You too can be a millionaire ….
My good friend Brian recently loaned me his copy of some of his Don LaPre “Money Making Secrets” books. For those of you who don’t remember, Don LaPre hosted some wildly successful late-night infomercials in the late 80s and early 90s.
In his infomercials, Don LaPre touted an approach that included his “use of tiny classified ads” to sell a product or service. The show, repetitively shown during late-night television programming slots, was taped outdoors in some tropical sun-splashed locale. LaPre — slightly handsome, clad in a casual polo shirt, hair perfectly coiffed – spoke excitedly about a business venture that allowed him to “make up to $50,000 a week from his tiny, one-bedroom apartment.”
The content of LaPre’s advice was nominal at best. And As for the LaPre books themselves, they’re above average content-wise. They don’t contain any earth-shattering irevelations. And you will not get rich quick on any of his ideas. What really set the LaPre infomercials apart was the unbridled enthusiasm he brought to the ads. Like many professional public speakers, LaPre had mastered the finer points of effective communication. His gestures were always appropriate, his diction spot on, his voice modulation letter perfect.
In fact, LaPre’s enthusiasm was so palpable that Saturday Night Live parodied his infomercial during one of their late-night skits. Imitation, however, is often the highest form of flattery. And LaPre ultimately had the last laugh, selling over one million copies of his “business” kits.
What’s the moral of the story here? Though the ads bordered on being cheesy, they were damn effective. LaPre captured the imagination of potential customers not only through the benefits of his “strategies,” but also based the manner in which the information was presented. Whether you are running your own business or work in sales, you always need to be aware of your public image. Do you have your “game face” on for your customers? Are you conveying as much passion and enthusiasm about your product to you audience?
Because, as any great chef already knows, it’s all about the presentation.
[tags]business, infomercials, public_speakers, effective_communication[/tags]
