What can you learn from a marketing letter that sold… meat?
Want to know how to create a compelling sales message from THIN AIR?
Do you care to know how a clever direct response marketer can look at your business, then sell the bejesus out of your product through a LETTER to cold prospects?
There is a reason they say the most profitable skill on the planet is the ability to write a killer sales message.
It ain’t hype that does it either. The only real way to understand is to learn a thing or two about copywriting yourself. And one of the ways to get started doing that, is by studying sales messages that killed it.
Hence the whole idea behind swipe files: Libraries of stuff that worked.
Studying winning copy is good because it allows us to work backwards. You surrender judgement and try to understand HOW the writer got to the finished product.
It’s a useful concession on actually publishing and getting real data (the only real way to know if your copy is good).
So let’s take a look at a direct mail piece I came across in a swipe file last year.
This piece of marketing history hit me upside the head when I read it. All because it crystallized an aspect of direct response that I had only a vague sense of:
The use of THEATER to create a promotion that feels special… regardless of whether you have special circumstances.
There’s your business on one hand, and your promotion on the other. If you wanted to get a TON of new customers and fill a TON of new orders…. you have to pay to get a message in front of them.
That means you want that message to sing.
You want to get as many readers as possible to convert…
…and so, you want to use a little capital T.
Let’s take a look at an old direct mail letter that sold meat, of all things, through the post.
Halfway through reading this something dawned on me.
This is very clever — assuming the marketer thought this promotion up from scratch.
Just imagine: You’ve been selling ready-to-cook cuts of meat to restaurants for decades.
Then recently, you worked out a system to send them through the mail to residential addresses. Packing them in dry ice, using affordable containers, and getting good shipping deals.
Now that you can do that… how the hell can you take advantage of that system to rake in new customers and sales?
Start right there when you read this. Because this letter is the HOW.
First I’ll run you through the letter. Then I’ll share SIX different powerhouse takeaways you can use in your marketing.
Preamble: This piece has got some weird, ‘old-school’ stuff going on. Maybe all of it worked back in the day — but today I reckon it’d get clicked away from by a lot of people. It’s not a perfect model for modern use.
So we’ll take time to appreciate AND talk smack.
Let’s crack in.
The Omaha Steaks International Direct Mail Letter
This swipe didn’t include the envelope so we’ll start with the header (below).
The header is fairly direct. Omaha Steaks is branded right there at the top.
It’s hard to get a feel for what “Bob” is going through when he pulls this out of his mailbox because we don’t have the envelope.
Here’s what we DO know:
If Bob opens it he’ll be sitting down next to his brown, lift-top coffee table with three pages of ‘text-only’ in his hands. And he knows right away it’s a long, typed letter that’s got something to do with meat.
That’s curious enough, ain’t it?
I want to quickly mention two things: “Dear Friend” and the obviously fake cursive sidenote.
There are some advertising tactics that work on an unconscious level even though most people will tell you they’re bull shit.
What if you sat down with someone and asked “Do you think ‘Dear Friend’ is a good way for me to start this sales letter?” A lot of people will tell you it sounds sleazy and cheap.
Now I don’t know if this salutation used to warm people up… but I know I’ve got a three-page private message about steak! And I’m not going to stop reading just because it says “Dear Friend.”
Meanwhile, their unconscious mind DOES think fondly of the word “friend.”
It’s like calming music. You might not care for it… but it’s calming anyway.
This applies to the fake cursive as well. People know it’s printed. It’s not hitting them like handwritten message would. But unconsciously they might be aware that a reply is ‘especially requested.’
What I find very clever about this opener…
…is the fact that the word “invitation” is used.
Nice! This is NOT a newsletter. Or a promotion. Or an offer, or whatever else. It’s a private invitation.
That’s the beauty of theater in promotion. Just that word shifts the FEEL of the letter in the reader’s mind.
Then to hammer the bribe home our writer lets them know two things. (1) this message is only going to a “handful” of people. And (2) they will get a GIFT regardless of what they decide to do.
“What wonderful gift would this renown meat company be offering me? Oh my!”
Now I just *cough* love this next bit:
Nothing, I mean NOTHING goes with a juicy cut of premium beef quite like a 4 1 / 4" X 4 3 / 4” table top calculator. You feel me?
Yes. I dig this letter but this section friggin’ lost me.
The fact that they even wrote out the dimensions of it puzzles me further. It scrambles my BRAINS. It’s like trying to comprehend hieroglyphics.
