sales promotion, the methods or techniques for creating public acceptance of or interest in a product, usually in addition to
standard merchandising techniques, as advertising or personal selling, and generally consisting of the offer of free samples, gifts made to a purchaser, or the like. Source:Webster's Dictionary
sales resistance, the ability or inclination to refuse to buy a product, service, etc., offered. Source:idem
sales pitch: seller's persuasive words - the statements made, arguments used, and assurances given by somebody trying to sell something. Source:Encarta
sales spiel: speech designed to convince - an irritatingly long or predictably glib speech, for example, a rambling apology or a prepared sales patter (informal) [19th century. < German spiel, "play, game"] Source:Encarta
Sales pitch overload Ann Bednarz Network World (02.10.03)
"Honestly, I don't have time to spend weeding the sales pitches out," Moore says. "If I have a need for a particular product or service I'm more likely to have my staff or myself do some research and identify sources.
Then I will seek out those and other sources for more information."
From a consumer's perspective, "sales pitch" and "sales spiel" are often synonymous - both have negative connotations. Most of us do not appreciate being pushed or intruded upon. In tough economic times, however, as vendors
attempt to pump product in their efforts to stay in business, pitches and spiels can become rapid-fire hype, sometimes downright offensive.
The skilled marketer presents product, on the other hand, in a manner that does not attempt to compel a purchase; rather, the objective is to present
factual information and cogent reasoning that make evident the way(s) in which the client will benefit from acquiring the product, including after-purchase support and guarantees. There's a big difference between simply
making another sale and delivering real benefit to your customer.
Confidence Building:
Use of the following to build confidence in the salesperson:
Authority: expertise, experience
Trust: friend, sincere, benevolent
Desire Stimulating:
benefits of the product - push the product itself:
quality, efficiency, scarcity, novelty, beauty, stability, reliability, simplicity, utility, safety
added values: push the psychological benefits of possessing the product
Meet basic needs of health, hunger, security, sexual appeal.
Contribute to psychological well being by increasing self esteem, stimulating creativity, leading to success.
Urgency Stressing:
Rush, Hurry, Deadline, Sale Ends, Offer Expires, Do it Now!
Response Seeking:
Buy at, Call Now, (Give specific location or telephone number. Hand out coupons.)
We're in business to contribute to our community, to develop long-term relationships with our customers by providing them with the service, support and care they need. It's useful, therefore, especially
in tight-money times, to remember that most of us don't like to be pushed. Lighten up on "urgency stressing" and instead, emphasize your USP, your unique selling proposition.
Your customer needs to know how what your product is, how it will help them, and why they should deal with you. Assist them in their search for solutions.
Dr. Luntz has written, supervised, and conducted more than 1,200 surveys, focus groups and dial sessions in over two dozen
countries and four continents over the past decade. Frank has become the go-to consultant when Fortune 100 companies need
communication and language guidance, from General Motors to Federal Express, Disney to American Express, from AT&T to Pfizer,
from Kroger supermarkets to McDonalds to the entire soft drink and motion picture industries, as well as for the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Business Roundtable. [Read more]
Luntz is also the author of a 16-page memo entitled THE ENVIRONMENT: A CLEANER, SAFER, HEALTHIER AMERICA (2003), which presents a public relations
strategy to help Republicans and President George W. Bush address vulnerabilities in their position on the environment and the matter of global warming. I encourage you to download and save this memo — read it, not
because the strategy it propounds is laudable, but because it provides an insider's perspective on how to make marketing muck.
Luntz is famous for what he calls "language guidance" — the use of simple messages, carefully tested and frequently repeated,
to overcome public suspicions on potentially unpopular policies...
...Luntz has long been associated with the Conservative party and its forerunners. He recently spoke to a meeting of the Civitas
Society attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other top Conservatives.
In his 2003 memo he told Republicans not to use economic arguments against environmental regulations, because environmental
arguments would always win out with average Americans concerned about their health. Luntz also told his U.S. clients to stress
common sense and accountability.
"First, assure your audience that you are committed to 'preserving and protecting' the environment but that 'it can be done more
wisely and effectively.' Absolutely do not raise economic arguments first."
On 15 November 2006, CBC's The Fifth Estate ran a documentary entitled The Denial Machine, in which Luntz and
other scientists-for-hire were interviewed in a disturbing revelation of what's gone on, and continues to go on, behind the scenes, in the matter of political spiel on global warming. Interestingly, many of the same players
were involved in the tobacco industry's use of spin to persuade the public that insufficient evidence exists to conclude that cigarettes cause cancer.
