Lyden's Lab for Strategic Copywriters

Is Persuasion through Reciprocation Really Manipulation?

In his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (affiliate link), Robert Cialdini presents these six principles of persuasion:

• Reciprocity
• Commitment and consistency
• Social Proof
• Liking
• Authority
• Scarcity

This series of posts at Lyden’s Lab will unpack each of these principles and explore how it applies to persuasive writing in marketing, advertising, public relations and sales.

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In a previous post, we talked in-depth about persuasion through reciprocation – that is, when a vendor or sales rep gives us something of value, we often feel a need to give back (or reciprocate) by responding favorably to the offer.

But this begs the question: If our intention is to give in order “to get,” isn’t that really manipulation? In the extreme, isn’t that really bribery? Couldn’t you say that it’s the “quid pro quo” (or reciprocation) in backroom deals among politicians and lobbyists that often drives corruption in politics? Can it not also lead to unethical marketing and sales tactics, as well?

On the surface, there’s just something that seems unseemly and manipulative about using reciprocity as a tool of persuasion, right?

Perhaps.

Yet, I am reminded by an oft-quoted saying from sales guru Zig Ziglar:

"You can get anything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want in life."

From that perspective, reciprocity can be a powerful and compelling force for mutual good.

Keeping Persuasion in the Proper Perspective

How do you apply this principle of persuasion-through-reciprocation in copywriting -- in a way that both the audience and marketer come out as winners? Ask yourself these three questions to keep your persuasion strategy in the proper perspective:

1. What does your audience want/need, relative to what your product/ service offers?

2. What can you give away that your audience wants/needs – and will make them hungry enough to pay for more?

3. What do you want in return for your give-away? A demo appointment? Contact information? Permission to market? Determine your goal upfront – and be transparent about your motives. If you’re offering something of genuine value – and it’s in the best interest of the audience – then you don’t have to be shy about your intentions.

Where I see the appeal to reciprocation sliding into manipulation is when the marketer is more focused on his or her company’s best interest – at the expense of the prospect/ audience. 

The Bottom Line

So here’s my take on the reciprocation-versus-manipulation debate: What’s your focus -- mutual benefit (win-win) or your own benefit at the expense of others (win-lose)? Transparency or alterior motives?

If we think “win-win” when applying persuasion-through-reciprocation, I believe we’re on the right track.

What’s your take?

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Related Posts

The Give-to-Get Method of Persuasion

Avoid Pain or Gain Pleasure – Which is the Stronger Motivator?

Pricing Psychology 

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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 (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2012, All Rights Reserved

 

The Give-to-Get Method of Persuasion

In his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (affiliate link), Robert Cialdini presents these six principles of persuasion:

• Reciprocity
• Commitment and consistency
• Social Proof
• Liking
• Authority
• Scarcity

My next series of posts at Lyden’s Lab will unpack each of these principles and explore how it applies to persuasive writing in marketing, advertising, public relations and sales.

What is reciprocity?

The idea behind this principle is that when someone gives us something of value for free, we feel a sense of obligation to “reciprocate,” to repay the favor in some fashion. It appeals to that psychological need in many of us to balance the scales. That may mean we allow the vendor time to pitch a product or even close the sale.

I call this the “Give-to-Get” method of persuasion.

For example …

A consultant offers a FREE initial consultation.

This reduces risk for the prospect because he or she expects to receive something of value (the consultant’s time) and be able to test whether the consultant is a fit – without the fear of losing money. If the prospect and consultant seem to be a good match, the prospect is more inclined to move forward with that consultant, not only on the merits of the consultant’s expertise but also, more subtly, out of obligation to the consultant’s investment in the relationship.

Other examples …

A software company offers a FREE white paper in exchange for prospects’ contact information, profile and permission to market to them.

A media company offers FREE access to certain articles – to demonstrate value while motivating users to pay for premium content.

A sales rep brings breakfast and coffee to a prospect’s business – and may not be expecting a formal meeting – but the decision-maker often feels obligated to at least “hear what you have to offer.”

