Even So-Called Experts Guarantee Failure for Lilly, Prizer and Roche in Marketing Campaigns On The Internet

The other day I was speaking with direct marketing expert Perry Marshall.  

One of the points that I brought up in our conversation is the lack of video on the Internet.  Most savvy people in direct marketing on the Internet know that the use of effectively constructed video will increase sales dramatically.  That's a fact not conjecture.

I asked Perry, "why do you think few internet marketers are using video?"  He felt that there are a couple of reasons, one, a lack of what to do to make a compelling video, and lack of equipment.  I suggested that he start using more video to appeal to the type A, ADHD, Entrepreneur.  For $10,000 you can create excellent movie quality work and you own the equipment and can keep producing great work without using an outside company.  Heck you can even scale down and get a great in office studio with all the software, high powered computer to render video and a great camera for under $5,000.  When you own your equipment and feel like shooting you shoot, period.

The more you are in front of camera the more you grasp how to work with the camera.  The more you step in front of the camera the more confident you get. It's like learning how to ride a bike you will need training wheels--it's a process.  

Even if you don't have the equipment you can shoot several high quality pieces at some small studios or rent the equipment for $500 or less.  You could probably shoot three or four videos for under $500, and edit them to your liking (as long as you shoot those videos consecutively during the same filming session).

I also suggest you get a teleprompter and work on your pitch to make it the best you can.  You can buy teleprompters that work with I Pads for less than $150.

To educate yourself tape hours of TV commercials and look for commercials that compel you to act urgently.  Few commercials invoke urgent action.  They are a waste of time and money.  When you get a hand full of great commercials story board those commercials and study the structure of the argument. Granted, instead of sixty seconds (shortest format that is successful on TV) on TV you can have a three or four minute, (and much longer video on line) as long as it's compelling and holds the viewer.

Most of the videos I see on line are really dysfunctional and don't have any real format to them.  A lot of people disclose that they just want to increase awareness with video.  If that's you you're missing the point. The purpose should be to make the sales process consistently perfect with video.  Next to in person, or over the phone sales there is nothing like video for driving sales on line.  It's a lot easier to watch TV then it is to read.  Keeping this in mind is important in order to achieve direct response marketing, direct marketing or DRTV success.

Start watching commercials more intently than regular programming when you are watching TV and start studying the structure of the copy, the call to action, the guarantee that is used, and most of all the claims.

This is critical in direct to consumer drug marketing, and direct to consumer medical marketing.

                                                  written by Brad Richdale

Here's a Great Model For a Direct Response Sales Letter For Direct To Consumer Medical Marketing

If you are looking for a great direct response sales letter simply go to www.successwithsanity.com.

This letter describes and proves the problem, the solution and also makes a juicy, better than risk free offer to the reader with great urgency.

It's a great model for a direct response sales letter from my friend Joe Polish.  It can be used in the business of direct marketing medical devices, direct to consumer medical marketing and direct to consumer medical device marketing.

                                                  written by Brad Richdale  Author

How To Increase Axiron's (NYSE:LLY, Lilly) Response Rate

The topic of my adventure with trying to become an Axiron customer has received an overwhelming amount of response from those that follow me in direct response, and direct sales along with professionals in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries.

Their DTC (direct to consumer) campaign has been an interesting case study.

The first thing Axiron (Lilly: LLY:NYSE) can do to boost response is test copy and headlines or in the case of TV their opening statement.  They could increase their ad response rate by 100 to 500% just by testing this element.  The great thing about direct response is testing gives you scientific results that irrefutable.

You can only test one thing at a time but with the advent of the Internet you can test several elements of a campaign in a couple of days and use that empirical evidence to increase your campaign's efficiency in other mediums.

The other element of the campaign that is missing is a unique selling proposition (USP).  Andro Gel (Abbott: ABT:NYSE) has a new USP which is you can use less gel and get the same results.

