The reality of direct response media, whether online or offline, is that Job One is to attract the attention of a totally disinterested buyer, and then to touch on some spark of interest or desire in that potential customer to make him or her pay attention to and “consummate” the offer with a sale.
Under the theory that everything useful to be learned about direct response marketing can be learned by watching shopping channels and pitchmen like Ron Popeil, let me give you some of the lessons I learned about product presentation from working with both.
- Keep it positive. Negative selling doesn’t work as well as positive selling. Pitches based on fear or danger are uncomfortable to the disinterested buyer.
- Differentiate from the norm, whatever the norm is: best tasting, less filling, lasts longer, does more, new and improved, etc.
- The most successful direct response offers always offer some sort of a bargain. Make the value proposition for the consumer clear and compelling using trigger words and phrases. “Free!” “Only!” “Save!” “Was $X Now $X!” “Only pennies a day!” and other price-based statements of the value proposition are prevalent in direct response offers because they work. The disinterested buyer will stop and look if they can save money even if they didn’t realize they wanted or needed the product.
- 3a. “But wait, there’s more!” This is the corollary to the bargain pitch. Value propositions are reinforced by providing extra stuff for free with the purchase of the main offer. “This entire package…with a total value if purchased separately of $X is only $X! … If you act now.”
- Rare and scarce products and opportunities are more interesting than commodities. “This offer is only available online … not in stores!” “Limited time” and “Hurry, quantities are limited” are among the techniques used to create the sense of rarity and scarcity. (Of course, all claims must be true.)
- Pictures are worth a thousand words. Include quality graphics: the highest possible resolution, close-ups and big pictures win. Consider video where appropriate. Use graphics to attract interest and attention.
- Recognize risk adversity. Always make a “Money back if not completely satisfied” offer.
- There’s safety in numbers. Terms like “as seen on TV” or “billions sold” give comfort to the disinterested buyer. Where possible, make reference to the fact that there are others who have happily bought and used the product.
- If they are ready to buy, take their money! Complete the transaction that you have convinced your customer to make before you send him or her back to the store. TV marketers get the credit card and complete the transaction before they make the purchase more expensive by adding additional shopping opportunities. Eliminating or reducing “shopping cart abandonment” is a key area to consider when trying to make your online offer more profitable. Online marketers who allow customers to fill shopping baskets with more and more products, too often find that they lose the sale to “sticker shock.” Understand the point of diminishing return in your customers’ behavior.
- Know your customer and your market. Track sales data, customer behavior, price sensitivity, time and place of sales. TV marketers have sophisticated systems to manage their customer data and the successful ones study that data all the time and make changes based on what their customers tell them by their purchase and non-purchase behavior.
- Always tell the truth and know the law!
Alan H. Gerson is a principal in iMedia Communications. He has had a long and distinguished career in media, marketing and advertising-based businesses, and in direct marketing and direct response media. He recently served as President, Ronco Inventions, LLC; previously ran the Direct Marketing arm of Ticketmaster Corp; and served as EVP and President of Marketing and Media Services at the Home Shopping Network, where he also managed all of HSN's Broadcast Television networks. Gerson was President of the Marketing Products Group at Softbank Interactive Marketing and President and co-founder of IMI/Digitrends. He presently serves on the Broadcast Council of the Direct Marketing Association.