A writer offers a prospective agency client a few hours of her time “at no charge” to give the agency a "no-risk" taste of her writing skills; if the agency principals are pleased with her work, the odds are strong that they feel obligated to present the next “paid” opportunity to that writer.

How does reciprocity apply to print and online copywriting?

The key is to develop a compelling FREE offer. Here are two questions to help guide you through the process:

What is something of value that you are willing to offer for free?

What do you ultimately expect to achieve with that giveaway?

• Attract blog or e-newsletter subscribers
• Build database of prospects who give your company permission-to-market to them
• Schedule a demo
• What else?

When is reciprocity most effective in the sales process?

In my post, Where Does Your Copy Fit in the Sales Process?, I describe in detail the various stages of the Law of the Harvest and Trust Continuum. Take a look at this graphic.

While you can leverage reciprocation at any of the four stages, it’s in Stage 1 where reciprocation will make the biggest impact. With new prospects, the trust-level with your company, product or offering is at its lowest point. But the appeal to reciprocation can create an environment where prospects can test your product/ service, which will likely increase their level of trust in you – and make them more inclined to continue down the sales cycle with you.

But wait …isn't reciprocation really a form of manipulation? Where do you draw the line?

I’ll address this issue in my next post.

 

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 (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2012, All Rights Reserved

 

Book Study Notes - Ogilvy on Advertising - Chapter 9 (Advertising corporations)

As I read through books relevant to the copywriting profession, I put together study notes, chapter-by-chapter, to stimulate my thinking and hold me accountable to apply what I learn. This way, no good idea is wasted. Hopefully these study notes will challenge you, too, to think, study and hone your craft to achieve greatness!

Book: Ogilvy on Advertising (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Author: David Ogilvy (Bio)
Copyright: 1985

Chapter 9: Advertising Corporations

 
When Ogilvy talks about “advertising corporations” he’s referring to a type of advertising that’s not necessarily designed to sell a product. There’s no specific call-to-action to buy, come to the store, or call to schedule an appointment. These ads are created for one purpose: To change or shape public opinion about the company. In other words, to sell the corporation itself, not the product.

Examples today include oil and gas companies that advertise that (despite surging gas prices for consumers, translating into record oil profits for the oil companies) they are investing their profits into new renewable sources of energy which creates millions of new jobs. Their message: Don’t view us as the enemy. Our record profits mean jobs and others forms of economic development for your community.

Chevron’s recent “We Agree” campaign is a prime example of this type of advertising -- and I have to say, it was executed very well.

 

Ogilvy’s 5 Tips to Successfully Shape Public Opinion

When you’re crafting copy to shape public opinion for a client, Ogilvy offers these 5 tips. (Notice how Chevron’s commercial seems to fit these points.)

1. If the issue is complicated, and it almost always is, simplify it as much as you reasonably can.
2. Present your case in terms of the reader’s self-interest.
3. Disarm with candor.
4. Give both sides of the issue.
5. Know who your target is.

Take-Away

Of these tips, #4 “Give both sides of the issue” is especially effective and persuasive. Why?

• It enhances your credibility with your audience. You demonstrate that you understand the issue in its totality and not just trying to ram an opinion down your audience’s throat.
• It keeps you from alienating your audience. If all you do is promote your side and slam the opposing opinion, you’ll repel the very audience you’re trying to persuade.
• It builds empathy with your audience, opens their mind to listen to your position. They think, “Ok. This company understands me. What do they have to say to me?”

What is your take-away?

 

Previous Posts in this Book Study
Chapter 1: Overture- ‘Let us march against Philip.’
Chapter 2: How to produce advertising that sells
Chapter 3: Jobs in advertising -- and how to get them
Chapter 4: How to run an advertising agency
Chapter 5: How to get clients
Chapter 6: Open letter to a client in search of an agency
Chapter 7: Wanted: a renaissance in print advertising
Chapter 8: How to make tv commercials that sell

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 (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2011, All Rights Reserved

 

Book Study Notes - Ogilvy on Advertising - Chapter 8 (How to make TV Commercials that sell)

As I read through books relevant to the copywriting profession, I put together study notes, chapter-by-chapter, to stimulate my thinking and hold me accountable to apply what I learn. This way, no good idea is wasted. Hopefully these study notes will challenge you, too, to think, study and hone your craft to achieve greatness!

