| If you could get your prospective customers | | | | Wouldn't you agree? |
| nodding their heads in agreement with every | | | | Don't you agree? |
| major point in your sales copy, that would be | | | | Can't you? |
| likely to increase your sales, wouldn't it? | | | | Couldn't it? |
| If you could get people saying "yes" to almost | | | | Doesn't it? |
| any marketing statement of your choosing - long | | | | Right? |
| before they even get to the close - that would | | | | If you have been marketing for very long, you |
| be valuable to you, right? | | | | have heard about the concept of "features |
| Did you find yourself agreeing with the last two | | | | versus benefits." Features are what your product |
| questions? You've just experienced a sales | | | | has or does. Benefits are why your prospective |
| technique called "tie-downs." One very old direct | | | | customer would want those features. What will |
| sales principle is to get people to say yes to | | | | your product do for them? For example, if you |
| multiple little questions. This gets them agreeing | | | | have something that is metal instead of plastic, |
| with you and also gets them used to saying yes. | | | | metal might be a feature. But the benefit might |
| Psychologically, they will then be more likely to | | | | be that it is more durable, longer-lasting, or |
| say yes when you ask for the sale. One sales | | | | unbreakable. |
| technique for achieving that is the tie-down. | | | | A common practice on web pages that are |
| Why use a technique from direct sales in direct | | | | written as sales letters is to use a bullet list to |
| marketing? In a famous advertising and marketing | | | | present features or benefits. Let's just imagine a |
| story, Albert Lasker was a junior partner at the | | | | couple bullet points for some imaginary "tie-down |
| Lord and Thomas advertising agency in 1905 | | | | creator" software. Most people would write the |
| when he read a note from John E. Kennedy | | | | bullets as features. A couple features might look |
| declaring that Kennedy knew the secret of what | | | | like this: |
| advertising is. Kennedy, a former Canadian | | | | - Creates tie-downs automatically |
| mounted policeman, was new to copywriting and | | | | - Adds tie-downs to the end of every statement |
| not yet known in advertising circles. But by an | | | | in a list of statements |
| interesting quirk of fate, this was the question | | | | Not very exciting bullets, are they? (Wow... there's |
| Lasker had been trying to figure out. Lasker met | | | | an example of a tie-down that I want you to say |
| Kennedy, and Kennedy declared that the secret | | | | "no" to!) |
| is, "Advertising is salesmanship in print." Lasker and | | | | Now let's imagine how someone might write a |
| Kennedy went on to revolutionize advertising and | | | | couple bullets as benefits: |
| marketing forever with those words, and Lord | | | | - Get your prospective customers nodding their |
| and Thomas became one of the most famous | | | | heads in agreement with every major point in |
| advertising agencies of the day. | | | | your sales copy! |
| No matter how many people are visiting your | | | | - Get a prospect to say "yes" to almost any |
| website and reading your marketing material, you | | | | marketing statement of your choosing - long |
| are still talking to only one person at a time. You | | | | before you get to the close! |
| are still selling one person. This sounds like a simple | | | | That's an improvement over writing the |
| concept, but many advertising and marketing | | | | marketing bullets as features, isn't it? But although |
| people still don't get this secret. That means that | | | | that might get their interest and even get them |
| if you understand this, you have an advantage in | | | | thinking of how they could use the product, it |
| Internet marketing. You understand that | | | | doesn't build agreement yet. Let's try wording |
| advertising is salesmanship in print. And you know | | | | them a little differently: |
| that you just need to talk with this one person | | | | - If you could get your prospective customers |
| and get their agreement to purchase your | | | | nodding their heads in agreement with every |
| product. And with the power of the Internet, you | | | | major point in your sales copy, that would be |
| can do this with dozens, hundreds, even | | | | likely to increase your sales, wouldn't it? |
| thousands per day. | | | | - If you could get people saying "yes" to almost |
| Tie-downs are one of the first tools to add to | | | | any marketing statement of your choosing - long |
| your new salesmanship toolbox. A tie-down is a | | | | before they even get to the close - that would |
| short phrase that can be added to a statement | | | | be valuable to you, right? |
| to turn it into a question. You use a tie-down to | | | | Would you agree those bullets do a better job of |
| turn a point that you want to make into a | | | | building both interest and agreement? (And did |
| question that your prospect will agree with. It's | | | | you catch that example of a tie-down at the |
| one way of getting your prospective customer to | | | | beginning of a sentence?) |
| start saying yes long before you go for the close. | | | | Now for your homework. It's time to go look at |
| A few examples of common tie-downs include: | | | | your website with a critical eye, while this article is |
| Isn't it? | | | | still fresh in your mind. Are you selling features or |
| Wouldn't it? | | | | benefits? Are you using tie-downs on marketing |
| Wouldn't they? | | | | statements where they would help build |
| Wouldn't you? | | | | agreement that will lead to sales? If not, you |
| Aren't they? | | | | know what you need to do! |
| Aren't you? | | | | |