Pitchmen: "Bally The Tip" "Nod Them In" "Chill ‘Em Down"

Likes UP: “Bally The Tip” “Nod Them In” “Chill ‘Em Down” From Infomercial Pitchmen

“Webinars are the new infomercial for entrepreneurs.”  – Bart Christian 

In conducting research for my soon to be released book, The Webinar Way, I could not escape the comparison to the informercial at least in the Pitch portion of the webinar.  The pitch portion is where you are closing with an irresistible offer.  There really are no webinar pitch secrets.  It is just selling and if you know what you are doing, you cannot help but sell. Webinar presenters who know what they are doing make more sales in 10 minutes than most regular sales people make in a week or even a month. 

Let’s look at this 3-step process for selling on infomercials. 

#3: The Chill Down

Moving merchandise on an infomercial is a three-step process that harks back to the carnival barker tradition: “bally the tip,” “nod them in,” and “chill ‘em down” as explained in this excerpt from a 2009 Fortune Magazine CBS article.

The hardest part of making a sale is stopping people, whether they’re wandering by a booth at a carnival or flipping TV channels.

#1: Ballying The Tip means drawing a crowd – and once one begins to gather, it feeds on itself. For Billy Mays (who died in 2009) his volume, energy, hand gestures, and faux authority (“Hi, Billy Mays here for …”) are all tactics to bally the tip. To keep the crowd you use humor and make the presentation interactive.

When Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan debated whether to shill for a product, their mental checklist could easily be a decision tree for a new product launch at a major corporation.  Billy and Sully had a reality TV show called Pitchmen along with numerous infomercials.  Billy said: “First, it’s got to have mass appeal.”  “If you can connect to a broader audience, there’s just a better shot of making it work. Second, the product needs to solve a common problem. I need to be able to show that it makes one’s life easier. And also it gives instant gratification, hits you on an emotional level.” And, believing in the product is essential to being able to sell it.

#2: Nodding Them In The next step is convincing potential customers that buying your product is totally reasonable. “Wouldn’t you like to eat more fresh vegetables?” Yes, of course you would. A good pitchman will literally nod in answer to his own question to get the crowd nodding along. “If there were a device that made it easy, was a snap to clean, and I could sell it to you for less than half what it cost in stores, wouldn’t you want to buy it?” Yes, yes, and yes!

#3: The Chill Down But the trickiest part of any sale is being able to transform good will into cold, hard cash – the chill-down. Rather than politely ask if anyone would like to buy something, the pitchman often starts the process for potential buyers by counting it off. “Who are going to be my first ten customers? You, sir, you’re No. 1!”

Pitchmen have been around forever, but the infomercial was created in America just after World War II. With TV viewership exploding, it was only natural for veteran peddlers like Arnold Morris with his Kitchen Gourmet knife and W.G. “Papa” Barnard with his Vita-Mix blender to start renting half-hour blocks of time on the airwaves. The fledging industry had to recalibrate in the 1960s when the FCC restricted the amount of time that networks could sell to advertisers, and the classic half-hour infomercial disappeared in favor of one- and two-minute spots exclusively.  In 1984, the FCC deregulated the booming cable industry, repealed the restriction on ad minutes per hour, and unleashed the golden age of the infomercial – everything from empowerment guru Tony Robbins to the Sally Struthers ThighMaster and Forbes Riley’s Spin Gym.

The formula sounds simple: Product + Pitch + Pizazz = Infomercial.  But it’s really a combination of science and skill, and yes, the requisite amount of silliness, that goes into creating an ad that will make you get up and buy.

As Seen On TV

CNBC Originals presents an exclusive look inside the $150 billion infomercial industry. 

The Professional Pitchman

The infomercial industry made stars out of professional pitchmen like the late Billy Mays best known for OxiClean.  The bearded, blue-collar everyman commanded tens-of-thousands of dollars per product pitch, and he also took a percentage of the sales.   Billy Mays: “Life’s a pitch and then you buy.”

The Catch-Phrase

Do you say “Wow!” every time you use the ShamWow! absorbent cloth?  Wonder why you do?  Because pitchman Vince Shlomi told you to in his popular ShamWow! infomercial.  A catchphrase may not get you to buy, but industry insiders hope it will GRAB YOUR ATTENTION.

Picking The Perfect Product

It all begins with a product that marketers hope will capture a consumer’s desire. The Ped-Egg – an egg-shaped foot file – hit the mark.  Since it launched in October 2007, more than 20 MILLION Ped-Eggs have been sold.

