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Would You Open This?

Tiago

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Hey community,

I'm split testing a new idea. This will be a personal letter sent to a physical address.

My goal here is for the person who receives the letter to click on the link. The link is a YouTube invitation with a special invitation.

If you received this letter in your mailbox, in a beautiful envelope, and with nice design, would you click the link? If not, why?

I'm trying to see if the wording here is correct or if it raises any red flags and would make people not click it.

25830
 
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Charnell

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No, not ever.

A. Can't click a letter.
B. That's just a mysterious letter from a stranger and a cloaked link. Even the most technically ignorant should see the red flag in that.
C. There's no information on why I should watch the video or compelling copy, even if the link was something like actualwebsite.com/wesleyvos

EDIT: to be honest, this screams scammiest of scams, because anyone who's dumb enough to type that link in (or click if it was an email) is easier to scam. Like the Nigerian prince scams, people who believe it are probably going to believe they have to prove who they are by Western Union'n $500 to Lagos.
 

NursingTn

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Why would I click this? I don't know you. Awesome, personal invitation? Please, I get so many spam with similar wording.

No, horrible letter. Imagine if you receive a similar document sent to your email. Would you click on it? Would you think the message is spoofed? Spam? Virus?
 

Walter Hay

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Your headline kills it. "Congratulations" would be almost universally recognized as a scam.

If you want someone to read it, the headline must make the need to read on irresistible. It should be intriguing, but above all, leave unanswered the question that it prompts in a reader's mind.

Providing a link is not a good idea. Instead, if you want to go down this track, suggest they search Google for..... the keywords that will find your video.

Walter
 
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Scot

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This would 100% end up in my garbage. No one types URL's manually, especially bitly ones.
 

raden1

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"Don't worry, it's not a virus." - Makes me think it might be a virus...

As the others have said, this is just a pandora's box.

Here's something you might want to think about.

1. Ditch the video.

You say your reason why and what the free gift is WAY too late in the video. Put your reason why on the letter along with the offer (a free consultation I think).

2. Have the CTA be to either:

Email you
Call your phone
Go to your website
Tell them what to type into youtube

3. Add some credibility

Brag a little on yourself and talk about what you've done in the past, add some testimonials maybe tell a story about how you helped someone in a similar situation.

Just some stuff to consider.


 
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ZeroTo100

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Honestly, it depends on how the letter gets to me.

For example - if it’s sent like it came from a car dealership, no. If I have to sign for it...yes.

The hard part is getting your letter put into the not junk pile. Remember that! Think of a way for your lead to say hey, this might not be junk.

I’d like to add that it’s hard enough getting someone to open your letter let alone go in and check your link out.

I’m giving too many secrets away lol
 

minivanman

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I never open anything unless I know the person. I rarely use email nowadays. Come to think of it, the only time I use email is to talk to the girls that used to work for me way back when. Lots of us stay in touch. Other than that, I don't think I've used email in years!
 
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1step

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No chance I open this. I got a video mailer the other day. Really slick looking and looked very expensive. I watched the entire thing and even showed it to multiple of my employees. Here’s the first company I found on google to show you the type of thing I got in the mail. Maybe it would work for you
 

Tourmaline

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Totally concur on the Congratulations header. Insta-trash if I see that.

Why don’t you just print the video out it’ll be easier instead

lol exactly...but...

No chance I open this. I got a video mailer the other day. Really slick looking and looked very expensive. I watched the entire thing and even showed it to multiple of my employees. Here’s the first company I found on google to show you the type of thing I got in the mail. Maybe it would work for you

wait what :wideyed:

mindblown
 
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PizzaOnTheRoof

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Absolutely not.

Try a nice HANDWRITTEN letter and attach a business card with a QR code/link on that.
 

Rabby

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No. I would tear it up before throwing it in the trash. Maybe you could use that mechanic and play a sound file when people tear it up... kind of like those musical birthday cards, but fueled by outrage?
 

Tiago

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Your headline kills it. "Congratulations" would be almost universally recognized as a scam.

If you want someone to read it, the headline must make the need to read on irresistible. It should be intriguing, but above all, leave unanswered the question that it prompts in a reader's mind.

