“The next day, Coke sent Schulz and Mendelson the following telegram: ‘CONFIRM SALE OF CHARLIE BROWN FOR CHRISTMAS TO COCA-COLA FOR DECEMBER BROADCAST AT YOUR TERMS WITH OPTION ON SECOND SHOW FOR NEXT SPRING. GOOD GRIEF!‘”
The Show Almost Didn’t Air
As popular as the show is these days, this might be hard to believe, but the show almost didn’t make it on air.
“The network hated the idea of a religious message in a Christmas TV special. They hated that the special wasn’t non-stop action interrupted with gales of fake laughter (as if cartoons would actually have a live studio audience).
“They didn’t like the soundtrack, thought the kid voiceover actors sounded too much like children, and would rather have played a needle scratch than jazz music. Things got so bad that even the special’s producers and Charlie Schulz (not known for having a cheery outlook to begin with) thought the cartoon would be a critical and commercial bomb.
“In fact, everyone was thinking of simply scrapping the show altogether…except for Cocoa-Cola, who was the special’s main sponsor and was not about to let a half-hour of advertising not make it to air.“
Where Are the Coke Ads in the Show?
The ads for Coca-Cola have been removed from the special over the years, so you won’t see them when you watch it today.
So where were they in the original?
Ted Ryan says that the only Coca-Cola messages were “title slides telling viewers that the production was made possible by the support of the local bottlers around the country.”
Here is a video clip of the title slides mentioning Coca-Cola…
“Create content that your prospects and customers want — especially if it isn’t focused on your business: You must not only create great content, but you must also create content that your desired target group is craving and searching for. And this might seem counterintuitive, but the most powerful kind of content for you to create might actually be content that doesn’t directly focus on your business or industry at all.”
Do you want proof that it was content that marketed Coca-Cola effectively?
You might have thought you couldn’t use content marketing because you’re not a content creator of any kind.
Well, now you know that you can harness the power of content marketing without actually creating it.
You can hire content creators to create content for your business.
It doesn’t have to be someone at the level of Charles Schulz. There are many content creators out there who would gladly create content for you.
Or maybe you thought, “No one really cares about content related to my business.”
Well,now you know that the content doesn’t have to directly focus on your business or industry.
It just needs to be content that resonates with your audience. That’s the key. That’s what Coca-Cola did.
And the result is content that was so popular that it still resonates with people 57 years later.
How to Create Engaging Content in 2024
Content was once a rare thing, but now it has become a commodity.
You can’t just post any-old, average content anymore and expect to see results.
But that DOESN’T mean that content marketing and content creation are a waste of time.
The good news is that even though content is now a commodity, unique content is in demand more than ever.
I’d say that if you’re going to create content, then it has to be original.
It has to stand out.
Otherwise, it’s a waste of time.
But IF your content is engaging and original, you will stand out from the pack and build a valuable audience made up of prospects and customers.
You’ll go from chasing prospects to attracting them to you, your business, or your organization.
How do you create engaging and original content?
That’s what my “31 Types of Content We Crave” training is all about.
If you’ve enjoyed my Christmas content marketing lessons and want to know how to create more unique and engaging content, then don’t miss the special offer to attend my “31 Types of Content We Crave” webinar at a special price.
I’ll not only allow you attend for a special price, I’ll also:
Give you a free PDF copy of my book 51 Content Marketing Hacks
Send you the recording after the webinar
Allow you to invite any of your staff to attend with you (or in your place)
If you’re interested in being a part of the webinar, or just want more details on the date, time, etc., then DM me on LinkedIn.
What I am about to tell you might, at first, be shocking, but please hear me out.
Because once you understand the full impact of this truth, it could change how you create content — and how it positively impacts your business.
You might think that one of thereasons your business isn’t more successful is because prospects and customers are rejecting you.
The fact is that this is probably not true. (Unless you have a generic or lousy product, then you’re right. They are rejecting you.)
The real reason you’re not more successful could be something as simple as this:They don’t remember you. (See the 10th marketing fundamental.)
Let me tell you a story to illustrate just how important memory is to successful content marketing (and a successful business)…
A Tragedy Spawns History’s Greatest Memory Technique
The great Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero aka “Cicero” was the first to record a legendary story about the discovery of a memorization method that has been used by people throughout history — and is still used by top “memory athletes” today.
Once, a poet named Simonides of Ceos was dining at the house of a wealthy nobleman named Scopas. He was there to recite a poem that he’d composed in honor of his host.
As was the custom in his day, he included a long passage referring to Castor and Pollux (twins who were commonly mentioned in Greek and Roman mythologies).
However, this large inclusion in the middle of his poem made Scopas angry, so he told Simonides that he’d only pay him half the fee agreed on for the poem.
Simonides returned to his seat at the banquet table very frustrated with Scopas. But what happened next, would be something he could never have imagined, even in his wildest dreams.
Not long after this disagreement, Simonides received a message that two young men were standing at Scopas’ door, anxiously wanting to see him. Simonides got up from his seat and went out to meet them.
The strange thing was that once he got to the door, no one seemed to be there. Just as he stood outside looking for them, a horrible tragedy occurred.
The roof of the hall where Scopas had been giving the banquet caved in, killing Scopas and everyone else inside. Later, when their friends were digging through the rubble, they couldn’t find the bodies of their loved ones, or even tell them apart, because they had been completely crushed.
It was because of this horrible tragedy that history’s greatest memory method was discovered. How?
