Ask For the Order
How do you measure the success of a sales letter?
Well the only thing that really counts is the number of sales it generates. You can read any number of books on copywriting. You can research your product and your target market. You can have the perfect headline and clearly defined all the benefits. But without that vital call to action all your efforts will be wasted.
If you feel uncomfortable closing the sale you’re not on your own. The close is probably the weakest element in all direct marketing. I’m sure you’ll agree however there’s not much point working hard on a fantastic sales presentation without closing the sale. So after you’ve done a fantastic job presenting the benefits of your product:
Ask For the Order.
The close has to be handled smoothly or sales will be lost. One big factor is you must have a product and offer that is of true value for the buyer. If you don’t truly believe this yourself it will show through your copy.
There is naturally a certain amount of inertia in all of us. In other words we might appreciate being led to an action that will benefit us but we need a bit of a push to make us act. You must provide a compelling reason as the “push” to take action.
A Reason to Act Now.
You must use a “hook” in every closing situation to make sure that your prospect acts now. A delayed sale is almost certainly a lost sale. Your “hook” must always be specific and definite.
Here are a few examples:
• Limited quantity. Only limited number available. Avoid disappointment. Order now. When xxx sets are gone this offer will expire.
• Price will rise. Orders will be honoured until xxx, after which the price will increase.
• Special combination offer. The special price for this combination will expire on xxx
• Early order discount. If your order is received by xxx you will receive 25% discount. Place your order now.
Free Bonuses.
We all love to get something free don’t we? Free is after all one of the most powerful words you can use. The bonus does have to be beneficial to your prospect. It has to be something your prospect would happily pay for. If the bonus is dull and uninteresting it won’t enhance your offer. Always make sure you tie in the offer of the free bonus for acting now, for example:
“The first xxx people who order will get this amazing xxx worth $xxx, absolutely free. So order now.”
Guarantees.
In this world of scepticism an unconditional money back guarantee is almost essential. If your product is of superior quality your returns should be minimal. Here is an example of the wording you could use:
If for any reason you are not delighted with your xxx, after you have examined it for xx days, you may return it for a prompt refund.
So don’t be shy Ask For the Order…chances are your prospect wants to buy, they just need a little push to take action.
Anne Pearson
Compelling Copywriter
http://www.mapcopywriting.com
anne@mapcopywriting.com
Skype – mapcopywriting
Tel / Fax – 01772 468979
Please feel free to use this article. All I ask in return is that you include the above signature and URL.
Marketing Through A Recession
Stop Advertising?
When everyone is cutting back on spending, what should you do, stop advertising? If you have a new product and you stop advertising you will probably "kill it forever".
Strange but true.
Studies over the last six recessions have shown that the companies who continued advertising to the same level achieved greater increases in profit than the companies who cut back. An example of this can be seen during the recession years of 1974-75. Companies who continued spending their normal budget on advertising through this time achieved 50% more sales than companies who cut back during 1974. By 1977 their sales had more than doubled their pre-recession figures while sales for the companies who cut back had barely increased by half.
There was a Morril survey carried out which clearly showed that share-of-market increased during the bad times when advertising was continued.
Marketing your product should always be priced in as part of the production costs and should never be cut back the same as you wouldn’t cut back on any other vital component.
During World War II the British Government prohibited the marketing of margarine under brand names. Unilever however continued to advertise one of their brands, even though it wasn’t available for consumers to buy. When the war ended and brands were again allowed on the shelves guess which brand was the top seller? You guessed it, Unilever.
Price Wars.
When times are hard and competition is fierce, price wars appear everywhere. Does the consumer always go for the lowest price? Not always. A lot of the time, we as consumers determine quality by price. The more expensive the item the higher the quality is thought to be. When the French Government were trying to determine the causes of inflation they cut thousands of cheeses in half and put them on sale. Half of the cheeses were priced 51% higher than the other half. The higher priced cheeses sold faster than the lower priced. Consumers often judge the quality of a product by its price.
So don’t get disheartened by all the doom and gloom around you. Just keep marketing and the consumer will keep buying.
Anne Pearson
Compelling Copywriter
http://www.mapcopywriting.com
anne@mapcopywriting.com
Skype – mapcopywriting
Tel / Fax – 01772 468979
Please feel free to use this article. All I ask in return is that you include the above signature and URL.
Keeping It Simple
What is the best layout for your copy?
I know I may have mentioned this before but some copywriters get too hung up on being “creative” with fancy pictures and words. When really keeping it simple is what they should be doing.
When it comes to your layout…Simple… is best.
Readers always look first at the illustration then at the headline and then at the body copy. So give them these elements in that order. Illustration at the top followed by the headline then the body copy. This is the natural order of scanning from top to bottom. If you put the headline above the illustration you are not giving your reader what they are used to, (see article…The Eye Is A Creature Of Habit).
Headlines below illustrations are read on average by 10% more people. Which might not sound a lot but if you think there could be 10,000 readers, that’s an extra 1,000 reading your copy. Next time you’re flicking through a magazine just take note how many times the headline is put above the illustration. I think you’ll be surprised at how many are losing sales from this one simple thing.
If you are using an illustration there are a few guidelines to follow, but that’s a whole different article. Always use a caption under your illustration. Four times as many people read the caption than read the body copy.
When is an advert not an advert?
When it is set out like an editorial page. Most people don’t like adverts. If you set your ad out like an editorial page you will attract more readers.
Roughly six times as many people read the average article as read the average advertisement.
If you have a look through some of the successful news magazines with high readership you will notice similarities in their editorial layout.
• Every photograph will have a caption
• The copy is set in Serif type
• The columns of type, 35-45 characters wide
• The copy starts with drop-initials
• The type is set black on white
Now look at the adverts in the same magazines and see how many are like this:-
• Few of the photographs have captions – four times as many people read the caption than read the body copy
• The copy is set in Sans Serif – making it difficult to read
• The copy is set in one column of 120 characters or more – too wide to be easily readable
• There are very few drop-initials – drop initials increase readership
• Sometimes the copy is set in reverse, white on black – very difficult to read
So always think about the layout of your advertisement to give yourself the biggest advantage. Selling is hard enough without turning away readers before they’ve even looked at your work.
Anne Pearson
Compelling Copywriter
http://www.mapcopywriting.com
anne@mapcopywriting.com
Skype – mapcopywriting
Tel / Fax – 01772 468979
Please feel free to use this article. All I ask in return is that you include the above signature and URL.