Direct Response Copywriting

If you're responsible for e-mail, direct mail, or other marketing communications materials, you have to face an unpleasant fact. Your readers don't want to hear from you. Every day they are bombarded with marketing messages, which makes them skeptical, doubtful, suspicious, and mistrustful. Quite a combo.

When you're planning to mail a lead-generation letter or self-mailer, you probably think a lot about what your offer's going to be, what lists you'll use, etc.

But don't forget to consider the context in which your letter will get read. You see, it's important to understand exactly the way people read your mail and the demands that imposes on the copywriter.

Over lunch the other day, a friend of mine told me a true story that I want to share with you.

A copywriter at a well-known advertising agency recently wrote a thirty-second TV commercial and showed it to his boss. The Associate Creative Director read it over and said "It's a great spot, but isn't something missing?" "What's that?" asked the copywriter. "The product," replied his boss. "You forgot to mention the client's product!"

When you're selling a product or service via direct mail, or at your Web site,
you've got to give prospects a LOT of detailed product information.

Why? Because if they're going to part with their money, they're going to want to know all the benefits, all the specs, all the nitty-gritties. When you're asking for the sale, you simply have to answer readers' questions and overwhelm them with compelling reasons to buy.

After all, if you're Louis Vuitton, all you have to do is show a gorgeous model with a
handbag and include your famous name at the bottom of the ad.

The whole point is to create a sense of sophistication and chic. Including any
aggressive sales copy instantly destroys the fragile mystique that is at the heart
of the brand's identity.

It's a simple fact. The best way to sell anything is face to face.

When you're literally in the room with a prospect, you can probe for areas of customer interest, read body- language, sell with emotion and personality, answer objections, and most importantly, close the sale.

In the old days, the Fuller Brush man, the Avon Lady, and other intrepid souls would make the rounds and work their magic in person, right in the prospect's living room. (As a young man, I sold door-to-door myself. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it taught me a lot!)