Hypnotic Writing Advertising

"Did you walk to work or carry a lunch?"

Huh?

My father asked me that question more than 25 years ago. I
still remember it. Why? Because it's a ridiculous question.

A famous comedian in the 1950s used to ask people, "Got a
banana?" The question might make sense if asked in the right
situation, but he asked it everywhere. I've forgotten the name
of the comedian, but I still recall his question. Why? Because
it's strange.

As I write this, I am creating new business cards for myself. I
decided to add a confusing line to it. After some fun
brainstorming with my girlfriend, I settled on, "Ask me about
the monkey."

Why is "Ask me about the monkey?" worth putting on my business
card? As with my father's question and the comedian's question,
it stops your brain in its tracks. It makes you pause. It makes
you focus on ME. The theory is that once you stop someone with
a confusing line, you can then implant a hypnotic command right
after it.

In other words, if I write something like, "Apples desk fly
dirt," and then follow it with, "Read my new ebook," the chances
are very high that you are going to want to read my new ebook.

Why? Because the first line jammed your mind, and the second
line slipped into your brain while you weren't looking. I've
just upped the odds that you will buy my new e-book. And if you
don't, of course, it doesn't matter because I never really told
you to go buy it. See?

The same thing will happen on my new business cards. Since I'm
now known as "The World's First Hypnotic Marketer," I wanted a
strange, confusing line on my new card. When someone sees, "Ask
me about the monkey," and then asks me about the monkey, I can
simply point out that I practice hypnotic selling and I just got
them to do what I wanted.

The Japanese practice this "hypnotic confusion," but probably
unknowingly. A friend of mine who flew to Japan reported to me
that the English phrases on all the Japanese products were
bizarre. A tube of toothpaste might say, "Green days you not
sing." A box of cookies might say, "Wood above fish."

How can you use this secret right now? Don't be afraid to be
confusing. People tend to sort out whatever you say anyway and
make sense out of it using their own terms. If you are
describing your product in great detail, be willing to toss in
something odd. It may increase sales.

If not, swirl up!

Joe Vitale is recognized by many to be one of the greatest
living copywriters. His latest project, the Hypnotic Writer's
Swipe File is a collection of over 1,550 copywriting gems that
took him years to compile. This is his personal swipe file that
he uses to create world famous sales letters responsible for
generating millions and millions of dollars of revenue. Click here to learn more.

Photo credits: Malene Thyssen, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Malene

A monkey could use this material to write a riveting sales
letter, ad, or email message.

The only condition is the monkey needs to be able to read.

I'll prove it to you.

Right now I have no idea how to write this article for Larry on
"How to Easily Use This Material to Get Gloriously Rich."

So, in this case, I'm the monkey.

Now follow my path....

I grab this material and flip through it -- which is what I'm
doing right now -- and I spot a phrase...

"You don't realize it, but in the next few minutes you're going
to learn..."

I add to that phrase something my monkey mind gives me, "...how
to get people to do your bidding by using this amazing
collection of hypnotic materials."

I now have this: "You don't realize it, but in the next few
minutes you're going to learn how to get people to do your
bidding by using this amazing collection of hypnotic materials."

There, I just wrote a good line. Any monkey could do it, as long
as said monkey can type.

If you're like me, you'll probably want another example.

Stop! Did you notice that "If you're like me..." is one of
Larry's hypnotic lines? It is. It's in this book. My monkey mind
found it and used it.

And "Stop!" is from his book, too. I saw it and tossed it into
the above paragraph. Made you look, didn't it?

Here's a fact for you: Any man, woman, child or monkey can flip
through these pages and find words, phrases, and complete
sentences to help them lead and control the minds of their
readers.

Hey! Did you catch what I did? The phrase "Here's a fact for
you..." is also from Larry's collection. It's a way to assume
logic without having any. It works.

And did you notice that "Hey!" grabbed your mind?

It, too, is from this collection. It's a powerful yet simple
tool for practically yelling out your reader's name in a crowded
room. It GRABS attention.

Are you beginning to see how you can use this material?

Think about making use of this collection of hypnotic material
and you'll begin to feel real power.

And did you notice that "Think about making use of..." is yet
another golden nugget from Larry's book?