Book: Ogilvy on Advertising (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Author: David Ogilvy (Bio)
Copyright: 1985

Chapter 8: How to make TV commercials that sell
“When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with fire.” -- David Ogilvy

This quote says it all, doesn’t it? You have a split second to grab attention (whether from a viewer with a TV commercial or a reader with an ad in print or online) before the audience passes over your message and moves on to something else that connects with them.

What is the essence to what Ogilvy is saying here?  I think we can derive three principles to writing persuasive copy -- whether for tv, radio, print, direct response or whatever the format.  

1. Prick the audience’s pain points from the get-go
“Fire” is the problem that a fire extinguisher solves; it’s also a compelling image that instantly elicits emotions of surprise, fear and worry in an audience.

On a sheet of paper or in a journal, brainstorm by asking yourself: What is the problem my product solves? When my audience is experiencing this problem, what are the emotions they feel? What triggers these emotions?

When you get into the mindset of your audience and allow yourself to “feel their pain,” you’ll craft copy that connects with your audience and moves them to action.     

2. Make your audience yearn for a solution
People resist stepping out out of their comfort zone to purchase something new, unless you can make maintaining the status quo feel more uncomfortable than the fear of change that comes with buying an unfamiliar product or service.

If you’re advertising fire extinguishers, for example, how would you set the scene? What emotions would you tap into to make your audience so uncomfortable with the status quo (putting off purchasing a fire extinguisher) that they WANT to change (and go immediately to Home Depot to buy)?

3. Demonstrate how your product or service is the most viable remedy to your audience’s pain
Put out the fire. That’s what fire-extinguishers do. What about your product or service? What does it do to solve your prospect’s problem? When your copy connects the dots between an audience’s pain and how your product relieves it, you position your message to get noticed above the cacophony of marketers vying for the prospect's attention.    

Take-Away
What is the “fire” to the “fire extinguisher” you’re selling? What will command attention from your audience, prick their pain points and cause them to yearn for your solution -- and act NOW?

Previous Posts in this Book Study

Chapter 1: Overture- ‘Let us march against Philip.’
Chapter 2: How to produce advertising that sells
Chapter 3: Jobs in advertising -- and how to get them
Chapter 4: How to run an advertising agency
Chapter 5: How to get clients
Chapter 6: Open letter to a client in search of an agency
Chapter 7: Wanted: a renaissance in print advertising

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 (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2010, All Rights Reserved

 

Book Study Notes - Ogilvy on Advertising - Chapter 7 (Wanted: a renaissance in print advertising)

As I read through books relevant to the copywriting profession, I put together study notes, chapter-by-chapter, to stimulate my thinking and hold me accountable to apply what I learn. This way, no good idea is wasted. Hopefully these study notes will challenge you, too, to think, study and hone your craft to achieve greatness!

Book: Ogilvy on Advertising (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Author: David Ogilvy (Bio)
Copyright: 1985

Chapter 7: Wanted: a renaissance in print advertising
“On average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. If follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money.” -- David Ogilvy

If you were to read only one chapter in this book, this is the one. Ogilvy offers rich, practical tips and insight on how to create print ads from concept to copy to completion. Since 90 percent of readers won’t read your ad, article or even tweet, if you don’t nail the headline, we’ll focus our analysis on Ogilvy’s ideas for writing headlines that draw people in.

How to write headlines that work
 Here are Ogilvy’s main points on headline writing:

• “The headlines that work best are those that which promise the reader a benefit -- like a whiter wash, more miles per gallon, freedom from pimples, fewer cavities.”

• “Headlines which contain news are sure-fire. The news can be the announcement of a new product, an improvement of a new product, or a new way to use an old product ....On the average, ads with news are recalled by 22 percent more people than ads without news.”

• “Headlines that offer the reader helpful information, like HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE, attract above average readership.”