The Denial Machine will also air on CBC Newsworld,
on Friday the 17th, Saturday the 18th, Sunday the 19th, and Tuesday the 21st. Click the appropriate calendar date onsite for show times.
In House Prices and Time-till-sale in Windsor (2002), an unpublished report submitted to the Windsor and Essex County Real Estate Board,
authors Paul M. Anglin and R. Wiebe identify a number of factors that had impact on the speed of sale for
real estate in the Windsor area, Ontario. More than 20,000 home listings were analyzed from 1997 to 2000. Dr. Anglin cautions that
"[t]his research is based on data from one place and at one time. While I believe that the results
apply more broadly, readers should consult a qualified professional before taking any action."
...A listing's "Remarks" section can both describe a house and signal its intended market, with
significant TTS effects. Listings which included the words "Beautiful" or "Gorgeous" were
found to have reduced [time-till-sale] TTS by 15 per cent. "Landscape" reduced TTS by 20 per cent and
"Move-in" condition by 12 per cent. On the other hand, a "Must See" remark had no statistically
significant effect.
Houses identified in the remarks section as being intended for the "Starter" market sold in 9 per
cent less time than the benchmark. "Handyman Specials" in about 50 per cent less time (but we
were careful to exclude listings with only the word "handyman" which tended to represent a
work area for a hobbyist.) "Rental", or income-generating, properties took 60 per cent longer.
"Vacant" houses did not have significantly different expected TTS than other houses. For all of
these results, it is important to realize that our methodology distinguished between the effect of
these variables on TTS and their effect on prices. Thus, for example, we found that vacant
houses sold for a lower price and that TTS did not differ significantly from the benchmark. Or,
as another example, "Beautiful" houses sold in less time and for a higher price... (p.3)
The right words can foster sales, it appears, provided your description is factually verifiable and accords with the buyer's perception of the actual property.
Words matter. Wars have started over them. Civilizations have collapsed because of them. And it would appear that the speed with which a house sells may be determined by them...
...Homes described as "beautiful" moved 15% faster and for 5% more in price than the benchmark. "Good-value" homes sold for 5% less
than average.
Another interesting finding in Anglin's study was that the plea of "must see!" was received about as enthusiastically as a
dinner-time telemarketing call. Homes with listings using the words "must see" had a statistically insignificant impact on
the number of days they took to sell.
Listings where the word "landscaping" was heralded sold 20% faster, and homes in "move-in condition" took 12% less time to sell
than the benchmark, although the study showed "move-in condition" had an insignificant impact on the sales price.
Owners use listing language to convey how serious they are about selling. Some words work better than others, Anglin's study
found. Listings in which the seller said he or she was "moving" sold for 1% less in price compared to 8% less when the seller
was "motivated"... [Read more]
Real Estate Agent Remarks: Help or Hype? (2000), researched by
Professor Ronald C. Rutherford, University of Texas at San Antonio, explores a similar theme. Here's the Abstract:
This article groups the remarks of a multiple listing service
listing into common themes and then uses a hedonic pricing
model to determine whether such comments are priced in a
meaningful way. The comments provide information on the
motivation of the seller, location of the property and physical
improvements or defects. Most of the comments analyzed are
statistically significant. Negative comments are associated with
lower sales prices suggesting the helpful nature of comments.
Some of the positive comments, however, including "new paint"
and "good location" are also associated with lower sales prices
suggesting that some comments may be better classified as hype... [Read more]
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL,
World Financial Center, 200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281
Dear Reader:
On a beautiful late spring afternoon, twenty-five years ago, two young men graduated from the same college. They
were very much alike, these two young men. Both had been better than average students, both were personable and
both — as young college graduates are — were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.
Recently, these men returned to their college for their 25th reunion.
They were still very much alike. Both were happily married. Both had three children. And both, it turned out,
had gone to work for the same Midwestern manufacturing company after graduation, and were still there.
But there was a difference. One of the men was manager of a small department of that company. The other was
its president... [Read full text]
There have been a number of great manifestos drafted in the history of man. But there is one you’ve probably never heard of.
It was a print ad written by agency Doyle Dane Bernbach in the late 60s or early 70s. But it was actually much more than a
print ad, it was a manifesto. A manifesto aimed at both the advertising industry and the advertisers themselves... Source:Age of Persuasion » Blog Archives » Do This Or Die Terry O'Reilly & Mike Tennant (18 June 2007) Original ad format:http://f.hatena.ne.jp/chuukyuu/20070201175031
DO THIS OR DIE.
