This is the seventh article in a series of ten.

Now we go back to Maxwell Sackheim. Sackheim is also well known for originating the "Book-of-the Month" club. So what can you learn from Sackheim's Book-of-the-Month club? More than you think. People are lazy. Getting people to take any sort of action is not easy. That's why much of advertising uses deadlines and limited time offers.Sackheim used this human characteristic to his own advantage. Every month, members of his book club would be notified of that month's book selection and unless they replied that they didn't want the book - it was assumed that they did and it would be subsequently mailed out to them. Clever!

Sackheim originated the idea and now every "of-the-month" club operates like this. Have you experienced this?

Perhaps you're thinking: "this wouldn't work for me" or "my business really is different" then you're missing the point and just not being creative enough.

You can use Sackheim's "Negative Option Plan" to your business. If, for example, you have a web based business, you can have a member or subscription site which brings in regular, monthly income.

Your customers' credit cards can be charged each month for their renewal of membership. People being lazy will rarely cancel their subscriptions bringing you a nice recurring revenue stream.

Sackheim's Negative Option Plan forces people to take action to cancel their renewals. Many just can't be bothered. you can take advantage of this little bit of human psychology. Of course, you will have to provide a good product or service that gives value for money.

In 1917, Sackheim met a young man called Victor Schwab who he hired as his private secretary. Schwab, working alongside Sackheim soon developed himself into a good copywriter.

Maxwell Sackheim also wrote a great book on marketing called: "My First 60 Years in Advertising". This book is now out of print (as are most of these classics) but if you're interested in the works of Maxwell Sackheim there is a book available by Jerry Buchanan called: "Billion Dollar Marketing." You should be able to get this from your high street bookstore or on Amazon.

On similar lines to the "character" formula is what is called the "open letter" technique.

1921 Publisher A.W.Shaw collected 5,063 letters that had made big sales for their originators. The publishers whittled this list down and published 72 of these letters. These 72 were analysed and dissected. The result was their publication: “72 Letters and What Made them Pay.”

This book contains sections on letters that open doors; letters that increase sales; letters that turn prospects into your friends; in fact, letters for many occasions. 72 of them.

There are examples of letters that pulled 18% to 20% returns. Letters that gave 61% returns. What would you give for returns like that?

Take for example this opening sentence: "There is a man in Boston who has a unique way of making a living."

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