Turn the Inside Secrets of

Television Marketers into Online Gold

By Steven Dworman
Publisher and Editor of ADWEEKs Direct Response Television Sourcebook

Publisher and Editor of The Infomercial Marketing Report

Publisher and Editor of $12 Billion of Inside Marketing Secrets Discovered

Through Direct Response Television

Creator of the Real Weather Girls IOS App

Creator of the Inside Beautiful Podcast

Creator of Curiosity Perfume

Creative Force behind Bottom Line Healths series of infomercials starring

John Cleese and Hugh Downs (over $300 million gross sales)

Writer/Director of feature film Divorce: The Musical

Writer of Happy Days episode, Fonzies Hero

President and Founder of DMMO (Digital Media Marketing Organization)

Copyright 2016 by Steve Dworman Enterprises, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or

transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or
other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of
the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews
and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Steve Dworman Enterprises, Inc.

9528 Dalegrove Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

stevedworman.com

First Edition, 2016

14 13 12 11 10 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
INTRODUCTION

InfomercialsYUCK! Those things on late night television are cheesy

butwellI hate to admit itI did buy something from them onceor almost
did.
Regardless of what you think about the category, let me share this with you.
Marvin Traub, the former Chairman of Bloomingdales, took the stage at one of my
large direct response television conferences and proclaimed that in his 50 years in
retail he had never seen anything move product the way a successful infomercial
does. This is from the man who reinvented retail marketing with major brands.
Infomercials have launched major products faster and bigger than any other
medium. Just a few off the top of my head: ProActiv, the number one acne medica-
tion in the U.S.; Total Gym, with over $2 billion in sales; Herbalife; Bare Escentuals;
Orange Glo; the Magic Bullet; the Juiceman; the Ronco Pasta Maker; Tony Robbins
Personal Power, and on and on.
The infomercial (which I define as a 30 to 60 minute advertising program)
shares many of the same elements as todays online marketing campaigns, espe-
cially when it comes to product or service launches. Both utilize testimonials or
reviews.
With 25 years in the direct response television industry both as a journalist
and as a practitioner, Ive learned some invaluable lessons that I am excited to share
with you.
I have had the unique opportunity to cover the industry objectively from a
journalistic point of view when I published a magazine with Adweek, Brandweek,
and Mediaweek. Then I decided to go into the trenches myself and launched several
television campaigns that were responsible for close to $400 million total in sales.
One gains a very different perspective when using your own hard-earned money.

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I traveled around the world shooting testimonials, including with three Nobel
Prize-winning doctors. I have spent 12-hour days on the telemarketing floor
learning how to fine tune a sentence in order to increase sales by a significant
percentage. I stockpiled a lot of lessons, many that proved to be counter intuitive to
what the rest of the marketing and business world were doing.
Everything I learned is dramatically relevant to the online marketing being
conducted today. They are the same tools employed in a different environment.
What works has not changed very much in the past 50 years. What has changed
and continues to change is the implementation of these knowledge tools.
In todays world of instant communication, an entrepreneur and marketer
can receive feedback immediately. There was a time when direct marketers would
run print advertisements in The Wall Street Journal and then wait two weeks for test
results. Now you can test headlines on Facebook in an hour.
This report contains the most crucial information Ive learned over the past
25 years in this business. Fewer than 10 people in the world probably know this
inside information from personal experience. Most of them are multimillionaires.
Everything in this report is based solely on what has been proven to work in
the real world. Companies have spent millions of dollars to discover the secrets I
lay before you.
Properly applied, this inside information will be a gold mine to your market-
ing efforts.
I know your time is valuable. I honor that. I trust that you will be rewarded
for your effort.
Enjoy!

Steven Dworman

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THE INFOMERCIAL
And the lessons derived for todays online world

w No one can predict a hit. It is very much like the movie business. You can put all
the elements together, but until you test your show, theres no way to know exactly
what youve got. The advantage you have today is that by monitoring your real-time
results, you can instantaneously make changes and see the effects they have on
response.

w The only exception to the first point occurs if you find a product thats already
selling like hot cakes in a county fair type venue but has not yet found widespread
exposure. Then its just a matter of preserving a successful pitch thats been perfect-
ed over time. Examples of this include the Smart Mop and the Miracle Blade.

