These are some of the things that I have learned over my 54-years in marketing. They will help you get more leads, sales, and replies.
1. Do the same thing a salesperson would do
The message you send via email or print is not a substitute for face-to-face selling. You would send a human being to every prospect if you had the money. Nothing is more powerful than that.
Your messages should be like salespeople.
This, among other things, means:
Ultimately sell your product. Don’t just tell the story. A famous expert once said, “Would you buy from a salesman if he gave you one reason to buy today and then come back tomorrow?” It would be insane.
Do the opposite of what most people do and write as little copy as possible. A short copy is almost always better than a long copy.
Never give up. Never stop trying to get people. McGraw-Hill discovered that it takes six calls to sell a product.
2. Even for “unemotional” products, emotion beats logic
Although people may be able to justify their actions logically, they do so on the basis of emotion as they are all human beings. Instead of focusing on rational arguments, focus on what drives people mad or what they long for.
Finance is a subject that people consider “logical”. They imagine it boring. How can people kill for money every day around the globe?
Some people think business products are boring. How is it that people at work feel so frustrated? All situations can bring out feelings. It is up to you to discover them and use them.
The most powerful messages are those that use emotion to communicate and then use logic to convince. One example of this is the famous headline, “Last Week, I was scared… My boss nearly fired me.”
3. Dig deeper
Too often, people are so familiar with what they offer that they assume prospects know it all.
We find that powerful and revealing arguments are often ignored. One client didn’t know the power of testimonials that his customers had left. They weren’t in marketing; they were in customer service. They were found by searching the internet, and we built a strong selling story around them.
4. Consider yourself a buyer and not a seller. Seek the ultimate benefit
People spend a lot of time searching for unique selling propositions. They fail to convert them into unique buying propositions.
One client, for example, has the most experienced team of financial analysts in the country. It’s pretty impressive. However, this is not a benefit for the customer. Clients will become more informed and be able to make better investment choices. This is a great benefit.
However, it’s not the only benefit. Clients will be able to retire with more money.
5. What is it?
Most messages are focused on the benefits of the product or service.
What’s better?
Customers’ thoughts are often the last thing on their minds. They think, “What can I do for you that no one else can?” Or, they might ask themselves: “What can you do for me that no one else can do?”
If you don’t answer these questions, your sales job is not complete. You’re missing out on sales.
6. Why is this?
John E Powers, a man over 150 years old, made a fortune as an editor. This was back when almost no one knew what a copywriter was.
He did this by using “reason-why copy.”
If people don’t believe you, you can’t brag about how great you are.
If you have lower prices, explain why; if your offer is for a chance to win, something tells people (to increase leads for less money).
7. Do less and do more
Meetings are more critical for more prominent firms than they are for smaller ones. Meetings are not a substitute for action. “Search all the parks of the cities, and there will be no statues to committees.”
