I once read that famed direct marketer Dan Kennedy used a simple strategy for writing a new sales letter. Kennedy talked to the company’s top salesperson. Then he turned the salesperson’s proven sales pitch into a control-shattering letter.
I was reminded of Kennedy when I talked with a vice president of sales for a software company. He told me the company’s marketing materials focused too much on features and used jargon that average business people didn’t understand. Then he gave me the 10-minute sales pitch: what the product does, the business benefits, and a few examples.
I turned his briefing (including his terminology) into copy for trade show messaging and data sheets.
Oftentimes copywriters, art and creative directors, and marketers are funneled to engineers and other product whizzes who are well versed in all the bells and whistles. That’s fine. It certainly helps to know how the product (or service) works.
But if at all possible, talk to sales. The best salespeople know what really matters to prospects, how to position the product or service, and how to close the sale.
If your marketing materials mimic a proven sales pitch, then, like Kennedy, you can dramatically increase response.
Neil Sagebiel 