# Fascination / Bullet Formulas -- Gary Bencivenga Method

## Context

Bencivenga's promotion for "The Doctors Vest-Pocket Sampler of Natural Remedies" contained **174 fascinations** and generated over **$50 million** in sales. Fascinations (bullets) are arguably the most powerful direct response tool -- they build curiosity and desire simultaneously.

## The 21 Master Fascination Formulas

### 1. "How To" Bullet
**Pattern:** "How to [specific action] for [specific result]"
**Examples:**
- "How to burn fat while you sleep -- without pills, dieting, or exercise"
- "How to negotiate any salary increase -- even if your boss says the budget is frozen"
- "How to write a headline that stops even the most distracted scroller"

**When to use:** Universal. Works for any benefit. Start here.

---

### 2. "Secret To" Bullet
**Pattern:** Reveals uncommon, legitimately secret information
**Examples:**
- "The secret supplement Olympic athletes use to recover 3x faster"
- "The secret ingredient in every million-dollar sales letter (hint: it's not the headline)"
- "A little-known IRS loophole that legally reduces your tax bill by up to 40%"

**When to use:** When you have genuinely uncommon information. Don't fake secrets.

---

### 3. "Why" Bullet
**Pattern:** "Why [counterintuitive or curiosity-provoking fact]"
**Examples:**
- "Why eating MORE fat can actually shrink your waistline"
- "Why the highest-paid copywriters never start with the headline"
- "Why your most loyal customers are the ones most likely to leave"

**When to use:** When you can present a paradox or counterintuitive truth.

---

### 4. "What" Bullet
**Pattern:** "What [you must do / they don't tell you / really happens]"
**Examples:**
- "What you MUST do in the first 24 hours after a heart attack"
- "What doctors don't tell you about blood pressure medication"
- "What really happens to your resume after you hit 'submit'"

**When to use:** When revealing hidden knowledge or insider information.

---

### 5. "What NEVER" Bullet
**Pattern:** Alerts to mistakes, taps fear
**Examples:**
- "What never to eat on an airplane (it's not what you think)"
- "What never to say in a salary negotiation -- one word can cost you $10,000"
- "What never to do before 10 AM if you want to stay productive all day"

**When to use:** When there's a genuine danger or costly mistake to avoid. Taps loss aversion.

---

### 6. "PLUS" Bullet
**Pattern:** Greed-focused, creates "more, more, MORE" momentum
**Examples:**
- "PLUS -- the one vitamin that makes all other supplements work 3x better"
- "PLUS -- a bonus checklist that turns any sales page into a conversion machine"
- "AND -- the 'lazy man's shortcut' that cuts your workload in half"

**When to use:** At the END of a bullet list to create stacking desire. Never first.

---

### 7. "Number" Bullet
**Pattern:** Groups multiple methods/secrets into a specific number
**Examples:**
- "7 ways to lower your cholesterol without statins"
- "11 foods that fight cancer (and 3 that feed it)"
- "5 body language signals that instantly reveal if someone is lying to you"

**When to use:** When you have multiple tips/methods. Odd numbers test better than even.

---

### 8. "Right...WRONG!" Bullet
**Pattern:** Debunks assumed beliefs, creates curiosity about the correct answer
**Examples:**
- "Think stretching prevents injuries? WRONG! Here's what really works"
- "Think you need 8 glasses of water a day? WRONG!"
- "Think cold calling is dead? WRONG -- but only if you use this 12-second opening"

**When to use:** When you can debunk a widely-held belief. Very attention-grabbing.

---

### 9. "WARNING" Bullet
**Pattern:** Alerts to dangers ahead, creates urgency
**Examples:**
- "WARNING: 3 common supplements that destroy your liver -- and the safe alternatives"
- "WARNING: If your accountant says this one phrase, fire them immediately"
- "WARNING: The hidden clause in most SaaS contracts that locks you in for 2 years"

**When to use:** When there's a genuine risk. Don't manufacture fake warnings.

---

### 10. "Are You...?" Bullet
**Pattern:** Questions about existing behaviors, builds agreement
**Examples:**
- "Are you making this $50/day mistake with your Facebook ads?"
- "Are you one of the 67% of professionals who can't pass this basic financial literacy test?"
- "Are you unknowingly sabotaging your metabolism with this 'healthy' breakfast?"

