News You Can Use - December, 1999

Due to busyness, travel, and illness, I haven't sent out an e-newsletter in
three months. This one is packed with information to make up for the hole.
If you want to hear a stunning success story of how the "little person" can
get media attention in today's frantic world, read on. But first...

You are receiving this because you either asked to be on The Copy Writing
Profit Center's exclusive announcements list at http://www.mrfire.com, or
you are a personal friend of mine. If you don't want to receive these
monthly messages, just send a polite note to me at remove@mrfire.com, and
I'll take your name off my list. BTW, your e-mail address will never be
sold or given to anyone by me. Finally, feel free to forward the
following to your friends. Thanks! -- Joe

"Dear Joe: I read your book on Barnum. When P.T. Barnum got publicity,
things weren't so 'tied up' and the big PR machines that operate today
weren't in existence. The common man could get noticed, while today you
need big bucks to hire a big PR firm to get noticed. So what does a little
person like me do to get noticed by the press? Personally, I think it is
impossible.Thanks so much." - Paula Fuoco Davis, Editor, Commitment

Here's a true story that answers your question...

A month or so ago all the media began to talk about the new movie being
aired on P.T. Barnum. It was a two-part major production, to be followed
by a new A&E biography of Barnum.

Friends urged me to somehow connect myself to all the news. I agreed.
I should. But how? I had already sent out many news releases and felt
tapped out. I couldn't come up with a logical or even illogical new
connection. I also didn't have a big public relations firm behind me.

What to do?

I did nothing. I let things be. I watched the movie. I watched the A&E
special. And I saw something miraculous happen...

At the end of the A&E special, the host held up my book!! He read my
name, and the book title, "There's A Customer Born Every Minute!",
and he urged people to get it. (!)

People did. Overnight sales exploded. At www.amazon.com, the world's
largest bookstore, my book had been listed as number 2,000 in sales
rank. By the next morning after the A&E show, it was number 93. By that
same afternoon, it was number 37. The book is now completely sold out.
Here's how a friend described its overnight climb up the bestseller list...

"Joe: Just more proof of what publicity can do. You have a best seller!

"You're now 37. Tom Clancy's "Rainbow Six" is 43. "The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey is 51. "Permission Marketing" by Seth
Godin (My favorite book right now. Oops. Second favorite.) is 65. "A Walk
in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail" by Bill Bryson
is 76. "A Republic, Not an Empire" by Pat Buchanan is 90. "The Elements of
Style" by William Strunk is 95.

"Wow! I'm impressed." -John Martin http://www.alief.com/andmore

Okay. So what's the moral here?

First, getting nationwide publicity is not impossible. You don't need an
army of press agents, a big budget, or an agency behind you.

Second, you need something people want, a product or service that truly
delivers. When you have that, the media will find you.

Third, you have to let go. This is almost a metaphysical principle, but
when you let go, things happen that may not otherwise happen. (This will be
explained in my forthcoming book and tapeset called "Spiritual Marketing.")

Fourth, you have to send out news releases as a way to plant seeds. I had
distributed press releases earlier. Who knows who at A&E saw any of my
releases? Sometimes you just keep plugging away, sending out releases,
making calls, praying, until something hits.

But NOTHING is impossible. Hold the faith and act on your hunches. Add a
little optimism and the world can be yours.

* Want a tip on how to write headlines for your news releases? Listen to
the commercials that try to get you to watch the TV news. You'll hear short
teaser phrases such as, "Can your eyes be healed in 45 seconds?" or
"Can this dog save your life?" Another I heard was, "Meet the man who
committed the crime that shocked our nation!" Those teases are headlines!
In other words, while you watch TV tonight, note how the teasers during the
commercials lure you into watching the news. What they are doing is hooking
you with spoken headlines. You can follow the same principle when writing
news releases. This works for ALL the media and is used by everyone from
Oprah to Larry King to your local favorite television news station.