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w Successful products on QVC or the Home Shopping Network do not necessarily
translate to good spot or infomercial products. If this were true, the DRTV (direct
response television) divisions within these networks would be the most successful
in the industry. This has not been the case.

w These networks do succeed as an incredible testing ground for marketing

pitches. For example, lets say that a home shopping network showcases a product
at multiple times over the course of one weekend. A savvy producer can double or
triple total sales over the course of the weekend by paying careful attention to the
sales impact of specific on-air comments and then incorporating more of those
revenue-generating claims and statements as the weekend progresses. You can
apply this same practice from your very own desktop. Launch a marketing cam-
paign on Facebook with two or three different headlines and follow which one
performs best. Take the most successful headline and test it against two others until
you feel confident that you have the strongest sales hook. Then do the same for
the opening paragraph of the sales copy. Once you have your best call-to-action in
place, your combined results can easily be three to four times stronger than a non-
market tested strategy.

w A successful infomercial is truly a miraculous science of entertainment and

sales. Its a high-wire balancing act. Too much of one element at the expense of the
other and youve lost the sale. Entertainment gets people to stop and watch what
you are doing and it keeps their attention focused on the program. But too much
entertainment undercuts the sales message. Direct marketing copywriters learned
this long ago. Thats one of the reasons that cute headlines seldom work.

w During the early 1990s, many so-called experts advocated repeating your

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infomercial message every seven minutes in a pod format. This has never been
proven effective and I dont believe it works. Studies show that 90% of all orders are
placed toward the end of the show. Logically, the more that you repeat yourself, the
more people will feel that theyve already seen your entire message and the higher
the likelihood that they will tune out early. These people will not be around to
engage in that golden 90% sales window. Online, people have the ability to fast
forward or leave your message altogether with the click of their impulsive mouse.
Your message must be intriguing, intelligent, entertaining and compelling. Dont
waste a second of your audiences time. Edit your message down to its core
elements before presenting it. If you can effectively make your case in two minutes,
never take thirty.

w Direct response television is a mass medium. Micro changes implemented in

a show can, over a period of time, significantly impact profits. A specific descrip-
tive word in your offer, a different bonus offer, variable placement of your com-
mercialsany such adjustment can generate a 1% to 2% increase in orders that
will then mean a one to two million dollar increase to your bottom line on a $100
million campaign. Also keep in mind that while the global reach is larger online
than on television, no company has significantly used online marketing to success-
fully launch a new product or brand. Im not talking about using Amazon or other
online retailers to sell a product. Im talking about launching a new idea or product
online and generating the kind of massive sales achieved through television mar-
keting. Have you happened to notice how many dot coms are advertising on cable
television late at night? There is still a lot to be said for mass marketing through
good old-fashioned television.

w The public has watched infomercials now for 25 years and theyve become very

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sophisticated. Most of the shows on the air now are old, tired and formula driven.
I havent seen anything really new and exciting in quite a while. Neither has the
public. The same holds true with online messagingespecially video marketing.
Many of the leaders in the industry have developed a formula, which they insist
will be successful with the right offer and product. But this is short lived. We live
in a very fast world and as soon as the public recognizes the formula it will lose its
power and effectiveness. Just think about how overwhelmed your email is in the
morning. I know that I have at least 80 emails waiting for me each day in my mail-
box. Generally, out of the 80 I dont even bother to open 65 of them. Finding the
magic that entices me and everyone else to open your offer requires some really
creative thinking. More importantly, it requires you to have a lot of integrity about
what you sell through your mailing list. Your readers will only stay with you for so
long before they tire of incessant sales pitches. Integrity and a desire to really be of
service is going to be more important than ever as all of this continues to evolve.

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w Think outside, around, above and beyond the box. What will capture the pub-
lics attention, startle them, and get them talking the next day? It must be something
that enhances your message and doesnt dilute or diminish it. What can you do to
make someones day better? To delight and surprise them? If you can continuously
deliver this, you are more than a one-offer pony.

w The use of a celebrity is very powerful. This can be a local celebrity, a national
or international celebrity and anyone from sports or entertainment. But heres the
key. Never make your celebrity the expert. Always have your celebrity play the role
of the satisfied customer. Consumers, especially in this day of blogging and Twitter
and Instagram, are savvier than ever. Do you think a Kardashian gets out of bed in
the morning unless theyre paid to do so? No one else does either.