Because Simonides was able to identify where each person would be found in the rubble by remembering where each of them had been while reclining at the table a few moments before.
Later, as he thought about this experience, it suddenly hit him: Our minds have an incredible ability to remember things spatially.
He realized that if he replaced the people sitting at the table with important items or ideas, he could remember those items just as easily as he recalled who was sitting where.
Thus, the concept of the “memory palace” was created, and from that moment on, it has been one of the most popular memorization tools people have had.
Now, hold onto this thought, because I’ll be coming back to it in just a minute.
It’s Not Personal
As I mentioned above, the reason that your prospects and customers might not be buying from you could simply be a problem of memory.
In other words, you’re not on the top of their mind when they need the service or product you’re offering. And if your prospects and customers can’t remember you in their time of need, you may as well not even exist to them.
When you realize that one of the biggest problems your business faces may just be a memory problem, then you will understand that your most important task in business is to become more memorable.
This is as fundamental to successful content marketing (and marketing, on the whole) as any other tool or technique.
Moonwalking with Einstein
Many years ago, I read a really interesting book by Joshua Foer called Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything.
Though this book has nothing to do with content marketing, it still contains a powerful truth that every content marketer should be familiar with:
“The principle underlying all memory techniques is that our brains don’t remember all types of information equally well.”
– Joshua Foer in Moonwalking with Einstein
He says that while we are good at remembering visual imagery, we may not be as good at remembering words or numbers.
Basically, he feels the secret of “memory athletes” is the ability to transform the things we want to remember into the kinds of memories our brains were built to remember well.
Don’t miss this point, because it’s just as important for content marketers as it is for memory athletes.
The key to getting our content marketing noticed and consumed, instead of being ignored by the reticular activating system, is to create content that our brains were built to remember.
How do you accomplish this? Foer’s words also reveal a solution:
“The general idea with most memory techniques is tochange whatever boring thing is being inputted into your memory into something that is so colorful, so exciting, and so different from anything you’ve seen before that you can’t possibly forget it.”
– Joshua Foer in Moonwalking with Einstein
The Good News for Content Marketers
The good news is that, if it is used effectively, content marketing is perfect for making your business more memorable. But the key is to use it effectively.
As I always say, you cannot create generic content and expect to see results. It will never grab your audience’s attention or be memorable. You must create content that is unique and memorable. And here are five suggestions on ways you can do just that:
Harness the power of case studies: As I said before, stories are a powerful tool that we all need to leverage, because our minds seem to be intrinsically wired to remember them. Case studies don’t just present prospects with words and numbers they won’t remember — they tell stories that flesh out the words and numbers you use to describe your business, and give them context. This isn’t just a much more powerful way to convey information, it a much more memorable way, too.
Harness the power of repetition: Strangers aren’t memorable to us, but we do remember people we have met and liked. You want your business to become something that consumers know, like, and trust. The way to do this as a business is the same way you do this as a person: You need to keep in touch with people you want to be remembered by. You must use content to keep in regular touch with your prospects and customers. You can do this through email, blog posts, podcasts, or video posts. Repetition is a strong memory tool, so it’s essential that you frequently and consistently place your content in front of your prospects and customers.
Harness the power of descriptions: Our minds are adept at remembering things we can picture — this includes images, of course, but it also pertains to words that are highly descriptive. For this reason, it’s key that you use visuals and descriptions in your content (even if you are trying to present analytic or other data-rich information). Descriptive words help your prospects “see” and understand what you’re talking about. This means you will want to use analogies, adjectives, and any other comparisons in your content as much as possible, so your readers will be able to better lock it into their memories.
Harness the power of imagination: This next method is similar to the last one in some ways, but moves beyond just descriptive words. Simonides realized that our minds are adept at remembering things in terms of spatial relationships. Similarly, content marketers can tap into the power of imagination to form memorable bonds between businesses and customers. In other words, you want to create content that will encourage your prospects to imagine what it is like to do business with you — to use your products or services and to experience the positive results this relationship will bring. By doing this, customers can, in a sense, experience your business in relation to their needs, which will enable them to remember you on a deeper level.
Harness the power of voice: The final content marketing method I want to encourage you to use relies on the power that comes from using your own, unique voice. Remember that Foer said that the general idea of all memory techniques is to change something “boring” into something that’s “so colorful, so exciting, and so different from anything you’ve seen before that you can’t possibly forget it”? That’s what writing (or speaking) in your own voice will do to your content. It makes your content stand out from the boring “me too” content. It will make it more interesting, and most of all, memorable.
Once you realize that one of your most overlooked business problems is likely a memory problem (not an “interest” problem) and you recognize how poorly our minds remember abstract words and numbers, you’ll come to realize how vital it is that we focus on becoming more memorable in our content marketing.
While the five ideas above are just suggestions, there are plenty of other ways to make content more memorable. If you have your own ideas, we would love it if you could post them in the comments.
You Won’t Believe Me But You Don’t Mind Being Upsold
What would you think if, while you were in the process of purchasing something, a company tried 10 different times to get you to buy something else to add to your cart?
Would you be ok with it or mad about it? I bet you answered, “Mad!!”
Really? What if I don’t think you would be mad? In fact, what if I told you that I think you would be fine with it?
Not only that, what if I had the nerve to tell you that I think you’d not only be fine with it, you’d go back to that company to buy from them again and again?
And what if I was crazy enough to tell you that I had proof that I was right and you were wrong?
You’ve probably figured this out already. But let me spell it for you in case anyone got left behind and hasn’t caught on yet.
