The “no headline” sales letter that made 2 billion

A few days ago The Aussie Hermit wrote an email entitled…

“A tale of 2 coaches seeking The Aussie Hermit’s help.”

And, it told a story about how one client was generating quality leads, while the other wasn’t.

But what I love about that email is the copywriting structure I used.

Specifically…

It does a great job in persuading because it shows the negatives of one path vs the positives of the other.

Or another way of saying that…

It uses the power of “contrast” to persuade.

Further, this structure is so powerful it created what many consider “the most successful sales letter ever written.”

It’s called, “Tale of Two Young Men.”

And it was a short story worth 2 billion (with a “b”) in subscriptions for The Wall Street Journal from 1975-2003.

Funny thing is…

That sales letter/story had no headline at all.

That’s how powerful this framework is.

More:

I’ve modelled this framework many times over the years.

A few years back when I was a “gun for hire” copywriter, I used it to get applications for a private school from cold traffic.

And, it worked extremely well.

(Applications for less than $30 from what I recall)

So what I thought I’d do is show you that ad so you can analyse it.

And so you can see this contrasting of 2 stories in action.

Before we get into it, I will say that it’s pretty similar to The Wall Street Journal ad.

And that’s by design.

But it’s also different enough that it has its own personality.

Anyway, here it is in all it’s glory.

Enjoy…

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What’s the secret to getting into a good college?

Here’s a tale of two (very similar) teens that reveals it…

On a beautiful spring afternoon, twenty-five years ago, two young girls graduated from the same middle school…

They were very much alike…

Both had better than average grades...

Both were liked by those around them…

And both wanted to make the most out of the next 4 years in high-school so they could get into the top college of their choice that would set them up for life...

Recently, these two girls (now 25 years older) bumped into each other at their home town, and they decided to catch up over a coffee...

And when they did they realised they were still very much alike!

It was uncanny...

Both were happily married…

Both had three children…

And both, it turned out, had graduated from college.

But there was a difference...

You see, the first woman graduated from her top college of choice. One with an extremely good reputation and quality education...

Because of that, she was picked up immediately upon graduating and went on to have a hugely successful career in the STEM fields.

For her, life was easy. Prosperous. Successful.

And the other woman?

Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to get into her first choice college... Or 2nd… Or 3rd…

In fact, the only college she was accepted into was her 5th choice!

Because of that, not many job opportunities came her way upon graduating.

And, like many graduates these days, she was left with a huge pile of debt that took her years to pay off while working a low-paying job she never wanted.

For her, it had been a life of regret and struggle.

So, what made the difference between these two?

Have you ever wondered, as I have, what makes this kind of difference in people’s lives?

It isn’t intelligence or talent or dedication.

It isn’t that one person wants success and the other doesn’t…

The difference lies in the big, life altering decisions we make...

The right decision can steer you toward a path of success, prosperity and ease…

The wrong decision can steer you toward a path of failure, poverty and struggle…

And that’s why I am writing to you today about SCHOOL NAME.

For that is the whole purpose of our school…

To give you the best opportunity to get into your college of choice and land you on that path of success, prosperity and ease.

And how do we do that?

We are a school unlike any other…

You see, SCHOOL NAME is a unique school…

We provide a top-ranked, college preparatory education for years 9-12.

Many of our graduates get into their first choice college.

And because of our stellar reputation, these include top IVY league schools such as Harvard, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania.

The secret to our success?

For one, we have an average class size of just 12 students.

And that means you get the individual attention you need to get the highest grades possible…

Second, we have been named amongst the “100 Best Communities for Young People"...

(An initiative which ranks the top 100 communities that best prepares young people for success)...

And probably our biggest secret is this...

Our high-school students live on campus to study.

Meaning…

Over years 9-12 they eat, live and breathe their education at SCHOOL NAME.

They’re able to give their education 100% focus and because of that…

They give themselves the best possible opportunity to into their college of choice.

Now, does that mean SCHOOL NAME is all work and no play?

Hardly.

Getting a top class education is only one of the reasons our students choose us...

Imagine waking up with your friends, every morning, to enjoy the school day together…

Picture yourself strolling into the food hall each day for breakfast, lunch and dinner that looks like something out of Harry Potter...

Envision walking to downtown Hudson for a coffee or yoga session in the afternoons and weekends…

Completely independent.

But there’s more…

Imagine quiet time in the high ceiling library, cosied up in the corner, reading your favourite book…

Or how about attending one of the regular dance parties in the dorm with friends…

Or maybe that’s not for you?

What if you took a hike into Cuyahoga Valley National Park to surround yourself with some of the countries most beautiful scenery?

And that’s just the beginning...

It would take me hours to tell you about all the extra curricular activities and places to see and go when you become a student at SCHOOL NAME...

I haven’t even mentioned the arts and athletics opportunities.

So as you can see…

SCHOOL NAME is not just about giving you top-ranked, college preparatory education…

It’s an all encompassing educational experience public and private schools just cannot compete with.

Now, I’m not going to sugar coat it…

Living on campus away from friends and family is a tough decision.

But is it the right decision or the wrong decision?

That’s the big decision for you to make.

What I can tell you is for the vast majority of our students who are now prospering in and after college, for them, it was definitely the right decision.

To enquire how SCHOOL NAME might be able to get you a top-ranked, college preparatory education, click the link below and fill out the short form now:

LINK

Sincerely

CLIENT NAME
Head of School

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Pretty cool, hey?

And, it makes a great case to join that school.

I wish I could say I invented this structure.

But I didn’t.

Like most of what I know, I learned it study the copywriting greats over the years.

Anyway…

Next time you go to send an email, think how you can use 2 different stories that contrast each other to showcase why your method is best vs. why another is not.

With that being said…

Writing copy that converts is something we Coaches have a hard time with.

And, unfortunately, it’s a necessary skill if you want clients.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is, it becomes pretty straightforward when you use frameworks like what I’ve just demonstrated above.

And that’s why clients love my 15 Minute Client email writing framework.

Because it shows you a simple 3-step structure for sending out emails that get opened, read and bought from - even if you’ve never studied copywriting, or have ever got a client from email.

Along with that…

You can get these emails done in just a few minutes.

Of course, in the beginning it will take you about 30 minutes or so each day. Sometimes more.

But as you send them out consistently you get much faster.

If you want more clients sending just one email per day, put your name on the waitlist here:

https://The15MinuteClientWaitlist.com

-Luke Charlton
The Man Cave, Canberra