“There is an old piece of vaudeville, then many old jokes, about rubes visiting New York, being sold the Brooklyn Bridge by shysters. Paul Hartunian’s claim to fame was really, legally buying and selling the Brooklyn Bridge.”
-Dan Kennedy
Paul Hartunian, like Gene Schwartz (and precious few others in the world of direct response) is a “Renaissance Man” of marketing…because he is so much more than just a marketer.
And we lost him…way too prematurely…and I am both sad about his passing but grateful for what I learned from him.
While he declared his “retirement” after he spoke at my Titans Mastermind in 2019 (why does this regularly happen to me?…Gary Bencivenga did the same thing at Titans of Direct Response in 2014) …I will prove (while repeating and updating my post from 2019 about this incredible man), that he will never be “retired” …even in death.
I am sad that I have lost a friend…all of us have lost a legendary Titan of marketing…and if you have never heard of him before, you are in for a treat by reading this post in its entirety.
And if you have heard about him from me or folks like Ben Settle and Dan Kennedy (I have included some of their remembrances in the P.P.S.), you are still in for a treat…albeit coming from a melancholy (yet inspirational) place.
Paul is known for a lot of things…including the development of the quintessential program on publicity (one that has a direct response component…imagine that!) …and he also taught thousands of people how to sell on eBay (out of their RV or from anywhere) before eBay was part of our marketing nomenclature.
But he also…
- …taught medical school (after attaining some advanced degrees in the sciences, including a PhD)
- …appeared in many Broadway shows (without auditioning)
- …attended law school specifically to get involved in The Innocence Project
- … become a roller derby referee (in his spare time)
- And he ran “Aunt Mary’s Doghouse” (with his lifelong partner Mary Cody) which supports overcrowding in shelters by housing unwanted dogs on a farm and then placing hundreds of dogs who are at risk.
However, at his core, Paul is a marketer.
At Titans Mastermind 6 years ago, he decided to make his final presentation after 55 years in the marketing world.
He spoke about How to Create a Powerful, Profitable Talk in 4 Easy Steps (see the P.S. for a free PDF of that).
And of course, he talked about Publicity (that gets response and leads to profit)–and how he runs a six-figure business on eBay for less than an hour a day.
There was even a lesson on how he still loves direct mail, uses it regularly and successfully, further dispelling the notion that it is far from dead.
Having this final presentation in the Titans Mastermind vault is one the most valuable “installments” over the 8 years I ran that group…and that’s saying a lot given all the legends who have presented at my events over that period.
I have made it available to members of my Titans Xcelerator Mastermind because I couldn’t resist sharing Paul with them.
Maybe it will be your turn in the future.
I met Paul in January of 2000 at an event called the “Billion Dollar Internet Strategy Setting Summit and Custom Marketing Makeover Process”.
Quite a title and claim…but it wasn’t hype.
The information that was shared and adapted from that event has exceeded a billion dollars a few times over already.
It was hosted by the late Audri and Jim Lanford, marketing superstars we lost prematurely and tragically, who I wrote about in, What are your non-negotiables.
But they left us a ton of wisdom from that event…and with their pioneering work…which you can read about it in that post.
They are geniuses who should never be forgotten…like Paul.
And Jay Abraham, who wrote the foreword to my book, Overdeliver, was a host of that event as well, proving that you can teach an O.G. new tricks if the O.G. (Original Gangster) is open and willing to learn from N.G.’s (New Gangsters).
I take my cues from Jay…then…and now.
Jay is still rocking and rolling in marketing circles…and with the likes of Tony Robbins, Daymond John…and the creation of “Jay-I” (a Bot loaded up with the equivalent of 700,000 pages of “content” he has created…which I wrote about here).
Audri and Jim, who were “marketing scientists” would be all over AI if they were still alive…and I’m sure they are smiling down on Jay.
And now they are reunited with Paul so they can create the next “Billion Dollar Summit” (in heaven).
The “Billion Dollar Summit” was also the first big event in the new millennium… and it was proof positive that the world didn’t end on January 1, 2000…and more importantly that this “Internet thing” was worth taking a closer look at.
Paul was my favorite speaker at that event, and I made it my business to meet him…which was the beginning of a 25-year friendship…that eventually led to his “farewell to marketing presentation” at Titans Mastermind in 2019.
Farewell to marketing my ass. He never retired. 😊
There were many web pioneers speaking at the “Billion Dollar Summit” over the 4+ day event.
Whether you have heard of these people or not, I dare say that you owe them a debt of gratitude for many of the techniques you employ today.
Speakers included (in addition to Paul):
Andy Bourland, Dana Blankenhorn, Declan Dunn, Ken Evoy, Rob Frankel, Cliff Kurtzman, Jakob Nielsen, Eva Rosenberg, Corey Rudl, Jim Sterne, and Ralph Wilson.
