Subscribe to newsletter

Sign up for his newsletter and get one of Rick's ebooks for free!


 

Rick Saldan is an excellent inspirational speaker who tailored the seminar to the needs of the individual students being instructed. This office thanks the Mayors Office of Information Services for having such a vendor.

 

Timothy K. Lynch

Office of Fleet Management

City of Philadelphia

 


 

Rick has a magical approach that provides a clear and concise message specifically designed to the needs of his audience. Rick will provide all the motivational magic you will ever need, propelling your organization to the next level of greater success.

 

Thomas Mulhern

Frontier Communications

 


 

Rick Saldan is a compelling and absorbing motivational speaker and magician.  I have been to five of his Motivational Magic presentations and it is amazing how he keeps our college audiences on the edge of their seats. A highly entertaining performer with great comedy flair. Rich content to increase students' productivity, peak performance and motivation. If you need an outstanding motivational speaker for colleges, Rick is definitely one of the world's greatest speakers and magicians!


Dr. Rob Gilbert, Sport Psychologist,

Montclair State University

 


 

Rick Saldan has the wit, wisdom and sorcery of a wizard. He has a dynamic personality, and all will enjoy his captivating stories, comedy and magic!

Dennis Slaughter
Credit Suisse First Boston

 


 

Rick Saldan delivers a first-class show! A pro in every sense of the word. Funny, unique, entertaining and polished.

Brian Letscher, Actor

Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, Cold Case, Law & Order and The Mentalist.

 


 

Rick Saldan is a wonderful combination of master magician, comic improviser and first class speaker. The audience loved his program, which was music to our ears. If you love celebrity motivational speakers such as Tom Hopkins, Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar, then you'll love Rick!

Dottie Burman, President
Burtley Productions, Inc.

 


Rick Saldan is an incredibly talented performer and motivational speaker with great insight. He shares many powerful motivational messages that will enhance your life for the better!

Jack Murray, President
Dream Illusions

 


Rick is one of the best inspirational speakers on the scene today. Funny, fun loving and highly energetic. If you want to make your next event into an extraordinary one, then invite professional speaker  Rick Saldan and his amazing  Motivational Magic.

 

Andres Lara, President

Inspiration Times Magazine

 

 

Case In Point: Consistent Response Rates of 50%
Author: Karon Thackston

We are all so inundated with advertising these days that we barely take note any more. Statistics show that it takes an ever-climbing number of impressions before our customers take note of us, too. The quest for new, attention-getting mediums is one that every marketer pursues. The Holy Grail is the one that brings about immediate and consistent responses. Would you believe that a ghost from the past is now the bright and shining star of the marketing future?

Paul Kearns of www.telemessage.co.uk, recently spoke with me about an amazing marketing tool his clients have used to get consistent response rates of 50% and higher. What is it? Telemessages.

KARON: Hi Paul… I’m excited about speaking with you! I can’t honestly say that I would have considered the use of telemessages prior to our emails.

PAUL: Glad to be of help, Karon.

KARON: Let’s start with the basics. What are telemessages? Are they just revamped "telegrams?”

PAUL: Well, yes and no. The traditional delivery method has changed ... we no longer employ small armies of boys and their bicycles to deliver the message. In the UK, we achieve 99.9% next day delivery via the Royal Mail. Despite the historical decline during the 1980's and early 90's the service is once again coming into its own. Last year alone over 2 million UK telegrams were sent.

KARON: So where did the name “Telemessage” come from?

PAUL: “Telemessage” is the brand name of the UK telegram. International telegrams are still sent for important announcements, memorable events, and congratulatory messages. The UK acts as a conduit for telegram administrations all over the world. There are a number of 'bespoke' telegram products too, like WeddingGram, BabyGram, and SantaGram. In fact, one of the exciting parts of my job is to contribute to the development of new telegram products and applications.

KARON: How very inventive! So, what made you decide to use them in the marketing arena?

PAUL: It was a natural progression really. Some of our customers began using Telemessages for crisis management and product recall. Then, because of the cost effectiveness and outstanding response rates, we received more and more requests from companies and agencies wanting to use our service for direct mailings.

KARON: But if you send them to anybody and everybody, won’t they quickly lose their effectiveness?

PAUL: Well, a cynic might suggest that we'd sell them to anyone who's interested… but nothing could be further from the truth. You’re right, Karon… part of the strength and power of the telegram is the important or urgent message it carries.

KARON: So this is more of a specialized mailing, then? Or is this something to take the place of weekly or monthly direct mail pieces?

PAUL: Well, so far, studies show that repeated usage does not significantly affect response rates!

KARON: How’s that?

PAUL: Because of the anonymity of the bright yellow envelope, the recipient can never be sure what lies inside. It might be a legal notice, it might be a message from a friend (like the BabyGram), it could be even be a message from the Queen!

KARON: So, let me make an assumption here… the "response rate" is much greater for telemessages than for standard direct mail, right?

PAUL: Significantly! Response rates of over 50% are regularly achieved. Telemessages have huge doorstep impact.

KARON: Yeah… I rather thought so. But, Paul, there are all sorts of specialized envelopes out there. What makes the difference?

PAUL: Well, it’s a perception that comes with a “telegram.” People perceive telegrams as important legal documents and respond accordingly. Many companies also use the telegram as a stage in their debt recovery process. They regularly record response rates in excess of 60%. Lloyds Bank recently told us they got 78% response from one mailing!

KARON: Wow! That is huge! You also had a great response with a fundraising company you recently worked with (who has chosen to remain nameless). They didn’t get 50% but did do quite well for someone soliciting donations.

PAUL: Oh, yes! The charity was responding to a crisis. They needed resources and action fast. They chose Telemessage because of our quick turnaround times. (I like to think that our friendly and flexible approach also helped!)

KARON: Oh, I’m sure it did ! How many messages did they send?

PAUL: Over 50,000 requests for donations.

KARON: And what response rate did they get?

PAUL: 20% - MUCH greater than direct mail.

KARON: So what did this type of campaign cost them?

PAUL: £0.59p (US 83 cents) per item including Value Added Tax (17.5%) which they, as a charity will be able to reclaim. Ordinarily, unit costs range between 46p (64 cents) and 86p (.21) depending on volumes.

KARON: And that includes the stationery, setup and postage, right?

PAUL: Yes.

KARON: That is very cost effective! So then, let me ask you this… what are the contributing factors for a great campaign?

PAUL: It really depends on the message. We can be sure that the envelope gets opened, and even provide advice as to the style of verbiage (simple, clear messages, headlines, bullet points, post-scripts, and anonymous messages ending with a call to action), etc. Bread, butter and jam for copywriters, ehhh Karon? But ultimately the strength of response will depend on the USP. Telemessage is ideal for urgent and important messages. To quote just one of our customers, ITV Digital, who used the telegram to confirm appointments for new connections ... 'This has proven to be a very useful method in contacting our customers.' They achieved over 50% response, which they judged to be excellent.

KARON: Great info, Paul! I really appreciate your insights into this powerful “revived” medium.

PAUL: It's a pleasure Karon, pop by for a cup of tea next time you're in England!

KARON: Will do!








--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Karon is Owner and President of KT & Associates who offers targeted copywriting, copy editing & ezine article services. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com today, or learn to write your own powerful copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------