Axiron tries to pass off a feature rather than a benefit as its USP with their underarm application.  By the way, the book, Reality in Advertising by Rosser Reeves, the man who invented the term unique selling proposition (USP) is a great book and worth reading.

However you can have the greatest headline or unique selling proposition (USP) ever and if you don't close the TV ad or Internet, print and radio ads correctly your increased efficiency vanishes.

Allow me to explain...in the current Axiron ad there are two ways to find out more--one, you can call a vanity 800 number to get more information or go to the Axiron website.  Here's what's tragic about the Axiron CTA (call to action), the tag screen with their vanity 800 number is up for three seconds and what's worse is the 800 phone number is the same phone number for all TV ads running so knowing what media works and what media doesn't is impossible.

When you give consumers two ways to respond they delay their decision to act now.  If you give them one ordering option, an 800 number to call to get their FREE 30 day supply they will call that number provided it's up for at least 15 seconds and mentioned at least two times, better still is three times which is the standard for direct response radio.  Doing this would at a minimum triple response rates.

Some folks may search for the website and not call the 800 number but the value of TV is that respondents who act right away are impulsive and are easier sales than those that spend a lot of time on the website.  This is the same for direct to consumer medical marketing, direct to consumer pharmaceutical marketing, direct to consumer medical device marketing and direct marketing medical devices advertising campaigns.

Despite all these tweaks that would definitely increase efficiency and response the campaign will probably succeed simply because of the FREE offer.  I still stand by my statement that I could triple their efficiency in this campaign.

                                                    written by Brad Richdale Author



This story also appears at http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/18/photetica-directors-idUSnPn3BWnyh+98+PRN20150218

Comparing the NYSE:LLY, Cialas TV Ad vs. The Axiron TV Ad-FEATURES VERSUS BENEFITS

The Cialis TV (Lilly) ads do a great job of describing the problem that men have as they age with their peripheral nervous system and then they position their product uniquely as the ONLY logical solution to the problem.  Their unique selling proposition is "lasts 36 hours so you're ready when you need to be" (rather than 8 hours like Viagra).  This a benefit, not a feature.

The Axiron ad tries to position itself differently with a feature, "apply to your underarm."

Unlike the Cialis TV ad the Axiron ad doesn't focus on a benefit it focuses on a feature--features are far less compelling than benefits.  So what if you can apply Axiron to your underarm?  Will that get a prospect to switch from another competitive brand?  Do you have a benefit that Andro Gel doesn't have?

Are you selling benefits or features?  Features are nice but benefits close sales--they move people emotionally.  Emotion causes sales, and logic reinforces emotional decisions.

Think about new benefits that could expand your medical device marketing and possibly a DeNovo claim.

Ask your customers if they have noticed any other benefits other than what was intended and claimed.

In my company's case we found out by accident what we could do in treating CIPN (chemotherapy induced peripheral neurotherapy), PN and diabetic PN.  There's no one that can do what we can in this arena and it's a huge market starving for a solution.

We already knew what we could do for the Longevity market but Longevity is a preventive sale; being the only company with a patented  treatment for a condition that 35% of all chemotherapy patients and 50% of diabetic patients suffer from is a much easier market to sell to because we are solving a problem rather than preventing one.  This is critically important in direct marketing medical devices, direct to consumer medical marketing, marketing drugs to consumers and direct to consumer medical device marketing.

Who knows maybe you can find a benefit like Pfizer did for Viagra.  I'll bet those scientists at Pfizer were laughing pretty hard when they found out a new benefit accidentally.

To be a Pfizer salesman with Viagra samples must have been fun.

If you ever have questions about direct marketing, DRTV, FACEBOOK CONNECT, Direct Mail or Google Display Network interact with me on Twitter and at https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=8V_hKizQNP48NQ0g9M7_MA

                                              written by Brad Richdale Author
                                            copyright 2013 all rights reserved




                                                   

A Simple Tip To Increase Profitability On The Axiron, Eli Lilly Product Launch

A very successful business man once said, "I know that 50% of my advertising is successful I just don't know what 50%."

