How to … the phrase that's launched a million ads still reels prospects in

Entrepreneur, Sept, 1998 by Jerry Fisher

Imagine if, during a moment of intense frustration over such an advertising task, you came across an ad that started out "How to Create a Grabby Headline." Would it get your attention? I've been in the headline cobbling business for cons, and I can tell you it would still cause my eyeballs to distend. No matter what your business, I guarantee you there's a headline leading off with "How to . . ." that has the pulling power you've been searching for.

Let's say you own a restaurant and are looking for a catchy head- line to promote your savory steaks. I might suggest a headline that reads something like: "How to Order Your Filet Mignon at Delmonico's." Since the reader assumes there's going to be some new instruction they weren't aware of or expecting, they're likely to read that set of words. Perhaps the copy reads: "We don't care if you prefer rare, medium-rare or well-done, but always order Delmonico's filets with a side order of the cole slaw that New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl calls 'an accompaniment that belongs in the Cruciferous Hall of Fame.'"

Now remember, I'm characterizing how-to headlines as fall-backs - solid possibilities that can perform admirably in the absence of creative genius. One New York City steakhouse showed just such genius in a headline that humorously characterized its fleshy fare as "Horrifying Vegetarians Since 1947." But coming up with such an extraordinary headline is unusual even for professionals, so it's no reflection on you if one of those gems doesn't instantly come to mind. While you're waiting for that stroke of creative brilliance, a how-to headline may be just what the advertising doctor ordered.

That's my message to David Rones, who wrote in recently. Rones owns Competitive Edge Communications, a Marietta, Georgia, company that publishes Promotional Times, a custom-imprinted newsletter for advertising specialty firms seeking ways to keep in touch with customers and generate business. Rones' current small-space ad (run-rang in a trade publication) makes some solid copy points, but it could benefit from a stronger headline as well as a clearer emphasis on the value of cultivating your customer base.

To that end, I recommend a headline that reads: "How to get your clients to order more. . . and more often." Then, the lead-in copy pays off with "Send them the monthly idea-generator that shows them how they can use advertising specialties more effectively than ever!" The rest of the copy would pick up on some of the current ad's sales points, with added emphasis on the value of relationship marketing to existing customers. These suggestions should give the ad the additional punch Rones is looking for.

Q: I'm a massage therapist and consider myself highly skilled in the field of manual medicine, but it's been hard to establish a referral network with doctors and other medical professionals whose patients could benefit from my services. Can you give me any suggestions?

A: One of the best ways to establish credibility with doctors is to be published in your area of expertise. To many physicians, this, and only this, says you're worthy of their time. To make this happen, you need to send a query letter to publications in your field, which in your case might be magazines on natural healing and alternative (or complementary) medicine. The letter should pitch a story idea on your particular specialization and what it has to offer patients (I explain later how to write a query letter).

If you've written something that's been published in a reputable publication, you can use it as a credible and powerful promotional device: the publication reprint. Send the reprint of your article along with a brief cover letter to a targeted mailing list of doctors. Ask each to read it and then consider your qualifications. Being published communicates that a discerning publication thought well enough of your knowledge to publish an article you wrote. A reprint can have twice the impact of a brochure in terms of establishing your credentials and simply getting you noticed. You can also highlight in yellow selected portions of the article that make a good case for what you do.

As for writing a query letter, keep it brief and intriguing. That is, don't start out by saying "I'm interested in writing an article on the medicinal benefits of massage." Such an opening triggers an editor's yawn reflex. Instead, the letter needs to open with words like: "Imagine if, with a slight fingertip manipulation behind your ears, I could stop your migraine headache within five minutes. That's the skill I have as a massage therapist . . . one I think would interest and fascinate your health-conscious readers." This will make editors perk up and get them to phone you.

Q: I've heard direct marketing experts extol the "lumpy envelope" approach to getting a mailing opened. Can you explain that?

A: It's pretty simple, really. Envelopes that arrive in the mail with a dimensional item enclosed (thus Creating a lump) get noticed and opened more frequently than traditional fiat promotional mailings.