The Secrets of Impulse Purchases

Are you using them?

A few weeks ago, I posted an article and mentioned impulse buying. It’s an important topic I’d like to expand on. But why so much importance on impulse buying? Because, most of the time this is how sales are made. How many times have you not bought a product you really liked because you didn’t have enough information about the product to justify its price, or maybe you were interrupted in the sales process and abandoned the shopping cart, especially when you found out the so-called shipping and handling charge was too high? Or maybe the product presentation was so boring and so lacking in emotion, that you quickly passed on it because it didn’t move you. Maybe you were in a hurry for whatever reason, didn’t order and then forgot all about it five seconds later, forever.

There are a number of legitimate reasons why prospective buyers may not, or simply refuse to buy from you.

Here are the most popular:

1. Your price is either too high or too low. Your price is too high? There’s not enough information about the product to justify its price. And that includes the shipping and handling. What am I getting for $16.95 plus S&H? Is this book worth it or am I getting ripped off? Your price is too low? How can any price be too low? It’s too low when it’s so low that it says: This product is probably damaged and therefore this is why it is dirt cheap. Damaged how? Physically damaged, broken or torn? As far as books go, is the written content inferior? The printing and construction of the book shabby quality? Will it fall apart as I turn the pages? You get the idea.

2. Your credentials are shaky. Who is this guy or gal? What’s their expertise? How much experience do they have in their field? What makes them an authority on this subject? If it’s a novel, what qualifies them as a competent writer? What else have they written that proves they can interest me with a meaningful 400 page story? A story that will add something valuable to my life.

3. The presentation of your product is lame and unexciting. It’s boring and uninspiring. It’s lifeless and meaningless.

4. You’re trying too hard to sell it. You’re too pushy. It’s a hard sell. Something must be rotten in Denmark.

5. You’re not using any photos or videos of yourself. There’s no face to attach to your product. Do you have something to hide? Is this a scam?

6. They don’t like what you have to sell, regardless of your offer.

Okay, we’ll leave it at that. There are other factors but these are the most responsible and the most prevalent for losing a sale, or at least the thought of buying from you. You must realize that selling your book is an uphill battle, but you can level the ground by removing many of the obstacles that block a potential buyer’s way. Above, I’ve listed seven reasons why potential customers may not buy your product. Here’s how to overcome all those objections:

1. Pricing. If you’re not sure how to price your book, just take a look at the prices of similar books in your genre. You want the price of your book to be comparable to those. A little higher or maybe a little lower, but not by much, or the same price will do. Of course you must be able to make a profit at whatever price you set. This will also determine your price and sometimes that may put you out of the running if it’s much higher than other similar books. If so, you’re going to have to re-evaluate the company you’re doing business with. Find another with lower prices so you can mark up your book according to its retail price in the marketplace.

2. Who are you? Do you have some sort of Platform, whether political, societal or in the entertainment industry. If not, what kinds of issues do you stand for now with your book? What are you offering in exchange for trust? What are you promising in your book? A better life? A fulfilling revelation or story that will enhance their life in a meaningful way. What’s in it for them? Let them know with sincerity, passion and conviction.

3. For the love of God, put some emotion into your presentation. How does one go about doing that? Easy, you tie your all-important message, your hook, with relevant music. Not just any music, but music that inspires and moves people to react and take action. You put a lot of heart and soul into your presentation. People can feel it if it’s sincere and heartfelt and most likely they will respond to it.

4. You’re desperate and come across as pushy. You want people to buy your product without giving them a reason to buy it in the first place. You use the word BUY too much, an instant turn-off. You’ve placed Buy Buttons all over the place with red flashing arrows (good Lord). Stop trying to sell and start trying to introduce your product by featuring it in a way that seems useful and meaningful to the prospect. Show it off as large as you can without blowing people away with a huge image they have to back away from. Keep your presentation simple but interesting. Present, don’t sell.

5. Can people see you? Do they know who they’re about to do business with? What about you? Are you trustworthy? Are your photos or videos interesting and assertive, candid? This doesn’t mean you have to smile in every shot, but you must play the part and come across as legitimate and trustworthy. It’s not always easy to get the right shot, but keep trying until you do. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to helping you sell your book, this is truer than ever.