Axiron is a great product launch in many respects but aside from a lack of urgency to their offer they are offering a web address for viewers to go to rather than an 800 number to call for FREE information. I'd take the web address out of their TV ad and then put up unique 800 numbers for each TV station where they air the ad for ad tracking and the exact determination of profitability for each airing of the TV ad.

A web address is easy to put off going to because you remember the web address thus delaying the need to act now.  People have good intentions but they get busy and put things off if they aren't put in a position to act urgently.

Axiron addresses an urgent problem that men with low testosterone want to solve.  When Men with Low T hear the ads for this condition their ears pick up and they pay attention.  Axiron really crushes other product launches with their FREE 30 day offer. Once you try this product your life changes.

Where they ( Ely Lilly, www.lilly.com) drop the ball is by not tracking the results of the TV ads they buy.  There's no dedicated 800 number to each station they air their TV ads on.

If they started dedicating an exclusive 800 number to each TV station where they run their TV ads they'd know which 50% of their ad campaign is working and which TV ads aren't giving them at least a 6:1 gross sales to cost return on their ad dollars. They could run their business mathematically with far greater efficiency.

As it stands Axiron and Lilly are paying retail for their TV commercials so the chance the TV ads are paying out at 6:1 or higher ratio is ZERO.   They have no ad tracking to see if their sales are at least a 6:1 multiple (gross sales versus ad cost ratio) and they won't really know their TV ads cost efficiency relative to sales for months.

Simply stated they are over paying for TV ads without measuring each stations cost efficiency relative to actual sales.

It would be easy for me to double ad effectiveness on this campaign and double profitability just with this change.

You need to track every ad cost, direct mail cost, and Internet cost in order to be effective in the direct to consumer medical device marketing, direct to consumer medical marketing and direct marketing medical devices.

                                                           written by Brad Richdale
                                                               copyright 2013

This story is discussed in detail at www.amazon.co.uk/Brad-Richdale/e/B00JGCDFM8 and responsive discussion and news at http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Self-Made+Multi-Millionaire,+Direct+Marketing+Expert+Brad+Richdale...-a019582605

The Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) Axiron Dropped Ball Story--Part Two

I've consulted to some Fortune 100 companies during my career so nothing shocks me at a big company.

Most employees are trying to keep from getting fired rather than doing something extraordinary that will advance the company they work for. I get it.

I recently wrote about how screwed up Lilly's process of selling their new testosterone gel Axiron was and today I have more bizarre activity to share with you.

Eli Lilly's lack of execution is a great lesson in what not to do in direct marketing, direct marketing medical devices, direct to consumer medical marketing, and direct to consumer medical device marketing.

Let's go over what Lilly is doing and aside from a great lesson in direct marketing you will probably laugh your ass off unless you are the person running this campaign.

Grey Group, their ad agency, has won a lot of awards for ads.  The 60 second ad they shot for Axiron probably cost $300,000-$500,000 to produce.  I could have done it for $75,000; for $300,000 to $500,000--I would have shot four to seven ads and tested the ads to see which one worked the best in actual responses.

Lilly is a big company and Grey Group is a big agency so spending a lot of money is expected--it's part of the territory.  In all fairness the shots and the script are pretty good--on a scale of 1 to 10, I give the producer a 10 for production quality, and a 7 for copy writing.  The copy writing is nice but the big penalty that causes HUGE points off is that there is no urgency to act now!  There's no mention that this ad will discontinue without notice, or that this is for just two weeks, etc. Very basic DR stuff that can be done tastefully but make folks get off their rear ends and order.

The copy writing could also be more compelling but their copy writer probably doesn't need the product nor spoke to fifty people who do.  When you hear people's problems before you write copy you become incredibly passionate and the copy just pours out of you.

