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13 episodes with Richard Armstrong
8 episodes with Richard Armstrong
3 episodes with Richard Armstrong
2 episodes with Richard Armstrong
2 episodes with Richard Armstrong
2 episodes with Richard Armstrong
2 episodes with Richard Armstrong
2 episodes with Richard Armstrong
9 episodes with Richard Armstrong
Most builders think scaling means more jobs, more blokes, more stress. But what if there was a better way? In this episode, I chat with Richard Armstrong from Procalc about a smarter growth strategy—scaling your profit margin, not your workload. We dig into: Why more jobs ≠ more profit How to raise your prices without losing quality clients The power of delivering a great experience—not just a great home How to reduce team size and boost productivity What real purpose and energy can do for your business If you're a residential builder who's tired of the hustle and ready to work smarter—not harder—this one's for you. To connect with Richard, check all the links below: Website: https://procalc.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076206650142 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/procalc.au/?hl=en Twitter: https://x.com/procalc_au Want to call? +61 405 327 949
Episode: 2408 Roman Political Invective. Today, a look at Roman mudslinging.
Episode: 2382 The Invention of the American Paperboy during the Great Depression. Today, the invention of the paperboy.
Episode: 2373 The Phrasebook: A Dangerous Invention. Today, UH scholar, Richard Armstrong tells us about German phrasebooks.
Episode: 2364 46 BC: In which Julius Caesar creates the longest year. Today, UH scholar Richard Armstrong tells us about the longest year in history.
Episode: 2368 In which Shakespeare and Cervantes die on the same day, but eleven days apart. Today, UH scholar, Richard Armstrong tells us about puzzles in chronology.
In this episode of The Toolshed Podcast, I sit down with Richard Armstrong from ProCalc for a deep dive into how professionalism can make or break a building business. They discuss actionable strategies that builders can implement to elevate their reputation, build trust with clients, and stand out in the competitive construction industry. From the small details that matter most to clients to the importance of clear communication, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you grow your business without added costs—just smarter practices. Key Takeaways: Defining Professionalism: It's not just about appearances. True professionalism is about fulfilling promises and exceeding client expectations. Client Experience is Key: Clients remember how you made them feel more than anything else. Positive experiences lead to referrals and repeat business. Clear Communication Builds Trust: Keeping clients informed at every stage of a project enhances trust and helps avoid misunderstandings. Small Actions, Big Impact: Simple actions, like cleaning up the job site and being punctual, can leave a lasting impression on clients. Professionalism Drives Profit: A strong professional reputation allows you to attract top-tier clients and charge higher rates. Continuous Improvement Through Feedback: Post-project reviews provide valuable insights and help refine your business practices to better serve clients. To connect with Richard, check out all the links below: Website: https://procalc.com.au/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/procalc.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Procalc-Australia Procalc – The Builder's Price Guide Get instant estimates with real builder's data. Homeowners, connect with your architect or builder for access. Discover more: https://procalc.com.au/knowledge-base/builder-preliminaries/ Want more resources to help build your building- or trades-based business? Join us in the ToolShed: https://bit.ly/JoinTheToolshed Join the toolshed - thetoolshedpodcast.com Stay tuned next week when we talk about . So, don't forget to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon it gets released. Until then, stay healthy.
Episode: 2356 Hebrew and Yiddish struggle for ascendancy after WW-II. Today, scholar Richard Armstrong considers the world of language textbooks
Episode: 2231 Of cuckoos, cuckoldry and brood parasitic cupidity. Today, our guest, classicist Richard Armstrong goes cuckoo over brood parasites.
Episode: 2228 Ancient Explanations of Bird Migrations. Today, our guest, classicist Richard Armstrong, watches the ancients studying bird migrations.
Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode with Richard Armstrong from Procalc. In this episode, Richard dives deep into the nuances of construction pricing, sharing insights from his extensive experience in the industry and the innovative solutions Procalc offers. INSIDE EPISODE 133 YOU WILL DISCOVER The limitations and risks of traditional pricing methods. How technology can simplify and improve accuracy in construction estimating The importance of a reliable cost validation tool in early client interactions Strategies for managing client expectations and improving communication about costs And much, much more. Listen to the full episode to find out the impact a discovery process can have for your building company. ABOUT RICHARD ARMSTRONG Richard is the founding director at ProCalc, the builder's price guide. ProCalc informs opportunities for architects, designers, builders, developers and their clients. Drawing from real builders' pricing, Richard developed ProCalc into an online tool for professionals that delivers faster and more reliable price guides to support you through early concept design & feasibility. Connect with Richard: .linkedin.com/in/richard-armstrong000/ TIMELINE 1:27 Introduction to Procalc and its purpose 6:41 How Procalc offers pricing range for early client interactions 16:29 The impact of pricing inaccuracies on builders' businesses and personal lives 24:09 Building trust with clients through initial small projects 32:02 Benefits of Procalc's market reflective pricing accuracy 34:19 How builders can charge for their expertise like professionals in other fields LINKS, RESOURCES & MORE APB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com APB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/ APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/ APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuilders APB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders
Richard Armstrong, Venture Partner at TA Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed three main points: 1. 267,000 Instagram Followers Insights: Richard recounted his formative years growing up in multiple countries leading to his interest in sharing his personal journey. He debunked common myths about media creators: emphasizing that success in the space requires more than just creativity, but also demands business acumen and a strong support system. He highlighted that despite popular beliefs, most creators are not wealthy and that success in the media follows a power-law curve where only a small percentage of top earners can earn a good living. 2. Founder Transition to Venture Capital: Richard shared about his first ventures in e-commerce and food waste management, and why he eventually moved into angel investing and eventually into venture capital. He highlighted the stark differences, particularly the challenges of accessibility and the importance of networking within the VC community. His journey was motivated by the desire to leverage his understanding of emerging markets and bridge the funding gap faced by startups in these countries. 3. Thailand Startup Ecosystem Challenges: Richard pointed out that despite Thailand's strong GDP, the startup ecosystem remains underfunded relative to other Southeast Asian peer countries - particularly at the seed stage. He discussed his optimism for potential growth in the next two years, driven by investor interest, improved market conditions and more focused government support. Jeremy and Richard also talked about the global impact of regional strategies, the importance of building partnerships vs. focusing solely on disruption, and the role of personal background and global exposure in enhancing VC effectiveness. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/richard-armstrong Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/richard-armstrong-in 观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/richard-armstrong-cn Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Learn more about Grain here: https://www.grain.com.sg
Today on Rising Giants, we're excited to introduce Richard Armstrong, a Venture Partner at TA Ventures in Southeast Asia. His primary role involves scouting for promising ventures within emerging markets, with a keen focus on consumer technology and marketplaces. With five years of hands-on experience in startups and venture capital, Richard brings invaluable insights as a two-time founder himself. Moreover, his extensive background in creator and media domains enriches his perspective. Richard's influence extends beyond his role at TA Ventures; he's also an Angel Investor in over 70 companies globally, supporting founders through effective go-to-market and marketing strategies. TAV: https://taventures.vc/ Follow RG on TikTok & Instagram: @risinggiantsfm Catch our full videos on YouTube: @risinggiantsfm All RG links: https://linktr.ee/risinggiantsfm
Learn how to extract value and ensure client fit Builders face numerous challenges when accurately qualifying clients, often struggling to grasp their needs and aspirations. Effective communication and problem-solving play crucial roles in overcoming these obstacles. However, builders have ample opportunities to improve their processes and build trust with high-quality clients. Builders must invest time in understanding client expectations to foster stronger relationships. This leads to successful projects and sets the stage for repeat business and positive referrals, ultimately contributing to long-term success in the industry. I am joined again by Richard Armstrong, a highly respected figure in the building industry. He is a former registered builder and founder of ProCalc, the builders' price guide. He undertook research interviews with hundreds of highly successful Australian builders about their approach to client management and project pricing. He emphasises the importance of early engagement with architects, effective client communication, and tools like ProCalc to streamline cost estimation. Key Takeaways: Builders often qualify clients inadequately, resulting in lower-quality clients and reduced margins Recognising the lead source signals prospect quality and helps builders position themselves as preferred experts Builders can build trust by providing answers and solutions to client questions early in the process Feasibility should consider both client affordability and the builder's perspective Early collaboration with architects enhances cost estimates and project outcomes for builders ProCalc streamlines builders' feasibility assessment and cost estimation Aligning solutions with the client's budget boosts conversions and satisfaction Regularly reviewing and updating cost estimation algorithms ensures accuracy in feasibility assessments All this and more, on this week's episode of THE TOOLSHED. Join the toolshed - thetoolshedpodcast.com Stay tuned for the next episode, where I talk to more significant figures in the building industry. Remember to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon as it's released. Until then, stay healthy. Links: procalc.com.au
In this episode, Adam and Budi speak with the Professor in the Practice of Acting from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University, Walton Wilson. Walton Wilson is a Professor in the Practice of Acting at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1999. He served as Head of Voice and Speech and was a resident artist at Yale Repertory Theatre for twenty-three years. He also served as Chair of the Acting Program for seven years, Associate Chair for eleven years, and Interim Co-Chair for one year. He was apprenticed to and designated as a voice teacher by Kristin Linklater and was later trained and certified as an associate teacher by Catherine Fitzmaurice. He has also studied voice with Richard Armstrong, Andrea Haring, Meredith Monk, Patsy Rodenburg, David Smukler, Jean-René Toussaint, and members of the Roy Hart Theatre. He has served as voice, text, and dialect coach for productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional theater, including a multitide of new plays and adaptations by American and international theatermakers. He has held faculty appointments at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, Emerson College, and Southern Methodist University, and has been an artist-in-residence at Actor's Theatre of Louisville, American Repertory Theatre, Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center/National Theatre Institute, Shakespeare & Company, Swine Palace Theatre, GEOKS Singapadu (Bali), LaSalle College of the Arts (Singapore), Shanghai Theatre Academy (China), Sfumato Theatre Laboratory, Plovdiv State Drama Theatre, New Bulgarian University (Bulgaria), Titan Teatersköle (Norway), and Fundaçao Gulbenkian (Portugal). He has also led voice workshops for community organizers, military veterans, museum curators, architects, prison inmates, and interfaith ministers. His professional acting credits include productions off-Broadway and in regional theatres and Shakespeare festivals across the United States. He is a frequent collaborator with Double Edge Theatre (Ashfield, MA), The Lunar Stratagem (Hudson, NY), and Pro Rodopi Arts Centre (Bostina, Bulgaria). Integrate spiritual practice into your training and unveil the profound, spiritual depths of acting with Budi Miller, an internationally renowned expert in Balinese Performing Arts Training.. Join this transformative workshop where Budi will guide you through his uniquely crafted spiritual acting techniques, honed over 25 years of meticulous research and global actor coaching. Benefit from Budi's extensive experience in training actors for both screen and theatre.
