Your marketing materials must grab your prospect? attention long enough to

convince them to investigate further. Assuming you get past this hurdle, your

piece? message must next convince the reader to call or buy. To make the copy in your marketing materials pull its weight?nd then some, take

this simple test: pretend you?e a potential buyer who knows nothing about your

product or service, then answer the following questions:1. Do your headlines entice you to read the fine print? In other words, do your

headlines use problem or benefit-oriented headlines? If your headlines don? grab

your attention, they won? grab a prospect? attention. In today? fast-paced world,

headlines make all the difference. Think about how you read a newspaper. Many

readers first search the major headlines, then decide where to start reading the fine

print. The same thing applies to your marketing materials; some readers peruse only the

headlines to understand the message and rarely read the rest of the copy. Others

read the headlines mainly to decide whether or not they even want to read the rest

of the piece. To entice your prospects to keep reading, make sure your headlines

state a problem or a benefit that clearly speaks to that particular audience. 2. Do you immediately explain your headlines in the copy that follows? Once the

reader is willing to read the finer print below the headline, make sure you provide

the solution or an enticing explanation of that headline immediately in the copy that

follows. Readers will quit reading after less than a paragraph if they feel the

headline just set them up and didn? explain itself promptly. 3. Does the copy clearly speak to your potential buyer? First, you need to know

everything about your reader. What are their demographics or characteristics? If

you sell to consumers, keep in mind their age, level of education, interests, etc. For

instance, copy about music that appeals to teenagers should read completely

different than copy used to sell retirement homes to an age 55+ audience. If you sell to businesses, determine the role your prospect plays in his company,

identify his education and experience, and find out what matters most to him in

using your services and products. Then, make sure your copy speaks loud and clear

to that reader. 4. Is your audience knowledgeable about what you offer? Do you need to educate

them about your products and services? Your materials need to make the reader

feel smart by using language that clearly speaks to them. In other words, don? use

jargon, slang or highly technical language (unless your audience truly knows the

meaning of those technical terms). Examine every word in your marketing

materials, and create explanations for terms that require advanced knowledge.

Better yet, try your copy on someone who is not familiar with your product, and see

what words and phrases they stumble over. Then find ways to make that language

more understandable. 5. Does your copy use action verbs instead of? o be?verbs? One of the simplest,

yet most powerful ways to liven up your marketing copy is to change? o be?verbs

into action verbs. Replace verbs such as is, are, was, were, has, and have with in-

the-present action words. Besides making your copy more colorful and interesting,

action verbs get your reader excited about what you offer. A great book that covers

this topic is? usiness Writing That Counts!?by Dr. Julie Miller (available at

Amazon. com). 6. Is it clear your company has the expertise and qualifications? Unless you have

top market share, great visibility, and name awareness in your industry, you still

need to convince prospects your company is trustworthy and experienced. Achieve

this with relevant information on your company? background, testimonials from

satisfied clients, certifications, important awards, and even awards you were

nominated for, but didn? win. Also mention any professional organizations you

belong to, continuing education seminars and training you and your staff take, and

any boards or non-profit organizations you participate in. 7. Where? your contact info? Your company? contact information needs to be on

every side of your marketing materials and easily found. If you can? find your

company? contact information within 2-3 seconds of looking, it needs to be better

positioned. 8. What step do you want the reader to take BEFORE they walk away from your

marketing materials? Whether you want the prospect to immediately make a

purchase, call, send an email, fill out a form and mail it in, call for a free

consultation, or join your newsletter list, use language that clearly tells the reader

the next step they need to take. Consider offering a freebie or an incentive to make

that next step more enticing. One last thought: once you?e tested your marketing materials, make adjustments

to the copy. But, don? stop there? instead, test that piece on people you trust to

give you honest feedback. Tighten up the piece some more, then get ready to

watch your marketing materials convince prospects you really do have the solution

to their problem!Nancy J. Wagner of Cut to the Chase Marketing is a speaker, writer, and marketing

strategist who helps small businesses increase their sales with effective marketing

materials and websites. Download her free 9-step marketing plan at http://www. CutToTheChaseMarketing. com

Author:
Nancy J. Wagner