Is this ad some kind of trick? No. But it could have been. And at exactly that point rests a do or die decision for American business. We in advertising, together with our clients, have all the power and skill to trick people. Or so we think. But we're wrong. We can't fool any of the people any of the time. There is indeed a twelve-year-old mentality in this country; every six-year-old has one. We are a nation of smart people. And most smart people ignore most advertising because most advertising ignores smart people. Instead we talk to each other. We debate endlessly about the medium and the message. Nonsense. In advertising,
the message itself is the message. A blank page and a blank television screen are one and the same. And above all, the messages we put on those pages and on those television screens must be the truth. For
if we play tricks with the truth, we die.
Now. The other side of the coin. Telling the truth about a product demands a produce that's worth telling the truth about. Sadly, so many products aren't. So many products don't do anything better. Or anything different. So many don't work quite right. Or don't last. Or simply don't matter. If we also play this trick, we also die. Because advertising only helps a bad product fail faster. No donkey chases the carrot forever. He catches on. And quits. That's the lesson to remember. Unless we do, we die. Unless we change, the tidal wave of consumer indifference will wallop into the mountain of advertising and manu- facturing drivel. That day we die. We'll die in our marketplace. On our shelves. In our gleaming packages of empty promises. Not with a bang. Not with a whimper. But by our own skilled hands.
There's a formula many marketers use to pitch their products. Alpha del Bosque presents a nine-block model of this formula in
How to create killer mini-sites that sell like crazy!. You can download del Bosque's eBook free of charge if you like - I encourage you
to do so. The key ideas in del Bosque's model of the construction of a sales pitch are adapted and expanded upon below.
Header Graphic Block
Headline/Promise Block
Testimonial/Credentials Block
Informational Block
Product Introduction Block
Benefits Block
Call To Action Block
Guarantee Block
Action Summary Block
How to sell stuff... The mechanics of the spiel.
You grab the visitor's attention in your header graphic block, which presents the navigation or structure of the site
and compels the visitor to read your headline/promises block. The headline (with brief supporting subtext) stretches credulity. It's
designed to push the envelope of believability and set the visitor up: That sounds too good to be true - how could this be real?
The testimonials/credentials block is where you adduce the opinions of experts who confirm the merits of
your product. This persuades the visitor that what follows is believable and that you're trustworthy. Now, in the informational block, you
write about the problems and frustrations encountered in your area of business. You don't mention the product at this stage; instead, you gradually
increase anticipation by elaborating upon these issues, intimating that they're in the past. You show that you understand and empathize, then
you conclude this block by telling your visitor that you have a solution.
You next introduce your product (product introduction block) and present a well-designed
visual illustration to give the visitor something "real" to remember (a "hook"). You show exactly how your product will benefit
the user (benefits block), how it will make life easier, generate amazing profits, etc. More
testimonials are inserted to reinforce the truth of this: The solution really does work!
Then you kick it up a notch in the call to action block: (1) offer a few good bonuses; (2) in
a succinct paragraph, remind the visitor what your product will do for them; and then (3) present a deadline beyond which you cannot guarantee your
this-is-a-great-deal low price.
In the guarantee block, you offer a "love it or shove it" refund policy of some sort, maybe
even use the phrase "guaranteed results".
And finally - most importantly - in the action summary block, you summarize why the visitor should buy your product and
you ask them to buy it right now. Many spiels follow this with a signature and multiple postscripts (P.S., P.P.S., P.P.P.S., etc.), reinforcing the call to buy.
What captivates us now is special stuff, stuff that only a few of us can get, stuff that stands for something or symbolizes something. And, more compelling than stuff, are
experiences — events, trips, places, sights, sounds, tastes that are out of the ordinary, memorable in their own right, precious in their uniqueness and fulfilling in a way
that seems to make us more than we were ... Some describe this phenomenon as "the experience economy". [Read more]
Dig for the Dirt
...To really connect with a prospect, you have to make it about them – their problems, their needs, their company and their situation. No matter how amazing your product is, no one's going to buy it unless
it's relevant to their business ... [S]tart asking your potential customers questions. What are their needs? What problems do they hope to solve with your product? Is there any background information that
you could use? What other solutions are they considering? Ask about anything and everything that might be relevant... You have to really dig if you hope to uncover the reason why your product/service is
the solution to their problem.
Tailor the Pitch for the Customer
Once you have this information, it's time to create your presentation. Take their problem and turn it into an objective that identifies a mutual goal for you and your customer. Achieving this objective should
be the central theme of your presentation... [Read more]
...[A]lways read the copy aloud. Or even better, listen to someone else read the copy aloud. It should sound like natural speech.
Or maybe even like poetry or song lyrics, without the rhyme.
"Boil the copy down". Write freely on first draft, and be prepared for about 10 re-writes. Great copy is hard work, but when you've
got it, it just leaps from the page.
