How to make sure your marketing projects have the right ingredients.
By Mike French
This is another article in a series I’m writing about sales and marketing methods that don’t change and will continue to help businesses in the automotive recycling industry achieve predictable and measurable results. Here I’ll discuss what a lot of advertisers forget to include in the advertising projects they produce, which can scuttle results, and why checklists help remember them.
I had money to spend, but it stayed in my pocket!
I received a beautiful flyer in the mail. It had a great product and a terrific offer, and I decided to buy. But there was one problem. The sender forgot to put their contact information on the piece. There was no phone number, no address, no website, and no email address – no way of contacting them. There was no way for me to respond to their offer. I wondered to myself if they had ever figured out why their campaign had failed. I thought, “Boy, they sure were stupid to leave off something so obvious.” But then I got a phone call from a business friend. He said he couldn’t find my email or website address anywhere in my newsletter.
Good grief! He was right. I forgot to include that important information in my own newsletter. Now I really did feel stupid.
It is very easy to forget important information
Pilots have checklists for the very reason that the easy stuff is usually what we forget, even though they must do the same things repeatedly. If they were to get distracted for any reason and forget something, it could mean disaster. In fact, pilots realized the need for a checklist way back in 1935 at Wright Airfield. That’s when a Boeing experimental Model 199 four-engine bomber crashed on takeoff, killing two of the five crew members. The pilot had forgotten to unlock the hydraulic and rudder controls. A checklist was created for future flights.
We need checklists for other things as well. I like a quote from Bruce Ramsey, a writer for the Seattle Times. He said, “Checklists are about how to prevent highly trained, specialized workers from making dumb mistakes.” So true!
Another quote on the same subject is from the author of The Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande. He writes, “In a complex environment, experts are up against two main difficulties. The first is the fallibility of human memory and attention, especially when it comes to mundane, routine matters that are easily overlooked under the strain of more pressing events.” He is so right!
Always remember the most important ingredient of all: give your customers a pleasant buying experience with you.
Yes, we do need checklists for all kinds of things. This is especially true when preparing expensive advertising projects. I remember getting a phone number wrong on a direct mail piece that was mailed out to several thousand addresses. The entire campaign, of course, was worthless, and it cost me a lot of money to redo it. Since then, I have made sure all the numbers appearing on a piece are correct. It’s on my checklist of important things to check before sending a project to press.
Now, while you are making sure you have included all the obvious things, here are a few more things to consider:
• Include as many of the following seven key copy drivers as possible: Anger, exclusivity, fear, flattery, greed, guilt, and salvation.
• Include in your copy as many of the following evocative words as possible: Free, you, new, safety, money, guarantee, love, easy, health, proven, results, save.
• Include the following triggers:
The answer to the customer’s greatest question, “What’s in it for me?”
A built-in mechanism so the reader can easily respond.
A system enabling you to measure responses.
There you have it. That’s a concise list of important advertising ingredients to help you achieve the best results from your advertising projects.
Always remember the most important ingredient of all: Give your customers a pleasant buying experience with you. That should be the first item on your checklist. Happy customers bring repeat sales!
Here is a list you can borrow to create a checklist of your own. It will help you make sure your marketing projects have the right ingredients.
Preparation checklist for every promotion:
Headline
Offer
Call to Action
Local phone number
Toll-free number
Extension numbers
Web address
Email address
Company address
Testimonials
The company name
Coupons
Coupon expiration date
Early bird bonus
Guarantee
Unique Selling Proposition
Secondary offer
Something Free
Warranty
Order form
Association logo(s)
Company logo
Business hours
Location map
Product photos
Staff photos
Social media logos
Mike French is retired from 39 years of business in the automotive recycling industry. He is an author, publisher, consultant and speaker. Mike is founder and Executive Director of Christian Auto Recyclers & Vendors Association (CARVA) and will be at upcoming recycler trade shows and events. Mike is available to speak at your group, conference or event. He loves to share inspirational stories which demonstrate how the Word of God actively changes lives. He can be reached at mike@carva.group. Visit www.CARVA.group, and/or visit www.PowerPackedPromises.com.
