How To Hook Your Customers!

When you first meet your customer or a prospective customer you have to hook them!

 

The aim of the hook is to grab their attention and get them focusing on you. Before they met you they may have been on the ‘phone talking to a supplier or perhaps even an angry customer of their own. They may have a long and pressing list of things to do. You must grab their attention and focus it on you.

 

I had the privilege to meet the legendary copywriter Ted Nicholas recently. Ted has sold billions of dollars worth of products by direct mail / mail order. Ted revealed that when he is writing copy he spends up to 90% of his time writing just the headline at the top of the sales letter. Ted knows that unless he grabs the reader’s attention with a compelling headline, his sales letter will go unread and probably end up in the bin!

 

It is equally important that you grab the attention of your customers when making a sales call.

 

Your hook should:

 

1)       Answer the customer’s question: “Why should I listen to you?”

 

2)      Cause them to be curious and ask the question: “What is it?”

 

Questions can be very powerful hooks. Questions engage the customer. Asking questions engages people’s brains and as a result they can be very engaging!

 

Examples include: “Would you be interested in a proven method that can increase your sales by 20% in the next 12 months?” or “Would you be interested in saving £1k per month on your marketing costs?”

 

All good hooks will include something that will benefit the customer. They will focus on what is in it for the customer. In this way they will capture attention. Get hooking!