6. Now, if people just don’t like what you have to offer, then maybe they’re in the wrong place. Not much you can do there except adjust your keywords for Search Engine Optimization. Maybe folks are landing on your homepage by accident, because of irrelevant keywords and then quickly back out. Then again, search engines are not perfect either.

So what does any of this have to do with impulse buying and how do you encourage people to buy on impulse? Glad you asked:

1. Present your novel in such an irresistible way that people want to learn more about it. You can’t tell too much. This is the biggest mistake most people make. Stop trying to tell the whole story in one fell swoop. Leave something to their imagination. Tease them, make them curious, motivate them and show what’s in it for them right away. You can do that with the right title, something short (one word is best) and memorable. You must use the right artwork. Something that is thematic to the story or something that will entice them to ask “What’s this all about, what does that mean, why do they show this and not that?”

Give people more reasons than they know what to do with to buy your book. Yes it’s beautiful, yes it’s priced right, yes they trust you, yes they want it, but how do they get it, what’s keeping them from buying it, why should they buy it now?

Because they must have it now and they can’t wait to get it. Why? Because it means so much to them. Why? Because without it, their life will not be the same. Their mundane life will be missing something. Your book will feed their need for, whatever. Their need to understand, their need to be inspired, their need to learn, their need to laugh, their need to cry, their need to hear something different, bizarre, or fascinating. Take your pick, their need to “fill in the blank”.

Buyer’s needs are emotional. It is always that way and no other way. They are human, after all. Fulfill their emotions with your product. Showcase it in a way that fulfills their every desire. Reach deep into their psyche (based on demographics) and universal human needs and tap into their hot buttons then push them all. This doesn’t take force, it takes persuasion. How do you persuade? By answering as many questions about your product as you can and allowing them to come to their own decisions. Offer them more than they expect, if possible, for the same reasonable price. Give something of value away with your product if you possibly can. Make it easy for them to buy. Accept all forms of payment. In short, you must hit a home run with the bases loaded. Nothing else will do. Take no chances. Leave no stone unturned.

And remember this little gem: none of this will do you any good if your presentation falls into the wrong hands. There are plenty of wonderful books, and products out there that I have no interest in whatsoever. Why? Because they don’t hold a special emotional meaning for me and therefore, they are useless to me in all their grandeur and splendor. I can’t respond to (or buy) something that I feel has no emotional value to me. Period. You must get your message to the intended audience. How do you know who your intended audience is? You’ll know in part by instinct, in part by research, and in part by trial and error.

Most of the time, impulse purchases are the only chance you’re going to get to make a sale. People are busy, they are jaded, they’re in a hurry. Use these factors in your favor, not against you. Put together a lean and mean product presentation at the right price, in the right place, and at the right time, and see the difference it should make in sales. My definition of an Impulse Purchase is when a prospective customer is sold on your idea alone and everything else is icing on the proverbial cake. In other words, they've immediately decided that they want and must have your product, for whatever personal reason, and they want it now, and click away without a second thought. This is the ideal sales scenario. What if after they've bought your book and have second thoughts about it? Well, if they can't return it, they can always use it as a doorstop. Why should you care, you already sold it. (Oh my, how callouse. Although you should care because it hinders good word of mouth. Then again, any publicity is good publicity. Shameful.)

"Your objective is to align the moon and the stars in all their glory, insofar that they will shine upon you and your book in the most irresistible and flattering moonlight. In other words, get everything right the first time and don't look back."

Don’t keep this article a secret for fear of competition in the marketplace. Surely, it must have value to you. And it’s free. Read it again. Learn from it. Improve your marketing. Dare to share it. I just did. (Whatever.)

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I’ll be away next week but there are plenty of interesting articles you probably haven’t read before. Check out the archives to your right for more good stuff. I’ll be back soon. I bid you peace. Godspeed. (Look, they're right there -->>)

Chip Kidd--The Master of Design Disaster, and More

Meet the rock star of Book Jacket Design

If you haven’t heard of Chip Kidd, well now you will. And the only reason I learned about him was because, as a designer myself, I was curious enough to find out who designed McCarthy’s Border Trilogy book covers. Not because I liked the designs, but because I found them…odd. Not odd in a bad way, but just strange enough to make me want to look into the story behind the designer.

