Who wins the fight: The talented tactician or the mediocre strategist
Published: Wed, 04/29/20
Once upon a time, the late, great copywriting genius Gary Halbert and a copywriter named Chase Revel both sold basically the same kind of product, to the same market.
Specifically, a fake diamond offer.
So first, Gary wrote his typical brilliant ad.
If you’ve never read his Beverly Hills Diamond ad, it’s easily found on Google.
And, according to the great marketing strategist Jay Abraham — who I heard teach this story in Dan Kennedy’s “7 Figures Academy” program — Gary Halbert, the superior copywriter & tactician, spent some $30k to run his brilliantly written ad. It then brought in something like $42k after refunds and costs, and he made his $6 or $7k (worth a lot more in today’s money, for any small thinkers reading this) and walked off with a respectable profit for the time spent.
Then Chase did his promo.
Chase, the strategist, also wrote a good ad, but it was not even in Gary’s league.
But that’s okay, because what he did — as a strategist vs what Gary did as a tactician — is, he spent the same $30k to run his promo. But he didn’t just create an offer. He created a business with a back end offer, which didn’t even make enough to get his ad costs back on the front end, but with a story behind it and a strategy to get repeat sales, and the implementation of a well thought out and executed marketing plan.
His result with his "inferior" copy/tactics?
$25 million in sales on the back end.
As Jay put it:
“That’s the difference between being strategic and tactical.”
So to answer the question in the subject line of this email:
The mediocre strategist not only beats the talented tactician in a fight, but puts the tactician in the hospital, in a full body cast, drinking out of a straw, with a nurse changing his bedpan.
Do with this info what ye will.
But I think it adequately explains the power of being a strategist.
A power that's especially potent when used to think about and build out your own media empire.
Which brings me to the May “Email Players” issue.
Tomorrow is the deadline to get this bad-boy.
And, I can say without any hesitation, it will do those who are primarily tacticians (i.e., soldiers) very little good whatsoever.
But strategists (i.e., Generals)?
I believe if a strategist reads the info, thinks about it, and then applies it, they will make out like bandits. Reason why is, tacticians aren’t business builders as much as they are copywriters, “internet marketers”, specialists, coaches, authors, content creators, salesmen, hustlers, and so on.
And, thus, are more likely to get value out of yet another writing tip or hack.
Nothing right or wrong about that, by the way.
Tacticians can do extremely well when they want to (i.e., the Gary Halberts of the world)
But even they will admit that, compared to strategists, they make peanuts. Like Gary Halbert did about the great Dan Kennedy (one of those rare people who is both a great strategist AND a great tactician) in his newsletter titled:
“How Plastic Surgery Helped Me Become A World-Class Copywriter”
Specifically, when he said…
===
I'd rather have [Dan Kennedy] taking care of my marketing affairs than I would me. He'd be out there getting the job done while I was "bottle-necking" (hey, I think I just invented a new word!) and agonizing over something already 99% perfect.
===
That’s the difference between tactics and strategy.
They both have their place, both are needed, and neither is "better" than the other. But as far as who I can help in the May “Email Players” issue, which goes to the printer tomorrow, it won’t do the tactician much, if any good.
If that’s you, and you subscribe my hearty Email Players of the Horde, you’ve been warned.
There is nothing to swipe.
No checklists to follow.
And no "hacks" to learn or brag about to your little goo-roo fanboy friends on social media.
It’s all strategy about stacking different kinds of media platforms to grow your business to potentially seize control of marketshare in the coming months, years, and decades.
Deadline is tomorrow.
If you want it, I suggest you subscribe here immediately:
http://www.EmailPlayers.com
Ben Settle