PS. After writing this I wondered if, when you read the blog, you might question whether or not this applies to what you're doing. It does. At least it applies in all of the ads I've created in the following areas: 1)non-profit fund raising; 2) construction and real estate development, US or abroad; 3)consumer goods like books, pearls, investment grade numismatics and philately, flags; 4)concerts, recital, stage productions, voice studios, compositions; 5)Internet and computer products; 6)educational courses (live, taped, printed); 7)franchises; 8)billion $ transmission project--currently nearing completion; 9) international tours; and 10) health and diet products. I left stuff out. But, in all of these, the following steps to creating an advertisement apply:
Now for the blog...
You have a new product or service. How do you get and keep clients?
1. Firmly establish in your mind the ideal customer’s profile.
2. Find one of those ideal customers and speak with them, face to face, about what you do. See what “turns them on.” Listen. Ask questions about what they would like. What would compel them to come to you for this service. What bothers them about the last product like yours they tried? What are the final results they want from you? Listen, ask, listen, ask and listen some more. Never tell them what they need or disagree with their expectations.
3. In a quiet, tranquil place and time, write that person a letter. Begin by saying, “You want _____ ... and you want ______ . Your goal is _____. You like ______ and love ______ and desire to have ______. Here is how I can help you get what you want...____________... Tell me if you think I can help you. Please call me (write or email me or let me come by and talk to you) so I can better understand if I can be of assistance to you.
4. Put this letter aside and repeat step 2 and then step 3. Repeat this process several times. If you have a sales force, get them to do the same thing.
5. Once you’ve repeated this enough, you should be ready to sit down and examine the letters and see what benefits to the customers keep coming up, and which come up with the most passion from your customers. You’ve now found the universal desires. You’ve discovered that no one wants your product, they only want what your product does for them. You may have also discovered how you must change your product to fit what the customer needs it to do for them. Change your product so it now fits the universal demands from people. They have to buy it because it is exactly what they want.
6. Armed with this marketing intelligence report, you’re ready to ask for the sale. Write it down in a letter. Write to ONE person. Think of just that one client. Begin as you did in step 3. Begin at the beginning – with the greatest benefit they have demanded. Then go to the next until you’ve gotten them so excited with what you are doing for them. Notice we don’t begin by talking about YOU, but about THEM. And we keep focusing on THEM until they are so enraptured they’re demanding to know who going to provide all of this for them and how they can get your product.
Notice price is not part of the discussion. It will come, but don’t be too anxious to discuss that. Establish the VALUE over and over. At some point price will be mentioned. The less of a feature the price is the better. It should be a natural conclusion that is accepted as a matter of course. If they’re hung up on price, you haven’t established the value or the overwhelming benefits. People will afford what they want. Value is about what they want. They will then trade value for value.
7. Once you’ve written – and I mean written, not spoken, or discussed or thought about – this logical letter that gets them emotional and demanding to have your product, NOW you can begin to think about what vehicle would best carry your message. Today you have many choices: face to face discussion is usually the most effective. Telephone is next. Emails and letters follow. Space ads in “affinity” publications where you rifle-shot your pitch are next. At the bottom, last resort are broadcast media or general advertising. It’s the least expensive per sale.
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