Dr. Seuss wasn't a doctor.
But that didn't stop him from publishing 46 books, translated into 21 languages, and selling over 600 million copies and counting.
His secret?
The Etch a Sketch® is a clue to his secret.
It's a classic toy that was invented when Eisenhower was still in office. In the hands of an etching artisan it can make magic.
To etch is to leave an impression of an image on a surface.
To communicate correctly and well—and marketing is communication, although it's usually done craptastically— is to leave an impression on your prospect's mind.
The impression you leave is that of the joys and benefits and efficiencies they will enjoy when they own what you sell.
The human mind does not know the difference between imagined and experienced memories. That's why we jump and cry at movie scenes.
The Etch a Sketch® uses aluminum powder to make its mark.
Marketing experts use surprising words to capture the attention of their prospects.
It's called "Seussing" after Dr. Seuss who made his living making up words and stringing them together to tell a story.
That's why I used the word "etchment" in the title of this post.
It's not a word but it seems like it could be, which is why it caught your attention.
I've learned that Seussing wakes up my readers and gets them—you?— to focus a little more closely to my writing because you think...
Hey. What is that?
"Is it really a word that I don't know or is Wes losing his mind?
"Oh.
"It's in italics.
"Maybe it's a foreign word, which makes Wes a world traveler and more cosmopolitan than I thought.
"Or he's Seussing, which also makes him more interesting than I thought.
"Either way, that's pretty cool.
"I think I might like this Wes character.
"I'll keep reading, maybe even opt-in for something...and even buy something."
Depending on your audience you may want/need to put the word in italics and/or parentheses to let the world know you're not losing your mind and that you do know that it's not a word.
Some others I've used over the years include:
- Life is good. It's gooder when you're selling.
- Childrenly Candidly (for a photographer that photographs kids).
- The right tool used "rightly."
- Automagically (I didn't invent it but you're seeing that used more and more.)
When you carefully place—or powerfully pound—words like this into your writing, it makes your reader stop and think for a second.
As long as you stopped to read this my primary goal was achieved, because to make any sale I must make every sale, beginning with capturing your attention...then keeping it.
Follow The ABCDE Selling System To Make Every Sale
If you want to make a sale you must first get the attention of your prospect.
Once you have attracted a prospect to your website, trade show booth, or store you and have their attention, you must entice them with an offer so they opt-in to receive more information from you.
Once you bond with your prospects via multi-media, multi-step relevant communication, then you can convert or close the sale.
Rookies take the money and run.
Professional salespeople ensure they deliver a WOW experience.
That is how you prevent returns, chargebacks, and even just lukewarm customers. (You know what God does with the lukewarm, right?)
When you have over-delivered and created that WOW experience, then you will have endeared yourself to your customers and that is when their word-of-mouth helps you attract more warm leads and hot prospects that will buy more, faster, at higher margin, and less stress.
So how's your system?
In every Weekly Whisper and post I do my best to sprinkle at least one Seussing word in to spice things up and I encourage you to do the same.
So put your hat from your cat on top of your head,
Realize your marketing must be alive, not dead,
Think up some words that are fun to sound out,
That will give you more marketing and sales clout.
Or just contact me and we'll set a time to speak.
Good Selling,
