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taking the bull by the horns
Question:
Sorry Victor, but the point was made that "all things being equal" white space around the copy helps pull the reader’s attention during the crucial few seconds while a page is being scanned. There are human behavior studies to support this statement. You will also notice at least a few ads (especially in the classifieds) using this technique to get attention. Now that we talked about it, I am sure many of the readers of this post will notice this fact next time they open a newspaper. In addition, one of the studies I read suggested placing your ad in the upper right hand corner. Awareness is highest in this area. Just a few interesting factoids… J.P.
Response:
>…Also, You said your newspaper adds won’t work as well as you’d like them >to. Maybe you chose a wrong newspaper? Maybe your timing was not right? >Maybe your add was not made well enough? Did you use those stamp-size adds >that all the newspapers seem to be full of? If you did it is no wonder: All >the adds look alike! You need to think of something to make your add more >visible than the others. Remember that "empty space sells more than >anything". Try using the same text as you did last time BUT this time >double the size of the add so that your text is in the middle of this blank >area. Now your add is more visible.
Miska, Everything was going along great until you got to this "empty space sells more than anything" nonsense. Sure, visibility is important — but *only ink sells*. If you’re going to buy a bigger ad, use the space to post a bigger, bolder headline — with a compelling benefit. I’ve *never* seen white space make up for lackluster copy. >…And add your name after the phone number because people want to deal with >other people, not some anonymous company.
True, but they don’t want to buy from a part-timer working off their kitchen table. You’ve got to walk that fine line: present yourself as offering personal service, backed-up by the stability of an established, successful company. Nobody likes a dilettante. >But most all remember the most important thing of them all: Know your >customers!…
Absolutely. Miska, with the exception of the "empty space" thing, all the rest of your advice is right on the money. Good post. Victor R. Urbach OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOOOO OOO OO OO Optran Corporation OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OOO OO Direct Response Mktg OO OO OOOOO OO OOOO OOOOOOO OO OO OO http://www.optran.com OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OOO vrurbach_mbmm OOOOO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO (at) optran.com
Response:
What you need is a two-step approach: (1) Get leads; (2) Convert those leads to sales. Don’t try to make the sale directly from the ad unless you can afford a full page. Here’s how you get the leads: Run an ad with the headline: "Amazing FREE report reveals new slenderizing system. Burn off 30 pounds in 30 days." Or something like that. Capture the names, addresses and phone #’s of the responders in your database. Send them your free report (i.e., sales package) and then follow up by phone. Remember, these are people who have put up their hands to say "Yes, I’m a prospect for a weight loss product." If this approach sounds interesting to you, let me know and I’ll tell you about an interesting variation of this technique. PS Place your ad in several low-cost media and KEY CODE each ad so you know which one(s) are pulling.
Response:
Hi DLP, Here are some initial thoughts: 1. What are your potential customers interested in? Weight loss? Well, the holidays are coming up & many people overindulge during this time. What about submitting a list of top 10 ways to maintain your weight over the holidays to local publications? (BTW, magazines are out though as they have a 3 month lead time. But, you could consider something for them for Valentines.) Then in the author’s bio section, you could put your company name and contact information. 2. Do you network? What groups do you belong to? Where do you spend your out of the home marketing time? I’m not sure exactly what you products you are selling, but they may work best with word of mouth. This is easiest to gain with increasing your networking contacts. 3. I know someone in Dallas who’s a telemarketer. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll pass her contact information along. 4. How do you use the net? Do you have a web site? Do you monitor health and fitness newsgroups? Best wishes, Terri Firebaugh — Firebaugh Communications http://www.firepub.com Public Relations Author/Book Tours Marketing Special Events Communications Promotional Writing – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi. I need help with my new home-based business, I feel our marketing > strategies are not aggressive enough. <snip>
Response:
It seems to me like you’re making your problem sound bigger than it actually is. All the information you need to start telemarketing yourself you can find from your library. Go there and look for marketing books and you should find all the information you need from there. Or you can simply write your own scripts: Just think of what you want to say and then how are you going to say it. After a while you will be able to make those calls even without the written script infront of you and that’s the best way to do it because telemarketing is supposed to be a dialogue not a monologue. You can start training with your vife or friends and ask their opinion about your opening lines etc. Also, You said your newspaper adds won’t work as well as you’d like them to. Maybe you chose a wrong newspaper? Maybe your timing was not right? Maybe your add was not made well enough? Did you use those stamp-size adds that all the newspapers seem to be full of? If you did it is no wonder: All the adds look alike! You need to think of something to make your add more visible than the others. Remember that "empty space sells more than anything". Try using the same text as you did last time BUT this time double the size of the add so that your text is in the middle of this blank area. Now your add is more visible. And try to take all the unnecessary words out of the text. I understand your business is helping your customers get thinner and stay that way? Use some really simple line such as "Lose weight easily. Results guaranteed. 215-455-4299" And add your name after the phone number because people want to deal with other people, not some anonymous company. But most all remember the most important thing of them all: Know your customers! Know who they are, what they do, what are their hobbies etc. Know them better than you know your best friend. Select them carefully and then think of what is the best way to contact them. The good ol’ add in the newspaper may not be the right way to contact them if they never read that newspaper. Try some health magazine, for example. It may be more expensive than an add in some newspaper but it really is not if you can get better results that way. Remember that marketing is not an expense but an investment!!! Also remember that the lifetime of an add in some special magazine is longer than the lifetime of one in a newspaper: nobody reads yesterdays news! Select your customers carefully and get to know them before you actually start marketing your products to them. And identify yourself from your competitors: Be yourself and don’t try to fake it. Be natural. Be pollite. Remember that you have to sell yourself before you can sell your product. Make them want you. And have faith in your product: If you don’t believe in your product how are you going to make your customers believe in it? You can fool all the people some time and some people all the time but you can’t fool everybody all the time!!! Miska Mustonen Master Marketer Consulting Oy Finland P.S. Noticed any typos? I did not mean to leave them but some times they can be really effective in an add. Just make sure your message is undestood with the typo and make sure your telephone number is correct. And remember: "Marketing is fnu!" 
