I had the privilege of being interviewed by one of the greats of marketing, Joe Polish, this past February, during one of his spectacular Genius Network meetings.
I’ve known Joe for close to three decades…we were kids in the candy store of direct response marketing together “back in the day”…and he has gone on to become an exceptional results leader for entrepreneurs.
His talent and influence transcend marketing into all areas of business, personal development, health, addiction recovery and so much more…and always with the highest level of contribution and in the spirit of “what’s in it for them?” (which happens to be the title of his bestselling book).
Did I say it was a privilege to be interviewed by him? 🙂
I knew he was videotaping the interview…but I had no idea it would be worthy of an installment of “The Joe Polish Show” where he has interviewed the likes of Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler, Dr. Phil, David Bach, Chris Voss and Jefferson Fisher, Gino Wickman, Daymond John, Randy Zuckerberg…and many other folks you have heard of before.
While I won’t put myself down, let it be known that I was humbled and flattered to be included…and I don’t want to let my buddy Joe down.
So how could I not share this life altering event with you, my online family?
Yes…there are reruns of my greatest hits…which many you have read before…but many are new revelations…and all are worth a reminder to be diligent with your marketing.
Joe challenged me to make myself relevant in today’s world of state-of-the-art direct response marketing. I hope I did that here as well.
Specifically, by delving into the role AI is playing (dominating?) … without abandoning what it means to be human.
A challenge I accepted willingly and with gusto.
The interview runs an hour…and I hope you will click here to watch it.
Here’s the email Joe sent out to his own online family, introducing the interview which lists many of those greatest hits (i.e. “reruns with a purpose”) which were discussed “live” …and some concepts which might be new to you:
At a recent Genius Network meeting, I sat down with my dear friend Brian Kurtz and gave him a thought experiment.
Imagine AI lets everyone on the planet write like the greatest copywriters who ever lived.
Every offer. Every promotion. World-class. Instantly.
What then?
Brian’s answer is reason alone to watch this conversation.
Listen to the latest episode of The Joe Polish Show
Brian spent almost four decades at Boardroom Inc. overseeing more direct mail than almost anyone alive, working alongside the greatest copywriters in the history of direct response.
When he talks about what survives every shift in technology, he’s not guessing.
And here’s the tension: AI can get anyone to 90%.
Which means the game is now won or lost in the last 10%.
Here’s what you’ll discover from my conversation with Brian:
- The tweak Brian made to the classic 40/40/20 rule of marketing… and why shifting a single percentage point changes what you work on first
- Why Brian calls creative “the least important element in your campaign, until it’s not”
- The danger of one-stop shopping in marketing, and why it’s still a mistake no matter how good that one stop might be
- The quadrant exercise Brian uses to make a business feel like it’s everywhere, without driving yourself crazy or going broke
- Why paying postage made Brian a better marketer, and what that discipline replaces when your marketing is free to send
- The Bill Bernbach principle most marketers get backwards: Adapt the idea to the technique, or the technique to the idea?
- What RFM reveals about which of your customers will buy next… using data you already have
- “Be a bot or be the best.” Where Brian draws the line between AI as a tool and AI as a crutch
- Why the sexy part of marketing (cold traffic) is usually the wrong place to look for money hiding in your business
- The moral obligation Jay Abraham handed Brian decades ago that still drives everything he does
- Why Brian says the starting point for finding money you’re not seeing is assessing your assets, and what most owners walk past every day
- The counterintuitive reason to give away your best stuff first, even to a brand-new customer
AI will keep getting better at 90%.
The fundamentals Brian has spent a lifetime mastering are the 10% that decides who wins.
As always, what you get from any of this depends on your market, your offer and your execution.
WATCH: The last 10% Is Everything (My Conversation with Brian Kurtz)
Best,
JOE
And…
Warmly,
Brian 🙂
P.S. This notion of “the last 10% being everything” is something that has been in my head for the last year…although it’s been with me probably from the beginning of my career in different forms…and it comes down to what we as individuals bring to the table every day.
It also serves as justification for who we are and what we are passionate about, especially with dynamic AI expansion all around us…but hopefully you agree with me that it’s much more than that.
While I talked about this during my interview with Joe (which I realize many of you won’t have the time to watch or listen to), I went deeper on this particular idea in my blog post from March…which you can read here.
I’d love your thoughts on this topic as I continue this lifelong inquiry…