EMM20: Deuter Futura 28 by Tynan
11 years ago, I found a blog that probably shaped me in ways I don’t even realize.
It was written by a guy who had traveled the world living out of a backpack…
And by the time I had found the blog, he was living in a Winnebago Rialta camper van somewhere in California.
His name was Tynan. He was posting regularly. And he was sharing perspectives and ideas I’d never heard before.
Unsurprisingly, a guy who can fit all his belongings into a single backpack has an interesting perspective on life.
Somewhere along the line, it became my goal to do the same thing he did.
I wanted to fit everything I owned into one single backpack.
I wanted to travel the world.
I wanted to be an extreme minimalist.
The problem was that I was a freshman in college with no money and no real skills.
So I couldn’t live my entire dream… yet.
But I could get the same backpack he had.
It sounds silly, but if everything I ever owned was going to fit in there…
I should probably go ahead and get it.
Right?
11 years later, that backpack is in my closet, 7 feet from where I’m sitting right now.
It’s the best backpack I’ve ever owned.
Last night, I found a blog post Tynan wrote about it in 2008…
And thought it would be a great piece to feature in this week’s episode of Email Marketing Motivation.
It’s only 252 words long. But it’s a great example of how to use features, benefits, and even objections to sell a product.
After you finish reading, scroll down for the lessons.
Lessons We Can Learn From This Piece
1. be direct
If you are the “face” of your business — you make your money on trust and authenticity.
If people don’t trust or believe you… they ain’t buyin’ shit.
Which is why, sometimes, when you’re selling something, it’s best to directly tell people you’re doing it.
It’s a breath of fresh air.
Often, I think when people say they don’t like being sold to — what they really mean is that they don’t like the skeezy tactics people use to do it.
They don’t like being manipulated.
Which is why being clear and direct about your intentions can be helpful.
You can either say something like:
“I’m going to sell you something in this email. So if you’re not okay with that, you can close this now.”
Or you can get straight to the point, like Tynan does in this post:
“If you have a back, then you probably need a Deuter Futura 28.”
2. Use Extremes to sell
One of the best motorcycle channels on YouTube is called FortNine.
In one video, the guy who runs it tries to destroy a motorcycle called the KLR650.
He drives it back-and-forth on a 1/4-mile strip of road until it runs out of gas…
He leaves it in standing water overnight…
He crashes it (on purpose) multiple times…
And the thing simply will not die.
After watching that video, I wanted a KLR650.
Buyers are attracted to extremes. They want to know that, if they’re spending their money on something…
It would work for even the absolute worst-case scenario.
That their motorcycle could be thrown off a cliff, caught in a tornado, run over by a bulldozer, and would still keep going.
That a pair of boots can be worn in the Sahara, the Amazon, and your cousin’s wedding.
That a single backpack is sturdy and roomy enough to serve as your only piece of luggage on a year-long trip around the world:
“This thing is the best small backpack you could possibly imagine. I’m on a year long trip around the world right now, and this is my sole piece of luggage.”
So, if it’s possible — and if it’s true — show people that your product works in even the worst-case scenario or the extremes…
Whatever that means for your niche.
3. Combine features, benefits, and Objections
Turning features into benefits is one of the oldest copywriting lessons in the book.
Basically, you take a feature of your product (its size)…
And then you show your reader the benefit they get from it (you can use it no matter where you go).
This sentence is a perfect example:
“First, it’s small enough to pass for a regular backpack, so it can be used around town or in the wilderness.”
But Tynan is doing something else really cool in this paragraph.
He’s countering an objection:
“It’s not one of those huge bulky bags that hardcore campers wear.”
And then he’s mentioning another feature:
“At the same time, it is built by a hardcore camping company.”
Within this feature, though, is an implied benefit:
If the bag is made by a hardcore camping company — odds are, it’s going to be high-quality.
So, turn features into benefits. Show the reader why certain features are important…
And counter objections as they come up.
4. Highlight the USP
USP stands for “unique selling proposition.”
It’s the thing that makes your product unique or better than everything else out there.
With the Deuter Futura 28, it’s the lightweight frame.
“The big feature is that it has a lightweight spring steel frame built in. This keeps the bag off your back, so your shirt doesn’t get all sweaty and gross. This also distributes the weight properly to the hips, so it’s very comfortable to carry around.”
So if you’re a coach with an online course that teaches people to become paid speakers…
Your USP is not the fact that your course has 37 videos and 11 hours of bonus content.
Your USP is the thing that makes your teaching unique.
Maybe it’s that all the material is stuff you learned when you went from being a Wendy’s drive-thru employee to a paid speaker who earns over 6 figures per year from speaking engagements…
Or the fact that all the course material was developed with some of the most successful speakers in the world…
Or the fact that, after completing each lesson, students get a 10-minute 1-on-1 call with you to develop their action plan.
Bottom line:
There’s something that makes your product unique. Find out what it is and use it heavily in your marketing.
5. point out flaws
Most people can sniff out bullshit.
Everyone knows that “if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
So while you want to make your product sound as appealing as possible…
You also want to be honest about it.
Notice how Tynan points out the one flaw in this backpack:
“It has a built in rainfly that zips out of the bottom. I would personally prefer that the whole bag is waterproof, but this is almost as good. That would be my only suggestion to Deuter to make this bag even better.”
There are 2 “tricks” to getting this right:
First — don’t dwell on the flaw(s) too much.
Otherwise, you risk sounding like the guy at the party who can’t stop talking about his huge nose…
Which you didn’t even notice until he said something about it…
And now it’s making you uncomfortable.
So, point out flaws, but don’t dwell on them.
Second — turn flaws into benefits.
For example, if the “flaw” of your course is that it’s short — the benefit is that someone can go through it quickly and start applying what they learn ASAP.
Or if the “flaw” of your course is that it’s long — the benefit is that, by the time someone is done, they will know everything they need to know about the topic. They won’t need to go anywhere else. This is the last course they’ll ever need on XYZ.
How To Apply These Lessons To Your Email Marketing ASAP
Here's a quick summary of the lessons from this piece:
Be Direct
Use Extremes To Sell
Combine Features, Benefits, And Objections
Highlight The USP
Point Out Flaws
And here’s how you can apply it to your email marketing:
Write an email selling a product that’s not yours.
With email marketing, you’re playing the long game. And while you might not make money on this email, you’ll position yourself as someone who is genuinely looking out for your readers’ best interests.
Which will make them stick around longer…
Which means you’ll have more opportunities to sell to them in the future.
You’re building a relationship with your email list. And as with any relationship — it’s built on trust.
If people trust you’re looking out for their best interests, they’re more likely to buy.
So occasionally, it’s good to give recommendations and advice for free.
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