| High technology prospects are different.
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| | these concepts in your copy, showing
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| They don't respond like consumers and
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| | prospects that you don't understand their
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| they don't respond like other businesses.
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| | business.
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| What works with them is often the
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| | But engineers don't read at the Grade-9
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| opposite of what works with consumers.
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| | level. They name their dog Archimedes.
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| Here's a primer on how to sell high-tech
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| | They want substance, not
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| products to businesses using direct mail.
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| | oversimplification. Your letter must
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| Mail to people who won't buy High-tech
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| | speak their language, their jargon, their
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| buying decisions are often made by a
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| | lexicon. Learn the lingo by reading the
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| committee, not an individual. To win the
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| | industry journals and technical
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| sale, your direct-mail program must
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| | literature that your prospects read.
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| address the needs of everyone around the
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| | Watch for acronyms, abbreviations,
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| table, whether the president, purchasing
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| | initialisms and jargon that are
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| agent, technical specialist or end user.
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| | commonplace but never defined. Write
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| So find out who wields the greatest
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| | accordingly.
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| influence in buying decisions (often it's
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| | Lots of copy, thank you Your high-tech
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| the end users), and target these
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| | prospects are information-seekers who
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| influential prospects in your mailings,
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| | will read a lot of copy. They hunt for
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| along with the people who sign the
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| | information that helps them do a better
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| purchase orders.
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| | job, and knowledge that makes them more
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| Go cheap on design and printing Consumer
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| | marketable. They want facts. The more the
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| direct-mail gimmicks sell sweepstakes,
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| | better.
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| but not servers. Don't ask a senior
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| | That's why, with this audience,
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| verification engineer to "AFFIX FREE
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| | self-mailers don't pull as well as
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| BUYING GUIDE SEAL HERE." Don't expect a
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| | packages with a letter, brochure and
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| network operations analyst to "PLACE TAB
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| | business reply device. One exception is
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| A INTO TAB B." The same goes for fake
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| | seminars, where innovative self-mailers
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| handwriting and fake underlining. They're
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| | still grab attention and fill seats.
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| genuine mistakes.
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| | Engineers welcome long copy when your
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| High-tech business readers are
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| | message is interesting, important and
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| sophisticated. They want a letter, a
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| | relevant.
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| brochure and a business reply card.
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| | Stress features, not benefits In consumer
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| That's it. The more inserts, lift
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| | direct response, features are subordinate
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| letters, coupons, free-gift slips and
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| | to benefits. What a product does is never
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| other stuff you put in the envelope, the
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| | as important as what it does for the
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| more likely the busy executive is to
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| | consumer. In high-tech direct response,
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| fling your package in the circular file.
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| | the opposite is true. Semiconductor
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| Here's one caveat. Fancy folds, die cuts
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| | design engineers, for example, want
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| and 3D objects work well when you tie
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| | specs. Saving money is beneficial to
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| them into your offer. This is especially
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| | them, of course. So is saving time. But
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| true of trade-show mailers, where a
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| | what they want more than benefits is hard
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| unique and relevant gimmick often draws
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| | data. They want I/O word widths, data
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| more prospects to your booth than a
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| | transfer rates, frame buffer
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| traditional mailer does.
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| | bandwidths-every relevant fact that helps
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| Assume your reader has a split
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| | them make an informed buying decision.
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| personality Your reader is a business
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| | Don't ask for the order A senior
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| person, in that order. As a business
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| | vice-president of manufacturing doesn't
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| buyer, your prospect wants to save money,
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| | order a $1.5-million network upgrade by
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| raise productivity, increase efficiency.
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| | dropping a business reply card in the
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| So your mailer must address those issues.
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| | mail. Instead, the first step in the
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| But your business buyer is also a person.
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| | process is usually a request for more
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| A person who is unlikely to buy your
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| | information. Followed by a sales meeting.
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| product-however good it may be for the
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| | Then a demonstration. Then a trial. Then
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| company-if buying your product means more
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| | a contract.
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| work, more stress or more grief for them
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| | That's why direct-mail pieces to
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| personally. Your prospect may even buy
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| | high-tech prospects must contain multiple
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| your competitor's inferior product
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| | calls to action. Your response device,
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| instead of yours for selfish reasons
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| | for example, might look like this:
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| alone.
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| | "(Choose one) 1. Send me your brochure by
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| Today's rule of thumb in high-tech
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| | mail. 2. Have a salesperson phone me. 3.
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| purchase decisions is this: "Sure, no one
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| | Not interested, but add me to your
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| ever got fired for buying IBM. But did
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| | mailing list."
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| they get promoted?" Look after both the
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| | Writing persuasive direct-mail copy for
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| business interests and the personal
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| | high-tech products is different from
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| interests of your prospect and the sale
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| | pitching credit cards or magazine
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| will look after itself.
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| | subscriptions. It takes a unique set of
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| Keep it technical Telecom professionals
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| | skills to translate technospeak into
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| know what SS7, ITU-T C7 and ISUP are. You
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| | hard-hitting sales copy. Enjoy the
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| don't. So you're inclined to explain
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| | challenge.
|