The company I’m talking about is Amazon. And pretty much all of you reading this have purchased something from them. Not once, but over and over again.
Believe it or not, Amazon makes AT LEAST 10 upsells when you go to purchase something.
You are so not bothered by them upselling you that I bet you didn’t even realize they were making that many upsells to you! (Confession: I didn’t realize it until I counted them.)
I bring up Amazon for two reasons:
People don’t hate having a business or company upsell them. They only hate it if it’s done improperly or in an annoying way.
Amazon can teach us some powerful ways to implement upselling in a way that’s pleasurable and not annoying.
If you stick with me, I’ll show you the 10 upsells that Amazon made to me when I went to purchase a book.
And I will show you how you can implement these in your own business or company. Are you ready?
The 10 Powerful Ways Amazon Ethically Increases Their Profit Per Customer
Before I share the ten powerful methods that Amazon uses to increase their profit per customer, I want you to understand something important that I noticed.
Amazon doesn’t just upsell all at once. They upsell in two distinct phases.
Amazon’s Unique Two-Phase Upsell Strategy
Their two-phase strategy has a before and after focus:
Before You Choose an Item – They offer upsells as you are shopping or browsing for what you want to purchase.
After You Choose an Item – They offer upsells after you choose an item you want to buy.
This is really important. Because many online retailers offer upsells only as you’re checking out. On the other hand, Amazon doesn’t make any upsells once I click “Proceed to checkout.”
Upselling at check out can feel intrusive because it disrupts the purchasing flow. That can bother people, especially if you make multiple upsell offers during the checkout process.
I wonder what would happen if other e-commerce businesses tested making their upsell offers before the checkout?
Would it enable them to make even more upsells like Amazon does? Or would it lessen the cart value? Let me know if you test this. I’d love to hear your results.
With this two-phase upsell strategy in mind, let me now reveal the ten powerful ways Amazon uses upsells that I discovered.
The first four upsells all happen before you even add anything to your cart…
1. The social proof upsell
The social proof upsell
The first upsell they make is made before you even have chosen something to put into your cart. And it’s an interesting one to start with.
Before I even chose to put this book in my cart, Amazon was already suggesting that I not just buy this book. They’re already suggesting that I buy two other books too.
But this is important. They don’t make this suggestion as one that comes directly from them. They use social proof to do this.
In a sense, they’re saying, “In case you’re wondering, this is what other a lot of other people are buying along with that book you’re looking at.”
This is really smart. Because we are always making purchasing choices based on what we see and/or hear other people are buying.
Everyone’s buying an iPhone with AirPods? I want to do that! Everyone’s going to see the new Spiderman: No Way Home movie? I want to go see it too. Everyone’s buying EV cars? I wonder why? I think I should look into that too.
LESSON 1: Make sure that you are using upsells based on social proof.
Tap into this natural way that influences how we all make purchases. But make sure that you do this in an honest, helpful way. Don’t ever do this in a way that’s deceptive or manipulative.
NOTE: Make sure to check out the hidden upsell method that I reveal at the end of this article. It taps into this same social proof method. (I didn’t notice it because it’s not obvious until you click on something.)
2. The soft sell upsell
The soft sell upsell
The second upsell they make before you choose what to put in your cart is a soft sell upsell. They’re not saying, “Hey! You need this. Don’t leave here without buying this too!!”
No, instead they’re just making a suggestion, “I see you’re looking at this item. If you are interested in something like that, you might also like any of these.”
I want you to also notice again that they’re suggesting I buy more than one thing before I even choose what I want to buy.
LESSON 2: When you make an upsell before someone has chosen what they want to buy, do it as a suggestion, not as a command.
This soft sell method is a great one to begin implementing. Why?
Because we all appreciate suggestions. None of us like it when a salesperson rudely tries to force us to buy something.
Our first instinct when we’re suggested something is to listen and consider it. Our first instinct, when forced to choose something, is to reject it just as forcefully.
3. The sponsored upsell
The sponsored upsell
Until I started putting together this article, I never noticed what makes the third upsell so unique. It looks to me like these particular upsells are all ads that people have paid for to get their book suggested.
Think about that for a second. That means that Amazon is making money whether someone takes the upsell offer or not!
This is an amazing way to offer an upsell that I’ve never thought of before.
LESSON 3: Is there a way that you can offer a sponsored upsell by offering a non-competitive product that another company would pay you just to offer?
Think of what a game-changer that could be for your business. You’d be able to add more profit per customer whether someone takes the upsell offer or not.
And, depending on you set up the agreement, if they do take the offer, it could mean even more profit for you.
4. The low barrier USP upsell
The low barrier USP upsell
The fourth upsell that Amazon makes is one that comes after someone has scrolled down below the product details and the author description.
That seems to be important to me. If someone has scrolled this far down, there might be two opposing reasons for this:
A. They’re unsure about purchasing the item they’re looking at. B. Or they’re really excited/interested in it and they want to know every detail about it.
Regardless of which reason it is, Amazon makes what I would call a low barrier upsell. It’s an upsell that doesn’t feel difficult for the customer to say yes to.
Don’t miss this though.
It’s not just a low barrier upsell, it also points to what makes Amazon unique: free shipping via Prime. (*I have Prime so I don’t know whether they use this upsell with people who don’t have Prime.)
When they see someone is unsure about the item they’re considering, they basically say, “If you aren’t sure about that item, these are some similar items that would be easy (not as costly, less complicated) to get.”
