Like many people, you probably remember watching Richard Pryor on television and in the movies. Pryor was over-the-top, bold, and outrageous, and he had the cojones to say whatever was on his mind. Often times, all he was doing was simply entering the conversation his audience was already having inside their own minds, saying out loud, the thoughts they were already thinking about, but were afraid to mention or discuss on their own. America's top copywriter and direct-marketing consultant Craig Garber (http://www.kingofcopy.com) says "Most business owners could learn a lot about selling from Richard Pryor. Whether you know it or not, he was a pure genius when it came to marketing, and this is why he was so successful." Garber, who consistently prods and encourages business-owners to use unconventional "maverick marketing" methods, says here are just 5 of the many things Pryor cleverly did, that you should be using as well: 1. He was controversial. Most advertising is nothing more than a "big business card," and let's face it, do you really think telling your prospects your name, phone number, and how long you' ve been in business, sets you apart from your competition, or gives them enough of a reason to lie awake in bed at night, thinking you might be the solution to their problems? You don't need to look any further than the results of your marketing, to get the answer to this one. Don't bet the farm on conventional wisdom -- going against the grain is your ticket to success in marketing, and in life. 2. Pryor consistently talked about personal events going on in his life. And since by nature, people are curious and voyeuristic -- that's why Reality TV is so popular -- your prospects would be thrilled to hear what's going on "behind the closed doors" of your life, especially if you can make it exciting and fun for them. 3. Along these same lines, Pryor certainly wasn't afraid to expose and make fun of his own weaknesses. And as a marketer, one of the smartest things you can do is bring up any objections to, or weaknesses in your own product or service ahead of time, and deal with these things up-front. Think about it, if you've already handled your prospect's concerns, not only are you eliminating critical selling obstacles, but you're also building trust by letting them know you're only human, just like they are. 4. Pryor was funny and entertaining! Thoreau once said "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation," and this applies to your prospects as well. They're overwhelmed with too many things to do and not enough time to do them in, and if you can regularly be the bright ray of sunshine in their lives, they'll LOVE hearing from you and they'll show you their appreciation by buying more, and by buying more often. 5. Most important of all, Pryor was REAL. And in today's day-and-age, when your prospects are getting hit six-ways-till Sunday with all sorts of hype and sensationalized B.S. -- coming along with a dose of reality and a no-nonsense style, makes YOU a refreshing slice of life your clients will gobble up, again and again. Listen, insanity is doing the same thing over-and-over again and expecting different results. And when it comes to selling, truer words were never spoken. So if you want to keep getting the same awful results from your marketing, then keep doing the same things you're doing. But if you want to uncover how to simply explode your sales, in addition to discovering much much more about how to use compelling and eye-opening sales copy and marketing savvy to consistently get your prospects to buy, then you want to consider using the same methods Pryor used, to get the same kind of outstanding results. |
