Ways Show E*pathy in Direct Mail - Compelling Copy NOW · Il.eilius Five Ways to Show E*pathy in...
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Il.eilius Five Ways to Show E*pathy in Direct Mail By Peter J. Fogel David Ogilvy has said the headline is the most imporunt part of your sales letter. And he's right. If your headline is doing its job, yourprospect is now piqued with interest (realizing what's in it for him) and is now onto the second most important part of your letter, your lead. This is where you have to get him hoaked, suri hitting his buttoic and iirake tiris piospect your ally up front, so in the end he will respond to your call to action. One excellent way to accomplish this is with empathy. To practice empathy is not to feel for another person, but to actually be another person. When you effectively use em- pathy in a sales letter, you have creared a kinship, a bond or a connection with your prospect. lf your product or service is what the customer wants, then he probably wants to do busi- ness with you. But, you have to prove you're trustworthy and present him with srrong evidence that your product will solve his problem. Remember: People buy for emotional rea-. sons and justify their purchase with logic. Here are five ways ro use empathy in direct mail: #1-The Story Stories have been around since the dawn of time. They draw us to the person weaving the tale, inviting us to put ourseives in ihe proragonist's shoes. An excellent example is the classic "Two young Men', let- ter for The Wall StreetJournal. Since it began running in 1971,it has produced more than $I billion in sales. It starts: Deat Reader, On a beautiftil late spring atterytoon, twenty-five yea$ ago, two young men graduated tromthe salme college. They were very muclt alil*e, these two young men... The copywriter, Martin Conroy, goespn to tell how these two young men, childhood friends, starcd out on their jour- ney through life on similar paths. But something happened that changed rheir destinations. Both landed at ihe same THts WALL STH[:[T J(}UIL\AL ffirqii alr. L.urbl & fr .lhu tbotr!.dr. \u| S $o )q L, Stu lis Oc & \r,lllr fu urr req nrd. rl{(. U x r.o )q dr tI& H hs lr U-.r6r& {uail\ M rqr F.r-.}.. d L,$ - D )sr.dl3rr BrrAe d-rc 6U.d rrl -lis lls t( U. Ie. nMl}. Des NMdbrbir\il.tr tir rku:irutw lb{ r* {ill rd: d Je.- &rt rsc Lmb 'u'd us bel tu dh- Ad 5o(\ t rur.d q L.'l 84. b rd trft 5 Mns€ dru! c;a r$q irddra ..d sG lll udc. lld &sG s. I d|tlir$ G ol ds @ uasqdof . roI &$r!rM d [.r Mp*y. Ilr dlE r& b Fsid.d. *-ilJ* I h D{LrqNc lbF)il $f rdlEd, d I tr tq *h. ![t$ rE hld dd{Iffi.. F*. laE? h La t r utrr{ i*lltG- u ffir u ddair lt i-'r U.n Fau rd sradEulBdF$'t. TL. ddlitG 16 E sls rEh Fts lBr, rd b. hs r s d5 B of U fEld$ And Urt i. Blry I or rdxry o \N rd e F.ptr l& )a &r th. hlt tus Jeml. fE rld B ri. ulol prp d tu .l*|l b ya il E&rr lmlcda. - lnlC; *r rlcy e e n kx* ljpl!{M !s*,\,} 111!. Ys c, Ilc Xdl Sre J{ul D. urry Ft{uxE t . uE qe}\ d} *flf kih$r &*). f,d IEB d.y. n b rut Ltrtu, b, Uc *{H: Etd *.tro. boia*fr3 Grpdu t].ci hDiE d.', lb J*ul'r F66 iEtrrl. , lxu mF d Eudi, of i@ !i Srtu(tobt|MM Hk. tu NEhhr. nt,lEcr h.n \rr luc ul! rd 4!III. hr sDrhu! d dqdrng n h *U. l.il.ourud rqu ur tut,|; l!. $.ll SlB lo.rl |]lrs ye dl tlr hdt$ ar yw 'Ht,- bLs ru'd n l.:M!cdt lr ,-sq l{ilu B, t e lql'ot r po$ (e o, dN J(vrul, ttE bc{-cd t(fl p$ !. Affiio. k cmhr.ll U. Errrbr E$r of tb J.f x{h n{tfl} tus. Ef hr lirq gLr of h,s! 'Er ir s.