This is smart because if someone is about to give up on the item that they were about to buy, offering a similar low barrier upsell will give them something else to purchase instead. (In a way, this is a down sell.)
And if someone is really interested in the item and scrolls down to see this upsell, it’s an exciting additional purchase they can add to their cart.
I also love that Amazon’s low barrier upsell is tied to what makes Amazon different in the marketplace.
LESSON 4: Come up with low barrier upsells for people who are unsure about what to purchase and/or for your committed buyers. And do your best to tie these upsells into what makes your business or company unique!
This will help you to not lose a customer. It will also help your unsure customer to get something similar to what that they needed/wanted. And it will help your committed buyers to have additional solutions and benefits to their purchase.
PHASE 2: AFTER YOU ADD AN ITEM TO YOUR CART
The next upsells all happen after you add something to your cart…
5. The sponsored upsell – Take two
The sponsored upsell again
For the fifth upsell, Amazon does something surprising. They offer the “sponsored” upsell again. I would’ve never even thought to do one sponsored upsell.
But Amazon doesn’t just offer one of these upsells, they offer two of them.
That means that Amazon is getting paid TWICE whether or not anyone takes one of their upsell offers or not.
LESSON 5: Figure out how you can use sponsored upsells before and after someone adds something to their cart.
Think of how this could change your business and let that be your incentive to figure out how to creatively do the same thing,
6. The “more of what you like” upsell
The “more of what you like” upsell
For the sixth upsell, Amazon takes a different tactic. They don’t try to convince you that you need or want some random, additional product.
Instead, they just let you know about new items from authors you’ve already purchased from before.
LESSON 6: Make sure that you are tracking customer purchases so that you can offer them more of what they’ve already shown interest in.
The cool thing about this upsell is that your customers will end up being thankful for the recommendation and more of them will take your upsell offer in the process.
7. The peer pressure upsell
The peer pressure upsell
The seventh upsell is a different take on upsell #1 The social proof upsell. This is where Amazon is again tapping into the part of us that makes decisions based on popularity or what others are doing.
The thing I want you to notice is that they first used this type of upsell at the very beginning of this process before you even put anything in your cart.
Now they’re doing it again after you’ve added an item to your cart. But, again, they’re doing it in a very casual way.
LESSON 7: Think of ways you can use customer purchase habits to make suggestions to your customers that can give them insights into what others are purchasing.
But the key with this is to do it like Amazon does, in a very casual, non-pressured way.
8. The more to explore upsell
The more to explore upsell
The eighth upsell Amazon makes gives you even more suggestions based on your purchase history. But notice the difference in this upsell and upsell #6, the “more of what you like” upsell.
Instead of just suggesting new items from an author you’ve already purchased before, they are now making suggestions of additional books from other similar authors.
LESSON 8: Make sure that you don’t usecustomer purchase history to just offer them more of what they’ve already shown they like.Use it to also make recommendations of similar items from different providers or suppliers.
This is a great way to serve your customers while making an upsell.
Why? Because you’re educating them on other products from other providers that are similar to what they already like.
9. The mind reader upsell
The mind reader upsell
The ninth upsell Amazon makes is not made based on your purchase history. It’s made on your browsing history. This is an interesting upsell to make it.
It seems to be based on the idea that people are giving hints to the types of things that they care about by the things that they’ve paid attention to in the past.
That means you don’t have to just guess about the things to upsell your customers.
Your customer’s previous browsing history enables you to almost read their minds and make powerful upsell recommendations inspired by this history.
LESSON 9: Realize that your customer’s past browsing behavior provides powerful insights that can help you to make upsell recommendations that your customers will be more likely to say yes to.
This should go without saying. But that means that you need to begin paying attention to, and begin gathering, your customer’s browsing history and not just their purchase history.
If you’re not currently doing that, start doing it today.
10. The telegraphed upsell
The telegraphed upsell
For the tenth upsell, Amazon also taps into that same browsing history.
But instead of making a recommendation that is inspired by that history, they make a direct recommendation of something you looked at but didn’t purchase.
This seems to be based on the knowledge that people often look at an item multiple times before purchasing it.
Because Amazon understands this, they don’t assume just because you didn’t purchase something last time, you won’t purchase it this time.
LESSON 10: If your customers have been to your business, company, or website before, there’s a good chance that they’ve already telegraphed the exact things they’ll be interested in buying in the future.
Your job is to just pay attention to these hints and then recommend these unpurchased items to them when they come back to purchase from you again.
BONUS: Amazon’s hidden upsell offer
When I was studying Amazon’s upsell methods, I thought I had noticed and noted all of their upsells.
That was until I just happened to click on something and discover a hidden upsell offer. It happened when I clicked on the “Look Inside” feature for the $100M Offer book.
I then began reading the preview of the book. When I got to the end of the preview, I came across something I wasn’t expecting…
Amazon’s hidden upsell offer
It was a hidden upsell that seemed to be designed specifically for two purposes:
It was designed for someone who was interested enough in the book to take a look at its contents.
It was designed to get that person aware of more books they could also buy.
BONUS LESSON: What are some ways that you can make a special offer to people who express their deep interest in a product?
If you can figure out how to creatively answer that question, you’ll have a chance to test how this kind of offer can impact your profit per customer in a way that most of your competitors will never think of.
Why I Think Amazon’s Upsells Work So Well
After discovering these upsells Amazon has been making right under my nose – without me even noticing it or being bothered by it – I asked myself this question…
How is it possible that Amazon can make 11 upsells and I not only don’t get upset about it, I gladly keep buying from them?
