B-to-B Insights : Make an Offer

The six key components of effective B-to-B offers

August 2008 By Robert W. Bly

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4. Dramatize the brand or USP. The symbol for offshore investing has long been Swiss bank accounts. Therefore, the offer of a free Swiss bank account with a subscription to The Sovereign Society's newsletter supports and dramatizes the newsletter's USP: making money and increasing privacy by investing offshore.

Even when the offer does not seem closely related to the product, a clever copywriter can find a connection. Years ago, Newsweek offered a free radio as a premium for new subscribers. It would seem that a radio is a poor choice of premium. But copywriter Milt Pierce used the differences between these media to make a logical connection between the premium and the product:

Dear Reader:
What's the fastest way to get the news?
It's on the radio. That's why Newsweek wants you to have-as an introductory gift for new subscribers-this superb AM/FM radio.
But what's the best way to get the news?
You won't get just headlines and a rough outline of the news, with Newsweek, you'll get the news in depth ....

5. Be easy to take advantage of. You should make it as easy and convenient as possible for the prospect to accept your offer.

How? To begin with, offer multiple response mechanisms. Different prospects respond in different ways.

In a print ad, consider including a coupon or a bind-in BRC opposite the advertisement. On the Web, landing pages should ask for the minimum information from the prospect when collecting leads. If you are building your opt-in e-list, ask for name and e-mail address only. When you have multiple fields for the user to complete, use an asterisk to indicate which are mandatory, and make as many fields as possible optional. Conversion rates decline incrementally for each additional field you force the prospect to fill out.

The ease and convenience of accepting the offer can even be highlighted in the copy as a benefit. In a letter selling the Board Report, a newsletter for graphic designers, copywriter Sig Rosenblum makes a benefit out of the fact that the reply element is a BRC:

Please complete the card enclosed and drop it in the mail today. It's already addressed. And the postage is paid.

6. Minimize the buyer's risk and obligation. Do whatever you can to minimize sales pressure on the prospect. If you follow up leads by phone instead of with the field sales force, say in your copy, "No salesperson will visit." If you do not follow up leads by phone, say, "No salesperson will call."

When offering anything free-a whitepaper, webinar, even a brochure-say that it is free. Do not substitute the weaker "complimentary" when writing to a high-level business audience because you think "free" is not professional or will offend them. It won't.

A health care agency sent a mail piece inviting doctors to attend a symposium. It did an A/B split test of two versions; the only difference was that version B offered a free pocket diary as a gift for attendance. Version B outpulled version A sixfold. Busy doctors were persuaded to give up an afternoon by a free pocket diary that costs about a dollar!

Does the buyer have to agree to sit through a presentation or demonstration, or complete a survey? If he is not required to take further action once he accepts the offer, note this in your copy by saying: "There's no obligation ... nothing to buy ... and no commitment of any kind."

Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 70 books, including "The White Paper Marketing Handbook" (Racom). You can find him on the Web at www.bly.com, e-mail him at rwbly@bly.com, or phone (201) 385-1220.

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