Yes, a monkey with typing and reading skills just might be able
to write a good letter with this amazing collection of tried and
true hypnotic words and phrases.

But more importantly, since YOU are smarter than any monkey, by
the time you finish reading this material you will be able to
take these words and phrases and weave them into hypnotic
letters and ads that get people to act on your commands and
suggestions.

Stop! Note "by the time you finish reading..." is ALSO from
Larry's priceless bag of tricks!

Can you see why I'm so excited!

As you study every word of this book you will become amazed at
how easy it will be for you to start writing your own hypnotic
material.

(I can't resist. "As you study every word of this book you will
become..." is also swiped from Larry's collection. This is
becoming way too easy.)

But let me confess something:

(Yes. "Let me confess..." is a hypnotic phrase.)

When Larry wrote to me and said he compiled this material, I was
angry.

("I was angry..." is from this collection, too.)

I wanted to be the author of these gems. I even offered to help
add more gems to the package if Larry would let me be co-author.
He agreed, but I could barely think of anything to add! Larry
already did the work---and did it very well!

The further you read into this collection, the more you will
realize why professional copywriters always have "swipe files."
They use them for inspiration. In this case, Larry has done ALL
the leg work for you.

("The further you read into this..." is from his swipe file.)

Remember when you were in high school, and you cheated to get a
passing grade? Admit it. You did, at least once. Well, this
collection is your cheat-cheat.

("Remember when you were in high school..." is swiped from this
book, too. Do you see how easy it is to write with this
collection at hand? It's so easy I feel silly accepting money
for writing material like this for clients. But not THAT silly.)

Have you noticed yet that I began with no idea of how to write
this article and now, with the help of Larry's collection, have
written a very interesting and maybe even hypnotic piece?

("Have you noticed yet that..." is from this fantastic swipe
file, too.)

So here you are. You're holding dynamite. Do you light it and
throw it in a field to watch the dirt blow up, or do you light
it and throw it where you know lay hidden gold?

FACT: The choice is yours. Use this material wisely.

("FACT" is swiped, too.)

Go forth and profit.

Joe Vitale is recognized by many to be one of the greatest
living copywriters. His latest project, the Hypnotic Writer's
Swipe File is a collection of over 1,550 copywriting gems that
took him years to compile. This is his personal swipe file that
he uses to create world famous sales letters responsible for
generating millions and millions of dollars of revenue. Click here to learn more.

The following is a letter in response to a question about
how to write sales letters. This is something you could
model in layout, tone, and ideas, to write your own letters.
By the way, this is where your letterhead should go.

Dear Fellow Chicago Seminar Attendees,

Jerry Jenkins asked me to tell you how to write letters that
get read and get results. That's a tall order! Well, here's
what I think the "laws" are:

1. Know what's in it for your reader.

Get out of your ego and into your reader's ego. Complete
this sentence: "Get my book so that you can...(fill in the
blank)." Your book (or whatever you are selling) is the
feature. What people get as a result of having your book is
the benefit. Focus on benefits. Always! Without this, your
letter will bomb.

2. Write a headline that telegraphs the key benefit to your reader.

ALWAYS use a headline. There is only ONE exception to this
rule. When you personalize your letter, the "Dear (whoever)"
opening becomes your headline. There are few headlines more
powerful than the reader's own name. The headline is THE
most important part of your letter! Spend nearly all of your
time on it.

3. Be brief.

Say what you have to say in terms of the reader's self
interest and shut up. This does NOT necessarily mean a short
letter. If you are trying to make a sale, and the reader has
never heard of you or your item for sale, you may have to
write four or more pages to get your message across. If all
you want is a return call, a one page letter may do. Don' be
afraid of length. People will read any length of copy AS
LONG AS IT'S INTERESTING!

4. Always use a PS.

Always. Why do copywriters who charge upwards to $15,000 to
write a sales letter and have weeks to draft it always use a
PS? They are always read. Always.

5. Look good.

Visual attractiveness accounts for 70% of your letter's
impact. Use short sentences, short paragraphs, bulleted
points, indented paragraphs, subheads, etc. Some people will
just skim your letter, so engaging subheads and bulleted
points help reach them instantly.