The FREE 30 day trial offer of Axiron is huge and obviously that's Lilly's incredible asset here but pay attention because you will see how the brilliance of the FREE offer (it's easy to get hooked on this product) is dissipated by their (Lilly's) lack of follow through.

Lilly has outsourced their inbound telemarketing.  I understand this and in many cases it makes a lot of sense.  However when you are trying to compete with Andro Gel it would be wise to take and monitor the inbound calls yourself.  If you're really smart and you are running the campaign internally you should take one hundred calls yourself, or if you are outsourcing go to the outsourced company and grab a seat and brown bag it.  You'll learn so much from the experience of taking the calls from consumers that will translate into more sales and much stronger ads with awesome testimonials in all mediums.

So they initiate the FREE trial and the consumer gets hooked, now what?  The answer is the consumer has to figure out what to do next.  Let's take my case...my Doctor is kind of hot but she's younger than the fictional Doogie Howser, MD and busier than Neil Patrick Harris so she didn't explain to me that if I like the FREE trial how to get the prescription for a refill for $25 rather than over $300.  I had to figure it out. In all fairness I didn't expect her to guide me through the co-pay approval process.  I expected the drug maker, they failed in this regard.

My pharmacy was a little bit more helpful on the subject of insurance approval, then after four calls to my Doctor's office a young lady finally explained to me how I can get my insurance to approve it for co pay status.  Again it's easy to get hooked on this stuff that's why the dropped balls and the difficulty to get more of Axiron is so tragic.  At 55 I actually feel like I'm 45 when I'm working out and that's huge.  I'm also sleeping better.  I know the side effects and am careful but the upside is the difference between night and day.

Now here's the part where Lilly has really screwed up, again it's tragic but laughable.

Lilly has a FREE $25 co-pay card.  Awesome, isn't it?  I make the call and wait for a couple of weeks thinking that because of Christmas they either didn't send it or it takes more than two weeks for the card to go 800 miles to my address.  I just called back and guess what?  The morons in charge of mailing the $25 co-pay cards haven't printed any new cards up and it will be a few weeks before they are ready!  Are you KIDDING ME?  

Axiron (Lilly) is running media everywhere for this product.

I'm sure persistent lifetime prospects (like me) are getting insurance approval for their co-pay for Axiron and are really bummed Lilly didn't have enough sense to print the cards up and close the sale?  Come on are the people in charge of the co-pay cards in rehab after the Christmas party?  Here's what's worse they can't even give you a date when the card will be sent to you.  This means that thousands of great long term customers who have been asking for the card like me are left hanging.  How many will try Andro Gel instead?

I asked the inbound operator if they were getting a lot of customer service calls like mine.  She said, "oh yes, but there's nothing she can do."  She's right.

What's the lesson here?  Make sure that you flow chart a campaign and button everything down.  Never trust someone to tell you how it's going.

Take your prospects by the hand through every step of the customer acquisition process, build rapport with them (and sell them some Cialis or other drugs while you're at it).

Go in and check every aspect of your campaign and buy from yourself just like a regular prospect to see if the campaign works the way you intend it to.

Employees almost always lie when they drop the ball and if you don't try to buy from yourself you will never know if the ball is being dropped.

Moreover Lilly could help the consumer understand the step by step process of getting their co-pay approved.  This could be done with direct mail as a follow up to their redemption of their FREE 30 day Axiron trial offer. They could even include the co-pay card with your name printed on it

Funny, but tragic especially with an awesome product like Axiron.

I wonder if Andro Gel has their co-pay cards printed up?  I'll call them and get back to you.



                                               written by Brad Richdale Author
                                             copyright 2012 all rights reserved

How NYSE: LLY Lillly (Axiron) Really Dropped The Ball And What You Can Learn From It

The most powerful four letter word in the English language is the word "FREE" in the direct marketing of medical devices, direct to consumer medical marketing, and direct to consumer medical device marketing.

