If it wasn’t for Sig Rosenblum, I might never have gotten into direct response copywriting.
It was 1981, and I was working in New York City as the advertising manager of a firm that manufactured chemical equipment.
I enjoyed the work, but one day, my boss walked into my office and dropped a magazine on my desk. It was Direct Marketing magazine.
"I get this for free," he told me. "It might interest you. If not, throw it away."
I opened the magazine ... and was instantly mesmerized.
We were an industrial manufacturer, selling through sales reps. But the magazine was all about direct marketing.
A few hours reading convinced me that direct marketing could be a lot more fun than what I was doing ... and that we could increase sales by applying direct response techniques to our industrial advertising.
Several freelance copywriters advertised their services in the back of the magazine, offering free information kits.
And as a "potential client" – an advertising manager – I sent for them all.
The materials they sent were fascinating ... and one copywriter’s information package stood out above all the rest.
His name was Sig Rosenblum ... .
Two things in particular about Sig’s information kit captivated and charmed me.
The first was the writing style.
I think Sig had – and still has – the most conversational style of any copywriter I’ve ever read.
It flows with a grace – and ease – that no other copywriter quite matches.
Second was the fact that, if I hired Sig, he would not come to our offices and visit with me, as our advertising agency did regularly.
Sig made it clear that he worked with clients strictly by mail and phone (this was in the days before fax and e-mail).
I was amazed that someone could write copy about complicated products without ever meeting the client ... but Sig did it all the time.
A few months later, when I was asked to relocate from Manhattan to Wichita, Kansas, I knew my time at the firm was coming to an end.
I thought perhaps I would become a freelance copywriter.
I called Sig – and asked him if I could work for him as an unpaid apprentice ... so I could learn the ropes from a master.
He politely declined, explaining that he wrote all his own copy, did his own research, had a secretary for typing and errands, and preferred to work alone.
But he invited me to join him for lunch at the Plaza, the kind of ritzy Manhattan eatery I normally avoided.
I eagerly accepted, and a few weeks later, we met for lunch.
Sig was utterly charming – not at all a curmudgeon – and from that day forward, went out of his way to help me, a direct response novice, succeed as a freelance copywriter.
Sig was the kind of thoughtful, intelligent thinker – and clear, fluent writer – I wanted to be.
Well, I never quite reached Sig’s level. But now, nearly three decades later, I like to think I have gotten a bit closer.
Part of what accelerated my copywriting education was reading Sig’s articles in the trade publications – and copies of his sales letters, which he kindly sent me to study.
Now, the articles are long out of print, and the sales letters no longer mailing – all stored away in Sig’s private files.
In fact, many of them are now lost forever ...
Once, during a visit to Sig’s beautiful Southampton, NY home, he took me into the basement where he ran a mail order business selling original art prints to gift shops.
There were endless banks of file cabinets disappearing into the darkness of the vast underground room. Sig explained that this was where he stored his copywriting samples.
Recently, he shocked me by saying he had gotten rid of many of these file cabinets to make more room in the basement.
What happened to that treasure trove of classic Sig Rosenblum sales letters?
Hundreds have been lost forever. But Sig saved a few of his favorites – a selection I feel represents some of his best work.
Now these "lost" classics are yours in my e-book: Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets.
In Part I, you get a collection – not available through any other source – of Sig’s articles on direct marketing.
These include articles published in Direct Marketing magazine and other trade publications as well as unpublished manuscripts that have never seen the light of day – until today.
You see, my friend Sig was a great copywriter -- a superb teacher -- and a top-notch writer and editor.
He knew direct marketing, and his writings on DM techniques were among the most practical and clear of his or any other era before or since.
He started to write a couple of books teaching what he knew about direct marketing – which was considerable – but never completed these books.
Portions of the surviving manuscripts are included in this section, along with reprints of his best how-to articles.
In these pages, you will discover:
- The 3-step writing process that banishes writer’s block -- forever. Page 10.
- How to use the "bait piece" technique to generate a flood of new business leads. Page 25.
- 10 secrets of writing copy that sells. Page 6.
- The "index card method" for organizing your copy. Page 16.
- Boosting sales revenues with "follow-up" letters. Page 32.
- How to write an opening that grabs the reader by the lapels and won’t let go. Page 7.
- What Hollywood can teach you about writing a compelling sales letter. Page 12.
- How to get the prospect to take actions that lead to a sale. Page 19.
- 22 steps to writing a winning sales letter. Page 14.
- How to select the most powerful selling idea for your sales letter. Page 6.
- 15 tips for writing and designing effective business reply cards. Page 40.
- How to make a fortune in mail order. Page 43.
- And more ...
But as the old-time mail order copywriters like Sig Rosenblum were fond of saying – "Wait. There’s more! ... .
