“I don't just need your brand, I want it!” -- Writing convincing copies is a way to communicate holistically!

Tuesday: Return Driven Strategy FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: We cannot control how our clients or customers think about our brand. There will be times when it’s easy to sell to them, but there will also be times when it’s not. In such cases, what should you do to convince them that your offerings are what they need? You stomp down on their objections, reservations, or doubts through preemption, prevention, and response! Keep reading to know why stomping down on your customers’ or clients’ objections is essential to establish your brand. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

“I don't just need your brand, I want it!” -- Writing convincing copies is a way to communicate holistically! “I have to prioritize other things above this right now.” “I don’t really need this.” “I don’t think your prices are reasonable.” As an independent professional, these are just some of the things you would hear from prospects who are not yet ready to convert and become one of your brand’s customers. The truth is, you cannot really control how your target market would respond to your offers; you cannot force them to avail your products or services either. As you continue to offer your products or solutions to your target market, there will always be sales objections (or excuses your target market will make to not avail the solution you’re offering them), especially from those who’ve just encountered your brand for the first time. How will you “stomp down” on these sales objections and convince your target market that your product is beneficial to them? Through PREVENTION, PRE-EMPTION, and RESPONSE! This is according to Joanna Wiebe’s CopyHackers Book 1 titled, “Where Stellar Messages Come From.” As stated by Wiebe, prevention takes place OUTSIDE of your brand’s website, usually in your marketing and PR (public relations). You can prevent sales objections about your brand by being the first to steer online conversations in a positive manner. As an independent copywriter for a certain brand, you need to own the messages circulating among your target market. You have to be the one initiating the conversations so you can manage how you present the solutions you are offering. To preempt your prospects’ sales objections, there are two things you need to do in your copy: Make your prospects see the value of your offering. Explain how your offering solves one of the problems that your prospects are experiencing. If you’re going to preempt sales objections on your brand’s website, you can do it directly or indirectly. Preempting Objections Directly This is where you specifically pinpoint a sales objection and openly address it in your copy. One of the best places to address these objections is on the FAQs (frequently asked questions) page on your website. However, there are some objections that cannot be easily resolved on the FAQs page such as, “I don’t want to be sold to.” Objections like that deserve either a full page for you to address them or put them on the highest-traffic pages on your website. Here is an example provided by Wiebe in her CopyHackers book. It came from spam filter RemoteAntiSpam.com’s website in 2011: Since RemoteAntiSpam knew that a “pushy” salesperson can sometimes push prospects further away from a brand, it made a preemptive step on its website so online visitors wouldn’t assume this is what they’d expect. Preempting Objections Indirectly Another way to preempt a sales objection is to not just address it outright, but to follow the mantra: Show, don’t tell. One of the sales objections that businesses encounter is “Your company doesn’t have the capability or credibility.” Here’s what FingerPrintPlay.com, an online streaming website for children, did to indirectly preempt that sales objection: By dedicating a website page for its management team’s “impressive” profiles, FingerPrint Play was implicitly showing its website visitors that it is “capable and credible” because of its leaders and managers’ experiences in the industry. Another way to address sales objections is through response, whether via customer service, phone calls, direct messages, or joining in on online conversations about your brand. By responding in a positive manner to your target market’s concerns, you’re helping them overcome their objections about your brand. Customer service or immediately addressing clients’ concerns is one of the most important aspects of a brand. Your consumers need to know that they are taken cared of and listened to every time they need your attention. From addressing issues down to simple questions about your service or product, they need to know you’re there to help and that you’re happy to do so. There are also times when a sales objection is not easily addressed. For example, if convincing your target market that they need your product or service doesn’t do the trick anymore, you might want to try a different strategy to address that issue. Remind yourself that not everything people buy is based on their needs; sometimes, they buy based on wants, availability, and an “emotional pull” to a certain product as well. If your old marketing and copywriting tactics do not impress your target market as effectively as before, it’s time to tweak things up a little bit. Give them REASONS TO BELIEVE! Also known as “assurances,” reasons to believe are the often delightful promises that you give your customers. These things help you convince your prospects to choose your brand―or even give your offering a shot through a trial. Here are a few examples of reasons to believe that you can incorporate in your copies or on your website: Money-Back Guarantee Lowest Price Guarantee Free Shipping 24/7 Customer Service The Only Licensed Retailer of “X” brand or product Reasons to believe on websites usually appear near the call-to-action (CTA) buttons in order to give online visitors the “extra push” that they need to make a transaction or convert into a brand’s customer. Have you considered or done any of these tips to get your target market’s attention? If you haven’t yet, now’s the time for you to do so! Give your target market reasons to CHOOSE your brand by applying some of these tips in your copy! These are some ways that will help you communicate holistically with your customers and clients―an important factor in achieving a return-driven organization. For best results, make your “assurances” as true and tangible as possible. Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s Return Driven Strategy! Public presentations are no joke. Learn more about the importance of rehearsing your speech or presentation on next week’s Return Driven Strategy!