by Marcia Yudkin

Who says publicity stunts are passé? Outrageous staged events designed solely to show up on evening news still get job done when they're clever and fun.

Stan Heimowitz, owner of Celebrity Gems in Castro Valley, California, not long ago successfully dramatized in streets of San Francisco fact that IntraLinux, a small software company -- Heimowitz's client -- is challenging Microsoft, industry giant.

Outside Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Microsoft was launching its new product Windows 2000, a Bill Gates look-alike was matched against a Penguin (IntraLinux's mascot) in a boxing ring whose four corners were held up by Penguinettes. The Penguin pinned Gates, naturally, while a plane towing a banner that read "IntraLinux" flew overhead.

This creative bit of street theater made its point to onlookers and media alike.

Publicity stunts go back at least to days of showman P.T. Barnum, who announced his circus' arrival in town by hitching an elephant to a plow beside train tracks. This raised such a ruckus that it's still against law in some states to plow a field with an elephant.

Suspense became an element in a stunt featured on front page of Los Angeles Times in 1980 when paper challenged Bob Allen to make good on his boast that he could be dropped into any city with $100 and 72 hours later own several properties without paying down payments. While readers wondered if Allen could really do it, author of Nothing Down indeed pulled it off.

by Anthony L. Davenport

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Before I get into how Up-Selling can benefit you and your sales, let me answer question:

What is an Up-sell?

An up sell is when a customer is ready to order a product, or already has ordered a product from you, then you immediately offer a complimentary product.

This is most common example of a perfect upsell:

You go into your local fast food restaurant , (Burger King, McDonalds, etc.) your hungry and want to get something to eat. Your standing there looking at selection, first you check out 99c value menu, but it's something about smell of frying burgers and fresh French fries that entices you to start looking at main combos and promotions.

You see something, and you think "hey that's a great deal", especially for how hungry you are. Your next one in line, so you walk up to cashier ready to buy and say "Combo Number 3 please."

And right before cashier rings you up, s/he kindly ask "would you like to 'Up-Size' that combo for just .59 cents? You think, "Yumm, more of those delicious fresh fries and more tasty soda to drink with my meal, all for just an extra 59 cents."

What a bargain, especially since your so hungry. So you kindly say sure, I would like to 'Up-Size' my combo.

How many of you have been in this situation? It's a safe bet that almost all of you have...guess what..

you had just experienced yet another up-sell..and all you wanted to do was get something to eat ^_^..

Ok, Ok, now ...How can you use this method of marketing to benefit Your sales?

Well, there are a few ways you can approach this.

First, You can offer different versions of your product or service. For instance, lets say your selling an autoresponder service. Your first version can simply be a free or low cost web based service--the 'bronze version'

Your first version has only one set back, it contains (your) advertisements in each mailing..

So you can offer same web based service with out advertisements as an upgrade for only $20/mo more. This could be your 'silver package'