&d I B rt.b d' hr l.5. n,tbr.. boE tu*r{a &r Frq F{ia I s m}r uEr hn Sdubr !.rtrr. tdrq tb Mi.ldLEa I E r6rf5 6 lll o.0d fs, )M,,6. ru rq Ard !i6r b F{. ais Ffr d tu iwl tiiH rd ii.Bnt d ri'lrf8 continued on page 24 ) www.in aidedarecl msit.com company. One friend ran a small department at this compa- ny. His buddy ended up president of the company. How did two men with the same backgrounau end up so differentl,r'? For the copwrrirer, and thus ihe rea.ler. ir's iirn- ple. The iriend who became the president subscribed to The #1: A story approach allows the reader ta identify with both characters in the letter, and assume the successlul one readsTheWall Street Journal. Wall Street Journcl (although the lerr.er never says so direct- ly). And since everyone craves success, rhis strategy builds empathy for the less successful friend along with rhe hope o[ becoming the more successful man. #2-"a Am Just Like You" or the .Achiiles Heel" The copy voice is in the first person and uses insecurity or minor weaknesses. It's used all the time for self-improvement courses, weight-reduction and home-based business ol(ers. I used it in a home study coursc that went on to bcat a fi.;e-year cc*trcl. The vcicr lvar: of a rnan lvho was telling the reader how he found wealth and self worth from his new-ca- reer, but it wasn't always like that for him. you see, before that he was stuck in a dead-end business: I was 'existing' as a cabinet-maker. It was a gzind. I was inhaling fumes and chemicals, and my back was kil)ing me. Last year in the busrness.I made $12.245.00. Empathy: Imaginative project,ibn of one,s o!r,n consciousness into another being. -Webster's New lnternaUonat Dictionary second edition, lg34 It{slDE DIRECT MAtL o Jrnuar, 2OO:t 23
Transcript of Ways Show E*pathy in Direct Mail - Compelling Copy NOW · Il.eilius Five Ways to Show E*pathy in...
Il.eilius
Five Ways to Show E*pathyin Direct Mail
By Peter J. Fogel
David Ogilvy has said the headline is the most imporunt part ofyour sales letter. And he's right. If your headline is doing its job,yourprospect is now piqued with interest (realizing what's in itfor him) and is now onto the second most important part ofyour letter, your lead. This is where you have to get himhoaked, suri hitting his buttoic and iirake tiris piospect yourally up front, so in the end he will respond to your call to action.One excellent way to accomplish this is with empathy.
To practice empathy is not to feel for another person, butto actually be another person. When you effectively use em-pathy in a sales letter, you have creared a kinship, a bond or aconnection with your prospect. lf your product or service iswhat the customer wants, then he probably wants to do busi-ness with you. But, you have to prove you're trustworthy andpresent him with srrong evidence that your product willsolve his problem. Remember: People buy for emotional rea-.sons and justify their purchase with logic.
Here are five ways ro use empathy in direct mail:
#1-The StoryStories have been around since the dawn of time. They
draw us to the person weaving the tale, inviting us to putourseives in ihe proragonist's shoes.
An excellent example is the classic "Two young Men', let-ter for The Wall StreetJournal. Since it began running in1971,it has produced more than $I billion in sales. It starts:
Deat Reader,On a beautiftil late spring atterytoon, twenty-five
yea$ ago, two young men graduated tromthe salmecollege. They were very muclt alil*e, these twoyoung men...
