Page 35 - MetalForming September 2009

clearly communicate, the better chance you have of capturing the interest of your audience.
Print Advertising
Advertising purists will claim that the first rule of advertising is being truthful. Unfortunately, there is so much ‘noise’ in advertising that consumers have trained themselves to tune out mar- keters. So while you agonize over choice of words and images that tell a detailed, sticky or compelling story, you may miss the reality that your audience is skimming content in low-attention mode. Therefore, my first rule—grab the audience’s attention.
One of the best attention-grabbing treatments that I have seen are the 1⁄4- page ‘torn corner’ ads that you have certainly noticed within the pages of MetalForming. Not only has this adver- tiser found a means of really jumping offofthepage,butithasdonesoina way that brings immediate under- standing of who they are and what they do. Furthermore, through repetition and consistency the company has solid- ified ownership of this visual device. Sure, other manufacturers can repli- cate the treatment, but it would crassly scream “me too.” My advice, using AP&T Group’s example: Create your own, nonconforming way to grab atten- tion and communicate your offer. Then, measure results, adjust and stick with what works until it falls into the “satu- rated and tuned-out” category.
Concise Screen Presentations
First off, presentation decks are intended to support a speaker and not act as a brochure substitute or stand- alone sales pitch. Presenting dozens of text-laden slides will only lullaby prospects into blissful sleep. Among a common mistake is the use of Power- Point decks that include exhaustive list- ings of customer projects across multi- ple slides. While such listings may seem
impressive and are a point of pride for the manufacturer, the audience is more concerned with tangible results. Try fewer single-slide case examples that concisely illustrate how you will improve their business situation. Rep- resent results and ideas using clean charts, graphs and photographs sea- soned with results-oriented bullet points. Be respectful of the audience’s time and address their points of inter- est, but build branches in your slide deck to readily deliver more detail on request.
Websites
As prevalent as websites have become for consumer goods, industrial manu- facturers lag behind in having profes- sionally produced sites. In most cases, buyers consider a potential source of supply by visiting their website. Be care- ful not to be tempted by the cheap path that consumer-grade web-editing soft- ware offers the do-it-yourselfer. As with tradeshows, “show great or don’t show.”
As with print ads, websites afford you a fraction of a second to secure and engage the audience, especially if your inbound consumer is the result of a Google AdWords campaign that relies on highly targeted landing pages. Visu- als accompanying brief animations and video can quickly communicate ideas and concepts.
For those consumers who want to learn more, the web gives you the opportunity to present much deeper information to those willing to drill- down for more content. Therefore, offer the downloading of whitepapers, prod- uct datasheets or other more in depth materials on sub-level pages. When doing so, be mindful of why you are presenting additional material and what outcomes you are striving to achieve. For example, limiting specific content just enough may encourage prospects to engage your company in online chats or to call for application-oriented infor-
mation. In other cases, you may present very detailed results in white papers designed to share knowledge with industry peers and potential prospects.
Brochures and Other Collateral
By now you’re picking up on a theme—brevity, consistency and visuals. With brochures and other print collat- eral you need to step into the mindset of your intended audience to understand what is of real value to them and how you can best capture their attention to communicate your worth.
The onset of digital printing gives sales organizations a distinct advantage over offset press-produced brochures. Four-color, toner-based printing press- es enables marketers to tune their mes- sage to distinct industries or markets without the expenses attributed to off- set printing. Look for a printer that handles variable data printing, since these presses are perfectly suited and most often used for this type of direct mail production. These presses enable you to drive consistency in your collat- eral while having the freedom to adjust or prepare highly targeted, beautifully produced print pieces for specific audi- ences. Applying the rules of brevity, consistency and professional produc- tion, using these digital presses can boost your image for a tenth of the cost of offset print production.
Turning Opportunity into Business
When it comes to making that first impression with new prospects, ensure that you stand apart from the crowd. Quickly and clearly communicate the caliber of your company and the value you bring. Taking the time to produce high-end impressions will help you stand out and elevate the opinion and perceptions of your company in the minds of your customers and prospects, putting you in a better posi- tion to convert opportunities into pur- chase orders. MF
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