• “...include the brand name in the headline. If you don’t 80 percent of readers (who don’t read your body copy) will never know what product you are advertising.”

• “If you are advertising a kind of product which is only bought by a small group of people, put a word in your headline which will flag them down, like asthma, bedwetters, women over thirty-five.”

• “On the average, long headlines sell more merchandise than short ones.”

• “Specifics are more credible and more memorable than generalities.”

• “When you advertise in local newspapers, you get better results if you include the name of each city in your headline. People are most interested in what is happening where they live.”

• “Some copywriters write tricky headlines -- double meanings, puns and other obscurities. This is counter-productive.”

Reflection: Print vs. Online
Ah, a great refresher of timeless principles that still work decades later. Yet, the number of available marketing platforms has exploded since the mid 1980’s. In addition to traditional media, we have websites, blogs, banner ads, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, mobile phones, that we use to gather an audience, grab attention and sell products. Are there different principles that apply, for example, to writing headlines for print ads versus Twitter updates? What about for writing headlines for hardcopy magazines versus the digital version of the same content?

What are your thoughts? How would you contrast writing headlines for print versus online? Are there fundamental differences to how you should approach the two formats? Or should the same headline work equally well in both instances?

I'm curious. What are your observations?

Previous Posts in this Book Study
Chapter 1: Overture- ‘Let us march against Philip.’
Chapter 2: How to produce advertising that sells
Chapter 3: Jobs in advertising -- and how to get them
Chapter 4: How to run an advertising agency
Chapter 5: How to get clients
Chapter 6: Open letter to a client in search of an agency

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 (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2010, All Rights Reserved

 

Book Study Notes - Ogilvy on Advertising - Chapter 6 (Open letter to a client in search of an agency)

 As I read through books relevant to the copywriting profession, I put together study notes, chapter-by-chapter, to stimulate my thinking and hold me accountable to apply what I learn. This way, no good idea is wasted. Hopefully these study notes will challenge you, too, to think, study and hone your craft to achieve greatness!

Book: Ogilvy on Advertising (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Author: David Ogilvy (Bio)
Copyright: 1985

Chapter 6: Open letter to a client in search of an agency

“Ask what the agency charges. If it is 15 percent, insist on paying 16 percent. The extra one percent won’t kill you, but it will double the agency’s normal profit, and you will get better service. Whatever you do, don’t haggle over the agency’s compensation. I know a big corporation which insists its agencies negotiate terms of business with its Purchasing Department, as though they were selling office furniture. Would they do this with lawyers and accountants?” -- David Ogilvy

Why copywriters are the geese who lay golden eggs
In a short chapter, where Ogilvy offers advice to marketers on what to look for in an agency (and how to maximize that relationship), what can copywriters get out of it?

Take on Ogilvy’s moxie, swagger, confidence -- whatever you want to call it -- when it comes to presenting and pricing your services. 

The quote above captures that attitude so well. As copywriters, we, too, are professional advisers, not commodity products. Copywriters are, as Ogilvy aptly describes later in this chapter, “the geese who can lay golden eggs." Great copywriters are NOT a dime a dozen. We craft content that makes audiences receptive to our clients’ message -- and motivates them to buy. We create sales that pay our clients' salaries. 

Why, then, should we ever be timid about expecting to be well compensated for our expertise?

Without a great copywriter, a marketer’s message gets lost in the “noise,” and the sale goes to a competitor. You make the marketer's sales cycle go full circle. You are the goose that lays golden eggs for clients.

Is that how you think about yourself and your profession?

Throw off timidity and the "starving writer" mentality. Become great in your craft. Become a copywriter who commands top-dollar compensation.

Reflection

• Are you confident in seeing yourself as the goose who lays golden eggs for clients? Or do you struggle with insecurity, overlooking the value you bring to clients?

• If you’re just starting out as a freelance copywriter or a veteran writer looking to expand into a new market, you might need to charge lower rates to get in the door. When you're in this situation, what are some ideas for offering a lower fee to a client, without devaluing your service in the long-run?

