"The 11 Tested Methods That Will Increase The Selling Power of Your Letters, Ads and Other Promotionals" Can you guess what makes one marketing approach hugely successful while another fails miserably?! More often than not, it's is the STYLE in which the promotion is EXECUTED! That is, it's the way you do it that counts! Every bit of marketing and advertising is based on fixed principles for success; therefore, YOUR advertising must operate using these fundamental laws of marketing and should NEVER rely on pure chance... These laws and principles were first described by a famous marketer, Claude Hopkins, dating as far back as 1923! They are based on 36 years of time tested and closely monitored advertising in the form of letters, ads and promotions whose results were measured and compared. These laws were set after having completed many, many marketing campaigns on HUNDREDS of different products ~ from mouthwash to motor vehicles! Throughout each campaign, hundreds of headlines, adcopy and layouts were tested, compared and analyzed one against the other.. The 11 laws that follow are based on the results that were obtained from these comprehensive studies. Of course (as in all things) there ARE exceptions that do not follow these laws. But take note, these exceptions are VERY FEW and far between; additionally, those products successfully promoted not following strict adherence to these time tested principles are usually those that are in such high demand that they would have succeeded anyways! With that thought in mind... "Here Are Those 11 Laws That Will Increase YOUR Results" (When Followed As Directed) * Law #1 "Coupons and 800# Will Increase Responses" Countless tests have proved this statement true. Coupons multiply returns. People that procrastinate to take action, soon forget to do so altogether. A coupon is a cut-out that forces a prospect to take action and then reminds that person to send it once that action has been taken. The 800# encourages people to take action and phone because it is convenient, instantly gratifying and FREE. * Law #2 "Always Write in 8, 10, or 12 point" Most reading is done in newspaper-sized print. If you test your results you will see that oversized type doen NOT pay. You double your size if you want to double your costs! If your story is really interesting, then people will read it in the usual type size. However if it's boring, they will NOT read it in ANY type size at all! * Law #3 "Don't Use ALL CAPS" Most of our reading is done in the upper and lower case type. Our minds are used to that, the pattern is engraved and it is pleasing and comfortable to the eye as well as to the mind. IF YOU USE ALL CAPS IT TAKES TIME TO STUDY THEM OUT AND IT IS VERY IRRITATING TO THE READER. You're certain to lose readers that way. In fact, in many states it is illegal to use all caps in the fine print of any legal document for this very purpose. People tend NOT to want to work that hard to get through any message. Therefore, if it's annoying enough to create avoidance in a LEGALLY binding document, what makes you think that YOUR sales piece will even stand a chance?! Don't take that chance, follow the natural and usual format. * Law #4 "Forget It, Pictures DON'T Sell" In most cases, the cost of the extra space taken up by the picture will NOT pay for itself. Experiment by trying ads with and without pictures and working out the cost of each in terms of sales/leads generated. The exception may be with items such as food lines and color magazines, but you must test your ads to see if it applies to your product as well. * Law #5 "Always Tell The Full Story" People do not read ads in series, so EVERY ad should tell the full story. When you attract the reader's attention, you need to present all arguments for your product/service. Why? Because you may not get another reading from that person for months to come; therefore, ALWAYS include all of the important appeals your product has~ each and every time! Follow the general rule... "The More You Tell, The More You Sell" You would never send out a salesperson telling them to "keep it brief", would you? You would want them to present ALL of the advantages of your products and services. Well, the very same thing goes for your adcopy! Your copy is your "Salesmanship In Print" or whatever media you have chosen to get the word out. * Law #6 "Forget Superlative Claims.. You Need Actual Facts and Figures" Claiming that your widget is "the best in the world", or that "nearly 700 have been sold", or that you give "great service" will be luke-warm, at best. This stuff makes no impression. They are 'expected claims' and your readers tend to lose respect for you because these come off as exaggerated claims. Try.."People from 39 countries have tested our product", or "6993 have been sold", or that "You'll have it delivered in four hours or it's FREE".. WOW! This gets them to sit up and take a closer look. These claims are believable. For instance, if you state, "our product will last up to 26% longer" tells the reader that a comparison study has been done and it is believable as people don't expect you to lie in print. * Law #7 "Never Advertise Negatively" Always present the most attractive aspect, and never present the offensive side of any subject. You need to show off and feature the happier results that come from using your product/service. People are looking for money, love, happiness, safety, health, acceptance.. show them the way to get it. You need to create a picture and deliver it in words. Picture the rich, not the poor when selling wealth. When selling medicated mouthwash create a picture of clean, bright healthy smiles while avoiding illustrating the offensive, foul-odors of infected gums and decaying teeth. (..what, too descriptive?..) * Law #8 "Prevention Does NOT Sell. Cure DOES" All the tests in advertising show that people will do little to avoid or prevent troubles, yet they'll do anything to cure those that already exist! People in general, will not anticipate disasters. Instaed, they are seeking advantages, improvements, and NEW ways to satisfy the desires in their lives. When you focus on solutions, your results will always increase. Law #9 "It's Like Rollin A Boulder Uphill To Try To Sell Your Product In Print Without Offering Samples and Free Trials" To succeed in any business, you must let your prospective customers sample your products. This will allow them to get emotionally involved with your products. If you have a low cost item (food, drink, high repeat sales items) then give away a FREE sample for enquiring. If you have a larger item then a FREE trial, or inspection period is a MUST! The cost of this FREE sampling is the cheapest way to get the highest results from your ads. Therefore, "FREE Samplings Will Build Your Business In The Quickest and Cheapest Way Possible" Law #10 "Learn What Headline Most Appeals To Your Target Customer" You can multiply the results of your ads 8, 14 or 19-fold just by a change of headline. A headline acts as a flashing light with a person's name on it. We select what we read by the headlines that they carry. This law also applies to ads! Therefore, you must always measure what effects a change in headline has on your results. Law #11 "Never Rely On Just Your Judgement and Experience When It Comes To Advertising" You must test everything you do in the most exact way possible. A panel of advertising experts were asked to vote on a series of ads to determine which got the best results. In all cases they got 50% WRONG when comparing these ads! And these were claimed experts! You must test your headlines, prices and guarantees. In fact, test everything you do and monitor the results.. .. The pay off is very much worth it! \\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\ CHECKLIST! Use the following to increase the effectiveness of your ads, letters and promotions.. 1. Am I using headlines that target my customers? 2. Am I offering the greatest benefits of using my product/service in my ads and headlines? 3. Am I testing different headlines? 4. Am I testing different offers? 5. Am I writing in upper/lower "newspaper print" type style? 6. Am I giving actual facts and figures to support my claims? 7. Am I making it easy on potential customers to try my products at 'No Risk' to themselves? 8. Am I focused on the positive and what people will GAIN by using my product? 9. Am I telling the FULL story in each ad? Less than 3 YES answers- go back to the drawing board.. 4-6 YES answers means you're on your way.. 7 or more and you're heading towards BIG Pay Outs! ________________________________________________________ "And There It Is!" Yours in Success, FRED PESCHEL pii@cyberstreet.com