I’ve thought about it and I’ve come up with these four reasons:
The upsells never feel forced on us.
They are always something we’re in control of.
At any point, we can stop the upsells or continue to look at more of them.
They are presented in a non-pressured and even pleasant way.
The reason that upsells from other companies seem to bother us so much is because they feel forced on us.
We don’t feel like we have any say about how many we see. And we definitely feel pressured to take them.
The upsells from these companies feel involuntary and Amazon’s feel voluntary.
I would encourage you to really think about how Amazon uniquely uses upsells.
Because I believe these upsell methods are one of the key reasons that Jeff Bezos was able to build Amazon into such a successful and profitable company.
If that’s true…
What does Amazon know about upsells that everyone else doesn’t?
My article today will be short, sweet, and to the point. Because I only have one goal.
I want to show you that upselling isn’t just good for companies and businesses. It’s actually good for customers too. I’ll show you what I mean in just a second.
But before you read any further, I need you to not think like a marketer, business owner, or company.
I need you to read the rest of the article today as a customer. Ok? If you’re in the right mindset, scroll down and continue reading.
REMINDER: My Definition of Upselling From My Last Article
What is Upselling? – I consider upselling to be when you encourage customers to purchase an additional or comparably high-end product or service they need or want, while they are in the process of purchasing a product or service from you.
Let’s say that a strange law was passed. It’s a law that said you could ONLY buy one item or service per store or website.
That means that if you wanted anything else, you’d have to go to another store/website to get the item.
That would also mean that you couldn’t get any benefits (saving time or bulk purchases) from purchasing more than one item/service from the same place.
Because of this law, companies, businesses, or websites can’t even let you know about an additional product or service that you will probably need or want with the purchase you’re making.
Now that you have that imaginary situation in your mind, I have some questions for you:
How would you like it if you were only allowed to buy one item or service per store or website you visit?
Would that situation allow the best use of your time and money?
Would it even enable you, or would it limit you, from fully enjoying purchasing from people/places you like and trust the most?
How happy would you be to continually to find out after the fact that you purchased something that needed another item to work or work best?
How happy would you be find out afterward that there was a service that could help you with your purchase, but instead you had to figure it out on your own?
Let’s be real. You wouldn’t like this kind of law. You’d complain about it to friends and family. Why?
You wouldn’t feel that being forced to go to multiple places to buy things is the greatest use of your time or money.
And, most of all, you wouldn’t be happy because you couldn’t spend all or most of your money only with the people, businesses, or companies that you like and trust.
But since that law doesn’t exist, you can buy more than one product or service from a company.
That means that businesses and companies can upsell you and offer you more of what you want and/or more of what they know would be helpful to you.
Best of all, since they’re allowed to sell you more than one thing, they can offer you a better deal as an incentive to encourage you to take the offer.
That ends up being good for you (you save some money and time) and it’s good for the business or company (they can make more profit per customer).
There have been many times when I walked away extremely happy with the deal I got from an upsell offer and was thankful that the company or business made that offer to me.
Of course, upselling is good for companies. There’s no denying that. But let’s not forget that upselling is good for us as customers too.
As long as upselling is done in an honest and fair way, it’s good for business and it’s good and even enjoyable for consumers.
8 Powerful Ways to Ethically Increase Your Profit Per Customer
In my next article, I will prove that upselling can be enjoyable for customers by exposing a way that you’re being upsold to on a regular basis… and you don’t even realize it.
I’ll also reveal ways you as a business owner or company can ethically increase your profit per customer.
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How would you like to make money today from what you will sell in the future?
Think of it as being able to travel into the future and borrow money from the sales your future self is making. Does that sound interesting to you?
Well, pay close attention. Because even though this sounds like a fantasy, it’s a reality. It can all be done by making a simple offer to every customer.
I will explain what I mean in the true story you’re about to read.
I wanted to remind you about this quote because today I’m going to continue to reveal some things to you about upsells. I’m particular, I’m going to show you a powerful upsell you might be overlooking.
An Ingenious Upsell Offer from a Local Burger Joint
The other night, my family and I were out driving around and decided to grab dinner.
The original place we planned on going to wasn’t available so we decided to drive around to see what else we could find.
We ended up trying a burger place I’ve seen many times but never tried: Big Bun Drive In in Boise, Idaho. (It’s been around since 1954.) I got a bacon cheeseburger that was really good.
But what impressed me even more than the burger I got was the upsell offer that the guy over the loudspeaker made to me.
–This Section is for Any of You Who Aren’t Sure What Upselling Means–
What is Upselling? – I consider upselling to be when you encourage customers to purchase an additional or comparably high-end product or service they need or want, while they are in the process of purchasing a product or service from you.
There are three key things that I want you to notice in my definition:
1. “related to the product or service” – I consider an upsell to be an offer that encourages the purchase of something related or connected to what’s being purchased.
2. “needor want” – You should never offer anyone something that isn’t needed, helpful, or not wanted.
3. “in the process of purchasing” – Finally, I consider upselling to take place while a customer is purchasing from you. It’s not an offer made after the sale is complete and your customer has left your website or place of business.
—
The Ingenious Upsell Offer They Made Me
As I finished my order, the young guy on the other end of the speaker asked me an interesting question….
He said, “Is this your first time here?” I said, “Yes, it is.” He replied, “Well, we know you’re going to like what you’re about to eat. So we’d like to offer you a $25 gift card – that you can use the next time you come in, for only $20.”
