How To Create a Consumer Awareness Message
If you open up your Yellow Pages you’ll notice little Public Service Announcements that are printed to use up the unsold spaces on the page. Well, that’s where this idea comes from.
Your Yellow Pages representative won’t write a Public Service Announcement about your business – BUT YOU CAN! And you should include it right in your ad space.
My friend, Bill Glazer, has written his Consumer Awareness Message to help consumers choose the right Menswear store. Actually, he says he wrote it partially for that reason, but mainly he did it to get new clients for his own stores. This sells for him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it can do the same for you.
On the following pages is a copy of his Consumer Awareness Message. Realize that it is aimed towards his company and what he believes. However, this concept is easily adaptable to any type of business – and clients in dozens of businesses are now using these messages to increase their Yellow Pages advertising response.
The message itself is pretty easy to set up. You’ll have to get a voice mailbox from a telecommunications company. Most local phone companies can’t do this, so you’ll have to find a company that specializes in voice mail systems. If you fill out the Enrollment Form at the end of this chapter and fax it back to us at the number at the bottom of the form, a Customer Service Representative will call you back within 48 hours to tell you more about the services and answer questions.
When creating this message and choosing the right telecommunications company, here are several things to consider:
- Find a company that gives the caller an option
to press a button on their phone to be connected directly to your store
or office (during normal business hours).
- You can typically increase response if you provide
a FREE gift or a gift certificate to the caller when they visit your
store or office.
- Break the message up in sections and allow the caller to decide what parts of the message they want to listen to.
On the following pages you will see a sample Consumer Awareness Message.
Gage Menswear FREE Consumer Menswear Message Script
Main Greeting
Thanks for calling this free consumer information hot line on men’s clothing. Please enter the 4 -digit extension number from the ad you saw now.
General Greeting (after consumer enters in 4 digit number)
Hi! This is Bill Glazer. Thanks very much for your call. I’m grateful for the opportunity to provide you with information about menswear and how you can choose the right menswear store.
I am a nationally recognized menswear industry expert and owner of Gage World Class Men’s Stores. I’ve been in the menswear business for over twenty-five years. And in that time, I’ve learned that buying menswear can be confusing for consumers. In fact, people have so many misconceptions about buying Menswear, that I decided to offer this consumer education message so when you select a menswear store, you can make an informed, intelligent decision.
In just a moment I’ll share with you 7 secrets about buying menswear. Plus I’ll give you five questions you should ask a menswear retailer before you visit the store. And finally, I’ll tell you about one of the most important qualities to look for in a Menswear store – a good guarantee!
If you have a specific question or need and would like to skip over this consumer information and leave a message, just push #4 on any touch tone phone and leave your name and telephone number. I promise to have a member of my world class staff return your call within 48 hours. Or to be connected directly with the main office of Gage Menswear, push #5 now.
Now, take the time to find out what most Menswear stores would never tell you…
If you want to learn about the seven most important secrets on buying, caring for and wearing Menswear, press #1 now.
If you want to know the five most important questions you should ask before you select a Menswear store, press #2 now.
If you would like to learn more about the most important quality to look for in a Menswear store – a solid guarantee – press #3 now.
END OF GENERAL GREETING
Option #1 Script
Now, here are seven of my best secrets:
#1: The secrets about choosing a new suit. Wool should be your primary fabric of choice; it will keep you dry in the summer and warm in the winter and wears better than synthetics. Many consumers make the mistake of over-maintaining their suits. A good suit treated well shouldn’t be dry-cleaned more than twice a season. Today, you have many acceptable models to choose from. If your profession calls for fairly conservative dress, the three-button suit embraces more of the current styling. But you can’t go wrong with a classic two-button. If your profession calls for contemporary dress, then three-button, four-button, and double-breasted models are great.
Secrets 2-7 are on different topics relating to Menswear.
There . . . now you have the 7 main secrets about buying Menswear.
