"Cash Now" Campaigns, Ace Cards & The Silver Bullet
Man Bites Dog I guardianmarketing.substack.com I guardianpodcast.com
You’re playing the card game of “war”. Your opponent slaps down a 3 of hearts. In a perfect scenario, what would you want to pull? You’d want to pull the smallest number that will still win - in this case, a 4. Why? Because 1) you win and 2) you win in a way that increases the probability you win more later.
If you beat a 3 with an ace… 1) you win and 2) that ace is now at the bottom of your deck, lower the probability of more wins in the next few hands. This is a version of MED or “Minimum Effective Dose”
It’s always a good idea to keep a few ace cards in the back pocket. The “Ace Cards” section of R3 (Retention, Referrals, and Raving Fans) has two components. The first is what we call bucketing, which makes the second more powerful. The second is the “Cash Now” Campaign, explained below.
There are six main Cash Now campaigns we run with nearly unlimited variations.
The Silver Bullet Campaign is used to quickly identify the best fit. It doubles as a powerful sales tool. This is one of the most powerful campaigns because it builds trust and rapport quickly.
The Be Helpful Campaign goes to “Good Fit Now”. If someone is a good fit to move to the next stage, the Be Helpful Campaign will likely push them over the top to take the step.
The Second Chance Campaign gives prospects and customers a second chance to become a Good Fit. In my experience, 20-30% of people will change their behavior to become a better fit if they are given a second chance and told how.
The Stay-Focused Campaign is designed to keep momentum. It’s most effective when a prospect or client has taken a step already. This campaign encourages them to keep moving - put one foot in front of the other type of thing.
The Perspective Campaign is designed to create a paradigm shift. It’s best used at success or achievement milestones to connect at a deeper level beyond the initial goal.
The Continuance Campaign is sent to people currently engaged. This campaign is like letting your members peak inside the VIP room - it gives them a glimpse of the next level, creating an internal desire or pressure to become a VIP themselves.
R3 Campaign Principles and Set Up:
R3 is built on gravity, trust, and reliability. Our campaigns must be structured in a way to maintains those things throughout. The core principles are:
A campaign must be helpful
There must be a good reason why and it can’t be made up (like a goofy countdown timer)
The easiest way to incorporate both principles is to run all Cash Now campaigns on natural deadlines. Natural deadlines are pre-wired deadlines that people understand, which means they can quickly discern that you didn’t make it up to create scarcity.
There are four primary types of natural deadlines we use:
Industry Deadlines: Deadlines that are known and probably require action from people in your industry.
Tax season for accountants
New Year for Fitness professionals
Black Friday for Ecomm
Every major Holiday
Business Deadlines: Deadlines that inform action and exist because of a business decision you made.
Open enrollment for cohorts
Events
Launches
Personal Deadlines: Deadlines that are unique and personal to you.
Vacations
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Process Deadlines: Deadlines that are inherent in a process or because of usage.
12 weeks into a process
50,000 miles
If you make a list, you’ll end up with dozens if not hundreds of reasons to send a campaign. By doing this, we have created a reason why that makes sense to the people on the other end and we’re setting ourselves up to use one of the most powerful words in the world..” because”
“...because it’s almost Christmas”
“....because my birthday is tomorrow”
“....because the event is next week and we need a head count”
“...because you should get an oil change every 50,000 miles”
Recommendation: Robert Cialdini explains the power of “because” in his book “Influence”. I strongly recommend you grab a copy.
Natural deadlines create the “because” for us. No fancy copywriter is needed. They also build a much stronger internal pressure by piggybacking on pre-wried ideas.
Your customers might think that you can let them in even if they miss the deadline you have given them. Whether that’s true or not, the customer thinks you can, so the deadline carries little weight to them.
However, if you invite that customer to your birthday party on Saturday, they already know they can’t show up on Sunday and get the same experience. It requires no explanation, the consequences of missing a natural deadline are already understood.
Here’s What You Can Do Now
Make a list of natural deadlines that apply to you. Each one is a reason to send helpful communication.