Readability is PARAMOUNT!!!
A’hem. There is however, some value in it. Remember that this IS an older piece.
Let’s hold on to the assumption that this WAS a winner and appreciate the differences in consumer thinking. There are some sound marketing maneuvers ahead, so there must’ve been something to this.
Maybe calculators were sexy as hell at the time?
Maybe ANY bonus offered through direct mail got people excited?
(More likely.)
I clearly remember being young and thinking it was rad when I asked my mom for a toy out of a mail catalog — then it actually showed up at our front door.
Mail order used to be exciting. Now every Tom, Dick and Harry is doing it.
Back then, if the toy people had thrown in something FREE, I’d have gotten a buzz off it no matter what it was.
Still, the important thing is this:
This “upfront bonus” is SO incongruent, I would think Bob would choke on his bourbon and ball up those 3 pages immediately.
So let’s appreciate it but not start doing random stuff in our promos.
Another bonus? Up front? At least it makes sense… it’s meat.
It’s interesting how this letter leads with the bonuses.
It’s hitting an unaware prospect who doesn’t know what the offer is yet.
What they’re going for is the BRIBE.
It substantiates the claim that this letter is going to a “handful” of people only. “Ahh this MUST only be going to a handful. You wouldn’t offer free stuff to everyone, right?”
This ‘free burger’ paragraph feels slightly confusing though. The word “invitation” is used (still clever) but it twists the message up a little. You see, the problem is…
Bob doesn’t know what decision he has to make yet!
So it’s hard to imagine how these burgers will come into his life. If it’s even a little hard to imagine… he’s not certain.
If Bob ain’t certain, Bob ain’t buying.
This is why evidence points to bonuses being tacked onto an existing proposition as the better move. They also make a great companion to price positioning.
Righto. On to the offer.
Now we’re on to the offer. At this point Bob is thinking “What is this all about?”
There are four things at play here:
(1) The writer does a little flattering. Maybe Bob is charmed. Maybe he reckons it’s B.S. But the real key is that suggesting Bob is a man of good taste positions the ‘reason why’ that comes in a moment.
(2) The value of the offer gets positioned with a little steak dinner banter. What you’re about to be offered is scarce.
(3) The offer itself — four primo cuts of bovine — but more importantly that reason why. The writer is proud of his product and willing to “do what [he] has to” to prove it’s the best.
(4) The price reveal. A detailed description of what will show up at Bob’s house followed by a little pricing tango.
In my opinion, this price positioning is a little weak. Here’s why:
They “anchored” the reader at $49.95 by mentioning that number first (good). This gets them thinking around that price unconsciously.
They also separated the shipping cost out to get below the $30 mark and keep the left digit at 2 (also good).
But they have this $20 coupon scheme statement in the middle.
This swings the number in the reader’s mind below the asking price before revealing it.
It also puts too many damn numbers on the page — it puts the reader on the ropes a bit. Confusion can mean uncertainty
Now, the order ticket isn’t in the swipe… we can’t study it. But from an admin perspective, maybe they felt the need to offer this deal in coupon form. Maybe the order ticket was a standard ticket that was going out in catalogue mailings too.
Regardless, it’s too much on the prospect’s mind.
The more work they have to do — mental or physical — the more prospects will “fall through the cracks” and not buy.
Now that Bob knows what the HELL this is all about, he’s starting to polarize…
…it’s the perfect time for the story.
This section drops an exact year and suggests the writer’s family kicked off the premium meat business way back when.
I think this is a little short to truly convey authenticity, but again: Back then this may have stood out to Bob.
The image of a family farm in 1917, busting their asses to shove corn into their cow’s gullets. Then horse-and-buggying piles of steaks around town to the only fancy restaurants.
This little story also persists in showing how proud our writer is of their meat.
(This is very important and I’ll explain why at the end.)
The bit of bragging about WHO orders steaks from them is a little “smelling-their-own-farts.” And vague. That bit might have backfired.
Regardless, Bob has plenty of reason to keep going.
The descriptive pitch. This section does an OK job but it could be a lot better.
Maybe it’s another era-sensitive thing.
Bob is getting an image in his head as the writer TELLS him to line one up next to a ‘common cutlet’ for comparison. This is good.
When your reader is taking your message seriously…
…you are a hypnotist.
TELL them to put the steak on their wooden cutting board.
TELL them to “imagine” being at the table with an intoxicating aroma of savory seared steak.