END OF OPTION #1 SCRIPT
Option #2 Script (The five most important questions you should ask before you select a Menswear store)
Now, if you’re thinking about adding to your wardrobe and want to make sure that you’re dealing with a reputable menswear retailer, I suggest that you ask questions. The way you learn about a company is to ask specific questions and listen carefully to the answers. Here are the questions that I suggest you ask:
1. What name brands do you carry?
ANSWER: You want to hear brand names that you recognize, instead of a list of “made up” names that sound authentic. At my store, Gage Menswear, for instance, we carry designer names such as DKNY, CHAPS by Ralph Lauren, Joseph Abboud, and Zanetti of Italy … just to name a few.
Questions 2-5 are on different topics relating to Menswear.
Once you’re satisfied that you’re dealing with an honest, and reputable company, then you’re ready to visit the store.
I’ll be happy to have any member of my world-class staff answer your questions and provide you with prices over the phone – without obligation of any kind. Again, just press #4 on your phone and leave me your name and phone number, and I’ll have a member of my staff contact you within 48 hours.
If you want your wardrobe needs to be completely and professionally taken care of, I invite you to visit one of my stores.
Gage has two convenient locations to serve you:
Downtown at .xxxxx, across from xxxx, with FREE Arrow Garage parking next door… Hours are Monday thru Saturday 9 am to 6 pm and Sundays 11 to 4.
And we have a store location in .xxxx (he then provides more information for 2nd site.)
END OF OPTION #2 SCRIPT
Option #3 Script (the most important thing – a solid guarantee)
Here’s one last point: I know that many consumers are skeptical about menswear stores. Before I went into this business, I was skeptical too. So in addition to dedicating my business to consumer education, I do one more thing as well.
I guarantee my merchandise. That’s right. I fully guarantee everything I sell. If you aren’t happy with your purchase, we’ll refund all your money.
What could be more fair?
As a matter of fact, add this question to the list. Question #6 is “do you guarantee everything that you sell?” Most men’s stores don’t – and it’s important that you have this information before you make your decision.
END OF SCRIPT #3
Closing Script
Thanks very much for listening. I hope you found this consumer message helpful. If you have questions or comments – or if you would like to visit one of my stores, please leave your name and telephone number after the tone. We’ll return your call promptly.
On behalf of Gage World Class Men’s stores – I thank you for your kind attention.
What To Do Now
Take a look at your current Yellow Pages and ask yourself, “Which of the examples in this manual will stand out in my Yellow Pages?” If you have previous yearly editions of Yellow Pages, go to them and look for ads that are the same. Many established companies use the same ad, same size, year after year. They may only make minor changes, usually with color. This makes it easy to know where they are going to be placed and what they will look like. It will give you clues as to what size and style of ad you want to run.
Next pick the elements you see here that you want to use and write them down on a piece of paper. Also write down ideas for the ad that you might have.
Write a list of benefits of your company as discussed earlier. Decide which ones you will include.
Figure out the most powerful language and verbiage for your copy and write it out.
Decide on the elements that you want to grab attention and create a headline around them.
Plug everything together, and then the hard part – getting everything to fit.
Next, have a middle school child read the ad out loud. See if it flows and makes sense to them.
Have a graphic designer or the Yellow Pages art department lay out the ad for your approval. (Make sure you see the final ad before it runs.)
And Finally . . .
The FASTEST Way for YOU to GET MORE CLIENTS
To show our appreciation for you reading our Special Report all the way through, we've got a Bonus Gift for you.
See our "Resource Page" on How to Get More Clients at: www.AMarketingVision.com/moreclients
Discover More About . . .
- Low Cost / Highly Effective Marketing Techniques
- Defining YOUR Unique Marketing Identity
- Toll Free Consumer Awareness Hotline Services
- Identifying Secrets about Your Specific Retail
or Service Category
- Wording those Important Questions Pertaining to
Your Specific Retail or Service Category
- Developing Your Own Script for Your Specific Business
Category
- And more…
|
Special Bonus Offer –
1 FREE Yellow Page Ad Critique Develop your new Yellow Pages ad using the concepts you’ve learned in this special report. Then send the proof and a copy of last year’s ads in your category to my office for a critique. |
 Details Next Page |