Oh No... Not Again!

By Author: Joseph Hughes
Total Articles: 37
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Yep, Here We Go Again
I know you are probably tired of hearing this. I know you can pick up almost any e-book, marketing, or business publication and somewhere therein will be words about this subject. It is redundantly expounded upon in countless articles that many others and myself have penned.
Just the other day while I was on my way to an appointment, in the lush quietness of my mobile office, (aka my car) I slipped in an audio cassette and there it was again...The presenter spent not a second less than 17 minutes of a 42 minute presentation on Direct Response Marketing, preaching fervently why anyone interested in successfully marketing their product or service could not afford to make an error nor consider anything less than sheer perfection in their selection of this ingredient of the marketing mix.
This aspect of your attempt to sell your product or service, without face-to-face contact, carries a lot of weight. It's importance, has been estimated as high as 90% in determining whether you will or will not get your prospect to act favorably.
You are all familiar with the cliche "you never get a ...
... second chance to make a good first impression," aren't you? Well as far as this subject is concerned, "no truer words were ever spoken."
So what is it that I am talking about here? What could be so necessary that it is given such importance to have millions and millions of words penned about it?
What one element in the marketing of your product or service has such a major affect on your prospects conversion to a customer?
I know you are thinking, the marketing of my products or service involves a combination of components that work collectively together. Which ingredient of the mix is the glue that holds everything together? What is it?
It is the HEADLINE!
Albert Lasker, an early advertising pioneer said, "the headline in the end, today as 25 years ago is 90 percent of all there is to an ad. Why do I say 90%? Because if you don stop them with the headline, they won't read the rest."
And Tom (Big Al) Schreiter reminds us "the headline is not only the first line of your marketing flyer or letter. It is also the first thing you say when asked about your product or service and the opening line in any speech you give about your product or service, also the title of your book." It determines whether the hearer will continue listening or the reader will venture further.
Does your headline grab the readers' attention? Is your headline interesting?
You do not know with accuracy what is on your prospects mind. You do not know what will appeal to them. You feel your headline, the body content of your message and the P.S. describes the benefits of your specially designed doohickey, or expounds on the necessity of your service with great splendor. Who could possibly refuse?
How could anyone not want what you are offering?
Am I right?
Well the truth is, you are bias.
Why?
Could it be that your offer, your headline, and your P.S. broadcast your wants, not your prospects? Is it possible that you and your prospect have opposing views?
You don't know for sure and your prospect will not know unless they read your message. Your message is one of the other components of the marketing mix to get the prospect to make a favorable response.
Only by attracting the attention of your prospect "first" with your headline, which in turn pulls them into the body copy of your message, can this like mind transformation (or as Mr. Spock would cause, a Vulcan Mind Melt) occur.
This will only happen when, if, and after your headline has gripped your reader's attention.
Does your product or service lend itself in such a way that would allow you to make benefit claims in your headline? How about asking a potent leading question?
Can you state a fact about a pain which your product or service fixes?
A universal principle of human nature is that your prospect will always do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure.
How about a contest or sweepstake lead in?
Can you make a Free Gift Offer?
Another approach could be a headline like this "If you answer these questions correctly, we will send you...." To find out what the questions are they must read further. You could include the questions on your order form or in the opening of your message.
The answer to the questions should be contained within the body copy of your message. This forces the prospect to read further.
Remember, your goal is to get the prospect into the body of your message. There you will sell them into taking the next step which is to buy your product or service, or go to your web site, or to call your special 800 number, or to request more information, or to.....
To design an effective headline, you must select your words, (generally verbs, action words) with great care.
Write, rewrite and rewrite again and again and again. I have rewritten a headline as many as fifty times before I hit upon what I felt to be the right combination of words for a headline. I have read of others whom have rewritten their headlines up to a hundred times.
It's that important! Do not take this lightly. You can only earn serious money with your product or service after you have attracted your prospects attention and get them to read your message.
What is that question.....?
What's In It For Me?
Your headline is one of the most important parts of your marketing message. You must put in the efforts to make your headline an attention grabber. This is accomplished by answering the prospects number one question with your headline.

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