By: Gil Effron
There was a time when the world of advertising cared only about the “features” a product had. It came in four colors, three sizes, and two shapes. That was really all that was ever needed to say.
Then some high-powered Madison Avenue advertising executive discovered the importance of translating features into “benefits.” Because it came in four colors, you could color-coordinate with everything in your wardrobe. Because it came in three sizes, one would be ideal for every kitchen counter top. Well, you get the picture.
Then the greatest revelation of all surfaced from within the world of direct marketing. The new corollary went like this: You needed more than features and you needed more than benefits…
People need a compelling “reason” to buy!
In other words, you needed an “offer” — a compelling “reason” for people to call, to respond, to pick up the phone, to check out your website, to place an online order, to send a fax, and so on.
Yet with this revelation and wisdom widely known throughout the direct mail industry, it is amazing how many pieces of mail arrive at their destination missing even the most basic offer. All the facts and figures are there. And so are some benefits. But the offer is nowhere to be seen.
The problem is that without this offer to propel an action, no action occurs.
And that means your direct mail solicitation can be doomed before it gets started.
A real life example
Let’s look at an example. Say you’re selling something for the home. The hot new rage these days is whole-house electrical power backup systems… for when the power grids fail.
Instead of jumping into telling about how the system works or what it does, you start with fear — by instilling a generous dose of fear in your sales letter and direct mail materials… fear about how bad things can be if and when the power goes out for days on end. Through fear, you create a concern and a need that the consumer didn’t have before.
Next, you create an offer that helps to eliminate the fear: a free in-home consultation and whole-house electrical system safety check. Everyone is concerned about safety at home. And electrical problems that lead to fires are no fun.
So after you present the fear, you spend more time in your sales letter developing the importance of this free in-home consultation and whole-house electrical safety check than you do about the features or benefits of your power backup system. The reason is that…
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Gil Effron is president/CEO of Strategies for Growth and head of 10-Day Marketing Makeover. He is a business and marketing consultant and advisor with over 35 years of experience. Effron is also the author of “How to Give Your Business an Extreme Marketing Makeover” that outlines his 5-step process for improving your marketing efforts.