6. Outline first.

Use a planning tool to help you think through your message.
Or talk to a friend. Or to a tape recorder. Or to yourself.
This also helps you get comfortable with speaking your
letter rather than writing it.

7. Write first, edit last.

Turn your inner editor off. You can rewrite later. For now,
write spontaneously and quickly to get your ideas on paper.

8. Ask for something.

Why are you writing? You want a call. Or an order.
Something. Say so!

9. Get a reader.

Find one person to read your letter OUT LOUD in front of
you. If he (or she) has trouble reading your letter, if he
wrinkles his brow or stops to reread a sentence, rewrite
those places. Don't skip this step! It's the secret of many
professional writers.

10. Rewrite your letter again.

Is it the best you can do? Be honest! If not, throw it away
and call the person instead. Or hire a copywriter to write
it for you. Why waste your time or your reader's with
something that doesn't communicate in a persuasive and
interesting way? (I rewrote this letter 24 times!)

Well, there you have it. Of course, there are more rules,
laws, ideas and suggestions for writing letters that get
results. You should always guarantee whatever you are
selling, for example, and always offer proof for all of your
claims. But the above will get you rolling.

Sincerely,

Joe Vitale
Hypnotic Writing

(ALWAYS Identify yourself. People look here to see who the
letter is from.)

PS -- Notice that you read this PS?

PPS -- Notice that you read this one, too?

On a sunny, warm day in August, 1996 I kneeled over the grave of
P.T. Barnum and had one of the most remarkable experiences of my
life.

I had begun researching the famous showman in order to write my
forthcoming new book, There's a Customer Born Every Minute (to
be released in October, 1997). I had visited the Barnum Museum,
the Historical Library in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and met with
Barnum scholars, biographers, and collectors of his writings. I
wanted to visit Barnum's grave and pay my respects. Little did I
know that the incredible, magical experience would change my
life forever...

Recently I went online to hunt for old books by some of my
favorite authors, this time I went after anything by Robert
Collier, mail order advertising genius and author of such
classic books as The Secret of the Ages and The Robert Collier
Letter Book.

I typed in his name at one of my favorite book search engines
(which I'm going to keep a secret as long as I can), and to my
amazement several new (to me) titles came up. I stared
wide-eyed, my mouth open, as I saw that someone had two copies
of a magazine Collier edited in the late 1920's called "Mind,
Inc." I couldn't believe it. I immediately grabbed the phone,
called, and bought those magazines. A few days later they
arrived.

I opened the brown package, my heart racing with excitement, and
nearly drooled as I slid the little paperback sized magazines
onto my desk. They were well worn but intact. I thumbed through
them and marveled at my find. Here were new articles by one of
my heroes, my mentor, a man who changed my life not once but
twice with his books. I felt like a happy child on Christmas
morning, getting the gifts he longed for and needed most.

As I looked over Collier's magazines, something shifted in me. I
saw an advertising technique at work that seemed hypnotic in
power. I had one of those "ah-ha!" experiences great inventors
write about. I held one of the issues in my hand and read the
back cover. Collier had an ad there that began --

"How can I tell if I am working aright?" many people ask.
There is an easy, simple rule. With it in front of him, not even
a child could go wrong. Just ask yourself one question. If your
answer is "Yes." You are on the wrong track, and you will never
make much progress, until you get off it and on the right track.

If your answer is "No," then you are working in the right
direction, and you have only to keep it up to attain any goal
you desire.

That question is the basis of the Lesson in the next issue of
"Mind, Inc." If you are looking for a road map to guide you
through the mental realm, send for it!

Did you catch what Collier did?

Let me give you another example. This one comes from Collier's
editorial in the opening pages of the other issue I found:

Dear Reader: Twelve years ago, the three examining physicians
at the head office of the Life Extension Institute made a
thorough physical examination of the writer. They had him hop
and jump and do sundry things to stir his heart into action,
then they listened with their stethoscopes and nodded knowingly
to each other, finally gathering in a corner to whisper
earnestly together, with many a meaning glance in the writer's
direction.

