PART I: INTRODUCTION What is “direct response” … I: INTRODUCTION What is “direct response”...

© 2005 Otis A. Maxwell • www.otismaxwell.com • Copywriting that Gets RESULTS! 1

PART I: INTRODUCTION

What is “direct response” copywriting?

What’s the difference between direct response copywriting and “regular” copywriting? Increasingly, the answer is “no difference”. DM copy is what Herschell Gordon Lewis calls “force communications”… writing that is designed to persuade somebody to do something.

• It can be direct selling, for example a mail order catalog. • It can be lead generation, getting a response that leads to a sale or a relationship. • It can be image building for a product or service you are expected to buy later.

(Plus these days, even the most “image-y” ads often have an 800 number just in case the reader wants to take action now.)

In other words, ALL copywriting is direct response to the extent it’s getting somebody to do something. EXERCISE: Try to find a competently written ad in which no action or attitude change is desired from the reader.

Why you are smart to be in this class:

• Copywriting is one of the very few ways in which you can actually make a living as a writer.

• Direct marketing copywriting is an easier field to break into because you’re judged by results, not who you know or what awards you have won.

• Direct marketing writing offers you a report card on every project. If your ego can take it, you can learn from your failures and piggyback on your successes and get better on each subsequent job you write.

• Direct marketing writing helps you succeed at other forms of communication because you are constantly striving to sell people through the words you write.

A tangible promise: by the time you finish this course you will have the insights to produce significantly better copy and get better results than the majority of people who release direct marketing copy into the world. You are immediately going to be in the top 25% of your profession.


RECOMMENDED READING. These are books I’ll refer to in this class. All are in print and available at amazon.com and other sources. You can also order them through a direct link on my website at http://www.otismaxwell.com/Resources.html Robert Bly, “The Copywriter’s Handbook” for basics Herschell Gordon Lewis, “Sales Letters that Sizzle” for wordsmithing tricks David Ogilvy “On Advertising” for perspective from one of the greats plus some good examples John Caples “Tested Advertising Methods” for classic ads and split testing tips

FORMULAS FOR SUCCESSFUL SELLING/WRITING A direct response writer is a salesperson with a computer. Many of your communications may serve as the set-up for a live salesperson who takes over once you have generated a response. That’s why the same principles and rules that apply to selling will work for your direct response writing. TIP: You don’t have to follow any of these formulas to the letter, but you should study them before deciding to go your own way. AIDA. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. ACCA. Awareness, Comprehension, Conviction, Action. Make consumers aware the product exists; help them comprehend what it does; convince them why they need it; motivate them to take action. (Bly) Four Ps: Picture, Promise, Prove, Push. Picture what the product can do, promise the dream can come through, prove it with detail, push for the order. (Bly)

7 Steps To Closing More Sales from Roy Chitwood, Max Sacks International Educational materials and training available at www.maxsacks.com

1. Approach 2. Qualification 3. Agreement on need 4. Sell the company 5. Fill the need 6. Act of Commitment 7. Cement the sale


Here’s how Roy Chitwood’s seven steps translate to direct response copywriting…a scenario where the prospect goes through the same thought process but without us in the room. DIRECT MARKETING STEP CORRESPONDS TO Get prospect’s attention. Approach and qualification; agreement on

need Present product benefits Fill the need Call to action Act of commitment Present company credentials Sell the company Call to action Act of commitment Statements about no-risk guarantee, ease of ordering, ease of implementation etc.

Cement the sale

Call to action Ask for the order Back-end fulfillment Act of commitment

Bob Bly’s motivating sequence Here’s how you translate some of these rules into a direct marketing communication.

1. Get attention. 2. Show a need. What problem does the product or service solve? 3. Satisfy the need. Show how your product solves it. 4. Prove your superiority and reliability. This is where you have detail to support

your leading premise.

