Who cares about Merriam or Webster?

Overdeliver is not a word.

I just checked again to make sure on The Google, The Wiki and with Merriam-Webster—it’s confirmed.

And I have no plans to lobby the two Merriams or Webster (all deceased since 1880 anyway)…or Encyclopedia Britannica, who bought Merriam-Webster in 1964…or anyone else for that matter…to reconsider their folly in not recognizing this wonderful word into their worlds.

It’s an important word to me…and not only because it’s the title of my most recent book.

It’s even more important as a way of life.

I had no idea it was not a word when I chose it as a title…but who cares?

I laugh in the face of English scholars who accuse me of mangling the English language (with the title anyway). ☺

Unfortunately, there have been some who think I mangled the language much more in the book itself as indicated by the five one-star reviews on Amazon (out of 211…phew!)–and a handful of other “meaningful haters” along the way.

I’m happy to report that the title (at least) has survived anyone’s wrath.

Probably because everyone assumes it’s a word.

Your bad if that’s you.

There have been a few who also questioned whether “overdelivery”(or over delivery)  is always the best thing…that is, if one is always over delivering, there will come a point where the recipient will eventually say:

“THAT wasn’t as good as the last thing you over delivered with…so what else are you going to do for me NOW to match previous over deliveries?”

Frankly, I can live with that…and I invite you to live with it too (that is, if you choose to over deliver).

“Over delivery all of the time” (with no expectation of a return) will still always be a net gain for you, even when you are over delivering to those who end up with unrealized (or unreasonable) expectations.

Where does the net gain show up even when you feel under appreciated?

Your win is always the most intense endorphin rush every time you over deliver.

For those of you who haven’t read my book, I won’t hold that against you.

And because I want you to get something from this blog post specifically because you haven’t read my book, below is a new version of the “one page summary” from Overdeliver which ends the book on page 241.

Consider this week’s blog post the ultimate time saver.

But I encourage you to use the hours I am giving back to you today to do something positive, marketing-wise…such as go and do some in-depth list research, write some killer copy, or even invent something new and innovative.

Don’t disappoint me now… 🙂

Below is what appears on page 241 (with some editorial enhancements and a picture of “The Titan who saved the world” to support the quote that is at the top of that page).

I am renaming the page “The “8 not-so-secret secrets of building a business for a lifetime playing the long game in direct response marketing.”

As a marketer or copywriter, you have an unfair advantage when it comes to the opportunity to contribute your unique genius to the world.

Your edge lies within your skillset.

Not only your deep understanding of marketing and copywriting but more importantly, your deeper understanding of human behavior.

But marketing and copy needs to be done with care and concern to make it work best.

Here are “The Grateful Eight” (wink and a nod to Quentin Tarantino):

1) Treat those people in your online or offline family (i.e. your list) with the care and respect they deserve.

• Above all else, your list, the people on the receiving end of your business (and genius), is the most important asset you will ever have. Be consistent and congruent with them all the time.
• Get rich slowly with them…it’s a two-way street…you both benefit from your genius. And if you treat them with total respect, there will be more than enough time to have them send you money.
• Everything is not a revenue event; but everything is a relationship event.

2) Make your “family” great offers that will truly serve them

• Always give them more than they would ever expect (i.e. “overdeliver” as a way of life).
• Sell them what they want, not what you think they need.
• To get to what they want, serve them at the highest level by “walking around with them on the outside first”…ask them what you could supply that would serve them best (i.e. research).

3) Invest in the world-class creative that will communicate those offers in ways that will resonate with them—as individuals—as much as possible. 

• Creative is the least important element in the 41/39/20 direct marketing success formula… until it’s not (you’ll need to get the details about this in Chapter 4).
• Creative becomes the most important element once you’ve got your list and offer dialed in…which then leads to the biggest lifts in response with anything you do.
• Don’t be a cheapskate and don’t work with amateurs when it comes to creative and copy…it’s too important to not play with the best and pay for the best. 

4) Run your campaigns by the numbers, measuring everything 

• Direct response marketing, by definition, is “measurable marketing” which in turn makes it “accountable marketing”
• Dick Benson, the world’s greatest direct mail guru, said: “You have to believe your numbers (when they are the only ones you have)”

• The most important hire in a direct response business is your “Director of Analytics” (i.e. “the master of the numbers”)

5) Be committed to the fundamentals of direct response, never being afraid to dig deep into original source material, where it all came from—it will only make you a better marketer in the future

• Not for nostalgic purposes…but for profound understanding of where everything originated…and from whom
• Read the great books of the past like Breakthrough Advertising, Scientific Advertising, et. al. (and the reading list in the back of Overdeliver  has a comprehensive of all of them)
• Assembling and studying  the history of all that has gone before will lead to the most prolific offers, the most dynamic unique selling propositions and the most profound core premises…and you must always “steal smart” (which is an art) without “stealing” (which is a felony)

6) Always keep RFM and LTV top of mind

• RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary Value) is not a direct marketing tactic, technique…or a simple “formula.” It is the fundamental way to assess human behavior in the marketplace…and it always will be (you’ll need to read Chapter 4 of Overdeliver to go deeper).
• LTV (Lifetime Value) is the bedrock principle of direct response…and it doesn’t matter if “lifetime” is two years or 10 years…or more.
• When applying RFM, always match your message (i.e. copy) to your list (segments).
• Before calculating  LTV, send out your first promotion to outside lists (i.e. cold traffic) with the second order in mind (i.e. renewals,, continuity, cross sells and upsells is how you build that business for a lifetime).

