10xTalk With Joe Polish And Dan Sullivan

In this episode Joe Polish interviews Richard Viguerie, who is now 82 years old. Richard is the pioneer of political direct mail and a writer on politics. He has helped put more than a few presidents in the White House with the concepts he’ll share in this interview. Today you can go inside the mind of one of the true experts in direct marketing.

Here’s a glance at what you’ll learn from Richard in this episode:

Why it’s important to own a category in a marketplace
Viguerie’s Four Horsemen of Marketing for greater impact, influence, and contribution
The Simple 4-Step Plan to simplify, execute, and drive momentum
The workhorse of marketing is still _______ _______ (HINT: it’s not internet marketing)
Why long letters work to get you greater results
What are the most important components of your marketing message
How to set up an accountability board – to keep you on track
What’s the most important political marketing strategy you can use today
The 3 best authors you can learn from
What’s the greatest marketing campaign and letter you can study and learn from in modern history
Why developing a deep understanding of the lifetime value of a client can alter your business future
And more….

Show Notes

Introduction to Richard Viguerie [01:00]
Richard is about to be 82 years old, and is working at least 10 hours a day [03:10]
In 1961 he ran a youth organization [03:57]
- He decided he wanted to focus on fundraising through direct mail [04:40]
- He knew a lot about marketing, but he needed names and addresses [05:20]
- He was the first to do political fundraising through direct mail. [06:00]
Find a way to be first at something, and that’s how you’ll build your brand. [06:20]
He was attacked by both republicans and democrats up until election night [07:00]
- The left caught up with his marketing technique within three years [08:00]
- The democrats are now better than republicans with marketing [08:35]
Studying marketing every day [08:45]
Viguerie’s Four Horsemen of Marketing [09:15]
The First Horseman: Position [09:50]
- Occupying a hole in the market place [10:20]
The Second Horseman: Differentiation [10:35]
The Third Horseman: Benefit [10:50]
The Fourth Horseman: Brand [10:58]
- His experience buying a car or going to the supermarket [11:10]
Always having a four-fork plan [12:30]
- “The number one benefit of writing the plan is writing the plan.” – Richard Viguerie [13:15]
Reagan’s election [13:50]
- The new movement in the 60s and 70s toward direct mail [14:20]
- What Reagan did when he was out of money for his campaign [15:20]
Marketing through the internet is important [16:20]
Another experience when they were trying to defeat the democrats [17:10]
- It showed the power of direct mail [19:00]
Direct mail is counterintuitive [19:35]
- It can be very expensive [20:05]
- Use short paragraphs, and don’t use big words [20:30]
- Write to one person [21:00]
- Create a tagline [21:35]
Looking back, what would you do differently? [23:00]
- I would have a written plan for my life, family, and business. [23:30]
- I would involve my wife. [24:00]
- His experience hiring other leaders to help him focus on his unique ability [25:00]
- Advisors and other leaders give you accountability [26:25]
- Keep a diary [27:00]
- Focusing on studying marketing and business [27:25]
The most interesting political marketing idea that you have discovered: [28:45]
- I have learned from the commercial world, not the nonprofit industry. [29:00]
- Understanding the lifetime value of a donor [29:35]
- What it’s like to deal with nonprofit people [30:00]
- Taking the risk like a true entrepreneur [31:00]
- Paying our bills and making copies [31:20]
- Having that entrepreneurial vision [32:15]
What is the secret to marketing success? [33:10]
- Read, read, read. [33:15]
- Rereading books multiple times a year [30:45]
- An intense study of marketing [34:10]
- Al Ries and Jack Trout [34:50]
- Seth Godin [35:30]
- Being a purple cow [36:00]
The greatest direct mail campaign you have ever seen [37:10]
- Study the 1972 Campaign for McGovern [37:40]
- 1975: 4 million letters for a million dollars to veto legislation [39:00]
Your single best piece of advice [40:30]
- The lifetime value of a donor. [40:45]
- Dick Benson’s book on Marketing
- When Richard started a podcast [42:00]
Richard is very smart and very coachable [43:15]
Something that would change the lives of everyone who hears it [44:25]
- A story of when Richard was a teenager [44:45]
- His work is his passion [45:05]

Websites

Richard Viguerie

Books

Books by Al Ries and Jack Trout

Purple Cow, by Seth Godin

Dick Benson’s book on Marketing

About Richard Viguerie:

Richard Viguerie is the pioneer of political direct mail and a writer on politics. He founded Conservative Digest magazine in 1975 and has been a forerunner in political campaign strategy. He is an expert in direct mail marketing and campaign funding and has used that expertise to help multiple presidential campaigns as well as other political relief funds. Though many would consider him well past retirement age, Richard continues to enjoy very active pursuits and does not see retirement as an option.

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To go deeper on the insights shared on this episode of 10XTalk, access your FREE COPY of the “8 Transformations of a 10X Entrepreneur”, go here: http://www.10xtalk.com.

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