Great Leads

What's "Great Leads: The Six Easiest Ways To Start Any Sales Message" about?

• Focus on Sales Leads: The book by Michael Masterson and John Forde focuses on crafting effective sales leads, which are the opening parts of a sales message.
• Six Lead Types: It introduces six archetypal lead types that can be used to start any sales message effectively.
• Direct Response Success: The book emphasizes strategies for achieving success in direct response marketing by engaging prospects from the start.
• Practical Guidance: It provides practical advice and examples to help copywriters improve their skills and create compelling sales copy.

Why should I read "Great Leads" by Michael Masterson?

• Improve Copywriting Skills: The book offers strategies to enhance your copywriting skills, making your sales messages more effective.
• Proven Techniques: It shares proven techniques that have generated millions in sales, making it a valuable resource for marketers.
• Comprehensive Framework: The book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and applying different types of sales leads.
• Real-World Examples: It includes real-world examples and case studies, offering insights into successful marketing campaigns.

What are the key takeaways of "Great Leads"?

• Rule of One: Focus on one big idea in your sales message to make it more compelling and effective.
• Customer Awareness: Understand your customer's awareness level to tailor your lead type accordingly.
• Direct vs. Indirect Leads: Choose between direct and indirect leads based on the customer's familiarity with your product.
• Six Lead Types: Master the six lead types—Offer, Promise, Problem-Solution, Secret, Proclamation, and Story—to craft powerful sales messages.

What is the "Rule of One" in "Great Leads"?

• Single Focus: The Rule of One emphasizes focusing on one big idea in your sales message to make it more impactful.
• Clarity and Simplicity: It advocates for clarity and simplicity, avoiding multiple ideas that can dilute the message.
• Emotional Connection: The rule helps create a stronger emotional connection with the reader by concentrating on a single, compelling idea.
• Examples and Application: The book provides examples of successful ads that follow this rule, demonstrating its effectiveness.

How does "Great Leads" define customer awareness?

• Five Levels of Awareness: The book outlines five levels of customer awareness, from most aware to completely unaware.
• Tailor Your Message: Understanding the customer's awareness level helps tailor the sales message to meet their needs and expectations.
• Impact on Lead Type: The awareness level influences which lead type will be most effective in engaging the customer.
• Gene Schwartz's Influence: The concept is based on Gene Schwartz's groundbreaking work on customer awareness in advertising.

What are the six lead types in "Great Leads"?

• Offer Lead: Focuses on the deal, mentioning the product and offer details upfront.
• Promise Lead: Starts with the product's biggest benefit, making a strong promise to the reader.
• Problem-Solution Lead: Identifies a problem the reader faces and offers a solution.
• Secret Lead: Teases a secret that the reader can discover by engaging with the message.
• Proclamation Lead: Begins with a bold, emotionally-compelling statement or prediction.
• Story Lead: Engages the reader with a narrative that ties into the product's benefits.

How do direct and indirect leads differ in "Great Leads"?

• Direct Leads: These leads, like Offer and Promise Leads, get straight to the point, making the product and offer clear from the start.
• Indirect Leads: Indirect leads, such as Secret and Story Leads, engage the reader with intrigue or narrative before revealing the product.
• Customer Awareness: Direct leads work best with more aware customers, while indirect leads are effective for less aware or skeptical audiences.
• Engagement Strategy: Indirect leads often use storytelling or secrets to maintain the reader's interest and build emotional engagement.

What is the "Secret Lead" in "Great Leads"?

• Intriguing Hook: The Secret Lead starts with an intriguing hook, promising to reveal a valuable secret.
• Delayed Revelation: The secret is not disclosed immediately, keeping the reader engaged and curious.
• Emotional Engagement: It taps into the reader's desire to know something exclusive or hidden, creating a strong emotional pull.
• Versatile Application: This lead type can be used across various industries, from finance to health, to create compelling sales messages.

What is the "Proclamation Lead" in "Great Leads"?

• Bold Statement: The Proclamation Lead begins with a bold, emotionally-compelling statement or prediction.
• Indirect Approach: It distracts the reader from the sales pitch by focusing on the proclamation's implications.
• Proof and Promise: The lead provides information to validate the proclamation and hints at a promise or solution.
• Research-Driven: Successful Proclamation Leads often stem from thorough research, uncovering surprising or impactful facts.

What is the "Story Lead" in "Great Leads"?

• Narrative Engagement: The Story Lead uses a narrative to engage the reader, making the sales message more relatable and memorable.
• Emotional Connection: It creates an emotional connection by allowing the reader to experience the story's events and emotions.
• Indirect Selling: The story distracts the reader from the sales pitch, reducing resistance and increasing openness to the message.
• Proven Success: Many of the most successful ads in history have used Story Leads to captivate and persuade audiences.

What are the best quotes from "Great Leads" and what do they mean?

• "The Rule of One": Emphasizes the power of focusing on a single, compelling idea in your sales message.
• "What marketers sell is hope": Highlights the emotional aspect of marketing, where the promise of a better future drives sales.
• "Play by the rules, but be ferocious": Encourages marketers to follow proven strategies while being bold and assertive in their execution.
• "Those who tell the stories rule the world": Underlines the influence of storytelling in shaping perceptions and driving action.

How can I apply the strategies from "Great Leads" to my marketing efforts?

• Identify Your Lead Type: Determine which of the six lead types best suits your product and audience.
• Understand Your Audience: Assess your customer's awareness level to tailor your message effectively.
• Focus on One Idea: Use the Rule of One to create a clear and compelling sales message.
• Test and Refine: Continuously test different lead types and strategies to find what works best for your specific market.