Chart Smart Charts may make good copy, but does your ad tempt prospects to read them?
By Jerry Fisher
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Have you got a clear price advantage over your competitors forthe exact same service or better? If so-and if you can carveout some extra room to work with in your sales letter, ad, brochureor Web site-you can't beat an old-fashioned comparisonchart to illustrate that point effectively.
That approach is not lost on Ann Kelsey, who runs MedicalCollections Unlimited in Atlanta. Her sales letter features acomparison chart that makes the salient point (that is, she'scheaper than most collection agencies), but the letter needs tobetter provoke prospects to read the chart.
To that end, I recommend a headline asking "Doctor, are yougetting robbed TWICE on delinquent accounts?" The messagebeing that not only is the patient "stiffing" the doctor,but the collection agency is also charging too much to collect thebad debt. The doctor is likely to wince at those words and feelcompelled to read on-and quickly notice the chart.
In the made-over version of the sales letter, the chart sports afinal figure that's in larger, bolder type-the better todraw a physician's attention. And in the first sentencefollowing the chart, I've indicated and boldfaced the netdifference-$435 to be exact-that the doctor wouldrealize.
Fact is, most prospects want to be comparison shoppers, butit's usually a hassle. That's why a simple scorecard-typechart really attracts them, providing the ability to make aninstant informed decision that your business is the betterchoice.
Before
This letterhas the right idea in using a chart, but it's plain vanillathat needs some chocolate chips.
This page begsfor a headline to hook the recipient and lead him or her to thechart.
Using a chartis almost always helpful, but this one needs improvement to takefull advantage of the tactic.
After
The newheadline riles recipients, provoking them to read the letter.
The chart nowsports simpler and more explanatory elements, making itstronger.
This lettergrabs doctors by their stethoscopes and draws them into both theletter and the chart.
Jerry Fisher is a freelance advertising copywriter in the SanFrancisco Bay area and author of Creating Successful SmallBusiness Advertising (available through Bookmasters,800-247-6553). You can write to him in care of BIZ Experiences ore-mail him at jerry228@aol.com.