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi. I need help with my new home-based business, I feel our marketing > strategies are not aggressive enough. I have asked other people in the same > business what strategies work for them, and they always say either fliers, > or signs, or ads in newspapers. Trouble is, I don’t have the time to hand > out 200 fliers a day or post 10 signs a day, and even if I did, my area is > already rather saturated with the fliers and signs of those very people I > called for advice. As for ads in newspapers, I place them, but I have yet > to receive one call. I have checked to see if perhaps it is the way the ads > are worded, but I discover it may be because there are too many similar > businesses who can afford larger ads. This is a new business, and we have > yet to make much money, surely not enough to buy the thousand dollar ads in > the newspapers in my area. > What I would like to do is find a way to take the offensive. What I mean > is, it seems ads, fliers and signs all depend on the potential customer > responding to you. I realize the advantages of this, namely, you get more > probable customers because mostly those already interested call. But I have > had enough of sitting on my behind, waiting for people to call me. I want > to be the one to contact the person first. I realize that most marketing > strategies aren’t designed that way, and the major disadvantage of that > method is I will run into a lot fewer interested people, and probably some > annoyed ones. I would also need someone who is good with people, although I > would have needed that anyway. I am one person who has never hung up the > phone on a telemarketer, I like talking to people, and I never mind. But I > know most people aren’t that way. > My only sale has been to a friend of the family who had purchased the same > product from somebody else. I have expended a lot of money on ads and the > like, now I want to feel as if I am doing something, I want to try > something new. Even though people get annoyed with telemarketers, they DO > work. Why do they work, and how do they work? I have no interest in hiring > a team of telemarketers, my business hasn’t made enough money. Where do > they get their scripts? Where can I find more information on telemarketing? > Does anyone know anyone who is or was a telemarketer who could help me?
Response:
Hi. I need help with my new home-based business, I feel our marketing strategies are not aggressive enough. I have asked other people in the same business what strategies work for them, and they always say either fliers, or signs, or ads in newspapers. Trouble is, I don’t have the time to hand out 200 fliers a day or post 10 signs a day, and even if I did, my area is already rather saturated with the fliers and signs of those very people I called for advice. As for ads in newspapers, I place them, but I have yet to receive one call. I have checked to see if perhaps it is the way the ads are worded, but I discover it may be because there are too many similar businesses who can afford larger ads. This is a new business, and we have yet to make much money, surely not enough to buy the thousand dollar ads in the newspapers in my area. What I would like to do is find a way to take the offensive. What I mean is, it seems ads, fliers and signs all depend on the potential customer responding to you. I realize the advantages of this, namely, you get more probable customers because mostly those already interested call. But I have had enough of sitting on my behind, waiting for people to call me. I want to be the one to contact the person first. I realize that most marketing strategies aren’t designed that way, and the major disadvantage of that method is I will run into a lot fewer interested people, and probably some annoyed ones. I would also need someone who is good with people, although I would have needed that anyway. I am one person who has never hung up the phone on a telemarketer, I like talking to people, and I never mind. But I know most people aren’t that way. My only sale has been to a friend of the family who had purchased the same product from somebody else. I have expended a lot of money on ads and the like, now I want to feel as if I am doing something, I want to try something new. Even though people get annoyed with telemarketers, they DO work. Why do they work, and how do they work? I have no interest in hiring a team of telemarketers, my business hasn’t made enough money. Where do they get their scripts? Where can I find more information on telemarketing? Does anyone know anyone who is or was a telemarketer who could help me? DLP — Health and Nutrition Services — Weight Loss Call 215-455-4299 for more info