Are Your Prospects Walking Out on You?

After 11 years in sales, I've put together and delivered more sales presentations, briefings, and demos than I care to remember. But the nice thing about repetition is that after a few dozen presentations you get very good at reading body language.

You can easily tell when the audience is engaged, when they're confused, when they are bored, uninterested -- even angry and inpatient. (And that's a good thing because you can quickly switch gears in response to this feedback!)

I've seen it all. I've had people fall asleep on me (great boost to my self-esteem, as you can imagine). I've had others so excited, they almost cried (ok -- maybe I didn't really see tears).

Luckily, I've never had anyone walk out on me or ask me to leave.

But that changes when you write copy. In essence, a direct response piece -- whether it's a sales letter, an email, self-mailer, or landing page -- is a sales presentation on paper.

And every time a prospect tosses your letter in the recycling bin -- or hits the delete button -? he or she is in "walking out on you" right in the middle of your pitch.

**A Tough and Demanding Audience**

So here's how you can start using this technique to strengthen your copy: Imagine you're presenting your idea, concept or product to a room full of potential prospects. But this time, the "ground rules" are tougher than usual.

Your prospects have agreed to sit down and pay attention. They will not interrupt you. However, they've made it clear that if anyone loses interest at any point during your presentation (even in the first 10 seconds) that person is allowed to walk out of the room.

Yup. They can just pick up their notepad and leave for good.

Rude? Maybe. But that's your incentive to try and keep as many folks engaged as possible. The more "attendees" you still have in the room at the end of your presentation, the better your score.

By putting yourself under this kind of pressure, you'll be forced to take a harder look at your copy. You'll have to now make sure that all the critical elements are present.

You'll also be forced to trim the filler that doesn't add anything to your core message -- and cut out the empty hype that will send attendees running down the hallway screaming in pain.

**Critical Elements to Consider**

Here are some important elements to pay particular attention to:

* Prospect Pain. Do you understand the prospect's problems? Do you understand what's keeping him or her up at night? Are you demonstrating a good understanding of these issues?

* Positioning. How are you positioning your product? What's your angle? How does this relate to the prospect and his or her problems?

* Benefits. Are you clearly articulating the product's benefits as they relate to your prospect's problems?

* Proof. Are you offering enough credible proof to back up your benefit claims, or are you resorting to hype or empty, overused statements that no longer carry any weight (such as claiming you have a "robust, scalable solution that offers seamless integration.")

* Credibility. Why should your prospects believe you? What have you done for other similar businesses facing similar challenges? How successful have you been in solving these problems?

* Value Proposition. Call it the USP (Unique Selling Proposition), value prop, key differentiator, or whatever you like. Just make sure you're clearly communicating: why you, why they should care, why now.

* Call to Action. Do you have a clear call to action? How attractive (and relevant) is it to your audience? How many of those left over in the room will take you up on it (honestly)?

These aren't all the factors to consider, but it's a good start.

So before you send out your next piece, run it through this litmus test. Imagine yourself having to pitch this idea to a group of potential prospects. Ask yourself: would most of them walk out on me, or would most stay engaged till the end? How many would then take me up on my offer?

Better yet, put yourself in THEIR shoes. Would YOU stay and listen to the whole presentation, or would you lose interest and walk out?

This little exercise will force you to make the copy stronger, more compelling, more sincere. And this will pay off in better conversion rates and higher quality leads or sales.

© Copyright 2005, Ed Gandia. All Rights Reserved.

Ed Gandia is a freelance copywriter specializing in the software and technology industry. An 11-year sales veteran, Ed has consistently turned around struggling sales territories through his hard-hitting copy and focused lead generation methodology. To learn more -- or to subscribe to his monthly lead generation e-newsletter -- go to http://www.edgandia.com

---

Non Products Exist in this World

"Both the market and the distributive channel are often more... Read More

Knowing Your Customer Is The Key

Without doubt, understanding what a customer's wants and needs are... Read More

Create A Business Card That Sells and is Effective

Why does your business need a business card?Business card is... Read More

Attracting New Business on a Shoestring Budget

In a recent marketing workshop I attended, I discovered that... Read More

Seven Secrets For Building Customer Loyalty In Your Restaurant

Imagine how much your sales and profits would increase if... Read More

Business Cards and Business Etiquette

One of the very basic conditions of being a successful... Read More

Top 5 Design Tips to Create Eye-Catching Marketing Materials

Great graphic design looks effortless, but it requires lots of... Read More

Business Marketing For Consultants, Coaches, Speakers, and Trainers: How To Be Noticed and Trusted

Business marketing is essential for professional services, such as consultants,... Read More

Using Direct Mail

The advantages of using direct mail to promote your home-based... Read More

Calling All Carbon-Based Lifeforms

Many businesses want to market to all carbon-based life forms.... Read More

What The Heck Is An Eponym, And What Does It Mean For Your Brand?

Today I've decided to share with you a new word... Read More

4 Sales Strategies with Your Trade Show Exhibition Booth

Trade show booths can act as an excellent source for... Read More

8 Secrets to Marketing Success

The profits of a business are totally dependent on marketing.... Read More

Unleash the Powerful Promoter Within

Dear Friend,You're ripping me off.How? You may be thinking, "We... Read More

Good Marketing is Like a Bad Habit

You know those bad habits we get. Like raiding the... Read More

Encouraging Contact

The small time promoter has to work hard and on... Read More

The Secret to Good Writing

Skilful business writing involves getting your message across simply and... Read More

How to Handle Jargon at Your Web Site - and Why

If you sell a technical product or service, you probably... Read More

Heres A Robust, Turnkey, Interactive. Best of Breed, Mission-Critical Solution to Kill Buzzwords

Fellow Publicity Insiders, what does... Read More

More Scams! Do you Really Believe It?

Quit spreading those chain letters, nothing is going to happen... Read More

Generational Marketing

Having run a multi-state franchise company with multiple brands it... Read More

Rules of Thumb for Marketing to Your Past Customers

Keeping in touch can dramatically increase business, when done properly.It's... Read More

Use The Neglected Weapons In Your Marketing Arsenal

Business marketers have a lot of weapons in their arsenals... Read More

Budgeting for a Postcard Mailing

If you've never done a postcard mailing, you're probably wondering,... Read More

Do You Know Where Your Marketing Dollars Are Going?

We all know the importance of marketing to increase sales... Read More

Gaining Business Intelligence

A white paper on how companies should analyse customer data... Read More

Low-Cost Marketing With Postcards

Here's a simple way you can generate lots of sales... Read More

Direct Marketing Puts Information In The Buyer?s Hands

Direct marketing is advertising from a manufacturer or front-end supplier... Read More

Why Smart People Dont Know How to Market

As an educated professional, your success is based on what... Read More

Becoming The Obvious Choice In A Sea Of Competition

Differentiation, niche marketing, and positioning. These and other related business... Read More

Spice It Up! Rib Festival Teaches Us About Product Value

The Rib America Festival is a fun filled family event... Read More

Where to Look for New Donors for Your Fundraising Letter Appeals

Have you ever studied your best donors and wished you... Read More

Marketing is More Than a Token Process

"Necessity is the mother of invention!" The first time I... Read More