TELL them to “picture” everyone at the table chattering about how phenomenal the meal is.
Bob will do what you say if he doesn’t have to wake up from the trance. And sitting there, reading your letter, it’s easy for him to imagine.
There are two other things about this section that I think add strength.
(1) The writer tickles Bob’s desire for social status by slipping a little suggestion in there. For the prospects who crave validation from their peers, this little mention could boost the offer’s appeal.
(2) A little “technical” information about WHY this product is superior. “It’s in the aging.” This adds credibility to the writer. Even if Bob feels indifferent to the information, it’s supporting the sales pitch big time.
Next is another statement of pride that our writer has in their product. That’s good — the theme of pride gives this letter story.
He also suggests a selfish motive: That their “reputation is right on the line” so it better be good.
I personally think that appeal is ineffective.
Bob couldn’t give a damn about their reputation. He only cares that his ‘hard-earnt’ is going towards a blissful chew and some damned social recognition.
It’s OK though.
Because next they’re backing it right up with a no-need-to-send-back-half-eaten-steak guarantee.
All the greats have preached that human nature will prevail… many people won’t do something that FEELS dishonest. Even if you told them it’s OK in your sales pitch. That guarantee won’t put you out of business.
And the ones that do intend to get a refund? Half of them will forget to do it anyway.
These guys went for it with this letter. They trusted the theory and they trusted their own product.
They go ahead and mention the objection as well: Yes, these are food items. You can eat them and still get your money back.
This is important — without it, Bob probably wouldn’t believe it.
Tell Bob what to do and make it simple: “So order your steaks today.”
But what’s more… give him a little illustration of what he could do with the steaks once he’s got them. Paint a rosy picture. Remind him of that social validation, in case he’s really into it.
Then throw in ANOTHER bonus right here at the very end?
This is another ‘left-fielder.’
An unloved bonus cookbook.
It’s a little out of place and doesn’t contribute to the sale really… it’s not going to push Bob off the fence. He’s already made up his mind at this point. He probably doesn’t even want it because clearly they don’t want it.
Which is another word of advice… love your bonuses too. Sell them as if they were high ticket offers.
Would be nice to see the order card, wouldn’t it?
The job isn’t done yet. We’re only seeing 90% of the work here.
Did they try to upsell a meat subscription?
How is the offer reiterated to hammer home the value ol’ Bob is getting?
Then there’s the order shipment. Did they include a letter with the steaks that incentivized reordering?
How does this customer acquisition translate into GROWTH?
Without the order card, we can’t ponder much further.
But there ARE six different things to walk away with today.
Where’s the gold… I mean ‘bull-ion’
Now… let’s take a look at the principles and tactics we can use from this old sweetheart.
The main thing I wanted to drive home most of all is that this is a meat company selling meat. But they’re doing it by mail. If you had no prior training or education in direct response… how would you do it?
If they went the obvious route? What if they sent photographs of their steaks with prices on them and filler copy? Do you think it would do as well?
There is a time and place for that kind of advertising. They call that a direct offer.
Here’s an example of a modern day direct offer I just pulled from the promo tab in my email account:
That mess is just keeping the Promotions tab from blowing away in the wind.
(Halbert fans know… the promo tab is the modern day B-pile.)
But lots of big, successful companies are running these anyway. That’s because they DO get results… a direct offer gets the attention of people who want exactly what’s shown at exactly that moment.
Does that mean Omaha steaks product is inferior? That they have to hustle and come up with a scheme like this to sell?
Oh hell naw.
This promotion has nothing to do with their product quality or their success. That could go either way.
This is just a business project that pulls in new customers and fresh cash money from the human population.
It’s leverage. It’s brilliant.
Direct response marketing, when done right, is brilliant.
So without further delay…
…what are the six direct response gems we can pull from this letter?
(1) Present your offer differently than your market expects
Novelty gets the gaze.
When you stand out you increase your chances of making an impact. And having a totally unique product or service isn’t the only way to stand out.
You can leverage different marketing channels, create different formats for your ads, and write in different tones of voice. There is an ever-growing landscape of creative opportunity when it comes to creating promotional assets.
Your specific industry might not be using a certain combination of those — which means it might be a big opportunity.
Selling pants? Use an advertorial piece. Write an exciting article that objectively describes your trousers, and insert a smooth transition towards a link.
Selling speakers that have to be installed into walls? Build a list, tell them stories and stay in their minds until they come up with a project (or their friend does).
