By Jeffrey Hedquist
What motivates people to act? Once you have identified a problem that your listener has and that your advertiser solves, you need to make the solution believable, acceptable, and able to be accomplished.
When you do, you provide hope.
Break the problem into bite-sized chunks. Let people know that their efforts and the help of the advertiser will make a difference, that they’ll see results. By managing their expectations, you’re giving them a sense of control.
Someone with a weight problem who’s tried lots of diets, techniques and programs may be discouraged. They’re more likely to respond to a pitch for gradual safe, achievable weight balancing rather than a crash program.
Someone wanting to help thousands of people in the wake of a disaster may be overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation until you tell them the story of how a small contribution or effort from them can help one of those people make it through just one more day.
Ask yourself – how does the advertiser provide hope?
It could be by helping to break patterns of destructive habits, alleviate chronic health problems, solve financial woes or simplify technological challenges.
Your listeners experience frustrations every day from life-threatening illnesses, to the annoyance of waiting in line, to the problem of coffee cooling too fast.
Make your story of hope simple and clear with one problem per commercial. Tell a story about someone who used the product or service (make sure you follow the new testimonial guidelines).
Explain how the advertiser helps solve the problem. Be realistic. If there’s work, time, effort, dedication required to see success, state it. Realism can be one of the most effective selling techniques today.
Find ways to provide listeners with hope and they will act.
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