His oddest cover of the trilogy is the first, from All the Pretty Horses. Every time I looked at that cover on the internet, I couldn’t make out the imagery. It looked like some kind of furry, freakish Teradactile, belly-up, wanting to take a bite out of something. (I know, I need help.) Of course, the image was just not large enough to figure it out. But when I got the book, I was amazed at the composition of this image. It was, of course, the mane of a young pony and what had appeared like the beak of the Teradactile was the pony’s ears. Why couldn’t I figure that out to begin with? Good question. I think it was like one of those Rorschach Inkblot Tests. Like when you look at the Batman logo, sometimes it looks like a pair of large fangs, sometimes it looks like, well, the Batman logo. It all depends on which image you see, the negative or the positive.

Okay, you get the idea. I’m delusional. The point is, opposites attract, meaning that unlike my designs, which are more like reality taken into another dimension, Kidd’s designs, for the most part, are very abstract, unconventional, and to me, disturbing. And I mean that in the sense that they’re so unusual, they make me uncomfortable, and I’m referring to my mind’s eye, as a designer.

Kidd certainly breaks every rule in the design book, over and over again. Of course you have to know the rules in order to break them. And I think it’s safe to say that Chip Kidd does not aspire to be the next Da Vinci or Michaelangelo of the modern art world. He’s very happy being Chip Kidd, the rebel, anti designer. Have you seen Tarantino’s Death Proof? There’s an interesting comparison, right there. (BTW, Tarantino’s upcoming Inglorious Basterds is sure to become a masterpiece.)

So let’s get to the real question. How do book cover designs influence your decision to buy the book? Or do they have any influence at all? I’ve never bought a book just because of its cover, I think. Although, book covers weigh-in as far as my decision to buy certain stories. Although, as an art lover, I’ve been tempted to buy a book just because of the cover artwork. Too many to mention, though. But the story does come first. It’s just so much better if I really like the cover. It makes my buying decision so much easier. And there you have the reason behind alluring covers. They help sell stories. If I had money to burn, I suppose I would collect thousands of books just for their cover artwork, but for the most part, I don’t. There are a few exceptions that I couldn’t resist and will remain unmentioned. (Go ahead writers, burn me at the stake.)

That in no way suggests that I’m putting art over literature. Although, I will buy a book based on its cover art, even if the story is not a genre that I usually read, as long as the story has something to offer that is useful to me. That said, I’m a stickler for Literary Fiction.

So here’s the thing. Many people do buy Chip Kidd’s cover designs for the sake of the art, not so much the story. Why? Because Chip Kidd is a brand unto himself, and his artwork is collectible. Yes, his art is hideous at times, “monstrously ugly” in the words of the late John Updike, but Kidd has managed to break through the stereotypical world of design and has become an icon of sorts to those who appreciate the Avant Garde. Not a bad position to be in if you’re a graphic designer.

But not all of Kidd’s jacket designs are hideous. I especially like, Celluloid Skyline, for James Sanders, Hard Rain for Tim Riley, and Augusten Burrough’s cover for Magical Thinking, to name just three.

So who is Chip Kidd, after all? Glad you asked. He’s more than a graphic designer. He’s also a writer and a musician. (Cool music too. He might have missed hi real calling—so far.)

Bottom line: Chip Kidd is a brave man. Check out this hilarious video to see what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cChkIpYAvO0

Here’ his website: http://www.goodisdead.com/

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So What's going on for next Monday? I'm delving into one of my favorite topics, Impulse Buying (yes, I'm preaching to the choir again) only this time I'll talk about another aspect about buying decisions that also influences the impulse purchase and how you can apply it to marketing your book. See you then.

Who the heck is Jerry D. Simmons

Find out right now.

 Last week I had mentioned something about a link to a website, which I highly regard as a place for accurate information about the Publishing Industry and how to get your books published. If you’re thinking about self-publishing or just trying to find a way to get your books through the grinding wheels of the publishing gatekeepers, go here: 

http://www.writersreaders.com/freearticles.php 

You’ll learn the nuts and bolts, in a real world scenario, on how to go about it with less frustration. Jerry D. Simmons (author and former executive with The Time Warner Book Group) puts out plenty of good information that should steer you in the right direction. His most recent book, titled: What Writers Need to Know About Publishing, is featured throughout.

