Sales Prospecting – Part 2

How to make more prospects believe what you’re telling them in your ads

Simply include these sales prospecting factors  – Part Two

So here’s Part 2.

1. Always credentialize your spokesperson. Tell the reader why they should believe the message they’re reading once you’ve got them into the copy. Give the qualifications of whom your spokesperson. Position the guy as an expert. Give qualifications and books authored.

Has he appeared in the media? newspaper, radio, magazines, television? Quote examples. When you add any of the above then the reader has to take your message more seriously.

TIP: If your spokesperson has a heap of credibility make a sidebar for his credentials. Otherwise you’ll make the copy really hard to read if you have 4-6 paragraphs of crdentials.

2. Use strong testimonials. And I mean strong testimonials which are believable.
For instance do you believe this testimonial:

“Great Product”. Err…no.

The testimonial is vague. And there is no name at the end of the testimonial.
Use testimonials that support a wide range of benefits. One testimonial could be your product works quickly. Another testimonial could say how strong your product is. Another testimonial could be how quick your support service is.

Always use a name at the end of a testimonial and address. Use a photo if you can. And adding an email address or phone number makes the testimonial stronger even more.

Use a mini headline for each testimonial. Doing this will stop the reader who is a scanner type of reader.

3. Use a photo of the sender in your copy. This makes you come across as a real person. Not some faceless person. And adding a photo brings you closer to the reader. In direct mail terms it’s called the Law of Intimacy.

4. Have a guarantee. Yes that’s right you must have a guarantee. It removes the risk from the buyer. BUT I hear you cry you’re going to have all your customers demanding their money back. No. sure you may get some scumbags doing this. BUT you will generate far more orders by offering a guarantee.

And let’s face it if you’re selling a good product that genuinely helps people solve a pressing problem they have than why would they want their money back.? They’ll want to keep the product.

5. Use mini case studies of Before and After somebody used your product. People like stories. Ever since childhood we’ve been hard wired to listen to stories. We don’t see stories as threatening and that somebody is trying to sell to us. Stories are entertaining. And they keep us reading. And stories are a strong proof element.

6. Track record. Show that you’ve got a long track record of success. List the people and the companies you’ve helped in the past. Put your reader in no doubt that you’ve helped other companies and you can help him. Quote facts, figures, names of well-known companies or people.

7. Bring your copy to life. Use word pictures in your copy. People think in pictures. So as they read your copy you want them to be able to ‘see’ what you’re describing to them in their minds. The more you can do this the more realistic it is to the reader.

8. Use language your target market understands. If your product is more technical and the market is very technical then make sure you use words the market is used to. And even if you use words the reader doesn’t know you’ll still be impressing them.