In Copy, It’s All About Them—The Customer

“Dear Mr. Johnson,

“Your credit history speaks for itself!” I couldn’t believe it! There I was at the mailbox, still dressed in cap and gown, freshly graduated from college and American Express was already offering me their coveted green card. I didn’t even know I HAD a credit history.

You can imagine how flattered I felt. I had just been hit square in the ego by a letter overflowing with one of the strongest emotional drivers available to direct response copywriters, exclusively. American Express had treated me like someone special, and you can bet I was willing to pay a higher monthly credit card fee and enjoy the “honor” of settling my bill—in full—each month. I was now a proud, card-carrying AMEX member.

In the years since, I’ve come to discover that a number of well-known firms and organizations consider me a “preferred customer,” indeed a “valued friend” who has been “invited” to partake of life’s finer things, in “limited quantities,” of course, and that each one of these treasures has been specially “reserved in my name.” These marketers are wise to the basic truth: customers do not give a hoot about companies, their products or services. Customers care about one thing, exclusively, themselves. I did, and still do. So do you and the people who receive the messages you send. As Mary Kay Ash, the late, incredibly successful founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, once said, “Everyone has a sign hanging around his or her neck that says ‘make me feel important.'”

If your most recent marketing effort didn’t garner the hoped-for response, I’d like to suggest a simple exercise: spread a sample out on a table and completely dissect it. Consider the photographs and illustrations that were chosen, as well as the basic design of each piece. But, spend most of your time studying the copy. Read every word. Then ask yourself, as objectively as you can…

• How important did we make the recipients of this package feel about themselves?
• Was the carrier envelope/subject line/headline impossible not to ignore?
• Did it include dramatic teaser copy and/or subheads, a bold visual, or a combination of the two?
• Did it give the person receiving it a convincing reason to continue reading and interacting?
• Did it make him or her feel “singled out” to reap the exciting benefits you penned about?
• Did you announce, Valuable Gift Certificate for YOU… or FREE offer for preferred customer… or You are cordially invited…?
• Was the letter dripping with “you” copy, or was the message more the self-serving variety? The first few paragraphs of the correspondence should contain more “you” words than “me” words. It’s not easy, but, when you’re communicating with good customers and prospects, it is worth the extra effort.

I’ll say it again…
Your customers are only interested in themselves!
Your challenge is to convince each one of them that you’re only interested in their happiness and well-being.

Back to that disappointing campaign of yours. Did the brochure and other inserts feature benefit-rich, captioned photos and illustrations of your product(s)… images that recipients could relate to and easily envision themselves using—and enjoying? Such visuals can greatly reinforce your message of exclusivity. And how about your reply device, your order form or card? The same applies for e-mail, banner ads, links, Web sites and ads.

• Did it have a look of value?
• Was it bordered, perhaps…presented as a certificate?
• Was it personalized? (Nothing fascinates us humans more than the sight of our own names.)
• Did your order form include — to each of your customers at least—a unique number or tracking code?
• And was that figure titled…say, Priority Number, Personal Response Identification, or Preferred Customer Code, etc.? These touches could have made your recipients feel a bit more special, and that could have made a difference in the number of orders they placed with you.

For example:

• Was the offer of stated in a “for-your-eyes-only” manner?
• Was there a quantity limit placed on your offer?
• A deadline?
• A fancy premium dangled for early orders?
• Was there a sense of urgency?
• Did you include a guarantee that was all-inclusive and easy to act upon? Letting customers know how completely you want them to be satisfied is a great way to say, “You’re important to us.”

Give that program a close inspection, then take a good long look at one of your winning efforts. I think you’ll find the successful campaign did a better job of recognizing each customer’s glowing self-esteem. I’ll bet it succeeded in making each customer feel uniquely valued and appreciated.

You don’t have to be in the credit card, magazine or insurance businesses to get maximum mileage from this emotional driver. What we’re really talking about here—treating customers like royalty—should be part and parcel of every direct marketing effort.

And just what is the perfect copy length these days? Your letters should belong enough to:

• reach the recipients
• motivate them to find the nearest phone, mailbox or personal computer
• work response-increasing wonders for you

In any event, never stop testing. You’d be amazed how many “marketers” believe their control creative, like the Constitution, should rarely, if ever, be amended. These folks are missing potentially big and profitable opportunities, not to mention fun.

Grant Johnson is CEO and founder of Johnson Direct, Brookfield, WI. Visit his blog ” Measured Approach“.