Conversion Toolkit.

There will also be another component to version 2.0: The Conversion DNA.

That package will contain more in-depth copywriting and conversion training, real-life case studies, testing results, and more all designed to reveal how all the individual components of a successful campaign fit together for maximum success and profits.

Those components make up the “DNA” part of the equation.

I have a lot of very successful copywriters and marketers helping me with really piling on the value here.

So to give you a sneak peek at what lies ahead, I’ve included 30 minutes of the first DVD of the Conversion Toolkit below.

Remember that all Copywriter’s Toolkit members will have the option to get automatically upgraded to the new shipped version when it’s released for just pennies on the dollar (basically to cover shipping and handling costs), so locking in your access now is the best way to avoid shelling out a few hundred bucks later on when it comes out in a couple months.

If you’re a member, you’re not obligated to upgrade. You’ll just have the option when it’s released.

But first, here’s the preview video of just some of what’s to come. It’s not final, as there’s editing and additional cool stuff going into the mix as I’m writing this. But it should give you a pretty good idea of at least a portion of what’s to come.

Also, I should point out that obviously the DVDs will be at high-quality video and audio. This preview has been rendered at a lower and speedy resolution (and smaller size) formatted just for the web:

You can grab the Copywriter’s Toolkit here and lock in your copy of both the Conversion Toolkit and Conversion DNA when it’s available to save a bundle and get a huge boost in sales, leads, and conversions all at the same time. Just go http://www.copywriters-toolkit.com.

And you can rest assure that there’s lots of direct response goodies in store for you!

What do you think? Please feel free to leave me a comment below and tell me what you liked (and didn’t like) about this preview video.

Also, let me know what you want in the next release. I want to make sure I include the kind of content that will help your business grow dramatically.

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After writing my last blog article about Ted Nicholas, I came across this video I thought I would share. Also, I was wrong about the $4.4 billion Ted generated for him and his clients. It’s actually $5.9 billion!

In this video, Ted shows you some great copywriting tips for beginners (and a nice refresher for more experienced copywriters as well).

If you’ve never seen Ted Nicholas on stage, you’ll enjoy this rare insight into his keen mind and some road-tested tips that barely scratch the surface of the successes he’s cultivated over the years.

Enjoy!

If you want to learn more about Ted Nicholas, check out his website, and check out this rare 99-minute interview Ted gave.

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A couple years back I got to spend some time with copywriting legend Ted Nicholas in a day-long copywriting workshop.

Ted gave a lot of insight into many of the ads he has written over the years, and it’s easy to see why his copy has generated more than $4.9 BILLION for himself and his clients, including Nightingale-Conant, Agora, Marriott Corporation, Dearborn Financial Publishing, and Fischer Publishing, to name a few.

While Ted covered a lot of the basics important to the foundation of successful copywriting, he also touched upon a few oft-misunderstood concepts, such as the hidden benefit, which isn’t obtained by reviewing the product.

Instead, he asked us to challenge ourselves with the following question: “If I had unlimited God-like powers and could grant my prospect the biggest benefit I could imagine, what would it be?”

Ted also shared many of his offline copywriting strategies with us, and I ultimately found my mind spinning with ideas to test online (a certain type of lift letter, for one).

Ted also stayed for the duration of the seminar over the weekend as an attendee and speaker, and I was lucky to get some one-on-one time with him on a few occasions. That time was well-spent and packed with a million-dollar education. Just one idea he shared with me was worth fifty times the cost of the seminar to me.

I want to tell you about one little gem in particular that we discussed, as it may help your business as well.

I had been talking to a potential client, who wanted to expand his market reach and have sales copy written in other languages besides English. He was exploring the option of retaining a copywriter who could write copy in these foreign languages.

Well, I knew Ted had many of his sales letters translated into other languages, and I asked him about the necessity of writing copy from scratch in a foreign language. What Ted suggested (and what he has done) was to have the control letter translated, rather than writing a new one. But the translation should be done by someone who understands marketing (i.e. NOT a foreign language professor or standard translator).