The copywriter, Martin Conroy, goespn to tell how thesetwo young men, childhood friends, starcd out on their jour-ney through life on similar paths. But something happenedthat changed rheir destinations. Both landed at ihe same
THts WALL STH[:[T J(}UIL\ALffirqii
alr. L.urbl & fr .lhu tbotr!.dr. \u| S $o )q L, Stulis Oc & \r,lllr fu urr req nrd. rl{(. U x r.o )q dr tI& H hslr U-.r6r& {uail\ M rqr F.r-.}.. d L,$ - D )sr.dl3rr BrrAed-rc 6U.d rrl
-lis lls t( U. Ie.
nMl}. Des NMdbrbir\il.tr tir rku:irutw
lb{ r* {ill rd: d Je.- &rt rsc Lmb 'u'd us bel tu dh-Ad 5o(\ t rur.d q L.'l 84. b rd trft 5 Mns€ dru! c;ar$q irddra ..d sG lll udc.
lld &sG s. I d|tlir$ G ol ds @ uasqdof . roI &$r!rM d [.rMp*y. Ilr dlE r& b Fsid.d.
*-ilJ* I h D{LrqNc
lbF)il $f rdlEd, d I tr tq *h. ![t$ rE hld dd{Iffi.. F*.laE? h La t r utrr{ i*lltG- u ffir u ddair lt i-'r U.n Fau rdsradEulBdF$'t.
TL. ddlitG 16 E sls rEh Fts lBr, rd b. hs r s d5 B of UfEld$
And Urt i. Blry I or rdxry o \N rd e F.ptr l& )a &r th. hlt tusJeml. fE rld B ri. ulol prp d tu .l*|l b ya il E&rr lmlcda. -lnlC; *r rlcy e e n kx*
ljpl!{M !s*,\,} 111!.
Ys c, Ilc Xdl Sre J{ul D. urry Ft{uxE t . uE qe}\ d}*flf kih$r &*). f,d IEB d.y. n b rut Ltrtu, b, Uc *{H: Etd *.tro.boia*fr3 Grpdu
t].ci hDiE d.', lb J*ul'r F66 iEtrrl. , lxu mF d Eudi, of i@!i Srtu(tobt|MM Hk. tu NEhhr. nt,lEcr h.n \rr luc ul!rd 4!III. hr sDrhu! d dqdrng n h *U. l.il.ourud rqu ur tut,|; l!.$.ll SlB lo.rl |]lrs ye dl tlr hdt$ ar yw
'Ht,- bLs ru'd n
l.:M!cdt lr ,-sq
l{ilu B, t e lql'ot r po$ (e o, dN J(vrul, ttE bc{-cd t(fl p$ !.Affiio. k cmhr.ll U. Errrbr E$r of tb J.f x{h n{tfl} tus. Ef hrlirq gLr of h,s! 'Er ir s.&d I B rt.b d' hr l.5. n,tbr.. boEtu*r{a &r Frq F{ia I s m}r uEr hn Sdubr !.rtrr. tdrq tbMi.ldLEa I E r6rf5 6 lll o.0d fs, )M,,6. ru rq
Ard !i6r b F{. ais Ffr d tu iwl tiiH rd ii.Bnt d ri'lrf8
continued on page 24 )
www.in aidedarecl msit.com
company. One friend ran a small department at this compa-ny. His buddy ended up president of the company.
How did two men with the same backgrounau end up sodifferentl,r'? For the copwrrirer, and thus ihe rea.ler. ir's iirn-ple. The iriend who became the president subscribed to The
#1: A story approach allows the reader ta identify with both characters inthe letter, and assume the successlul one readsTheWall Street Journal.
Wall Street Journcl (although the lerr.er never says so direct-ly). And since everyone craves success, rhis strategy buildsempathy for the less successful friend along with rhe hope o[becoming the more successful man.
#2-"a Am Just Like You" or the .AchiilesHeel"
The copy voice is in the first person and uses insecurity orminor weaknesses. It's used all the time for self-improvementcourses, weight-reduction and home-based business ol(ers.
I used it in a home study coursc that went on to bcat afi.;e-year cc*trcl. The vcicr lvar: of a rnan lvho was telling thereader how he found wealth and self worth from his new-ca-reer, but it wasn't always like that for him. you see, beforethat he was stuck in a dead-end business:
I was 'existing' as a cabinet-maker. It was agzind. I was inhaling fumes and chemicals, and myback was kil)ing me. Last year in the busrness.Imade $12.245.00.
Empathy:Imaginative project,ibn of one,s o!r,nconsciousness into another being.
-Webster's New lnternaUonat Dictionary second edition, lg34
It{slDE DIRECT MAtL o Jrnuar, 2OO:t 23
r, r,lill,r,l lr,rrrr 1,,rr1r"-,,1
l ht: '"1'rrr jrrst likr y()u" rnlplthy shows tliar tire letter's au-tlr'.rr.is ir lt';rI hunran ltrirrg r,'ith probleus an(l insccLrriries---t,rtr"'s-ir-rst lil.r thc rcltlcr-rrriglrL be cxgrrricrrt.irrg lori. lt also
l)ilts tlre []r(]:i])cct in lr supe rior po:,ition. 'l']rt atrthor hast,p,:trccl u1r. itrtcl tltc ProsPct t norv {e rls u[,,:re r ltl lrinr.
#i3"-"We [coth Have the Same Enemy"Phill ir r'-s I'irblishing' altcrnativr: mcclicine wlr itc papcr
"N,lcrlicall), Proven Miraclcs of l{ealing" u}es this type of em-
l).rtliy '[hr.: r,oice is of a rebel doctor whol fed up with his
owf r rneclical establishment:EI,IDAN GERED ANTID OTES129 saIe, dinicaly proven cures "threatened" by
the health carc establishmentAs far as the FDA anrl or-ctanized medicine arc
concernecL these near-n:ilraculous Cures don't exist,dear friend. Why? Because iI you used these cures,you'd never poison your body with thet toxic chem-icals. Or letthem "prescribe" senseiess surgery!And they'd lose billictus of dollars-all becauseyou're too darn smart ... and too darn healthy!
'l-his headiine ancl lead tells readers what they might have5usl)ectcd all along; Some cl(]ctors usc surger), to makc bigliirr'ks, arxl tlrc I;I)r\ contintrrs to kiss thc br-ttt oI the "lrig b.rrl
u',,11 clruq c'ornpanies." Not this cloctor, tlrough He is a truee lr.uirlrlr'rrr ol rlrt littlc glry y,orr, his rcacler.
#4.*"Y6u're Cordially lnvited to Join OurClique"
l.iir crne wants to be an ouuider, and everyone wants to be
;r rn,:mber of a club. American Express ("mernbership has its
I,t i-,,ilcgec") i1rlil ,l.-garnb O.rfcrd Cl,-rh he,r.c huilt muhi-rrril.li,:n dollirr companies using this tlpe of emllathy. \A1hcrr
sonleone tclls you that you're of a certain class and intelli-r,,cncc, irnd tlrat not ever),one is allowed to get "their" card ortrc ;i rnember ol the club, vou want to join.
An cxarnplc can be {ourrd in a clircct mail effort lbr flyFi,;li,.r rian n tagizi l'lc:
?NOI/?'SPOKEN HERE.Also Bass. ,SaJrnon. And Bctnefislt.[-\i:ar FelJow AngLer,'l'here's batt castinE. There's fishtng. And then
tlrcre's fly fishing ... what Robefi Traver (author oIAnatamy af a Murder but best l<uown to fishermeni'ur his love affair with trout) called "one af the moreavniable forms incurable mad"ness . .. I'!n the editorof FLY FISHERMAN. Like Robefi Traver, I fish be-c.]i-ise...
iii4Irt o{f tlie hrt, the write' lrrres the ,rrospcrjt in u,ith "hrs"Irurlr.rir14r:. Ii youire an anglcr, \,ori're tirinking, " l his guy knowstii,:r'cs nothing on earth that compares to catchin'some trout.I lts okay in nry book." Like bait, this writer darrgles "fly fish-e rruan" benefits throughout rhe copy that work beautifully.
