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...se ends of the tourniquet, another strip of cloth, or other improvised materia...

...eed is why some agents will sell a stripped down product that doesn’t provide ...

...nces of protecting its brokers are stripped away, it's clear that the company ...hey feel personal presence, selling techniques, and persuasion make a differen...

... paragraphs later, they added, "Anyone with a computer is a citizen of the world-and a richer world at that." The extent of the Internet's impact on life and business can be measured by Merrill Lynch's willingness to place at risk its sales force of 14,800 stockbrokers as the company heads straight into the E-economy. When all of Merrill Lynch's explanations and assurances of protecting its brokers are stripped away, it's clear that the company sees its future on the Net. Auto manufacturers are right there, too. The move to cut costs by cutting out dealers is clear, and it's driven by the possibilities created by the Internet. Whether it's real estate sales or travel agencies, these functions will soon be Net-based. Beyond the obvious impact, such as displacing stockbrokers or bookstore clerks, ... What's painfully obvious is the company's inability to understand the customer, even though the site is dripping with such words as "customer commitment." Web site visitors are not there to be sold; they're there to be better informed so they can make the best possible buying decisions. Most Web sites make the fatal mistake of attempting to replicate the face-to-face selling situation where they feel personal presence, selling techniques, and persuasion make a difference. In effect, they send the customer the message that their only purpose is to sell something, not to serve the customer's interest. Redefining service. The concept of service has changed. Just saying "we're here to serve you" doesn't connect with customers. The issue is now serving customers when, where, and how they want. There was a ...

... fund raisers, and you can see why: The touch of martyrdom reaches out to the best prospects. This opening is underused by commercial mailers, many of whom feel they're taking off their pants in public. In that objection is the nucleus of why #54 can work when no other opening can grab and shake your target. If you seem to be firing blanks, that's the time to strip for action. A fund-raising letter is an archetype of It's late and I'm tired, but I have to tell you this': It's 11:30 P.M. on a Tuesday night and I'm tired. I need a shower, and I want to go to bed. But I can't sleep . . . not until I finish this letter and pray that God will fill your heart with ... if' factor exists. So the very natural follow-up to this opening is, It's as easy as.. What the writer has to consider is whether the reader actually wants to accomplish or enjoy whatever the offer includes. This is a classic example of the benefit of demographic/psychographic/creative matchup. An eight-page letter begins with a printed headline and a 10-line explanation of what the letter contains (a technique with which I don't agree), then launches into high gear: Dear Friend: How would you like to earn $1 ,000 a day-every day? Imagine! Making more money in one day than most people do in a week. You can do it! (You'll even earn big profits while you sleep!) Cash in on the most profitable field in the modern world. ...

... firing blanks, that's the time to strip for action. A fund-raising letter i...tion of what the letter contains (a technique with which I don't agree), then ...