* I'm available to write news releases, of course. But how do you send them
out? I use Paul Krupin's services. Here's how to reach Paul and his
bureaus: E-mail to: dircon@owt.com Call toll-free: 1-800-457-8746
http://www.publicityforum.com The New Publicity Forum
http://www.imediafax.com Internet to Media Fax Service
http://dcnewswire.com/ Direct Contact News Wire

* One day a woman called me and said, "Joe Vitale, I love you!"
She immediately had my attention. Another day a man called and
said, "Joe, I might as well move in with you now!" In both cases
I brilliantly replied, "Huh?" Turns out both have been listening to
my Nightingale-Conant tape series and loving them. Why am I
bringing it up here? Because both people used a method outlined
in my tape series for getting attention. It's the first law of marketing.
GET ATTENTION first, and then of course follow-through. The point
is that you can use these principles everywhere---even in your phone
calls. Do you think I listened to the two people above? You bet!

* Nightingale-Conant says my audioprogram, "The Power of Outrageous
Marketing," is a 1999 bestseller for them. It reveals how you can use the
ten proven secrets of titans, tycoons and billionaires to get rich in YOUR
own business! You'll love the stories about P.T. Barnum, Harry Houdini,
Donald Trump, Mark Twain, the Swedish Bikini Team, and other colorful
people and wild events. And you'll learn such powerful things as how to
write a book -- in only six days, the top ten keys to negotiating with
anyone at anytime for anything, how to find and do business with anyone
alive today, how to give the greatest speech of your life, how to get free
publicity for yourself and your business, how to write hypnotic ads that
actually pull in sales, how to create allies (for free!) that easily bring
more business to you, and even the little known secret for doing the
impossible. If you haven't heard it yet, call 1-800-525-9000. They have
a no-risk 30-day guarantee. Try it. If you don't like the program, send
it back! But judging from the rave reviews the program is getting,
you'll LOVE it. What have you got to lose? Order it as a holiday gift
for yourself or the people you truly care about. It's only $139.95.

* Here's a holiday special for you: "How to Easily Double Your Business
Within 90 Days!" is a rollicking two-tape program with Winston Marsh,
Australian marketing guru, and myself revealing the secrets of what really
works in marketing today. This is fun, high energy, inspiring and very
informative. You'll learn how to be more creative, how to easily write
sales letters, news releases and books, three tested ways to get publicity, how
to write two things on your business card that will guarantee no one will ever
forget you, what to do to prove that your service is good, how to create
Yellow Pages's ads that get calls, and much more. Two tapes, about 90
minutes, recorded live in Australia. This usually sells for $39.95 at my
website BUT you can have it for only $19.95 postpaid in the US (foreign
add $7) IF you order by the end of 1999. Send a check to Joe Vitale,
303 Mill Stream, Houston TX 77060-4117 or FAX your credit card
details to 281-999-1313.

* Dave Zenker has invented a way for professionals to market themselves
right TO their targeted audiences. If you are a therapist, lawyer, or CPA,
for example, visit http://triumphmarketing.com/tm_progroups.htm

*My friend Dr. Rick Barrett is looking for true stories of people who have
used herbs to cure themselves to be considered for his next book. If you
have something, send e-mail to drrfb@flash.net or FAX 281-499-3005.

"I have been writing and publishing books for over 30 years. I seem to have
an ability to describe things clearly. I can write clear and compelling ad
copy but when a piece is really important, I turn to an expert. I call Joe
Vitale."

- Dan Poynter, The Self-Publishing Manual, http://www.parapublishing.com

Live your dreams!

P.T. Joe

Joe "Mr. Fire!" Vitale - Author of way too many books to list here
So go see my truly amazing giant website at http://www.mrfire.com
Email: joe@mrfire.com * Ph: (281) 999-1110 * FAX: (281) 999-1313
NEW -"The Power of Outrageous Marketing!" fr Nightingale-Conant