Dramatic Sales Writing

I'm also a horror fiction writer, but I'm
not used to seeing spooky direct mail
packages land in my mail box. Yet recently
I got a mailer with a picture of Cory Rudl
on the cover guaranteeing my success in
Internet marketing if I bought his course.

"You'll make $XXXXX or I'll pay you $xxx,"
Cory promised.

How? Cory, you're dead.

As many of you may know, Cory was one of the
great pioneers of Internet marketing. I bought
his $200 course back in 1999 and it helped get
me going.

But, sadly, he was killed in an auto race
earlier this year.

Not an inappropriate way to go, for a man who
started out selling a book on car secrets and
who began his old sales letter for his course
by needing to take his car out for a few laps on
a race track because he was so angry at the
Internet marketing misinformation and lies
other people were putting out.

Good way to start a letter on an emotional
basis, plus it makes reader feel you're
on their side. Wow, misinformation being
sold makes you THAT angry? Then I can trust
you. Then I'm more likely to buy YOUR course.

Hey, it worked on me . . .

As I understand it, his company, the Internet
Marketing Center, is going to continue, run
by Derek Gehl.

So I have no problem with Derek selling
Cory's products by direct mail.

And I have no doubt that Derek intends to
honor the guarantee on the self-mailer
I was sent.

But seeing a picture of CORY making that
statement . . . creeps me out.

Do you trust a promise guaranteed by a
dead man?

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