The Sig Rosenblum sales letter collection
During his long career, Sig Rosenblum wrote a huge volume of high-performance sales letters – direct mail that brought in bundles of checks, order forms, and reply cards.
He wrote to sell. But I confess that I read his letters for the sheer enjoyment of reading a master writer.
There are some copywriters who get great results, but whose letters are clumsy ... or grating ... or loud ... or practically illiterate ... or filled with hype.
You can’t knock them – they work. But as a writer, I almost wish they didn’t.
Sig’s letters also sold ... but they did it with wit, grace, and charm.
Today, consumer direct mail is getting longer and longer.
And in consumer direct mail, the once-mighty letter package has been supplanted by a variety of self mailer formats.
These include digests ... 16-page magalogs ... 24-page tabloids ... and the bookalog -- a direct mail format that is actually a paperback book!
Sig Rosenblum wrote in an era where #10 and 6 X 9-inch letter packages ... with an occasional jumbo ... were king.
He was the master of what Denny Hatch calls "the literate 4-page letter" ... although Sig could accomplish a lot in 1 or 2 pages, too.
In Part II of Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Secrets, you can read, enjoy, and study more than 40 of Sig’s greatest sales letter at your own pace.
As you savor these letters, you can’t help but note the smooth-flowing, friendly, conversational tone ...
...the way Sig communicates an important feature or benefit in just a sentence or two ...
... the use of sentence fragments to vary the pacing and create easy transitions from thought to thought ...
... his technique of representing the product with the offer, and increasing response by selling the unique product benefits along with the offer up front ...
... and the highly personalized style, with liberal use of the pronouns "I" and "you."
In particular, take a look at:
- The letter that sent sales soaring for the book "Pictorial History of Flight" – page 93.
- Sig’s "easiest job in the world" letter – page 132.
- How a French laundry got their customers to give them their dry cleaning business, too – page 115.
- A letter that sold computers – at a time no one was using them – page 105.
- The famous "something that always happens to the other guy" sales letter for Fortress Security Systems – page 18.
- How to sell accordions by mail order letter – page 104.
- A letter that sold life insurance policies… for 8-year-olds! – page 81.
- How Frigidaire sold "refrigerator insurance" by mail – page 103.
- Sig’s classic control letter for the Board Report Newsletter – page 62.
- His "how to hush a hospital" letter for sound-proof wall tile – page 90.
- Sig’s classic "How would you rate a General?' letter -- page 127.
- The letter that launched Sig’s career as a freelance copywriter – page 84.
- The sales letters that put California Trust Deeds on Wall Street’s radar – page 80.
- His colorful copy that sold the Jerrican G.I. lighter by the truckload – page 66.
- How to sell a newspaper – to people too busy to read one – page 123.
- The letter that introduced the American workplace to a cool new idea – air conditioning – page 107.
- Sig’s classic subscription letter for the Harvard Business Review – page 121.
- And so many more – hours of entertaining, and educational, reading for the direct marketing professional ... .
Plus, as a bonus, you also get Sig Rosenblum’s classic essay, "How I Became a Copywriter – for the Second Time."
The $37,500 letter collection you can own for
less than
what Sig charged for writing just
one paragraph of copy
So what is all that really worth to you?
Well, when Sig retired from active freelancing, he was charging $750 per page to write letters.
So to have him write just one 12-page letter for you would run $9,000 – if he would even take you on as a client (Sig was fully booked and very selective).
This collection has well over 50 pages of his letter copy (probably closer to 100), so it contains at least $37,500 worth of Sig’s one-of-a-kind copy.
But you won’t pay $37,500 or $9,000 or even $750 to own the collection of letters, articles, and writings in Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets.
That’s because it’s available to you now as a downloadable 140-page e-book for only $39.
In Part II alone, you get a portfolio of dozens of the greatest sales letters ever written – letters not available anywhere else – for less than a dollar a letter.
And that doesn’t include the dozens of direct response tips in his article collection in Part I.
Marketing pros praise Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Secrets
"This is the first book I have ever seen that can turn a direct mail amateur into a skilled professional almost overnight and save even an experienced pro many hours of struggling to get a handle on a tough assignment. I wish I could have had it at my elbow when I was a beginning copywriter myself and also later on when I was copy chiefing
other semi-beginners."
--Thomas L. Collins, co-founder, Rapp & Collins
"I have been selling my writing seminars for 25 years, but I learned more from the opening letter-writing tips in Sig Rosenblum's Marketing Secrets than from
almost any other book about writing. Like all great direct response writers, Sig is able to ‘cross the fence’ and dwell in the mind of his prospect. He reminds me that selling isn't just about knowing words, it's about understanding human hearts and what moves people to action."
