“How do you deal with clients who don’t like direct marketing?”

Heya, it’s Monday, so that must mean it’s time to check the mailbag!

But first, how was your weekend? Mine was great!

Among other fun activities and accomplishments, the kids set up a peach stand with the neighbors on Saturday morning. And managed to rake in about nine bucks between our two sons and two neighbors…

And there were all sorts of marketing/selling lessons there… Package pricing ($.25 each or 5 for $1), over-delivering on customer expectations (sending them with a couple extra “just because”)…

And one more that never really sunk in for our 5-year-old and almost-3-year-old…

Sampling!

They just couldn’t understand how they could capture interest and sell more by giving something away. I guess there are a lot of folks who never grow out of that aversion. Who think, “I have to make money off every last product that goes into a customer’s hands.” Yet another way that confusion seeps its way into the selling process. And yet another place where being generous and having an attitude of abundance is actually the most selfish thing you can do. (Also yet another huge lesson from Claude Hopkins in Scientific Advertising!)

Ah well, that’s another topic for another day. What am I doing? It’s Mailbox Monday! It’s time to dig in…

 

Drew, thanks for your question!

(By the way, if you’re reading this and YOU have a question you’d like to have answered in a coming Mailbox Monday issue, drop me a line at [email protected].)

Okay, so I’m going to focus most of my answer on that one BIG question you have…

“What do you do when your clients don’t like emotional direct response advertising?”

But first, I want to hit on that other question you raised…

“Why do Canadians hate long copy?”

Or something like that… 🙂

Here’s the thing. And I’m certain I answered a similar question months ago. Canadians are humans, like Americans are humans, like every other, well, human.

We all buy for the same reasons. Our brains, logic, emotions, decision-making process, and everything that goes into the purchase work just about the same.

YES, there are some cultural norms, and differences. Whenever you’re speaking to ANY group (engineers versus writers, for example), you have to cater your language and approach to the group.

Yet by and large, there are a few rules that consistently apply.

– You have to get the prospect’s interest by speaking to the conversation already going on in their head…

– You have to get them interested in what you have to say…

– You have to tempt them with a juicy promise of a novel solution to the problem they face…

– You have to convince them that you can deliver on your promises…

– You have to make an offer that compels them to act immediately…

– You have to tell your whole story — you can’t scrimp on the details…

– Generally, the more you tell, the more you sell…

There may be some cultural issues that turn Canadians off to the most tabloidish of direct response copy. But then again, I bet if I were to dig I could find dozens of examples that would buck this trend.

If you’re in direct response, here’s a truism you’ll face over and over and over again…

The type of advertising we create…

– With bold, catchy, benefit-driven headlines…

– Big promises…

– Strongly-worded offers intended to close the sale…

Will almost ALWAYS get an “oh yuck, I wouldn’t respond to that” reaction from the very same people who, in private, DO regularly respond to ads like those.

Across cultures, across country borders, across generations…

A well-targeted, well-constructed direct response ad will generate sales AND negative reactions.

If you pay attention to the negative reactions, you won’t get the sales.

You have to become a slave to the numbers.

And yes, don’t hesitate to test adaptations of your advertising that you feel are a better fit for the cultural context that they’ll be seen in (just like your formatting for ads may vary by media)… But also remember that the “best practices” are the best practices for a reason, and you should generally at least test versions that adhere.

I’ve actually already started sneaking in the “what to do about clients who loathe our type of marketing” lesson as well (did you notice?), which is why I let that topic run long…

So, I have a few thoughts on this, and I’ll just run through them…

First, explain to them you do what you do for a reason…

That you’re basing your ads and approach on best practices. That it’s your job not just to create ads, but to create sales. And if they want you to do that job, you’re going to do it in the best way you know how. And that’s direct response. In short, use the best practices to justify your approach.

Also, use a metaphor. If you’re dealing with a heart surgeon or a skyscraper architect (both of whom have your life in their hands, albeit in very different ways), you don’t want them relying on their creativity, ideas, or whims to do their job. Neither should advertising be done this way. That’s why every field has its best practices, which you are following.

Second, test it…

Don’t limit yourself to one or two tests, if possible. Try — if you can get client cooperation — testing 4-10 different ads or variations. Because not every direct response ad is a winner. In traditional advertising, you can go on emotion and feelings about the ad, because you can’t measure results. In direct response, with results being measured, it can be apparent when you don’t have a winner. A reluctant client can quickly turn that against you.

So come to an agreement with your client.

First, make sure their version of the ideal ad is in the mix. (Also make sure there’s a way to measure results!)

Then, create a handful of different ads that you think will do the job.

And test them against each other. Let the numbers show which performs best.

Third, get new clients…

I’ve actually gone this route more and more.

If I can peel back the curtain a bit, part of my long-term strategy is to use this site and email series, my workshops, other publishing ventures, and more to train better clients and project partners. Get them thoroughly converted to the Church of Roy before they even think about hiring me. However, that’s very long-term.

In the short-term, I’ve resigned myself somewhat to a radically simpler approach. Find clients who are already using my style of marketing (that is, really long emotional direct response sales letters), and get those clients. Even better news, these clients are more likely to be happy to pay my fee, already have a system for paying royalties in place, and know how to use a good piece of copy when they have it. There are a lot of advantages to working with this type of client.

Fourth, sell results only…

I know of one friend who is pretty much giving up the copywriting game, and instead going into the lead generation business.

He finds clients who want leads and new customers. He establishes an agreement with them that as long as what he’s doing is honest, ethical, legal, and moral, he gets to do what he wants. They don’t decide how he creates the marketing and brings the customers in.

And he gets paid based on results.

Fifth, start your own biz…

You shouldn’t discount this. Even if it’s a side biz.

It’s a far better training ground if you’re later going to work for someone else. And who knows, maybe it becomes its own thing.

And when it’s your own business, YOU make the rules!

I hope these are helpful… And one more thing!

Congrats, Drew, on scheduling your Personal Independence Day… Now make sure you’re holding yourself to it, and proactively putting everything into place that you need to be there to make that date work!

Yours for bigger breakthroughs,

Roy Furr

Editor, Breakthrough Marketing Secrets