I didn’t take his offer but I was still very impressed by it. Let me explain why:
He was encouraging me to come back and purchase again in the future by making me an offer today. (It was essentially a 20% off offer on my next $25 purchase.)
Unlike Big Bun Drive In, most business owners only hope, pray, or wish that customers come back. They don’t give their customers any incentive to actually come back.
He was making an offer that enables the business owner to literally collect money today for a purchase that will be made in the future. (This is money that can be used today. It doesn’t depend on waiting until the customer is ready or remembers to come back.)
Unlike Big Bun Drive In, most businesses have to wait until the future to collect any money from their current customers. Think about how unpredictable this typical business strategy is compared to the upsell strategy that was offered to me.
I Know What You’re Thinking
I can read some of your minds right now. You’re thinking, “Yeah, but you didn’t take them up on the offer?”
Who cares?
Not everyone has to take this offer in order for it to still bring great results for a business like this. I’ll prove it to you.
How Much Additional Profit That Upsell Could Bring In
Let’s break down some of the potential numbers so you can see what I mean.
Restaurant profit margins can typically span anywhere from 0 – 15% profit. (Source: Pos.toasttab.com)
Let’s say Big Bun Drive In makes 5% profit spent using the $25 gift card. That’s $1.25.
The average restaurant processes around 47 transactions daily. (Source: Womply.com)
To make things easy, let’s say Big Bun Drive In makes 50 transactions a day. Again to keep the math simple, let’s assume they make a similar offer to regular customers. (I don’t have the desire or energy to try to figure out how many new customers come a day. Haha.)
Let’s say that only 20% of the people take them up on the offer.
50 transactions x .20 = 10 customers
That’s 10 transactions x $1.25 in profit = $12.50.
$12.50 x 7 days a week = $87.50 a week.
$87.50 x 52 weeks a year = $4550 in PROFIT a year
That’s an extra $4550 in profit a year from one upsell offer. And, remember, that’s assuming a low profit margin and only 50 transactions a day.
Just think how these numbers change if they have a 10% profit margin, have 100 transactions a day, and 25% of people take the offer. (I think that’s $22,750 in profit a year but do the math yourself. 🙂 )
(DISCLAIMER: As of the time I’m writing this article, I don’t know the owners of Big Bug Drive In. I have no clue how much profit they’re actually making. I just can tell that they’re smart marketers.)
Three Important Things to Remember
But don’t forget the beauty of this upsell offer:
This is all profit that they get in the present without having to wait until the customers come back.
Not only that, think about how many of their first-time customers convert to regular customers after eating their twice.
Making this offer doesn’t cost them anything!
But My Business Is Different…
I don’t have the time to explain how and why other types of businesses or companies (online, offline, or a combination of both) can make money with a similar offer.
To show you how your particular business or company could apply this basic idea, we’d have to set up a time for a consultation.
But I will tell you this. Any business can offer a similar offer. You just need to be creative.
You need to ask yourself, “How can I apply this to our business?” instead of thinking, “I can’t apply this to my business.”
Stay tuned. In my next article, I will share some more ideas you need to understand in order to implement the8th marketing fundamental you need to succeed in 2021.
Catch Up on What You Missed in This Series
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Invisible Marketing: Content Marketing is Everywhere
I’ve been involved in writing and teaching content marketing for over a decade.
For that reason, I can’t NOT see content marketing being used everywhere. In fact, I see content marketing being used where most people completely miss it.
That’s what I mean when I use the term “invisible marketing.” Here’s an example…
Progressive Is Using Content Marketing?
I was watching TV yesterday and minding my own business. All of a sudden, a commercial came on that I wasn’t expecting.
It was a Progressive commercial featuring my favorite guy: Dr. Rick. You know him. He’s the self-help guru who helps homeowners to avoid becoming like their parents.
But it wasn’t one of the regular commercials I’ve seen and liked before. It was a commercial that caused my content marketing sensor to start going off.
It was a commercial for a book by the fictional Dr. Rick has written.
The reason my content marketing radar went off is because, even though Dr. Rick is just an actor (played by Bill Glass), it seemed to me like this commercial was an offer for a real book.
So I decided to go on Progressive’s website and learn more about it. And I couldn’t believe what I found.
It appeared to be a page that you’d create to sell a real book. It even had sales copy that mentioned: “while supplies last.”
I couldn’t resist. I had to see if it was a real book. So, I decided to click the “Buy Now” button.
Before I tell you what happened, I need to make sure you understand why Progressive selling a book was seen as content marketing for me.
Progressive’s page for Dr. Rick Will See You Now
SIDEBAR: How is a book a form of content marketing?
There are many ways that a book can be a form of content marketing. First, you need to remember what content marketing actually is at its core.
Here is my personal definition of content marketing…
My Personal Definition – Content marketing is the creation (or curation) of engaging content for the express purpose of gaining the attention and favor of a certain group, so that they will be persuaded to do business with an individual, business, or organization.
If you want to learn more about ways that I book can be used as content marketing to position you or your company, check out my post on my site RecessionSolution.com called Content Marketing And A New Purpose For Books.
What Happened When I Clicked the “Buy Now” Button
When I clicked the button, I saw that the cost of the book was $0.00. When I saw that, I thought, “Wait a minute. Is it possible that Progressive is offering a ‘free plus shipping offer?'”
I’ve never seen a major company like Progressive use a free plus shipping offer. I began to get excited just thinking that they might have used this type of offer.
