amp,#34,Outrageous,Marketing,f marketing "Outrageous Marketing" for Outrageous Succes

Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t

In this article, I'll show you three strategies that resultedin:1) selling $100,000 of software in two weeks -- for amarketing cost of $502) $400,000 of revenue as an unexpected result of a promotion3) three books becoming best sellers.Each resulted from a different application of "OutrageousMarketing."A Very Brief Introduction to Outrageous MarketingThese days, in order to get attention for your marketingmessage, you need to be outrageous.Now, I don't mean being outrageous just for the sake of beingoutrageous. And I don't mean just being off-the-wall.Instead, I'm talking about being outrageous -- to produceoutrageously successful results.Let's talk about the three most powerful ways to besuccessfully outrageous.:1. The outrageous offer.2. The outrageous headline.3. The outrageous claim.As you read this article, think about how these examples canapply to *your* business.1. The Outrageous Offer: Turning Premiums on their HeadUsing premiums is hardly outrageous, but here's how to usethem in a unique way to make an outrageous offer.Bundling software to sell hardware is a classic, techniqueused every day. However, the reverse is very rarely done.Let me give you an example of how my first company sold$100,000 of software in just 2 weeks -- with marketing costsof under $50 -- using this approach!Here's how we did it:We sent each of our clients a two-page letter (for a totalcost of $50). However, rather than focusing the letter on thesoftware, we made them an outrageous offer: they received freedesirable computer hardware when they bought our software!Our software cost $20,000 for a 25-user license so we couldafford to bundle a computer. Since the hardware cost us about$30,000, we made $70,000 profit in just 2 weeks.Premiums don't have to be expensive. They just have beperfectly matched to your market and they have to have veryhigh perceived value. The important point is to make sure thatthe offer is outrageous.Let your imagination can really go wild. Just make sure thepremium is tied into the product that you're selling, and thatit is something your market is dying to have.Adding these outrageously great offers is probably the bestway to quickly increase your sales and profits.An irresistible offer can increase your sales by 200% to 300%!You just have to ask yourself: "What can I bundle with myproduct that will make it incredibly attractive to mycustomers?" Write this down now.2. The Outrageous Headline: Sometimes Outrageous PromotionsGet Different Results Than You ExpectIn 1990, my first company, Micro Dynamics, was looking for aChief Operating Officer. We were an unconventional company,and weren't getting the results we wanted using conventionalrecruiting methods. So, we ran a full-page ad in our localregional edition of the Wall Street Journal that started likethis:Fast-Growing, High-Tech Company Looking For The Right COO ToMove To MARSAre you a successful, dynamic executive who would like to helpgrow an exciting company in an exploding market? To reallymake a difference?If so, read on.Our name is Micro Dynamics, and we are looking for a veryspecial Chief Operating Officer who would like to share theadventure of growing an exciting company. Someone who has theknowledge, experience, temperament, focus, energy,"bandwidth," values, creativity, and desire to make asignificant contribution.Are you that COO? We'll briefly describe our company, and youcan see if we sound like the kind of company you'd want tojoin.The ad then goes on to describe our company. A bit later, itasks:What Do You Mean -- Move to MARS?Sorry, you don't get to move to the planet MARS. We meant moveto our company, and to our product, Micro Dynamics MARS(R).The idea of this ad is to put a little "science into thesearch." We hope to spark the interest of the right COO forour company -- possibly someone who isn't even looking for aposition. We're presenting a lot of detail to both filter andto excite.Then we go on to explain Two Reasons NOT To Respond To This Adand Five Things Micro Dynamics Is Looking For In A COO andthen a brief description of Qualifications Needed and AboutThe COO Position. We ended the ad with the following PS:P.S. Even if this position is not right for you, since you'veread this far, something caught your interest. Why don't youcall us today for information about how MD MARS can help solveyour document management problems. If you mention this ad,we'll also send you a free copy of our book, 'Choosing theRight Imaging System.'We got a tremendous response from this ad. Althoughunfortunately, we didn't hire a COO from this ad, we did gettwo excellent employees and we sold over $400,000 of softwarefrom this one ad -- and it ran just once.Again, I'd like you think: "How can I apply this example --and use outrageous headlines -- in my business?" Write thisdown now.3. The Outrageous ClaimAnother great way to be outrageous is to make an outrageousclaim -- and back it up with evidence.For example, Bob Allen made his first book, "Nothing Down," abest seller by making an outrageous claim. He offered thefollowing outrageous challenge: "Send me to any city inAmerica, take away my wallet, give me $100 for living expensesand in 72 hours, I'll buy an excellent property using none ofmy own money."The Los Angeles Times took him up on his challenge. Theresults? With an L.A. Times reporter at his side, he boughtsix properties worth $622,000, all in less than three daysusing none of his own money!The publicity from his outrageous claim and the fact that hemet the challenge led to his book "Nothing Down" quicklybecoming a best seller.Another example is from my friend Dr. Paul Hartunian. He wrotea book on dating with the claim that he could help anyone findthe love of their life in 90 days or less.One of the interesting things about Paul's claim is that hebelieves that if you use his techniques, you will actuallyfind the love of your life in 30 days or less. However, heknows that if he made that claim -- that you could find thelove of your life in 30 days or less -- no one would believehim. So he extended the time to 90 days in order to bebelievable. He's done hundreds of radio shows and helpedcountless people find the love of their lives in 90 days orless.Think about it: "What outrageous claim can I make that I cansupport in a dramatic way?" Then go for it.My goal in writing this article is to expand your thinking.Take these examples of people using outrageous marketing andhaving phenomenal results -- and apply them to your business.You can do this too!(c) Copyright 2002 Audri G. Lanford. All rights reserved.Reprinted with permission. Article Tags: Micro Dynamics, Outrageous Claim