Measure Twice, Cut Once

I promised to give you a valuable 17 Point Checklist to getting your client’s and prospect’s attention… Why? Because in difficult times like ours, there will be a direct correlation between your success, and your ability to get your client’s or prospect’s attention.

So let’s mush on…

Before sending out any direct mail offer (a printed ad, an email message, etc.), you’ll want to review your effort to make sure that you have applied each of the following 17 points properly. These will significantly enhance your chances of having a successful response rate.

Remember that any marketing you do, and any money you spend on that marketing is wasted unless it grabs your prospects attention and gets them hammering on your door wanting to do business with you.

So before you send out anything, be sure to check the following to maximise your return on investment…

1. Mailing Lists
Identify a prospect universe interested in your products or services.

2. Get Your Letter Opened
Use a live stamp, hand written personally addressed envelope, and use teaser copy on the outside.

3. The Headline
Must be meaningful, specific and urge the reader to read on.

4. What’s In It For Me?
They are interested in you for 30 seconds. The rest of what you say should be about WIIFM?

5. Write Like You Talk
Don’t use Mister Professional fancy words

6. Don’t Be Afraid of Long Copy
Copy is not too long, only too boring.

7. Use Advertorial Style
This increases your readership 100 of a %

8. Use Subheadlines for Dual Readership
Some people “scan” your copy, this ensures you cater to that individual.

9. Typestyles
Readership goes up, depending on the font.

10. Use Non-Round Numbers
For some reason, sales go up if you do.

11. Guarantees
Remove the risk for the prospect or buyer, and they will buy much more, more often.

12. Use a two-step process
One shot advertising is the greatest waste of money a business owner can do.

13. Write to One Person
Enter the conversation in your perfect prospect’s mind.

14. Have One Objective Only
If you confuse them, you lose them.

15. Test and Improve
Test small, then adjust according to your test.

16. The Postscript
This is the most read part of your sales material.

17. Code Everything
For testing and measuring, so you can track your results.

Now, those of you who have been around me for a long time may already know what each of these mean.

For those who don’t, be sure to keep an eye out for next week’s Rant, when I go into each of them in more detail and explain exactly how you can use this checklist to make sure your marketing is getting the attention you need in the marketplace, to not just survive but also thrive during these uncertain economic times.

All the Best,

Mal Emery

Committed to Elevating the Financial Wealth and Wellbeing of Society Through Entrepreneurial Excellence and Guilty of Conspiracy to Create Capitalism