FACT: Most of the profits for bestselling products sold in short-form ads are generated not from the TV ads themselves but once the merchandise hits shelves. A.J. Khubani says “90% of our sales are in traditional retail chains today.”The callous-removing device called the PedEgg sold 20 million units in 2008 – mostly in stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, and Walgreens.” Once an item is a bona fide hit in the direct response market, he has it in stores within two months. And he keeps running the TV spots even after they’re no longer profitable because the brand recognition drives sales on the shelves.

Snuggie

If you’ve ever seen a product and said, “Geez, I could have thought of that!” you must have seen the Snuggie. The Snuggie blanket-with-sleeves has sold millions and is a fixture in American popular culture.  For those keeping score, All Star Marketing Group has sold enough Snuggie blankets to outfit the entire population of Minnesota.

Ginsu Knives

“In Japan, the hand can be used like a knife. But this method doesn’t work with a tomato.” That was the opening line for the 1978 Ginsu Knives infomercial, one of the first and most famous, 2-minute infomercials ever made. Ed Valenti, the man behind the marketing, coined the catchphrase, “But wait, there’s more!”

Celebrity Stands Behind the Product

Finding the right face to promote a product is key and securing a celebrity endorsement can pack the necessary punch.  In 2008, Mr. T, from the popular TV show “The A Team,” stood behind Thane’s “Flavor Wave Oven,” which promoted a new generation of cooking.   Mr. T:   “My taste buds have gone wild…I love it when a plan comes together!” 

The Price is Right

Direct Response ads are targeted to get consumers to buy and buy NOW!  So, finding the right price is key to getting people off the couch and on the phone.  Pricing psychologists have proven that a $9.99 price tag outsells a $10 tag by a remarkable 2:1 ratio.  Why?  Because, according to studies, consumers see $10 and may hesitate, but when they see the $9 in the $9.99 they’ll often spend…even though there’s just a $.01 difference in price.

The Cost of a Commercial

According to Telebrands CEO, AJ Khubani, his ad shoot for the Zasshu Knife cost $30,000.  That, coupled with buying media time and talent fees, cost approximately $70,000.  But, there’s never a guarantee of success.  The Zasshu Knife ultimately failed. 

Monitoring for Money

Once an ad runs, it’s all about the return.  A key sales metric is that for every dollar spent on advertising, at least $2 has to come back from product sales.  The industry turns to Infomercial Monitoring Services to see what sales should be to ensure a profit.  (note as a bonus gift for book, The Webinar Way, you’ll get a copy of The Webinar Way Profit Calculator to measure your metrics and calculate your webinar profits)

The Perfect Storm

In an industry where success is measured by longevity, Ron Popeil is long considered the king.  According to Infomercial Monitoring Services, Popeil’s “Showtime Rotisserie and BBQ” has aired more than 21,000 times since its 1998 launch – making it no. 5 of the top ten infomercials of all time.

Memorable Catch Phrase – The “Sound Bite”

The Infomercial “Sound Bites” ”But Wait, There’s More” ”Set it and Forget it” ”And that’s not all” ”You’ll say ‘wow’ every time.” ”It slices, it dice.”

But wait, there really is more!   You can listen to the audio of “Pitch Perfect” and read the transcript of the show.   The DVD Pitch People and the book, But Wait… There’s More, chronicles the stories of the pitch men and pitch women and the success of the infomercial business.

Everyone is selling something.   As mentioned in the Fortune Magazine article, noted above, the great American business tradition that Mays and Sullivan embody – namely hucksterism – is enjoying an uptick. Whether you sold yourself in an interview for a job, or you sell cars, or you sell software for a large company, or you are part of a non-profit organization, or you are a solo-entrepreneur selling your services on webinars, you sell.   The “how to make money” business is in full swing with multi-level marketing MLM organizations selling hope to individuals.  Churches sell the good feeling that comes with donating.  If you are customer support you are on the end of the selling experience servicing the customer. 

It’s all about RELATIONSHIP RICHES.  Video just gets people in the door.  Webinars are for teaching AND selling. 

Webinars cross the bridge between corporate, entrepreneur, multi-level marketing and non-profit opportunities.  It combines the training experience (which you can’t get in the first 2 minutes of an infomercial) with the final close and offer.  You can do it in a classy way, provide tremendous value and shuck the label of huckster. 