Learn the foundation of money management for financial freedom Before we start, I want to talk about an event. Our return guest, Terry Tran, is putting on an event. It's going to be on Tuesday, the 13th of February, kicking off at 7:20 in the evening. When you attend this session, you'll learn how to create off-business wealth safely, regardless of the market condition. The link's at the bottom of the description. Go check it out. I have some other financial freedom tools that you can start using. Most problems in small businesses, particularly building businesses, come from the financial space. When you're under financial pressure, it seems to magnify the consequences of every other problem you've got, whether it's a health problem, a relationship problem or a work issue. So, we're going to be talking about a bunch of things about mindset with money and how to use your money more effectively. Terry Tran is joining me in this insightful conversation. He is the founder of The Freedom Trader and a highly knowledgeable individual in investing. With a focus on diversification and utilising both hard and liquid assets, Terry has achieved financial success and aims to help others do the same. He emphasises the importance of wisely managing the money generated from a business, suggesting that investing a portion of it can lead to passive income and financial stability. Together, we discuss the concept of financial freedom and how investing can provide a perpetual money machine for individuals. Key Takeaways: Money management is crucial for small businesses, especially in the financial space The importance of diversification and investing in both stocks and real estate Building a portfolio of investments can provide passive income and stabilise a business Focusing on financial freedom rather than solely pursuing financial abundance The mindset of fear and greed plays a significant role in successful investing Starting to invest can be as simple as setting aside a small amount regularly and gradually increasing it over time Understanding personal income comfort level and the revenue needed from the business is essential Considering a self-managed super fund to achieve better returns on investment Prioritising risk management is crucial to avoid losses and maintain consistent returns Letting compounding do the heavy lifting can lead to substantial long-term growth Patience is key in investing, focusing on long-term strategies rather than seeking quick gains All this and more, on this week's episode of THE TOOLSHED. Join the toolshed - thetoolshedpodcast.com Stay tuned next week when I share a new conversation with one of the podcast's returning guests, Richard Armstrong from Procalc! Also, don't forget to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon as it's released. Until then, stay healthy. Links: thefreedomtrader.com https://www.thefreedomtrader.com/smartinvesting/
Episode: 2364 46 BC: In which Julius Caesar creates the longest year. Today, UH scholar Richard Armstrong tells us about the longest year in history.
Nicholas Cullinan from the National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG) and Elvira Dyangani Ose from the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Barcelona (MACBA) join Anne McElvoy to discuss the challenges of running a major art museum and their visions for the future of their respective institutions. They discuss connecting with a wider community which has involved the NPG showing a David Beckham portrait in the hospital he was born in, and plans at MACBA to open out the ground floor and use the squares that surround the museum in Barcelona; the impact of blockbuster shows about Vermeer and Picasso and creating a space for VR and video at the NPG and whether the trend for immersive art experiences - like the David Hockney immersive show running at The Lightroom near Kings Cross station until December 2023 – is a good thing. Producer: Torquil MacLeod Frieze London runs from 11th - 15th October 2023. You can find previous Frieze/Free Thinking debates hearing from directors including Michael Govan, Sabine Haag & Hartwig Fischer; Suhanya Raffel, Richard Armstrong and Nathalie Bondil, Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky, Kaywin Feldman and Siak Ching Chong.
Learn to manage client price expectation Hey folks, A common challenge arises with unrealistic budget expectations. Architects and builders often face difficulties aligning these expectations with the actual project cost, resulting in frustration and disappointment. However, there are potential solutions to overcome this issue and ensure a smoother and more enjoyable process for all parties involved. By addressing this topic head-on, we can explore strategies and approaches to bridge the gap between budget expectations and project realities, fostering better collaboration and successful outcomes. Guess what? We have a special guest joining us today, none other than Richard Armstrong! Richard is the brains behind ProCalc, an incredible tool designed to help bridge the gap between architects, builders, and accurate cost estimations. With years of experience in the industry, Richard has witnessed the challenges faced by both architects and builders when it comes to managing client price expectations. His insights and expertise will shed light on how collaboration and effective communication can pave the way for successful projects. Key Takeaways: Builders and architects often face challenges due to unrealistic budget expectations from prospects. Collaboration between builders and architects is crucial for successful projects Respect and trust are essential in maintaining a positive builder-architect relationship Effective communication and understanding of design intent are key to delivering a quality client experience Early collaboration and cost feasibility assessments can help align expectations and avoid disappointments Developing systems and processes to meet architects' needs can lead to long-term partnerships and referrals Prioritize building long-term relationships with architects by consistently meeting their needs and exceeding expectations All this and more, on this week's episode of THE TOOLSHED. Join the toolshed - thetoolshed.com Stay tuned for more episodes because we will be talking to more key figures, who are contributing to the industry. So, don't forget to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon it gets released. Until then, stay healthy. Links: https://procalc.com.au/builders/ ProCalc.com.au
The Power of Social Proof in the Reputation Age Social proof is becoming increasingly important in attracting and converting clients. Potential customers are more likely to trust a business with many positive reviews and testimonials. Handling negative reviews with care and using them as an opportunity for growth can turn a negative into a positive. Creating a remarkable customer experience and investing in reputation marketing can yield long-term returns and set a business apart from competitors. In this episode of The ToolShed, I have with me Karl Schwantes. Karl is a Customer Experience Expert and an international award-winning author, a Telstra business award finalist and winner of the My Business Awards 2020 for the Best Customer Experience. We discussed the importance of reputation marketing in the digital age. We talked about the power of social proof and how it can be used to attract and convert clients. We also discussed how negative reviews can be an opportunity for growth and how to handle them carefully. Building a remarkable customer experience and investing in reputation marketing can set a business apart from competitors and yield long-term returns. This episode is full of insights and activities that everyone can pick up and use. Key takeaways: Google reviews are a crucial part of reputation marketing, with high trust and influence on potential customers Businesses should focus on creating exceptional client experiences that go beyond delivering the expected product or service Social proof, such as positive reviews, plays a significant role in building trust and attracting new clients Negative reviews can have a significant impact on a business, but they also provide an opportunity for improvement and showcasing excellent customer service Reputation marketing involves actively managing and amplifying your brand story through customer reviews Having a strong online reputation can lead to pre-converted clients and higher conversion rates The combination of great product/service, experience, and positive reviews increases the chances of attracting and retaining customers All this and more, on this week's episode of THE TOOLSHED. Join the toolshed - thetoolshed.com Stay tuned next week because Richard Armstrong will be back. We will have a fresh conversation that will change how we operate. So, don't forget to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon it gets released. Until then, stay healthy. Links: https://reputable.global/program/
Ric Spatula Armstrong has a way of turning losses into gains. He lost his dad, a drummer, when he was five-years-old, yet he turned that into a career in drumming himself and an opportunity to honor his sister. He lost a job due to an economic downturn, yet he turned it into and opportunity to chase a dream in music. He drums for bands like More Then Merry, The Kurt Gunn Band, and Isiah and the New People plus he has a solo gig under the name of Armstrong St. Never count Ric out because if you do, he'll turn it into a wonderful opportunity."Almost There" performed by More Then MerryWritten by Chad Hopfensperger℗ © 2023 More Then Merry. Used with permission of Richard Armstrong."Daddy's Little Girl" performed by Armstrong St.Written by Ric Spatula Armstrong℗ 2013 Ric Spatula Armstrong. Used with permission of Richard Armstrong.Support the showSupport the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/intothemusic E-mail us at intothemusic@newprojectx.com YouTube Facebook Instagram INTO THE MUSIC is a production of Project X Productions, Appleton, WI.Producer: Rob MarnochaRecording, engineering, and post production: Rob MarnochaOpening theme: "Aerostar" by Los Straitjackets* (℗2013 Yep Roc Records)Closing theme: "Close to Champaign" by Los Straitjackets* (℗1999 Yep Roc Records)*Used with permission of Eddie AngelThis podcast copyright ©2024 by Project X Productions. All rights reserved.
