Turn Customer Benefits into Profits - Here's how

No matter what you write to your clients or customers benefits
have to be up front. That's the rule we all know it. Now how do
we stick to it?

Make a benefits list. Just write down what you know your readers
want to get out of life in their profession. List what they need
to make easier.

Making this list helps you:

- write benefit-laden headlines and articles

- choose article subjects that interest your readers

- increase sales (After all, readers respond when you focus only
on them.)

By creating this list and posting wherever you write, you'll have
a quick point of reference whenever you have to come up with an
article quickly.

Here's an example of a list I made for accounts payable clerks:

- keep independent contractors separate from employees

- reduce paper

- keeping up with sales tax issues

- stay out of legal trouble

- checking expense reports against receipts

These are all things they'd want. Now you can use this to create
headlines. Try to put the benefits in the headline first. Here
are a few examples:

An Easier Way to Determine Worker Status

Small Steps to Going Paperless

Heads up: A/P Could Pay for DOR's Sales Tax Losses

Here's Poof Spot Checking Expense Reports Pays Off

It's best not to pull this list out of thin air. As much as you
think you're close to your audience and you know exactly what
they're thinking, they can often surprise you with new interests.
Here's how to stay current:

1. Start calling or e-mailing a select group of customers.

You'll want to choose people who you speak with on a regular
basis and who are opinionated. They're not hard to find. These
wonderful gems are on every businessperson's client list.

2. Ask them these questions:

- What keeps you up at night?

- What's the toughest thing about your job?

- What's the one thing you would change about your job?

- Could you please describe your day from the time you sit at
your desk in the morning until you leave at night?

3. Draw out their emotions.

Once you have this info look for any emotions the respondent has.
Are they angry about new regulations? Tired of having to match
invoices? Eager to remove paper from the accounting process?
Loving a new kind of computer software? Use these emotions to
write your lead paragraphs and headlines. They're the
undercurrent that will keep your readers glued to just about
everything that flows from your computer and into their inbox.

Think of who you can ask today so that you can start building
your benefits list. It's the secret to the success of your e-mail
marketing campaign.

(c) 2003 Lisa Sparks

Need to get more subscribers FAST? Lisa Sparks is the author of
POWER WORDS, where she reveals how to write ezines that boost
sales, build your list and position you as THE undisputed expert
in your industry. For just a few hours of reading and writing
enjoy a steady stream of income. Go to:
http://www.integritywriting.com/power_words