The ever fabulous Denny Hatch has come up trumps again with an excellent checklist that every direct marketer that should print out and check against before sending anything.
The full list of over 50 items is at his blog, but here are the first ten things on the list:
"1. Does your message employ at least one (preferably several) of the seven key copy drivers—the emotional hot buttons that make people act: Fear - Greed - Guilt - Anger - Exclusivity - Salvation - Flattery?
2. Does your copy contain some or all of the 13 most powerful and evocative words in the English language: You - Save - Money - Guarantee - Love - Results - Proven - Safety - Easy - New - Health - Discovery - Free?
3. Since “you” is the subject of every sales effort, is your promotion about “you”—as opposed to "we," "us" or "our"?
4. "The prospect doesn't give a damn about you, your company or your product. All that matters is, 'What's in it for me?'" —Bob Hacker
Are you emphasizing your product and what it will do for the prospect rather than yourself and your company?
5. “Probably well over half our buying choices are based on emotion.” —Jack Maxson
“When emotion and reason come into conflict, emotion always wins.”—John J. Flieder
Is your sales pitch emotional (rather than analytical and rational)?
6. "People want quarter-inch holes, not quarter-inch drills." —MBA Magazine
Does your sales pitch highlight benefits (e.g., you get quarter-inch holes)—as opposed to features (e.g., buy a drill)?
7. "Your job is to sell, not entertain."—Jack Maxson
"Cute and clever simply don't work." —Nigel Rowe
Is your presentation cute, clever and entertaining?
8. Do you make an offer?
9. "You cannot sell two things at once." —Dick Benson
Are you giving the prospect too many choices?
10. “The right offer should be so attractive that only a lunatic would say, 'No.’" —Claude Hopkins
“If you want to dramatically increase your results, dramatically improve your offer.”—Axel Andersson
Is your offer the very strongest one you can field?"
Excellent, common sense advice, but it's amazing how many appeals/communications don't manage to check every box. I include my own in this and will be working hard to get us ticking all the boxes.
