Have you looked in your daily newspaper lately? Or in the Yellow Pages, or in your mailbox?

I’m sure you’ve noticed, as I have, how many ads and direct mail pieces that all basically look alike.  I mean really!  Take a look at them again.

For example, look in the Yellow Pages (I know, I’m talking about the real off-line book) and pick a section, computers for instance.

Take a gander at some of the ads.  Probably 95% of them say and do the same exact thing.  The copy (what there is of it), the bullets, they are all the same!  Their business names are big, bold at the top of the ad.  No recognizeable customer benefits, cuz there ain’t no headline!

Wasted advertising space and money down the drain

They all talk about themselves and what they do. Take away the company names, and voila; which one do you call?  I don’t ever who to call because none of them stand out from the crowd.  Even the much bigger ads (that cost a small fortune) say the same things as the small ones, just in bigger type.

There are rarely any customer benefits in the ads.  What I mean is ad copy that gives you a specific reason to respond to one ad over the other bazillion ones that look alike.

Write for your prospective customers  

When you have to write any kind of sales materials or ad copy, make sure the copy transmits to them immediate benefits that they will get by dealing with you as opposed to anyone else.  That will get their attention.

You’ve heard the term, WIIFM?  It means “what’s in it for me”.  That’s what people really care about, they couldn’ care less what you think or what you think they should care about.

Increase response rates and ROI

So, speak and convey important customer benefits quickly to them in any sales and marketing materials you write and you certainly will get a much greater response rate and ROI than ever before.

If you are interested in my sales copywriting or marketing consulting services, please visit my website at www.crestviewmarketing.com.