Lesson #4

There are two types of advertising.
One will make you rich.

One will waste your money.

Institutional, or image advertising is a waste of money.

Fortunately for you, most of your competition doesn't know this, so it continues to produce this drivel. Most advertisers, regardless of the industry they are in, run institutional advertising. This includes most HVAC contractors. It is easy to recognize: It never offers compelling reasons for a person to favor the advertiser with his or her business. Its claims (if present at all) are pathetic: "We're nice, and should you ever need your furnace cleaned, please call us. We'd sure appreciate it." Compelling, huh?

Let your competition waste its money on institutional advertising, and instead spend yours on advertising that creates calls from people who can't wait to hire you to clean their furnaces. This type of advertising is called direct response.

Direct Response Advertising

Any advertising, in any media, can be direct response. The difference between direct response and institutional is that direct response is designed to produce an immediate response: an action, a visit, a call, a purchasing decision. At best, institutional advertising produces results some time in the future (which may not arrive in time to be of benefit to you, given today's hypercompetitive market). Direct response, however, concentrates on results now.

Direct response tells a story. It is precise and compelling. It focuses on your customer (what's in it for him or her). And because it always makes a specific offer, it is accountable. You will soon know if it worked and how well it worked.

If you still don't understand what I am saying, hang this on the wall in your office:

A direct response ad contains all of the following:

1. A headline
2. A created interest in the service or product
3. A created desire in the prospect
4. A specific offer
5. A deadline or cut-off date

Knowing the difference between institutional and direct response advertising is a key weapon.

From now on I don't want you to waste another dime on traditional, unaccountable advertising.

There is no way you can succeed and pay your bills just using "image" and "exposure" advertising. While image and exposure advertising are guaranteed to feed your ego, they are also guaranteed to empty out your wallet at the same time!

So there is no need to use image advertising just to "get your name out there" when you can use direct response marketing to produce consistent, predictable measurable results, while at the same time "getting your name out there."

From now on we want every dollar invested in your advertising and promotion to produce a direct, quick and measurable return on that dollar, plus some profit. Most advertising representatives have little or no understanding about that kind of marketing. The only thing they do know, and therefore, the only thing they can recommend, is to say the same things in your ads in the same way that everybody else in the HVAC Industry is saying.

But YOU need to be different so you can stand out from the rest of the crowd. We'll cover exactly how to find out what makes your business unique in the next section, but for now I want you to get an understanding about why most marketing doesn't work.

You see, people are sick and tired of seeing the same ads. While the wording may be different, the ideas are the same. I don't know about you, but it takes a lot to get my attention when reading a magazine or a newspaper, and most people feel the same way.

Think about it:

I'm glancing through my favorite newspaper and I notice your ad. I pause for just a minute. Now answer this question for me:

Why should I respond to your ad?

What makes me think that you aren't like all of the rest?

I'm busy, and I'm disappointed with the results I've had from HVAC Contractors. And the rest of the ads say the same thing as yours., so why should I call you?

Do you see the problem you face? If you're going to succeed in the HVAC business, you must be unique. You must go beyond the ordinary, the typical, and the "same old, same old." Your ads must stand out. The only way to really accomplish this is to understand how to motivate your potential client or customer to take ACTION. This can easily be accomplished once you understand...

Psychology 101

Why do you do what you do?

Why does anyone take action of any sort?

Like everything else in life, it goes back to the basics.

For our purposes, Psychology 101 is simply this: Human beings do things for one of two reasons:

The first is to GAIN PLEASURE.

The second is to ELIMINATE PAIN.

That's it ! Period!

Look at any advertisement on TV, newspaper or in a magazine, and the focus of the ad is either to provide pleasure (happiness, health, wealth, safety, love, acceptance) or take away mental, emotional or physical pain. Sometimes a combination of both is used.

Often the first part of the ad talks about the pain you will experience if you don't buy their product or service, and the second part is the pleasure (release from the pain) you will receive if you buy their product or service.

Sometimes just the pleasure principle is reinforced. It talks about all the pleasure (satisfy a want or need) you will gain if you buy their product or service.

So in everything you do, you must understand that these are the two primary motivating factors for EVERY human being.

Answer The $64,000 Question.

Every single person who reads your ads, letters, brochures and promotions has only one thing on his or her mind. "What's in it for me?" That is the $64,000 question!

In other words, what will I receive if I do business with you? What is the BENEFIT I will receive? Will you take away my pain (emotional, spiritual, physical), give me pleasure (satisfy a want or a need), or a combination of both?

With this in mind, think of your prospect's favorite radio station as WIIFM. That's what your prospect wants to know - What's In It For Me?

You see, people really don't care about the name of your business, where you got your training, how long you have been in business, the professional organizations you belong to, or if you have won awards, etc.

Please understand that as far as advertising and promotion are concerned, no one cares about these things but YOU. Your potential clients just want to know one thing -

"What's In It For Me?"