 

What I like about this website is that Simmons doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He gives you the cold, hard facts and pulls no punches (any more clichés?). Once you get through that website, he also has another website, which is geared more towards promoting yourself and your books. Here’s the link: www.nothingbinding.com. I have an author’s page on this site and there’s a lot you can participate in, such as writing book reviews and getting your own book reviewed. Although, let me say that I had emailed one of the reviewers about reviewing my book and never got a response from him. I suppose he was swamped with reviews, so I just left that alone. I’m sure that with a little more determination I can get my book reviewed, I just don’t have the time any more.

 

Either way, you’ll want to check out these very generous and informative sites from someone who knows publishing from the inside and is willing to share his knowledge and expertise. Thank you, Jerry D. Simmons.

Now you know.

 

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In next Monday’s Post I’m going to delve into the world of cover design. A topic that, as a graphic designer, is very near and dear to me.

 

The Mystery Question: Which book cover designer has earned his place in the world of book design as an “anti-designer” (my phrase). A designer whose designs John Updike had described as “monstrously ugly.” I’m sure you know some of his covers, and next week I’ll put a name and a face to the man behind the book cover design controversy and how he has influenced a generation of young designers. Believe me you don’t want to miss this Post. I have some funny video links to go with it too.

 

“A Death for Beauty” A Debut Novel by A.R. Arias

Okay folks, as part of my shameless self-promotion tour, I’m announcing the official publication of my debut novel, now available on Amazon.com. If you’d like to find out more about it, there’s plenty of info on this Blogspot (Duh!) and on my website, of course.

 

Let me just say that I’m glad this is over with. I mean, getting to the point of featuring my novel on Amazon. I know I have an uphill battle to promote it and get things going, but as I’ve said before, for the most part, I’ve written this novel for my children as a way to encourage them to explore literature and possibly write their own books. But of course it would be foolish to let a product sit there idle after all this work so I intend to sell as many as I can, but I won’t be devastated if I don’t.

 

I think they’ll enjoy the story whenever they’re ready for it. They don’t even know it’s published and I don’t intend to let them know until they’re much older. I realize they don’t have the time to read novels these days, especially a heavy-handed tome by their father. But it’s out there and I’m thrilled to get it done. I’ve accomplished my goal after several years of intense work and I’m on to the next thing, and whatever that is in my list of projects remains to be seen. Plenty of stuff on the backburner and if I can survive this horrendous heart surgery, I’ll be back pounding my keyboard after a much needed break from writing.

 

So, if you get a chance, check out this unusual story, set during the Civil War and it's populated with some interesting characters. The story revolves around a murder mystery, but at its core, it is really about death and life and it's filled with many relevant literary references and other motifs. I’m proud of it (depending on my mood) and I’m betting that anyone who likes this kind of story will enjoy it. I think it has a lot to offer in so many ways. Enjoy the words.

Alberto R. Arias

author, “A Death for Beauty”

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Next Monday’s Post will be short, but comes with a link to an amazing website. Whether you’re looking to self-publish or just learn about publishing in general, this is a great place to start. Come on back and check it out.

The Star-Trek Legacy

 

Who can be against it?

Last week I touched on something that I’ve been giving a lot of thought and to some of you may seem obvious, while younger generations might be clueless about this observation. The question was: What does the evening news, President Obama, and Star Trek have in common? The answer is racial integration. But, it goes much deeper than that.

 

In 1969 a writer by the name of Gene Roddenberry created a TV series, which today we know as Star Trek. A popular TV series that spawned many current movies, which have introduced younger generations to this old television series. The newest installment of Star Trek movies is out and breaking box office records, exceeding studio executive’s expectations. What is the reason for Star Trek’s mass appeal? In a word: HOPE. At least that’s what the old TV series was selling at the time and that’s what the premise of the show embraced to begin with. Everything else that followed was derived from that one premise. The hope of a continuing future beyond planet Earth, not just for white Americans, but for all races and cultures. Today’s message or motives may be different altogether, however, the inference of UNITY (Queen Latifah) still survives.