Axiron, a testosterone boosting gel manufactured by Eli Lilly, has been offering a FREE 30 day trial of their product (which I recently took advantage of).  I loved the product had great results and wanted to get another prescription.

When I originally opted in to get the FREE 30 day trial I gave Lilly all the information they needed to begin a relationship with me. Here's where this story gets interesting and is worthy of your attention...

THEY HAD ALL MY INFORMATION AND NEVER CONTACTED ME!!!

Did you hear me?  They never called, never emailed me, never sent me snail mail, NEVER!

When I found out that the product was $300 a month I searched on line to call Lilly direct and ask how to get my insurance company to co pay and they didn't know how to go about it.  They did say they'd send me a co pay card which was nice.  To their credit their inbound telemarketing wasn't bad, (it wasn't great either).  I'd give them a five, on a scale of one to ten.  My products have received over four million inbound calls in the U.S. alone so I know a little about inbound calls and the manner in which they should be handled.

Of course it was absolutely inept that they didn't send me a co pay card and welcome letter when the pharmacist went on line to validate the free trial voucher; they could have also sent a catalog of products they make and even coupons (they do make Cialis, pretty synergistic with Axiron, isn't it).  A multi-billion dollar company and the marketing manager is asleep at the wheel.

I'd guarantee Lilly a 300 percent increase in conversion from the FREE TRIAL to long term customer within 180 days if I were handling the marketing of this product.  They are doing some things right in this campaign but of course so are the New York Jets and Lilly is in their category when it comes to the optimal marketing of Axiron.

This is today's lesson: if you get a trial usage relationship initiated or make a sale you are myopic if you don't try to begin an on going relationship.

Of course, I have also had a couple of medical devices prescribed and I never heard from either company EVER!

I preach this but it can't be said enough, the easiest prospect to pitch is the one that you have already sold.

What other products can you sell to your prospects or customers in the direct marketing of medical devices, direct to consumer medical marketing, and direct to consumer medical device marketing that could be synergistic with their inquiry or purchases?

Can you upsell your customers to a newer, more improved version of your product?

Remember this you won't know which products or services will be enthusiastically received until you test your prospect or customers list.  So start testing!

Consider building a relationship with your prospects and customers that puts you in a favorable light and have a great holiday season.

Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/BradRichdale

                                                 written by Brad Richdale
                                          copyright 2012 all rights reserved

Success With Sanity for CEO's and ENTREPRENEURS FOR Direct To Consumer Advertising Medical Devices

I met Dr. Ned Hollowell through my friend Joe Polish (www.joepolish.com).  Ned is the premier authority in understanding ADD.

Most of the leaders I know have ADD.  Often the CEO's and Entrepreneurs I meet have this condition (which has both assets and liabilities).  I went without the official diagnosis of ADD until I met Dr. Ned Hallowell. I'm 55.  I always knew I was different but didn't know why.

Dr. Hallowell has been on every major talk show--frequently with Oprah, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America and the Today show.  He is the recognized leader in the study of ADD and ADHD.  He has proven to me that entrepreneurs are born and then made.

People with ADD have a clear Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde personality.

I strongly suggest that you get get Dr. Hallowell's books and dig in to what he's teaching.  It will help you whether you are in the direct marketing of medical devices, direct to consumer medical marketing, direct to consumer medical device marketing or direct to consumer advertising medical devices.

Got to www.successwithsanity.com

                                                 written by Brad Richdale Author

PFIZER'S SALES SIN 99.9% (PFE:NYSE)

Let's face it, selling medical devices has changed and you have to adjust to that change or you're dead.  If you don't know how to direct market medical devices you're toast.  The old expensive model of humans inefficiently getting leads and schmoozing Doctors is over.

Here's the quickest adjustment you can make to super charge your profits--sell the people you just sold something else that's a synergistic offer to your first sale.

Let me say it again!

THE EASIEST SALE TO MAKE IS TO SELL THE PERSON YOU JUST SOLD SOMETHING ELSE!

