There is an American expression that if you are starting at the bottom of something and working your way up, then you are, “Low man on the totem pole.”

A totem pole is a Native American sculpture that is generally quite tall, with carvings of animals, symbols and people stacked one on top of the other.

But Native Americans are smart. They know that on a 30 foot pole, no one is going to see the top carvings very well.

So they place the most important person or carving on the BOTTOM.

That’s right – if you’re on the bottom and just starting out, you are the most important marketer in the room. Do you know why?

Because everything is wide open for you. You have the chance to do anything you want, target any sub-niche, become an expert in any topic and so forth.

And you have the opportunity to turn the niche completely on its head and make it your own.

Being new is a positive. No one has pegged you as the “So-in-so” guy or gal yet. Your reputation is pristine. Your future is incredibly bright. And there are no limits to what you can achieve.

So if you’re new in a niche, then celebrate – you are indeed the “Low wo/man on the totem pole!”

Next time you write a headline, see how many of these you can incorporate.

Self-interest – This is the obvious benefit that keeps the reader on the page, reading what you have to say. For example, “Revealed at Last – 13 Perfectly Legal Ways to Make Money in Your Pajamas”

Believability – Placing some kind of ‘proof’ in your headline. For example, “Diabetes Cured in 2 Weeks – A Chicago Hospital Confirms Shocking New Remedy. No Pills, No Surgery, No Prescriptions” In this case, the third party evidence dispels skepticism and keeps the reader’s attention.

News – Anything targeted and newsworthy tends to work really well. For example, “Warning! Don’t Even Think Of Calling Your Broker Before You Read This Startling Report about What’s Happening in The Market Right Now.”

Curiosity – This might in fact be the most compelling force in human nature. The best headlines build curiosity to the point where the reader is forced to look within the article or sales letter to quell their curiosity. For example, “What Never to Eat on an Airplane.”

Quick and Easy – If you can offer a quick and easy solution to a pressing problem, let them know in the headline. For example, “Lose a Pound a Day Just by Eating this Fruit.”

The more of these qualities you can combine in your headlines, the better they will tend to work and the higher response you’ll get.

I was looking through an old copy of the magazine ‘Wildlife Art’ when I saw an ad for limited edition prints for a particular artist.

At the top of the ad were thumbnails of 5 of his previous works, and each one had the words, “GONE” in red ‘stamped’ on top of them.

The headline read, “Joe Smith’s limited edition prints are the most endangered species.”

Next was a big image of the print they’re currently selling, and underneath that was the sub-headline, “Better get this one before it’s gone.”

Of course, this got me thinking how this same technique might be used in IM. What if we showed images of our last 5 programs (assuming they are no longer available) and then used similar wording to indicate that time was short and customers better act fast?

It’s definitely something to test – and I think it could be quite effective.

It could be done with affiliate products as well, if you show the product creators previous offerings that are no longer available.

In another copy of Wildlife Art, I found this headline: “Only .000042% of the world’s population has the chance to own this.”

Showing prominently is a picture of the planet to bring home the point that so few people will get to own one of these limited-edition prints.

If you are selling a product with a finite number of copies available, this could be extremely effective wording.