Not household names as much today but I encourage you to Google all of them (and not just for a stroll down memory lane)…but for a lesson in what it means to be a trailblazer in a brand new world.
You may have to dig a little to get to the right person…add “marketing” after their name or you will, for example, get an English soccer player for “Declan Dunn”. 🙂
Paul did two sessions at that event…one was on how to make a living on eBay.
The other session was how he really sold The Brooklyn Bridge–and why I opened this post with the quote from Dan Kennedy (which he wrote in his tribute to Paul).
More from Dan in the P.P.S.
And Paul took it to the limit, turning a cliche into a reality.
The story goes like this…and it illustrates how a world class marketer’s mind works…how yours can work like this too…when you believe ideas are everywhere if you are mindful and paying attention all the time:
In 1983, when the Brooklyn Bridge was celebrating its 100th anniversary, Paul was watching TV and saw a report on the news that the walkway of the bridge was being torn up and being replaced.
He also noticed piles of discarded wood being placed next to a truck that had a readable phone number on it–so he dialed the number and asked a multi- million-dollar question:
“What are you planning on doing with that wood?”
The response was that it was being discarded…to which Paul told them he would give them $500 for all of it.
The guys with the wood were so happy to get it off their hands…they even offered to deliver it to him…but Paul was much happier…and not just because they delivered it.
That wooden walkway is the gift that keeps on giving.
Paul cut the wood up into small 1-inch squares, attached them to collectible certificates designating that these were pieces of the original bridge, and he has sold, and is still selling, thousands of them.
In addition, Paul used his publicity skills to get on shows like To Tell the Truth and to have his “Man Sells the Brooklyn Bridge” press release read on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
You can’t pay for that kind of exposure…and Paul didn’t…but got it.
Talk about practicing what he preached (from his landmark publicity course).
Then, 25 years later, he celebrated the “25th Anniversary of the Sale of The Brooklyn Bridge” (an event he created off the original 100th anniversary!) by issuing a limited number of these:
Did I say it’s the gift that keeps on giving? 🙂
Paul admits that he’s had many terrible ideas…but he also believes that it only takes one good one to make up for all the terrible ones.
This was clearly one of the good ones…and he’s had many more than just this one.
Selling the Brooklyn Bridge one square inch at a time, like so many other “good ones,” happened because he was always paying attention.
In the words of Gene Schwartz, when he defined Mass Desire:
It is the public spread of a private want
One day in 1983 did people get up in the morning and say, “I want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?”
Doubtful.
But once you know there may be an element of mass desire in the marketplace, you must then go to the State of Awareness of prospective buyers (i.e. the way buying the Brooklyn Bridge would satisfy that desire).
And then determine a State of Sophistication (i.e. how many times the Brooklyn Bridge has been offered to them before) …but only as a gag, a “piece of vaudeville” or a test of their gullibility…but “this time it’s for real” was a core premise of Paul’s approach to create satisfaction.
I’m only scratching the surface from the first three chapters of Breakthrough Advertising and how it applies here; but Paul knew these principles well (and a whole lot more).
He was a student of Gene Schwartz.
Of course he was.
And it’s just another reason to compare him to Gene.
More importantly than how he did what he did, Paul’s eclectic interests (see bullet points above) were part of the success formula too (much like Gene).
He was multi-faceted, he loved humanity…and in turn, humans loved him.
And he always had fun with all he did.
I only hope he connects with Audri and Jim…maybe Gene too…on his next stop…to continue the fun.
What a way to make money, find happiness and enjoy life.
I miss him already. 🙁
Warmly,
Brian
P.S. How To Create a Powerful, Profitable Talk in 4 Easy Steps is a handout that Paul gave out at Titans Mastermind and I’d like to share it with you here.
It’s got an overview of the system he uses and then the versions he created.
I hope it’s helpful to you when you prepare your next talk.
P.P.S. This is an especially long “addendum” to the post above…because Paul deserves a lot more “ink.”
And who better to share their thoughts about this legendary marketer than two legendary marketers themselves, Ben Settle and Dan Kennedy.
Ben Settle on Paul Hartunian
Ben wrote about Paul (one of his marketing heroes) earlier this year (not knowing he was sick or that he was going to pass).
It’s a brilliant take on a “copywriting course embedded in a publicity course.”
I need to share it with you:
A couple of months ago I wrote an email with the subject line:
“The greatest copywriting course no longer sold”
And it talked about a long-discontinued “Million Dollar Publicity” course which is one of the single best “copywriting” and “email” courses I have ever gone through, due to [a unique] approach to writing press releases:
Here are a few reasons why:
- Tighter writing — much like why writing screenplays is a powerful way to write copy, press releases have strict formatting rules that FORCE you to write in a tight, pithy, and direct way while still being persuasive
- Storytelling — instead of taking paragraphs or pages to tell your story you learn to do it in 1-2 sentences (it’s how you start them off).