The best copy often comes from team writing, not one whiz kid. At least have an editor, if not a co-writer.
Principal "don'ts":
Avoid passive verbs.
Avoid long sentences with lots of modifying phrases. Nothing should require the reader to "carry" one piece of information in
their mind while they wait for another piece to complete it.
This is an often stated copy writing truism, but it's still violated every day: talk mostly about benefits, rather than features.
That is, describe your reader's life as they use your product, rather than just describing the product.
Target, target, target. Always write for your ideal prospect, rather than writing for a generic "everybody". What you are trying
to do is create this response: "Hey, you're talking about me!"
Ask for the sale.
Yes it's obvious. But are you doing it? If you're actually selling something directly via your website you have to make it an
absolute doddle for someone to work out what they need to do. Don't make them hunt around for pricing, ordering information,
contact details, delivery information etc. Sock it to them right up front - they'll love you for it. If you're not selling
directly via the site you still need to ask for the sale. [Read more]
In What Are 7 Psychological Triggers That Make People Buy? (23 October 2003), Arina Nikitina identifies
seven "triggers" she claims increased her response rate "by 257% overnight". The triggers and descriptions are presented below, in table form, extracted and edited for ease of reference.
Trigger
Description
#1 Reason Why
Tell people WHY you're doing something. Don't be a mystery [to] your
customers. People are more likely to buy from an ordinary person they know something about.
Are you giving 25% discount on
your product? ... Are you limiting the number of products you want to sell? Tell people why.
If you tell your visitors ...
the reason ... [for your action,] they will be more likely to trust ... and ... buy from you.
#2 Specifics
..."How I made
$1,057 in a week" sounds more believable than "How I made $1,000 in a week"...
If you state a fact, make it specific. General
numbers never sound ... plausible.
#3 Curiosity
...We want to know [the] answers to our questions. Tell
people not to open this email and they will open it [b]ecause they want to know what's inside.
Headlines like "Discover the hidden secret of free ezine
advertising" ... always produc[e] great results. You immediately want to know "What secret?"...
#4 Fear [of Loss]
...Use deadlines in
your copy. Run [three-]day specials or limit the number of products you want to sell. Make people act now by letting them know that [this]
is a limited time offer.
#5 Questions
Ask questions.
By asking questions you get people involved [and] they ... become more responsive to your message...
#6 Stories
A lot of
famous copywriters used this method in their sales letters. You can tell a true story about your customer. Or about yourself.
A real life story about something the product has done to
improve someone's life will build your credibility and motivate people to buy.
#7 [Feel the] Problem
Every product
is a solution to particular problem. Don't rush into presenting the solution ... [M]ake ... your visitors ... face
the problem.
Present the problem and agitate it so people ... feel the
pain of situation... [When] you've got [their] interest, present your ... solution.
See also:TRYVERTISING, and update: A new breed of product placement in the real world, integrating your goods and services into daily
life in a targeted, relevant way, so that consumers can make up their minds based on their experience, not your messages.
You've probably heard hundreds of sales pitches in your life. Some immediately captured your interest, while
others were tuned out almost as soon as they began.
What made the difference? The most effective sales pitches were those that were well prepared and delivered with confidence.
And even if you weren't interested in that product or service at the time, you remembered the pitches that made a positive
impression when conditions changed or somebody asked for a recommendation.
Now that you're an entrepreneur, you want the sales pitch for your small business to have that kind of positive impact on
your prospective customers. Don't worry that you're not a “born salesperson;” in truth, few people are. All it takes is
research and planning—the same steps needed for every other business decision you make as an entrepreneur.
Prepare Several Pitches for Different Situations
Because you'll find yourself in many types of selling situations — both expected and impromptu — it's best to prepare
several pitches, each with the same basic facts tailored to the setting and audience. Here are three that you will likely need:
The in-person pitch — a formal presentation about your business given to one or more
people.
The phone pitch — a variation of the formal presentation designed for cold calling
or following up on inquiries. (An email version of your phone pitch may be good if you expect to market online. Just remember
that the content written text varies in format and style from the spoken word.)
The elevator speech — a concise description of your business for informal situations,
such as social gatherings and plane trips. Imagine yourself on an elevator with only a few “floors” of time to explain to
someone what you do...[Read more]
The copyright has expired on this classic text by Claude C. Hopkins. Republished by Victor Urbach, the full work is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD in the
Urbach Letter Archive. Visit the site to read Victor's
brief essay and download this 61-page PDF — no strings attached. [If the link is no longer active, you can download the PDF here.]
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Definitions
Sales Pitch Overload
Richard Dagan 2000-2008