This document provides best practices for direct response marketing. It emphasizes that people buy why you do something, not just what you sell. It recommends starting with the why - your motivation or purpose - to capture attention and interest. It also discusses maintaining interest by providing the right information for prospects to make decisions, and moving them to action through compelling offers. Specific tips include using high-value formats to overcome doubts, focusing on benefits rather than features, and avoiding corporate language or not delivering on promises. The overall message is to focus on the why to drive behavior and stand out from competitors.

1. Direct Response Best Practices
Start with Why

2. Why Are You Here
Start with Why
Why am I here?
Why are you in this meeting?

3. It’s Not about What You Sell
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” –
Simon Sinek

4. It’s about Why You Do It
Why Don’t People Respond to a Message?
They start with “what” they do
• What – We Offer Professional degrees/certificates to
improve your career (Product)
• How - Our programs are 100% Online (USP)
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy
why you do it.” – Simon Sinek
Start with Why
• Why – We change people’s lives (Motivation)
• What – We Offer Professional degrees/certificates to
improve your career (Product)
• How - Our programs are 100% Online (USP)

5. Direct Response at its Basics:
 Attention: Capture the prospect’s attention
 How will customers find my product offer?
 Interest: Maintain the prospect’s interest
 What information/tools do they need to make an
informed decision?
 Action: Move the prospect to a favorable action
 What actions do I want them to take? (signup for a 14
day trial, subscribe for a price alert)
Direct Response (How)
-Ed Mayer, 1960’s

6. Overcome Friction, Doubt, or Concern
 Scarcity
 Bandwagon Effect
 Current Events
 Different offers for different parts of sales funnel
Direct Response (How)

7. Direct Response (How)
Offers
 Use High-value Formats (whitepapers,
Webinars, on-demand videos)
 Write Amazing Titles for Offer
 Promise benefit they’ll receive
 Pose a threat + solution
 Ask a compelling question
 Exploit desire for new information
from respected source

8. Direct Response (How)
Things to Avoid
 Corporate gobbledygook
 Not Delivering on Promise
 Being Boring, engage your
audience
 Less is More
 Leaving out Social Sharing
Opportunities

9. Features – The What
 100% Online
 Regional Accreditation
 Traditional University
 Ranked Tier 1
 Career Advancement (result)
What Drives Behavior
Benefits – WIFMs
 Convenience for a busy life
 Reputation of academia
 Respect from employers
 Stand out from the rest
 Job Security/Safety
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek

10. Group Activity
 Pair up into teams
 Create your own Golden Circle for a Brand, a Product,
or Yourself
Start With Why
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek