The pitch: Being long-winded is not a sin if you are trying to sell

By DMITRI STERN

One of the keys to marketing success is finding the "right appeal" when it comes to promoting a product.

The wrong kind of advertising appeal can actually reduce sales.

Research shows that one advertisement can outsell another by as much as 19.5 times, even though both ads may look the same, cost the same and promote the same product.

The best way to find the right appeal for a particular product is to ask your best salespeople what arguments they use to sell it. Or ask your best customers why they buy from you.

As a rule, the more information you give in your ads, the more you'll sell.

A two-minute TV commercial will result in more sales than a 30-second commercial - and a 30-minute infomercial will outsell both of them.

And remember, your ads are best targeted at the "players" - people who want what you are selling and have the money to pay for it.

These people will read your ads (or watch them) if what you say is interesting and relevant to them.

Some famous lengthy ads:

* The 6450 words for stockbrokers Merrill Lynch. One insertion in the newspapers brought 10,000 responses from interested investors.

* Five pages of text promoting Schlitz beer. Within a few months, Schlitz beer went from fifth in sales to first.

* A 600-word ad for Puerto Rico by David Ogilvy enticed 14,000 readers to send in a coupon. Dozens built factories in Puerto Rico as a result.

* An 800-word ad for Mercedes Benz headlined: "You give up things when you buy the Mercedes Benz 230S. Things like rattles, rust and shabby workmanship."

This ad increased sales in the United States from 10,000 cars a year to 40,000 a year.

Remember this saying: "The more you tell - the more you'll sell." If you test and monitor your ads you'll soon prove it for yourself.

Research shows that ads that look like editorial articles get 500 per cent more readership than ads that obviously look like ads. People buy newspapers and magazines, or watch TV, for the editorial content. By making your ads informative and looking like the stories in the publication, you'll get more sales.

Another piece of advice: Monitor the response to your ads - and drop them as soon as you can if they are not working.

Most ad agencies, newspaper and radio reps hate the idea of monitoring. Their advice is: "Repetition is the key to success." The only trouble is they are referring to their success, not yours.

However once you find an ad, sales pitch or marketing strategy that works - keep doing it.

Remember, the market place is constantly changing. You may get tired of seeing the same old ads but your new and existing customers will not.

* Dmitri Stern is the founder of Outstanding Results Company.

* The Pitch is a forum for those working in advertising, marketing, public relations and communications. We welcome lively and topical 500-word contributions.
Email The Pitch.