#15-Humorllunror is tricky in direct rnail. It's usually frowned upon,
bct',lirsr it doesn't always get a good response. Rut thcre are('.\crrptil)ns to every rule. Flurnor shouldn't be uscd [o show
.-*vrlq*'.inside $areclmail.com 24
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Uut th.n rL.t bl! ir-r. c.D rleiq. Yoc r.d.but !r roth. tsFlr r.'d 6v.! h6d . blr..r cotd ,tsIl lu. .n.r. (Mhrro yr.r. th. clrMl, r. -!r6E!rr!it frlecl,. fh.i lr..r.v1f @t .b.t.v.r, d.rnd q..tsilult tr.. lD &!th I.o,Nr 4n 9or9.6u. rr-. ,.re tlor.n .olld, rh.t ant, t1tu.t ly,ttrrtlq.ll ov.r.9.1.,
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Lv.n ulor. r D.€n .:F.rLn.!rLg lr(tr g!.ts-llutc. k, r. llgurd, et.rtlr9 ov.r, yhy @rc.rry lhor. .rFriErt. a. f.r .. y. corld 90?
I l1 i.Il yo! th.t tha orp.tr&n.r,.r.:
i4 Cop1'wtilut llt:rschtll Gortlort Lcwis contltines botlt t:xciusivtly anda -qtory appr1ach t0 ueate a rapp1rt with pr1spects wh7 read this letterlor Red Cooper .'',)efruit.
hriw u,itty a copvrvriter cert lrc (lrave tlrat lor Nlaclisr:n Ave.agetrcics and th,,, [ailurcs). lnstearl, ir gootl usc clilrumor isone where you grab your prospect's attention while at thesame time foctrsinq on lris neecls.
IvlarkcterJetl PauI used ltunr,.,r i,rry well rn iris sales piecefound in the back o[ many busincss opportunrt)' nragazines.l'he acls headline was:
How I Earn $4,000 a Day Sitttrtg dt My KitchenTable in My Underwear!
Ilrr heacllinr: stol)s )'t)u $'rth its lunny rvord pir:ture. But it8,,.'t,,lc.'ltt'r. \irtt w;rttt to l.ttolr nlr)rr'lll)()ut lr0w this guyrnakes $+,000 a cla1,, whilt' never leaving horne. Thts versionoi the "L-az1'N{ans W:ri, to Itrches" hcadlinc largcts its blue-coilar auclience pe rfectllr
Paul also placed strategic sarcastic remarks about his for-n.rcr ernploye r (sorne thing everyone thinks about, but Paulsays it lor them) in the copl: Remernber: Always fit the righthunror to the right product or sen,ice.
Know your cusl.olners' core bclicls so you can mix and rnatchcliflerent types o[err.rpathv !-crr t]ic rnost cfl'ectivc messilg(r
ilS nrilliter rnarkrter De nny I'iirLcir recentiy sard in an i[ter-view in this very newsletre( "Copy,writers are scared to be emo-tional. I used to klve ernotional cfiorts. Now they are rarional."
So there you have it. Use passion and emcltion in dealingwith your prospcct, solve l.ris problerus and vou'll always cre-ate high-response direct n.rail canrpaigns. I
PcterJ. Fr:gel is a high-responsc dirtct nrail copywrirer, uho rcsides inRichnrond I{ill, N\'. To gct his arriclc "}lou ro Makr Your HeadlineJump 0{Ithr Page and Grab }'our l}rorpci.{ lil,rlrr t.apcls," r-rnail himat compe [email protected]. Ht tan lrt' rr:ched irt (7ltt) ti+7-06+7.
INSIDE DIRECT MAIL. ,lanuary 2003