You see, as long as the market remains the same, the underlying emotional hot buttons are also the same, whether you are talking to Americans, Germans, Hispanics, etc., etc.

In other words, a person from Brazil usually has the same wants and desires as someone from the Netherlands.

Are you starting to see some potential here?

Simply by having your website copy translated into multiple languages, you are extending your reach dramatically. Or, alternatively, if you are thinking about entering the Latino market, for example, it may be easier than you think, especially if you have customer support people who already speak Spanish.

And by having multiple versions of your sales letter online in different languages, it increases the likelihood that prospects from those countries will find your sales letter in a search engine. These are prospects that you wouldn’t have attracted before.

Ted also showed us a variety of envelope teaser copy split tests, successful ads, and of course I picked up his huge 700+ page swipe file.

Ted’s story of success is an inspiration to me and many other entrepreneurs out there.

In fact, when Ted first went into business he was in debt to the tune of $96,000, and the future looked bleak. He soon realized that the tiny cashflow coming into his small business was falling far short of what he really needed to survive in the long-term.

But then he came up with a novel idea. Leveraging the small reserve of cash he had left, Ted came up with a genius master plan to remake his business and attract paying customers in droves.

As a result, today Ted is without question a tremendous role model of entrepreneurial success. He’s a highly sought-after international speaker and marketing consultant, a well-read author, and one of the most highest paid and successful copywriters in the world.

I recently learned that Ted sat down for a mind-blowing 99 minutes of “marketing legend reveals all” information-packed interview.

In it, Ted revealed his mindset and some rather clever marketing strategies behind some of his most successful campaigns. I’m constantly amazed by how much he is a walking spigot of sales ideas and tactics.

You can get all the details on Ted’s interview and download it here.

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• Ted Nicholas’ Copywriting Tips For Beginners After writing my last blog article about Ted Nicholas, I...

If you sell a product or service that’s designed to solve a problem, I’ve put together a video just for you. Even if your prospects aren’t consciously aware they have this problem, you need to take a look at this time-tested formula.

It could significantly boost your sales and conversions.

I explain it all in the video, so have a quick watch and let me know what you think. (By the way, you can find and watch all of these videos in one place at FoolproofProfits.tv)

Enjoy!

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Perhaps you’ve been watching Rich Schefren’s coaching program launch over the last several days. I found out from the man behind the salescopy for that promotion that Rich raked in over a million dollars in the first 24 hours.

Know who that man is?

It’s none other than my good friend, “A” level copywriter Vin Montello.

Vin is the “Story Teller Seller.” If you want to hire him to write your salescopy, Vin will cheerfully charge you close to $15k. BUT—and it’s a big “but”—you might have to wait 6 months or more. That’s because Vin is always booked solid, even during these “turbulent” economic times.

There’s a reason for that. It’s because his copy gets results. Just look at what the “World’s Greatest Copywriting Coach” David Garfinkel says about Vin:

“Vin Montello is a terrific copywriter who gets outstanding results.

“One thing that sets Vin apart from many other copywriters is how well he knows how to use the most powerful persuasion technique of all, storytelling, with great creativity and in a compelling way.

“And, he understands when comedy actually works in sales, which almost nobody else does.

“I give him my highest recommendation.”

— David Garfinkel
WorldCopyBlog.com

I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Vin at the last JvAlert Live seminar, and not only did Vin keep everyone in the audience entertained with his “feel like you knew him forever” style of humor, it was impossible to pass the microphone by him without Vin interjecting some kind of nugget of marketing wisdom that had even the expert panelists busy taking notes!

Well, Vin is going to be one of my guest experts in my Interactive Coaching Class (http://askjohnritz.com/icc), which begins this Wednesday. If you want to win a free seat to this 8-week “in the trenches” class, you still have about 18 or so hours left. The contest ends tomorrow, September 29th (on my birthday) at 8 PM EST.

You can get all the details about that in my blog post here.