Under each one, make a list of things that your industry should know or be doing to prepare for or capitalize on those deadlines.
If you’re not sure how to deploy campaigns, just be helpful. Tell people what they can do to prepare for something that is coming and make sure you tell them why (because). You will be putting out goodwill and practicing the skill simultaneously.
Here’s a step-by-step for the first campaign:
The “Silver Bullet” Campaign:
Purpose:
Use this campaign to segment and qualify prospects, quickly. It also doubles as a powerful sales tool.
When To Use This Campaign:
This works at all stages, including sales, where people are not yet bucketed into one of the three buckets.
It’s one of the fastest ways to build trust and demonstrate allegiance capital.
Campaign Outline:
To existing customers:
Silver Bullet
Digging Questions
The Brain Dump
Next Step
To Prospects:
Goodwill Bribe
Deliver on Promise
Nine-word email
Silver Bullet
Digging Questions
The Brain Dump
Next Step
Step 1:
Goodwill Bribe
This is just a lead magnet. I don’t think I’ll need to explain what that is to you.
Step 2:
Deliver the lead magnet
Again, self-evident. Be sure to deliver on the lead magnet or promise.
Step 3:
Identify the Good Fit Now prospects with the nine-word email.
The nine-word email was created by Dean Jackson, it’s simple… it’s a nine-word email asking them if they are still interested in solving the problem they got the lead magnet to solve:
“Have you had any success losing that weight yet?”
It doesn’t have to be exactly nine words but it has to be short, feel personally, and appear to be expecting a response.
If they don’t respond, I leave them alone.
If they do respond move onto…
Step 4:
The Silver Bullet
The silver bullet is about making this exchange an HFM by:
Showing you’re not a robot
Figure out if you can help them and how
Let’s pretend the lead magnet and the nine-word email were regarding weight loss. If they respond to the nine-word email with:
“A little bit, but only 11 pounds and I’m miserable all the time”
Show you’re not a robot. You could respond with something like: “11 pounds isn’t bad. Especially this time of year. This is one of the toughest times of the year to stay on top of it all because XYZ”
That will show that you have a pulse, at least. Then…
Figure out if we can help them and how You can simply ask:
“Are you looking for keep losing weight? Or change the way you look? Or what is it that matters most to you?”
Step 5:
The Brain Dump
What we’re hoping for is the brain dump. The brain dump is where they spill their whole life story, all their frustrations and share all their complaints. It happens more than you might think.
The brain dump will tell us where they are, all their pain points, and their current frame. If you get a brain dump, move on to the next step. If not, ask more questions.
Step 6:
The Next Step
Once you get the brain dump offer to help. This is the format we use:
Respond with the offer. It must clearly be simple, and custom, and have a reason why you are doing it.
I have a little bit of time this week, if you’d like I can send you over like five questions about you and if you answer them, I can shoot you back a little video with some customs tips and tricks.
It’ll only take about 5 minutes on your part and maybe 5 of mine.
Happy to take the time because I’ve been there before. Just reply and let me know and I’ll shoot over the questions I need the answers to for some context.
If they say yes, send them five questions. This is the format we use:
1-2 questions are designed to help them realize how much they don’t know. These are things they never thought about before.
Think about the things your competitors never talk about but should talk about.
1-2 questions are designed specifically to bucket them based on what makes someone qualified for what you’re selling.
1-2 questions that allow you to showcase or demonstrate competence.
If there is a topic that demonstrates your competence, ask a question that brings it up so you have a chance to showcase your ability.
Answer the questions for them however, you show up best. I do loom video and talk while I am typing responses in line. Respond to the question in whatever format you believe best demonstrates your ability to help them. At the end, add:
“If you need help with any of this stuff, just let me know”
In just a few minutes you have:
Been helpful in a way that feels custom
Bucketed or qualified a prospect or client to take the next step
Showcased your best abilities
Discredited your competitors
That is why it’s the Silver Bullet.
Next: The “Be Helpful Campaign”
Resources:
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live to learn. give to earn.
Nic
Man Bites Dog
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