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Great Leads

Great Leads

The Six Easiest Ways To Start Any Sales Message
by Michael Masterson 2011 206 pages
4.56
500+ ratings
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Key Takeaways

1. The Rule of One: Focus on a single, powerful idea

"One good idea, clearly and convincingly presented, is better than a dozen so-so ideas strung together."

Simplicity is key. The Rule of One emphasizes the importance of focusing on a single, powerful idea in your sales copy. This approach ensures clarity and impact, making it easier for readers to grasp and remember your message. By concentrating on one core concept, you avoid diluting your message with unnecessary details or competing ideas.

Examples of successful application:

  • Apple's "Think Different" campaign
  • Avis' "We try harder" slogan
  • Coca-Cola's "The pause that refreshes"

These iconic campaigns demonstrate the power of a single, well-articulated idea in capturing audience attention and driving brand recognition.

2. Customer awareness dictates lead approach

"Everything your prospect knows before you begin your sales pitch will determine not just what you'll say, but how you'll say it, when you open the conversation between seller and buyer."

Tailor your approach. Understanding your customer's level of awareness is crucial in determining the most effective lead type for your sales copy. Gene Schwartz's "Five Levels of Awareness" provides a framework for assessing your audience:

  1. Most aware
  2. Product-aware
  3. Solution-aware
  4. Problem-aware
  5. Completely unaware

By identifying where your prospect falls on this scale, you can craft a lead that resonates with their current state of mind and knowledge. This tailored approach increases the likelihood of engagement and ultimately, conversion.

3. Offer Leads: Direct and effective for aware customers

"If this first lead type we'll look at isn't the easiest you'll ever write, with the most return per ounce of effort ... we'll see to it you get back every penny you paid for this book."

Cut to the chase. Offer Leads are most effective when targeting highly aware customers who are already familiar with your product or service. These leads work best when:

  • Your product is easy to understand
  • You have an exceptionally good deal or guarantee
  • Your customer knows and trusts you

Key elements of an effective Offer Lead:

  • Focus on the most emotionally-compelling detail of your offer
  • Underscore the most valuable benefit
  • Elaborate on the deal-benefit in the lead
  • Include a compelling "reason why" for the offer

Remember to test different offer details, such as discounts, free trials, or premium gifts, to find the most compelling combination for your audience.

4. Promise Leads: Compelling benefits for interested prospects

"The only reason any rational human being ever purchases anything is to derive a benefit from it!"

Tap into desires. Promise Leads work best with "mostly aware" prospects who are almost ready to buy. They focus on the core benefit or outcome that your product or service delivers, tapping into the reader's desires and aspirations.

Effective Promise Leads:

  • Address a specific, desirable outcome
  • Highlight unique or competitive benefits
  • Ensure the product can deliver on the promise
  • Connect with the prospect's core desires

When crafting Promise Leads, remember that the most effective promises often relate to how the product will make the customer feel or how they'll be perceived by others. Balance the size of your promise with credibility – overblown claims can trigger skepticism, while modest promises may fail to capture attention.

5. Problem-Solution Leads: Empathize before offering hope

"To strike the responsive chord with the reader ... is to multiply the selling power of every reason-why given."

Feel their pain. Problem-Solution Leads are particularly effective when targeting "solution-aware" and "problem-aware" prospects. This approach allows you to connect with your audience by acknowledging their struggles before presenting your product or service as the solution.

Key elements of successful Problem-Solution Leads:

  • Identify the most emotionally-charged problem
  • Demonstrate empathy and understanding
  • Stir emotions related to the problem
  • Offer hope of a relevant solution

Techniques for Problem-Solution Leads:

  • "If-then" approach
  • "Inversion" or "Solution-Problem" leads
  • "Identification" leads
  • Question-based leads
  • Instructional leads

Remember to balance the focus on the problem with the promise of a solution. Lingering too long on negative emotions can be off-putting, while moving too quickly to the solution may seem insensitive.