WHY DO PEOPLE BUY? Here are Bob Bly’s 22 motivators:

1. To be liked 2. To be appreciated 3. To be right 4. To feel important 5. To make money 6. To save money 7. To save time 8. To make work easier 9. To be secure 10. To be attractive 11. To be sexy 12. To be comfortable

13. To be distinctive 14. To be happy 15. To have fun 16. To gain knowledge 17. To be healthy 18. To satisfy curiosity 19. For convenience 20. Out of fear 21. Out of greed 22. Out of guilt


Here are Roy Chitwood’s six buying motives

1. Desire for gain (usually financial) 2. Fear of loss (again, usually financial) 3. Comfort and convenience 4. Security and protection 5. Pride of ownership 6. Satisfaction of emotion

And here are Bob Stone’s “Two Categories of Human Wants” The Desire to Gain The Desire to Avoid Loss To make money To save time To avoid effort To achieve comfort To have health To be popular To experience pleasure To be clean To be praised To be in style To gratify curiosity To satisfy an appetite To have beautiful possessions To attract romantic partners To be an individual To emulate others To take advantage of opportunities

To avoid criticism To keep possessions To avoid physical pain To avoid loss of reputation To avoid loss of money To avoid trouble

Note these are all EMOTIONAL…people buy emotionally, not logically. This is true even when selling business products to people in a business setting, because people are still people.


HOW TO PRESENT YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE You have reviewed the motivators…now you need to match up with the features of your product. FABS—features, advantages and benefits

Feature: what it does Advantage: how that makes it superior or delivers a technical benefit Benefit: how that translates into a PERSONAL need solves

EXERCISE: Make a list of features, advantages and benefits for a #2 yellow pencil. Include as many as you can. Roy Chitwood on how to present Features Advantages and Benefits:

To move smoothly from Step Four to Step Five (in his seven-step selling method), use the following transition statement: "There are several important features about [product or service] that I'd like to tell you about." Then go directly into the Feature/Benefit/Reaction sequence. In this procedure, you will stress the intangible benefits your product or service provides, especially those that appeal to your prospect's dominant Buying Motives. Here's how it works: 1. Name a feature of your product or service. The feature represents important information about your product or service: the fact that a product is compact or portable, etc. 2. Paint a vivid, word picture of the benefits that feature provides. The benefit highlights what the feature will do for the prospect and appeals to one or a combination of the prospects buying motives: Desire for Gain, Fear of Loss, Comfort and Convenience, Security and Protection, Pride of Ownership, and Satisfaction of Emotion. 3. Ask a reaction question tied to that benefit. The reaction question draws out the response the prospect will base his/her buying decision on.


On finding and defining the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) This is the attribute that makes your product different from any other…at least in the way you describe it.

• Sometimes the product truly IS unique…it solves a problem in a way nobody else can. This is pretty rare.

• Sometimes it’s a point of differentiation identified by you, the writer. • The biggest challenge is when you’re selling a parity product, such as a credit

card. • Remember that your competition is not restricted to competitors. It also includes

doing nothing/doing without.

Anticipating and dealing with the buyer’s concerns What is the reader thinking while you are presenting product benefits? Here are Roy Chitwood’s five buying decisions…and they are always made in this precise order:

1. About you… are you a person I want to do business with? 2. About the company you work for or represent. 3. About your product or service. 4. About the price of the product or service you are selling. 5. About the time to buy.

Roy Chitwood’s Guaranteed Close:

"If we can (summary of action to be taken), can you think of any reason why we shouldn't (summary of desired act of commitment)?"

Sometimes the prospect will say “no” which means they’ve said “yes”. More likely, they’ll ask for more information or raise an objection. In which case you:

• Acknowledge the objection. • Re-establish your areas of agreement. • Add a new feature/benefit/reaction sequence. • Ask for the order again.

Sometimes the objection is not a real one but a futile attempt to wriggle out of the salesperson’s grip… in which case you:

• Acknowledge the objection. • Re-establish your areas of agreement.


• Uncover the real objection. • Handle the real objection. • Optionally, add a new feature/benefit/reaction sequence. • Ask for the order again.

Roy Chitwood says you should expect to use one of these approaches repeatedly…you will close as many as 5 times before you get the sale. As you go on:

• Acknowledge the objection. • Cite the penalty for not buying or acting now. • Optionally, add a new feature/benefit/reaction sequence. • Ask for the order again.