Time is running out, but it’s not too late (yet).

Hope to have you aboard!

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Video #4 is finally ready, and in this one I pick up some direct response ads from around my house and from my mail and critique them. I show you some winners and (in my view) some things that can be improved.

You might just look at some of your own salesletters in a whole new light!

http://www.askjohnritz.com/video4

I apologize if this video is a little grainy or ghetto. It was just me with my camera, taking a break from the video studio.

Have a great weekend!

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The Interactive Coaching Class registration page is now live. Plus I posted a video that tells you everything you need to know about what’s included, the topics we’ll be covering, and much more.

Watch the video!

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve outdone even myself in the “overdelivery” department, if I may be so bold.

Add to that the brass guarantee and the ridiculously low registration fee, and you’ll understand why you’ll want to sign up quick. This is no false scarcity tactic.

I REALLY can only handle a limited number of participants, because I can only handle so much one-on-one coaching.

I’ll likely raise the price in a few days as the class fills to capacity, then I’ll have to shut off entry
permanently.

Now even if this class is not for you, you may still get a kick out of watching the video. I had many hours of pulling my hair out in frustration with the stupid green screen and my inferior lighting skills.

But after more than a dozen test takes, I finally nailed it. (Those video folks sure know their stuff!)

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After an interesting trip to Philly for the jvAlert Live seminar this past weekend, I’m finally getting back into the swing of things. And I have quite a few tidbits to share with you. The big problem for me was: where to begin?

There are so many topics worth sharing, so I decided to start with a very timely lesson we discussed in the copywriting panel.

First, a little bit about the panel. The copywriting panel was made up of many many top notch copywriters, specializing in different niches and areas of expertise. We had “Million Dollar” Mike Morgan, Jay White, Karl Barndt, Vin Montello, Rachel Rofe, Andy and Shawn Catsimanes, Mike Humphreys, and many others (I was there too).

The attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about copywriting, conversions, and anything related, and boy, did they deliver!

The panel was supposed to run an hour, but when Mike Morgan said we’d be there until every last question was answered, we knew we were in for a long haul! In fact, it ended up running just shy of 2 1/2 hours! But it was time well-spent for all.

In any case, it was a nice diverse bunch of pros dishing out advice and hard-won lessons. I’ll have to grab the recording when it’s available, because I wish I had someone out in the audience taking notes for me!

One of the questions was one of those open-ended questions about copywriting. How do you write a salesletter? Or how do you decide what to put in the copy? Something like that.

I mean, we could have spent the whole 2 and a half hours discussing that one topic, and we’d have barely scratched the surface. There was lots of good advice given. I don’t recall all of it, which is why I want that recording. But I do remember what I said, because it was a very timely question for me.

You see, a few days before the event, I was sitting in a friend of mine’s office discussing his marketing. He asked me about putting up a website, and whether we could put up a page that had an order button to accept credit cards.

Well, yes, I told him. But what are you going to tell them before you ask for the sale?

He hadn’t thought that far, but he was more concerned with the credit card “order-taker-thingy,” as he put it.

So I said to him, “Look. Imagine you’re calling a potential client on the phone. Would you just call him up and say, ‘Hey, I have a great deal for you, and all I need is your credit card info?’ I think they’d hang up in your face, right?”

He laughed and nodded.

“No,” I continued. “You’d talk to him one-on-one, telling him all about your product or service first, the many benefits he’ll get from it, and how your product will solve a problem he has, etc.”

In short, you’d give your pitch and close him on the deal before you moved to taking his order.

I mean, that seems straight forward when you talk about selling something on the phone or face-to-face, but not everyone thinks that way when it comes to a website. A direct response website (or any printed ad, for that matter) is just salesmanship in print, right?

So I told him (and the crowd at jvAlert Live) about a little trick I picked up from John Carlton to get a decent first draft of your salesletter.

Basically, it comes down to giving your pitch on the phone or in person and recording it. Then have that recording transcribed. Take out all the “umms” and “ahhs,” edit it and polish it up, and you have the makings of a good first draft.

