Learn from the best....Clear steps to make your marketing more effective.

So much of what we do involves selling "something" using the written word.  I am fascinated by how the presentation of information (words + pictures) can influence someone to take action (i.e. buying or enquiring about a product/service because of what was read).

Wouldn't it be great to have the ability to do that?  Make someone call you to find out more, or make someone buy something because of what they read without having to meet each and every person face to face? (think of the savings in time and money.)

Drayton Bird is a man who has dedicated his whole life to excelling in this area of marketing  - Direct Response.  I have been studying his work (he has written a number of excellent books).  Every other page you read in his books has a nugget of information worth its weight in gold (remember he has been panning for gold for decades on behalf of his many clients!)

He proposes: "If you could afford to, most companies would send their best, most persuasive, most helpful sales consultant to talk with every prospect."  Trouble is, most businesses can't afford to - and in fact there is only ever one best salesperson in your company, so this is somewhat limiting for the growth of the business!.  

I would argue therefore that the scalability of your business and it's future success is directly linked to your ability to replicate what your best sales person does when they meet your prospects, but through other cheaper media.  As Drayton Bird says "customers and their motivations do not change, even if the media does".   Time to start experimenting and improving your other cheaper media...

So here to help you get a head start, courtesy of Drayton Bird and many years of experience - 11 things to consider when you write your next page of sales copy, be it in a sales letter, email newsletter, web-page, brochure.  

1. Does the opening quickly offer or imply a clear, strong benefit?
2. Is everything instantly clear?  If it is funny, clever or obscure, beware!
3. Do you give every sensible reason to buy; answer all the obvious questions; overcome all reasonable objections?  If you don’t you will lose sales.
4. Is your offer fully, clearly described (dimensions and all physical details)
5. Is the tone right? Don’t be funny about serious things like money or charity, and don’t be boring about entertaining things.
6. Do you demonstrate the benefits – give examples, quantify, compare it to the alternatives?  People want to know how and why you are better with precise details.
7. Do you prove that your claims are true – testimonials, any independent figures to prove what you say is true?
8. Do you ask firmly enough for a reply?  Do you tell people precisely what to do? Do you repeat your arguments/proposition when asking for the sale or reply?
9. Is the coupon/order form big enough, clear enough and easy enough to fill in?  Have you offered all means of reply – freephone, email, letter, website?
10. Read the copy aloud – does it sound like someone talking? It should!  People read things to themselves in their mind.
11. Show it to someone uninvolved , preferably a likely prospect.  Ask them if they understand it?  And would they buy it?

Guaranteed you will see a huge difference in your response rate if you follow his suggestions.  Thanks to Drayton Bird for sharing his knowledge.  Visit www.draytonbird.com for more ideas...