(Ok, now you really know I’m a “marketing nerd.” I see content marketing everywhere and I get excited about the idea of major companies using direct response offers. Look away from me! I can’t take your judging glares!)
My already fast-beating heart was about to begin beating even faster from what I discovered next.
SIDEBAR: What’s a “free plus shipping offer?
A “free plus shipping” offer is a direct response offer that has been around for a long time. But it has been made extremely popular in the online world by Russell Brunson.
People who use this offer offer a book (or other product) for free and ask people to just pay for shipping.
After a person fills out their information and pays for the shipping offer, they are usually taken to one or more special offers where the person is encouraged to purchase an additional, related offer.
Are “free plus shipping” offers effective? You would think that by offering a product for free and only having people pay for shipping that you wouldn’t make any money.
But that’s not true. People who use these types of offers effectively have made large amounts of money.
Did Progressive Use a “Free Plus Shipping Offer”?
I had to see if they actually did. So I clicked “Add to Cart” and then the “Continue Shopping” button.
What I saw next confirmed my suspicion. They had three options for me to pay for my book to be shipped to me.
It was a free plus shipping offer! Awesome.
I filled out my credit card information, then I clicked the “Continue to Payment” button and filled out my payment information.
I did this because I want to see the book itself. I want to see if there’s any marketing in the book itself. I also want to see what type(s) of marketing Progressives uses after they send me the book.
So, I clicked on the “Pay Now” button to finish my order.
What Happened After I Clicked “Pay Now”
At this point, I was still waiting anxiously to see if Progressive was going to make me an additional offer like a typical “free plus shipping offer” does.
Guess what? They did. It wasn’t executed the way I hoped it would be but it was still an additional offer.
They offered a chance for me to shop for other Progressive products.
They have cool, branded products like a Flo costume or a Jamie costume and many other products. They even have a Mrs. Flo-Tato Head! You can see the products here.
I Can’t Wait to Get My Book and See What Happens Next
I already really liked the Dr. Rick commercials.
But I’m very impressed that Progressive is using content marketing in the form of a book and direct response marketing techniques in the form of a ‘free plus shipping” offer.
Now, I’m excited to get my book Dr. Rick Will See You Now! I can’t wait to get see what other cool marketing Progressive uses.
P.S. After looking more into this commercial and offer, I discovered it’s been out since late October. I don’t know why I never saw it until now!
The 12 Marketing Fundamentals You Need to Succeed in 2021
It’s been said that a 30-second commercial shown during the 2020 Super Bowl cost advertisers $5.6 million.
That’s a LOT of money! Normally, most of us rate the best Super Bowl commercials based solely on what commercials are the most entertaining.
What I Thought the Three Best 2020 Super Bowl Commercials Were (Based on EntertainmentValue)
Based on just being the most entertaining, I personally thought these were the best Super Bowl commercials this year…
Smaht Pahk | 2020 Hyundai Sonata | Hyundai
Cheetos® | Can’t Touch This | SUPER BOWL LIV OFFICIAL EXTENDED VIDEO
Jason Momoa Super Bowl Commercial 2020 | Rocket Mortgage
For us as individuals, entertainment is a fine criterion for a great Super Bowl commercial.
But if you’re a company spending $5.6 million dollars on a Super Bowl commercial, then the only criteria that really matters is whether the commercial helps you to sell more and/or gains more leads.
Look, if your business or company has a lot of money and the product or service you offer is:
A commodity
Inexpensive and therefore doesn’t require much risk to purchase it
Or is typically purchased not long after someone desires it (i.e. has a very short buying cycle)
… then you will probably see some results from strictly using brand advertising like Coca-Cola does.
Otherwise, the wisest, best kind of Super Bowl ad for you to use is:
The kind of ad that makes an offer
The kind that asks for a direct way for people to respond to it
Why are these the best and smartest type of Super Bowl ads for companies?
There are two reasons:
1. You can capture leads. 2. You can measure the effectiveness of your ads.
Without an offer or direct way for people to respond, there’s no real way to capture leads or know if your Super Bowl commercial is effective or not.
What I Thought the Best 2020 Super Bowl Commercials Were (Based on Potential for ROI)
With that in mind, here are what I think were the best (aka most effective) 2020 Super Bowl commercials (in no particular order).
1. Winona in Winona (Big Game 2020 Extended Commercial) | Squarespace
Why did I choose the Winonan/Squarespace commercial?
It had an indirect offer by adding a URL at the end.
And they used the curiosity factor as a way to encourage you to visit the URL.
2.QuickBooks Happy Business: Karate Kid Live Bookkeeping
Why did I choose the QuickBooks Live commercial?
This is one of the few videos that had a direct offer. The offer was “Get set up with a Live Bookkeeper.”
FULL DISCLOSURE: I work for Intuit but I would’ve chosen this ad even if I didn’t.
3.Loretta | Google Super Bowl Commercial 2020
Why did I choose the Google/Loretta commercial?
This ad made you want to use Google and in that sense had an indirect offer.
4. Best Thing Since Sliced Bread | Little Caesars Big Game Extended Cut
Why did I choose the Sliced Bread/Little Caesars commercial?
People love to eat during and after the Super Bowl and this commercial indirectly showed you a way to fulfill that desire, right away.
5.P&G Presents: When We Come Together, an Interactive Super Bowl Party, America’s Choice
Why did I choose P & G/We Come Together commercial?
I chose this because they included a URL at the end of the commercial and created a whole interactive website.This again was an indirect offer.
6. Facebook Groups: Ready to Rock? I Super Bowl 2020
Why did I choose the Facebook Groups/Ready to Rock commercial?
