CHALLENGE: How Do You Sell Something Nobody Wants?

I was given this challenge recently.

Imagine the prospects have never bought this
service before, never think about it and doesn't
add anything to one's life, in the normal sense.

There isn't a real opportunity to do lead capture
multi step campaigns in which each step takes the reader closer
to buying.

Fun challenge, right?

Ok, let's dive into it by first describing what the service is.

It's removing faulty electrical panels in homes.

The makers of them have long gone out of business.

It's serious enough that when owners of the brand of panels
Google the name, there's instant want to remove and replace them.

Yet it's not serious enough for some authority to
ban them.

So the key here is getting people to Google the brand name.

And done in a way that closely mimics a authority message
so readers read it and act on it.

There also has to be a balance between not scaring the reader so much
that the electrician is seen as exploiting the situation.

We do this by being somewhat unbiased,
as would a Government agency.

So let's lay out the message
to meet these goals.

HEADLINE: Grab attention immediately then make it relevant.
Use size to draw the eye to it

FIRST PARAGRAPH: All new paragraph openings
are capitalized and bolded to draw attention.

We must reward attention with a pay off, as fast as we can.

This is done by following through what the headline said,
another words, expand on what was just said.

We want to wrap scare words like "alarmed" and "faulty"
with comforting words, like "don't" so the messenger doesn't get shot.

SECOND PARAGRAPH: This gives instructions on what steps to take,
as would any Government agency.

THIRD PARAGRAPH: This sets up the reader to feel in control
of the situation by taking a look to see if he/she has the faulty brand in home.

Feeling in control is what took Priceline and Free Credit Report
on to massive success.

FOURTH PARAGRAPH: This continues the theme of feeling in control of the situation.
By Googling the brand, there will be all the independent evidence showing
the dangers the faulty boards pose.

This is the point we want them to get to because this automatically triggers
a phone call to the electrician.

FIFTH PARAGRAPH: This step is designed to set up the electrician as the only one to call.
This is done in the voice of another, not the electrician.

"Only specialist" "licensed by x" are used to get the job done.

Finish of with the desired outcome for the reader,
remove any and all risk they are living with.

Brought the risk into the now, so it isn't put off till later.

SIXTH PARAGRAPH: The phone number is set up as though it's a Government agency hotline.

It's manned by only licensed people to further add authority.

Closes with "keep calling if line is busy" is a proven way to bump up response
with tv infomercials, probably because it gives social proof that it's popular,
therefore it's the right thing to follow.

Let's now take a look at how it's laid out,
so you get to see it all come together.



Enjoy!
Doctor E. Vile