Where Does Your Copy Fit in the Sales Process?

One of the keys to success as a copywriter is to see the big picture, the context where your project fits in the company's sales process. While, more than likely, you're employed or commissioned by the company's marketing department, your job is to write persuasive copy that equips the reps in the sales department to close more sales, more efficiently. In other words, as copywriters, we serve as the bridge between the marketing and sales departments.

This means we must thoroughly understand what an effective sales process looks like and align our copywriting to achieve objectives specific to each stage in the process.

What should the sales process look like?

The Law of the Harvest

An approach I developed, tested and honed during my years as a corporate fleet rep for two different GM dealerships is what I describe as the Law of the Harvest. In order to reap consistent sales, you must regularly sow the right activities to achieve your goals. So think of your sales process in four distinct stages: sowing, cultivating, reaping and multiplying. This way, when you’re reaping a new contract, you’re still working other tasks (such as prospecting and follow-up calls) today that will lead to a harvest of sales tomorrow, the next day and so forth.  Following this sales process helped me achieve a Top 30 national ranking in GM medium duty truck sales by my 3rd year in the automotive business.

Here's how it works:

 
 

How does this apply to copywriting?

As we unpack this sales process, you'll see how with each stage, your call to action should be designed to nudge qualified prospects along the "Trust Continuum" from initial awareness of your product or service, to giving you permission-to-market, to requesting a quote from you, to entrusting you with the order, to becoming absolutely loyal and enthusiastic about doing business with you and telling others about you.  

Here’s a breakdown of the Law of the Harvest.

Stage 1: Sowing = Prospecting
In order to grow your business, you must do things on a daily basis to keep your name in front of customers. In other words, you’re trying to sow the seed of your message in the minds of as many qualified prospects as possible. How do you go about achieving this objective? Here are a few avenues to consider (with corresponding marketing tools in parentheses):

• Attending networking events (Elevator pitch, business card, brochure)
• Sending out direct mailers (Sales letters, postcards, flyers)
• Cold-calling prospective customers (Telephone script)
• Placing ads in the Yellow Pages, print publications and the broadcast media, or on the Internet (Ad copy)

• E-mail prospecting (Direct response email messaging)

Call to Action Objective:

Motivate audience to give you permission to market to them.

 

Stage 2: Cultivating = Following Up
Once you’ve established contact with prospects, how do you cultivate the relationship? This is your follow-up phase. These people already know about you. Now you’re looking for ways to nudge them closer to buying from you. There are a number of ways to accomplish this objective, including:

• Periodic newsletters/e-newsletters (Informative articles)
• Birthday and anniversary cards (Exclusive offer tied to that special day)
• Special announcements letting prospects know about great deals, new products or services, special events and so on (Email messaging, post cards, flyers, etc.)
• Courtesy follow-up email/ phone calls (Email messaging/ phone scripts)

Call to Action Objective:

1. Schedule appointment to demo product

2. Motivate audience to request quote/ proposal.

 

The idea here is to plan activities to build as much rapport as possible with your prospects and give them more and more reasons to do business with you—instead of a competitor.

 

Stage 3: Reaping = Closing the Deal
This is the fun part! You’ve cultivated enough trust with the prospect to present a proposal, which is your principle project for this stage. Now it's time to ask for the order.

 

Call to Action Objective: 

 

Motivate audience to move forward with your offer.

 

Stage 4: Multiplying = Attracting Repeat Business and Referrals

This is the stage where many companies drop the ball. But it's essential for long-term, sustainable business growth. Just as a new crop often releases seeds that enable the farmer to multiply a harvest, so does a new, happy client possess opportunities for you to multiply your business through repeat business and referrals. Here's how.

• Invoices (include messaging about other products/ services/ special offers that may interest the recipient)
• Customer loyalty program (program introduction letter, loyalty redemption card, coupons, etc.)
• Follow-up system (Thank you letter, 90-day follow-up letter, one-year anniversary letter)
• Referral request (Letter that tactfully and effectively asks recipient for introductions to qualified referrals)  

Call to Action Objective:

 

Motivate audience to become a raving fan -- to continue to entrust you with their business and connect you to their friends.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Where does the project you're currently working on fit in this sales process? Does your call to action align with the right stage? See post What Happens When Copywriters Shortcut the Sales Process? Is this approach helpful? Please share your thoughts.

 

About the Author: Sean M. Lyden is a nationally recognized feature writer and columnist on sales, marketing, automotive and technology topics. As a ghostwriter and copywriter, Sean has served clients such as General Motors, SunTrust Service Corporation, Morgan Stanley, Embedded Linux Consortium and Shaw Industries. He’s also co-author of the book How to Succeed and Make Money on Your First Rental House (published by John Wiley & Sons). Follow Sean on Twitter.