Communication in Building Trust: Insights for Builders Trust and openness are necessary for a successful project between a builder and a client. When neither is transparent, the project suffers from inappropriate budgeting, low-quality construction, and poor client experience. All of this is preventable when trust is established, and this is a necessary task of a builder to be a trusted expert. As a builder understands the client's concerns and puts himself as a knowledgeable and reliable partner, the client receives a positive client experience and a successful project. In this The ToolShed Podcast episode, Mick Hawes interviews Richard Armstrong, an expert in building client trust. Richard is passionate about improving the building industry and creating a better experience for builders and customers. Richard will share his insights on why builders need to become trusted experts in their client's minds. He will discuss how builders can improve client experience by providing the correct information and setting realistic expectations. Learn from Richard how to become your clients' go-to builder and build a team environment for your building projects. Key takeaways: Importance of actively listening and empathy on client experience Highlight your expertise as a builder to stand out from competitors Discover why trust is crucial in building a successful construction project Stepping up as a problem solver build trust with the client Openness prevents inappropriate project cost and poor project experience Why it is necessary to create a process as a builder and be transparent with the client All this and more, on this week's episode of THE TOOLSHED. Join the toolshed - thetoolshedpodcast.com Stay tuned next week when we talk about Protecting Your Team From Avoidable Injury with Guy Onley. So, don't forget to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon it gets released. Until then, stay healthy. Reference: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/
Fostering Community and Resilience for Men's Mental Health If the business owner is not right, the business will not be right. Mental health is a significant issue that affects millions of people worldwide, and men are not an exception. In particular, Australian men face unique challenges when seeking help. Quality relationships with trust and vulnerability are important in reducing isolation and improving mental health. Liam Sorrell is the founder of Grit and Gratitude, a men's mental health service that offers support and tools for those struggling with mental health issues. Liam is also the founder of the Australian Dads Network, a community that provides a safe space for fathers to connect and support one another. Key takeaways: Australian Dads Network was created to support dads, who were struggling with isolation and a lack of connection in their community. Grit and Gratitude is a men's mental health service that supports anyone who needs it, with an emphasis on grit and resilience. Men tend to be bad at reaching out and seeking help, but the Australian Dads Network provides a safe space for them to do so. Dropping the shield and being vulnerable is the first step in having a conversation about mental health. The semicolon in the Grit and Gratitude logo represents a pause in the journey, but there is always a positive end in sight. Mental health is an important aspect of business success because if the business owner isn't right, the business never will be. Connection and having strong social relationships can reduce suicide rates and improve mental health. Being open and vulnerable can help build trust and create a supportive community. All this and more, on this week's episode of THE TOOLSHED. Join the toolshed - thetoolshedpodcast.com Don't miss out on next week's episode of The Toolshed, where we'll discuss Addressing Unrealistic Budget Expectations: Insights from Building Industry with the industry expert Richard Armstrong. So, don't forget to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon it gets released. Until then, stay healthy. Links: https://australiandadsnetwork.org.au/ https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/ https://www.gritandgratitude.com.au/
How To Qualify Your Prospects Budget To Avoid Wasting Everyone's Time! Building trust is key to establishing a strong relationship between a builder and a client in the construction industry. This trust is especially crucial when it comes to pricing a construction project. In this episode of The ToolShed, Mick Hawes speaks with Richard Armstrong, a former registered builder and founder of ProCalc, a builder's price guide that aims to help builders and clients build a trusted rapport and reach reasonable project costs. Richard shares his insights on navigating negotiations and building a strong rapport with clients, emphasizing the importance of being a trusted expert. The conversation also explores how ProCalc, an industry calculator and builder's price guide, can save builders time and effort by providing accurate estimates from the desktop. Key takeaways: Trust between builders and clients is crucial in achieving a reasonable budget for construction projects. Being a trusted expert is essential in building trust with clients. ProCalc is a game-changer for the construction industry, saving builders time and effort by providing accurate estimates from the desktop. ProCalc is a credible and accurate tool for estimating concept costs. Using ProCalc can save builders 2-4 days of work every month. Professional engagements between clients and builders can benefit from ProCalc's trusted approach to project pricing. All this and more, on this week's episode of THE TOOLSHED. Join the toolshed - thetoolshedpodcast.com Don't miss out on next week's episode of The Toolshed, where we'll talk about Building Wealth In Challenging Times with Tony Harrington. So, don't forget to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon it gets released. Until then, stay healthy. Links mentioned: www.procalc.com.au/
Empowering Builders to Succeed in the Building Industry In this episode of The Toolshed, host Mick Hawes sits down with Haydn Simmons, a dedicated carpenter with a deep passion for his craft. With years of experience, he has honed his skills and developed a keen eye for detail. But his love for carpentry goes beyond his projects. Haydn is also committed to improving the building industry as a whole. Haydn's passion for carpentry has also driven him to help others in the industry. Through his work with Price A Plan, he has assisted other builders and contractors with their estimating needs, allowing them to focus more on their craft and less on the administrative side of their businesses. He is committed to helping others succeed in the industry and believes that his passion for carpentry drives his desire to help others. Key Takeaways: Effective strategies for managing pressure and achieving a successful construction project Mitigate financial errors within the construction sector Comprehend the various budgetary allocations available for your project Foster collaboration and communication for a more cohesive contract and an exceptional final outcome All this and more, on this week's episode of THE TOOLSHED. Join the toolshed - thetoolshedpodcast.com Don't miss out on next week's episode of The Toolshed, where we'll discuss Helping Align Prospects' Expectations with Budgets with the industry expert Richard Armstrong. So, don't forget to subscribe to the show to get that episode as soon it gets released. Until then, stay healthy. Links: priceaplan.com.au
Episode: 2408: Roman Political Invective. Today, a look at Roman mudslinging.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/11/10/guggenheim-honors-director-richard-armstrong-and-institutional-partner-dior-at-2022-international-gala/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support
Episode: 2373 The Phrasebook: A Dangerous Invention. Today, UH scholar, Richard Armstrong tells us about German phrasebooks.
Hong Kong, Paris and New York galleries and museums are in the spotlight as we hear the latest in a series of discussions exploring what it means to run museums and galleries in the 21st century. For the Frieze/Radio 3 Museum Directors Debate 2022 Anne McElvoy is joined by Suhanya Raffel (director of M+ Museum for Visual Culture, Hong Kong), Richard Armstrong (director of the Guggenheim Museum, NYC) and Nathalie Bondil (head of museums and exhibitions at the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris). The directors chose 3 artists whose work is either currently on show or has been recently displayed at their institutions: the graffiti painter Tsang Tsou-choi, better known as "King of Kowloon"; Cecilia Vicuña (currently showing at Tate Modern in the Turbine Hall 16 April 2023) and the Jordanian sculptor Mona Saudi who died earlier this year and whose work can be seen outside the Institut du Monde Arabe. They also discuss issues including their approach to questions about donors, decolonisation and digital displays. You can find other discussions with directors from galleries in Singapore, Dresden, Washington, Paris, Beijing and London in the Free Thinking collection exploring art, architecture, photography and museums https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p026wnjl Frieze London runs from Oct 12th - 16th 2022 Producer: Torquil MacLeod
Episode: 2368 In which Shakespeare and Cervantes die on the same day, but eleven days apart. Today, UH scholar, Richard Armstrong tells us about puzzles in chronology.
Episode: 2356 Hebrew and Yiddish struggle for ascendancy after WW-II. Today, scholar Richard Armstrong considers the world of language textbooks.
Dr. Michael Kaulana Ing shares with us Hawaiian philosophy as well as what it means to be Kanaka/Hawaiian living away from Hawai'i. He also shares his experiences and knowledge with Philosophy and Religious studies and the need for Indigenous thinking in Philosophy Departments.Michael Kaulana Ing was raised by the ʻāina (land) of Mānoa on the island of Oʻahu. He currently resides on the land of the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee where he is a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University. He completed his PhD in 2011 at Harvard University, where he studied Chinese thought. More recently, he has been working on ʻike Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian thought) and bringing it into conversation with other philosophical traditions.Resources:Information about Dr. Michael Ing and his publications can be found on his faculty page at Indiana University here: https://religiousstudies.indiana.edu/about/faculty/ing-michael.html.Dr. Michael Ing's article titled: Ka Hulikanaka a me Ka Hoʻokūʻonoʻono: Davida Malo and Richard Armstrong on Being Human and Living Well can be found in the Journal of World Philosophies here: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/iupjournals/index.php/jwp/article/view/5473.To learn more about Hawaiian culture, language and stories please visit https://ulukau.org/.
Episode: 2228 Ancient Explanations of Bird Migrations. Today, our guest, classicist Richard Armstrong, watches the ancients studying bird migrations.
The boys are back with another preview, this time heading out the Shepley Oval to cast an eye over the Panthers, reversing over Box Hill to hear from coach Richard Armstrong before chatting about EMP and Kingston Hawthorn! Listen wherever you get your Podcasts!
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/07/12/guggenheim-announces-richard-armstrong-to-step-down-as-director-in-2023/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support
This episode the bods have Boy Katie back as a guest in the Man hole. They discuss such we thought out topics like Black Holes, which celebrities male and female they would Lay with , and the man with a dick on his arm. Sit back and drink it all in
THE GUGGENHEIM AND GLOBAL INQUISITIVENESS. Richard Armstrong has been the director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation since 2008.
A&A attorney, Richard Armstrong, and one of the Hometown Heroes, Allie Hill is on to talk about this years celebration. HTH Online See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Richard Armstrong connect on the topic "The Technical Win". Richard, Head of Americas Solutions Engineering at Cloudflare, talks about the highly debated Technical Win and how it allows organizations to be clearer on what Sales Engineers are accountable for. As PreSales professionals, We must be able to show the business quantifiable results, how and to what extent we are contributing.
Jess Gillam and baritone Benson Wilson share the music they love, including the voices of Johnny Mathis, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Samoan gospel singer Lani Alo. Today we played…. Copland – Appalachian Spring: Allegro (Leonard Bernstein, New York Phil) Erroll Garner - Misty (Johnny Mathis) Pulp – Common People Verdi – Don Carlos: "O Carlo, ascolta" from Act IV Scene 2 (Dmitri Hvorostovsky, BBC Welsh SO, Richard Armstrong, recorded at 1989 Cardiff Singer of the World final) Interpol – Untitled (from Turn on the Bright Lights) John Rutter – What sweeter music (Choir of King’s College Cambridge Stephen Cleobury, Robert Quinney (organ) Lani Alo – Alo i ou faiva (Lani Alo and Livingston Efu) Poulenc – Double Piano Concerto in D Minor: III. Finale (Mischa Cheung and Yulia Miloslavaskaya (pianos), Giraud Ensemble Chamber Orchestra, Sergey Simakov)
De machtigste mediamagnaten ter wereld – wie van hen gaat winnen? Op het eerste gezicht lijken Richard Armstrong en Keith Townsend weinig gemeen te hebben...Uitgegeven door SAGA EgmontSpreker(s): Maarten Smeele
This last week Table Mountain went up in flames, causing terrible damage, displacing people and destroying the lives of countless creatures and plants. But what is fire and how is terrestrial fire different to what we see in our Sun? Here to talk us through the physics (gently) is Dr Richard Armstrong, an astronomer at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.
This last week Table Mountain went up in flames, causing terrible damage, displacing people and destroying the lives of countless creatures and plants. But what is fire and how is terrestrial fire different to what we see in our Sun? Here to talk us through the physics (gently) is Dr Richard Armstrong, an astronomer at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.
We conclude the series, Lessons in Liturgical Literacy, discussing the Byzantine rite with Fr. Richard Armstrong.
Armstrong et al. conducted an initial systematic review and meta‐analysis of 24 observational studies published by 31 May 2020, which included 10,150 patients, finding that mortality was 41.6%, with evidence that this was decreasing as the pandemic progressed. This new updated meta-analysis seems to show that any fall in mortality rate between June and September appears to have flattened or plateaued. For this podcast, Mike Charlesworth speaks with authors Richard Armstrong and Tim Cook, as well as Danny Bryden, Rupert Pearse, Mandeep-Kaur Phull and Zudin Puthucheary.
Episode: 2408 Roman Political Invective. Today, a look at Roman mudslinging.
Episode: 2382 The Invention of the American Paperboy during the Great Depression. Today, the invention of the paperboy.
Episode: 2373 The Phrasebook: A Dangerous Invention. Today, UH scholar, Richard Armstrong tells us about German phrasebooks.