w Make your before-and-after examples as realistic as possible. The public is dis-

illusioned. Dont change filters or lighting...customers will see through it and know
that what you are promising is equally filtered. Your integrity and credibility are
everything. If even a potential doubt could arise in your audience, address it before
it occurs to them and you will be rewarded greatly.

w Many successful shows have a certain wizardry about them that works, regard-
less of the technical polish of the presentation. I always remember a lesson that
early industry pioneer Tony Hoffman revealed at one of my seminars. He showed
an infomercial that he had produced for a kitchen product. The show wasnt well
producedthe graphics were lousy, the sets looked terrible--but the product was
selling extremely well. Tony figured that if he went back and reshot the show with
higher production values, sales would climb even higher. He used the same script
and talent from the first show. But when he tested the new version with all of the

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window dressing significantly improved, it bombed. Tony went back to the old,
poorly produced show immediately. Nowhere does this lesson apply more than to
online marketing. A lot depends on what you are selling. If you are selling a dream
or a lifestyle you need to show it. Many people today
are shooting their programs straight from their
computer webcam. Its genuine alright. And in so
many cases it does work. But what would
happen if you upped your game? Where
could you effectively spend money

enhancing the
power and believability
of what youre making available
to the public?

w Original music may be the most important element missing from most info-
mercials. Filmmakers learned the importance of music years ago. Music can trans-
form a good scene into an engaging experience. It tugs on heartstrings and stirs
emotion and desire. The same applies to online marketing. Music inspires emotion.
Emotion combined with logic sells. Engage as many senses as you can to effectively
communicate your message.

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w To increase your credibility, have someone stand in for the home audience and
express doubts or disbelief about the product. Let me clarify this. Frequently when
you are selling your product or course online, the person interviewing you or your
talent is essentially a cheerleader. They are accentuating how wonderful everything
is and substantiating everything you have to say. Often that comes across as highly
insincere. While a little of that is fine if they can substantiate why they feel that way,
it is much stronger if they express the questions or doubts your viewer would natu-
rally be inclined to feel as well. This will build credibility.

w Build upon your credibility. Show something go wrong during a demonstration

and acknowledge the problem. The audience will believe you have nothing to hide.
This is the value in portraying a live television studio recording or doing a live pod-
cast. The more real it seems (without allowing boredom to set in) the more authen-
tic it is and the more believable it becomes.

w Television buyers, as a general rule, are not as faithful or as loyal as print buyers.
I believe this is even truer online. How many times have you been curious about
something and willingly gave up your email address to the companyonly to be
bombarded with more calls to purchase something oncetwiceor three times a
day? Instead, give your customer something like a gift, and dont ask for anything in
return. Your relationship will last 10 times as long and be more rewarding for both
of you.

w Most television advertising asks for the order far too quickly. Once a viewer
knows what the offer is, theres no reason for them to keep watching the rest of the
show. And if your next program segment is the sales powerhouse that really would
have convinced them to purchase, you just lost the sale. Making a purchase is a

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combination of emotionally wanting something and having the logical reasons to
justify the cost of it. If you ask for the order before both of these elements are sat-
isfied you will reduce your sales by at as much or more than fifty percent. Many of
the really successful online entrepreneurs have taken this to heart by holding their
offer until the very last video segment. This is absolutely as it should be. The risk
arises, however, if the first set of videos are not enticing enough to keep your viewer
entrenched with the program. Monitor your viewing microscopically to determine
how effectively you are holding the attention of your viewers. Otherwise, holding
your offer until the end may be hurting your profitability.

w Expert opinions in your show can add tremendous credibility. The more au-
thoritative your source, the more impact he or she will have. Keep in mind that a
celebrity is not necessarily an authoritative source. Who is? If you are selling a baby

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product, a mother using your product is an expert. If its a health product, an MD is
a solid choice.

w What can you do to create excitement throughout your show? Ron Popeil
generates palpable energy in a kitchen by having multiple activities going on
simultaneously. Eric Stilson caused viewers to sweat with anticipation during the
HealthRider infomercial by having a troop of attractive female dancers perform
choreographed routines on the workout equipment. Mike Levy lit the hood of a car
on fire to demonstrate the protective qualities of a car wax. Ask yourself how you
can get people to stop flipping channels and become mesmerized by your product?
Point the camera at something wonderful other than yourself. This is particularly
challenging online when many people are consuming content in quick and short
intervals. How can you grab their attention online and then hold their interest?