I’m not saying these things are not done at all — but they’re not done a lot. (The second example is a real project I did for someone.)
(2) Have a reason WHY and substantiate (not prove) it
If Bob comes across your promotion and gets to reading it… it better be novel.
We know that now.
The reason a novel message gets his attention is because it gives off a sense of NOW. This unusual approach is fresh and current.
And that begs the question: Why now?
This question will be in the back of their minds if you don’t bring it up and answer it yourself.
Okay, Omaha Steaks has sent me a long letter. Mr. Omaha himself is writing this and offering me to buy some filets. Why is he piling all this free stuff on it? Why shouldn’t I decide later if I want to buy steaks from him?
The reason why? He wants you, a person of good taste, to try them because he wants to convince you they’re the “gourmet treat of your lifetime.”
This little reason why supports all the “private invitation” language and bonuses. It adds to the theatre with a little red bow, tying it together.
Nothing pumps up the urgency of a sale like a reason why. The reason you have to decide NOW. The reason we’ve gone through extra effort this time around.
Notice too how I said “substantiate” and not prove.
The reason for this is to encourage creativity.
Mr. Omaha substantiates his reason why by sharing a little story about his family business. Complete with exact year. He also tells you how they treat their steaks like lifetime treasures.
That makes it more believable that he cares about his steaks enough to want to convince people they’re awesome.
Yes, proof is better. If you can justify your reason why in a way that proves your claims, do it.
But you’re probably not sitting around with a marketing problem if you have a REAL situation with PROOF. Keep in mind that the insight in this letter comes from manufacturing intrigue.
So what we’re learning here is, it’s important to have a reason why and to dress it up a bit.
(3) Talk about your offer like a proud parent and tell them WHY you’re qualified to
This is along the same lines as the reason why.
Another thing that gives this piece strength is the WAY the product is described.
Bob knows that Mr. Omaha is proud of his product and his family has been at it for yonks. There is a mix of descriptive language and facts, laced with an air of pride.
BE the proud creator of your offer. Write fondly of what you have. Be genuine about it. Show that you’re an expert. And then get people to read it.
(4) Never neglect the core human desires you serve
Each person is an electro-chemical ocean of emotion and impulse. There are lots of activities that people do… but there are only a few core reasons they do any of it.
When you break down Bob’s reason for wanting your offer, you start to see how it’s not the offer itself. It’s what Bob thinks the offer will do for him.
Actually, it’s what Bob has learned will happen if the offer does the thing for him.
Bob wants fancy steaks because he thinks they’ll be uniquely delicious.
Bob wants uniquely delicious steaks because it makes him feel distinguished and financially empowered.
Bob wants to feel distinguished and financially empowered because it places him in a favorable place in his perceived social hierarchy.
Etc. etc. and on and on.
The point being, another maneuver in this letter worth mentioning is the use of social status triggers. Twice the writer has slipped in a little imagery that suggests these steaks would impress others.
Not everyone will connect high-end steaks with the desire for social status… but some will.
(5) Offer a powerhouse guarantee
Nothing like a guarantee.
If Bob is the type of man that’s very averse to pulling out his wallet, it may be because he’s not feeling safe.
All that information is great. It seems legit. But it’s just this feeling in my gut… what if I’m making a mistake?
Speak to that. Make it impossible for it to be a mistake.
The good thing is, this is just a phenomenon of human life. Many people feel different levels of aversion to buying. Especially ordering remotely.
The guarantee quells that feeling in Bob’s gut. He’ll get a REAL box with dry ice, and steaks. And ground beef patties. AND a tabletop calculator to help him calculate how many steaks each person in his family gets.
Plus, Bob’s honest. He’s not about to return a product that came good on its offer. As most human beings never do.
(6) Stack it!!!
Load up every tactic you can in the space you’re provided.
This letter drops a lot of psychological moves. There’s a lot of clever design that went into it. And perhaps the most powerful thing is that they’re so damn numerous.
It’s hard to say no when you’ve just read half-a-dozen reasons why this is legit, free things you’ll get, illustrations of how it’ll improve your life, interesting facts and stories, and a safe guarantee.
Another thing too: It almost hides the fact that there’s virtually no real credibility elements in the piece.
The reader can’t remember every logical bit of information but they DO know it was positive. It made them feel kinda good. So when time comes to make a decision, they might just partake.
Take from this old piece the exciting knowledge of how things were…
…and the nuggets of wisdom that permeate human nature to this day.
Thanks for reading!
Peace.
