How To Write Catalog Copy That Sells

by Robert W. Bly

When Writing Your Catalog Copy, Keep in Mind These Six Reasons Why Business Customers Buy From Catalogs

Catalogs are sales tools, designed to generate either leads or direct sales. But the copy in most business-to-business catalogs doesn’t sell. It merely gives straightforward technical descriptions of the products - no advantages, no benefits, no motivation for the reader to call a sales rep, mail a reply card or place an order.

To write catalog copy that sells, you have to understand the reasons why business customers buy from catalogs. Surprisingly, business customers buy for many of the same reasons that consumers do. Below are six of the most powerful reasons managers, engineers, purchasing agents and executives turn to your business catalog:

1. To save money. Saving money is the number one motivation for a buyer to order your product instead of your competitor’s. Your catalog should stress cost savings - on the cover, on the order form, on every page.

In Radio Shack’s catalogs, every item is on sale! Each item description lists three things: the price off (in dollars or percentage, the regular price and the saleprice).

A catalog from Boardroom Books shows a markdown on every book in the catalog; the original price is crossed out with an X and the new price is printed next to it in red type.

An office supply catalog from Business Envelope Manufacturers, Inc. announces “Lowest Prices in the Industry” right on the front cover.

2. To be right. The business buyer wants to be sure he is buying the right product from the right vendor. If he makes the right purchase decision, he is a hero; if he makes a wrong decision, he’s in the doghouse.

How do you assure the buyer that he’s making the right decision? Here are a few specific techniques:

· List well-known firms that have done business with you.

· Use testimonials. Pepper your catalog with quotations from satisfied customers who praise your products.

· Make a guarantee. Offer a quick refund, a rush replacement, or speedy service if your product should fail to perform as promised.

Give facts that demonstrate the stability of your company: years in the business, number of employees, number of locations, annual sales.

3. To make money. Business customers buy products for one of two end uses: to resell the products at a profit or to use them to operate their business more efficiently and profitably.

Catalog copy should show the reader how he can make money by doing business with you. For example, “Telephone selling skills that increase sales” is a better headline than “Fundamentals of Telephone Sales.” The first headline promises wealth; the second is merely descriptive.

4. To get something for nothing. Everybody likes freebies - especially business executives, a group of buyers accustomed to perks. Your catalog could offer the buyer a free gift in exchange or his order. And it should be a personal gift for the buyer, not a discount or gift of merchandise to the company.

Popular gift items for business executives include pen and pencil sets, clocks, calculators, mugs, ties, golf balls, T-shirts and watches. (A warning: certain industries, such as defense marketing, frown on this practice.)

5. To fulfill a need. To the purchasing agent, whose job it is to buy things for his company, a good catalog is a valuable source-book of much-needed merchandise. The more the catalog and its contents fulfill his needs, the more likely the purchasing agent is to order from it - again and again.

How do you create a catalog that fulfills the buyer’s needs? First, find out what those needs are and fill the catalog with products that satisfy them. Next, make sure your product list is broad enough. Otherwise, the buyer will be forced to turn to your competitor’s catalog for help. Be sure to include a wide variety of models, sizes, colors and styles. Also, feature your most popular or hard-to-get items near the front of the book.

6. To solve problems. Often, the business buyer isn’t looking for a specific product. Rather, he’s looking for a solution to a problem. If your catalog shows how your product solves the problem, you’ll make the sale.

For example, a shop steward might not be thinking of ultrafiltration. He might not even know what it is. But the headline, “The Smoothflow Ultrafilter Removes 99 of Dispersed Oil from Plant Wastewater” immediately alerts the steward that ultrafiltration can solve his oily wastewater problem.

Other reasons why businesspeople buy from catalogs: to save time, for convenience, to feel important, to gratify curiosity, to take advantage of opportunities, to avoid effort, to make work easier, to avoid embarrassment, to be the first to try a new product or service, to be exclusive, to avoid salespeople. Keep these reasons in mind and gear your catalog in their fulfillment. It’s a good way to make sure the purchasing agent picks up your book instead of your competitor’s.