On dealing with FUDS…

These are the Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts that can kill a sale just before it happens or cause a product to be returned after the purchase because of buyer’s remorse. A salesperson tries to bring out FUDs during the closing process so they can be dealt with and dismissed. You, too, should anticipate what your buyer might be concerned about and respond proactively. A lot of this has to do with a strong GUARANTEE. RECOMMENDED READING. Here some of the best-known books on selling. I think every copywriter should read a few of these. Napoleon Hill’s “Think & Grow Rich” Dale Carnegie” “How to Win Friends and Influence People” Zig Ziglar’s “See You at the Top” Brian Tracy’s “Maximum Achievement”


PART II: THE CRAFT OF DIRECT RESPONSE COPYWRITING Now let’s translate some of this selling philosophy into copywriting. We’re going to do this by focusing on one specific direct mail element… the LETTER. Here’s why:

• Letter writing is the DNA…it has the infinitely reproducible elements that can be applied to other media. Once you know how to write a letter you can do it all.

• Letters are the one element in the communications spectrum where you have nearly total control and it’s your responsibility to make it succeed. Hone your skills here and it’s easier to transfer them to other media where a designer or production specialist is involved.

• Writing is writing. Here we can study the rules for communicating without extra elements getting in the way, yet those rules will be applicable and transferable to other media.

• Letters are the easiest and cheapest venue to test different leads, benefit statements etc.

UPDATE: As this course has evolved I’ve realized that email messages must be considered in tandem with the direct mail letter. As we’ll see, many of the same rules apply to both.

Bob Stone’s Seven Step Formula for Winning Letters This is a simple mechanical formula to produce successful letters…follow these and you can’t go wrong.

1. Promise your most important benefit in your headline or first paragraph. 2. Immediately enlarge on your most important benefit. 3. Tell readers specifically what they are going to get. 4. Back up your statements with proof and endorsements. 5. Tell readers what they might lose if they don’t act. 6. Rephrase your prominent benefits in your closing offer. 7. Invite action.

Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Three Rules for Letter Copy

1. The letter should be a single coherent statement. 2. The letter should get to the point. 3. The letter should tell the reader what to do.

LETTER COMPONENTS: The Johnson Box

Named for Hank Johnson, a Time-Life copywriter of the 1960s. Also called the overline or superscript. This is copy that appears above the salutation, before the letter “begins”.


• One advantage of using a Johnson box is that it gives your letter two openings and

the reader can focus on the one that appeals to them. • The overline should generate or enhance the reader’s desire to keep reading, vs.

simply synopsizing the offer (HGL) • The overline can tease, intrique, pique curiosity. • The overline can provide a mini-call to action including response options for the

convenience of a busy, scanning reader. • Parallel in HTML email: the “open” which the reader sees either in the preview

pane or the initial screen when the message is opened. There can be multiple entry points including a head, copy, clickable graphic and possibly a sidebar.

Salutations

Personalization is preferred, but if you have to preprint make it work as hard as it can for you. Some examples from Herschell Lewis:

Dear Fellow Member Dear Executive Dear Colleague Dear World Traveler Dear Collector Dear Golf Nut or (better) Dear Fellow Golf Nut

The Letter Opening

• Match the opening to both the target and your chosen motivator, and the reader

will positively read beyond the opening. (HGL) • Fire your biggest gun first. (HGL) Start with your most important product benefit

or other appropriate announcement. If you don’t put it here, they’ll never see it because you will lose them.

• Credibility is the key, opening the door to persuasion. (HGL) If the reader doesn’t believe your opening argument, they’re going to stop right there. You will also lose them if they don’t LIKE you as portrayed in the way you’re talking to them.

Some options to begin a letter:

• Problem/solution. This is good if you need to establish context, something that’s often necessary in high tech.

• Build rapport with reader. This is effective for “soft” products such as publications.

• State the selling proposition up front. • Tell the reader what they can expect from the letter.


TIP: Keep the first sentence short. (HGL) This tells the reader that the letter is going to be easy to read (even if it gets denser later on). TIP: I usually try writing several different openings to choose from. Sometimes I end up cutting the first paragraph entirely on further review—which means I’ve taken too much time with wind-up and the second paragraph is where I get to the point.

The Call to Action The call to action is the language that tells people what you want to do and how they can do it.

• I like to present a mini-call to action at the beginning of a letter just as soon as it is meaningful; you usually need a sentence or two to establish context first.

• That first call to action may contain a tease…leave out something they have to read on to discover.

• Include a benefit for doing what you are asking them to do. “To enjoy your new whatever as soon as possible, call now..,”

• Use consistent language and instructions each time you repeat the call to action. Don’t tell them to send a reply card one time and tell them to call you the next time. This will confuse the reader and reduce response.