#Likes up for Billy Mays, “Bally The Tip” “Nod Them In” “Chill ‘Em Down” and of course, The Webinar Way

LikesUP: The Webinar Way to YouTube Riches with Casey Zeman

Casey Zeman’s YouTube formula nets him $300k-a-year. Today’s your last chance to see how to copy his YouTube formula…

Casey made 6-figures last year from YouTube by consulting companies like Estee Lauder and Dell. He also applies his YouTube strategy to his info product business because it’s the easiest way to sell anyone on anything:

• After watching a YouTube video viewers are 64-85% more likely to purchase the product

• Sales pages with compelling YouTube videos make buyers stay on the page 2 minutes longer

• A product promoted through YouTube has a 53x higher chance of a 1st page Google result

• Even offline retailers have noted that YouTube videos increase in-store sales by 6%

Casey spent years cracking the YouTube formula. This week is your last chance to absorb his knowledge free of charge from his webinar replay:
LAST CHANCE: How to make $300k-a-year from YouTube (video removed today) <== watch the play-by-play of Casey’s 6-figure yearly success with YouTube (video will be removed today at at 11:59pm ET)
Here’s a few of Casey’s secrets, that you can watch immediately on the replay of his webinar:

• How video shortens the sales cycle. YouTube funneling can bring a 40% higher conversion on sales (Casey shows you how and why?)

• The brand loophole YouTube doesn’t know about. (most companies pay $100k+ to get the branding Casey can get for free.)

• Casey reveals his work with Fortune 500 companies that blew millions advertising before he showed them how to PINPOINT traffic via YouTube.

• How to use YouTube as a traffic syphon to get seen on Google’s 1st page in less than a week.

Learn Casey’s YouTube loopholes to see how in one year he made $300k just from YouTube consulting fees on his webinar replay available to watch now.

#LikesUP for Casey Zeman

Likes UP: How Videos Go Viral on YouTube

Likes UP: How Videos Go Viral on YouTube

Kevin Allocca watches videos professionally.  Every minute there are 48 hours of video uploaded onto YouTube.  How will yours get seen and what will make your video go viral?

YouTube’s trends manager, shares his thoughts about silly web video in his Ted talk for youth.  He shares the 4 reasons a video goes viral. It takes participation and YOU to watch, like, add to, and most important SHARE.  If you add to and remix it becomes parody and a mash-up.  That’s a big #likesup

Kevin gave some great examples of what’s popular, Friday, Justin Bieber, Nyan Cat, and double rainbow.  How videos really go viral: a celebrity tweets them.  The celebrities have the audience and the followers. Who decides what’s popular?  When you like, share, tweet, add links on social media, you are adding to the viral nature of a video.

Taylor Swift has enjoyed the pleasure of celebrity and many video views and viral views. Taylor Swift is on Google Plus G+.  Taylor visited California and the Google/YouTube campus in for a Q&A session called “YouTube Presents” with Kevin Allocca.  There were over 30,000 questions submitted by YouTube fans for the event held in Sept. 2011. She has a major fan following and lots of YouTube likes, comments, and shares.  Her youtube.com/taylorswift videos go viral.

#LikesUP for Ted Talks and YouTube.com

Likes UP: Social Media Marketing Dictionary 120 Terms to Know

Likes UP: Social Media Marketing Dictionary 120 Terms to Know without having to paint your nails with icons from YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or Blogger.

Article by Kipp Bodnar on Hubspot  

Source – http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6126/The-Ultimate-Glossary-120-Social-Media-Marketing-Terms-Explained.aspx

Here are a few that get a LIKES UP! #likesup

Blogger – Blogger is a free blogging platform owned by Google that allows individuals and companies to host and publish a blog typically on a subdomain. Example: sherrie-rose.blogspot.com

Comment – A comment is a response that is often provided as an answer or reaction to a blog post or message on a social network. Comments are a primary form of two-way communication on the social web.

A simple comment can be a word or hashtag.  Example: #likesup

Ebook – An ebook is an electronic version of a printed book. However, most ebooks are not actually available in print (unless you print them). These are typically published in PDF form.

Sometimes ebooks are free with out without providing a email to get the link to download the PDF.  Example: http://7etips.com/

Facebook – Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study, and live around them. Facebook is the largest social network in the world with more than 800 million users.  Example of Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/asksherrierose

Google+ – Google+ is Google’s new social network. It differs in that it promotes social sharing that is more similar to how people share in real life by providing features such as one that limits who you are talking to, creating 1-on-1 conversation.

Example:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/111786106095838205286

Hashtag – A hashtag is a tag used on the social network Twitter as a way to annotate a message. A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a “#.” Example: #likesup  Hashtags are commonly used to show that a tweet, a Twitter message, is related to an event or conference, online or offline. 

