Oct. 20, 2003
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from the front lines . . .
-- Guest Article
-- a Yellow Pages Commando . . . are you mental?
-- Answer to Last Week's Brainteaser
-- Recommended Reading
-- This Week in Pictures
-- Cat Fight!
-- Like Fish in a Barrel
-- I'll take that as a "NO"
-- Meeting of the Minds
-- Keep your hands on your own . . .
-- This Week's Brainteaser
-- Quote of the Week

Drop me a line at Dick@YPCommando.com to put your sales reps on the YP Commando mailing list.

My London-based friend, Steve Hackney wrote an e-book on Yellow Pages advertising that is really fabulous. An e-book is one that is emailed to you instead of being printed and bound. I asked him to write an article for my newsletter, and he responded by writing 21 articles for me!
I wish I could find some sales people like that.

Steve's an extraordinarily talented guy who really understands how to write effective advertisements. His book, "The Wipeout Technique" combines basic directory concepts with superb copywriting that can help anyone create more effective ads.

Guest Article back to top
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"Yellow Pages Advertising: How To At Least Quadruple Your Success With One Simple And Easy Change"

by Steve Hackney
= = = = = = = = = = = = =

Thanks for the opportunity, Dick.

As an advertising professional, I thoroughly enjoy your weekly newsletters. It's a real treat to be able to participate. Here's something I think your readers will sink their teeth into.

Probably the single biggest reason for the failure of most Yellow Pages ads is the fact that a powerful headline isn't used at the top of the ad.

In fact, 90% of the time the ad starts with the name of the business. For example, I've just picked up my copy of the Yellow Pages directory. I'm looking in the Accountancy Category. These are the 'headlines' of the ads on one page:

- Peirson E.T. & Sons
- Powdrill & Smith
- R Garner & Co
- Richard Pennack
- Sturgess Hutchinson & Co
- Sharpe Langham PLC
- Sharmon Fielding
- S.R. Cox
- Running your own business

With the exception of the last headline, the 'headline' for
each ad is the name of the business that's advertising.

This is the main reason why many people conclude that Yellow Pages advertising doesn't work.

Because so many people are doing it wrong, if all you do is lead with a strong headline with your Yellow Pages advertising you'll improve your response and success many times over.

A good example of this is where I advertise my marketing consultancy business under the category 'Marketing and Advertising Consultants.' On my page are the following 'headlines'…

- CMT Associates
- Intellectual Property Shop
- Force Four Creative
- Gibson Collins Galbraith Integrated Marketing
- Keith Rawson
- The Market Group

Here's my headline…

Which company do you think gets all the calls?

Incidentally the 'Warning Headline' is very effective for Yellow Pages advertising.

If other marketing businesses can't get it right what chance have you got?

Even if you keep the rest of your ad the same and change just the headline I guarantee your sales will soar. This is as simple as it gets!

Cheers,
Steve

© Hackney Marketing Ltd

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My friend, Steve Hackney has spent 10 years and over $850,000
(probably loads more than that if you ask me) to discover the secrets
of how service businesses can generate 5 or 6 figure profits every
single month.

Better still he reveals every closely guarded secret in his
amazing free mini-course titled, "How To Skyrocket The Sales
And Profits Of Your Service Business - Closely Guarded
Secrets Revealed."

You should get Steve's FREE 5 part mini marketing course by
clicking...

http://www.powermarketingstrategy.com

a Yellow Pages Commando . . . are you mental? back to top
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Commandos use their wits and daring to gain a strategic advantage over their foe.

I challenge you to think like a commando in your approach to your business.

Join me, Dick Larkin, The Yellow Pages Commando as we shake up the directory marketing world.

Through these newsletters, rollicking presentations, and an upcoming book and tape series, we'll relentlessly challenge the status quo.

We have already inspired thousands of business people to take a fresh approach to their marketing.

Resistance is futile.

Check Out the Commando Archive

Answer to Last Week's Brainteaser back to top
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Buford's garden is coming in quite nicely.

All but two of his plants are ragweed, all but two are dandelions and all but two are cattails.

How many plants does he have in total?

Side note:
If you were looking for the answer to the Ah-nold puzzler, I put it up here.

Ah-nold Puzzler and Answer

The answer for last week's puzzler is below.

Click Here for the Answer and This Week's Winner

Recommended Reading back to top
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Don't Write Another Yellow Pages Ad Until You Read This Book...
	Writing effective sales letters is 100 times harder than writing good Yellow Pages copy. That's why if you use just 10% of Dan's words, you'll blow the roof off with your Yellow Pages ads. Why wait to be successful when you can get started now?
The Book Your Competition is Petrified That You'll Read
	Marketing legend Jay Abraham shows you how to recognize your unique talents, and then teaches you how to skyrocket yourself to success. Your competition is hoping that you never discover the secrets in this powerful book. When it comes to thinking outside of the box, nobody does it better than Jay. Start Using this Book Now
How To Write An Ad That Makes EVERYBODY Respond.
	Joe Sugarman is the most talented copywriter alive. He shows you how to write ads with hidden triggers that compel shoppers to call. Anyone who applies his techniques to Yellow Pages advertising will become an immediate superstar because 99.9% of the people in the YP industry don't have a clue when it comes to writing great copy. Get Joe's Ideas Here

This Week in Pictures back to top
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My neighborhood was getting pretty rough, so I put up a security gate.

I feel much safer now.

How to select a directory for your ads

Cat Fight! back to top
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They say youth is wasted on the young.

Not these two!

How to rework an ad gone bad . . .

Like Fish in a Barrel back to top
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I dunno, it seems like a pretty good way to give today's kids more exercise.

Speaking of shotguns . . .

I'll take that as a "NO" back to top
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Buford asked Catherine Zeta Jones if she'd like to join him for a roll in the hay.

He figured that it couldn't
hurt to ask . . .

He was wrong.

Happy Birthday to me . . .

Meeting of the Minds back to top
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This week President Mack Daddy came out to California to meet with fictional comic book superhero, The Governator to discuss their diabolical plan for world domination.


I feel like I'm living in a bad Batman episode.

The True Story of The Beatles and the Yellow Pages

Keep your hands on your own . . . back to top
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Speaking of The Governator . . .

our fictional leader has begun applying his thorough knowledge of Hollywood accounting practices to California's budget crisis.


Yeah, I'm sleeping really well at night knowing that our future is in good hands.

The Greatest Basketball Coach Ever

This Week's Brainteaser back to top
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Buford has a goat, a wolf, and a head of cabbage. (Don't ask me why).

He comes to a river that has no bridge, but it does have a small boat to cross the river. The boat can hold only Buford and one of the three things he has.

If he takes the wolf over first, the goat will eat the cabbage. If he takes the cabbage over first, the wolf will eat the goat.

How does he cross the river with all intact?

Email your answer along with your name, company and mailing address to puzzler@dicklarkin.com

We'll select one entry to win the world's coolest bottle opener with a year's supply of bragging rights.

See the "Bottle Popper" in action here