6. Secret Leads: Create intrigue and anticipation

"Part of us wants to know. We don't believe these things are random. We don't believe the world works in a random way; it's just by accident that people get that way. We believe there must be a secret."

Harness curiosity. Secret Leads tap into the human desire for insider knowledge and exclusive information. This approach is particularly effective for products or services that offer unique solutions or innovative approaches.

Key elements of effective Secret Leads:

  • Introduce an intriguing concept in the headline
  • Delay revealing the full secret
  • Provide teasing details throughout the copy
  • Connect the secret to a significant benefit

Techniques for crafting Secret Leads:

  • Neologizing: Create a new term for your product or concept
  • Transubstantiation: Transform something ordinary into something special
  • Use specific details to build credibility
  • Create a sense of exclusivity

Remember to maintain the balance between intrigue and relevance. The secret should ultimately connect to a meaningful benefit for the reader, not just serve as a gimmick to capture attention.

7. Proclamation Leads: Bold statements that demand attention

"To be effective, Proclamation Leads must be big and bold. They must not only grab attention, but also stir up thoughts and excite emotions."

Make a bold claim. Proclamation Leads use strong, attention-grabbing statements to capture the reader's interest. They work particularly well for products or ideas that challenge conventional wisdom or offer groundbreaking solutions.

Key elements of effective Proclamation Leads:

  • Make the proclamation bold, not reasonable
  • Ensure the subject is relevant to the audience
  • Imply or state a clear promise
  • Support the proclamation with compelling evidence

Types of Proclamation Leads:

  • Declarative statements
  • Predictions
  • Warnings

When crafting Proclamation Leads, focus on efficiency. The power often lies in a single, impactful sentence. Support your bold statement with research and specific details to build credibility and maintain the reader's interest.

8. Story Leads: Engage emotions and bypass sales resistance

"If you are looking for a definition for a Proclamation Lead, here is one that will do: A well-constructed Proclamation Lead begins with an emotionally-compelling statement, usually in the form of the headline. And then, in the copy that follows, the reader is given information that demonstrates the validity of the implicit promise made."

Tell a compelling tale. Story Leads are among the most powerful and versatile lead types, capable of engaging readers on an emotional level while bypassing their natural resistance to being sold.

Key elements of effective Story Leads:

  • Begin with a captivating narrative
  • Create emotional connection and identification
  • Embed the product or service naturally within the story
  • Link the story to a clear benefit or promise

Famous examples of Story Leads:

  • "They laughed when I sat down at the piano..." (John Caples)
  • "The Man in the Hathaway Shirt" (David Ogilvy)
  • "On a beautiful late spring afternoon..." (The Wall Street Journal)

When crafting Story Leads, focus on creating a narrative that resonates with your target audience's experiences and aspirations. Use vivid details and relatable characters to draw the reader in, and ensure that the story naturally leads to your product or service as the solution or key element in the narrative.

Last updated:

FAQ

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.

Review Summary

4.56 out of 5
Average of 500+ ratings from Goodreads and Amazon.

Great Leads is highly praised by readers as an essential guide for copywriters and marketers. Reviewers consistently rate it 5 stars, describing it as clear, concise, and invaluable. The book focuses on six types of leads and their effective use in different situations. Readers appreciate its practical advice on writing compelling headlines and opening sentences, which are crucial for successful sales copy. Many consider it a must-read reference that has significantly improved their copywriting skills and reduced the time spent crafting attention-grabbing content.

Your rating:

About the Author

Michael Masterson is a renowned expert in the field of copywriting and marketing. He has authored several books on the subject, with "Great Leads" being one of his most popular works. Masterson is known for his clear, practical approach to teaching copywriting techniques. His expertise stems from years of experience in direct response marketing and entrepreneurship. Masterson's writing style is often described as engaging and easy to understand, making complex concepts accessible to readers. He is respected in the industry for his ability to distill effective copywriting strategies into actionable advice. Masterson's work has influenced many successful copywriters and marketers, cementing his status as a thought leader in the field.

Other books by Michael Masterson

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