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Benefit-driven B


Instant stories increase sales


By George Hague


enefit-driven copy is a key element in our marketing efforts. However, eye flow studies show that apart from headlines and call outs, most of that hard-written copy goes unread. It’s the pictures that


get noticed. Ironically, b-to-b cataloguers often spend little time on their images. The art of b-to-b photography has devolved to little more than page after page of tabletop shots on white backgrounds. Benefit-driven photography instantly grabs


your customer’s attention. It tells a story and answers the question that is always in the back of your customer’s mind: What’s in it for me? In b-to-b marketing, we often think that


we’re marketing to businesses. We address our customers from our cognitive side with well- reasoned, rational presentations. It’s all business. The truth of the matter is that we’re marketing to people who make their decisions based on a combination of emotion and rules of thumb. We need to show them that by purchasing our products they will feel smart, relaxed or on top of their game. They will have peace of mind or get a monkey off their back. They will feel good. The most effective benefits will address our customers’ needs on this emotional level.


By using a combination of the standard


tabletop shots along with benefit-driven photos, you can transform your marketing message to deliver this visceral impact. Here are three techniques that can help you begin your transformation:


Before-and-after


An effective before-and-after image instantly tells a story with a happy ending. This is why it is the staple of marketing for the diet industry. The before-and-after images of dramatic weight loss instantly communicate the benefit of the product. You can also think of the before-and-after shot as the problem-solution image. In a b-to-b application, before-and-after


photos are great for products that clean, repair or organise. You show an image of the problem before your product was used, and then an image from the same angle to highlight the solution after your product’s application. Goodway Technologies is a b-to-b marketer


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located in Stamford, Connecticut, in the United States. It develops and markets products to clean heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Goodway uses the before-and-after shot to show the effectiveness of its liquid descaler cleaning solution. It shows an image of filthy,


Storyboard


The storyboard illustrates the benefits of your product by showing it in use in a series of images that tell a story. This type of series is most often used to show a process. However, the storyboard can also illustrate more subtle benefits. Trainers Warehouse in Natick,


Massachusetts markets products to enhance corporate training. The company has created a niche by gathering and developing a unique merchandising mix of products to enhance employee education in a corporate environment. One of the products it offers is the Meridia Audience Response System, which isn’t the most exciting product name on the block. It effectively solves this dilemma by showing two in-use images as a storyboard (right). The large image is a close-up


of class attendees using handheld remotes. These are real-world shots and the audience members are obviously engaged in pressing buttons. They look like they’re interested in what they’re doing. Juxtaposed with this image is an instructor standing before the audience with a large projected image of a graph on a screen. The simple headline, “Add Feedback Power to PowerPoint” ties the images together. You get the concept instantly. Audience members answer questions with their remotes and their answers are immediately tallied and projected onto the screen. You instantly see the benefit of this product


as a way to generate audience participation and to maintain their interest. It’s far more effective


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scaly equipment, and then a shot of the same piece of equipment, which is now sparkling clean after using the Goodway cleaning system (below). The effect is an instant read of problem and solution.


photography


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