The upshot of their conference was a solemn warning against all
forms of violent exercise. The heart was dangerously affected,
in their opinion. Tennis, horseback, swimming -- all these were
taboo. Even running for a street car was likely to result
disastrously. If the writer wanted excitement, he might walk (as
long as he did it sedately) or crawl about the floor on all
fours!

That was twelve years ago, remember. A few months back, he had
occasion to be examined for life insurance. The examining
physician knew of the Life Extension Institute findings, so he
asked the Head Examiner of his company to check his report. The
Head Examiner came, made the same exhaustive heart tests as the
Institute and put away his instruments with a chuckle. "When you
get ready to pass out," he said, "they'll have to take out that
heart and hit it with a rock to make it stop beating. Work,
play, do anything you like in reason. The heart can stand
anything you can!"

What made the difference? Perhaps the following lesson may give
you an indication."

Collier did it again! Did you catch his method?

Collier told you just enough to intrigue you, to get you hooked,
to get you interested -- and then he stopped!

In the first example he cleverly trapped you into wanting to
know the question he kept referring to. But he never told you
the question. He snared you and then asked you to send for the
next lesson, where the mystery of the question would be
revealed. How could anyone not send for it? I sat at my desk
reading Collier's ad more than seventy years after he wrote it
and I wanted to send in the coupon, too. But Collier is long
dead. I'll never know the question!

In the second example Collier cleverly told you two intriguing
stories, asked the question that every reader would then have on
their mind -- put then didn't answer it! Again, Collier
generated interest, and then told you to read the magazine to
find the answer. Talk about hypnotic writing!

And that's how you get people to read your sales materials. You
pull them into it. You grab their attention, keep them reading,
get them wanting what you have and then -- stop and tell them to
send in a check, or call you, to get what they now so badly
desire.

Did you notice how I began this article?

I used the Robert Collier technique to hypnotize you into
reading more. I began saying I had an experience at Barnum's
grave. What was the experience? What happened? What's my new
book about? All of these are questions in your mind as you read
the opening. It's hypnotic. And if you've read this far, you
know the method works.

The next time you want to write something and be sure people
actually read it, remember the Robert Collier technique. Start
by writing about something that will interest the people you are
addressing. Tell them an interesting story. Get them wondering
about something that they want to know more about. And then
STOP. Change direction. Write about something else that may
still be related to the opening, but don't resolve the opening
until the end of the article. And maybe not even there. Maybe
you'll want people to send in a coupon or call you for the
answer. For example:

Marketing specialist Joe "Mr. Fire!" Vitale is the author of
nine books, including "Hypnotic Writing", which answers the
question, "What will *you* do when you learn to hypnotize people
with the power of words alone and get them to obey your
commands?" Click here to find out!

You've got something to say. You know it. Your associates know
it.

But you don't regard yourself as "a writer."

How are you going to express your wisdom?

How will you communicate your thoughts?

Yes, you can follow the path of J.Paul Getty, Lee Iaccocoa, and
Donald Trump and hire someone to write your words. That works.
(And I'm available should you want to talk about hiring me as
your ghostwriter.) :)

But there is an easier way.

I call this the "two step" because that's all there is to it.

Here's the secret in a nutshell:

Step one is state your principle. Step two is illustrate it.

Pretty simple dance routine, right? Yet you can use this method
to write ANY type of nonfiction---whether it's your life story,
a school paper, an executive brief, or a full length scholarly
book. (Actually, the scholars sorely need this method. They're
too stuffy!)

I was reminded of this method while reading a book from the
1940's. I noticed that throughout the book the author would make
a statement and then illustrate it with a story. The more I
thought about it, I felt this was the easiest way to write
anything.

Here's how it works:

1. Make a list of the ideas you want to communicate. Pretend
these are laws, rules, insights, commandments, theories, or
whatever will work for you. What you're looking for is a list of
messages. For example, I was working with a Houston body-mind
therapist and I told him about this method. I said, "One of your
messages is that people can have whatever they want, as long as
they aren't attached to how they get it." He nodded. "Another
message of yours is that the energy we put out is the result we
get." He nodded again. "Those are your key points," I
explained. "Write those down. That's easy. All you do is pull
out a sheet of paper or turn on your laptop, and just jot down
the ideas you want to get across."