 

Roddenberry at the time found himself on the cusp of something extraordinary in historical world events. He helped break the racial barrier in America, at least, and presented the world, via his Series, a brotherhood of humanity in deep space. Not only did he foresee a bright future for the world at large, but he did so with the inclusion of a new world order, a conglomeration of race and cultures that would set a new standard for years to come.  His legacy has lived on ever since, but more importantly, it had its beginnings at a time when America in particular was barely beyond its cultural divide, which began in part with the race riots of the early sixties. Yes, a century earlier, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation, abolishing slavery in the southern states. (President Lincoln represents the freedom embraced by our current President Obama.) Others such as, Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King took up the cause in the sixties, but despite their sacrifices, blacks were hardly free at all. There was still widespread segregation, which limited where blacks could go and what they could do. Where was the freedom in that?

 

Enter, Gene Roddenberry in 1969, at a time in U.S. history when race relations and disruptions, were at their peak and in desperate need of social change―at the cusp of societal evolution, in fact. Roddenberry single-handedly proposed to feature not only a woman as a lieutenant on a Starship, but a black woman at that―Lieutenant Uhura (which means “freedom” in Swahili [Uhuru]). Groundbreaking? Controversial? Almost impossible? You bet it was, but Roddenberry’s vision of a future with hope of equality, an integrated humanity, and equal rights for women, was set in motion.

 

His cast of space-bound explorers included a Russian, a Scottish, an Asian, and another species altogether, a Vulcan, by the name of Dr. Spock. (The Vulcan greeting symbolizes the letter shin, the first letter of the word Shadai, a secret Hebrew name for God.)  I believe he also featured African Americans and Hispanics, however they were not part of the main cast.  Nevertheless, his point was made and eventually well-taken by the Studios and the first to embrace his magnanimous vision was none other than NASA and MIT among many others. Yet, it was NASA who would exemplify Roddenberry’s vision by populating the Challenger with a similar “cast” of astronauts. The result? NASA’s high profile of its historic launch, which included such a diverse crew of astronauts, similar to the Starship Enterprise, set off a tsunami of societal change that has been fruitful until this day and planted a seed into the subconscious of America, which was one of the reasons President Obama was elected into office. Far-fetched you say? Is this a radical idea formed by a conspiracy theorist, or is it part of the truth?

 

I submit to you, that the collective conscience of America was finally ripe for the picking of this extraordinary President, partly because of Roddenberry’s vision set in the sixties. Many other factors of course contributed to Obama’s election, however, the number of voters who voted for this president was in fact due to the coalescence in America’s mindset, a shift in white America’s thinking―their acceptance of someone different into mainstream society and into a position of power. Not to mention their many years of guilt by association to slavery and its aftereffects. This goes beyond quotas and the NAACP, folks. We’re talking about the collective conscience of a nation in desperate need of not only change in its politics, but a shift of power to a people, a race, which they maligned for hundreds of years.

 

Let’s face it, white America is always trying to make it up to the black community for slavery. White guilt shows up everywhere. (Is there any reason why an Italian like Jay Leno always hires a black band? I think he panders to black folks and it’s insincere and self-serving. You never saw a white band on Arsenio Hall’s talk-show.) (Pull out your barf-bag right here and hurl like you mean it.) At first, the guilt grew out of fear, and still does, but now, it stems more out of commercialism and greed. White folks finally realized that black folk have money to spend and they now market exclusively to them. That “business model” has worked so well that their advertising now markets directly to every race and every culture. The result? A brisk economy fueled by more buying and spending from groups, cultures that had forever been left out of the marketing loop. Show me the money.

 

All this out of White America’s guilt and fear of black folk? Well, have you ever heard of the White Miss America Pageant, or all White universities? The White this or that? Yes, there are double standards and White America, comprised of a majority of Jewish and Irish folk, must now swallow it without as much as a peep. And they do.

 

Have you ever seen a news anchor team that did not include an Asian or a black woman? Email me when you do so we can both share this shocking event. I have yet to see it in America.

 

So what’s my problem with all this? What am I an agnostic, as Roddenberry admitted being, yet included godlike entities in many of the Star Trek shows? Am I racist? After all, I’m among the minority too.

 

What’s wrong with diversity and unity in America and beyond?

 

Nothing. Nothing at all, as long as it comes from the heart.

 

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Next week it’s all about publishing again and I’m going to point you to a website that I believe is groundbreaking in its approach to getting your book published. Good stuff.

 

Godspeed. (Guys, get your eyes back up here.)

 

The Legacy of Slaughterhouse Five

What made this novel so popular?

