Friend,
We just wrapped up final enrollments and edits on the direct mail Letter1. This morning I added a section to close it out, which I am sharing below because it will benefit you if you read, watch or listen to anything educational.
Ready?
Did you know that Finding Nemo is really about teaching parents and children alike that if you hold onto something too tightly, you are more likely to lose it? Marlin is the ultimate helicopter parent; meticulous, jumpy, and anxious. In an attempt to protect Nemo, he pushes him away, putting him in grave danger.
I promise this is relevant.
Because the primary lesson in Finding Nemo is never made explicit. It’s an example of what Pixar has always done well: It’s a B Message: the thing we are supposed to learn, even though it is never stated explicitly. Pixar does it through storytelling. I’m a horrible storyteller, so I have to go a different route to get you a massive ROL…
ROL: Return On Letter
…The Three Types of “Returns On Letter”
There are three buckets of “returns on Letter” because there are three types of readers. The Letter is not going to do the work for you any more than your trainer is going to do your pushups for you. The first two types of return are directly correlated to your ability and willingness to implement.
The third depends on your level of receptivity.
Type 1: No Returns. These are the people who never open the Letter or never read the Letter. You’ve been through our enrollment process; we do everything we can to prevent these people from joining. (More on this in the Type 3 Reader)
Type 2: Positive Returns. These are the actual readers. They know how to extract value from various sources. The value may be an immediate and quantifiable return in money, time, energy, etc. It may also be “back-pocket” stuff; they get value out of something they aren’t going to implement now but can keep it in their back pocket like an ace card. Heck, even entertainment has value. Everyone subscribed to the Letter should be a Type 2 or Type 3 reader. (More on this in the Type 2 reader)
Type 3: Exponential Returns. Key Word: Receptivity. The Type 3 Readers will be Type 2 readers, but they will approach this Letter with a higher level of receptivity. They will see, experience, and learn from the unspoken (or untyped). If you are a type 3 reader you will be aware of how you felt when you got your welcome package and think deeply about whether you should implement something similar in your business and how to do it. You will pay attention to how we repel Type 1 readers and model the parts of it that would serve your business. You would recognize that in the paragraph above, I told you that there are many ways to extract value - maybe telling YOUR buyers that will provide them a more productive lens from which to see your product.
If someone sees your welcome package gifts hanging on your wall and asks you about it, you could think: “Huh, having something hanging on my wall got me talking about the Letter to someone that has never heard of it before…”
“...maybe I should think about how to get something hanging on my client's walls”
The Type 2 reader will get returns from what is written if they choose to extract value from it.
The Type 3 reader will get returns from what is written if they choose to extract value from it AND returns on implementing or modeling the “B Message” of the Letter, which is:
I hope each Letter that you receive makes you think:
“Man, I really need to do better…”
Maybe that is not your reaction. Perhaps you think “Huh, I would do this so much better.”
Great, get super specific about how you would do it better and then do it. The key here is not that you think my stuff is great, it’s that you are receptive to the experience in real-time a learn from it.
Whichever type of reader you are…
Here’s to becoming more intelligent, more receptive, and better together.
The rest of the Letter can only be read if you are holding a physical copy in your hands. Can’t learn from the experience without the experience. If you want to get on the list for the November Letter, you can do so here:
If not, I still love ya.
Nic