Debbi Mack interviews crime writer Richard Armstrong on the Crime Cafe podcast. For your podcasting needs, I use and recommend Blubrry Podcasting. I also recommend Stitcher Premium, if you're a fan of podcasts. If you like true crime or crime fiction, there are loads of podcasts out there for you. And with Stitcher Premium you can listen to the exclusive archives from Criminology or bonus episodes from True Crime Garage. You can also listen ad-free to episodes of your favorite podcasts. I've subscribed, and for only $4.99 a month, it's nice to have ad-free entertainment. Just go to www.stitcher.com/premium and use the promo code, CRIMECAFE, to try it out absolutely free for a month. Unfortunately, I can no longer provide transcription show notes, but will resume doing so when finances allow. I've included a few excerpts from the interview. Here are a few excerpts from the interview: On copywriting and con men: "I have a free giveaway, if you visit my website. The book, as you know, deals with con men and confidence games, that sort of thing. And there's a book on there ... there's a booklet called "How to Talk Anybody Into Anything: Secrets of the World's Greatest Con Men." It's about a hundred pages long. It's a PDF. You can download it instantly for free. There's no catch or obligation or anything." "While I don't believe that copywriters are con men, we do have a tendency to use a lot of the same techniques. The key difference between a copywriter and a con man is that copywriters are not criminals. We don't have what's known in the law as criminal intent. We're just trying to sell you a product. And, hopefully, that product will be worth more than what you paid for it, and we'll both go away happy. A win-win situation. Whereas the con man is simply trying to essentially steal money from you without you knowing it. ... I think [the free booklet] is a very interesting book and even a useful book if you're in any business in which persuasion is part of your job, and that includes many, many different types of jobs." On copywriting and fiction writing: "There's a lot of connections between copywriting and fiction. This is my second novel, but in copywriting, we've long recognized the importance of telling stories, the importance of being mysterious, of invoking curiosity in the reader---a number of things we have to do in advertising that are skills that are very, very useful to the novelist. And vice versa." About his novel, The Don Con: "I was an actor years ago, when I was younger, and way back in 1972, I was in a play, and ... I did make a very good friend in that cast by the name of Jonathan Frakes. And Jonathan went on to be pretty well-known, famous as the second-in-command of Star Trek: The Next Generation ... Patrick Stewart was the commander of the ship, and my friend Jonathan was the second-in-command. And one night, not that long ago---four or five years ago---I was having dinner with him and my wife. And I hadn't seen him in a while and I was kind of curious about what he was up to, because I knew he wasn't acting much, because I wasn't seeing him on television anymore. So we were asking what he was doing, and he said he does a lot of directing in television these days, because he's also a director. "But he said, 'You know, one of the ways that I make income is that I go to fan conventions, particularly Star Trek conventions, and I sign autographs for money.' And, silly me, I had never heard of this before. I didn't know such things existed. But he told me that he didn't know they existed, either, until a couple of years into the show, and his agent said, 'I think you should go to this Star Trek convention.' And he said to his agent, 'Why would I want to do that?" And the agent said, 'Well ... do you like money?' So, he agreed to do it, and he was absolutely gobsmacked by how much money he made." "Not only was it kind of an amusing story,
Lee tells Dan about the struggle of being a retailer during the COVID-19 crisis. Beyonders, please stay inside, wash your hands and don’t be hoarders. After our coronavirus talk we get into strange news stories, Lee brings a Bigfoot tale to the table while Dan has a Space X follow up! Shoutouts to all the folks who are hitting us up online during March Meme-ness: Sergio King, Samuel Hendrick, Jo Ann Carter, Tamara Arnold, Mike McNamara, Jody Borgman, Richard Armstrong, Tony Mazzarella, William Chiafos, Jon Puckett, Henry Martini, Lori Dremel, Tam Marshall, Sheri Ferguson, Anthony Lee, Austin Hacker and Scott Hernandez. CNN Starlink IPO story: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/tech/spacex-starlink-ipo-elon-musk/index.html AL Bigfoot Story: https://cryptozoologynews.com/recent-bigfoot-sighting-in-alabama/ Milwaukie Bigfoot Story: https://cryptozoologynews.com/wisconsin-boy-encounters-bigfoot/
“Captain Kirk Gets His Carpaccio.” Happy birthday Margaret Atwood — even if we don’t read your books. Jeanne, David, Michael and Torie all distrust blurbs. Richard Armstrong talks mobs and movie stars and Shakespeare and The Don Con, where mafia meets comic-con.
A-list Copywriter and best-selling author, Richard Armstrong, is our guest for the 146th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Richard has been writing winning direct response copy for more than 30 years. And he just released his latest book, The Don Con. Kira and Rob invited Richard into the studio to talk about the book and a whole lot more. Stuff like... • how Richard went from office boy to agency creative director • the lessons he learned early on working on “junk” mail • what’s changed in the world of direct response in 30 years—and what hasn’t • his award-winning letter for Sea Turtle Rescue • the go-to books he refers to again and again • his favorite clients and the work he’s most proud of • why he took long 3 martini lunches in his “Mad Men” days • the one good copywriting habit he has • the #1 thing that makes copywriters good at what they do • what Richard learned while writing about con men • the important difference between copywriters and confidence men • his experience at Comic Con and FanCon • what happened when he met Captain Kirk and The Fonz Don't miss your opportunity to get the free copywriting samples and download that Richard mentioned during the interview. And check out a few of the many resources he mentioned. This is a good one. To hear it all, click the play button below, or download this episode to your favorite podcast app. And if you prefer reading, you can scroll down for a full transcript. The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: FreeSampleBook.com Claude Hopkins David Ogilvy Eugene Schwartz The Sea Turtle Letter The Responsive Chord by Tony Schwartz The Solid Gold Mailbox by Walter Wentz Being Direct by Lester Wunderman Boardroom Parris Lampropoulos Richard Viguerie Agora AWAI David Deutsch Clayton Makepeace Carline Anglade Cole Jim Rutz The Don Con Jonathan Frakes Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity Full Transcript: Rob: This podcast is sponsored by The Copywriter Underground. Kira: It's our new membership designed for you to help you attract more clients and hit 10K a month consistently. Rob: For more information or to sign up, go to thecopywriterunderground.com. Kira: What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That's what Rob and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast. Rob: You're invited to join the club for episode 146, as we chat with author and direct response copywriter Richard Armstrong about the persuasion techniques used by con artists that copywriters use as well, what he's learned from 40 years of writing junk mail and what he writes today, his new book The Don Con, and a very useful free bonus he's sharing with copywriters. Richard, welcome. Richard: Thank you very much. It's great to be here. I am a big fan of the emails you guys send everyday. A lot of tremendous personality and voice in those emails and I read them avidly. Kira: Thank you. Rob: That's nice of you to say. I think all of the personality is Kira. I'm kind of the boring side, so she deserves the credit for that. Kira: That is not true, but thank you for saying that. That's very nice and I was just saying before we started recording, Richard and I are officially neighbors because I just moved to Washington, D.C. So we're going to hang out all the time, right Richard? Richard: Absolutely. The only problem with being a citizen of Washington is that the rest of the country hates you. So when you go anywhere else on vacation, tell them you're from Brooklyn, you'll get a much better response. Kira: Okay, these are things I need to know that you need to teach me,
This episode features three top direct response marketers - Brian Kurtz, John Carlton and Richard Armstrong. John is known as “the most respected writing teacher alive”… and the list of well-known marketers who reference John as their primary mentor for writing sales messages is staggering. He worked closely with direct response giants Jay Abraham and Gary Halbert for years… He has a SIMPLE SYSTEM that takes you step-by-step through the process called the simple writing system. Brian helped build Boardroom Inc., which is at its height, was a 150 million dollar company. Brian has overseen the mailing of over 1.3 billion pieces of direct mail over the past 30+ years and has worked alongside some of the top people in the direct marketing industry. Richard is one of the nation’s leading freelance direct response copywriters. He was voted the AWAI copywriter of the year in 2012. Richard is a two-time winner of the Caples Award – this is the “Oscars” of direct mail. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [2:05] Jeremy introduces his guests, Brian Kurtz, Richard Armstrong, and John Carlton. [5:30] John shares a lesson he learned from missing a Jimi Hendrix concert. [8:40] Brian talks about the regret he has missing out on time with his mentors. [13:00] Richard talks about lessons he learned his early career. [16:30] The guys talk about how royalty based copywriting started. [23:45] If the boss is happy - something is wrong with the copywriting. [26:15] How John got started as a copywriter. [32:15] You don’t choose your mentors, they choose you. [39:45] Why you should focus on delivering value. [42:00] Richard talks about mentors that impacted him over the years. [45:30] John talks about meeting Jay Abraham. [48:00] John opens up about the books he has authored. [54:00] Brian talks about his book, Overdeliver. [1:02:00] Richard shares which direct marketing books he loves. [1:04:30] Why copywriters are not con-artists and other reflections. In this episode… What does it look like to get some of the best-known names in direct response marketing for a no-holds-barred conversation? Imagine all of the unique insights they’d have to share - look no farther! On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from three top direct response marketers - Brian Kurtz, John Carlton and Richard Armstrong. In their conversation with Jeremy, the guys explain how they got started in direct response marketing, lessons they learned along the way, why focusing on providing value is critical, and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this fascinating conversation! When you look back at your journey - what sticks out? Do you have lessons or regrets that stand out more than others? If you could pass on some advice - what would you share? Looking back at their journey as direct response marketers - Brian, Richard, and John were kind enough to share some of their hard-fought insights. The common theme from their reflections centres on missed opportunities. From missing out on one of the last Jimi Hendrix concerts to failing to spend time with key mentors late in their life - the guys stress the value of taking the road less travelled. Did you know that one of the best ways to learn an industry or trade is to jump in and start providing value? It’s true! Too often - early on in their career - men and women are searching for a place to start without taking the time to find the best people to learn from. Imagine what it would have done for your career to spend a year or two simply learning from the top leaders in your industry. Brian, Richard, and John all attest to the value of sitting at the feet of those who have mastered their craft. When was the last time you really pushed the envelope? Do you like to take risks and move the needle or are more of the play it safe type? The truth is - in the business world - if you play it safe, you’ll never get ahead. The old saying rings true - if the boss is happy, the product isn’t good. As direct response marketers, the guys had to learn that making the client happy wasn’t the point - they had to create content that would appeal to the customer. You can imagine that navigating the tension between pleasing the client and creating effective copy wasn’t easy. Learning your craft and advancing in your specific industry is no small task. Many men and women can’t endure the challenges and roadblocks that arise in an intense industry like direct response marketing. Seeking to share their wisdom and expand their influence, Brian, Richard, and John have each authored books to help budding leaders. They want to do for others what guys like Jay Abraham and Gary Halbert did for them. To learn more from these brilliant minds in direct response marketing, make sure to check out their books - links can be found in the resources section at the end of this post. Resources Mentioned on this episode John Carlton Richard Armstrong Brian Kurtz The Don Con Overdeliver The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Getting Your Shit Together Successful Direct Marketing Methods www.simplewritingsystem.com Direct Marketing Jay Abraham Gary Halbert Intro Music by Kidd Russell Sponsor for this episode Rise25’s mission is to connect you with your best referral partners and customers. We do this in 3 ways… Our Done for you Media - We help your company completely run and launch your own podcast. we distribute your show across more than 11 different channels including a dedicated blog post and social media. You simply show up and talk and we do everything else. Our team has been working with podcasters since 2009. I personally credit podcasting as the single best thing I have done for my business and my life. It has allowed me to connect with the founders/ceo’s of P90x, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, Rx Bars, and many more. Besides making best friends and finding my business partner..podcasting has led to relationships with countless customers and referral partners. Our Done for you Lead Generation- We manually send a consistent flow of customized outreach messages to your ideal clients and referral sources that you want to connect with to generate more business and clients - this is not paid traffic by the way. Our Done for you VIP Events - We do live in-person VIP Days and receptions. These are 100% outsourced VIP days for software companies and conference organizers so we can help you serve your highest level customers. It may or may not involve Elvis costumes - See video Rise25 VIP Days have a proven track record of helping companies to get more referrals, increase retention with their VIP customers, and get more engaged new customers without adding extra work to that company’s plate. Rise25 has hosted VIP events in cities such as Austin, Chicago, Santa Barbara, San Diego, New York, Sonoma, and Las Vegas to name a few. Since these each require a lot of humans to do the work we have limited bandwidth and only want to work with the right company. so if any sound interesting to you go to Rise25.com and contact us or email support (at) rise25.com. If your company wants to attract and connect with your highest level customers and referral partners then you can learn more and contact us to find out if your company qualifies at Rise25.com. Rise25 was cofounded by Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran.
