Gap Marketing Secrets

The Affect No GAP Has On Response Rates

It is fairly well accepted that average direct response rates fall between 1% and 3%.  The reality is that the average direct marketer gets a 97% to a 99% non-response rate.

Compare this 97% non-response rate to the IRS’s 1% non-response rate.  We maintain that the difference between these two scenarios is directly related to differences in GAP that each has.

Direct marketers generate 97% non-response rates because they are not consciously and purposively trying to generate the largest possible, unacceptable disequilibria within their prospects.  Instead, they write about facts, features, benefits, and everything they love about their product or service. Don’t misunderstand us…benefits are important, but unless presented in such a way that a large GAP is produced, minimal sales will result.

How Do You React When You Feel Someone is Trying to Sell You?

We are probably all tired of AT&T calling us at work five times a month.  They hard sell and come on too strong.  One’s defenses reach a peak in about two seconds, and it is all over for the salesperson.  Once a salesperson triggers your “defense mechanism”, or your “suspicious mode” your barriers are so strong that the salesperson doesn’t have a chance.  The relationship quickly turns to an adversarial interaction.

Many sell too hard.  You don’t have to.  The core of all sales and marketing information should consist of a smooth presentation leading the prospect to draw their own conclusion. A series of logical, positive conclusions is all that is necessary for the prospect to make an affirmative decision.  A perfect sales process is one where the prospect reaches a final logical conclusion on his own, to acquire or purchase your product or service.

Your goal is to present your case in such a manner, that the prospect will feel inclined to tell you that they want you’re offering.  If your copy doesn’t achieve that, you put yourself in a position of having to hard sell.

Your job is not to pro-actively sell someone.  Your job is to communicate in such a way, that when done, the prospect has gone through a mental process in which they convince themselves to purchase.

If you have ever sold face-to-face for a living, you have probably heard the quote “he who asks questions is in control”.  The converse is also true.  “He who tells is not in control”.  Asking questions makes a person mentally apply his or her internal comparative process.  From this, they acquire conclusions and opinions on their own.  When doing copy, you don’t always have to ask questions…you can present copy in such a way that the prospect is lead to making a comparison on their own.  When he or she does you scored one point.  When you do it repeatedly, and score 10 plus points, the prospect is ready to buy.

Using bullets of “benefits plus GAP copy” facilitates this process.  Properly done, the desire that each creates is cumulative to the point where an unacceptable GAP is created.  The only way for the prospect to eliminate the GAP from his psyche is to purchase the service, or do nothing and let it gnaw at them. 

If your bullets or benefits do not create mental GAPs, what good are they?  If they do not meet this objective, don’t use them until you have reworked them to a point where they accomplish this goal.