--Gary Blake, Ph.D., The Communication Workshop
"Sig Rosenblum's Lost Marketing Secrets is a definite must for any serious copywriter, small business owner, or marketer's library shelf. If you want to mine gems
from a retired genius, pay close attention to the proven sales letters that Sig used and adapt them for your own projects. Once you do, you can’t help but boost your response rate. The e-book is a superb swipe file from a master!"
--Peter Fogel, copywriter/speaker/author
"A truly amazing selection of teachings from a brilliant copywriter. Sig cuts it down to the nuts and bolts -- for writing a profit-packed sales letter in no time flat. Not to mention the artfully crafted examples that will save you both time and money. Don't let this one pass you by!"
--Sabrina Brick, copywriter
"Decades of direct mail success prove that Sig Rosenblum's advice and
letters can improve your direct marketing efforts today."
--Lewis R. Elin, direct mail consultant
"This compilation of Sig's
letters and mail-order musings is like a latter-day Robert Collier Letter Book, and
from this day forward no direct marketing library will be truly complete without it."
-- Richard Armstrong, freelance copywriter and author, "God Doesn't Shoot Craps"
"You always deliver more than you promise and your collection of Sig Rosenblum's letters is no different. I find just rummaging through his carefully crafted sales letters a wonderful idea generator. And to think they were almost lost forever! The book earns an important place in my DM library."
-- Bob Kalian, copywriter
"This book is packed with powerful insights and advice, and the examples are pure gold. I had to stop reading when I discovered 'secret #6' on page 9 - I immediately rewrote a sales letter to my own prospects. Thank you for sharing Sig's best advice!"
-- Bob Martel, copywriter
"This is the ONE to own ... a 'lost' treasure of uncanny knowledge for all of us pros to place in our secret swipe files."
--Andrew S. Linick, Ph.D., Founder, Copywriter's Council of America
"If David Ogilvy were alive today, he might sit down at his computer and happily shell out $39 for Sig Rosenblum's Marketing Success Secrets, Robert Bly's terrific new e-book detailing the wisdom of a real direct marketing genius."
--Russell Kern, Target Marketing
"Sig Rosenblum's Marketing Success Secrets is awesome!"
--Larry Elkan
Our 100% iron-clad guarantee of satisfaction
Plus, your satisfaction with this treasury of the great Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets is fully guaranteed.
That’s right.
If you are not 100% delighted for any reason – or for no reason at all – just let me know within 90 days for a full refund.
And you can still keep the e-book free, with my compliments. That way, you risk nothing.
So what are you waiting for?
To order Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets just click below now:
Sincerely,
Bob Bly
P.S. When my book designer gave me the galleys of Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets, it was like I had rediscovered a treasure I’d buried long ago and forgotten about until today.
Already, I have read Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets – in its entirety, cover to cover – 5 times before even launching it.
And I suspect I will read it many more times ... at least once a year, and probably more often than that.
You see, Sig’s writing is so easy and enjoyable to read, it’s a pleasure to read and reread over and over again.
Which is good for you, because with each reading, his techniques become more ingrained into your brain – and your mastery of his letter-writing secrets increases exponentially.
So don’t just sit there – get your hands on this "instant classic" of direct marketing today. You’ll be glad you did!
To review Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets for 90 days risk-free in your home or office, just click below now:
P.P.S. I really believe with all my heart that my good friend Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets is so great, it would be almost redundant to offer a free bonus with your purchase.
But then one of my colleagues reminded me how much my readers love our free bonus reports.
So reply today and you get a FREE copy of my 59-page Special Report, Take Your Copywriting to the Next Level (list price: $29).
In it, you’ll find some of the most powerful copywriting secrets I’ve learned over the decades from Sig Rosenblum, Milt Pierce, Michael Masterson, and my other mentors and colleagues.
Including:
- 25 key questions you must ask – and answer – before you sit down to write your sales letter. Page 3.
- Michael Masterson’s kick-butt formula for writing e-mail subject lines that can increase your open and click-through rates 25% to 50% or more. Page 38.
- 7 secrets for writing space ads that pay back the cost of the ad space many times over. Page 32.
- Tips on getting and using testimonials to improve the pulling power of your copy. Page 44.
- How to write copy that sells – and sells hard – without overdoing the hype. Page 53.
- 4 easy techniques for presenting detailed or technical product features without boring the reader to tears. Page 23.
- Does long copy always work better than short copy? The answer is not what you think – and it may shock you. Page 50.
- 8 characteristics that make copy effective. Skip even one, and you risk having your promotion bomb. Page 6.
- 3 ways to get deep inside your prospect’s mind … without spending a dime on costly market research studies. Page 40.
- And more ...
To Order Sig Rosenblum’s Marketing Success Secrets ... and get your FREE Bonus Report ... just click below now: