Was there a method to Gary Halbert's "madness"?

My first contact with the ol' "****Weasel" was by phone in 1986. I had received one of Gary'd initial sales letters for his newsletter (I STILL have the originals and they are MASTERpieces in Marketing)....I introduced myself as a fellow "Marketing guy" and when I told him that I had sold "Grolier Encyclopedias", door-to-door, in my college days...he came UNglued....and we spent the next 2 hrs reminiscing about our "Book" experiences and other "Direct Sales Stuff".

He TOO had sold encyclopedias door-to-door. In fact, when he told me a Technique he had used to sell books....I KNEW I was listening to MARKETING GREATNESS.

In the "Book Biz" we were ALL taught to "knock on doors" in the afternoon, getting housewives (most every house, in THOSE DAYS, had a "housewife" at home in the afternoon)....we would get housewives to agree to let us come back in the evening when their hubby was home.

We'd set an appointment and I (and jillions of other Book Salespeople would show up at the designated appointment time....to sell BOTH, Mom & Pop.

NOT Gary.

He would make appointments in the afternoon....and NOT SHOW! With the result being....ONLY THOSE people who were TRULY INTERESTED in learning more about the product....would CALL GARY'S answering machine and ask, "Hey Gary! Where are you? We were EXPECTING YOU this evening and you didn't show!" Sure...many people who were expecting him and he didn't show...were highly po'd....but...that was OK...if they didn't phone Gary's machine....they weren't QUALIFIED! (In fact...talk about "injecting EMOTION" into a Sales Situation...some of Gary's BEST prospects (as he related to me) were the ones who WERE HIGHLY TICKED that he didn't show BUT...wanted to see him ANYWAY)

Gary would then call THOSE PEOPLE and ReSet an appointment for the NEXT EVENING. And at THESE APPOINTMENTS....where Gary KNEW they were HIGHLY INTERESTED...he would CLOSE a higher percentage than us "regular grunts" who didn't "use our noggin to come up with a POWERFUL Marketing Method as Gary had.

We spoke off and on via phone for the next few yrs and then I met Gary in person at Bill Myer's Seminar in Hot Springs, AR in 1995. And again, the following year in 1996.

At one of these seminars he was asked to write a Classified AD for a guy with a new widget...to be placed on the "New" Internet Marketing thingee called "American On Line.com.

I watched, in awe, as he took the information from the guy....wrote dowm some notes...and within seconds....came up with an Ad he put on the overhead projector.

Gary's "Marketing MIND"was something to behold. We'd be talking on the phone about one of MY projects....and he'd be talking to Theresa (his right hand gal) who had someone else on the phone who he was "instructing" at the same time.

We did a small "Joint Venture" together back in 1997 and I was constantly AMAZED at his "Creativity" AND....POSITIVENESS about what he was doing. He was FULL of "CONFIDENCE". I called him the "BALL-BUSTER". There was no "shyness" about Gary.

When I was back in Colorado....I watched in utter amazement as he helped a Furniture Store client get thru their predicament and not only survive their situation but THRIVE from it.

The City of Denver had decided they needed to tear up the street in front of this furniture store....which meant it was almost impossible for customers to get to the store. They hired Gary to write an Ad Campaign. Gary's full page ads in the Rocky Mountain News were CLASSICS. They were absolutely
remarkable...AND....they helped this furniture store to THRIVE during this period.

Gary's copywriting was LEGENDARY....and a REAL INSPIRATION to me.

Gary was "bigger than life" in many respects. He'd make a bunch of money
one day.....and go out and blow it on a boat the next day (The ol' Sea Hunt from Lloyd Nolan's TV Show of the same name)

He sent me a copy of his "Boron Letters" which I scan through now an then.

They truly "broke the mold" when Gary Halbert appeared. He was ONE-OF-A-KIND....an inspiration to me and I'm sorry that I won't be able to pick up the phone and talk to him....or read some of his latest material.

Take Care Gary. It was a GAS and a PLEASURE to know you.

Don Alm
Roseburg, Oregon