A Good Catalog Tells and Sells With Copy Basics

But most business-to-business catalogs don’t do nearly enough selling. Leaf through some industrial catalogs. Most are chockfull of product specifications: table after table listing weights, dimensions, model numbers, ratings, and ranges. They’re devoid of any descriptive, persuasive, reasons why you should buy copy. Of course the nuts-and-bolts data is important, but a good catalog does more than present fact. It shows the business buyer how the products can solve his problem, why he should buy your product instead of another, and how it is to order the product from your catalog.

These fundamentals of catalog copywriting can add to the pulling power of your next mailing:

1. Use colorful, descriptive language. Product spec and tech talk don’t move buyers to action. Persuasive language does. It’s colorful and descriptive, painting a picture in the reader’s mind of what the product can do for him. For example:

Tech-talk: “The XYZ mixer is devoid of pinch-points or dead spots where viscous material might accumulate.”

Persuasive language: “Our mixer is free of sharp edges, nooks and crannies where gunk might get stuck and clog up your pipeline.”

2. Use precise language. Beware of language that is overly colloquial or general. You want your writing to be conversational enough to win the reader over without becoming so vague that it doesn’t communicate your meaning.

An ad for a microwave relay system began with the headline, “If you thought microwaves are too rich for your blood, look again.” At first glance, one might think the ad has something to do with the danger of microwave radiation and blood poisoning. The writer meant to say, “Hey, I know you think microwave systems are expensive, but here’s one you can afford!” More precise language is needed here, something like, “At last...an affordable microwave system for cable TV operators.”

3. Use specific language. Recently, a Hollywood screenwriter spoke about the secret to her success in writing major feature films. “Specifics sell. When you are abstract, no one pays attention.” And so it is with the catalog writer, specifics sell. Generalities don’t.

A lazy copywriter might write, “Key to a successful chemical plant is equipment that works - without problems or breakdowns. And our gear drive works and works and works - a long, long time. Put it in place, turn it on, and forget about it. It’s that simple.

Sounds nice, but empty. Exactly how reliable is the gear drive? How long can it go without maintenance? What proof do you offer for your claims of superior reliability? This is what the buyer wants to know. So the skilled copywriter fills his catalog copy with specifics that give the answers:

“Continuous internal lubricating sprays keep our gear drives well oiled and virtually friction free. As a result, there’s no wear and tear, and service life is greatly increased. In laboratory tests, our system has operated 25,000 hours nonstop. In the field, we have more than 25,000 units installed and not a single failure.”

4. Descriptive heads and breakers. Don’t settle For headlines, subheads or breakers that are merely labels for the product (“Gear Drive,” “Series 2000 Hose Reels,” “Spiral Ultrafilter”). Instead, put some sell in your headlines. State a benefit. Promise to solve a problem. Mention the industries that can use the product. Tell its applications. Describe the range of sizes, colors or models available. Give news about the product. Or stress the ease of product evaluation and selection in your catalog. Some examples:

· A Quick and Easy Guide to Hose Selection.

· Widest Selection of Laboratory Stoppers from 1/4" to 1 foot in diameter - rubber, plastic, glass and cork.

· Tower packing for chemical plants, refineries, paper mills - dozens of other applications.

· Color-coded Floppy diskettes Save Time And Make your Life Easy! Here’s the Full Story:

5. Make it easy to order. If your catalog is one of those monsters jammed with tables of product specs, be sure to explain these tables to your readers up front. Tell what’s in the tables and how to use them to select the product. Give simple procedures and formulas to aid in product selection. Illustrate with a few examples. Also, make sure your reader knows who to call for assistance or order placement.

6. Make it easy to read. Use short, familiar words. Short sentences. Short paragraphs with space between each. Stick in underlines, bullets, boldface type and breakers for emphasis. A catalog crammed with technical date and tiny type is a bore and a strain on the eyes. You can make your business catalog effective and yet fun and easy to read.

7. Stress benefits, benefits, benefits. What the product does for the reader is more important than how it works, how you made it, who invented it, how long you’ve been making it, or how well it has sold.

10 Ways to Organize Your Catalog

Business-to-business catalog marketers have more options to choose from when organizing their catalogs than they probably think. Here are 10 methods, along with the pros and cons of each.

1. By product demand. You can organize your catalog by the sales each product generate. Put your best-seller up front and give them a full or half-page each. Slower-moving merchandise appears at the back of the book with a quarter-page or less. Dead items are dropped altogether.