Okay folks, the mystery is over since I’ve already given away the answer in the title. The question was: What was one of the most influential novels of all time? And the answer of course is, Slaughterhouse-Five. And who is the sexy starlette? Find out below.

 Vonnegut had been working on it for over 20 years. My take on this novel is that, much like his main character, Billy Pilgrim, Vonnegut himself was stuck in time for those 23 years and suddenly became “unstuck” and outlined this novel within a linear structure, allowing his stream of consciousness regarding the science fiction portions of the novel to take over. This juxtaposition of tragedy and comedy is a classic example of what I mentioned in last week’s Post, and one of the factors that make this book so successful.

Greek theatre tragedies /comedies made use of this literary device thousands of years ago, a technique that Vonnegut takes to extremes in Slaughterhouse-Five. This is the same device used in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, and in many of Cormac McCarthy’s novels. Where is the tragedy in Rye? Remember the ending? Its protagonist does not literally die, but just as well, as he is dead to the realities of life due to mental illness. Close enough. Tragic enough for this reader.

This device is like fire and ice, in that tragedy is heightened by comedy.  Two opposing forces that complement each other for better or for worse. Have you ever tried filling a tragic moment with levity? There you have it. This is the reasoning behind the tragicomedy “formula” and it works every time. Not because it is a clever literary device, but because it is organic to the human experience. When tragedy strikes, we want to soften the blow, deflect the agony, channel the pain in another direction. Thusly, we justify all the horrible events we don’t want appearing in our lives with humor. The moments we don’t want to be a part of because they remind us of our own mortality and how fragile and unpredictable life really is. This is what drives stories such as this one.

Many things can, and have been written regarding this novel, and I will not repeat or review them here or even attempt to reveal the many devices used to structure this book, other than what I've already stated. That’s already been done and a blog Post will do it no justice. The curious details are in the story. Read the book and watch the movie by the same title, which are excellent studies in both literature and film--a cinematic excursion into the making of a great classic.

The essence of this story is a study in the absurdities of war. And how better to discuss the ironies and absurdities than to juxtapose the tragic alongside the comic. This is what Vonnegut has succeeded so brilliantly in doing. He pulls no punches and makes no excuses, as he presents this semi-autobiographical work depicting his experience as a POW and the bombing of Dresden, Germany during WWII, systematically cutting into this senseless act with the comedic meanderings of Billy Pilgrim—his desire and search for another life—a perfect life, one with an exotic centerfold starlette. Isn’t this the dream of most men, after all? The dream of most women I suspect just as much. Take that any way you want.

With the bit of information that I’ve just revealed about this story, it’s easy to see why it was revolutionary in its time, yet just as relevant today. Vonnegut deals with two fundamental truths in life--death and irony, and everyone can relate to that.  (Life’s a bitch and then you die.) This universal message, plus many other factors, many details that permeate this story, expose it to debate, controversy, and more questions than answers, especially the story’s ending, which has been copied by many (porno) film-makers ever since. I won’t give it away, of course, in case you haven’t read the book or seen the movie—two things which I highly recommend. Although’ I’m sure you didn’t need my endorsement after I used the word “porno”, even parenthetically.

This book and the movie were ahead of their time, in that the content was considered risqué at the time of publication and its film debut in 1972, but also ahead of its time in the sense that science fiction merged with reality in such a forceful and meaningful way, as if Vonnegut had invented an entirely new genre, which I believe he did to an extent. In my view, we should give Vonnegut credit as one of the most influential novelists of our time for several reasons as opposed to seeing him and his work as some sort of second rate, fringe element hack job.

The fact remains, Vonnegut became much more than a sci-fi writer because of Slaughterhouse-Five. The musings in this story, its statement in opposition to war is profound and heartfelt, despite its fictive elements, which either way serve to enhance, or play up both the tragedies of war and life’s tragedies and ironies for the sake of humanity itself. (Tears here.)

Okay enough, let’s get to the real reason you wandered back here. Who’s the lovely lady that played the centerfold starlette in the film adaptation of Slaughterhouse-Five? She is Valerie Perrine, and still looks just as sexy today. She was in fact a Playboy Centerfold in the August issue in 1981.  See all her pix here. http://www.valerieperrine.com/ She is amazing and has preserved her beautiful figure throughout the years. She certainly caught my eye in the film and she aced her role as Billy Pilgrim's fantasy girl, and in the process became every guy’s fantasy from then on, and still is I suspect.

