We’re in the “Age of Disbelief.” That means you CANNOT do whatever it takes to get through to prospects and customers.
Deception is verboten. It’s not the way to start and build long-term relationships, and the consumer’s radar will detect the deception… and more likely than not, government and media scrutiny will mete out justice.
What too many direct marketers don’t understand – or understand but ignore – is that “Verboten” applies to deception used to get the message through and read, not just to deception about product and offer.
This raises some key creative questions. How can we get prospects and customers to read our messages without deception? What separates deception from acceptable techniques for getting attention and arousing interest? For example –
Direct Marketing Tactics That Feed Disbelief
Here are just a few of the tactics and techniques that are killing our credibility –
- Legally-modified deception. Sweeps mailers have modified packages to comply with recently passed legislation… but they still PRACTICE TO DECEIVE. Consumers don’t understand the subtle differences – they see packages that look very much like what they received pre-litigation. They feel further disbelief.
- Hurry up… and wait. How many times have we said “Don’t put off sending in your response. This widget can change your life.”? Then in small type on the response form we warn “order (or first issue) will be shipped in 4-6 weeks.”
- “You’re important to us… but I can’t spell your name right.” How many mailings preach “one-to-one” relationships? Do you know the percentage that are laughed at and tossed because the name has been mangled? If you manage direct marketing programs, get the name right first – before you play with creative!
- “This invitation is not for everyone…” Consumers laugh at claims of exclusive offers when they’ve clearly been sent to millions. Don’t label an invitation exclusive if the reply form contains a reservation number or priority code with more than three digits.
- Screaming “FREE” (when it’s not really FREE… or not relevant). Consumers got bitter from biting at free trial issue magazine offers when the first issue was not free unless they cancelled. Thankfully, that practice has ended. There are other offenders. In b-t-b direct marketing targeted to executives, touting that a product or service is “Free” misses the major benefit. The executive wonders if the marketer understands his/her problems and needs… and disbelief rises.
- Buried obligations. Continuous service/automatic renewal propositions are gaining more and more acceptance among marketers. It’s fine to use them, IF you make the terms perfectly clear up front. A classic double postcard from a hosiery marketer offers all sorts of promises of free gifts. Nowhere in the piece is the fact that when you respond for a free sample, you’re automatically shipped hosiery each month at steep prices.
10 Ways to Suspend Disbelief
Bill Jayme, the superstar copywriter who authored such lines as “What do you tip the waiter when you’re planning to steal the ashtray” and (for Psychology Today) “Do you still close the bathroom door when no one is home?” said “In the marketplace, as in theatre, there is indeed a factor at work called the willing suspension of disbelief.” What can we do to get this factor working in our favor?
1. Acknowledge skepticism and disbelief. This says to the prospect/customer – “We know you’ve heard all the hype, all the promises that are never fulfilled. Here’s why you can count on us.” There’s a marvelous radio spot for Travelocity.com that’s a prime example of how to do this.
2. Master the tone and language of your customers. Listen to how they talk. Use their words.
Many years ago, I was managing direct marketing for a division of McGraw-Hill involved in selling construction estimating manuals. We asked in a user survey for the major benefits of a particular product. Unfortunately, because we were going to architects, we could not use their names in the testimonials. But the language of the testimonials was so real, that they were fully believable.
More recently, we went into focus groups with an insurance client. We found that prospects were calling the type of policy being offered something very different than we were using in the direct mail. When we tested the prospect terminology – “Renter’s Insurance” (rather than the “Contents Insurance”) — in our next mailing, results shot up.
3. Put a face on it. It’s well known that people are responsive to and buy from other people much more readily than from faceless corporations.” Substitute photos of “workers” for photos of buildings or machinery. Have your letters signed by a real person.
4. Keep it simple. Multiple messages or a proliferation of selling points appear to be deceptive. Even when they’re not deceptive, complex creative demands too much of the consumer.
5. Use self-qualifying quizzes. The concept behind the quiz is to get prospects to have a dialog with themselves about the subject of the mail package. At the end of this dialog, you want the prospects to read through the rest of the package and say “Hey this is me, and I have to send for more information/order this because my answers to the quiz indicate that I should.” The fact that prospects qualify themselves often leads to very strong back-ends for quiz packages. Gross response may be lower because non-prospects who have received the package look at the quiz and realize they’re not really interested enough.
6. Provide value-added information that transcends marketing communications. We call this “selfish altruism.” In an auto insurance mailing, the information might be “Tips for Avoiding Having Your Car Stolen.” For a health publication mailing, a wallet size card with tips for preventing heart attacks.
7. Use testimonials from the CONVERTED. Real testimonials disarm disbelief – to an extent. What works even better are testimonials from skeptics: “I really doubted that any system could double my ability to remember names. I wasn’t going to send for it. But they offered a money-back guarantee, so I said what the heck. It was great…”
8. Let the prospect see the stumbling blocks. One way to suspend disbelief is to uncover the truth. This translates to raising possible objections the prospect could have to responding… and then parrying those objections with honesty and conviction. For example, in b-t-b circulation, it often pays to deal with the issue of available reading time. It is always present in the mind of the prospect.
9. Use relevant humor. On the first day of my direct marketing life decades ago I was told “Don’t use humor. There’s nothing funny about separating a man from his money.” Relevant humor not only breaks through clutter, but is a human link with the prospect.
10. Admit fallability. Telling customers and prospects you’ve made an error can endear you to them. It certainly breaks the “this is a slick advertising message” mold.
Lee Marc Stein heads his own direct marketing strategy and creative services firm. The consultancy contributes to its clients’ profitable growth through sound marketing and test plans, creative development and execution, database and media maximization, and customer nurturing programs. Lee works with all size companies in both consumer and business markets. Contact Lee at 631 724-3765, lmstein@optonline.net, or through http://www.leemarcstein.com/.
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