Good
day!
Welcome
to another issue of Communication Matters! In every issue, we will
review topics that will help you grow your business faster with cutting-edge
communication skills.
************
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************
In this
issue:
How to
Make a Superior Communication Piece
Creating
Sucessful Direct Mail Copy
Creativity
Corner: Mind Mapping
How
to Make a Superior Communication Piece
Using
your printed or electronic sales pieces to gain new business is smart!
We gain great results with direct mailing of trifolds and postcards.
When you start to design your collateral or communication piece, please
keep the following in mind:
1.
Put your selling message on the cover.This is the most important
rule of all. The cover of a brochure works like a headline of a print
ad. Four out of five people never get beyond it. The customer will look
to see if the subject is relevant to them and then they may open your
document.
2.
Create a visual repetitive theme with all of your advertising. Develop
a premise for your marketing plan and carry it throughout your communications.
3.
Cover Rules- only use a single illustration.Research suggests
that one large image is more effective than several small ones. Illustrations
with story appeal that involve the reader add impact.
4.
Use photos instead of drawings. Your readers need to identify
with you. Photographs are a great method to communicate and they increase
recall 26% over drawings.
5.
Always caption photographs. The small lines of type under photographs
are the best-read element of any brochure after the cover.
6.
Don't be afraid of long copy. If the information is relent
to your audience, then tell them everything they need to know. Your
prospects need information so give them enough to want to further the
discussion.
7.
Highlight the important facts. Try to highlight the facts so
the potential customer knows how to use you. Graphic devices can help
to spotlight important information.
8.
Give your product a first-class appearance. In many cases,
the brochure is your product; the "silent salesperson" who
represents you to the customer. Make it as good as your finances will
allow. There are many online printers that offer very affordable printing
options.
9.
Ask for the order.Ask-Ask-Ask!! If you want them to call, email,
mail something back to you- please make it easy for them to do so. You
must include a clear call to action.
We hope
that these ideas will help you create better communication pieces for
increased sales growth. Please call if you need help to build your message.
We would be happy to help you!
Creating Sucessful Direct Mail Copy
One of
my favorite books that I have in my extensive marketing book library
is a book by Herschell Gordon Lewis, titled Direct mail copy that
sells! Many recent authors echo the same premise that Herschell
explains so well- to communicate in an age of skepticism, you must write
clear motivating copy. He spends an entire chapter on the virtue if
using emotional words rather than intellectual works for communication
success. This word selection tool can increase your results by 10% or
more! Here are some examples of his word lists:
| Emotional
Word |
Intellectual
Word |
| |
|
| speed
up |
accelerate |
| Applause |
accolade |
| there's
more: |
additionally |
| help |
aid |
| let |
allow |
| joke |
anecdote |
| expect |
anticipate |
| smart |
asute |
To get
the entire list, click here.
Other websites
to review on this subject are:
http://www.psychotactics.com/about.htm
http://www.yudkin.com/copywriting.htm
Creativity
Corner: Mind Mapping
Do you
have a fun and easy way to create ideas? Creativity may be the most
important business skill you can develop. In our never ending search
for creativity tools, we have uncovered an easy to use tool for you
called Mind Mapping.
Mind Mapping
was developed in the 1970's by Tony Buzan. ( his books include Use
your Head, The Brain User's Guide, Use Your Memory etc.) His works
are geared towards unleashing the natural and extraordinary range of
mental skills you possess. Mind Mapping is a technique that does just
that. It stimulates your brain through the use of associations.
image
from Smart Draw
1.To
start a Mind Map, you start with a word or concept, with 5 to 10 main
ideas radiating out of that central concept.
2.The words
radiating out are called Basic Organizing Ideas. Connect these BOIs
with outward -pointing arrows.
3.As an
aid to creating your BOIs, think of each one as a chapter in a book.
4.Each
BOI can then also become its own Mind Map.
If you
would more information on Mind Maps, go to the following websites:
http://www.peterussell.com/mindmaps/mindmap.html
http://www.shared-visions.com/explore/literature/mindmap.htm
For Smart
Draw Mind Mapping software, try http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/mindmapping.asp?id=31671
* * * * * * * * *
We hope
that you have enjoyed our October newsletter and will gain many useful
ideas from our experience to accelerate your business! Please contact
us if you do not want to receive future mailings. For more information,
email kathy@mason-works.com
or go to our website, www.mason-works.com.
Have a
great month!
Kathy
Kathy Mason,
President
Mason Works,
LLC.
303-527-2978
PS. For
those of you that are in the Rocky Mountains, don't forget to change
your clocks for Daylight Savings at the end of the month!
