[Matt Landau]

IDEA: This past week I had dinner at Red Rooster in Miami: the chef Marcus Samuelsson (from tv show Chopped) channels his Ethiopian roots, making for a most remarkable blend of spice and flavor (said in my best food critic voice).

The waitress seated us and before getting our drinks pointed out that one item on the menu (the 3-day braised ox tail) was almost out. As seen on ‘the best thing I ever ate,’ this fire roasted wagyu oxtail rubbed, braised & smoked, topped with pickled chilis and served alongside sweet plantains is limited to 10 plates per night... "because the dish takes so long to cook."

It would serve the whole table. And we ordered it immediately.

I don’t even love ox tail, but with that kind of context how could you not?!?!



When the ox tail came out, it was basically life-changing. Yet without the framing of limited supply, my zero moment of truth may have played out differently. I would never have ordered the ox tail if it was just another list item on the menu.

ACTION: Vacation rentals are, by nature, limited edition goods. Each property has a limit of 52 weeks (or as TeenaNH likes to call them, “widgets”) per year to sell. Once your 52 widgets are booked, you’re all sold out.

Instead of freaking out about the insurmountable task of "competing with Airbnb and Vrbo" for bookings, recognize that independents work on an entirely different metric scale: a scale of personality and small batches where if you don't explain why the ox tail is so special and accordingly how few remain, guests won't order it.

The best place to introduce your Ox-tail is at the end of your very first interaction (email or message) with a guest in the form of a P.S. statement.

For whatever reason, P.S. statements always get read.

• P.S. we only have X (of the thing that is amazing) remaining
• P.S. As a family business, we are very proud of this (link to humble brag)
• P.S. We're only offering (the thing that is amazing) to former guests

If nothing else, using a P.S. statement conveying urgency will get the conversation started and allow you to do your thing.

Vacation rentals are going through a counter-intuitive trend in marketing. Forget about big web traffic, technology, and gigantic email lists for just a second. And instead, focus on serving 10 oxtails. When you've done that, pour yourself a glass of wine for a job well done and begin plotting your next move.

Does anyone have any good P.S. examples or scarcity phrases that seem to work?

 

[ToonTownRob]

GREAT thing to remind us of Matt. Thank you! You've just given me my next ‘marketing edge’ project! (Damn it! I've got enough to do...)

I'm looking forward to seeing some examples myself.

According to Siegfried Vogele’s landmark direct mail research he conducted in the 80’s, after skimming a direct mail letter, the first block of text your prospect will read, almost all of the time, will be your P.S.

The reason it tends to get remembered more is because it also tends to be the last thing read before your reader moves on to something else.

It’s called the Primacy and Recency Effect. Or, what you hear first and last will remain most salient. The P.S. (post script) becomes the last thing we read, so it tends to remain at the forefront of what we’ve gleaned from a sales message. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_position_effect

And frankly, your name is just not that important! (What is important is that you can deliver what the prospect wants!) Always remember that!

For this reason, many marketers believe that the post script should be like the closing of an essay; a summary of what you already just told the reader in a good quick point form. It ensures you get your message across, even if the reader doesn't actually read it all.

Personally, I like the idea of offering a 'pull-no-punches' best-offer-I've-got call-to-action in a post script. Or even something to get them engaged with you, so that you start a dialogue with them. In an online marketing age, that usually means getting them to click on to your website. This means they are staying with you... not reading the next quote email waiting in the in-box.
Click here to find out how you can... (fill in the blank here)
Click here to save...
Click here to see...

P.S. There is one call to action that is more powerful than just about any other. Click here to find out what it is!

 

[Matt Landau]

GREAT thing to remind us of Matt. Thank you! You've just given me my next ‘marketing edge’ project! (Damn it! I've got enough to do...)

I'm looking forward to seeing some examples myself.

According to Siegfried Vogele’s landmark direct mail research he conducted in the 80’s, after skimming a direct mail letter, the first block of text your prospect will read, almost all of the time, will be your P.S.

The reason it tends to get remembered more is because it also tends to be the last thing read before your reader moves on to something else.

It’s called the Primacy and Recency Effect. Or, what you hear first and last will remain most salient. The P.S. (post script) becomes the last thing we read, so it tends to remain at the forefront of what we’ve gleaned from a sales message. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_position_effect

And frankly, your name is just not that important! (What is important is that you can deliver what the prospect wants!) Always remember that!

For this reason, many marketers believe that the post script should be like the closing of an essay; a summary of what you already just told the reader in a good quick point form. It ensures you get your message across, even if the reader doesn't actually read it all.

Personally, I like the idea of offering a 'pull-no-punches' best-offer-I've-got call-to-action in a post script. Or even something to get them engaged with you, so that you start a dialogue with them. In an online marketing age, that usually means getting them to click on to your website. This means they are staying with you... not reading the next quote email waiting in the in-box.
Click here to find out how you can... (fill in the blank here)
Click here to save...
Click here to see...

P.S. There is one call to action that is more powerful than just about any other. Click here to find out what it is!

I always loved Kristie Wolfe's last line of every email: "P.S. I build fun experiences you can sleep in - Check them out!" and the check them out has a link to her properties.

 

[ToonTownRob]

P.S. There is one call to action that is more powerful than just about any other. Click here to find out what it is!

So what is the one call to action that is more powerful than any other? It's something that the prospect doesn't have to do business with you to gain benefit from. Put another way, you offer something that won't cost the prospect anything, but give them a genuine obvious benefit, even if they choose your competitor instead.

Its effectiveness is highly dependent upon whether or not the offer appears to be just an email address grab or not... Is it something designed to subject the prospect to another sales presentation, or an offer of something of real value with no strings attached. Is it helping and not selling?

To help accomplish this, avoid saying 'click here' or using other phrases frequently connected with online marketing. I like something like the following because it sounds more like a helpful offer:

P.S. Here is a link to an article about the ten best things to do in Mylocation, CA.

P.S. You may enjoy this article about the ten best things to do in Mylocation, CA.

P.S. This story about cutting the cost of a Mylocation, CA vacation in half may be of interest to you.

So what is the benefit of doing this? The link goes to a page on your own website, where you have 're-posted' the article. And alongside the article, at the side or bottom, are LOTS of links to other interesting information about your location and your property. Plus, the story is highlighted with gorgeous photos of your location (and non pushy captions explaining what the reader is seeing)... you know, the kind of pics that make your prospect want to visit! See here for some great examples.

Research shows that the longer you can keep a prospect engaged with you, the more likely they are to buy from you.

P.S. There is one type of article or story most effective at getting your prospect to click through and read it. Do you know what it is? This article explains all!