What else can be said? Enjoy the pix.

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Still working on the Star-Trek Post. Stay tuned. BTW, that's a photo of my Slaughterhouse Five Hardcover 1st Edition Book. And even though it's a Book Club Edition, some of these can be quite valuable. Either way I don't intend to sell it. I'm just happy I won the bid on eBay. (Whatever.)

The Real Secret to "The Secret"

There is no secret? 

After a 50-year sleep, I suddenly woke-up and realized that God had endowed and bestowed upon me, half a brain and good common sense. (Thanks a lot m' Lord.) That’s when it hit me. The Secret book, the movie, and everything associated with this product, is backed with a clever advertising/marketing/promotion/publicity campaign, like no other. One of the best campaigns that marketing experts have ever “perpetrated” on humankind, in fact. This book is an international and worldwide phenomenon so the use of the word “humankind” is not so out of place as one might think. It appears that since its debut, this book has revolutionized “the marketing world?”

 

First of all, let me say that Rhonda Byrnes is a marketing maven. Although accused by many, she has done nothing wrong, and has accomplished, with standard, run-of-the-mill marketing, a promotional campaign that capitalizes on the human desires and wants of a generation in search of the truth. And she has done so in grand style and with astonishing success. Good for her. Others, who apparently either cannot read, or know the law, will disagree and accuse her of misrepresentation, falsehoods, and maybe even blasphemy.

 

Disclaimer:

Let’s get one thing clear. I’m not defending Ms. Byrnes. She does not need defending, either morally or legally in any court of law. I’m simply making an observation and a commentary about her product and its willful buyers. That’s my disclaimer folks. Now for Ms. Byrnes disclaimer, all you have to do is go to “The Secret” home page and read it, right there in plain English. No, it’s not a legal disclaimer, as I’ve done in the example above, but it is a disguised limited disclaimer nonetheless.

My definition of a legal disclaimer: A legal disclaimer is a statement or series of statements that deny any claim associated with any given product or service regarding its benefits, warranties, or promises implied to the buyer. In other words, the seller does not claim their product will do or undo anything to benefit the buyer. Every product comes with a legal disclaimer, buried somewhere in the fine print.

However, there is another way to present a limited disclaimer, which is exactly what the information on Byrne’s home page does. Read it for yourself.  In fact, Byrnes tells you the secret to “The Secret” right there in plain sight, on the first page, front and center. (For the details of her legal disclaimer, see “Terms of Use” for the particulars.) She has nothing to hide and therefore discloses the meaning and purpose of “the secret” upfront. It’s your choice whether to continue with your search for answers and products associated with TS for your personal use.

Byrnes simply presents her product and establishes its purpose and possible benefits to the prospective buyer (you) and the rest is in your hands. You can either, dig deeper into the website for more information about the book, or you can point the mouse to the top, right-hand corner of your browser window and click on the big red X, thereby closing the browser window and making “The Secret” a fleeting, blipping memory, as opposed to a potentially important aspect of your boring, miserable life, and mine too.

This BTW, is the impetus behind many marketing endeavor. The fact that marketers tap into the human condition and find ways to personalize an aspect thereof and incorporate it into their marketing efforts. In this case, (The Secret) book taps into the need for something so universal and so fundamentally human, that the effects of their marketing reaches, and touches the masses with a message they cannot resist responding to. How do the masses respond? By associating this product with their own needs and desires. What are their needs and desires? Whatever you think they are. A successful business person, a smarter person, a magnetic person. Fill in the blank folks. Your desire ______ here. This is the product that will help you get there. That’s the inference, but never the claim. Big difference.

 

The secret to marketing “The Secret”

To this writer, there is no secret to the marketing of this book. I’ve seen nothing that hasn’t been done before. The “Secret” book is the result of masterful packaging and nothing more. It is an old idea taken from another book whose copyright has expired and is in the public domain, The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D. Wattles, and re-packaged it with 21^st century technology and social sensibilities in mind.  That’s not a crime, that’s the free enterprise system at work. Capitalism, coupled with gullibility at its best. They’ve done a bang-up job of it too. Clever positioning, alluring graphics and a slick website complete with promotional gimmicks, plenty of subtext, notable individuals from times past, implying the potential benefits of this book and all the byproducts associated with it. Nothing new and groundbreaking. Just good, solid, tried and true marketing.

