| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
The Power of because...
"Do it!", "Do it now!", or "Do it because..." Which of these commands is most likely to get the response you want? If you picked the third, the one that includes 'because', you'd be right. Of course, if you're a parent, aunt, or uncle you may know that already. The idea behind 'because...' is to provide an explanation or rationalization for the request you're making. In other words, the command or request is not just an arbitrary exercise of power on your part -- it's a reasoned request or command. In a broader sense, 'because' provides context, which we've often discussed in this newsletter. Context provides a framework for specific communication. For example, "Please review this contract before we mail it out, because a mistake could cost us thousands of dollars." A number of Internet entrepreneurs report they've tested the use of 'because' in their advertising copy and found it worked. I've used it myself on the home page of Abbott's Communication Letter http://www.abbottletter.com/ where visitors are invited to subscribe. I haven't tested to see whether or not it makes a difference. But I do know it helps in the copy writing process. It helps because it pushes me to make a connection between an action and a consequence of that action. For example, "Wear a helmet when you ride your bike, because it will help you avoid head injuries if you fall." In this case, wearing a helmet is the action; avoiding a head injury is the consequence. One more thought: the word 'because' does not always have to be explicit. It can be implicit or implied, as in "Wear a helmet when you ride your bike, so you won't injure your head if you fall." Let's consider a few more examples, from various functional perspectives. Suppose you're a librarian and you want to encourage patrons to expand their reading horizons. So, you post a sign in the Historical Fiction area that reads something like this: "The story here is only half the story. Visit the History shelves, too, and enrich the stories you find here." The action: look in the History section, as well as the Historical Fiction section. The consequence: you'll learn the story behind the story, enriching your reading of the fictitious stories. How about a sales example? If you send a sales letter, do you focus on product features and ignore the benefits your readers will reap (believe me, I see a lot of these letters)? If you use 'because' with each feature-- explicitly or implicitly -- you'll force yourself to list benefits as well as product features. Compare these two pitches: "Now featuring keyboard water coolers with two-gallon capacity!" and "With the two-gallon keyboard water cooler, your keyboard will never overheat, no matter how fast you type." In summary, using the word 'because' in your message will help you write more persuasive copy and help your readers understand why they should respond to you. Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: http://www.communication-newsletter.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Prince Connects With His Target Market! While Internet legend (and young pup) Frank Kern would have you believe that I'm so old I should be confined to a wheelchair, I'm still on the good side of 100! And I can stil enjoy a good concert from time to time. My daughter - Rachel, my wife and I had the good fortune to score some last-minute tickets to the recent Prince concert here in Atlanta. Small Business Marketing Tip - Get Attention and Be Remembered We live in a world of noise - not just auditory noise but total sensory overload. Everywhere we go marketing messages are shouting at us day and night. The Fundraising Letter PS: 25 Powerful Things To Say There (Includes Examples & Samples) Donors read postscripts. This is a sad but important reality in fundraising. 5 Ways to Give Your Web Site a Big-Company Look and Feel We all DO judge a book by its cover, and the same saying goes for Web sites. I've seen many entrepreneurs offer great information on their Web pages, but compromise their image dramatically with a few amateur mistakes that can be VERY unforgiving. Creative Online Marketing For Salespeople and Business Professionals New to a sales career? Want to market yourself but don't have the money to do so? Tired of cold calling and prospecting? Wish there were an easier way to get the word out about your services?Does this sound like you? This was what I felt like when I got my first sales job selling copiers ten years ago. My sales manager back then was into the traditional methods of getting new business; that is, prospecting, cold calling, booking appointments, doing product demonstrations, and closing sales. Ten Easy Marketing Tasks You Can Do NOW Who says scientists can't market? Here are 10 easy marketing ideas that a group of folks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology came up with today during our monthly Marketing Action Group:1. Listen to (and write down!) the questions your clients ask. PowerPositioning: WillYouAcceptThisRose.com Positioning is a powerful concept in marketing. To illustrate, have you ever visited a fast food restaurant, and, in a rush to complete your order asked for a coke when you "perhaps" meant to order some other soft drink? The Coke brand and its owners have achieved a top of mind awareness. Provacative Research Works If you want to double your business, then you need to get inside your client's head through proprietary research and provocative results.By conducting proprietary research, you obtain special information that prospective clients can't find elsewhere. 7 Ways to Evaluate Your Marketing Plan Business owners often find it difficult to know whether their marketing tactics are working. This can be especially tricky when you use a combination of marketing activities simultaneously, or if using personal-contact tactics such as networking. How To Get Your Prospect To Take Action There's really only one thing that separates Image advertising from Direct Response. Image advertising just wants you to think about a product in a certain way. Tradeshow Booth Cures - Knick-Knack Knockouts Okay, we were kidding about the smoke, but not about the mirrors. Mirrors are exceptionally useful Feng Shui devices, especially in regards to manipulating the flow of energy. The Power of Thank You Sometimes we loose site of the small things in life that are incredibly important. As a child growing up in America, most people are taught from a very young age to say Thank You in appreciation of a courtesy extended by someone. Every Days a Holiday! You probably know that February 2nd is Groundhog Day. But did you know that it is also Kiwi Fruit Day, Laugh and Grow Rich Day, and Bonza Bottler Day(tm)? Each of these holidays was created by someone who wanted to commemorate or promote something. After The Mailing Is Done, What Happens Next? If you're doing any sort of marketing effort, whether it's getting news coverage or sending a postcard, you must be prepared for what happens next. If you're sending postcards promoting your business, and you have people working for you, tell them that you sent the card. Terrific Titles, Happenin Headlines You've probably heard the slogan, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." It may be a sales pitch, but in the world of advertising and promotion, it's right on the nose. Marketing Person You Think You Arent Have you thought about starting your own business? Have you started one and are having challenges with marketing, fear of failure, fear of success?I could go on and on. Has the question, Now what? ever entered your mind? If so, I would like to share my story with you. Client Attraction Technique #1: Niche Marketing When asked "what business are you in" many business owners often identify an industry, for example, "I'm an accountant" or "I run a beauty salon " or "I own a restaurant." But claiming to be part of an industry is not what attracts customers. Fundraising Renewal Letters: Four Goals to Strive For With Each One You Write In the fundraising profession, appeal letters that you mail to existing donors are called renewal letters. They are designed to solicit a gift, but, more important than that, they aim to persuade your current donors to renew their support of your organization. Three Simple Keys Will Make Your Customers Stick Do you spend a lot of time and energy courting prospective new customers, hoping to pump up your bottom line? If so, you're probably missing an untapped source of sales that exists right inside your company -- there's truth in the statement that your customer list is your most valuable asset.There's a gold mine of opportunities to make easier sales and create a loyal following of customers that will return time and again by using your existing customer base to grow your sales. Marketing On The Cheap: Speak Out! No matter what business you are in, you probably have something to sell. Furthermore, if you have something to sell, you have something to say.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