Direct response copywriter, Richard Armstrong shares why he never planned to write fiction novels, then discovered he’s pretty damn good at it… Why he chose to write about con artists, and how his research revealed a frightening number of similarities to what copywriters do… and how writing fiction has made him a better copywriter. Check it out.
In this episode, the legendary A-List copywriter, Richard Armstrong reveals his best copywriting secrets that have made multiple millions of dollars in sales. Richard dives deep into how he got started in copywriting, marketing strategies we should know and his new book - The Don Con which can help you make tons of money… even if you're terrible at selling. Listen to this episode now to get the inside scoop on Richard Armstrong's million dollar copywriting secrets and how you can apply these strategies in your business.
SUBJECT: How to talk anybody into anything... Compelling subject line, huh? Well, it ain’t mine. It’s actually the title of a special report by my friend and colleague, Richard Armstrong. And Richard is using this report in the most unusual way. I gotta tell ya... this is pure genius in its elegant simplicity. And I believe that anybody can use this creative secret to promote just about anything. Richard reveals the whole deal on the latest episode of Off The Chain. Click here and check it out now. All the best, Doberman Dan
Our guest today is notorious and endlessly fascinating: Ben Settle. He’s an email specialist, author, anti-professional, and novelist. People go nuts over Ben. Including me. I once wrote to him, “You’re the f’in’ hottest email copywriter on the Web now.” But I wasn’t alone. Our recent guest Richard Armstrong says, “I start my day with reading from the Holy Bible and Ben Settle’s email, not necessarily in that order.” And the normally sober Gary Bencivenga admits. “Good copy intoxicates me. Yours is high proof. I’m enjoying it.” Well, that pretty much gives you the picture of what other copywriters think about Ben. He’s like… amazing! But Ben brings another skill to the party. While it is morbid, I have a morbid fascination with it and Ben has agreed to tell us about it today. He writes horror fiction. Let me read you this from the promo copy for Zombie Cop: The Enoch Wars, Book One. "The blood was still warm and there was meat and what looked like veins between his teeth - hanging out like dental floss." Nobody knew where the still-living decapitated head came from. But when the head bit Police Chief Rawger, he becomes a zombie with an insatiable appetite for human flesh, revenge, and power. But, unlike Hollywood-depicted zombies, he can think, speak, and strategize. He's also deranged, sexually perverted, and takes absolute pleasure in his evil acts. I think you get the idea. What does this have to do with copy? Nathan and I are hoping and praying that we’ll find out. And before we jump into the world of horror fiction, let’s take a moment to remember some comforting words that help little children fall safely asleep at night: Copy is powerful. You’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims... and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity... you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time. Wow. Now let’s get out the cloves of garlic for our personal protection and welcome Ben Settle. Ben, thank you for joining us today. 1. A lot of successful copywriters are interested in writing fiction, but most of us, including me, kind of balk when it comes to actually sitting down and writing a book. Not you. At least, not after a certain point. Tell us how this all came about? 2. So, when you have an idea for a book, what are the steps you go through to get it written? 3. We talk a lot on this podcast about taking techniques from writing fiction to write copy. But we’ve never had someone who writes material as intense as you — and I’m talking about your fiction, although I could be talking about your emails — on here before. Could you share what’s similar, and what’s different? 4. So, your emails are just bolder and more provocative than almost any other I’ve seen. OK, I’ll level with you. More than any other I’ve seen. Have you rewritten the rules for yourself, or, did you just decide a long time ago that there are no rules? 5. Could you give us a few Ben Settle tips for writing emails that get noticed and get response? 6. What do you think gets in the way of most people doing what you teach? 7. What’s next for you — in your copy/marketing business, and in fiction? Ben Settle's WebsiteDownload.
Our guest today is notorious and endlessly fascinating: Ben Settle. He’s an email specialist, author, anti-professional, and novelist. People go nuts over Ben. Including me. I once wrote to him, “You’re the f’in’ hottest email copywriter on the Web now.” But I wasn’t alone. Our recent guest Richard Armstrong says, “I start my day with reading from the Holy Bible and Ben Settle’s email, not necessarily in that order.” And the normally sober Gary Bencivenga admits. “Good copy intoxicates me. Yours is high proof. I’m enjoying it.” Well, that pretty much gives you the picture of what other copywriters think about Ben. He’s like… amazing! But Ben brings another skill to the party. While it is morbid, I have a morbid fascination with it and Ben has agreed to tell us about it today. He writes horror fiction. Let me read you this from the promo copy for Zombie Cop: The Enoch Wars, Book One. "The blood was still warm and there was meat and what looked like veins between his teeth - hanging out like dental floss." Nobody knew where the still-living decapitated head came from. But when the head bit Police Chief Rawger, he becomes a zombie with an insatiable appetite for human flesh, revenge, and power. But, unlike Hollywood-depicted zombies, he can think, speak, and strategize. He's also deranged, sexually perverted, and takes absolute pleasure in his evil acts. I think you get the idea. What does this have to do with copy? Nathan and I are hoping and praying that we’ll find out. And before we jump into the world of horror fiction, let’s take a moment to remember some comforting words that help little children fall safely asleep at night: Copy is powerful. You’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims... and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity... you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time. Wow. Now let’s get out the cloves of garlic for our personal protection and welcome Ben Settle. Ben, thank you for joining us today. 1. A lot of successful copywriters are interested in writing fiction, but most of us, including me, kind of balk when it comes to actually sitting down and writing a book. Not you. At least, not after a certain point. Tell us how this all came about? 2. So, when you have an idea for a book, what are the steps you go through to get it written? 3. We talk a lot on this podcast about taking techniques from writing fiction to write copy. But we’ve never had someone who writes material as intense as you — and I’m talking about your fiction, although I could be talking about your emails — on here before. Could you share what’s similar, and what’s different? 4. So, your emails are just bolder and more provocative than almost any other I’ve seen. OK, I’ll level with you. More than any other I’ve seen. Have you rewritten the rules for yourself, or, did you just decide a long time ago that there are no rules? 5. Could you give us a few Ben Settle tips for writing emails that get noticed and get response? 6. What do you think gets in the way of most people doing what you teach? 7. What’s next for you — in your copy/marketing business, and in fiction? Ben Settle's WebsiteDownload.
Richard Armstrong is a top A-List copywriter and I’m proud to say he’s my friend. He’s written for all the big mailers: Agora, Boardroom, Rodale, Kiplinger’s, Reader’s Digest, and many others. The late and extremely picky William F. Buckley, Jr. once allowed that Richard’s writing is “terrific.” The legendary Gary Bencivenga called Richard “one of the best copywriters on the planet.” And the great Dan Kennedy simply said of Richard, “I envy his talent.” Gotta agree with Dan on that one. I envy Richard’s talent, too. But envy has never prevented me from having a guest on this podcast. Today Richard’s going to talk about con artistry — and there’s a perfectly legitimate reason for that — as well as some storytelling stuff you’ve probably never heard before. 1. Richard, we’re going to talk a lot about copywriting today, but I want to start by plugging your excellent new book, The Don Con, and ask you just a little about your research for that. Specifically, what did you learn about who con artists are and what they do? 2. I know you’re going to be offering our listeners a free special report, and we’ll talk about it later. Besides your really cool book, I also got the chance to review your special report in advance, and I would like you share with us one of the most astonishing things I read in it: You said that a lot of the techniques, or maybe all the techniques, that con artists use are the same ones we copywriters use. So what are those techniques, and what’s the difference between a con artist and a copywriter? 3. In a former lifetime, I interviewed you for a webinar series and you said something that keeps echoing in my brain, for years. It was that the secret A-List copywriters know, that other copywriters don’t, is about research. Could you talk about the level of research a top copywriter does, and what’s involved? 4. Richard, as a fellow advertising guy, surely you must remember the old ad for Certs: It’s a breath mint and a candy mint. How they packed all that into one mint, I’m still puzzled about to this day. But in your own way, you’ve got a similarly rare distinction. You’re a copywriter and a novelist. Tell us, what do novelists know about storytelling that copywriters don’t know? 5. One of my favorite Richard Armstrong stories is your lift note for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance about your aunt Jane. It, of course, is great storytelling in itself. Here, let me read it out loud so our listeners will be familiar with it: Dear Friend, My aunt Jane is rich as sin. And nobody in my family can figure out why. She worked as a librarian her whole life. Her husband, who passed away a few years back, was a tool-and-die maker. They never earned much money in their lives. But boy, were they ever smart with what they had. There was a little vacation home that they picked up for a song and wound up selling for $250,000. Some well-chosen stocks that grew in value over the years. Mutual funds. Municipal bonds. Treasury bills. Even a vintage Volkswagen “Beetle” that’s worth more now than the day they bought it. Nowadays my Aunt Jane -- who we always thought was just a little crazy -- is a bonafide millionaire! One day I asked her for the secret of her success. “I have three rules,” she said. 1) Never let your money sit idle 2) Never pay more than you have to for anything 3) Never pass up anything that’s free Well, my friend, unless you return the enclosed card today, you’re going to break at least one -- and probably all three -- of my aunt’s rules. Because if you return the enclosed card, you’ll get a free issue of KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE (Rule #3). If you decide to subscribe, you’ll get the next 11 issues at a very low price, plus three free bonus gifts (Rule #2). And instead of spending the rest of your life working for money, you’ll put your money to work for you. (Rule #1) I know my Aunt Jane wouldn’t pass up a free sample issue of KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE magazine. But of course... She already subscribes. Best regards, Richard Armstrong Could you tell us about this piece of copy? I particularly love hearing you recount how you wrote it -- or how you gave up entirely, and it wrote itself. 6. When you’ve written controls or blockbuster promotions, beside inhuman amounts of research, what are some of the other techniques you use that might be helpful to our listeners, who are copywriters and business owners interested in copy? 7. Finally, your special report: “How to Talk Anyone Into Anything.” Besides the smidgen of your research findings that we talked about in the beginning… tell us about the other research you did writing your new book The Don Con, that led up to this report. And, tell us how our readers can get a free copy of this magnificent free special report! Check Out Richard's New Book Download.