As a graphic designer, I love their website, and no, I didn’t have to buy the book because I borrowed a copy and I quickly realized it was not for me. I’ve heard it all before, but in different ways. After all, I would think that the demographics for this book are between the ages of 17 and 35, at best. And that’s not to say that younger or older folks within this range would not be interested. It all depends on your outlook in life more than your education or life experiences. For me, the book has some great redeeming social values and presents them persuasively, but there’s not enough new material/information for me to justify buying it. Been there, done that.

 

The Secret Hook

1. There are many other books from bygone eras and plenty of modern books that also have alluded to the “Secret”. Napoleon Hill’s, Think and Grow Rich, is one of them, and Deepak Chopra’s, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, is certainly another. What Byrnes has done, that these and other books like them did not do, is to isolate and define, and highlight a specific “law”, “The Law of Attraction”, that is. This so-called “law”, can be traced back not just 100 years ago to Wattles book, but all the way back to biblical times to a real prophet by the name of Jesus.

Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

 

Talk about revisionist literature, Byrnes has absolutely no shame in borrowing from the past and turning something ancient and as old as the wind, into an instant mega-bestseller throughout the world in every language you can imagine. Not bad folks. And of course, if you’re already connected in the entertainment business, plus you are an attractive female, that also helps. Let me see, what else am I missing here? Oh, if you assemble a group of "qualified" mystics, philosophers, teachers, and scientists, to help you promote your book, while they promote themselves, well then, there you go. Done deal. 

It’s not as difficult as you think, once you get all the players in position, saying all the right things, triggering the right buttons, you know, the hot buttons I’ve mentioned before, the ones that inspire and motivate prospects to seek more information about your wonderful product. Technically, these are called “landing pages”, which are almost always not effective because the seller is so anxious to make the sale and they pepper the landing page with “buy buttons” everywhere. Nothing could be more detrimental to your sales pitch than a “buy now” button.

That’s hard sales pressure, and no, your prospect is not buying. Not yet anyway. But this is a good subject for another Post that will dovetail with my previous Post on Impulse Buying which is a little different. More about all this in another Post.

Byrnes has managed to sell the concept of “The Law of Attraction” in such a way, that even this short and simple “one statement law” can be milked into a labyrinth of questions by association, which further enhance and expand the message, which has already been delivered on the first page. How does one go about doing that? Well, that’s the big secret here folks. The subject of another book in fact and I couldn’t possibly do it any justice by posting it here in parts. In essence, it is the art of effective copywriting, synchronized with persuasive sales techniques that get the job done in short order. Easier said than done. Leave it to the experts. And she has. Let me just briefly mention the Book Trailer for The Secret, which is very slickly produced, although many parts of it, at least to me, are laughable. Especially the part where the Neanderthal-like guy is trying to unveil the secret by rubbing a piece of parchment over a stone tablet, or something to that effect. Hilarious. But what do they care, the imagery works.

Now, don’t you wish you had thought of this book? It’s never too late folks. Here’s a shortcut: Just revise the damn “Secret” and you’re done. Others already have, and they’re secretly laughing all the way to the bank. Why not you? Just jump on the bandwagon and cash in.

Oh, what a vicious circle my friends! Is there any hope for the rest of us? Sure there is. Just put on your ruby shoes and click your heels three times.

Don’t worry guys, they come in size 12.

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Soft Porno Alert!

Need I mention next week's Post? The long-awaited answer to the burning question: What is one of the most influential novels of all time, and for the love of God, who is the "honey" associated with the film adaptation with the same title? You'll only find out here next week folks. Scroll down for the original, mouth-watering Post.

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Future Post: I'm working on a commentary about Star-Trek, one of my favorite, original TV series. Believe me, it's not just about Star-Trek. This could be one of my most freakish commentaries yet. I just have to get this off my chest: Star-Trek, the evening news, and President Obama? WTF does all this have in common? You'll be surprised, maybe even shocked by my answer. Forget Pavlov, I have to jump through the time machine for this one. I can hardly wait, I might get stuck in a soup line during the depression and never come back. There is hope, after all.