w For years, American Telecast claimed that celebrities made a huge difference in
response rates. Guthy-Renker obviously tested this and is using bigger and bigger
celebrities in their shows. They would not be paying substantial percentages of their
profit to these personalities unless the celebrity was elevating response by a signifi-
cant amount. How can you tie a celebrity to your product or service? Its easy if you
know the people who specialize in this.

w You are not selling a product. You are selling a solution to a problem that the
viewer is experiencing. Your product is a magic elixir that will greatly improve the
viewers life. Logic is the ammunition, but emotion is the power that compels the sale.

w What demonstration will show that your product is better than anything else
on the market? Can you add some entertainment value to the demonstration? Does

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your product have a flaw or weakness? By revealing the one flaw, the viewer will
view you as honest and trustworthy. Your claims will have much more believability.
Start out with a negative. This is what it wont do. Youll be much more credible
from that point onward.

w Selling multiple products in a 30-minute show rarely works. Ive seen it

attempted unsuccessfully with fitness equipment, African artifacts, new products,
and on 30-minute shows offering multiple things unrelated to one another. As soon
as youre on to the next product, the last one is forgotten. I understand that this is
contrary to Amazon, eBay and every other large online entity, but the moment you
make the question a multiple choice you are giving your consumer an escape hatch.

w At one of my seminars, direct marketing genius Joe Sugarman told a story about
a print ad for a watch that he ran in The Wall Street Journal. The ad pulled in a lot of
business, but the watch manufacturer was upset because the ad didnt feature the six
other color options in which the watch was available. Their thinking was, if this one
color did so well, we could do six times better with all of the other colors. To placate
the manufacturer, Joe created a new ad featuring all of the colors and ran it against
his original ad as an A-B split in The Wall Street Journal. The new ad featuring all of
the colors generated only one third the sales of the original ad.

w The only exception Ive seen to this rule was a brilliant 30-minute show creat-
ed and produced by Eric Stilson. With a male and female host showcasing four or
five various new products, the show was designed to identify which productif
anymight generate a high enough response rate to justify its own infomercial. As
a benchmark, Stilson inserted into the new show a successful direct response ad
that he had run repeatedly during the previous year. By comparing the sales per-

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formance of the new products against the known commoditys results, Stilson was
able to identify one of his most successful products ever...a product he had almost
dismissed before testing.

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TESTIMONIALS

w Most testimonials are dull and sleep inducing. Question your testimonial
subjects. Play devils advocate. If these cheerleaders really love your product, make
them convince us. The public is smart. They know that when you jump cut from
one statement to the next, something is getting cut out.

w Let me share with you the finest distinction I have ever learned about testimoni-
als. Instead of having someone testify about the effect the product has had on their
own life, emphasize what the person testifying thinks the product will have on the
viewers life. For example, if a woman is giving a testimonial for a weight-loss
product, look at the difference in emotional impact between these two statements:
1) I was so successful with it that I just wanted to start crying; or 2) You just have
to try it. You wont believe how simple and easy it will be for you to achieve every-
thing you desire.

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w Testimonials should always reflect as closely as possible the age range and ethnic
makeup of the group you are targeting as customers. If you are targeting multiple
groups, make sure every one of them is represented. People like watching people
who are like themselves. It is engineered into our genes.

w The wardrobe worn by the people testifying should be similar to that of the cus-
tomer you are trying to reach. An authority, however, should dress to reflect his or
her stature. This is a big consideration online. You really have to think out what you
are selling and to whom you are selling. Are you the expert? Are you selling your
lifestyle? There is a dichotomy there. Do you dress in a suit and sell yourself as the
expert? Or do you dress in jeans and boots and show the amazing lifestyle you have
achieved and that many aspire towards. Again, depending on your role and what
you are selling, it may be shrewd to show both sides of you at different strategic
points in your presentation.

w Before and after shots should be as real and unaltered as possible. The public has
been there and done that. They have been looking at these shows for 25 years. They
can tell when an image is altered. Keep your lighting, lenses, and filters consistent
from one picture to the next.

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OFFERS

w Online campaigns offer you an unprecedented opportunity to test your offer.