Richard Armstrong is a top A-List copywriter and I’m proud to say he’s my friend. He’s written for all the big mailers: Agora, Boardroom, Rodale, Kiplinger’s, Reader’s Digest, and many others. The late and extremely picky William F. Buckley, Jr. once allowed that Richard’s writing is “terrific.” The legendary Gary Bencivenga called Richard “one of the best copywriters on the planet.” And the great Dan Kennedy simply said of Richard, “I envy his talent.” Gotta agree with Dan on that one. I envy Richard’s talent, too. But envy has never prevented me from having a guest on this podcast. Today Richard’s going to talk about con artistry — and there’s a perfectly legitimate reason for that — as well as some storytelling stuff you’ve probably never heard before. 1. Richard, we’re going to talk a lot about copywriting today, but I want to start by plugging your excellent new book, The Don Con, and ask you just a little about your research for that. Specifically, what did you learn about who con artists are and what they do? 2. I know you’re going to be offering our listeners a free special report, and we’ll talk about it later. Besides your really cool book, I also got the chance to review your special report in advance, and I would like you share with us one of the most astonishing things I read in it: You said that a lot of the techniques, or maybe all the techniques, that con artists use are the same ones we copywriters use. So what are those techniques, and what’s the difference between a con artist and a copywriter? 3. In a former lifetime, I interviewed you for a webinar series and you said something that keeps echoing in my brain, for years. It was that the secret A-List copywriters know, that other copywriters don’t, is about research. Could you talk about the level of research a top copywriter does, and what’s involved? 4. Richard, as a fellow advertising guy, surely you must remember the old ad for Certs: It’s a breath mint and a candy mint. How they packed all that into one mint, I’m still puzzled about to this day. But in your own way, you’ve got a similarly rare distinction. You’re a copywriter and a novelist. Tell us, what do novelists know about storytelling that copywriters don’t know? 5. One of my favorite Richard Armstrong stories is your lift note for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance about your aunt Jane. It, of course, is great storytelling in itself. Here, let me read it out loud so our listeners will be familiar with it: Dear Friend, My aunt Jane is rich as sin. And nobody in my family can figure out why. She worked as a librarian her whole life. Her husband, who passed away a few years back, was a tool-and-die maker. They never earned much money in their lives. But boy, were they ever smart with what they had. There was a little vacation home that they picked up for a song and wound up selling for $250,000. Some well-chosen stocks that grew in value over the years. Mutual funds. Municipal bonds. Treasury bills. Even a vintage Volkswagen “Beetle” that’s worth more now than the day they bought it. Nowadays my Aunt Jane -- who we always thought was just a little crazy -- is a bonafide millionaire! One day I asked her for the secret of her success. “I have three rules,” she said. 1) Never let your money sit idle 2) Never pay more than you have to for anything 3) Never pass up anything that’s free Well, my friend, unless you return the enclosed card today, you’re going to break at least one -- and probably all three -- of my aunt’s rules. Because if you return the enclosed card, you’ll get a free issue of KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE (Rule #3). If you decide to subscribe, you’ll get the next 11 issues at a very low price, plus three free bonus gifts (Rule #2). And instead of spending the rest of your life working for money, you’ll put your money to work for you. (Rule #1) I know my Aunt Jane wouldn’t pass up a free sample issue of KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE magazine. But of course... She already subscribes. Best regards, Richard Armstrong Could you tell us about this piece of copy? I particularly love hearing you recount how you wrote it -- or how you gave up entirely, and it wrote itself. 6. When you’ve written controls or blockbuster promotions, beside inhuman amounts of research, what are some of the other techniques you use that might be helpful to our listeners, who are copywriters and business owners interested in copy? 7. Finally, your special report: “How to Talk Anyone Into Anything.” Besides the smidgen of your research findings that we talked about in the beginning… tell us about the other research you did writing your new book The Don Con, that led up to this report. And, tell us how our readers can get a free copy of this magnificent free special report! Check Out Richard's New Book Download.
What were the hot topics of 2018? Host Charlotte Burns looks back on the year in this special episode, breaking down key moments in conversation with Julia Halperin (executive editor of artnet News). The broadening of the canon across markets and museums—from African American artists to outliers, from women artists to conspiracists—was a major topic for In Other Words guests last year. Another key area of focus was the future of the museum, with topics from deaccessioning to digital swarming discussed by institutional leaders in their appearances on the show, including Glenn Lowry (director, MoMA), Richard Armstrong (director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation), Jessica Morgan (director, Dia Art Foundation), Michael Govan (CEO and Wallis Annenberg director, LACMA), Doryun Chong (deputy director and chief curator, M+ ), Budi Tek (founder, Yuz Museum and Foundation) and Lisa Phillips (director, New Museum of Contemporary Art). And the most popular topic of 2018? Art criticism. Roberta Smith (co-chief art critic of the New York Times) and Jerry Saltz (New York magazine's senior art critic) talked about their writing and audiences, as well as the best art being made today. Tune in to toast the year. Transcript: http://www.artagencypartners.com/podcast/podcast-highlights-from-2018/ “In Other Words” is a presentation of AAP and Sotheby's, produced by Audiation.fm.
What were the hot topics of 2018? Host Charlotte Burns looks back on the year in this special episode, breaking down key moments in conversation with Julia Halperin (executive editor of artnet News). The broadening of the canon across markets and museums—from African American artists to outliers, from women artists to conspiracists—was a major topic for In Other Words guests last year. Another key area of focus was the future of the museum, with topics from deaccessioning to digital swarming discussed by institutional leaders in their appearances on the show, including Glenn Lowry (director, MoMA), Richard Armstrong (director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation), Jessica Morgan (director, Dia Art Foundation), Michael Govan (CEO and Wallis Annenberg director, LACMA), Doryun Chong (deputy director and chief curator, M+ ), Budi Tek (founder, Yuz Museum and Foundation) and Lisa Phillips (director, New Museum of Contemporary Art). And the most popular topic of 2018? Art criticism. Roberta Smith (co-chief art critic of the New York Times) and Jerry Saltz (New York magazine’s senior art critic) talked about their writing and audiences, as well as the best art being made today. Tune in to toast the year. Transcript: http://www.artagencypartners.com/podcast/podcast-highlights-from-2018/ “In Other Words” is a presentation of AAP and Sotheby’s, produced by Audiation.fm.
In today's episode of In Other Words, we are joined by Richard Armstrong, who has been the director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation since 2008. A frank and insightful thinker who once considered a career in politics before entering the arts, Armstrong shares his thoughts on topics from censorship to deaccessioning. He also talks about how museums can cope with being the targets of digital swarming and reveals an update on plans for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi: “We're looking forward to a real opening date at this point.” For this and more, tune in today. Transcript: http://www.artagencypartners.com/transcript-richard-armstrong/ “In Other Words” is a presentation of AAP and Sotheby's, produced by Audiation.fm.
In today’s episode of In Other Words, we are joined by Richard Armstrong, who has been the director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation since 2008. A frank and insightful thinker who once considered a career in politics before entering the arts, Armstrong shares his thoughts on topics from censorship to deaccessioning. He also talks about how museums can cope with being the targets of digital swarming and reveals an update on plans for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi: “We’re looking forward to a real opening date at this point.” For this and more, tune in today. Transcript: http://www.artagencypartners.com/transcript-richard-armstrong/ “In Other Words” is a presentation of AAP and Sotheby’s, produced by Audiation.fm.
Rev. Dr. Richard Armstrong, LMFT, is Executive Director of Lutheran Counseling Services in Orlando, Florida. He is a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Florida and a Florida Approved Clinical Supervisor. Rick served for over 25 years in the parish ministry of the LC-MS in three different congregations. He is Co-author and trainer of “God's Care in Times of Crisis”, “God’s Care For Congregations in Times of Crisis” manuals for selecting and training crisis teams in Christian Schools and Churches to prepare for, respond to and provide aftercare in crisis situations. Rick and his teams have been part of Lutheran disaster response to tragedies in Denver, New York, D.C., Newtown, as well as the Florida and Gulf Coast hurricanes. He has received the “Distinguish Service Award” Lutheran Schools Association Metropolitan New York and the “Distinguished Alumni Award 2006” Concordia University – Austin, Texas. In addition to serving as the Executive Director at LCS, conducting individual, marriage and family system therapy sessions, Dr. Armstrong is also involved in facilitating organizational consultations, leadership coaching and workshops and retreats. Rick is happily married to his wife Kristi and they have two daughters, two sons-in-law and six grandchildren. Chaplains play an important role in the lives of people who are hurting, distressed, or in challenging situations. They serve alongside first responders, in hospitals or other institutions, with the military, in prisons and jails, and in other situations. Hear from nine individuals about their journeys into chaplaincy, how they serve, and how they bring the love of Christ to those in need. This podcast is produced in partnership with the LCMS Office of National Mission. Find all episodes via the tag "Bring the Love of Christ."
Meeting with editor from large subscription newsletter publisher in 2006, at conference. Editor didn’t understand copy all that well – joked that “In our copywriting department, we have two divisions: The division of fear, and the division of greed.” This is a commonly accepted assumption among many copywriters AND among many copywriting gurus… fear and greed are IT. True? We’ll look at that today. Here’s something that’s definitely true: Copy is powerful. You’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims… and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity… you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time. Why do people say this? 1. What is fear? 2. What is greed? Example of fear that works: from crazyegg.com / looks like it was a product on Clickbank, but the page has been taken down. Hypothetical example of fear that doesn’t really work so well For a pest-control product: Ants have been found to carry deadly diseases including E. Coli, Strep and Staph infections, and Salmonella. What if your family came down with one or more of those diseases? Among other reasons this is not good… Example of greed that works: from: swiped.co Hypothetical example of greed that doesn’t really work so well Warren Buffett sold packs of chewing gum when he was a kid, and now he’s worth $85.8 billion dollars. But you don’t know how to teach your kids how to sell gum. We’ll show you and you can take a cut of their profits. What about the other motivations? - Discount coupon in retail advertising Everyone loves a deal. Is that greed? Not exactly. - Free trial It’s true, people are afraid a new app or a new membership site might not work for them. But is that fear? Or low risk tolerance. Risk-reversal. Not exactly fear. Maybe we should call all this “50 Shades of Fear and Greed” Because there are degrees of emotion that drive, and prevent, purchases. Nuances. Subtleties. And what about fundraising letters? - Richard Armstrong sea turtles letter (1988) - Political fundraising email from Sen. Al Franken’s Senate re-election campaign, 2013, which he won: Let’s circle back to where we started – a subscription dm letter, and the most profitable ad of all time (that’s been tracked): Wall Street Journal “Two young men” letter. (include text-first 5 paragraphs) Is that fear? Well, FOMO. Is that greed? Wanting to be CEO. Also… envy; desire for power, success; wanting to increase career odds. So, not exactly. Major certainty: Copywriting won’t work without stirring some emotion. And nearly all emotions are some form of moving away from something you don’t want (which can be construed as fear) or moving towards something you do want (which can be construed as greed). But there are a lot of steps in between raw fear and raw greed.Download.
