News You Can Use - May 2002

Was it the brightest -- or dumbest -- thing I've ever
done to promote something? What does Elvis have
to do with it? Or a MERMAID? You'll get the amazing,
zany, and VERY crazy full story right here, in this month's
off-the-wall new issue of "News You Can Use!"

Now THIS is amazing: I just stumbled across
"The Lost Museum." It's an online attempt to recreate
P.T. Barnum's famous museum of the mid-1800s.
I stared in awe, wonder, and delight as the movie at
this remarkable site accurately led me through the
New York of the 1800s and right up to and then IN to
Barnum's American Museum. You can even meet
the great showman, too. While the site is a work in
progress and is best enjoyed with a fast connection,
it truly demonstrates the positive and educational
use of the Internet. VERY cool. See it for yourself
here: http://www.lostmuseum.cuny.edu/

* REMINDER: Be sure to sign-up for Tom Pauley's
"Quantum Marketing" e-class. The first e-class sold
out and caused miracles. This second e-class starts
May 13th and is almost full. It's so good that *I* am
taking it one more time. Want in? Write Tom right now at
authors@richdreams.com . (Be sure to mention Joe V.)

* PAUSE HERE: If you haven't read "The Power Pause"
by John Harricharan, then you're in for a treat! John's book
combines every success principle I've ever been taught and
wraps it all up into one succinct exercise called a "Power
Pause." And the best part is it only takes just 3 minutes
and 3 steps to achieve. Plus, its been endorsed by several
of the top online marketers, including Jonathan Mizel, Marlon
Sanders, Declan Dunn, Rick Beneteau, Audri Lanford,
myself and many others. Get complete details here:
http://www.surefiremarketing.com/powerpause/?10189

* "Spiritual Marketing" continues to help people create
results. Here's yet another review from the 61 posted at
www.amazon.com. This from Max Kaewrat in Bangkok:

"After reading this book twice, I followed Joe's
tips and suggestions very close and intensive.
After 7 days the first miracle happen, my business
increased more than 40%. 14 Days later I've bought
my first House. My live changed!"

You can still order the new and improved "Spiritual
Marketing" book from http://www.amazon.com or from
http://www.1stBooks.com/bookview/5655

* NEW: Where's the hidden gold in your business? Go here
and see: http://ebooks.wz.com/richer/a190.html

* YAHOO TRAFFIC BUILDER: Want hundreds of new people
to your site in only a matter of days? Then check this out:
http://hop.clickbank.net/hop.cgi?outrageous/liberation

* NEW: An astonishingly good e-book on pulling money to you
is described at http://www.imagesofone.com/special/mrfire.asp
I was skeptical when I first looked at that description. But the
book is pure, practical, wisdom. Go see for yourself.

* RESOURCE: If you need to accept credit cards in your
business, get help from the man who has helped me: Call
Marvin at (281) 260-0900 ex 205. Tell him Joe V. sent you.

* DISCOVERED AFTER 30 YEARS: Catherine Ponder
wrote the classic book, "The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity."
Few know she gave a seminar on the subject in San Antonio
back in the early 1970s. You can now get this remarkable
set of tapes from http://www.prosperitynetwork.com

* CHOCOLATE LOVER? Find out how a lover's gift initiated
a successful business, how chocolate lifts your spirit, five simple
steps to create art that wins an award, and much more in this
new e-newsletter from my friend in the Netherlands, Eliska.
See http://www.TrendyChocolate.com/newsletter.asp

* NEW: "The Complete Guide to Internet Publicity" reveals
how to launch successful online campaigns. It's written by
Internet veteran Steve O'Keefe, one of the first people to use
online publicity to get results, and author of the now classic
work, "Publicity on the Internet." This new, massive book
(436 pages) is the definitive guide to e-publicity secrets.
Get it at www.amazon.com or www.wiley.com

* You'll find a cool new service at www.coachinginstruction.com
called "Find A Coach." Anyone (including you) who wants a coach
can go there, enter key words, and get matched with the right coach.
The "Find A coach" program is a free public service maintained at
www.coachinginstruction.com

* With CopywriterFinder, freelance copywriters now have a new
low cost venue to promote themselves to the regional, state-wide,
national and international marketing community. CopywriterFinder
is at http://www.copywriterfinder.com.

