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If you’ve been following my blog for the past couple of weeks you’ve probably seen that I won a free cruise from James Brausch.
Well, I’ve received several warm and pleasant emails and comments congratulating me (and to those who have sent them… Thanks!)
But one of the comments took me a bit by surprise.
It was posted by “Dave”, using the very creative (and obviously fake) email address: me@yahoo.com
Usually I just delete worthless comments left by people who provide fake contact information, but this one was just so absurd that it actually made me laugh out loud.
(Perhaps you’ll get a chuckle too…)
“Dave’s” comment in response to me winning James’s promotion was:
Apparently James’s oferr to sponsor someone on the cruise was just a popularity stunt for his blog. It was a scam to get more trackbacks, just like when he shut off comments.
He had no intention of actually awarding a free trip to anyone. And I don’t believe for a minute that he sent you a dime. And I know for a fact neither of you are even going on a cruise.
You knew from the beginning that he was going to pick you and so did he. By picking you he was able to make it look like he actually awarded a prise without actually sending any money to anyone.
All of the gurus like you and Brauch seem to have some kind of good old boys club and no matter what you say on your blogs, you have no intention of ever letting us common folk into it.
Just admit it, there was no contest and there is no cruise.
Spelling mistakes aside (“oferr“, “prise” and “Brauch“), this comment actually provides an opportunity for me teach an important copywriting lesson.
SHOW PROOF!
As our anonymous nut job’s comment illustrates, many people are so skeptical and jaded, they won’t believe ANYTHING you say. At least not at first.
Whenever I write copy for my clients I always try and show as much proof as possible to back up every claim we make.
There are many different forms of proof that you can use (and in a future post I’ll talk about many of them in more depth), but online one of the best forms of proof you can use is Visual Proof.
Visual Proof is anything that provides visual or graphical validation of your product, claims or more importantly your benefits and results. Visual proof can include before and after pictures, scans of checks or bank statements, screen capture images (or videos) of PayPal balances, Clickbank accounts, or website traffic logs, etc.
So to counter “Dave’s” claim that James “never sent me a dime” and this was just some big conspiracy between us “gurus in the good ol’ boys club”, here is a bit of visual proof from my PayPal payment.
A couple of “Dave’s” other statements that were just downright goofy were…
“And I know for a fact neither of you are even going on a cruise.”
And…
“Just admit it, there was no contest and there is no cruise.”
Well… Unfortunately I don’t have any “visual proof” to offer right now, but check back in a few weeks (after the 19th) to see the ultimate element of proof that “there WAS a cruise”, when I post a few pictures of James and I enjoying the good life on the “Carnival Fun Ship Paradise” somewhere off the coast of Mexico!
Bottom line… If you want to improve your conversion rates (and reduce comments/emails from skeptical wackos) show “˜em a little visual proof!
Happy Testing!
Eric
P.S. ““ I know… I know… Even with screen shots and photos some people still won’t believe you. After all, screenshots can be doctored and pictures can be “photoshopped”, the moon landing was faked and Dick Cheney planned 9/11. Keep wearing your tin foil hat Dave…
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Eric Graham is a serial entrepreneur, author, speaker, copywriter and consultant. Enter your name and email address below to get notified when new response boosting tips, tested conversion strategies, updates, articles and videos are posted. You'll also get immediate access to a powerful 90 minute Conversion Boosting video as a free gift for signing up (and a lot more!)
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That made me laugh out loud!
The fact is that Eric and I have never met… and if Eric is in a “good ole boy’s club” then I hope he invites me to join on the cruise.
If you think it’s a conspiracy, why don’t you buy a ticket on the Carnival Paradise leaving March 16th from Long Beach California headed to Ensenada.
When you book your ticket, just ask to be seated at the same table as James Brausch and Eric Graham. If they sound puzzled and say there is no-one by those names on the cruise… then you’ve nabbed us!
I’m also paying the way of interns ($250 worth). You can call my bluff by just joining my intern program and doing 5 assignments, signing up for the cruise and then demanding my reimbursement. If I don’t pay up… you’ve nabbed me.
For all the non-conspiracy freaks… why not join us on the cruise anyways. It’s very inexpensive. Eric is coming from Kansas City and it’s only costing $890 for air fare and cruise tickets. Whether you are a conspiracy theory nut or not, it will be a fun cruise and maybe we can form a “good ole boy club” right at the dinner table.
I’ll bring something sharp so we can poke our finger and sign in blood.
Thanks for sharing that comment Eric. That was really funny.
-James D. Brausch
James,
I thought you’d get a good laugh out of that too.
Eric
PS – The only “good ol’ boys club” I belong to is the, “I’ve-worked-my-friggin-tail-off-to-get-where-I-am” club. (And as far as I know, there is nobody guarding the door and keeping other people out…)
This line just cracked me up
“Keep wearing your tin foil hat Dave…”
I’ve read a website that actually tells you how to make a tinfoil hat and to sit in your bathtub so ‘they’ can’t mind control you by radio waves.
I mean, there are some strange things in the world, but some ideas do take a bit of swallowing.
Enjoy your cruise! Maybe I’ll join you next year.
It’s quite obvious that “Dave” is just a tad jealous of your success. I think he is one of those people that doesn’t believe anything online, and the only way to convince him something is real would be to drag him along (on the cruise). But why would you want to ruin a good time?