You can change it in an instant. Create two separate order pages with two different
price points and find out within hours which offer performs better. In a lot of ways,
offers are very contrary to logic. You cannot assume anything. I am constantly
surprised by how various offers perform. You should, given the time and resources,
test everything. For example, raise the price by $25 and offer free shipping. See how
that one plays out. More expensive price points often outperform less expensive
price points because the perceived value becomes higher. There are three main
elements in an offer: your main offer, your upsell, and your downsell. Each has its
own unique function depending on your offer.

w Here is one of the strongest offers demonstrated on television. Sell your product
at half off the normal retail price and then add bonus items to double the value.
For example: Normally our online course sells for $2,000, but today it is yours for
only $1,000. And if you are one of the first 50 people, well throw in our advanced
video with a retail value of $1,000. Thats a total value of $3,000 for only $1,000 if
you act now.

w The lower your entry price point on a continuity program, the less qualified
your lead will probably be. Meaning, the lower the cost of entry, the lower the life-
time value of repeat sales.

w A lower price does not always guarantee more orders. The only way to know is
to price test it.

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w Oftentimes, expensive products will be given an extremely low trial offer price
just to get people to call or log in. The more expensive it is, despite a very low cost
of entry, the more you will need to push for add-on sales to create profitability. In
an infomercial for a high-priced fitness machine, you need a highly trained team of
inbound call operators working on commission to sell additional items. The Total
Gyms initial test did not work until they had a team of skilled telemarketers on
hand to properly sell the product.

w Buy one and get a second one free almost always tests as the best offer.

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w It helps to put a face to your company. Try showing people answering calls or
engaged in online customer service so that consumers know they are dealing with
real people. This always increases response. Endeavor to show customer service
personnel similar to the target audience.

w To further boost response, place a clock onscreen and have it count down the
seconds remaining to place an order. This is extremely effective on television. For
online marketing, you should make limited time offers. The offer should close at a
specific date and time. Auction sites do this to great success. Amazon Deals of the
Day does this. Scarcity will drive sales if it is real.

w Make your offer so irresistible that it appears you have to be losing money on
every sale.

w Begin by showing the value of your product at an extremely high price point so
that by the time you reach the actual sales price, it seems darn right cheap in
comparison.

w But waittheres more gets repeated over and over again for a reason. It
works. Just as you start with an initially high price and then move to a lower price
point, you should also keep adding one bonus after another to the initial offer.
Make it seem like Christmas.

w Multi-pay options generate more orders than a single-pay option. You can
generally convert over 60% of multi-pay callers into single pay with the right
incentive.

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w People will say, Yes, most often to the first question that you ask them after
their commitment to purchase. The more enticing that question or offer, the high-
er your response rate will be. You should be able to get 40 to 60% of buyers to take
that first offer. The second offer will diminish to under half of that if you are lucky.

w If they say, No, to everything, what can you offer them at a crazy low price that
they would take in a heartbeat? That is your downsell.

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PRODUCT

w Product is king. A gorgeous show will not sell a lousy product, but a poorly
produced show will sell a great product. What can you do to make your product
exciting, worthwhile and truly useful? A product that has the power to change
peoples lives makes your job one thousand times easier, yet most people put all of
their time, effort, and money into marketing something ordinary.

w Television is a mass-market medium. For your product to really succeed, it

needs to appeal to the largest number of people possible. As popular as golf is, it is
not a mass-market sport and consequently few golf infomercials or direct response
spots have ever been very profitable. Online is different, however. You are able to
target market your messages. A very expensive product can succeed when
delivered to an extremely targeted group of people. On the other hand, the broader
your product appeal is, the deeper the well to mine.

w A successful product should do two things: solve a major problem for the
customer and hold the promise of tremendously enhancing their life. We are all
looking for that magical transformation.

w A product needs to sell at four to six times its cost. This is to make it work on
television. The dynamic is different online, but still similar. What does it cost for
you to acquire a customer? Deduct your product costs and any cost of delivery,
along with your advertising cost, etc. Figure out what kind of margin you need for
cash flow and that will give you a markup range. In television, your media cost can
be over 50% of your total expenditures. You also need to deduct product costs, call
center management, customer service, credit card charges and returns or

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cancellations. These are all factors that determine your markup.

w Prevention-oriented products never seem to sell. Ive seen some well-produced

shows try to do this and they failed miserably. With online sources, however, you
can market specifically to people who have suffered the particular malady. Did your
house burn down? Dont let it happen again with FLAME OFF!

w A product should exceed a customers expectations. Many companies have been

pushed into ruin by an avalanche of returns. This is truer than ever in the online
marketplace. Customer reviews and comments are public and often fatalistic. Now
more than ever you have to take care of every single customer and have them fall
in love with your product and company. You want your customers to be your best
ambassadors. Give every customer the benefit of doubt and treat them with more
gratitude than they thought possible.

