Gary Halbert was one of the greatest minds in direct response marketing, and his legacy lives on in the form of The Boron Letters. These letters are a collection of Gary’s best marketing advice, insights, and tactics that has been gathered over decades to help marketers grow their business.
I made a mistake. A few years ago I purchased The Baron Letters without realizing they were online for free.
Thankfully you won’t have to make the same mistake. Today I’ve found and linked to the entire book, for free.
And I’ve carefully selected a sentence or two from each chapter that resonates with me.
Gary Halbert – The Barron Letters
Chapter 1:
Just get out that front door and start moving. Walk, run, jog. Keep moving for about 1/2 hour and then turn around and come back.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/BoronLetterCh1.htm
Chapter 2:
I have read, and I believe it to be true, that fruit is the prize food of man.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/BoronLetterCh2.htm
Chapter 3:
You see, when you depend on others you give yourself an excuse for failure.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/BoronLetterCh3.htm
Chapter 4:
Rely on your own strength instead of somebody else’s compassion!
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter4.htm
Chapter 5:
The very first thing you must come to realize is that you must become a “student of markets”. Not products. Not techniques. Not copywriting.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter5.htm
Chapter 6:
Constantly be on the look out for groups of people (markets) who have demonstrated that they are starving (or at least hungry!) for some particular product or service.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter6.htm
Chapter 7:
Be on the lookout for ads and direct mail pieces that you see over and over. What this means is that whomever is running the ad has hit a nerve.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter7.htm
Chapter 8:
All of us, including thee and me, have a slightly shrewd idea of ourselves. We often try to convince others and ourselves that we are something we are not, something we have an idea we “should” be.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter8.htm
Chapter 9:
But, if this idea actually works, we have something much more valuable than our $9,920.00 profit. Yes indeed, my boy. You see, if this idea works what we have is a “winning formula”!
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter9.htm
Chapter 10:
Make yourself a collection (a “swipe file”) of good ads and good DM pieces and read them and take notes.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter10.htm
Chapter 11:
All we have to do is make the envelope look personal. (Or at least we will take pains so it doesn’t look commercial.)
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter11.htm
Chapter 12:
What I am doing here is taking the reader by the hand and leading him exactly where I want him to go.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter12.htm
Chapter 13:
The selling point of this being a genuine limited offer that some other lucky person will take advantage of it you don’t.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter13.htm
Chapter 14:
While it is true that you must attract attention to your advertisements and sales letters, it is also true that your “attentiongrabber” should be relevant.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter14.htm
Chapter 15:
What does AIDA stand for? It stands for ATTENTION, INTEREST, DESIRE, ACTION.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter15.htm
Chapter 16:
Tell him what he will get if he hurries and tell him what he will lose if he delays.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter16.htm
Chapter 17:
In my opinion a good writer is one who makes things perfectly clear. He makes it easy for the reader. Easy-to-understand what he is saying, easy to keep reading
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter17.htm
Chapter 18:
You know, whenever I want to study ad layouts, I often study editorial layouts instead.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter18.htm
Chapter 19:
Most of the time a person will never alter his original impression. Most of the time he will simply “edit” all new info that comes to him and “process” it in such a way as to validate his original opinion.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter19.htm
Chapter 20:
You don’t have to get it right… You just have to get it MOVING!
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter20.htm
Chapter 21:
You know, kiddo, you can’t always control what happens to you in life but you do have a lot of control over your responses.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter21.htm
Chapter 22:
If you use good common sense, your chances of success are excellent. Where people go wrong is by making it too complicated.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter22.htm
Chapter 23:
I’ll bet that little extra detail of info drew you closer to me and my letter and made this communication “more real” for you.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter23.htm
Chapter 24:
The message is clear: You must not use “cheap tricks”. Make what you attach to the letter “fit in”. All it takes is a little imagination.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter24.htm
Chapter 25:
People can smell it when you are weak. When you are vulnerable. They can smell success too. They can sniff out a winner. And you can’t fake it. Not for long. You’ve got to be it!
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/TChapter25.htm
What Are The Baron Letters?
This is not your typical copywriting book.
In 1984, Gary Halbert wrote a series of letters to his son, Bond, to help him make better decisions in life. These became known as The Boron Letters, and they have since become an iconic piece of marketing literature.
The Boron Letters have been referenced by many business experts, including Jay Abraham and Dan Kennedy. They are a timeless piece of marketing literature that every marketer should read at least once.
Gary Halbert was a genius when it came to advertising, and this series of letters is the evidence.
This book will teach you how people think about products or services they’re using, and what makes them go from being a customer to being an advocate for your company’s product.
Why Are The Baron Letters Important?
The Baron Letters are important for any digital marketer who wants to better understand human psychology.
The Baron Letters are also important because Gary Halbert shares his personal experiences with marketing in them. He talks about everything from health to getting started as an entrepreneur, to dealing with failure that could come along the way. It’s amazing reading someone who has been through it all share their hard-earned lessons on success.
Who Was Gary Halbert?
Gary C Halbert was possibly the greatest copywriter in history. He became famous for his style of writing, and wrote many books about marketing and advertising, but The Boron Letters are arguably the most famous piece that Halbert has left behind to help entrepreneurs with business issues.
Gary C Halbert was born on June 12 in 1938. He sadly died on April 8 in 2007.
His legacy lives on and still influences copywriting today.