Providing a link is not a good idea. Instead, if you want to go down this track, suggest they search Google for..... the keywords that will find your video.

Walter

Thank you for the heads up on the headline. And you're right, sending a link through a written letter is just overcomplicating things.
 
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Tiago

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Honestly, it depends on how the letter gets to me.

For example - if it’s sent like it came from a car dealership, no. If I have to sign for it...yes.

The hard part is getting your letter put into the not junk pile. Remember that! Think of a way for your lead to say hey, this might not be junk.

I’d like to add that it’s hard enough getting someone to open your letter let alone go in and check your link out.

I’m giving too many secrets away lol

Thank you for your help. I'm going to make the envelope look as personal as possible. I found this article by Castlepress where they mentioned what kind of envelope gets opened
 

Stargazer

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Your effort above is so bad I would suggest you post your letter here first for some feedback.

Your video is bad too but I heard you mention something 3 times that I can not make out.

It sounds like ros choops. (What/who is this? Person, organisation, charity?)

You also said he is in South Africa and you are in Brazil.

So I think there is a very specific reason why you have this person as a contact based on whatever consulting service you wish to provide.

Your letter needs to strongly open with whatever this is.

Dan
 
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Champion

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Hey Tiago,

would not click it.

The fact you even mentioned the word "Virus" turned me off immediately.

Best
 

Bekit

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I would never open a letter like that.

For what it's worth, I watched your video to see what it was that you're trying to accomplish.

What I gather is that you're trying to win Wesley as a coaching client. Maybe he's one of your dream clients. For whatever reason, you want to get his attention.

Here's my perspective: Your approach needs work.

Put yourself in Wesley's shoes. If you were Wesley, you would get this random 3-minute video from a guy. In the video, you hear (1) this stranger is praising and admiring you (2) an emotional story of the guy who lost his wife and kid and (3) an invitation to be coached by you to improve his business revenue.

Wesley is probably going, "Dude, I have a successful business. I'm already making money. Why would I turn to this guy for coaching? What can he even do for me?"

You don't give any substance behind why working with you would be amazing. You say it's your passion, but you don't offer any examples of results, other people you've coached at his level, or even areas of his business where you can already see that he's leaving money on the table.

If you really want to get his attention, I'd write the letter to say everything you said in the first half of the video (how you admire Wesley and the story).

That will show him that you're not just a nigerian scammer trying to get him to type in a link to a video. It will establish you as someone he might want to collaborate with. It will give him something that *might* resonate with him.

Think about what Wesley cares about. If he feels the need for help to increase his revenue, what is he going to be looking for? He's going to be looking for coaches who have a track record of increasing sales of businesses at his level. How do you stack up next to the people that he already has access to through his network?

For instance, I know a business coach whose pitch is, "Point out the top seller in your organization, and I'll outsell them in a month. Then I'll coach your entire sales staff to learn my methods."

Stuff like that shows people that they have something to gain through hiring the coach.
 
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MILIANARD134

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Never, everytime i receive an email like this, it goes in garbage instantly. I think you have to build some trust before that. The exemple of the car dealership is great
 

Napoolion

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Nope,
3 things come to mind:
1. Mentioning it is not a virus triggers the warning, that it probably might be a virus...
2. Personal invitation to where and how it is relevant to me? I don't go back to an unknown dark alley in a city I don't know, even if a stranger would personally invite me.
3. At best it gives a vibe that another dream coach comes with new age self books to tell me how I should live.. haha :D

It is a great thread though, because maybe we can dig how to start building relationships with right people. I am not sure you should send this email to every person, either. Targeting might work.
 

SkyLake

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Why are you asking this question instead of actually just trying?

I think it's a terrible idea and it would never work because it literally screams 'SCAM'. But maybe I'm wrong?

Maybe you'll make bank. Send 100 of these and test the response rate. In the time it took you to get some opinions you would have gotten the answer you were actually looking for.
 
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SaintQuinn

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Only an idiot would click that suspicious looking link....It would probably end up in the spam filter anyway...
 

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