• Include a guarantee near the final call to action. • In the final call to action near the end of the letter summarize the entire offer and

what you want them to do.

OFFERS The offer is what the recipient gets when they respond. One of your key jobs as the copywriter is to present the offer in the most appealing way possible…and often you’ll be charged to come up with the offer. Components of an offer:

• The product or service you’re selling • Any special terms or add-ons you’re using as an incentive • Any additional benefit to act now.

For lead generation, you’re selling a follow-up contact rather than the product itself. So your offer will be a booklet or a little gift when they ask for more information. Be careful with gifts for a business-to-business audience: in these days of corporate governance concerns many people aren’t allowed to accept gifts.


Tip: you can often use a rich, multi-part offer to pull the reader through a letter. Describe just part of it at the beginning and hint that there’s more…then add elements as you go as a way to make transitions and keep the reader involved. Tip: If you are offering a gift, it’s better to tie it into the product. Otherwise you get people responding who don’t match the buyer profile.

Guarantees You’re the copywriter, not the merchandiser or owner, so it’s not really your place to go inventing guarantees. But consider this: most businesses will make a refund to a truly unhappy customer…better than having them badmouth you to their friends. This amounts to an existing guarantee that isn’t being promoted. So why not turn it into a marketing tool to answer the very powerful objection, “what happens if I receive this thing that I can’t see…and I don’t like it?” Tell your client they shouldn’t worry about being taken advantage of. Those who want to do this will find a way in any case. The extra sales from the guarantee should offset the costs of honoring the guarantee. When stating a guarantee, go all the way. Tell exactly what you’ll do and what they need to do to be honored. Don’t use qualifiers—they make it look like the company’s trying to weasel out of it. “Guaranteed, Period” from Lands End is about as good as you can get.

26 TIPS, TRICKS AND TECHNIQUES FOR EFFECTIVE LETTERS The #1 thing to keep in mind is that you are writing for a reader who may bolt at any time and who is also not likely, in today’s postliterate environment, to be an able reader. You want to make it easy to scan and you want to provide visual hooks, like the pegs a mountain climber uses, to pull them along to your offer.

1. Write short sentences. HGL recommends no sentences longer than 20 words, and never 2 consecutive sentences longer than 15 words each

2. Use short words. HGL recommends no more than 200 syllables per 100 words. 3. Write short paragraphs, no more than 5 lines each. (HGL says 7, I was taught 6,

but readers are less patient today.) 4. Having done all the above, break up your copy further with one-sentence

paragraphs, one or two word sentences. 5. Write like you talk, or worser. Casual grammar, ending a sentence with a

preposition and similar tricks helps the reader feel comfortable and shows you’re not putting yourself on a pedestal.


6. Clarity is more important than good grammar. (Another reason to write like you talk.)

7. Find ways to open sentences with “and” “but” etc to provide a visual bridge. (Again, don’t worry about if it is grammatical. You are trying to sell in the most effective way possible.)

8. Avoid using words that have more than one meaning, eg “read”. Read this and succeed. Did you read about the guy who…? A great word I never use. Lead and lead another.

9. Avoid words that can be misread by a hurrying reader. Examples: through, though, thought.

10. Use indented paragraphs, bullets, subheads to make your copy easier to scan. These are also helpful for organizing facts that would be too dense to present in run-on copy.

11. Use subheads (usually centered and bold face) to break a longer letter into sections. Be careful, though, if you’re looking for a personalized effect. A good compromise is an occasional underlined paragraph or lead-in statement that serves the same purpose as a head, but looks like body copy.

12. Avoid NON SEQUITURS …they may not be bad, they’re just not logical supporting to what came before. People need to be lead by the nose. They will wander off if you don’t.

13. Avoid subjunctives except as a negative. Don’t say if you order this product, say when you use the product. But it is okay to say if you were to lose an arm and a leg, this insurance would cover you.

14. It’s almost always a good idea to use active voice vs. passive. Passive takes more words. It takes longer for people to understand what you are trying to communicate. And it comes across as a lack of enthusiasm.