Because this commercial used social proof as an indirect incentive to get you to try Facebook Groups.
How Could Any of These Ads Be Made Better?
If I wanted to improve any of these commercials, I would test three things:
Adding more benefits that customers gain from the productor service
Give a more specific call to action
Adding a reason for people to respond now
Most Powerful and Effective Ad During the Whole 2020 Super Bowl?
But possibly the most effective 2020 Super Bowl ad wasn’t a commercial at all. It was seeing all of the people at the Super Bowl using Verizon’s 5G service.
I thought that was really powerful. And if 5G was really as amazing as it’s supposed to be, they probably also created a lot of word-of-mouth from anyone who used it at the game. Because they went home and told all their friends how cool it was.
What Do You Think?
Did I miss a commercial that you thought was effective (not just entertaining?
Do you agree with my criteria for what makes the best Super Bowl commercial based on ROI?
What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial just based on entertainment value?
But, in her words, she was “shipped off to study in other places”. Her studies involved a large variety of things such as cognitive science, communications, and ethnomethodology.
She eventually found herself living in the San Francisco Bay Area. And you’re not going to believe this, but after all of the education she received, she discovered that her real passion was food.
That’s why in 2005 she took an unbelievable risk. She quit her Silicon Valley job to pursue a career in food.
But what kind of career in food can someone who is not a skilled chef have? She decided to start a food blog she called chezpim.com, where she would write about her visits to some of the world’s best restaurants.
So she began creating content: writing, reporting, and taking photos about her love: food.
On her blog, she chronicled what she told FoodandWine.com was, “culinary adventures from street stalls around Southeast Asia to my longtime favorite Michelin three-star, L’Arpège in Paris.”
The Unbelievable Results of Content
In was through this blog that she became one of the early food bloggers to gain widespread praise for her blog. She ended up accumulating more than 142,000 regular readers who signed up for daily recipes, restaurant reviews and to hear her opinions on food.
Her recipes, writings, and photographs ended up appearing in the New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, Bon Appétit magazine, and more.
One other surprising thing came from her blog: she met her longtime partner, David Kinch, who is the chef-owner of Manresa in Los Gatos. (It was through a comment on her blog that their relationship began.)
In the spring of 2014, Pim took a huge leap. She opened her own restaurant, Kin Khao in San Francisco, whose mission was in her words to “liberate” Thai cuisine from “the tyranny of peanut sauce.”
What was her inspiration?
She couldn’t find any good food like she ate in Bangkok.
That inspired her to begin learning the recipes for her favorite dishes by calling her relatives back home and on her annual trips back to Thailand.
And that leads to the most amazing part of this whole story…
The Michelin Rating
This year, Kin Khao received the highest praise: a 1-star Michelin rating. (1 star: Very good food). This is the rating from the MICHELIN Guide:
Don’t let its covert location fool you-Kin Khao is a flagrantly delicious and very distinctive dining room. The décor is unexceptional by no uncertain terms, but really nobody seems to care, as the cooking-punctuated by Californian elements and welcome seasonality-is the real deal. Northern Thai is what this kitchen is all about and pad Thai-loving palates should vacate these premises…pronto. Of course, the unique menu reads like a veritable thesis on Isaan food mingled with California love. Then there’s the easygoing and chill staff who never miss a beat-as they bestow tables with vibrant, product-driven plates. These have included crispy lima beans tossed in nam tok followed by crunchy albeit not as “hot” chicken wings massaged with tamarind and chili. Pork meatballs seasoned with garlic and lemongrass (laab tod) are enriched by a phenomenal chili (jaew) sauce; while a gorgeous platter of crunchy vegetables is accompanied by a jar of the incredible nam prik (potent with shrimp paste) layered with caramelized pork jowl, fried catfish, and a salted duck egg. Panang curry with tender-braised duck is a champ among palates less valiant. Closing arguments may reveal that this is a truly Thai kitchen turning out insanely memorable food. All objections overruled.
But you need to remember how this all began with content. It didn’t begin with cooking lessons. It began with her creating content based on what she loved.
There are many lessons we can learn from Pim, but here are four important content marketing lessons that I thought I’d point out:
Get started. Sitting around thinking about creating content doesn’t impact your life like action does.
Use a variety of content. She posted recipes, reviews, pictures, etc. Don’t get stuck one main form of content.
Interact with your fans. That’s how she met David! You never know what connections you can make when you interact with your audience on your blog, on social media, etc.
Use content to establish your authority in the market. She wrote articles for top magazines and eventually wrote her own book. These things elevated her in her niche and helped her blog to reach the #6 slot on a “50 0f the Best Blogs in the World” list.
Pim’s story is a powerful example of content marketing.
Next time you’re wondering, “Can this content marketing stuff really help?” Remember Pim’s story.
Most of us tend to focus on what we want to receive/get more than what we are giving. It’s human nature.
That’s why, when it comes to marketing, many companies and marketers focus mainly on what they can receive from a prospect or customer.
That’s what most people, companies, and marketers do. So, if you want you, your company, or your marketing to stand out, you ought to consider a different game plan.
Focus on what everyone else is ignoring: giving.
When you do, you, your marketing, or your company will stand out in the most amazing way. As the late, great Zig Ziglar once said…
“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”
– Zig Ziglar
In my latest video, I will reveal how this all ties into keeping attention and how it can make your marketing more appealing and powerful…
The Companies and Marketers Who Give Shall Receive (VIDEO)
