If You Want To Get More Customers, Heres 10 Powerful Stories To Improve Your Ads

Remember, as a child lying in bed and listening to stories. Remember how engaged you were. Remember how you never got bored of them and always wanted to learn more.

Well, there's a good reason why... and here's how what you learnt as a young child could help you attract, and keep more customers...

Metaphors and stories have proven to be a powerful way of influencing other people. They are also extremely interesting to your potential customer, and connect with a deeper part of the human psyche.

Here's 10 of the most powerful types of sales stories you can incorporate into your ads and sales letters?

1. Introductory Stories: These are stories about who you are, why you're writing to them, and how you have assisted other people and/or businesses.

This is a perfect way to connect with your target audience and generate rapport. Reveal something personal about yourself within the story? and establish credibility and trust.

2. Stories Which Overcome Fears: Everyone has fears of some type. Identify the greatest fears and concerns your customer has. And then show how other people? just like them? who had the same concerns? overcame them, and discovered there was nothing to worry about.

If you're selling a health product, the client may be concerned it will not work for them. Tell the story of somebody else who felt the same and where they are now. Perhaps incorporate this structure within one of your testimonials.

This is a classic "Feel? Felt? Found" approach. I understand how you feel. My previous customer used to feel the same way. His experience now is?

3. Ego-Enhancing Stories: This type of story shows how people respect and look up to people who use your services, or own your product.

For example, if you were selling a Mercedes Benz? you could talk about a guy who bought one recently and how his colleagues, family and friends were so impressed.

4. Attention Grabbing Stories: These are used to get people to focus on you, your products and how you can benefit them. They explain why your customer should sit up and listen to you? right now.

Here's an example from a sales letter from a company called "The Supper Club?"

"How can I get in on this deal?"

The question was posed by a Daily Reckoning reader who was referring to a deal I mentioned. Unfortunately, it wasn't a stock. It was a private deal. And it was too late to get in anyway.

But it's why I'm writing you today.

5. Product Information Stories: Don't just list the features & benefits of your product or service. Tell a story which integrates this information.

6. Improved Productivity Stories: Outline exactly how your services and/or products have assisted companies to increase their profits, become more efficient, increase output and reduce down time.

Tell a before and after story of one of your customers. You'll never guess how much (other customers) business has changed since they started working with us?

7. Family Togetherness Stories: This type of story demonstrates how your product or services has caused families to come together.

8. Money Stories: The idea here is to show people how your product or service will save or make money for your customers.

For example, if you're a mortgage broker, give a case study of a past customer? and how much money they have saved through swapping over to you.

If you're a PR company, give an example of how you helped one company get out of a rut

If you're an accountant, reflect on how you helped a specific customer save thousands of dollars on tax last year? because you're up to date on all the tax changes.

9. Security Stories: This is a prime example of how you would go about selling an insurance policy. Tell a story about how your products have allowed your customers to sleep safely, and with peace of mind.

This could be used in the insurance industry, alarms, people selling trusts, pest and termite controllers, safe cars like Volvos? or any industry where people buy to feel more secure.

At the same time, it could be used for anybody who helps people to make more money? or ensures reliability. For instance, a marketing company could explain how safe one of their clients feels about their business with all the extra income being generated.

10. Closing Stories: Stories can be used here to close the sale and sum up all the benefits you have to offer.

What stories could you use to promote your business?

All the best,

Scott Bywater
Copywriting That SELLS
Level 12 / 418a Elizabeth Street
Surry Hills, NSW, Australia
1300 88 21 91 / + 61 2 9282 6445

Visit my web site for your complimentary copy of my ebook (valued at $29.95) and free subscription to my ezine "Copywriting Selling Secrets" where you'll discover how to write ads and sales letters that sell. And one's which put money in your pocket over and over and over again.

Here's the address:

Don't muck around. Go there now. You'll be glad you did!

P.S. These stories can also be used extremely effectively through any type of communication: sales, customer service, etc, and not just sales letters.

In The News:


CBC.ca

GM says Super Bowl ads too expensive and bows out
Philadelphia Inquirer
The Detroit automaker said Friday that it won't be advertising on the Feb. 3 spectacle because of a steep price hike demanded by CBS, the network broadcasting the game. "We understand the reach the Super Bowl provides, but with the significant increase ...
GM Drops Another Advertising Bombshell -- On the Super BowlForbes
GM Says It Won't Advertise During Next Super Bowl GameBusinessWeek
Recommended: GM won't advertise on next Super Bowl, report saysmsnbc.com

all 306 news articles »

Christian Science Monitor

Advertisers and Facebook face an uphill battle. But it could be worth it.
Christian Science Monitor
General Motors' decision to invest significantly less advertising dollars in Facebook inspired some to suggest that the world's most popular social network needs to grow up. By Megan Riesz / May 18, 2012 Facebook increased the size of its initial ...
Is Advertising on Facebook Worth the Expense?TIME
Companies ask: Does advertising on Facebook pay?Seattle Post Intelligencer

all 13,666 news articles »

Dragas Mortgage Company Selects JASE Group LLC as Advertising Agency of Record
PR.com (press release)
JASE Group LLC (jasegroup.com) will serve as the Inbound Marketing & Creative Advertising agency of record for Dragas Mortgage Company (dragasmortgage.com) of Virginia Beach, VA. Virginia Beach, VA, May 20, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Dragas Mortgage Company ...

and more »

Oakfield marketing students dive into advertising
Fond du Lac Reporter
Marketing students at Oakfield High School delved into the world of "Mad Men" recently by creating an advertising campaign for a local business. Fondy Sports Park teamed up with the high school's marketing department to give students a realistic ...