You want to tell your story. You want to discuss the big benefits and overcome objections. You want to sell them using emotion and back it up with logic. You want to have tons of proof to back up all your claims. This is something any good salesman (or saleswoman) will know how to do readily enough. It’s no different in print.

Remember you are talking to one person at a time. Just like a face-to-face meeting.

John actually explains it much better than I can, but that’s essentially it in a nutshell.

Now when you look at it that way, suddenly writing sales copy isn’t so daunting anymore, is it? I’m not saying you’re going to have world-class copy. But I’ll wager you’ll have something far more personable and effective than 99% of the “hype zone” copy you see floating around the net.

And remember, that was just one topic we discussed. And I still need to get that recording!

But I’ll have more to write about straight from jvAlert Live in the days ahead.

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Ok, you might consider this a rant. In a way, it is.

But I’ve seen this mistake made way too many times to remain silent about it any longer.

I subscribe to a lot of (otherwise) smart marketers’ lists. But I’m really surprised to see this huge mistake being made time and time again. What is it?

Well, the most recent email I got was about a video they had posted that was about to be pulled down (this one was from one of those 3 or 4 words to a line emails…I call them the long “vertical” tail!)

“The videos will be taken down at midnight!”

But in truth I see this happening a lot nowadays online.

I’m talking, of course, about scarcity selling. Also known as takeaway selling, it’s the urgency you create to get them to act now. And it’s one of the things that makes direct response copywriting so powerful.

In the course of your web surfing you’ve undoubtedly come across the ‘ol Javascript countdown timers. Or the “date generators” that always say this offer expires (or will be raised in price) at midnight on such-and-such a date. And of course that date always happens to be today.

Come back tomorrow, and that date will have magically changed to tomorrow’s date. Can you say “sucker”?

That may have worked circa 1999, but it’s amazing to me that marketers still use that blatantly transparent tactic.

Do you think your prospects are that dumb?

It wasn’t that long ago where more sophisticated markets like the Internet marketing crowd got wise to that sorry (and untruthful) technique. But now you’re seeing Grandma laugh at it. Nearly every prospect but the most raw rookie net newbie understands this now.

It’s been done to death.

Uh oh. Now you need to come up with a REAL reason why your offer won’t be available for much longer. Why they really need to act right now.

Of course, the crackerjack copywriters have known this for years. Michel Fortin is one of the best “reason why” copywriters online today. David Garfinkel, John Carlton, Harlan Kilstein, Clayton Makepeace, Yanik Silver. These heavyweights don’t pass along bull to their prospects. They truly understand the psychology behind it all, and they don’t give a lame (or even no) reason for the takeaway.

And it’s the “no reason” part I want to address today. Back to the vertical long tail email I got today…

The videos are coming down at midnight!

And yet…no reason was given as to why they’re going away. Not even a lame reason.

It’s as if some marketers got tired of the Javascript hacks and just decided to not give a reason whatsoever.

But I suspect it’s costing them big time…

I believe I’ve referred to this brilliant post by “the greatest copywriter alive” Gary Bencivenga before. But in case you missed it, fill your head and gave a good read here.

Need I say more?

What do you think? Am I way off base here?

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In case you haven’t seen it yet, Gary Bencivenga just released his latest bullet, entitled “The ‘Golden Key’ of Persuasion“.

In it, Gary says the following:

“I love cliches, and you should too! They are cliches precisely because everyone already believes them, so using them gives your copy greater credibility.”

I recommend you read and print out all of his other bullets if you haven’t already, as well as sign up for Gary’s list.

Gary is a pure pitch-free zone and delivers nothing but TREMENDOUS content.

Also, here are a couple of sites where you can find tons of cliches:

http://www.westegg.com/cliche/
http://www.clichesite.com/index.asp

And of course, my Copywriter’s Toolkit actually has a online tool in it that scans your copy for cliches and points them all out for you. More on that soon…

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