“What You're Really Selling... And
Why You'd Better Know!”

by Craig Garber

Listen, if you want to be able to write sales copy that's got any chance of making you more than just a few bucks, there are many critical things you must know, before you start writing your sales pitch.

And one of the very most important things is...

What Are You Really Selling?

Because most of the time, it's not what you're "actually" selling.

Here, let me give you a few examples taken from a random selection of ads I've got here in front of me, from today's paper:

Credit Repair:

What it says:  "Save your credit rating"

What you're really selling: 

“Cash... Now!”

Think I'm kidding?

Think again:  Do you really believe people who have bad credit, are looking for a good credit rating?

No, not at all -- what they really want, and they want it right now... is cash!

They want to be able to start borrowing money again, and buying things like cars and houses and boats, at "normal" interest rates, and not at prime + 14.95 % like most people with bad credit have to pay.

Singles Dating Service:

What it says: "Find the love of your life."

What you're really selling:

“A marketplace simply filled with single people just like you who are ALL looking for a relationship.  You see, when you're walking down the street and you pass an attractive person, you have absolutely no idea whether or not that person is "available"... "just looking"... or "horny as a toad"! 

Every one of the singles registered with us, WANTS a relationship and they're yours for the picking!”

See the difference?

Divorce Attorney:

This next one may be a little rough, but it's right on target:

What it says:  "Amicable Divorce"

What (most) people want: "Get away from your spouse and dissolve your unpleasant marriage immediately!  I'll show you how to get custody of your kids, and collect as much child support as possible, and... if your eligible, you'll get to put the screws to your spouse and really stick it to them, for as much alimony as you can get, and... for as long as possible!"

Now I know that last one sounded harsh, but who would you call if you were in that situation - you had kids... you were absolutely miserable... you wanted OUT, yesterday..., and... you wanted blood for all your tireless years of underappreciated service and loyalty?

The lawyer that says "Amicable Divorce", or the second one?

May not be pretty, but life's not pretty sometimes, is it?

So how do you figure out what you're really selling if you're stumped?  Well, just like I told you a few weeks ago, in “How To Uncover Everything You Want To Know About Your Customers!”, and just like I'm always telling you -- you've got to go back to the only source that counts -- your customers.

You've got to ask them "why they buy".

Either you ask them, or better yet, have someone else anonymously ask them.  Your customers will be more candid and lot less concerned about offending you, or giving you a "wrong" answer if they're talking to someone else besides you.

Here, let me give you an example:

A while ago I was working with a client who sold unusual retail items in a specialty store.

One of his big things was the low price of these items.  I told him he was competing using the wrong variable -- price, especially low price -- and if anything... he should be charging higher prices because of the unusual "twist" his items presented, versus the norm.

Anyway, he said his customers had come to expect this from him and that they wouldn't be willing to spend more.

Ha-ha!

So I'm on the phone with one of his customers and they casually mention to me, they just saw another similar item in a competitors shop and they bought it because of the "pretty label" on the outside.

And how much did this gal pay for the item with the "pretty label"?

Make sure you're sitting down for this one. 

O.K.  Are you ready?

She gladly forked over...

Ten Times What She's Giving My Client!

So what did you learn from that?  You learned, what my client is really selling, in this case, isn't "low prices" but unique items!

And he wasn't taking advantage of this.

What he "thought" he was selling, was a low-priced retail specialty.  What he's "actually" selling, is a unique retail specitaly item.

Market research is so important -- I can't over-emphasize this point too much.

It's more important than good sales copy and it's more important than what kind of offer you're going to make... and it's certainly more important than what kind of envelope you use and whether you put teaser copy on it or not. 

You will never ever know what your market wants (or if what you're selling even has a market) unless YOU take the time to find out!

Before I go, here are a few more examples of "what you're really selling".

Goods or Service	What You're NOT Selling	What You're Really Selling
Photographer	pictures	memories that last a lifetime
Personal Injury Attorneys	justice	MONEY!
Weight Loss or Fitness	better health	feeling and looking sexier... younger... and more attractive
Log Cabins	"a new home"	Rustic "do-it-yourself" life-style
Business Opportunity	A career path or a way to make a living.	A Money Machine! Also, freedom from your jughead of a boss.

One more thing:  Whenever you can, try and relate what you're selling to an "experience" as opposed to a "thing".  Remember, your prospects have feelings about "experiences", not about "things".

And whenever your prospects can relate a positive feeling to what you're offering them...

You're In Like Flynn!

P.S.  I've been speaking with a lot of my subscribers lately and one of the common themes I keep hearing, is about the "mental" aspect of success.

So over the next few weeks, just in time for all the warm and positive feelings you should be having around this time of year, as the holidays start approaching... I'm going to be talking about the "head trip" issues we ALL have to deal with from time to time.

Listen, I'm no shrink, that's for sure... but I've seen good times as well as my fair share of bad times, and I've been up-and-down enough times in my life to know...

Bouncing Back Isn't As Easy In Real Life...
As It Looks On T.V.!

Have you had a situation where you were able to turn around a marketing campaign of yours by changing your marketing to more accurately sell "what you were really selling"?  If you have, let me know -- this way I can share your experience with all my subscribers.

Thanks!

And here’s how you can do that:

Any comments?

Send them to me by scooting over to the contact form on my "Here's How To Contact Craig" page, and maybe I'll publish them -- I appreciate your feedback!

You can reprint, or link to this article, or to any article on this web site, as long as you include the following text-box:

“Craig Garber is America's top direct-response copywriter.  Join the ranks of Garber's swelling list of global VIP's who subscribe to his unconventional weekly marketing moments, and discover how to dramatically boost your sales and improve the response to your sales copy, on his website at http://www.kingofcopy.com. Copyright © Craig Garber.  All rights reserved.”

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