A while back I mentioned an interesting report called “The Secrets Of A 10% Conversion Rate” recommended by master copywriter Michel Fortin.  I promised a review and (finally!) here it is.

This may sound arrogant of me, but sometimes when you get a new course or book it’s main value is confirming that you already knew the contents!  As an aside, most of us have an almost unlimited hunger for new information and a need to know if there’s some “secret” out there that we don’t know about yet.  Of course, as copywriters we do play on this emotion at times, so I guess I shouldn’t complain too much here! 

So when we read a “new” course or book and discover that we did already know the content, then there is indeed some value.  It confirms we’re not “missing out” on something that we need to know.  Make sense? 

Now, there are a few things in “The Secrets Of A 10% Conversion Rate” that I didn’t know about and that will be very useful to me.  However, most of what’s in the report is material that any serious marketer and copywriter should already know.  However, there is value in being reminded of these things PLUS I may know something but am I actually putting it into practice?  All too often I’m guilty of not doing things I should be doing.

Also, I think there’s great value in hearing from people out in the field about what’s really working for them.

Having said that, here are 3 things I liked about this report…

1. Commonsense (But Often Overlooked) Points About Sales Strategy

Business success is usually due in large part to getting the fundamentals right (Is there a market?  Does the product really solve a need or desire?).  Unfortunately, all too often, people neglect these points.

2. Solid Information On Testing

Although the section on testing becomes a bit of a pitch for the author Paul Hancox’s testing software (done very well, though!) the information is solid.  The “Flow Testing” concept was particularly interesting.  I’d noticed this idea being used by some big direct response marketers like Agora and I wondered what they were up to.  Initially I had thought to myself that it was odd that they seemed to be making a “mistake”.  Now I know what they were doing!

Have to say that for most marketers, “Flow Testing” is not really going to be terribly relevant.  For most people, doing simple A/B split tests on headlines and offers will give them most of the improvements they are likely to capture.  For advanced marketers, yes, it’s something worth looking at after you’ve done all the basic testing.

One other thing, the claim that this is useful with “as little as 10 vistors a day” is a little disingenuous, simply because “Flow Testing” is only helpful in answering one particular question about the copy (and not the most important ones, in my view).

3. Insights From Direct Selling

The promise of sharing insights gleaned from “face to face” selling was one of the main reasons I bought the report.  The idea of looking at conventional selling and seeing what lessons you could draw for copywriting was something I’d been toying with myself.  There is definitely some useful material in this section in terms of understanding the psychology of selling and the power of a structured approach. 

So, will you discover “The Secrets Of A 10% Conversion Rate?” The answer is “Yes” but it’s not a “magic bullet”.  The real secret, of course, is simply to follow proven principles and…(drum roll)…TEST!  

Is it worth buying?  If you’re a hard core marketer or copywriter, it’s a good reminder of what you should already know along with a few new tips and insights that are useful.  So, yes it’s a good read and worth the $50 (although it certainly isn’t worth the $197 that was being suggested!).

On the other hand, if you’re a relative beginner looking for a comprehensive step-by-step guide, and looking for a “magic bullet”, then this isn’t it.