Why Jerks Win At Direct Marketing
By Willie Crawford

 
Have you ever noticed that some very successful direct
marketers go out of their way to be cantankerous?
Have you ever wondered why?  Today we're going to
discover their secret? It makes many of them millions!

Studies have shown that people buy on emotion and
then justify it with logic.  We buy new BMW convertibles
because we know we'll look good in them. Then we
rationalize that "BMW makes a very good car that will
prove to be a great long-term investment."

Those direct marketers that come across as cantankerous,
or even total jerks, are deliberately tapping into the
emotional side of their market.  They're doing something
called polarization.

Polarization is the art, or science, of getting members of
your market to take an emotional stance. You want to
get them to either really like you - or dislike you.  Those
who are neutral rarely buy your products. Remember,
people buy on emotion, even though they ‘re often not
conscious of it.  Getting people emotionally charged
INCREASES your chances of making a sale!

One marketer that understands this concept and uses
it brilliantly is copywriter Gary Halbert.  Gary will tell
you that he is the greatest copywriter alive, and he charges
for his services accordingly. If you visit Gary's site at:
http://TheGaryHalbertLetter.com you'll see that he is
very politically INCORRECT.  Gary goes out of his way to
insult his audience, delivering smack after smack as he
educates you on what good copywriting is.

Gary understands that not everyone is his market. So
he creates strong feelings, and this drives away those
who would never buy from him... and really endears him
to those who appreciate his work.  This tactic is very
effective, and Gary has no shortage of customers making
him rich.

Another marketer who understands this concept very
well is Jay Abraham.  I watched Jay Abraham, Stephen
Pierce, and Rich Schefren orchestrate a teleseminar in
2004.  Leading up to this teleseminar, they sent out a
barrage of emotionally charged, very informative emails.

Their numerous joint venture partners also sent out a
tightly orchestrated barrage of emails to their lists.

Those who saw the tremendous value in the free information
provided in all those emails were charged up.  They were
so charged up that many could hardly wait for the
teleseminar to take place. I was one of those nudged to
sign up for this $497 teleseminar through all of those
emails :-)

A final example of a marketer brilliantly employing polarization
is a guy who calls himself "The Rich Jerk."  I won't reveal his
identity, but will tell you that coming across as a jerk is
making him millions on the Internet.  He is a very good marketer
in his own right (he recently sold a website on Ebay for
$379,000).

This "Rich Jerk" uses emotionally charged copy on his
websites and it's very effective.  Part of what makes his copy
so effective is that he also incorporates proof of what he says.
Reading this copy, you get emotionally charged up, and at the
same time, you realize that you've encountered someone who
can really help you succeed.  You can see how he does this
by reading his copy at:  http://WhyJerksWin.com

By studying the examples above, you see that using polarization,
or even coming across as a jerk, can be a very powerful
marketing tactic.  It can touch your reader at a deeper
psychological and emotional level than many other marketing
techniques.  However, don't forget that another reason this
works in the examples above is that these marketers also
deliver tremendous value to their customers. They also PROVE
their points.

Without also incorporating proof into their copy, this tactic
probably wouldn't work. Without proof they would just turn
prospects off.  So now you know... jerks win at direct marketing
because they employ polarization and proof.



Willie Crawford has taught PROVEN Internet marketing
techniques to thousands of successful Internet entrepreneurs
since late-1996.  Subscribe to his free weekly ezine, which
helps you cut through the clutter and time-wasting hype.
Subscribe now by visiting:  http://WillieCrawford.com