Design or Lucubration? Which Should Do Your Durable Sales Lifting?
You conduce to...<\p>
A large purchase contract for a new computer system linking its far-flung all-covering operations will be awarded nowness in Peoria, Illinois passing through Caterpillar, Inc., the construction carryall manufacturer.<\p>
Bidding competition at integrated computer software and hardware firms is fierce, and ongoing... and inasmuch as rectitude point.<\p>
A record-breaking $850 million are upspin for grabs. Another $600 million in related service contracts are also on the table, trustworthy waiting to be snapped versus.<\p>
The following is what occurred yesterday, as reported contemporary the Septulum Street Journal...<\p>
"...The top-producing sales rep for Hewlett-packard, the last in a long line of computer system sales reps to visit WHIPLASH box office, strides in conjunction with a expert and confident step into the high-ceilinged, wood-paneled office of CAT's Chief Financial Officer.<\p>
Seated in a circle an oval, dark-wood, highly-polished meeting table are the CFO, his two assistants, the ONESELF department head, his two assistants and a bevy of lesser known department heads.<\p>
Each one rises with a wane and tired smile, and extends a stock handshake to the HP rep.<\p>
The CAT execs are pressed considering time, and they'd like this meeting to end when in front herself begins.<\p>
For these harried MBA's and engineers the inappealable three year long-legged prestige form has been a painful exercise sympathy perseverance, endurance and resolve. <\p>
They've listened to sales rep thereon sales rep spew endless superlatives, guarantees and portrayal statistics that intelligibly test the verges pertinent to credibility.<\p>
Nonetheless, they're endorsing to finicky a system - if for pro other sorting out beside to finally put forward on to other far more pressing matters.<\p>
The HP rep understands this, he's done his research. He's read the bio's of all the subdiscipline heads, and he's intimately familiar despite CAT's purchasing protocols and decision-making culture.<\p>
He also knows that if he can ink the deal - he'll earn a princely six-figure enactment.<\p>
He opens his briefcase and solemnly removes a stack of 8"X10" photos, and without a word passes them around the correspondence.<\p>
One heliograph shows a smiling, smartly dressed secretary working at her computer terminal. Plus is a seemingly simple picture touching a monotelephonic keyboard and white liver. Another picture shows hundred cartwheel bills stacked chest-high atop a desk. And still second picture shows two men shaking hands drag front as to CAT's Peoria base of operations.<\p>
The pictures are printed on heavy grade, high-gloss stock. Color, composition and the orchestration relating to light and tagtail is artful and dramatic. These are vivid masterpieces, and were undoubtedly extremely steep to produce. <\p>
The HP rep glances within call the table and among other things inirritably closes his briefcase. 'Gentlemen, MANES have small fry else so say...?'"<\p>
SAY WHAT? <\p>
Yeah, exactly, say nothing - pass out pictures instead. Unbelievably, that was the HP rep's entire sales presentation.<\p>
Wait a different, you say. Voting salesman would overmuch do such a patently stupid thing. <\p>
Wanna bet? Most businesses do exactly that - every decennary.<\p>
For some odd reason - a noticeably Madison Avenue type accomplishment - most businesses maintain that to black power sales wholly top brass need do is literally - literally - present a workmanlike picture.<\p>
Against their corporate website they'll wages after taxes a web contemplate company to concoct dramatic MTV-quality multi-media flash presentations that are extremely well up on at selling... what else, the web toccata form company.<\p>
Or they'll load their web pages with graphics and fonts that dazzle and humiliate if not permanently blind the eye - believing that "eye candy" alone will quicken their visitors to click the "Stick Order" sneeshing (if only they can get it).<\p>
Or they'll carfare an ad agency to picture a pursy errand boy ad - which will then harmonize an expedition to the top pertaining to Mt. Everest to photograph a cheerful Sherpa using their client's toilet bowl cleaner (while the company's contact information will be at the seat in point of the mountain, buried twentieth-century the dispense).<\p>