7) Protect your business by diversifying and using multiple channels; invest heavily in your customer support and fulfillment; and always “overdeliver”

• Dan Kennedy: The most dangerous number in your business is “ONE.”
• Advertising opportunities today are infinite…you must specialize…and only work with specialists (and the keys to specialization with media, online and offline, are in Chapter 7 of Overdeliver).
• Customer service and fulfillment are marketing functions…which I will prove to you if you read Chapter 8 of Overdeliver.

(NOTE: It might seem like I want you to read Overdeliver in the worst way…I don’t…but if you want to go deeper on any of “The Grateful Eight,” that would be the best way to do it) 🙂

8) And finally, be in the game for the long run and play fair; you’ll sleep better, and you will be richer for it in every way

• Live into “Marketing is not Evil”…that is, you can be an “aggressive white hat” marketer and there is no need to ever go to the dark side–i.e. “black hat marketing”–to make money (see under #1 re: “getting rich slowly”)
• Don’t simply “network”…contribute to connect…and develop true relationship capital rather than “lists and contacts”
• Don’t go to litigation first when you think you’ve been wronged…that’s a prescription to only make your lawyer rich. 
• From Robert Cialdini, in his first principle of ethical influence: Reciprocation is you, then me, then you then me. Be the first to give service, information, concessions

So that’s my 70,000 word masterpiece condensed to a little over a thousand words.

I hate to admit it but I feel a bit diminished…but I’ll get over it.

Warmly,

Brian

P.S. What a perfect time to spotlight another “overdeliverer” (and please note that  whether it’s a noun, adjective, adverb or person, ALL derivatives of “overdeliver” are also not words) ☺

Shelley Brander is a “Supreme Overdeliverer” (now a proper noun!)…and she epitomizes everything expressed in the blog post above (i.e. “The Grateful Eight”).

Whether you’ve heard of her or not, she is someone worth paying attention to.

Once you get to know her you might think that her niche is small (knitting), but wait until you hear her story (which is anything but small).

She spoke at my Titans Master Class in November 2019 and she was a favorite among the Titans…and for good reason.

She dominates her niche which is inspiring enough (always better to be a master of a smaller universe than a servant in a larger one).

But it’s how she dominates which is her secret formula, a secret hidden in plain sight: She does it with love, heart, conviction, skill…and yes, being a badass marketer (and marketing student).

Many try to do it but few are as successful as Shelley.

Her new book is titled, Move The Needle…Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur…and before I tell you about a spectacular offer to get the audio version for free when you buy the hardcover version (for which I get no compensation), let me wax poetic a little more about Shelley.

(And by the way, I get something much better than compensation…I get the satisfaction of helping spread Shelley’s formula to the world).

Here is my ringing endorsement/blurb for her book:

The subtitle for Shelley Brander’s new book is, “Yarns from an unlikely entrepreneur.”

While it’s playful (and catchy) it’s all wrong.

It should be, “Yarns from the most likely entrepreneur who has ever lived.”

Shelley’s early story, which she tells with heartwarming and meaningful anecdotes and lessons learned from her childhood and pre-entrepreneurial career, is what set her up for the success that was to come.

Her story is the perfect prescription for how people need to look at their lives, understanding that we all only get one, and that following your instinct and passion is always the best prescription for success.

And being the world’s best in that passion, which Shelley is, is always the goal.

Shelley epitomizes the famous quote from Pablo Picasso, “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist”…and she started breaking the rules (like a pro and an artist) before she reached the tender age of 25…and she has never looked back.

And even when she breaks the rules—constructively–Shelley always leads with empathy which is the key ingredient to building multiple families.

She mastered the literal family first, you know, the one we’re all born with.

Which then enabled her to build a global family (i.e. an international community) in her chosen niche (and in her passion) of knitting.

However, don’t mistake this book as being a small story about a small niche.

Move the Needle is a yarn of epic proportions, told by an epic entrepreneur, with heart and soul.

The publisher of her new book, Hay House , (also the publisher of Overdeliver),  is making an offer until midnight tonight (January 10^th) to get the audio book FREE with the purchase of the hardcover version.

Go here to get both versions of her book.

You’ll never look at knitting needles or yarn the same way again…and if knitting or yarn doesn’t float your boat, it doesn’t matter.

This book is applicable for whatever niche you are passionate about.

After reading Moving The Needle, you’ll never look at niches being too small, missions being too unreachable or passions being too personal to turn into a career.

Click here to get the audio version FREE with the hardcover version.

This deal is only available until midnight tonight, Sunday January 10^th.

And let me know what you think once you’ve read it or listened to it.

I know you will love it in either version.

P.P.S. I’ve got no “special deal” on Overdeliver—just the deal I always offer—which is pretty outrageous (if I do say so myself).

Here’s my everyday offer for Overdeliver:

Go to www.OverdeliverBook.com

After you buy the book according to the directions on that site, you will have full access to thousands of dollars’ worth of direct response treasures—with many of them being  priceless (i.e. not available anywhere but on this page).

Videos, courses, training, speeches, interviews, swipe files, full PDF’s of out-of-circulation classic books…all free for buying a $17 book.

From legends such as Gary Bencivenga, Dan Kennedy, Jay Abraham, Perry Marshall, Dick Benson, Gordon Grossman and more.

Titling a book Overdeliver obligated me to…well…over deliver.

Which I have in spades on this resource page.

Even if you don’t want to buy the book, you still need to go here to see the definition of “overdelivery,” (or even over delivery or better yet,  over-delivery.

I invite you to follow my lead to “always overdeliver”…with my book (and bonuses!)  in hand or not. ☺