Greetings Floor Dealers!
I’ve spoken with many floor dealers who were extremely discouraged with the advertising results they’d gotten from websites, newspaper ads, letters, postcards, email, flyers, etc. They are often convinced that the advertising media itself was ineffective, when many times it was the message being delivered that was responsible for the campaign bombing. To make this point, I ask dealers this question:
Question: What’s the difference between a one-dollar bill and a hundred-dollar bill?
Answer: The message on the paper.
In the same way, the message in your ad determines its value to you. The piece of paper (or electronic media) your ad is written on could be worth tens-of-thousands of dollars or worth zero depending on what’s written there. This series is about helping you maximize ROI in your marketing in any media you use.
Secret #1—The headline is the most important part of your ad or website
As I’ve stated before, the headline is the “ad for the ad.” When someone opens your letter, lands on your website, looks at your postcard, or flips through a newspaper, you have seconds (or fractions of a second) to catch their attention. This is why getting the headline right is critical.
Victor Schwab, author of How To Write A Good Advertisement says, “Some of the most tremendous flops among advertisements contain body matter filled with convincing copy. But it just wasn’t encapsulated into a good headline. And so the excellent copy didn’t even get a reading.”
Most dealers use their business name as the headline of their ads. This is a mistake because business names usually don’t convey any kind of benefit to your prospects. Headlines should communicate a benefit, highlight a problem, or awaken curiosity. Here are some examples:
4 Powerful Reasons To Sprint To Jimbo’s Floors
And Book Your Holiday Floor Covering Right Now!
How Susan’s Floor Shopping Nightmare
Turned Into A Dream Come True!
Get A FREE Day Of Pampering And A Round Of Golf
With The Jimbo’s Floors Spa & Golf Package!
How The Jimbo’s Floors “Man Cave”
Makes Floor Buying A Blast For The Guys!
I’ll sometimes sit down in a quiet place and write out 25 or more attention-grabbing headlines and pick the best one. (NOTE: extensive market testing has shown that the headline “Buy Flooring From Us…Or Else,” while being an attention-grabber, rarely results in more sales.)
Secret #2—Keep your prospect’s attention with compelling sub-heads
After I come up with a good headline, many of the headline ideas I didn’t use become my sub-heads. Some people will read every single word of your ad or website, others will skim. The sub-head creates a readership path for the skimmers so they get your marketing message. I’ve written out sub-heads on 3×5 cards, spread them out on a table, then arranged them in a logical, story-telling sequence. This creates the outline for my entire ad, letter or website.
Secret #3—Demonstrate why prospects should believe you
Consumers are growing ever more suspicious, skittish and stand-offish; trust is hard to come by. That’s why you should use every tool at your disposal to build credibility with prospects. (Stating “We Won’t Smack Your Bratty Kids” in your advertising, while technically true, does not build credibility.) Include before-and-after photos, testimonials, experience, certifications, and any other credentials. But don’t just list your credentials, explain in detail how your credentials will be of benefit to the prospect.
In the next article, I’ll cover the secret of the “Big Promise.”
Send Me Your Feedback! Do you have a sales or marketing question you’d like to have answered? What topics would you like to see covered? Email me at Support@FlooringSuccessSystems.com or comment on this post. I’d love to hear from you. -Jim
To Tons Of Customers!
Jim Augustus Armstrong is The “Coach”
Jim Augustus Armstrong is the President of Flooring Success Systems, a program that equips dealers to double their profits, cut their work hours in half and beat the boxes! Many dealers have totally transformed their businesses and their lives for the better after joining Flooring Success Systems.
See what real, live dealers are saying!