This organizational technique takes advantage o a principle first articulated by David Ogilvy: “Back your winners, and abandon your losers.” It puts your promotional dollars where they’ll do the most good; BUT in large or highly technical product catalogs, it may cause some confusion.

2. By application. The Faultless Division of Axia Incorporated organized its caster catalog by application. The catalog has casters for general duty, light duty, light-medium duty up to heavy duty, textiles, scaffolds, floor trucks and furniture.

Organizing according to application makes it easy for your customer to find the product that solves his problem. The disadvantage of this scheme is redundancy: many products handle multiple applications and must be listed (or cross-referenced) in more than one section.

3. By function. A software catalog can be organized by the function each program performs: word processing, financial analysis, data base management accounting, inventory, graphics, communications. Obviously, this scheme won’t work in a catalog where all the equipment performs the same task (e.g., a catalog of pollution-control equipment or safety valves).

4. By type of equipment. Radio Shack’s consumer electronics catalogs are organized by product group: stereos on one page, car radios on the next, followed by VCRs, computers, and tape recorders. This scheme is a natural for companies that carry multiple product lines.

5. By “system hierarchy.” This technique organizes by the level at which each component fits into the overall system. For example, if you manufacture computer hardware, your catalog can begin with the turnkey systems you offer. Next come the major components: terminals, printers, plotters, disk drives, keyboards, processors. Then you get to the board level, showing the various optional circuit boards you offer for memory expansion, interfaces, communications, instrument control, and other functions. Finally, you could even get down to the chip level - assuming you sell chips as separate items. Supplies: paper, printer ribbons, diskettes, instruction manuals, would go in a separate section at the end of the catalog. This unit/sub unit/sub-sub unit approach is ideal for manufacturers who sell both complete systems and component parts.

6. By price. If you sell similar products that vary mainly in quality and price, you can organize your catalog by selling price. I your customers are concerned with savings, start with the cheapest items and work up. If you’re selling to an upscale group willing to pay a premium for the deluxe model, start with high-priced versions and work down.

This technique is excellent for organizing a catalog of premiums and incentives. After all, an ad manager searching for a premium has a price range in mind, not necessarily a specific product.

7. By scarcity. If your catalog features hard-to-get items, consider putting them up front, even on the cover. This makes your catalog more valuable by offering the buyer products he needs but can’t get anywhere else. Don’t worry that these hard-to-find items aren’t big sellers. When the customer knows your catalog has a stock of rare merchandise (and pulls your catalog to order it), he’ll be more inclined to do his other business with you, too.

8. By size. If you make one product and the basic selection criterion is size, it’s natural to organize your catalog by size (dimensions, weight, horsepower, BTUs, or whatever). This is handy for catalogs with boilers, motors, shipping drums, envelopes, light bulbs, air conditioners, and other equipment selected mainly on a size basis.

9. By model number. If you’ve worked out a sensible numbering system for your product line, organize your catalog by model number. If there’s a simple meaning to your numbering system, explain it at the start of the catalog. And don’t rely solely on the model numbers to describe your products; include headings and descriptive text, as well.

10. Alphabetically. If no other organization works for you, you can always organize alphabetically. A large tool catalog can start with adjustable strap clamps and angle plates and end with wing nuts and wrenches. Or a vitamin catalog can start with Vitamin A and end with Zinc.

Tricks of the Trade: 5 Ways to Make Your Catalog Pull

More Orders

Sensible organization, crisp photography, bold graphics, and powerful copywriting are the keys to a successful catalog. But experienced catalog marketers also use dozens of sales-boosting gimmicks that have little to do with the basics of salesmanship or good copywriting. All we know is that these tricks of the trade work - and that’s reason enough to use them. Here are five that may be helpful to you:

1. Include a letter. To add a personal touch to your product catalog, write a “personal letter” to your customers from the president of your firm. The letter can be printed inside the front cover or run off on letterhead and bound into the catalog. You can use this type of letter to introduce the catalog, explain your ordering system, state a company “philosophy,” stress your dedication to service and quality, or alert the reader to new, discounted, and other special offerings. Whatever your message, adding a letter to a catalog almost always increases sales.

