Dien Rice, your story in Hidden Business Ideas about volcanic pizzas...
 

made me think of Glenn and his solar ovens. Glad to see Hidden Business Ideas is back up and running.
https://www.hiddenbusinessideas.com/page7/

Also, the idea of a one minute shop lifting experience, I wonder if one could do something like that by buying lots from Amazon and other places and setting up a pop-up store. I can see several variations, bidding to be at the front of the line, a higher price ticket, or all you can carry and other ideas.

Thanks for sharing those this month, always come away with some ideas.

Gordon

How Richard Branson Uses On-Line 1/2 Price Auctions to Sell Cabins
 

Thanks Gordon/Dien,

I used to have Fun TORTURING people with My Ebay Auctions. I'd start each
auction at 1.38 and Add Value to each bidder DURING the Auction. Got the
Price up to 800++ bucks. Made a bundle on my 6hr "Bartenders Guide on how to Make Women JUMP" program.

(Before they changed the rules. Back then you could email your bidders.

So.

My Client COMPLAINED to me about Sir Richard.

He and his wife wanted to go on a Cruise with Virgin Cruise lines.

On-line auction
started at 2500.00 for a 5000.00 Cabin to the Bahamas.

Jim is convinced it is rigged.

None of the Auctions finished at less than the standard price of 5Grand.

So he didn't buy.

But now they had his email and contact info.

Email after Voice Mail
after Text message.

And Because he wanted to meet some of the FAMOUS Sports Star Investors.
Jim bought a 5K Cabin.

But the Sports Stars made a Quick dash. Serving coffee and Tea. Then
Disappeared up stairs.

Jim is Fuzzy on this.

He was at a Wine Tasting. Watched Travis Kelce walk by and UP the Ramp to the Sky Deck Party.

Ooooops.

Security Guard Said, "Your 5K cabin does not "QUALIFY" you to go up to the Sky Deck."

When he woke up from his Hangover.

(There are 29 Bars on The Scarlet Lady cruise ship)

He had sighed up for a 10,000.00 Cabin. (Only a few dollars more a mo)

Pretty CLEVER.

Use an online CHEAP SEEMING Auction to Collect Prospects.

then

Add Value
Add Value
Add Value

Until they Buy.

Then let the booze and STAR Power do the rest.

Thanks,
Glenn

Re: Dien Rice, your story in Hidden Business Ideas about volcanic pizzas...
 

Dien, let me tell you that e-mail was one of the best e-mails I've read about Marketing.

The "The lesson here… Many things have a "vibe" - positive or negative" makes perfect sense.

There is a British Marketeer, Rory Sutherland, I found some videos on YouTube he advocating about embrace irrationality, such as this one "Letting go of logic and embrace the irrational." and "Why Logic Is Killing Your Business".

The great Drayton Bird has interviewed him.

And for what I remembered watching Rory, he talks about the "vibe".

And I believe exactly that: a "vibe" can make it or break it.

I think I will bet more on creating "vibes" on product.

And actually, I believe in each product we can create different vibes to reach different market segments.

In my own experience, I believe the type of an AD will reach the same audience.

Hype ADS = hype clients.
Intelligent ADS = intelligent clients.

And so on.

Dan Kennedy written the book Marketing To The Affluent, I never read it, but I believe this what I am saying will be there on the book.

That's what I believe.

Actually, Claude Hopkins talked about the atmosphere of a product (or brand).

MikePT

Thanks Gordon... Positive changes are coming up!
 

Thanks Gordon,

Glad you like the ideas!

I've "revamped" how I'm doing these... And you'll see some positive changes over the next few weeks!

Best wishes, :)

Dien

Very smart idea!
 

Hi Glenn,

I remember seeing your auctions back in the day... I couldn't believe my eyes what price your audio books / reports were getting bid up to!

I didn't know about what you were doing on the back end... Incredible!

And thanks for sharing the Virgin Cruises story... Incredible!

There's definitely gold here... I'm gonna figure out if I can try something like this... Very smart!

Best wishes!

Dien

The incredible Amish electric heater...
 

Hi Mike,

Wow, great post!

I love the "vibe" of Gordon's writings... Read some of the stories on the Sowpub home page... Incredible stuff...

I study and learn from that (and others)...

The "Amish electric heater" ads are instructive, because they are so blatant!

(Since the Amish don't use electricity... But the ads worked!)

What I am advocating is the psychology lesson behind the success (but to do it ethically)...

Here's the New York Times article I alluded to in my email...

Amish Space Heater: Is That an Oxymoron?
https://archive.md/Mq69R

Here's an example of one of the full page ads (there were a whole series of them)...



(Click on the image above to see a larger, more readable version...)

Best wishes!

Dien

P.S. I'm in the process of revamping everything, but you can get on my email list (with great emails like the one we're talking about) by filling in the form for a couple of sample articles on this page... https://hiddenbusinessideas.com

Making the old new again.
 

Looking forward to seeing the positive changes.

Today, if one is at all aware of "news", as it is still called, there is an avalanche of negativity, cult mentality, personal attacks...there is a lot of the glass being half or even MOSTLY empty.

So, by introducing some positivity back into the Universe today, I believe will be well received. f

Recently, I've been doing a lot of odd ball consulting...many of my kids' friends are in job search mode, and they not only face stiff competition, there is rampant fraud going on in the job markets.

One piece of advice I offer is: side gigs while you apply. Build a side gig, make some money, learn to earn without a job, and for many of that generation it is a difficult concept to understand. They went deep in debt for their college education with the expectation it would pay off in the long run...and the long run still has them paying off school debt whilst getting unemployed. YIKES.

Another odd ball thing is my dealing with wannabee LOTTERY players, who are even more brainwashed than more popular cultists these days.

One of the lessons I've learned (and this applies to marketing also), it is hard to deal with IMPULSIVE people who are undisciplined.

Anyhow, I think and feel that you may find a completely NEW and eager audience for your HIDDEN BUSINESS IDEAS newsletter, especially if tweaked toward today's ongoing shenanigans. I bet many have never heard of some of the unusual ways you've uncoverved over the years to make some dough.

So, the timing may be right for many of us to GO BACK TO OUR FUTURE, and recognize the ideas of our past may be perfectly usable for our and others' futures.

My old mantra is ready for a new generation:

Where your head goes, your body follows.

Gordon