* A friend of mine, Larry Dotson, is currently creating a web
book that contains listings of businesses, e-zine publishers
and web site owners that accept joint venture marketing
and barter (trade, swap) offers for advertising, products
and other services. He will be selling the web book when
it's complete. It would be great exposure for your business.
If you would like your online business listed in "The Joint
Venture Marketing Directory" please visit the following
web site: http://www.ldpublishing.com/special.html

* In case you are a coach---or are thinking of becoming one
---you may be interested in this great new article by Terri Levine:
"How to Get New Clients With-OUT Any Selling." It includes 15
ways to increase your business right now. It's refreshing, insightful,
and free. Just click here to see it:
http://www.comprehensivecoachingu.com/freeArticles/GetClients.htm

* Is Forbidden Secrets University (FSU), worth joining? Someone
asked that question of Charles Burke, an FSU member who lives
in Japan, who replied:

"In my opinion, the FSU series is actually better than Joe's been
saying. Now, Joe doesn't mind big claims and outrageous selling
propositions, but even he hasn't yet done justice to what I've been
hearing each time.

"Is it worth a hundred bucks a month? That's up to the individual
who either uses or doesn't use the information, but during the interviews,
Joe does have a way of prodding his speakers, and he goes for the
little side-lights and the implications that other people don't seem to
think of. He's a good interviewer.

"I've listened as he pushes and prods his guest speakers to be
more specific, tell more, reveal more. And to me, it has been
priceless stuff.

"Do I consider it worthwhile? Well, the interviews start at 4 a.m.
Japan time, and there are very few things that'll drag me out of
bed at that hour of the morning. But this does, every time."

For details on FSU, send an email to fsu@mailback.com

* This may be the wildest marketing story of all time.
I'm not sure whether to be proud or embarrassed about it.

Well, *you* decide.

Pull up a chair and I'll weave the tale....

When my new e-book hit the Internet on May 24th,
sales exploded. HUNDREDS of orders poured in
at http://www.HypnoticMarketing.com and I knew,
and I mean KNEW, I had a major league winner
on my hands.

But I wanted more.

I decided I wanted a COLOSSAL success with
this e-book. I decided I wanted to break all previous
records for all earlier e-books. And I knew that was going
to be a tough cookie to bake, since my earlier e-books,
such as "Hypnotic Writing," sold in the tens of thousands.

What to do?

I called on the spirit of P.T. Barnum. I re-read my own
book on him. I had imaginary conversations with him.

And then it hit me.

What I needed was a mermaid.

That's right, a mermaid.

Barnum had one and his ticket sales TRIPLED.

Well, I own a mermaid. Yes, I already have one. It's
an ugly thing, but I have it here to show visitors or to
scare kids and raccoons.

I didn't want to sell my mermaid, but I wondered if
I could create a new one based on my existing one.
I talked to Nerissa, my girlfriend, and she said she
could photograph my mermaid and then create a
original work of art based on it. The new photo
would be a new mermaid. And since it would be
one-of-a-kind, it would be a collector's item, too.

But why would anyone WANT it?

That's when I decided it needed to be a celebrity
mermaid. You know, a Marilyn Monroe Mermaid. Or
a Madonna Mermaid. Or even an Elvis Mermaid.

Yes! An "Elvis Mermaid!"

The spirit of Barnum was alive in me!!!

I then considered where I would sell the mermaid
for the highest promotional value. It didn't take long for
me to get the answer to that one:

Ebay.

So on March 26th I posted the "Elvis Mermaid"
for sale on Ebay.

I wrote some nice copy for the picture. I included
the picture. And I invited people to visit my website
at www.HypnoticMarketing.com The website didn't
logically fit the photo or even Ebay, but that was the
point. I was trying something different. I wanted to
see if a mermaid could lure in new buyers.