15. Avoid Germanic-type constructions where you start with a modifying phrase and the reader has to struggle past it to understand. Here’s an example from a collectibles letter (cited by HGL): “Revered and admired for its graceful flight and its powerful command of the heavens, the falcon has long been associated with majesty, lordliness and elegance.”

16. Avoid the word “it “ because the reader must go back and find out what “it” refers to.

17. DON’T INSULT THE READER. HGL refers to this as “someone who comes out swinging and starts Round 1 by hitting the referee”…who is in fact the reader who sits as judge, jury and executioner of your dm pice. Great example, “Dear Mr. Lewis: It always amazes me that less than 25% of the executives who receive this letter respond.”

18. Understand the different usage of can’t vs. won’t. Won’t is a promise, Can’t is an inexhorable force. (HGL)

19. Watch out for “as backward” sentences. These start with “as” and refer back to something else in the letter…as a rule of thumb they are usually deadly.


20. Remember that SPECIFICS SELL… in part because they are more believable than generalizations. “10 reasons to buy today” is more credible than “here are some reasons to buy today” and 9 or 11 might be better still.

21. Use YOU in the copy as much as possible. As Ray Jutkins says, “don’t forget to WHIFF ‘em” which refers not to baseball but the sales acronym that means “What’s In It For Me?”

22. Avoid “I” and “me” if at all possible unless you are creating a persona that will help make the connection with the reader. Abhor “about our organization” chest-pounding unless it’s translated into benefits (pretty unlikely).

23. If a statement is important, make it important. Write it so it’s clear, so it stands out, so you telegraph that this deserves special attention. Don’t expect your reader to do the extra work of sifting through and prioritizing your message. You’ll invariably be disappointed.

24. Don’t use unexplained and unproven comparatives and superlatives. (HGL). You’re on trial here, remember. If the reader doubts you on this point, you’ll lose them on the entire proposition. Is it worth it just to puff up the copy?

25. Get rid of qualifiers whenever possible. “Nearly perfect” isn’t good enough. 26. Break a page in the middle of a sentence if possible and use “over, please” or

“please continue”.

How long should a letter be? A boy once wrote President Lincoln and asked how long a man’s legs should be. He wrote back a personal reply: “Long enough to reach the ground.” For sales letters, the answer is, “long enough to tell the story completely without padding.” I’ve written letters as long as 24 pages for an expensive investment newsletter, and half a page for a high tech seminar invitation. Both were successful.

The Herschell Gordon Lewis’ principle of VERISIMILITUDE Verisimilitude is the appearance of truth—it describes something that looks and sounds true without necessarily being true, which is what we’re striving to do with much direct mail. You want your letter to look and sound like something that is in the reader’s experience. If you sign it Jimmy Carter, the reader needs to feel it is like something Jimmy Carter would write. If it is supposed to be a serious business offer, it should not have doodles in the margin. If it is supposed to be personal, don’t use multiple fonts and colors. As with a magic act, verisimilitude takes advantage of the reader’s willing suspension of disbelief. And if you lift the curtain by falling out of character, you’re really insulting the reader’s trust and you’re very likely to lose them on the spot. Herschell Lewis presents a great example of a fundraising appeal that fails because of a single poorly chosen word: “Around 2.5 million hungry people in the two western regions of Sudan will soon run out of food…” The word “around” is the killer. It suggests


the person writing the letter didn’t know how many people there were and didn’t want to take the trouble to find out. If he doesn’t care, why should we?

The “Voice” of the Copy A letter is a very personal medium. People want to know who is writing to them. A slightly stiff banker? A kindly professor? A regular guy who’s discovered something great? Adopting each of those approaches would create a very different voice in the same letter with the same offer. Once you’ve chosen a voice, stick to it. A good example of what NOT to do is a personal-toned letter that suddenly shifts into legaleze or technical jargon. This brings the reader to a dead stop and you have to start them up again or (as will probably happen) lose them. Other media have a voice too, especially catalogs and Web sites. You are acting as a tour guide here…the goal is to have a consistent approach to filtering and presenting information which helps the reader know what to expect.

Always remember who you’re writing to: The MARGINAL prospect A certain percentage of your readers will be with you automatically unless you say something to turn them off. A certain percentage will not buy under any circumstances. You need to go for the guys in the middle, those who can be convinced but need some prodding. Write your letter to them and you’ll multiply your chances of success.