• In the quote above, Ogilvy makes the case as to why a client should pay more than the standard rate for an agency. Suppose you were to make the same case as a copywriter? How would you go about it? What would you say are the advantages clients would gain by paying a premium for your service?

• What is your professional development plan? What are you doing today to upgrade your skills and increase your value in the eyes of your clients?

Take-away
Conduct a professional “audit” on tangible value you've created for clients - response rates, increase in sales, landing a large account, time saved, etc. Parlay this research into case studies, which not only boost your credibility with prospects but also serve to remind you of your ability to “lay golden eggs.” This will take your confidence -- and compensation -- to the next level.

What’s your take-away?

Previous Posts in this Book Study
Chapter 1: Overture- ‘Let us march against Philip.’
Chapter 2: How to produce advertising that sells
Chapter 3: Jobs in advertising -- and how to get them
Chapter 4: How to run an advertising agency
Chapter 5: How to get clients

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 (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2010, All Rights Reserved

Book Study Notes - Ogilvy on Advertising - Chapter 5 (How to get clients)

 As I read through books relevant to the copywriting profession, I put together study notes, chapter-by-chapter, to stimulate my thinking and hold me accountable to apply what I learn. This way, no good idea is wasted. Hopefully these study notes will challenge you, too, to think, study and hone your craft to achieve greatness!

Book: Ogilvy on Advertising (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Author: David Ogilvy (Bio)
Copyright: 1985

Chapter 5: How to Get Clients
“The easiest way to get new clients is to do good advertising. During one period of seven years, we never failed to win an account for which we competed, and all I did was show the campaigns we had created.” - David Ogilvy

An effective tactic Ogilvy used to grow his agency was to write “how-to” editorial-style house ads on topics such as:

• How to create advertising sells (link to full ad)
• How to launch new products
• How to make your sales promotion more profitable
• How much should you spend on advertising
• How to advertise travel
• How to create corporate advertising that gets results

His strategy was to give away a sampling of his agency’s expertise and then close each ad with a compelling call-to-action:

Is this all we know?
These findings apply to most categories of products. But not to all.
Ogilvy & Mather has developed a separate and specialized body of knowledge on what makes for success in advertising food products, tourist destinations, proprietary medicines, children's products and other classifications.
But this special information is revealed only to the clients of Ogilvy & Mather.
2 East 48th Street, New York, N.Y. 10017

He makes you thirsty to learn more: “But this special information is revealed only to the clients of Ogilvy & Mather.” Your only way you can quench your thirst is to become client.

Ok. Where do I sign up?

How to Make Your Audience Thirst for More
Here are principles to persuasive copywriting at work in Ogilvy’s approach:

1. The editorial style makes the ad more likely to be read because it comes across as a source of useful information, not self-aggrandizement that mark too many conventional print ads.

2. The “how-to” headlines are effective in making us curious to read the answer.

3. By offering a substantive sampling of his knowledge, Ogilvy is giving you just enough information to think, “Wow! This guy knows what he’s talking about. This is someone I want to head my campaign.” But he doesn’t give away everything, which makes you thirst to learn more. In a sense, Ogilvy is creating a tension inside you: He has something you want but don’t have right now. He’s motivating you to resolve that tension.

4. Ogilvy offers the resolution you’re looking for: become a client.

Reflection
Another way to think of Ogilvy approach to his agency’s house ads is as a precursor to a blog. Isn’t that precisely what we’re to accomplish with business blogs? Don’t we have the same goals?

• Build our credibility as experts and thought leaders in our field
• Grab readers’ attention with headlines that signify that they are about to receive valuable info
• Provide a taste of our knowledge that makes our audience thirst for more
• Create such a compelling tension in our audience that they must contact us -- even do business with us -- to get what they want and resolve the tension.

How do these mesh with your goals for your blog?

Take-away
Think of your blog as paid work
Do you ever get tempted to put off writing your blog post today or this week because it is not “paid” work? Think about this: Ogilvy was Chairman of the Board at Ogilvy & Mather and yet viewed writing house ads as such a high priority that he made the time to write those ads himself. And for good reason -- those ads made the agency a lot of money and are still talked about 30+ years later. In other words, it was “paid work” because they pulled in customers.