**When to use:** When the reader might be making a common mistake they don't know about.

---

### 11. "Gimmick" Bullet
**Pattern:** Extracts a creative concept from research, assigns it a memorable name
**Examples:**
- "The 'Lazy S Curve' technique that doubles conversion rates overnight"
- "The 'Reverse Funnel' method that turns cold leads into buyers in 48 hours"
- "The 'Paper Napkin Test' that reveals if your business idea will actually work"

**When to use:** When you can name a technique or concept memorably. Creates intrigue.

---

### 12. "Sneaky" Bullet
**Pattern:** Highlights conspiracy, overlooked elements, or hidden agendas
**Examples:**
- "The sneaky trick big pharma uses to keep you on medication for life"
- "The hidden algorithm change Google made that killed thousands of businesses overnight"
- "The quiet policy shift that's about to make your health insurance 40% more expensive"

**When to use:** When there's a genuine hidden factor. Taps into distrust of institutions.

---

### 13. Statement of Interest + Benefit
**Pattern:** Intriguing fact immediately followed by strong personal benefit
**Examples:**
- "A Harvard neuroscientist accidentally discovered a memory technique that could help you remember any name, number, or fact within seconds"
- "A bankrupt farmer stumbled onto a soil technique that now produces 3x more crops -- and you can use the same principle to triple your business output"

**When to use:** When you have an interesting origin story connected to a real benefit.

---

### 14. "Direct Benefit" Bullet
**Pattern:** Opens with powerful claim (action verb), deepens with proof
**Examples:**
- "Eliminate back pain in 7 minutes flat -- using a technique chiropractors charge $200/session for"
- "Double your email open rates with one change to your subject line (takes 10 seconds)"
- "Cut your tax bill by up to $12,000 using a strategy your accountant probably doesn't know"

**When to use:** When you have a strong, provable benefit. Lead with the action verb.

---

### 15. "Specific Question" Bullet
**Pattern:** Hooks through an intriguing question; the solution is in the copy
**Examples:**
- "Can you pass this 10-second metabolism test? (Most people over 40 fail)"
- "What percentage of your marketing budget is being wasted? This free tool tells you in 60 seconds"
- "Could your morning coffee habit be costing you $87,000 in lifetime earnings?"

**When to use:** When you can quantify or create a self-assessment moment.

---

### 16. "If...Then" Bullet
**Pattern:** Invites prospect to meet a requirement, then reveals the benefit
**Examples:**
- "If you can copy and paste, you can build a professional website in one afternoon"
- "If you spend more than $1,000/month on ads, this one tip will save you at least $300"
- "If you've ever been passed over for a promotion, this 3-minute exercise reveals why"

**When to use:** When you can lower the perceived effort bar while raising the benefit.

---

### 17. "When" Bullet
**Pattern:** Promises benefit at a specific time, implies guaranteed result
**Examples:**
- "When you wake up on Day 3, you'll notice your jeans fit differently"
- "When you send your first email using this template, watch for reply rates above 40%"
- "When you apply this one pricing change, expect a 15-25% revenue jump within 30 days"

**When to use:** When you can tie a benefit to a specific timeframe.

---

### 18. "Quickest, Easiest" Bullet
**Pattern:** Reveals the fastest or simplest path to a desired result
**Examples:**
- "The quickest way to lower blood pressure -- takes less time than brushing your teeth"
- "The easiest $500/month side income -- requires no special skills and just 2 hours/week"
- "The fastest way to learn any language -- without apps, classes, or flashcards"

**When to use:** When your method is genuinely faster or simpler than alternatives.

---

### 19. "Truth" Bullet
**Pattern:** Demystifies controversial or confusing issues
**Examples:**
- "The truth about intermittent fasting -- and who should NEVER try it"
- "The truth about passive income: it takes exactly THIS much work to set up"
- "The truth about AI replacing jobs -- and the 5 skills that make you irreplaceable"

**When to use:** When there's confusion or misinformation you can clear up.

---

### 20. "Better" Bullet
**Pattern:** Positions as superior alternative to something known
**Examples:**
- "Better than Ozempic: a natural compound that targets the same receptor without side effects"
- "Better than cold calling: a warm-outreach method that books 3x more meetings"
- "Better than meditation for anxiety: this 2-minute breathing technique works instantly"

**When to use:** When you can favorably compare to a well-known alternative.

---

### 21. "Single" Bullet
**Pattern:** Highlights ONE standout benefit that exceeds all others
**Examples:**
- "The single most important question to ask before buying any stock"
- "The one exercise that builds more muscle than all others combined"
- "The single change that took this SaaS from $10K to $100K MRR in 6 months"

**When to use:** When you have one genuinely standout point. Use sparingly -- it's powerful because it's singular.

---

## Fascination Generation Protocol

When creating fascinations for a user:

1. **Research first** -- Gather all product benefits, proof points, and features
2. **Generate 30-50 raw bullets** using as many different formulas as possible
3. **Quality filter** -- Each bullet must: conjure curiosity + promise a benefit + create mental imagery
4. **Cut ruthlessly** -- Select only the 10-15 strongest
5. **Sequence strategically:**
   - Open with the 2-3 strongest (hook them)
   - Alternate between benefit types and emotions
   - Build to a crescendo
   - End with PLUS/AND bullets for stacking effect
6. **Never reveal the answer** -- The bullet should create an irresistible itch that can only be scratched by buying/clicking/reading
