EnTrends

Products and services are a mixed
bag. Some are downright necessities.
If my toilet explodes, I need a
plumber. If your child wakes up with
a high fever, you need a doctor.
Raging termites, aching teeth, and
lawsuits also require services that are
necessities.

But most products and services are
more luxury than necessity. I often
hire a young man to mow my lawn.
But if he's on vacation one week, I'll
get my out-of-shape self out there
and push the mower myself.

Businesses buy out of necessity 90
percent of the time. Consumers feel a
purchase is a necessity more like 30
percent of the time. In many cases
consumers could do the job
themselves or make the product.
More often they simply want to buy
to save time and trouble.

It's important to think about how
your product or service is considered
by customers. Do some consider you
a necessity while others figure you
provide a luxury? This can figure in
how you promote your business and
write your advertising. Necessities
should be promoted as an affordable
solution to a pressing problem.
Stress your competence and caring.

Promote luxuries by pointing out
how much better the customer's life
will be after she buys. Stress how
your product or service saves time,
money, and hassle. There is an old
saying among advertising
professionals: When your ad
stresses everything, you stress
nothing.

Let me give you an example. Lots of
web sites list every single benefit
their product or service can give you.
You're faced with a long, long list of
bulleted points. Kudos to these sites
for putting their features and benefits
in easy-to-browse bullets. But they
would do far better to focus their
sales copy on just a few key
advantages.

People tend to skip over copy that
tries to stress every feature and

aspect of a product. Even worse,
many people simply skip over copy
that tries to cram in too much.

Make a list of the top three things
about your product or service that
seem to impress customers most.

Create a headline for your copy that
extols the virtues of one of your
advantages. Then have your copy
introduce the other two points. This
keeps your sales copy from
becoming overburdening with too
much for busy customers to think
about.

Of course, many serious prospects
want all the information they can get.
Save your complete list of features
and benefits for a second all-you-
can-read page.

Stressing the main points and
advantages of your product works
well on your web page, but it's a
great way to structure a radio or
television commercial, too. Radio and
television are excellent buys for
many small businesses. It's pretty
affordable to advertise through these
mass media outlets, not to mention
they also allow you to advertise to a
very specific audience.

Radio stations format their
programming for certain age groups
and life styles. Whether you want to
reach blue-collar men between the
ages of 25 and 35, or white-collar
women over 50; there is a radio
station for you.

Cable TV systems are dramatically
increasing the number of channels
they offer. New low- power TV
stations are popping up everywhere.
Soon, thanks to new digital
technology, regular broadcast
stations may be able to split their
single channel into several. All these
new channels need advertising to
survive.

Many are offering very affordable
rates easily in reach for small
business people.

Start by calling the sales departments
of radio and TV stations. Ask about

rates for advertising at different times
of day. Also ask about package
deals, where you get a price break for
buying a number of spots over time.
Keep in mind the kinds of audiences
you'll be reaching.

After you have all of this
information, you can look at the
demographics of your audience and
decide if it would be better to push
your product or service as a
necessity or a luxury. Remember to
stress the most important points for a
better response.

Kevin Nunley provides marketing
advice and copywriting. See his
10,000 marketing ideas and popular
promotion packages at
http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at
kevin@drnunley.com or 801-328-
9006.