It's so obvious but I haven't seen anyone yet in the medical device direct marketing space do it.

Direct to consumer medical device companies need to wake up and realize that after spending all the cost to acquire a customer they can reduce that acquisition cost dramatically just by selling their new customers something else.  Maximizing lifetime value or LTV of the customer is critically important--it can change your business model in a matter of days.

Most of you, (99.9% in my opinion) make one sale and then say goodbye to the customer forever.  It's insane; but it's what you do because you don't know any better.  After you make your sale with a high sales cost you go back to the pond and try to sell another person.

Why not get an item (or better yet, items) you can sell to your customers that buy your initial product and sell  to your newly acquired customers.

Better yet, why not annuitize your customers with an on-going auto ship product that has to be bought over and over again?

Work your current customers and increase the unit of sale with back end products.  Don't get hung up on whether insurance will reimburse you or not just start testing legal, ethical, synergistic offers.  This also appears at direct to consumer medical marketing.

                                                         written by Brad Richdale

Bad Margins Are Like Swimming Upstream

When I’m retained for Direct Marketing consulting the first question that I ask is, “are you offering a product or service that is sold or bought?”  The second question I ask is, “what are your margins, in other words what do you sell your product for and what does it cost to make it?”  You’d be surprised how many businesses are failures just because of bad margins.

If you are not at a 5:1 mark up from sales price to cost (in your business model) you are fighting yourself and the odds of success in any business. I discussed this in length at Brad Richdale wikipedia in July's 2011 column along with my column on direct to consumer medical marketing and direct to consumer medical device marketing

I know a man who began a boutique type sandwich shop while he was in college. He later expanded his chain throughout the west coast and eventually sold his chain of sandwich shops for a massive amount of money. He made his fortune counting nickels and pennies. To me that accomplishment is amazing.  He is an amazing operator and an incredibly astute analyst of costs and margins in a business where you have spoiled goods in conjunction with a plethora of menu choices. What’s my point here? Simply this I’m not interested in counting pennies and nickels I’ve done it before and it usually ends in disaster. 

The standard restaurant operating margins are 4:1 and guess what?  Most restaurants fail due to low margins.  You have to be a genius to make it all work in the restaurant world.  You will notice where you can see meals being prepared (for the most part) that the portions are allocated precisely for this very reason.  Remember you are also dealing with a perishable commodity.

On the other hand take the pharmaceutical business; their margins are monstrous, sometimes 100:1. You don’t have to a genius to make it work when you are in the drug business especially when you are selling a solution (a product that is bought).  What do you think the profits were on Viagra (the first drug for erectile dysfunction)? They dumped millions in free samples and in TV advertising.  Doctors I know said market demand was off the charts. On top of that Pfizer gave free samples out like candy on Halloween. In months the business was rocketing to the stratosphere.

Would you rather be in the restaurant business or drug business? I can’t stress this enough most people I’ve met that had a failed business failed because of low margins whereas most people with huge margins have hit out of the park. Sure there are low margin successes and there are high margin failures but they are the exception to the rule.

If you are barely getting by in business it probably has a lot to do with low margins, whereas if you have high margins you can grow out of cash flow; margins matter.

                                             
                             written by Brad Richdale Author copyright 2011 all rights reserved
                       

GET Red Hot Leads And Predictable, Repeatable Cash Flow For Direct To Consumer Medical Marketing

There are two types of medical device sales; one is a longer cycle selling to members of the medical industry  and the other, a one call close in direct to consumer medical marketing and direct to consumer medical device marketing.

In both cases red hot leads will increase your company's efficiency as sales people will be dramatically more successful since their time will be focused on sales rather than prospecting.

I outline the specific steps to to take to garner red hot leads, the specific techniques for better efficiency and how to increase your net profit quickly and more easily than ever before at www.BradRichdale.com.

                                                   written by Brad Richdale Author