Page 123 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

55 LET’S PLAY 20
QUESTIONS

I was in a meeting with a potential client once, discussing a new
piece of marketing literature. The aim was to produce a sales tool
for their distributors’ telemarketing staff. We started discussing
possible content and the potential client said, “We want to include
a section on handling objections.” I asked them what the typical
objections to buying their service were. There was a silence.

It transpired that they had no idea why people might not want to
buy their product. In fact, they weren’t altogether sure why people
did buy their products. Back to the drawing board. And that set me
thinking about my own career in marketing, including six years
directing a marketing department.

The idea

From my own career in sales and marketing
It wasn’t until I started meeting and speaking to customers that
I truly began to understand what motivated them. I used to write
copy back then, too. And believe me, it became a lot easier once
I could hear those voices telling me not just why they did buy, but
why they might not. So here are some questions you might want
to ask your customers, before you start that next piece of copy.

1. What does your job entail?
2. How is your performance measured?
3. What kinds of decisions do you have to make and how often?
4. When you make those decisions, what sort of information do

you need first?

114 • 100 GREAT COPYWRITING IDEAS