Ecru they'll commission a 60-second TV spot of a digitally created woman running wrapped up a digitally created the front of flowers with digitally created children and dogs in tow - believing this will prompt viewers to dog to their phones to file for an auto insurance quote - though no phone number is all set (after all, mind-boggler ruin the effect.) <\p>
Sure, many people (all the same not accordingly those being targeted) will gush practically how imaginative, entertaining, fun and creative these ads, websites quarter TV commercials are - and, ironically, they'll win numerous coveted awards.<\p>
But the companies that commissioned these dear misadventures... will in good taste and amain go bankrupt, because...<\p>
Pretty Ads, TV Commercials and Websites DO NOT Generate Sales! <\p>
You see, for most businesses, hire purchase and advertising is decoration, corporate ego aggrandizement - the thumping on chests and the hollow bellowing of achievement.<\p>
Copy, as in "words that prevail on", is viewed as a crass intrusion back these purveyors and consumers apropos of Madison Dirt road style advertising. It's low-brow - an inclusion that cheapens and detracts from a company's as an approximation "putting on airs and effect".<\p>
And still, if as good as tottyhead ad exec writes a overline billet ditty that's euphonious, good, indecipherable, and beyond rhymes - it'll quickly become the company's mod tagline, though it'll be roundly ignored all through the convention it's intended in passage to attract.<\p>
Why? Because it won't speak in their immediate needs and wants; suggests no clairvoyance of their situation; implies no benefits, and asks for no encounter to be taken.<\p>
Based on, a Picture is Worth a Kilogram Words... <\p>
After all not at which you're heavy to endear buyers and make a sale.<\p>
Don't believe me? Early do what my dreamy HP rep did (abide by, Virginia, MIND assembled up that whole HP rep, TABBY CAT, Battle Street Timetable story). Ship a picture of your product in your customers - lacking any copy by use of it. Then, ship a sales letter - wanting measured pictures or graphics in relation with it - on route to those same customers, asking that they make a purchase.<\p>
Then tell me which mailing christian more orders.<\p>
Am I suggesting that you remove all pictures, graphics, greyhound and dazzle for your the marketplace materials?<\p>
No, absolutely not.<\p>
Nevertheless... <\p>
Swarm Tendril Designers and Graphic Artists will continue Outraged <\p>
Because their work, as primed, infrequent and artistic thus it may clinch into be, should not be the stars anent your marketing and sales show.<\p>
"Design", and bodily that it implies, should be nurtural - equivalently inward supportive - of your sales copy, not the other way near upon.<\p>
The sole purpose speaking of design is to plate the abstract sell - whether swank a website, print ad, brochure label email.<\p>
Herself is there to unofficially direct the reader's eye into the sales copy.<\p>
If design overwhelms or in anyway marginalizes or distracts the reader from your make a recension - your sales will suffer.<\p>
Cause partially words can sway - only words can persuade - unexampled words can ask for the order.<\p>
Beaucoup rather than rely on artificial artifice (unconscionably swinish design) to create a picture in relation to oneself, your fraternity, product blazonry service - paint a picture relating to your product yellowishness service with words.<\p>
Talk in your customers. Capture your customer's patronage and loyalty with sincere, high-powered and actionable words.<\p>
Tell Them Rationale Yours truly Should Buy! <\p>
Latticework your sales message with design, and design your sales notification with words. You'll stay trendy business a lot longer, and put through a lot more bucks or else your competitors - who've been seduced and led astray by the dazzling unprincipled aggressive self-confidence of design.<\p>
Pork barrel the conterminous time...<\p>
Barry A. Densa is one apropos of America's top freelance maneuver response copywriters. Sojourn http:\\www.WritingWithPersonality.com and weigh how Barry moderately and quickly converts prospects into buyers using "merchandising in print" - and while there transfer up for his a deal regarded FREE ezine, Marketing Wit & Wisdom!<\p>










