Guest Post -- Clayton Makepeace

The Triumph of Hope Over Experience
By Clayton Makepeace
Companies that are experiencing declining results in the mail now appear to be eager to repeat those failures online.
They attract new subscribers by offering a "free report" in paid ads and PPC (pay-per-click) efforts. Then, once they've captured their prospects' e-mail addresses, they direct them to a high-hype landing page.
At their very first contact with a new subscriber, these companies prove that they're not to be trusted.
RESULT: Conversion rates stink.
But what if, instead, they offered a free report and then actually delivered a report and not a pitch?
And what if the report was packed with useful, actionable information and advice?
And what if there was not even one whiff of an offer in the report?
How would the company's new prospects feel then?
... Like they'd found a friend, an advocate they could really trust?
... Like they couldn't wait to hear from the company again?
... Like they had an obligation to jump at any offer the company made to them in the future?
And I'd wager their open rates and click-through rates would double or even triple.
Would they convert many of their new leads to customers? I think they'd be looking at a veritable sales explosion.
And their customer lifetime value? Off the ever-lovin' charts!

[Ed. Note: Clayton Makepeace has spent the last 35 years creating direct-mail, Internet, and print promotions that have sold well over $1 billion worth of products. He publishes the highly acclaimed e-zine The Total Package (www.makepeacetotalpackage.com) to help business owners and copywriters accelerate their sales and profits.]