Meeting with editor from large subscription newsletter publisher in 2006, at conference. Editor didn’t understand copy all that well – joked that “In our copywriting department, we have two divisions: The division of fear, and the division of greed.” This is a commonly accepted assumption among many copywriters AND among many copywriting gurus… fear and greed are IT. True? We’ll look at that today. Here’s something that’s definitely true: Copy is powerful. You’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims… and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity… you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time. Why do people say this? 1. What is fear? 2. What is greed? Example of fear that works: from crazyegg.com / looks like it was a product on Clickbank, but the page has been taken down. Hypothetical example of fear that doesn’t really work so well For a pest-control product: Ants have been found to carry deadly diseases including E. Coli, Strep and Staph infections, and Salmonella. What if your family came down with one or more of those diseases? Among other reasons this is not good… Example of greed that works: from: swiped.co Hypothetical example of greed that doesn’t really work so well Warren Buffett sold packs of chewing gum when he was a kid, and now he’s worth $85.8 billion dollars. But you don’t know how to teach your kids how to sell gum. We’ll show you and you can take a cut of their profits. What about the other motivations? - Discount coupon in retail advertising Everyone loves a deal. Is that greed? Not exactly. - Free trial It’s true, people are afraid a new app or a new membership site might not work for them. But is that fear? Or low risk tolerance. Risk-reversal. Not exactly fear. Maybe we should call all this “50 Shades of Fear and Greed” Because there are degrees of emotion that drive, and prevent, purchases. Nuances. Subtleties. And what about fundraising letters? - Richard Armstrong sea turtles letter (1988) - Political fundraising email from Sen. Al Franken’s Senate re-election campaign, 2013, which he won: Let’s circle back to where we started – a subscription dm letter, and the most profitable ad of all time (that’s been tracked): Wall Street Journal “Two young men” letter. (include text-first 5 paragraphs) Is that fear? Well, FOMO. Is that greed? Wanting to be CEO. Also… envy; desire for power, success; wanting to increase career odds. So, not exactly. Major certainty: Copywriting won’t work without stirring some emotion. And nearly all emotions are some form of moving away from something you don’t want (which can be construed as fear) or moving towards something you do want (which can be construed as greed). But there are a lot of steps in between raw fear and raw greed.Download.
Ask any experienced, successful salesperson what the single best form of selling is, and you’ll nearly always get back the same answer: “Demonstration.” That’s why savvy car dealers let customers take a new car home for the weekend before they actually buy the car. It’s the same reason Internet marketers offer a $1 trial for the first month, on products or services that are billed for far more than that every month. They know that when people get to try what they’re selling, a lot more of those people will buy it. That’s why pet stores let people take a puppy they’re interested in, home for the weekend. In sales, there’s even a term for this kind of hands-on (paw’s on?) demonstration – “the puppy dog close.” Oddly enough, you can get your prospect to demonstrate your products for themselves without ever letting the touch the product! How? By telling them what I call “demonstration” stories. Prospects get to try out your product in their imaginations. How to create and use stories is known by some of the best marketers and salespeople—but virtually unknown by everyone else. If you don’t know what they are, we’ll turn that around now. Now for my friendly reminder: Copy is powerful. That’s why I’m going to give you some really powerful new strategies today. And then, you’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Now, most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims… and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity… you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time. OK, back to demonstration stories, and other tiny little stories that really pack a wallop! And by that I mean, for the small number of words in these stories, you’ll get a disproportionate payoff. How? In advancing the sale in your copy. In getting your customers to want to learn about and then buy what you are selling, more than they did before they heard the tiny little story. • How to get your prospect to imagine experiencing the benefit of your product, without ever having the product yet So the great artist Pablo Picasso said: “Everything you can imagine is real.” Easy for him to say. When he died in 1973, he had an estimated net worth of $500 million – which would be $2.8 billion today. And on June 21, 2016, his 1909 painting “Femme Assise,” which means “Woman Sitting Down,” sold at an auction in London for $63 million and change. I’m not bringing up all these numbers to make the point that he was a great artist. I’m just saying, when someone can dream up images, put them on canvas, and sell them for big bucks, it’s easy for him to say, “Everything you can imagine is real.” But Picasso was right. In this way. If you imagine doing something or seeing something or hearing something vividly enough, your mind really cannot tell the difference between what you imagined and what actually happened (or never happened). It seems that real. This is important with the kind of stories we’re going to talk about today. Because these stories are designed to get your prospect imagining enjoying one or more of the benefits of what you are selling. In such a vivid way that they actually feel like they experienced it. Then, when they realize they don’t really have what they just imagined having, they will want it all the more! We’ll come back to that point and explore it in depth in a few minutes. For right now, let’s look at some very short stories that get the customer imagining benefits. These are from a full-page ad in the National Enquirer that’s been running for at least a year and a half. The ad is for a product called “Jitterbug,” and it’s a cell phone designed especially for seniors who do not want complicated, sophisticated smart phones like an iPhone or an Android phone. Each one of these paragraphs appears in the ad, and each one of them, by itself, is a story that gets the prospect to not only experience the benefit of the Jitterbug. They also tell a wonderful mini before-and-after story – contrasting the storyteller’s frustration with the old, difficult phone to the delights and ease of the new, easy Jitterbug phone. FIRST ONE: In quotes – “Cell phones have gotten so small, I can barely dial mine.” Close quotes. That first sentence was from a person like the prospect, talking to the prospect, and it’s in quotes. The next three sentences are from the company that makes Jitterbug. All part of the same paragraph: Not the Jitterbug Flip. It features a large keypad for easy dialing. It even has a larger display and a powerful, hearing aid-compatible speaker, so it’s easy to see and conversations are clear. That’s it. WOW! Incredible story there. I had this problem – so small, I could barely dial it. Jitterbug offers this solution: large keypad, large display, powerful speaker that works with hearing aids. Covered the waterfront in four sentences… Another one: SECOND ONE: Quote “I had to get my son to program it.” Unquote. The copy from the company follows: Your Jitterbug Flip set-up process is simple. We’ll even program it with your favorite numbers. THIRD ONE: Quote “What if I don’t remember a number?” Close quote. Friendly, helpful Personal Operators are available 24 hours a day and will even greet you by name when you call. In all – there are six short paragraphs like that. It’s 90% of the full page ad. Structure - Objection (that most prospects have about current phones) - Description (of how Jitterbug is different, better) - Gives prospect experience in imagination of new phone - Complete story: -- it was like this before -- it’s like this now -- this is much better than it was Completely different from hero’s journey. Here’s another one. By A-List copywriter Richard Armstrong. This was a control for Kiplinger’s personal finance for over a decade. This little story on a one-page letter: Dear Friend, My aunt Jane is rich as sin. And nobody in my family can figure out why. She worked as a librarian her whole life. Her husband, who passed away a few years back, was a tool-and-die maker. They never earned much money in their lives. But boy, were they ever smart with what they had. There was a little vacation home that they picked up for a song and wound up selling for $250,000. Some well-chosen stocks that grew in value over the years. Mutual funds. Municipal bonds. Treasury bills. Even a vintage Volkswagen “Beetle” that’s worth more now than the day they bought it. Nowadays my Aunt Jane -- who we always thought was just a little crazy -- is a bonafide millionaire! One day I asked her for the secret of her success. “I have three rules,” she said. 1) Never let your money sit idle 2) Never pay more than you have to for anything 3) Never pass up anything that’s free Well, my friend, unless you return the enclosed card today, you’re going to break at least one -- and probably all three -- of my aunt’s rules. Because if you return the enclosed card, you’ll get a free issue of KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE (Rule #3). If you decide to subscribe, you’ll get the next 11 issues at a very low price, plus three free bonus gifts (Rule #2). And instead of spending the rest of your life working for money, you’ll put your money to work for you. (Rule #1) I know my Aunt Jane wouldn’t pass up a free sample issue of KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE magazine. But of course… She already subscribes. Best regards, Richard Armstrong Brilliant. And short. Less than 300 words. Now, how would this have gone as a hero’s journey story? Aunt Jane, graduates from an archivist program with a degree in library science. Ordinary life. Gets a job. Expenses go up, faster than salary. Gets married. Starts saving. Sees the writing on the wall. Jane and husband start investing. Husband gets laid off. Government budget crunch, Jane’s job is in danger. Will she continue to invest or is she going to start looking for a new job… And so on until she retires and discovers she’s a millionaire… But what Richard did was much more pared down, much more elegant, and much more effective. The first good thing about a demonstration story is that it quickly and effectively gets the prospect imagining they have the product or are using the service you’re offering – and this increases their desire. But there’s a second good thing about a demonstration story, too… • How not having the product (after hearing or reading a “demonstration story”) has the same effect as a super-powerful “takeaway close.” In other words, your prospect close themselves! Takeaway close – works probably better than any other close. Get a prospect excited about having something, and then telling them they can’t have it - after a deadline - after a limited quantity is no longer available - at the same price after a certain date, because the price goes up and there are other versions. Usually comes at the end of a spoken pitch, or the end of your copy. Reason: Human nature. People want what they can’t have. If they can wait forever, they will… With these demonstration stories, you’re doing a second level of takeaway… because… each time a prospect reads one, they “have” the product/service in their imagination… and then, boom! It’s gone. So with the Jitterbug ad: Five demonstration stories, five takeaways. Then they end with a fairly simple and light close, which simply pushes the prospect off the fence: Enough talk. Isn’t it time you found out about the cell phone that’s changing all the rules? Call now. Jitterbug product experts are standing by. By the way, if this a phone you’re interested in… jitterbugdirect.com I don’t have any business relationship with the company, but, for example, I know this is something my girlfriend’s parents would probably be interested in! So… you can see the power in these demonstration stories • How to create your own “demonstration story.” These stories are incredibly easy to write. Here’s the catch: You need to know your prospects well. You need to know what’s on their mind. What they’re unhappy with about competing products. What they’re afraid of. How they’ve been disappointed in the past. And, most important, how they talk about it. Once you know that, you simply state their objection, and answer it in a sentence or two. Example: Website software is too rigid and difficult to use. “I used to go crazy trying to put a web page together.” Well, with EasyWeb, you can put a professional looking web page together in 10 minutes or less. And you have complete flexibility as to what it looks like – or you can use one of our six proven templates for your page if you don’t want to design it yourself. This kind of thing is easy to do if you know what’s on the mind of your prospects, and how they talk about it, and how what you offer solves the problem that you’re talking about. So the key to these stories is not the formula – that’s simple, and by now you should understand what it is. The key is knowing how to fill in the formula – and the only way you’re going to be able to do that so it works is by knowing your prospects—ideally, knowing them inside-out. You can get this information in a number of ways. By talking to prospects. Talking to customers. If you have salespeople, talk to them. If you have customer service people, ask them about the most common questions and complaints. Look on sites like Amazon where there are reviews… you’ll find common themes if you read enough and think about what you read. In short, once you start to become an expert on your own customers, the copy starts to almost write itself! Download.