The letter P.S. Use the P.S. to…

• Tease back into the letter and also to repeat a call to action. “To get those flimmer flamers I just described, call now.”

• Reinforce one of the key selling motivators (HGL) • Add a new benefit that doesn’t require explanation (HGL)

A P.P.S. doesn’t belong in a marketing letter …shows you can’t make up your mind. This P.S. from St. Jude hospital resulted in a 19% response vs. no P.S. with everything else identical. Worked both with Danny Thomas as the signer and another person later. (HGL)

P.S. I hope that your own family never suffers the tragedy of losing a child to an incurable disease. At St. Jude, we’re fighting to conquer these killers, and one day someone in your own family may live because we succeeded.


HOW TO GET READY FOR WRITING

“Advertising is hard” --agency principal Tom Collins

Step One: Do your research

1. ROADWORK. Read publications your audience reads, go to their favorite Web sites, get on email newsletter lists, watch favorite programs, listen to their favorite radio stations. This tells you what they’re interested in and also what their reading level is…technical or jargony vs. not, 4th grade vs. high school graduate. Also, you get free research by seeing ads that run a lot…probably successful. 2. Look at EXISTING materials. Your client’s previous promotions, along with results! Also white papers and technical documents, product spec sheets and brochures. Your client may worry about biasing you, or that you will accidentally plagiarize. Your response is that you need this to avoid burning a lot of hours to reinvent the wheel. 3. Talk to real people involved with the product. They may be salespeople involved in selling to the leads you generate. You’re really facing the same challenges, in fact you are the front end of the sales process, so hear what they say about pain points, objections, what makes the eyes light up.

• They may be customers in some cases, especially if it’s an item without a big sales process.

• They may be customer service people. • They may be product managers who have done research and made changes.

Tips for conducting a research interview:

• Do it on the phone, never in person. You’ll save time and you can be sitting at your computer to make notes.

• Do your preliminary research before you call, so you act smart, won’t embarrass your client, and you don’t waste time.

• Don’t just call somebody and start interviewing them. Call or email in advance and say that you’d like to call back at a time when they can talk for 15 uninterrupted minutes. Then fax or email a list of questions for them to be thinking about.

• Set up more interviews than you think you’ll need. Some interviewees won’t be available or will rush through the interview…others won’t have the expected product knowledge or perspective. (Interestingly, I’ve found that crack salespeople are often very poor interview subjects…perhaps because their success is based on emotion and intuition, not knowledge.)


While interviewing in person, I handwrite my notes and then I type them into the computer as soon as possible. Sometimes I can interview someone on phone with headset and write as I talk, but I still go back and clean up and expand statements where they were talking too fast and I made a shorthand note. Sometimes it’s my terrible handwriting…I look at it and I can’t read it, but it reminds me of what I was thinking when I wrote that. Once I’ve done all this, I often find I need very little referral to them…just getting it on the paper gets into my brain.

Bob Bly’s 20 questions to ask about the product before you start writing Use these as the basis of an interview…or to organize your own research.

1. What are its features and benefits? 2. What benefits are most important? 3. How is the product different from the competition’s? (Which features are

exclusive? Which work better than the competition’s?) 4. If the product isn’t different, what attributes can be stressed that aren’t stressed by

the competition? 5. What technologies does the product compete against? (Think outside the box

here. If you are selling a video recorder, your competition isn’t just other video recorders. Beyond that, it could be TiVo, DVDs, video games, live TV…all the things you can do with a TV. Beyond that, it can be other forms of entertainment such as taking a walk, reading a book.)

6. What are the applications of the product? (Special note for tech writers: often a technical product will go through several lives, like a cat, being redefined as being for a different market or a different purpose. You may read product literature and form one impression, then learn the goal of your customer is a completely different application going forward.)

7. What problems does the product solve in the marketplace? 8. How is the product positioned against competing products? 9. How does the product work? 10. How reliable is the product? How long will it last? 11. How efficient is the product? 12. How economical? 13. How much does it cost? 14. Is it easy to use? Easy to maintain? 15. Who has bought the product and what do they say about it? 16. What materials, sizes and models are available? 17. How quickly can the product be delivered? 18. If they don’t deliver, how and where can you buy it? 19. What service and support does the manufacturer offer? 20. Is the product guaranteed?