Isn’t that how we should view our blog writing? What are your thoughts?

Previous Posts in this Book Study
Chapter 1: Overture- ‘Let us march against Philip.’
Chapter 2: How to produce advertising that sells
Chapter 3: Jobs in advertising -- and how to get them
Chapter 4: How to run an advertising agency

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 (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2010, All Rights Reserved

Book Study Notes - Ogilvy on Advertising - Chapter 4 (How to run an advertising agency)

 As I read through books relevant to the copywriting profession, I put together study notes, chapter-by-chapter, to stimulate my thinking and hold me accountable to apply what I learn. This way, no good idea is wasted. Hopefully these study notes will challenge you, too, to think, study and hone your craft to achieve greatness!

Book: Ogilvy on Advertising (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Author: David Ogilvy (Bio)
Copyright: 1985

Chapter 4: How to run an advertising agency
“It is a tragedy of the advertising business that its best practitioners are always promoted into management. I was definitely more useful to my clients when I wrote copy than when I was Chairman of the Board.” -- David Ogilvy

This chapter offers interesting tid bits on running an agency. And despite having been published nearly 30 years ago, most of the principles in this chapter are still relevant. However, for those of us who aren’t interested in operating a full-service creative agency, but want to become the best we can be in our craft of copywriting, I’ve focused on ideas most relevant to that aim.

How valuable (Rare) are you?
“The most difficult people to find,” says Ogilvy, “are those who have the capacity to be good copywriters. I have found that they always have well-furnished minds. They give evidence of exceptional curiosity about every subject under the sun. They have an above average sense of humor. And they have a fanatical interest in the craft of advertising.”

Reflection

• What are you doing today -- or at least this week -- to hone your craft as a copywriter?
• What is your plan to become rare, sought-after and indispensable as a copywriter?
• When you’re busy with projects, how do you still guard time for professional development?

Take-away

• Use this blog to hold myself accountable to study, practice and grow -- even when I am busy with paid projects.
• As I learn, teach others. This process will help me retain and apply the new knowledge I’ve gained.
• Never be satisfied. I have written professionally for over 12 years. Yet, I feel like each year I become more aware of what I don’t know. Let this hunger for professional growth drive me day-in and day-out to become indispensable.

What about you? How do you make professional growth happen when you’re really busy?

Previous Posts in this Book Study
Chapter 1: Overture- ‘Let us march against Philip.’
Chapter 2: How to produce advertising that sells
Chapter 3: Jobs in advertising -- and how to get them

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 (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2010, All Rights Reserved

Book Study Notes - Ogilvy on Advertising - Chapter 3 (Jobs in advertising - and how to get them)

 As I read through books relevant to the copywriting profession, I put together study notes, chapter-by-chapter, to stimulate my thinking and hold me accountable to apply what I learn. This way, no good idea is wasted. Hopefully these study notes will challenge you, too, to think, study and hone your craft to achieve greatness!

Book: Ogilvy on Advertising (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Author: David Ogilvy (Bio)
Copyright: 1985

Chapter 3: Jobs in advertising -- and how to get them
“Copywriters may not be the most visible people in agencies, but they are the most important.” -- David Ogilvy

How to write an effective call-to-action: Close with confidence

In this chapter, Ogilvy offers 5 tips on how to apply for an agency job. The tip I found the most useful to copywriters is #5: "Propose a specific next stop." Although Ogilvy's focus in this section is on how to write a resume letter, you can glean principles on writing an effective call-to-action for ads, direct mail, email campaigns or just about any form of sales copy. 

In sales parlance, the call-to-action is “the close," and the take-away principle here is this: Close with confidence. Ogilvy provides examples of both the wrong and the right way to close the sale, which in this case is to secure an appointment with the potential employer. Check these out.

DON’TS
“Hoping to hear from you soon.”
“Thank you for your time and consideration.”
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity of discussing a position with you.”