By putting your business name or your name at the top of the ad or featuring it prominently in the ad, you have just violated the first rule of effective advertising and promotion and that is:

1. Your ad must capture the prospect's attention.

The best way to do that is with an attention-grabbing HEADLINE. If you don’t capture your prospect's attention, they will skim over your ad as if it didn't exist.

2. Your ad must maintain the prospect's interest.

Keep your ad focused on what the prospect has to GAIN (pain-pleasure principle) if they use your product or service.

3. Your ad must pass the "So what?" test.

What is the "So what?" test? The "So what?" test happens every time someone hears a radio or TV ad or sees a sign, flyer or advertisement of any kind that you have created. There is an internal dialog going on every time a person considers someone who makes a claim about a product or service. It isn't something that most peop1e are consciously aware of, but they will say to themselves, "So what?"

When writing an ad, letter, poster, flyer or anything else, you must answer a person's "So what?" automatic, unconscious response right at that moment. A good thing to keep in mind when you write your ad is to say to yourself after every headline, sentence or paragraph, "So what?"

For example, if your ad says you are a member of the XYZ professional organization, or XYZ has been around for 20 years, or it is family owned and operated," the prospect is thinking, "So what?" The reason why they are unconsciously asking "So what?" is that you haven't told them how your product or service specifically BENEFITS them.

Here's another example of "So what?"

"Attend a Free Seminar on Carbon Monoxide.”

Most people will respond on an unconscious level - "So what?" If you want to capture their attention and overcome their unconscious response of "So what? ," you must tell them how the seminar will BENEFIT them.

Let's try it again keeping in mind that we want to offer a BENEFIT. How about this:

"Free Seminar Reveals How YOU Can Protect Yourself and Your Family from Carbon Monoxide,"

or "Attend Our FREE introductory seminar on… (Fill in the blank.)."

Do you see the difference?

The second headline offers a BENEFIT , How YOU Can Protect Yourself And Your Family from Carbon Monoxide,"

Maybe your ad states, I have been in business since 1985

Once again, 'So what?'

Or the ad may state, "I have studied with …” or I have trained with … (certain individuals and organizations)."

Once again, "So what?"

Those are all "ME" messages. The only person who cares is YOU! Remember WIIFM! From now on you must learn to eliminate the "ME" messages from your advertisements and promotions. The ONLY thing that is important is what the BENEFITS are that you have to offer your potential client.

Take a look at all of your promotional materials. Look at your letterhead, business cards, promotional flyers for upcoming events, book or audio tape covers, magazine or newspaper articles, websites - everything. Does it say something about you or what you do, or does it give a clear presentation of the BENEFITS that someone will receive as a RESULT of doing business with you?

Unless it clearly articulates the BENEFITS that someone will receive by working with or doing business with you, then your marketing message has failed.

I hope you get the idea by now. Everything you say in your advertisement has to be translated 1nto a benefit for the client. If it doesn't answer the question WIIFM?, then it has no business being part of your advertisement.

4. Your ad must move your prospect to action.

Your ad should prompt the reader to pick up the phone and call you and request more information, schedule an appointment, walk into your place of business, etc. And it should compel the prospect to take action immediately. If readers don't take action immediately, they will forget about you.

I'll show you some tips later to help motivate your prospects into taking action right away.

Your headline should have a strong statement of BENEFITS, and if possible., it should include a powerful guarantee. The guarantee can just be a guarantee of satisfaction. (More on that later.) Your entire offer is basically summarized in the headline.

The body copy explains that you can help prospective customers, clients achieve what the headline offers. This is usually a solution to a problem.

You then address their concerns in an informative, relaxed atmosphere.

The final step is a Call To Action, which includes an incentive for not delaying that action.

Your ad must hit on the prospect's basic need to gain pleasure and/or eliminate the pain of an undesirable situation.

What need or want are you fulfilling In your client or customer's mind? Have you ever asked yourself what your clients or customers REALLY want or need in the product or service you offer?

You must know what your client's basic needs are in relation to your product or service. In other words, why would people want your product or service? What are the main reasons that people would use your product or service? Not the reasons you think, but their reasons for being attracted to your product or service.

How do you find out this information?

ASK!

It is amazing how many business owners never ask. It is the obvious thing to do, but almost nobody does it! Yet this is an amazingly simple way to give yourself an, edge for all your future marketing efforts,

You will find out something else as well. They will be delighted to tell you what they think... These are the same people that keep you in business, so why not ask them and listen to what they have to say? Remember, your business is there for them, not you.. .

Another aspect is that people love to give advice. When you went into business, didn't your friends and family give you advice? Well, your clients or customers are just as anxious to give you advice. The main difference is their advice is useful!

This information is very important. You will find out what your clients like, what they don't like, and what you can do to improve your product or service.

Bob Blagg, The HVAC Marketing Guy

http://www.hvacprofitsecrets.com/

bob@hvacprofitsecrets.com