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