What Do Your Ads Say?

Make a list of everything you think should beincluded at one time or another, in one of yourad, be it radio, newspaper or Little Jimmie'sclass play program.

Everything. Experience, staff, facility, product.The list will be quite long. Take the time to doit now, before you read the rest of this article.

Next, take a hard look at your list, pencil inhand, and cross off all items that are about YOU(including YOUR staff, YOUR building, YOURranking, awards etc). Now, x-out all theFEATURES of your products or service.

The number one rule, the only rule, for greatadvertising is "Sell the Benefits".

Take a poll, people don't care if you have thelargest selection in town. It means nothing that"New Stuff is arriving daily". They want to knowwhat you or your product can do for them. WIIFM or"What's In It For Me?" Ease pain and you gain.

You see and hear ads everyday that miss the pointentirely. Giant billboards with pictures of themedical clinic staff standing in front of a wallof awards. Picture of a guy with a wrench and thewords "See me for all your plumbing needs." Threelittle girls on TV yelling an unintelligibleslogan about their daddy's store. It's all aboutthem. It should be all about the customer.

Did you see the one on TV where a guy gets thewater cooler dumped on him because he bought thegood software? What picture does that tell? Itwould have been better if the guy told me (from asunny beach location) the boss gave him anotherweek of vacation because the new software savedthe company 40 million bucks. Benefits.

How about the newspaper ad with the picture ofthe funeral home building and how they have beenaround for 85 years? Benefit?

Ads about "you you you" can look and sound reallygreat, to you, you, you. We all love to talk aboutourselves. Where are the benefits? What hook doesyour face on a billboard use to bring customersthrough the door? Your face is NOT a benefit.

We all grew up thinking "me me me". Remember howexcited you got when you first saw your name orpicture in the newspaper? Even the school paper.It was a BIG deal. "Me me me." Great for your ego,but take that thinking to your advertising and itflops.

The first time you make the list and cross out theme me mees and all the features, you may have onlyone or two points left to promote. Make a new listand think "them them them". Think benefits.

The ads that stick in your head are the ones thatpromise to make your life easier. The appliancestore promising to deliver at the appointed time.You don't have to stay home all day waiting forthe truck. A real benefit. It makes no differenceif the TV is made by Acme or Zenith? They willdeliver on time. Let's go there. Benefits.

The company that says their plumber will show upclean, on time, and not smell. Another benefit!

Who cares what a financial advisor looks like, buttell people they can retire and not eat dog foodand you get their attention. Benefit.

Funny thing, the ads about benefits are the oneswe make the mental note to remember. Hmmm.

Sell the benefits and you don't have to sellyourself.

For more about advertising, get my article "What'sYour Selling Sentence?" Send a blank eMail toMailTo:SellingSentence@BigIdeasGroup.com

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights ReservedMike@BIGIdeasGroup.comBIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and SmallBusiness Consultant with over 30 years experience,http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

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