Power Direct Marketing: The Book
Some Questions to Consider
Here are some questions to consider as you plan your offer:
- Who is your competition, and what are they offering?
- What are your USPs? Unique Selling Propositions. Your prime competition’s? What are your weaknesses? And your competition’s?
- How does your price compare with your competition’s—competitive, discount, premium, or even a mix?
- Is an incentive or premium desired or needed to capture sales?
- What is the product motivation to move a prospect to become a customer?
- How does the customer benefit from using your product? What benefits do you offer prospects?
- What does market research say about the position of your product? Can it be improved? Varied? Redirected? And how best to communicate your message to your prime prospective audience?
- Honestly ask yourself and others: Why should anybody be interested in our product? Why should they buy ours instead of somebody else’s? Why should they buy anything at all?
Americans make up only 6% of the earth’s population, but consume nearly 60% of all advertising in the world. Television, radio, outdoor, magazines, newspapers, and yes!, direct mail and the telephone attack our minds each day. Using millions of words, sounds, and pictures.
Every day we are exposed to nearly 600 advertising and marketing messages. Okay, how can we break through this so-called "clutter"? With a sound offer!
An offer is a reason for talking to your prospective audience. Just as a personal sales call needs a reason for happening, so must your marketing message have a reason for being an offer—to be successful.
A weak or poor message or offer to the right audience has a chance of bringing some success. But it won’t work the other way around.
The right offer to the right audience is essential for prime response and superior results. In all cases of communication with your public, a sales principle must be remembered:
It is not what you have to sell, but what your customer wants to buy.
You need to present your case, no matter who you are: a bank, insurance firm, furniture store, airline, fast-food restaurant, distributor or dealer, service organization, manufacturing company, fund-raiser, computer store, or "utility," if you sell business to business, or business to the consumer. Give your prospects what they want and turn them into customers.
Or, as my dad taught me long ago, find out what your customers want and give it to them! Make them an offer. Show and tell your prospect, through the creative approach, the benefits of doing business with you.
You must remember the market you are talking to—it is possible that many are not turned on to reading about another way to do something. They weren’t necessarily thinking of buying now or investing in a new idea—even yours—today.
So, the copy must be:
- Quick
- To the point
- Easy to understand
- With clear typeface
- With BOLD typeface
- With hard-hitting graphics!
Make your decisions on the marketplace by what you perceive your prospect wants to hear and see. Know your audience! Make your offer to that audience.