Bob Bly’s 7 questions to ask about the audience

1. Who will buy the product? (What markets is it sold into?) 2. What exactly does the product do for them? 3. Why do they need the product? And why do they need it now? 4. What is the customer’s main concern when buying this type of product…price,

delivery, performance, reliability, service, maintenance, quality, efficiency, availability?

5. What is the character of the buyer? What type of person is the product being sold to?

6. What motivates the buyer? 7. How many buying influences must the copy appeal to? (A toy ad, for example,

must appeal to both parent and child. A high tech lead generation piece might need to address both the developer who uses it and the executive who approves the purchase.)

THE CREATIVE BRIEF

As an alternative to the process described above, many agencies will provide you with a creative brief. This is a contract between the account people, the client and the creatives. It tells what this campaign is supposed to accomplish. Usually the account person or a planner prepares a preliminary draft, it is reviewed and signed off by the client, then the official brief is given to the creatives. There are minor variations among creative briefs from agency to agency but they usually answer the following questions:

1. What is this project all about? (Describe the assignment in a paragraph) 2. What is the main thing we want to accomplish? 3. Who are we addressing? 4. What does the audience think about our product or service now? (Include

competitive perspective here.) 5. What do we WANT them to think? 6. How are we going to accomplish this? (Features and benefits of the product). 7. Is there a specific offer? 8. What are likely objections and how can we handle them? 9. Are there any delimiting budget or production considerations? 10. What sacred cows, legal mandatories etc. should we be aware of? 11. What is the schedule?


This variation is from msdbm/sourcelink, a database marketing agency. The project is for an existing client, so the brief includes more about the audience and more production details:

1. Why are we doing this credit card acquisition program? 2. What is the objective of this campaign? 3. Who are we talking to? 4. Where will the customer come from? 5. What is the main thought we need to communicate? 6. What do we want the customer to think? 7. Why should they believe us? 8. What is the creative tone? 9. What is the format? 10. What are the special logistical considerations? 11. What is the budget? 12. When is the launch schedule?

The creative brief is very important to you because, among other things, it defines what you can and can’t do with the assignment. If you decide the product appeals to teens when the brief clearly says the audience is 50 plus, you’ll end up doing a rewrite at no charge. On the other hand, if your copy makes a daring departure that’s supported by information in the brief, the account people should be obligated to present it. I have virtually never worked without a brief on a project for a large agency…and I have hardly EVER had a brief from smaller shops and I think that is a key differentiator. Aside from being a contract it’s a way to focus on the important elements of the project and clarify the mind. For that reason, on anything but a small project that’s evolved from a lot of existing assumptions, I will write my own brief if I don’t get one given to me and I urge you to do the same. However, you should never, never let your agency client know you’re writing your own brief. Otherwise your brief ends up getting presented as the agency’s work—a risky violation of the natural separation of responsibilities.

Back to the direct mail package—other components The direct mail component package gives you an extra dimension to help you sell…the dimension of time. That’s because it takes time to go through the package and deal with each element, and through this involvement you may keep your reader involved all the way to the response device… as compared to the flatness of a print ad or email.


I like to think of this as STAGE MANAGEMENT. You’re putting on a show for your reader and the elements are the actors and the set. We’ve discussed the letter at length. Here are some thoughts on working with the other elements. OUTER ENVELOPE. What is the purpose of the outer envelope? NOT to hold the contents…if that’s all you’re using it for, you should save money with a self mailer. According to HGL, “The only purpose of an envelope is to get the reader to open it.”

• If your offer requires explanation, do not spill your guts on the envelope. “Wait till you’re out of the bank to take your mask off.” (HGL)

• If your message and format are in any way personal you MUST test a blank outer. • Don’t imply a commitment on the outer. This for Working Assets telephone

service: Introducing the socially responsible Visa card. Sounds like too much of a commitment…better to talk about benefits. Now they offer a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

RESPONSE DEVICE. Do people still fill out reply cards? You bet they do. In recent research for a high tech audience, when a reply card was included as many as 50% used that to mail or fax back their response.

• The order card needs to have a clear and complete statement of the offer…which is why many copywriters like to approach this element first.

• The order card needs a call to action statement that summarizes exactly why the reader should respond and includes benefits. This can be “yes, I want to lower my insurance rates” or “To lower your insurance rates, mail today” or possible both (one in the head, one next to the address) depending on the voice of the copy.