2. Now all you do is illustrate every point with three stories.
This is what I liked about that book from the forties. The
author made a statement, then illustrated it with a story that
made the statement come to life. "You have all kinds of stories
to share," I reminded my therapist friend. "For every point you
make, support it with a story. Maybe tell how someone achieved a
breakthrough following your main point. This reinforces your
point and makes it easier to understand."

That's it!

Principle-story, principle-story, principle-story.

You can take ANY subject and break it down this way.

You're making it easier on the readers, too. They don't have to
wade through a long involved tale. With this method, you cut
right to the point. You say, "Here's what I believe," and then
you use a story to explain why you believe it.

The book from the forties that I'm referring to was "How to
Develop Your Executive Ability" by Daniel Starch. I'm using it
as an example of this two-step formula, and not necessarily
urging you to run out and find a copy (it's out of print,
anyway).

I just pulled the book off the shelf and opened it at random.
I'm looking at the chapter titled "Putting New Ideas to Work."
It begins with a statement: "Write them down at the time they
come to you."

It then spends four paragraphs giving lively quotes from
Tolstoy, Darwin, and Robert Louis Stevenson about the importance
of writing down your ideas when they come to you.

If you just write down your message or key point, it will sit on
the page in a lifeless, very un-hypnotic way. If you want people
to remember the message, if you want them to install the message
in their skull, then tell a story that illustrates it.

Your stories don't have to be classics of literature. A relevant
quote can bring a statement to life. Stories from other people
can bring your message to life. But most powerful and memorable
of all are the stories from your own experience.

I just flipped open Starch's book to chapter twenty-four, on
"Turning Bad Breaks Into Opportunities." Right off the bat
there's a statement: "Resolve not to be downed by failure."

And then follows a page and half of stories about people who
were in accidents and went on with their lives, including a
quote from Cervantes and John Bunyan. This supportive material
awakens your message in the reader's mind.

You might notice that I just used this very technique to write
this chapter. I told you there was a two-step formula for
writing anything. Then I illustrated the two steps with stories
from my clients, and with a story about the book that gave me
the idea.

This "two-step" works!

The next time you have to write something, remember:
principle-story, principle-story, principle-story.

It's the easiest way to write anything!

Joe "Mr. Fire!" Vitale, regarded as one of the world's most
powerful copywriters, is a best-selling author of marketing
books and courses, including "The AMA Complete Guide to Small
Business Advertising," Nightingale-Conant's audio program, "The
Power of Outrageous Marketing!" and "Create Advertising That
Sells." His tremendously successful "Hypnotic Writing" e-book is
now succeeded by "Advanced Hypnotic Writing," a breakthrough
book that reveals how to use the phenomenon of hypnotic
suggestion to turn your words into cash.

Advanced Hypnotic Writing

One of the most effective ways to promote any product or
affiliate program is to write an endorsement for it.

Learning to write highly persuasive endorsements can help
you generate a very good income every month. But don't
be modest. You can write personal endorsements for your
own products, too.

An endorsement is a short written piece that recommends
the reader or prospect buy a product based on your own
personal experience with it.

It's like when you've purchased a product or service and
you couldn't wait to tell the next person you see about your
personal experience with it. Finally, at the end of your
story you recommend they purchase it too.

Personal endorsements can be called many things. They
can be called personal recommendations, product reviews,
personal testimonials, etc.

Personal endorsements are very hypnotic because they
can influence the prospect to buy the product without
sounding or looking like an ad.

People have trained their brains to ignore ads because they
usually see hundreds of them everyday. That's why your
endorsements can bypass the conscious mind and go straight
into the subconscious mind. This is true power.

Personal endorsements give more credibility to the product
you are promoting. People trust other customers more than
they trust the business owners. When people see your name
with the endorsement they usually believe your claims are
true. They naturally assume must people won't purposely
try to ruin their reputation by endorsing something they
don't believe in.

How many times have you bought a product because somebody
else other than the business was recommending it? You
just then felt the power of a hypnotic endorsement!

----------
Larry Dotson is the author and co-author of 42 e-books and
over 150 articles business related articles. We recommend
his e-book, "How to Write Hypnotic Endorsements."

Click here for immediate access:

How to Write Hypnotic Endorsements