Ask any experienced, successful salesperson what the single best form of selling is, and you’ll nearly always get back the same answer: “Demonstration.” That’s why savvy car dealers let customers take a new car home for the weekend before they actually buy the car. It’s the same reason Internet marketers offer a $1 trial for the first month, on products or services that are billed for far more than that every month. They know that when people get to try what they’re selling, a lot more of those people will buy it. That’s why pet stores let people take a puppy they’re interested in, home for the weekend. In sales, there’s even a term for this kind of hands-on (paw’s on?) demonstration – “the puppy dog close.” Oddly enough, you can get your prospect to demonstrate your products for themselves without ever letting the touch the product! How? By telling them what I call “demonstration” stories. Prospects get to try out your product in their imaginations. How to create and use stories is known by some of the best marketers and salespeople—but virtually unknown by everyone else. If you don’t know what they are, we’ll turn that around now. Now for my friendly reminder: Copy is powerful. That’s why I’m going to give you some really powerful new strategies today. And then, you’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Now, most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims… and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity… you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time. OK, back to demonstration stories, and other tiny little stories that really pack a wallop! And by that I mean, for the small number of words in these stories, you’ll get a disproportionate payoff. How? In advancing the sale in your copy. In getting your customers to want to learn about and then buy what you are selling, more than they did before they heard the tiny little story. • How to get your prospect to imagine experiencing the benefit of your product, without ever having the product yet So the great artist Pablo Picasso said: “Everything you can imagine is real.” Easy for him to say. When he died in 1973, he had an estimated net worth of $500 million – which would be $2.8 billion today. And on June 21, 2016, his 1909 painting “Femme Assise,” which means “Woman Sitting Down,” sold at an auction in London for $63 million and change. I’m not bringing up all these numbers to make the point that he was a great artist. I’m just saying, when someone can dream up images, put them on canvas, and sell them for big bucks, it’s easy for him to say, “Everything you can imagine is real.” But Picasso was right. In this way. If you imagine doing something or seeing something or hearing something vividly enough, your mind really cannot tell the difference between what you imagined and what actually happened (or never happened). It seems that real. This is important with the kind of stories we’re going to talk about today. Because these stories are designed to get your prospect imagining enjoying one or more of the benefits of what you are selling. In such a vivid way that they actually feel like they experienced it. Then, when they realize they don’t really have what they just imagined having, they will want it all the more! We’ll come back to that point and explore it in depth in a few minutes. For right now, let’s look at some very short stories that get the customer imagining benefits. These are from a full-page ad in the National Enquirer that’s been running for at least a year and a half. The ad is for a product called “Jitterbug,” and it’s a cell phone designed especially for seniors who do not want complicated, sophisticated smart phones like an iPhone or an Android phone. Each one of these paragraphs appears in the ad, and each one of them, by itself, is a story that gets the prospect to not only experience the benefit of the Jitterbug. They also tell a wonderful mini before-and-after story – contrasting the storyteller’s frustration with the old, difficult phone to the delights and ease of the new, easy Jitterbug phone. FIRST ONE: In quotes – “Cell phones have gotten so small, I can barely dial mine.” Close quotes. That first sentence was from a person like the prospect, talking to the prospect, and it’s in quotes. The next three sentences are from the company that makes Jitterbug. All part of the same paragraph: Not the Jitterbug Flip. It features a large keypad for easy dialing. It even has a larger display and a powerful, hearing aid-compatible speaker, so it’s easy to see and conversations are clear. That’s it. WOW! Incredible story there. I had this problem – so small, I could barely dial it. Jitterbug offers this solution: large keypad, large display, powerful speaker that works with hearing aids. Covered the waterfront in four sentences… Another one: SECOND ONE: Quote “I had to get my son to program it.” Unquote. The copy from the company follows: Your Jitterbug Flip set-up process is simple. We’ll even program it with your favorite numbers. THIRD ONE: Quote “What if I don’t remember a number?” Close quote. Friendly, helpful Personal Operators are available 24 hours a day and will even greet you by name when you call. In all – there are six short paragraphs like that. It’s 90% of the full page ad. Structure - Objection (that most prospects have about current phones) - Description (of how Jitterbug is different, better) - Gives prospect experience in imagination of new phone - Complete story: -- it was like this before -- it’s like this now -- this is much better than it was Completely different from hero’s journey. Here’s another one. By A-List copywriter Richard Armstrong. This was a control for Kiplinger’s personal finance for over a decade. This little story on a one-page letter: Dear Friend, My aunt Jane is rich as sin. And nobody in my family can figure out why. She worked as a librarian her whole life. Her husband, who passed away a few years back, was a tool-and-die maker. They never earned much money in their lives. But boy, were they ever smart with what they had. There was a little vacation home that they picked up for a song and wound up selling for $250,000. Some well-chosen stocks that grew in value over the years. Mutual funds. Municipal bonds. Treasury bills. Even a vintage Volkswagen “Beetle” that’s worth more now than the day they bought it. Nowadays my Aunt Jane -- who we always thought was just a little crazy -- is a bonafide millionaire! One day I asked her for the secret of her success. “I have three rules,” she said. 1) Never let your money sit idle 2) Never pay more than you have to for anything 3) Never pass up anything that’s free Well, my friend, unless you return the enclosed card today, you’re going to break at least one -- and probably all three -- of my aunt’s rules. Because if you return the enclosed card, you’ll get a free issue of KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE (Rule #3). If you decide to subscribe, you’ll get the next 11 issues at a very low price, plus three free bonus gifts (Rule #2). And instead of spending the rest of your life working for money, you’ll put your money to work for you. (Rule #1) I know my Aunt Jane wouldn’t pass up a free sample issue of KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE magazine. But of course… She already subscribes. Best regards, Richard Armstrong Brilliant. And short. Less than 300 words. Now, how would this have gone as a hero’s journey story? Aunt Jane, graduates from an archivist program with a degree in library science. Ordinary life. Gets a job. Expenses go up, faster than salary. Gets married. Starts saving. Sees the writing on the wall. Jane and husband start investing. Husband gets laid off. Government budget crunch, Jane’s job is in danger. Will she continue to invest or is she going to start looking for a new job… And so on until she retires and discovers she’s a millionaire… But what Richard did was much more pared down, much more elegant, and much more effective. The first good thing about a demonstration story is that it quickly and effectively gets the prospect imagining they have the product or are using the service you’re offering – and this increases their desire. But there’s a second good thing about a demonstration story, too… • How not having the product (after hearing or reading a “demonstration story”) has the same effect as a super-powerful “takeaway close.” In other words, your prospect close themselves! Takeaway close – works probably better than any other close. Get a prospect excited about having something, and then telling them they can’t have it - after a deadline - after a limited quantity is no longer available - at the same price after a certain date, because the price goes up and there are other versions. Usually comes at the end of a spoken pitch, or the end of your copy. Reason: Human nature. People want what they can’t have. If they can wait forever, they will… With these demonstration stories, you’re doing a second level of takeaway… because… each time a prospect reads one, they “have” the product/service in their imagination… and then, boom! It’s gone. So with the Jitterbug ad: Five demonstration stories, five takeaways. Then they end with a fairly simple and light close, which simply pushes the prospect off the fence: Enough talk. Isn’t it time you found out about the cell phone that’s changing all the rules? Call now. Jitterbug product experts are standing by. By the way, if this a phone you’re interested in… jitterbugdirect.com I don’t have any business relationship with the company, but, for example, I know this is something my girlfriend’s parents would probably be interested in! So… you can see the power in these demonstration stories • How to create your own “demonstration story.” These stories are incredibly easy to write. Here’s the catch: You need to know your prospects well. You need to know what’s on their mind. What they’re unhappy with about competing products. What they’re afraid of. How they’ve been disappointed in the past. And, most important, how they talk about it. Once you know that, you simply state their objection, and answer it in a sentence or two. Example: Website software is too rigid and difficult to use. “I used to go crazy trying to put a web page together.” Well, with EasyWeb, you can put a professional looking web page together in 10 minutes or less. And you have complete flexibility as to what it looks like – or you can use one of our six proven templates for your page if you don’t want to design it yourself. This kind of thing is easy to do if you know what’s on the mind of your prospects, and how they talk about it, and how what you offer solves the problem that you’re talking about. So the key to these stories is not the formula – that’s simple, and by now you should understand what it is. The key is knowing how to fill in the formula – and the only way you’re going to be able to do that so it works is by knowing your prospects—ideally, knowing them inside-out. You can get this information in a number of ways. By talking to prospects. Talking to customers. If you have salespeople, talk to them. If you have customer service people, ask them about the most common questions and complaints. Look on sites like Amazon where there are reviews… you’ll find common themes if you read enough and think about what you read. In short, once you start to become an expert on your own customers, the copy starts to almost write itself! Download.
Dr. Richard Armstrong steps into the Doctor's Lounge to explain the value of our partnerships and the strategy for health care that is shaping up.
Dr. Richard Armstrong joins Dr. Scherz and Dr. Koriwchak, D4PC Foundation doctors in the Doctor's Lounge to discuss the top issues in healthcare.
Nick Usborne has been a copywriter and direct response marketer for over 35 years. He has worked with major companies including: Citibank, Apple, New York Times, and many more. He has done conferences and trainings for companies like: Yahoo, Walt Disney Attractions and more. He was the winner of AWAI copywriter of the year joining past winners that include Dan Kennedy, Ted Nicholas, Bob Bly, Richard Armstrong. http://www.inspiredinsider.com/nick-usborne-one-question-inspires/
Richard Armstrong is one of the nation’s leading freelance copywriters, specializing in publishing, membership, and fundraising. He was voted the AWAI copywriter of the year in 2012. Richard is a two-time winner of the Caples Award – this is the “Oscars” of direct mail. He is also the author of several books including God Doesn't Shoot craps. For Full VIdeo Interview: http://www.inspiredinsider.com/richard-armstrong-one-question-inspires/
Richard Armstrong won the AWAI copywriter of the year award in 2012. He's been freelance copywriting for over 40 years so he knows a thing or two. In this interview Richard shares his copywriting and direct mail wisdom that he has gathered over the years.
Roy Plomley's castaway is conductor Richard Armstrong.Favourite track: Tristan's Monologue by Richard Wagner Book: Piano Sonatas by Beethoven Luxury: Piano
Roy Plomley's castaway is conductor Richard Armstrong. Favourite track: Tristan's Monologue by Richard Wagner Book: Piano Sonatas by Beethoven Luxury: Piano
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