• If you have an offer (and of course you should) that should be depicted on the card along with a brief description.

• High tech marketers in particular like to include a bunch of survey questions. Tell your clients they have to keep it to three and the questions have to be multiple choice. Beyond that the response will drop off and you’ll get the blame.

• Try filling out the card yourself to be sure the designer has allowed enough room. • It’s a plus if you can personalize all or part of the card, but leave something for

them to fill in or you’ll get impulse responses that you may not want. LIFT NOTE. This used to be called the “publisher’s letter” or “pub note” in Readers Digest and Time-Life packages. The conceit is that the publisher would look at all the elements as the package was going out, then type a little note that said “frankly I’m puzzled” that with this great product and great offer some people still won’t respond. Lift notes are less common in today’s skeptical marketplace, but they still work.


• I like to use the lift note to focus on a single powerful statement…an extremely strong benefit, or something about the offer. The pub note can also be:

• A testimonial from a satisfied user. • An endorsement. You see this a lot in affinity mailings. The offer is from a bank,

and the lift note is from the president of your association talking about how they worked hard to get this benefit for their members.

• A restatement of the guarantee, simply to reiterate this is such a no-risk opportunity they can’t possibly lose.

A good lift note…

• Should be a different size, different font, different signer in most cases than the original letter.

• Should NOT have a P.S. if the original letter does. (HGL--because it exposes the device as a device)

• Should be one page. BROCHURE. The brochure tells, while the letter tells. It should have the appearance of objectivity to offset the enthusiasm and salesmanship of your letter. It should show where possible and present product features and benefits in easily digestible chunks.

• Even though it will be stated differently, your brochure needs to carry through the DNA of your letter and your major selling proposition. Look for key words that will influence the reader and repeat them in the headlines of your brochure.

• The major inside spread of the brochure should make a complete product pitch including key benefits, offer and call to action. This isn’t always the last spread you get to, by the way. If it’s a big “bedsheet” brochure the first fold is the place for this information.

• For business to business clients, you’ll very often end up with an 8 /2 x 11 brochure which has an extra flap. I like to put a big depiction of the offer there. You can also use this flap for a sidebar story, or a string of testimonials.

• The back cover of your brochure is where you put the mandatory stuff your client’s legal department insists on including: disclaimers, trademark information etc. In addition you should be sure to include full contact information including the physical address.


HOW TO ACTUALLY START WRITING…

“There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” --sportswriter Red Smith

Here’s what I do… I start typing not actual copy, but what I want my copy to communicate…paying attention not to actual words but to the message that comes across. For example: “I am writing to an Information Technology manager. This person is very busy and I want them to know that I have something that will help them save time and get their management off their back. This is a reporting solution that allows them to deliver information much faster than whatever they’re using now…” I work as fast as I can, being very careful not to wordsmith or get hung up on language. Sometimes I find there’s a technical detail or factual issue that needs more research, so I just make up something as a placeholder so I don’t get slowed down. And I take this process as far as I can before I run out of steam. Occasionally I see phrases that just spring onto the page, surprising me…this shows I have done my homework. Then I put it aside and go back and do the research to fill in any blanks and follow up on issues that were raised for me. What part of the promotion do I start writing? Some writers like to start with the Johnson box or outer envelope teaser since those are what the reader sees first. Some start with order form since that’s where the offer must be clearly presented. I always begin with the “body copy”…the core information that sells people. In a direct mail package that’s the letter. Here are a few organizational and inspirational exercises you might want to try…

• With your words, paint A WORD PICTURE of the problem and your solution. Describe as vividly as you can what is happening and how your product can change that.

• Write a SELLING ARGUMENT in which you develop the logic that should make people respond and build it up point by point.

• Find a picture of a person who fits your target audience. Cut it out and stick it above your monitor screen so you can visualize your reader one-on-one.

• John Caples on headlines: never write one head, write a dozen so you’ll have something to choose from.

• John Caples on writing copy: write more copy than is necessary to fill the space so you’ll have something to cut.

PART I: INTRODUCTION What is “direct response” … I: INTRODUCTION What is “direct response”...

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Transcript of PART I: INTRODUCTION What is “direct response” … I: INTRODUCTION What is “direct response”...