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w Every product should have a unique selling proposition. What makes this
product superior to everything else on the market? How can you best demonstrate
that? What extra time and effort can you put forth to best illustrate that to your
audience? Again, get it away from yourself and show it in the real world.

w A product that is exclusive and covered by patents is certainly preferable to one

that is not. Regardless, if your product succeeds, you will probably be forced to
spend a fortune in legal fees defending your patent against knock-offs. The
advantage that educational products or classes have is that they are generally not
susceptible to these knock-off tactics. Do be on the lookout for other companies
that will rip off your successful marketing strategies. If its online and successful, the
opportunists will notice. Fortunately, they cant steal your integrity, reputation or
honesty.

w The most difficult position in the infomercial business is to be an entrepreneur

who takes a chance on a new and innovative product. It is impossible to know
whether a new product will work until it is tested. The easiest thing in the infomer-
cial business is to be the person who knocks off a successful product and settles in
court after the fact. Like I said previously, there are many sham artists that just sit
back and monitor Facebook ads and landing pages and then knock off the ones that
are appearing repeatedly. You always have to reinvent yourself and what you are
selling. Keep testing.

w Most audio and video programs that are sold never get played by the customer.
They sit on customers shelves unopened. This was so true in the early days for Tony
Robbins. Customers spent close to $200 for his audio series and the vast majority
of them never listened to the program all the way throughor at all. Remember

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this when you are designing your course. Keep people interested and intrigued with
whats coming next. Because we know you have integrity and its important to get
your heartfelt message across.

w The more your product costs, or the more installments it requires for payment,
the higher your chances are for product returns.

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BACK-END

w Without any doubt, back-end sales are where 96% of the money is made.

w Your back-end program should be thoroughly conceived and vetted before you
spend a dime to produce and market your campaign. Your marketing message
should not be focused entirely on your initial sale. You have to build anticipation
and desire for subsequent services and products. Just like most successful authors,
you need to know the ending before you begin the story. If you have a clear picture
of where you are headed, you reduce the chance of taking false or unexpected
detours along the way.

w If you see an infomercial selling a $39.95 product, understand that its

impossible for the seller to make money at that price. The seller plans to make
money via much higher-priced, back-end products or servicesor in retail. It is
similar online. The initial sale is the opening to a funnel of potential revenue. The
more value you can give to a new customer in that first transaction, the greater
your potential for a long and fruitful relationship.

w The greatest sales I have ever generated on the back-end resulted from sharing
inside information on a personal level with my customers. I tell them whats going
on behind the scenes and how they can benefit as a result. This has to be current,
it has to be real, and it has to be inside information. Maintaining your credibility is
the only way to build a long-term and profitable relationship with your customers.
Also, a good joke never hurts.

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w One of the best investments you can ever make in your campaign is giving your
customer an unexpected gift completely out of the blue instead of trying to sell
them something. Like many people, I am already so weary of being hit up every
morning by email solicitations coming from lists that I opted into by choice. Maybe
one in a hundred offer something wonderful that delights me. That one genuinely
amazing offer fosters goodwill and makes me feel appreciated and valued.
Remember that even though you have to view your response rates as numbers
generated by your marketing campaign, your customer or prospect is not a number.
Acknowledge that and act accordingly.

w If you are running an infomercial promoting a real estate program or a business

opportunity, remember this hard-learned lesson: Your back-end program (which is
where your real money will be) is only as good as the marketing campaign driving
new leads into your business. If your next campaign bombs, your back-end will dry
up shortly thereafter. This happened to many direct response television companies.
One ineffective new campaign and their entire profit funnel dried up overnight.
If you are counting on lots of back-end profit, do not count your money until you
know your front-end is solid and properly managed over time.

