"Some free copy advice"



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Would you believe the four simple points I mention above led to $600,000 in sales?

Don't just take my word for it though, here's Simon's email in full:

"Hello Drayton:

Am downing a post-work beer as I type this (so please excuse the typing if it gets a bit wayward).

I work for a company that owns and operates retirement villages in New Zealand.

Some of your suggestions that I have used in our advertising which I am certain - based on enquiries and actual sales - have made a difference are:

(1) Not very sexy or creative, but being specific works

1 (a)We know the weekly fee at one of our villages is very competitive. Stating the actual amount in dollars and cents worked better than saying "Competitve Weekly Fee".

1 (b) Asking people to send in for a free brochure worked better when I stated how many pages it had, how many illustrations, diagrams etc etc.. Results were 2 to 2 and a half times better doing this than just the generic "request a brochure"

(2) Giving them every reason to buy

For this we tried a double-sided newspaper insert, rather than an on-page ad (we could afford to absorb the printing costs, as we sell high ticket items).

This one insert got sufficient enquries to sell two retirement village villas at a price of NZ $ 300, 000 each. We sold these within three weeks of the insert going out in a local newspaper. Prior to this, these villas had remained unsold for 9 - 10 months. We crammed the insert with every reason for buying one of these villas that we could think of.

The end sales result was purely down to trying (1a) and (2) in combination. There were no changes in market conditions or competitor activity.

(3) You vs. we ratio in copy plus keep writing to them

I am now back to my desk job, but recently I was doing face-to-face selling as well as marketing.

I found it much easier to build trust and a bond with potential buyers by writing to them in me-to-you style, without any puffery or screaming at them. I faced far fewer objections when talking to people face-to-face, they were far more likely to trust my spoken word when I had already covered an objection or concern in writing.

Also, and I had never experienced this in buiness before, by writing to them regularly, people felt they already knew you reasonably well, so were more friendly and open with you when talking to them in person.

(4) Back to specific, but specific instructions in your call to action

I found the response was better when our ads said something like:Just call Simon and tell him "I would like you to send me the ..... brochure".

This pulled better than simply saying Phone 1234567 to request a brochure.

There's four I can think of off the top of my head.

Thanks and best wishes,

Simon."

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