With customer acquisition … a great offer

A great offer presented in a compelling way to a prospect who is both interested in what you have to say and receptive to your communication. 

Great offers are:

1.  Simple to Communicate – in both Words and Pictures

We live in a post-literate age.  Show the offer in pictures and use icons to illustrate the call to action  (e.g. a mouse next to the website URL, a phone to draw attention to the 800#). Tell the prospects about how the product or service you are selling will benefit them. 

2.  Engaging

There are lots of different ways to be engaging, even when your offer involves a highly intellectual technology-based products which will be purchased by a corporate decision maker.  People are people first and titles second.  The best creative is persuasive on multiple levels, using a combination of rational arguments and words and images designed to evoke an emotional response.

3.  Involving

Get the hand and eye moving and you are much more likely to evoke a response, which is why many people continue to use stickers and other forms of involvement devices in their mailings.  This may seem “old school” – a la Publishers Clearinghouse – but it works surprisingly well, even with the most sophisticated of audiences.

4.  Easy to Understand

The best offers are specific, clear, with benefits that are “writ large”.  Don’t make your prospect do any work when it comes to understanding what you are selling and how that product or service will benefit them.  Underline the value of what they are getting in dollars and cents. 

5.  Easy to Respond To.

 
The call to action is where you tell the prospect what you want them to do in order to take advantage of the offer.  Make your directions here specific and clear.  Generally speaking, you’ll want to provide at least 3 and possible 4 ways to respond to any given offer:  through the web, by calling an 800#, by going in store, and possibly by ordering through regular (snail) mail. 

6.  Redundant on Purpose

Frequency is your friend.  Don’t be afraid to repeat the offer multiple times and also the call-to-action. 

7.  Too Good to Pass Up

Your offer should be time-sensitive with an expiration date designed to drive urgency.  Make it clear what the prospect is giving up if they don’t respond in a timely fashion. 

8.  Not Deceptive or Disturbing

Don’t attempt to deceive or otherwise dupe people into responding to your offer.  This will only build bad will. Likewise avoid associating your offer with something that your prospect may find disturbing e.g. disembodied body parts. 

9.  Available through Multiple Channels

Your prospect should be able to respond to the offer using the channel they prefer, be it through the mail, a call center, or using your website.

10.  Personal

Your name is an icon for you.  Personalization done well can lift response.  Personalization done badly can feel like a violation.

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Related posts:

1. Offer
2. What Matters Most – in Driving Response
3. Does IT still offer competitive advantage?
4. Homing in on your best customer

Related posts:

1. Offer
2. What Matters Most – in Driving Response
3. Does IT still offer competitive advantage?
4. Homing in on your best customer