w American Telecast did something very unique with its continuity programs.
They make every fifth kit free to the customer. The company tested this concept and
found that it kept a majority of customers in the game for a longer period of time.
Other companies offer a free gift. People are motivated by personal gain.

w Spend a couple of hours every month on the telephone talking to your

customers. You will learn more this way than from any report that lands on your
desk. Your customers can be your greatest source of ideas and information. Pick up

25
the phone and call at random and just check in. Find out whats on their mind, how
they are doing with your course or information and ask what could be better. Then
send them a gift.

w Test different offers and/or price points for your list before rolling out to your
entire customer base. That sounds obvious, but too often companies are in a hurry
and dont take the time to do this properly. Again, a slight change in response can
yield a tremendous upsurge in profits.

w Constantly find ways to surprise and delight your customers. Are you holding a
conference? What destination will stir the most excitement and anticipation? You
can give them an excuse to cross something off their bucket list and you will benefit
from it. In contrast, airport hotels are convenient but not life altering or memorable.

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A Final Word

This may be the most important advice I can give you. I have been there,
done it and suffered the consequences. I dont want it to happen to you because it
results in lots of sleepless nights, family stress, and your banker wondering whats
become of you.
So many entrepreneurs have a vision or a mission or both and have
finally come to a place in their lives where they make a decision that they are going
to forge ahead with all of their heart and soul because it is their lifes mission.
Tenacity is a tremendous asset. But every single one of us has blind spots.
Things that might be obvious to others are invisible to us. We are blind because our
vision or emotion clouds our judgment.
Thus, before you embark on the incredible journey to follow your dream,
you need to step back and check in with others to make sure this is a dream that is
shared by many.
I dont believe in focus groups. What people say in hypothetical, clinical
situations have little bearing on whether, in the privacy of ones own home, they
click on the buy button to what you are selling.
You have to get out there, put your expectations aside, embrace your child-
like curiosity, and talk to people. Explain what you are doing and get their reaction.
Discover objections ahead of time. Pose questions to your social group. See
if anyone is interested in what you are going to be selling.
Be well aware of the possibility that friends and family will say, Yes,
because they love you. That is not what you are after. You want the blunt,
gut-wrenching, honest truth.
I have had people tell me they would sign up for an idea of mine in a heart-
beat. And then it launched and they did nothing. I discovered the fatal flaw after it

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was too late.
So dream, implement, and change the world. But before you do, check and
see if it is a world that others want to live in.

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Steven M. Dworman

In 1991, Steve Dworman began publishing the INFOMERCIAL MARKETING

REPORT, a monthly subscription newsletter read in over 20 countries worldwide.
He also edited and published, ADWEEK Magazines Direct Response Television
Sourcebook.

Having produced and run his own direct response television campaigns (including
CURIOSITY PERFUME, the most successful fragrance ever sold on television),
Dworman learned all facets of the industry.

He has consulted with FORTUNE 500 companies such as P&G, Este Lauder,
Mattel, Avon, Apple, Microsoft, and many others.

He has been quoted by over 3,000 news sources including: The Wall Street Journal,
The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, The New York Times, CNN, The Washington
Post, and The Chicago Tribune, to name just a few.

He has a keen eye for picking products and was responsible for many huge
successes in the industry such as Total Gym, which grossed over $2 billion in sales.

Dworman also served as President and Founder of DMMO (the Digital Media
Marketing Organization) with members such as Eastman Kodak, Technicolor, Warner
Home Media, Sony Digital, and JVC, amongst many other leading companies.

In 2001, he wrote, directed and acted in the feature film, Divorce: The Musical. The
film was featured on CNN, and in a front-page story in The Los Angeles Times after

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premiering in Los Angeles. Upon graduating from UCLA film school, Dworman
wrote one of the most popular episodes of the television series Happy Days.

Dworman went on to partner with Bottom Line Health to create the most success-
ful series of health book infomercials in the industry. They featured Hugh Downs,
John Cleese, and Carnie Wilson. The program generated close to $300 million in
sales.

He created the first daily reality show for the iPhone in an app called Real Weather
Girls. It notched 68,000 downloads in two weeks.

Dwormans video podcast, Inside Beautiful, went to #1 in the iTunes store for
Health and Beauty in only two weeks.

Steve Dworman can be reached at: steve@stevedworman.com

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