Can You Sell Me This Pencil?

Let’s be honest, job interviews can be boring, awkward, and just…awkward. Oh, I said that one already? Well, it’s worth repeating. As an interviewer, I like to break the ice and shake off the dust with out-of-the-box questions. One of my favorites isn’t even a question. It’s a challenge. I find a pencil on my desk, slide it across to the interviewee, and simply say:

“Sell me this pencil.”

10 times out of 10, the interviewee launches into the pencil’s features without asking me why I need it.

“It has a great eraser.”

“It’s sharp.”

“It’s yellow.”

After about the 5th feature, I stop them and reveal that I didn’t need the pencil for writing, I actually needed the pencil to poke a hole in a piece of cardboard for an art project I was doing.

The point (pun intended)? The end result is the key selling point, not the features. And to know that end result, you have to know what the customer’s needs are. It’s not just the key to succeeding at my awkward interview challenge, it’s also key to great marketing.

Here are some things to remember as you attempt to write end-result marketing copy:

• After you write something, ask yourself, “So what?'“ In other words, are you communicating something valuable for the customer?

• Communicate what life change will occur when your customer uses your product or service. While that’s easy for some brands, it can be a bit more challenging for others, but I assure you it CAN be done.

• When in doubt, tell a story. It’s difficult to get caught up in boring product features when you’re telling an authentic story (and that’s a good thing!)

I’m a visual learner, so how about an example?

Feature Copy (Bad!): Our signature caramel swirl ice cream is made fresh in-house daily with the finest local ingredients.

End-Result Copy (Good!): One bite of our signature caramel swirl ice cream will prove to you that this sweet treat will forever be your cheat day go-to. It’s totally worth it!

Long story short, it’s about them, not you.