Klout – Klout is a measure of social influence. The service allows users to connect various social accounts such as Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, etc., and then provides every user with his or her Klout score. The score is out of 100–the higher the score, the more inlfuence you have on the social world  Example: http://klout.com/#/SherrieRose

Like – Like has been popularized by Facebook. A “Like” is an action that can be made by a Facebook user. Instead of writing a comment for a message or a status update, a Facebook user can click the “Like” button as a quick way to show approval and share the message.  Like is used on may websites often symbolized by a thumbs up for the likes up.   Under YouTube videos you can give it up likes up or even a likes down.

LinkedIn – LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. As of June 2010, LinkedIn had more than 70 million registered users, spanning more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.  Example: Public Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrierose

Social Media – Social media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.  Example: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115913844741839204871/posts

Timeline – Timeline is the new Facebook format for personal profiles. It is essentially a digital scrapbook of a user’s life, displaying their profile in an actual timeline format so they can see at exactly what point in time something a story occurred.

Example: http://likesup.com/likes-up-facebook-timeline-deadline-dec-28-2011/

Twitter – Twitter is a platform that allows users to share 140-character-long messages publicly. User can “follow” each other as a way of subscribing to each others’ messages. Additionally, users can use the @username (example @sherrrierose or @likesup) command to direct a message toward another Twitter user.  Example: http://twitter.com/sherrierose, http://twitter.com/likesup

USTREAM – USTREAM is a live interactive broadcast platform that enables anyone with an internet connection and a camera to engage and stream video online.

Webinar – A webinar is used to conduct live meetings, training, or presentations via the internet.  Examples: http://facebook.com/webinarway

YouTube – YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google. YouTube is the largest video sharing site in the world. Example:  http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLikingAuthority

Great list – get the full list here:

The Ultimate Glossary: 120 Social Media Marketing Terms Explained

#likesup

Likes UP on Google Plus

Likes UP: Mari Smith Social Authority, 5 Cs Webinar, Credibility and Facebook

Likes UP:  Mari Smith Social Authority, 5 Cs, Credibility, and Facebook

5 Facebook Marketing Strategies

On a webinar, Mari Smith spoke about steps to have a successful marketing strategy on Facebook. This webinar mapped out clear steps for a compelling Facebook campaign.

The 5 “C’s help you effectively market your Facebook page—clarity, content, connection, campaign and conversion.

The best part is that it is simple! In an age where time is money, what can be better than minimizing time spent on social media? In this webinar, Mari highlighted the 5 key points for great Facebook marketing:

1. Clarity

Start by customizing your Facebook page to what you think your intended audience will like. There are so many different ways to do this through calls to action, landing tabs, and personal branding. Clarity also involves being engaging and playful. Ask yourself: why do you want to attract a certain audience?

2. Content

Make sure your posts are always appropriate, and to the point. Most people have short attention spans, so pique their interest while you can! Remember that photos, images, and videos have a higher edgerank. Someone wants to know right away whether this is an article I should read or not. Content lets readers know if you are an authority with original content or a curator gathering other’s content on a specific subject. Both influence your fans.

3. Connection

Almost everyone wants to feel connected with people, companies, and brands when they are on Facebook. Engage your fans. Respond to their posts, even if it is days later. People want to know they matter.

4. Campaign

Tell your fans about upcoming promotions, contests, information, and more. Keep them coming back. Make them excited to go to your page! Create timed engagement like one fanpage did every Tuesday at noon, had a contest to win a particular hot item. That was a great campaign that kept me coming back every week. I mean, who wouldn’t love a free iPad, dinner for two, or trip?

5. Conversion

Let people know what they have to do (call to action). Make your page appealing enough to cause a viewer to convert to a fan. Have free giveaways! Are you at a loss for effective ways to do this? View other successful Facebook pages. Get ideas from other thriving pages. If your company is know for logos or graphics perhaps offer “fan downloads” such as: wallpaper, screensavers, and emoticons. What better way to appeal to the audience, and convert them from likers to fanatics?

With the 5 “C”s you can become an authority in your on social media world. Webinars provide a platform to get your message out.

If your message is “picked up” you can end up in a studio. You become the authority. You become the expert. See Mari express her credibility and the 5Cs and more in this 1 hour long video:

See more on Mari Smith 2012 Facebook webinar: http://like2.us/facebook2012

#Likes UP: Convert social likes into social love and into social commerce.