This recipe is written for our folks at TE Connectivity
“Cricbuzz Ka Keeda To Hoga Hi Na, Jab Ho Cricbuzz Ka
Mobile App”
With increasing cricket fever Cricbuzz - India’s
No. 1 Cricket app launched its TV commercial filled with loads of laughter
which revolves around the concept of being cricket bug when you have Crickbuzz
app. The Milk Ad features a Cricket Crazy husband engrossed in the Cricbuzz
App, and throws the pack of the milk towards his wife, imagining cricket ball
in his hand.
What’s
the magic selling formula that TV hucksters use to convince millions of people
to pull out a credit card , call an 800 number and place an order for a product
they do not need ? The answer may surprise you.
No
matter how silly and shifty these TV pitches are, when you scrape away the
hucksterism ,you see that they follow a legitimate and proven sales formula
that includes creating excitement and curiosity ,identifying a problem, offering
a solution, reciting the benefits of ownership , establishing credibility
,adding value, up-selling and ending it all with a strong call to action.
Here’s
how it works
Without
exception these TV Pitches are delivered by people who are wildly enthusiastic
and breathlessly excited about the product they are hawking.
Excitement,apparently phony over-the-top excitement,grabs buyers attention and
arouses curiosity. They then state a problem ,” The problem with blankets is
that they always slip off.” The fact that people really don’t have much trouble
managing a blanket is immaterial. The need for their product , no matter if the
need is non-existent ,is presented with great conviction.
A
lengthy ,fast-moving, and repetitious recital of the benefits of ownership
,complete with product demonstration, is delivered. “You will slice a tomato
perfectly every time with one simple motion, and cleanup is a snap ! ” “ You
will save time and you get perfectly uniform slices for salads and sandwiches
!” they add.
A
studio audience paid to ooh and ah and applaud wildly in response to the
product demonstrations is often used to establish credibility. Short customer
testimonials are sometimes filmed and interspersed throughout
the
pitch for the same purpose. Statements like ,”If you have a car ,boat or Yacht
, you would be crazy not to own one of these ! “ are typical.
But
wait , there is more! “Act now and we will include a second one free of charge.
All you pay is shipping and handling.” This offer to double the order appears
to be adding value for the buyer, but in reality it’s an up-sell.The shipping
and handling charges more than cover the total cost of adding another unit and
generate additional profit.
Remember
the Domino pizzas cliché coupon codes – RX 100 and get 50% discount on 2 large
pizzas today. And you fall for the bait…
The
seller creates a sense of urgency “You must act now to get this special offer.”
“Have your credit card ready and call within the next 10 minutes, and we will
include Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipes at absolutely no extra cost to you.” Some even
show a ticking clock counting down the time left to buy (e-bay).
There
is a lesson to be learned here. While the products are cheesy and the pitchmen
are clownish, sales and marketing fundamentals are being closely followed.
Creating excitement and curiosity, identifying the problem,
offering a solution, reciting the benefits of ownership, establishing
credibility, adding value, up-selling, and ending it all with a strong call to
action will close sales for nearly anyone.
Sd/-
Roohul Haq
