Base Your Advertising On The Benefits

If you're the only product/service provider in a consumer's time of need, you may get a sale based on that even if you haven't established firm trust.

How can you set this up this kind of advertising? It depends on your business. But I'll give some examples of advertising based on benefits.

An appliance dealer can give/send magnetic advertising specialties for people to put on their appliances. To supplement this, the dealer can establish a program of getting information about the specifications people will want/need in a replacement appliance, such as measurements, capacity, gas/electric, color, etc. Then when an appliance breaks down, the customer can call for a price quote without having to supply the necessary information. (During a stressful time, people aren't apt to want to hassle with this information; they just want a solution NOW!)

I still have a business card for a lock-out service in my wallet. I got it at a gas station. I never met the owner of the service but if my keys are locked in my car on a cold winter day, it doesn't matter that I haven't met him, I'll call him.

We know that people tend to hate advertising.

The whole truth is that people hate advertising that intrudes on them without giving them a benefit.

Entertainment is a benefit; it may not induce anybody to buy the advertised product but it may get them to pay attention to the ad. Since people are more cure oriented than prevention oriented, it's necessary to fully describe the undesirable effect.

This is something an appliance dealer can use but can be adapted for other businesses. "Did this ever happen to you or to somebody you know? The freezer breaks down and all of the food in it (possibly $200 worth) is going to spoil if it isn't put into a new freezer SOON! Now besides all of the other things you have to do, you have to buy a freezer NOW! Pre-shopping for a freezer will limit the hassle you go through at a stressful time like this. We can deliver the new freezer right away and take away the old one."

Then it's just a matter of introducing what I wrote above. Just think, "Why or when would a consumer want my marketing message?" Then base the marketing message on the answer.