After I posted the item, I was a little red faced.
I couldn't decide if I had done a brilliant thing, or
an idiotic one.

But get this:

Within just one hour of posting my "Elvis Mermaid"
on Ebay, 7 people viewed it and 1 person bid on it!

This just might work, after all, I thought to myself.

Did it?

By the next morning more than 200 people had gone
to visit the Elvis Mermaid. But I wanted more. LOTS more.

I remembered a news wire service that catered to
off-beat news. I sent a short email to one of their reporters,
simply inviting them to go see the mermaid on Ebay. They
did. And they called me almost instantly. The result was
a story they wrote and sent out to their clients. Here it is:

ELVIS MERMAID CATCHING WAVE OF INTEREST

DALLAS, Texas (Wireless Flash) -- Elvis Presley is many
things to many people -- but he's a mermaid to one Dallas-
based marketing consultant.

Joe Vitale is attempting to sell a one-of-a-kind
painting of the King as a mermaid, complete with greasy D.A.
haircut and fishy tail.

Vitale commissioned his girlfriend to make the painting
after being inspired by circus mogul P.T. Barnum, who once
made his own mermaid by stitching a stuffed ape to a fish
carcass.

Now he's hoping to catch Elvis fans hook, line and
sinker by selling the Elvis Mermaid on e-Bay. However, he may
not want to get his hopes high because the top bid so far is $7.

So much for accuracy in news.

I'm not in Dallas, Barnum never made his own mermaid, and
I was selling a photo, not a painting.

But I still got some publicity.

One radio station in Oregon called me. They talked to me
live for three minutes and decided to bid on the Elvis Mermaid.
They then kept their listeners informed throughout the last
day of the bidding.

Next, I mentioned the Ebay item in last month's newsletter,
which you probably saw. If not, several hundreds did, because
visits to the Elvis Mermaid leaped a few hundred counts.

When the auction ended on April 2nd, 668 people had gone
to see the Elvis Mermaid.

And the winner of the bidding war?

The radio show in Oregon!

And they were so excited, they booked me on their show
again to discuss how best to frame their prized photo!

Now, did any of this fun help sales of "Hypnotic Marketing"?

Not that I could see.

Was it worth doing?

You bet.

Not only did my name get out there, and my book get promoted,
but I've ended up with a zany story about how I'm willing to try
virtually anything to market something I believe in.

The Elvis Mermaid may have sunk.

But the spirit behind the idea lives on.

Just ask the listeners of Eugene, Oregon.

You can see the Elvis Mermaid at my website. Just go
to www.mrfire.com and click on "photos."

* COMING SOON: Look for "Hypnotic Selling Tools" to be
released on May 17th. It's by Larry Dotson and myself.

* Are you a fan of P.T. Barnum? Then check THIS out:
http://www.ltbn.com/fame/Barnum.html

* My Nightingale-Conant tapeset, "The Power of Outrageous
Marketing!," continues to be a best-seller. If you haven't checked
it out or heard audio clips from it yet, you can do so online here:

* Finally, if you're not getting the absolutely wonderful daily
e-messages from Mike Dooley, then get over to his site and
sign-up. It's free and truly amazing. I LOVE the e-reminders
that keep me smiling, focused, and moving toward miracles.
Let his wise words help you, too. See http://www.tut.com and
click on "Enlightenment via E-mail." VERY cool.
Note: Be sure to check out his tapes, "Infinite Possibilities,"
described at http://www.tut.com/auwc.htm (You can get them
at a discount using that unique link---at least for this month.)

"Give me the propaganda machine---radio, press,
films, platform---and allow me to repeat and repeat
such trash-words as, 'Hokum, pokum, tiddle-daddle,
slokum,' and I will guarantee to have all sections of
the community, except a tiny minority, completely
spellbound by that rubbish---and even solemnly
repeating it as a kind of ritual-chant."
- John Hargrave, "Words Win Wars," 1940, London

Go for your dreams!

Joe Vitale, President
Hypnotic Marketing, Inc.