- Podcasters love it — my press releases got me booked on shows when I had zero credentials The press releases [I learned to write from this course] honed my ability to use curiosity like nothing else.
- Multiple uses — when you learn press release writing you can use that skill to get yourself or clients booked not just on media interviews and podcasts but also any other places that are starved for speakers and content.
- Sharpen your persuasive communication skills — few things can make you a more persuasive & influential communicator like getting booked on lots and lots and lots of shows, podcasts, speaking events, etc where you do your thing without a net (and, even better, live).
But that ain’t all.
Media publicity acquired via the wise use of press releases can also be a source of hot, ready-to-buy leads, as well, depending on what you sell.
Paul Hartunian is “the guy” when it comes to this skill.
And here are some reflections from Ben this past week after Paul’s death:
The first time I saw Paul Hartunian work his magic was in 2002.
I don’t even remember where I got the ratty old VHS tape from, where I saw him teaching a room full of businesspeople how they could get literally millions of dollars in media publicity for the bargain basement price of 15 cents.
i.e., what it cost back then send a FAX.
But he was going through the audience, one-by-one, briefly listening to what they do, then just brainstorming one incredible idea after another they could use for a press release to get all kinds of free publicity – including radio interviews, TV interviews, and full page newspaper ads that’d normally cost tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars if that space was purchased as advertising.
I don’t think I ever saw so many people in an audience taking notes so fast.
By the end I was sitting there trying to figure out how to afford his damn course.
But alas, it was $800.
Which was about $795 more than I had at the time.
So instead:
I just kept watching that video where he gave the “what” to do, but not the “how” (you needed his course for that).
And it was, in many ways, the first and most valuable direct marketing/copywriting/email lesson I ever learned and the “fingerprint” of it is still in all my emails, ads, books, newsletters, videos, articles, podcasts, and other content to this day.
I, of course, hopped on his email list right away.
And while I didn’t realize it at the time, he was also teaching me advanced email game.
Every single email was about tips for getting free publicity.
He gave away all his best ideas, experiences, and thoughts – free, in the email.
But what he did not give you was the structured “how to” of it.
So all it did, week by week (he sent weekly emails, if I remember correctly), was make me hungrier for his course, more obsessed with being able to afford it, and even daydreaming about all the ways I’d use it.
When I finally could afford it, I was “all in” on it.
Another life lesson Ben learned from Paul:
Just get in your iterations when learning and doing things you want to get great at.
I’ve applied that to everything important ever since.
And it’s why I go through courses, books, training, whatever it is, a minimum of ten times.
And often 20, 30, 40 times if it’s something I really want to get good at.
Whatever the case, I was hooked after that.
And later, when podcasting became more popular, I also used what Paul taught to get booked on shows.
I also learned a lot from Paul about running a print newsletter.
I subscribed to his print newsletter for years before he retired it (about ten years ago).
And there were a lot of little things he did I took notes.
When it came time to do my own print newsletters those little things I took notes of made it all go a lot easier, smoother, and more profitable.
RIP to the old publicity master.
I highly suggest you do a serious study of him.
And, if possible, find his courses and other products.
It’ll almost certainly be money well spent.
Dan Kennedy on Paul Hartunian
I’ve shared stages at literally thousands of events and ‘boot camps’ and seminars, hired hundreds of speakers – celebrities and not, and got to know the off-stage real persons not just their on stage “characters.” I am old enough to have worked with bona fide, big celebrities that many of you are too young to even know about – like Art Linkletter or Rev. Oral Roberts and Rev. Robert Schuller or The Smothers Brothers. For about 20 years there was a robust circuit of ‘boot camp’-type events in every imaginable A-to-Z niche as well as public, most put on by info-marketers I “birthed,”” where a number of “regulars” appeared a lot.
Of all the speakers who were the ‘regulars’ I crossed paths with, appeared at the same events with, hired for my events, by far, the nicest, least assuming, lowest maintenance, most solidly professional guy, and the most effective platform salesperson was Dr. Paul Hartunian.
Coming from Dan, THAT is quite an endorsement. 😊
And he went on telling his version of Paul selling The Brooklyn Bridge…which is very close to mine.
He concluded his piece about Paul with this:
Paul taught thousands the secret they never wanted to hear.
He said that everybody wanted to know how to get a ton of free publicity for their new book or product or their career, and he said: nobody cares about that. The media abhors giving you free advertising; they sell that.
Paul demonstrated that The Key to forcing the media to report on you is to have done something……something odd, unusual, dramatic, daring, funny. Preferably something unique, one of a kind.
It always amused him and me how so many people could be told that and shown Paul’s example, ignore it, and loop right back around to wanting to know how to write a news release and get free publicity for their pet shop or their new book on doing this or that.
And now you know what Paul Harvey called “the rest of the story” of The Only Man to Ever Legally Buy AND Sell the Brooklyn Bridge.
R.I.P., Paul Hartunian.