What’s the problem with these statements? Ogilvy calls them “mumblings.” They’re indirect, make you look timid, and don’t help the recipient know what to expect or do next. You’ve put the proverbial ball in the reader’s court without explaining how you intend to get it back. You’ve relinquished control of the sales process to the reader, putting yourself in the position of hoping, wishing and waiting for a response. And chances are it’s not going to happen.

DO’S
“I’ll call your office on Wednesday afternoon to see if you’d like me to come in for an interview.”
“I’m free for an interview every morning until 8:45, and Thursday after 2:30. I’ll call your office on Wednesday afternoon to find out if you would like to get together at any of those times.”

See the difference? Direct. Clear. Confident. Focused on the objective -- that is, to schedule an interview.

Reflection

• Do you ever fall into the “mumble” trap like the “Don’ts” examples? How about when you’re submitting a quote or a proposal to a prospect via email? Do you present a clear “next step” call-to-action? Or do you close with “Hoping to hear from you soon,” or “Thank you in advance for your consideration”?
• How do you close your proposals? What types of “closes” have worked best for you?
• What process do you use to evaluate whether your call-to-action or “close” is effective?

Take-away
What questions should you ask to ensure your call-to-action is as clear and compelling as possible? Here are four:

• What is your objective? In other words, what exactly do you want the reader to DO?
• Does your call-to-action align with your objective?
• Does it clearly outline next steps so the reader knows what to do or expect?
• Does it reflect the 3 C’s - crisp, clear, confident?

What about you? Any more to add?

Previous Posts in this Book Study
Chapter 1: Overture- ‘Let us march against Philip.’
Chapter 2: How to produce advertising that sells

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.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2010, All Rights Reserved

Book Study Notes - Ogilvy on Advertising - Chapter 2 (How to produce advertising that sells)

 As I read through books relevant to the copywriting profession, I put together study notes, chapter-by-chapter, to stimulate my thinking and hold me accountable to apply what I learn. This way, no good idea is wasted. Hopefully these study notes will challenge you, too, to think, study and hone your craft to achieve greatness!

Book: Ogilvy on Advertising (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Author: David Ogilvy (Bio)
Copyright: 1985

Chapter 2: How to produce advertising that sells

The right appeal vs. the wrong appeal
If your copy appeals to the right trigger (or motivator), it will exponentially pull better than well-written copy that appeals to the wrong trigger. In fact, says Ogilvy, “the wrong advertisement can actually reduce the sales of a product.” In other words, advertising with the wrong appeal is worse than not advertising at all.

Appealing to the right purchase trigger
With the rest of the chapter, Ogilvy unpacks 14 keys on how to make the right appeal. The first three, however, are the most fundamental.

1. Do your homework.

• Study the product you will advertise.
• Study the competitors
• Study the audience. “Find out how they think about your kind of product, what attributes are important to them, and what promise would be most likely to make them buy your brand.” (emphasis Ogilvy’s)

2. Determine how you want to ‘position’ your product.

• “I could have positioned Dove as a detergent bar for men with dirty hands, but chose instead to position it as a toilet bar for women with dry skin. This is still working 25 years later.”

3. Decide what image you want for your brand.

• “Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place. The personality of the product is an amalgam of many things--its name, its packaging, its price, the style of its advertising, and, above all, the nature of the product itself.” (Emphasis Ogilvy’s)   

Reflection

• What process do you follow to uncover the right “trigger” that will cause your audience to respond or buy?
• Take note of Ogilvy’s Dove Soap example. Have you explored how to re-position your product to generate even better results?
• When you give your product a personality, what you’re really doing is creating an emotional connection between your product and your audience. Does your copy make this connection?

Take-away
Ogilvy’s first two points deal primarily with making the right logical appeal so that the audience says to themselves, “Yes, this makes sense and I might want it.” His third point - which describes the appeal to emotion - is what drives your audience to cross the chasm, thinking to themselves, “I MUST buy it!” Does your copy appeal to both logic and emotion simultaneously to maximize impact -- and response rate?

What's your take-away?

Previous Posts in this Book Study
Chapter 1: Overture- ‘Let us march against Philip.’

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.

© Sean M. Lyden, 2010, All Rights Reserved