CIO Today

Does Advertising on Facebook Pay?
CIO Today
By Peter Svensson And Tom Krisher GM's advertising spending is a tiny fraction of Facebook's total 2011 advertising revenue of $3.15 billion. But the automaker's decision to cease advertising on the social network could be symptomatic of Facebook's ...
Facebook Advertising Shows 'A Lot Of Potential But It's Not A Slam-Dunk'Huffington Post
Advertisers weigh in on the value of Facebook adsExaminer.com
Ahead of IPO, GM to Quit Advertising on FacebookNew York Times
Forbes -AdAge.com -San Francisco Chronicle
all 204 news articles »

USA TODAY

GM Says Facebook Ads Don't Pay Off
Wall Street Journal
By SHARON TERLEP, SUZANNE VRANICA and SHAYNDI RAICE General Motors plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the company's marketing executives determined their paid ads had little impact on consumers. Sharon Terlep has details on The News Hub.
Facebook sparks divide: GM, Ford advertising strategies divergeDetroit Free Press
Facebook's biggest problem is that it's a media companyWashington Post
Do Facebook ads work? IPO, GM spotlight issueUSA TODAY
Chicago Tribune -San Francisco Chronicle -Forbes
all 939 news articles »

Presidential TV advertising onslaught begins, but is Pennsylvania really a ...
The Republic
The advertising onslaught of the fall presidential election has begun in Pennsylvania and a handful of other states that may be up for grabs between President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. Republicans and Democrats both ...

and more »

TV networks woo advertisers as threats to viewership intensify
Los Angeles Times
(Evan Agostini, Associated Press / May 16, 2012) By Joe Flint, Los Angeles Times NEW YORK — Every May the broadcast networks take over midtown Manhattan to promote their new shows and ply advertisers with shrimp and champagne. It's a business expense.

and more »

TechCrunch

Silicon Valley Can Do Better Than Facebook
TechCrunch
Facebook sells advertising—it may be the most effective advertising platform since Google, or not—but that's not the best use of the brightest minds of our generation. Advertising doesn't improve our balance of trade. It doesn't lift people out of ...

and more »

AIADMK spent crores of public wealth on their advertising: Karunanidhi
Daily News & Analysis
Place: Chennai | Agency: PTI DMK President M Karunanidhi on Sunday flayed the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu for its advertising campaign listing its "achievements" on completing one year in office, saying it had spent a "huge amount" of ...

and more »
Google News

Go Ahead Im Listening

In today's fast paced environment, interaction with family and friends... Read More

Advertising Agency In Boston: Tips and Tricks

The big news on Wall Street last year was the... Read More

How to Write Great Headlines

According to experts, just changing the headline of an ad... Read More

See How to Advertise and Gain More Money to Blast Another Project

We have a Great News that we think that may... Read More

The ONLY Type Of Advertising People LOVE!!

Can it be???Is there advertising that people actually love?You bet... Read More

Marketing Advertising, While Advertising Your Market!

Today in the Business world whether online or off, it... Read More

Testing Headlines

A correspondent to AdBriefing, my monthly newsletter, has posed a... Read More

Get Free Radio Advertisement

Here's a neat trick to get lots of radio advertisement... Read More

Why Most Advertisements Stink!

Question: What do you think the most important part of... Read More

What Happened? Troubleshooting Poor Response from Ad Campaigns

Too many small business owners today run ad campaigns that... Read More

Become a Storyteller Not an Advertiser and Watch Your Traffic Increase

When you read the newspaper, do you read advertisements as... Read More

Imaging Isnt Everything

Many home improvement contractors attempt to use advertising to expand... Read More

7 Questions to Ask Before You Advertise

Most business owners and managers keep a fairly close eye... Read More

Never Be Caught Cardless Again: Five Tips to Help You Remember Business Cards

Sorry, I Don't Seem to Have a Business Card With... Read More

What Does the Back of Your Business Card Say?

Business cards with nothing on the back are wasted opportunities... Read More

Add More Pizzazz To Your Ad For More Profits

I recently completed a Marketing Makeover for an Ad that... Read More

Secrets to Get Free Advertising

The opportunities to get free advertising for your product or... Read More

Using Ad Agencies and Designers

Advertising and promoting your business is expensive, so it's important... Read More

Buying Radio? Read This and Dont Waste Your Money

Pay close attention and make it work the best for... Read More

Attention-Grabbing Fixes that Make Your Yellow Page Ad Leap Off the Page

Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory Users A... Read More

Change, or Reinforce?

Do you know about the distinction - and it's a... Read More

Trade Writing - For Cash!

Often considered as "plain Jane's" of the print world, trade... Read More

Electronic Reader Board

Electronic reader boards are the most efficient way to convey... Read More

Magnetic Signs: Where Do They Work Best?

Recently, a woman called to ask about replacing a magnetic... Read More

The TV Shoot, The Spoiled Brat, And A Painful Lesson

It was two days before our shoot. I was in... Read More