2. Bursts. Often used by cereal-makers to alert children to the prize inside the box, the “burst” (a star-shaped graphic with a copy line inside) also can draw a reader to special items within a catalog. Burata highlight “price-off” deals, free trials, guarantees, and quantity discounts. Use bursts and other special graphic techniques (such as underlining, colored or boldface type, fake handwriting) sparingly. Overuse dilutes their effect.

3. Last-minute specials. Insert into your catalog a separate sheet featuring items added to your product line or discounted at the last minute. Tell the customer these bargains were included just in time for mailing, but too late to print in the catalog. This insert generates additional sales because people like to be “in” on the latest developments.

4. Give technical information and tips of a general nature. The usefulness of this information will encourage buyers to keep your catalog. And the longer they have it, the more often they’ll order from it. For instance, a hardware catalog might include an article or table titled, “A Guide to Screw Selection.” A filtration catalog could include tips on “How to Clean and Care for Filters.”

5. Put your catalog in a three-ring binder. Expensive, but people won’t throw out a hardback binder as readily as they would an ordinary paperback catalog. Your customer also is more likely to keep your binder on his shelf because it’s too bulky for the filing cabinet.

Tricks of the Trade: 5 More Sales Boosters For Your Catalog.

In addition to using good photography, clear copywriting and sensible catalog organization, throw in a few sales-boosting gimmicks to pull in more orders. The prior issue of B/BCM gave you five of them. Here are five more.

1. Include product samples. You get two advantages. First, mailings which have three-dimensional objects inside are more likely to be opened than flat envelopes. Second, engineers and other technical buyers often like to play with product samples, keeping them handy on their desks or shelves.

A fine example of this technique was used in a brochure for Gore-Tex, a sealant that prevents leaks in pipe sections when you bolt them together. The sample sealant was stuck to a photo of a pipe flange in the exact position it would be used in real life. The copy told the reader to remove the sample and put it through a series of simple tests (accomplished in 5 minutes at his desk) to demonstrate its effectiveness.

2. List Your Customers. Include a complete list of all the firms that have bought from you, whether you have 300 or 3,000 names. Seeing such a list in print makes a powerful impression on your customers. They’ll think, “How can I go wrong buying from these guys? Everybody in the world does business with them.”

3. Include an order form. Make it easy to fill out. Leave enough space for customers to write in needed information. Bind it into the catalog so it won’t be lost/misplaced.

If your products can’t be ordered by mail, include a “spec sheet.” The spec sheet asks the prospect to provide key information on his applications (such as, size of plant, hours of operation, type of process, and so on). With this information in hand, you can specify the equipment the prospect needs and tell him what it will cost.

4. Include a business reply envelope (BRE). The BRE is a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope the prospect can use to mail the order form or spec sheet back to you. Practically every consumer catalog has a BRE.

Most business catalogs don’t. Business-to-business marketers think, “My prospect works in an office; he has a supply of envelopes and a postage meter handy. He doesn’t care about the cost of postage, and he can have his secretary take care of addressing the envelope.” This may be true, but a BRE still boosts the response rate in business catalogs. Why? Not because they save the buyer 20 cents, but because they flag readers to notice you’d like them to respond to your catalog.

In the same way, a coupon in an ad increases the number of people who phone or write letters. The coupon says, “This is a direct-response ad. A response is the appropriate next step if you’re interested in the product.”

5. Make it an event. Industrial buyers get a lot of catalogs in the mail, so the boredom factor is high. Anything you can do to make your catalog mailing special, to stand out from the crowd, will boost sales and inquiries.

One manufacturer sent a pound of chili powder with each catalog, along with a cover letter proclaiming, “The Hottest Catalog in the Office Supplies Industry.” With a little imagination, you’ll come up with an approach that fits your catalog and customers.

How To Prepare To Write Your Catalog Copy.

Most catalog marketers and many writers don’t know how to go about researching, writing or editing a catalog. Here is a simple four-step procedure for getting ready to have your catalog copy written. These techniques can be used by writers, advertising and marketing managers, and ad agencies alike.

Step #1: Collect background information. Writing catalog copy seldom requires original research. Usually the products to be included in the catalog have already been described in previous brochures, flyers, ads and data sheets. Collecting and organizing this printed material is the first and most crucial step in getting ready to write the catalog copy.

The cataloger should send the writer all pertinent product literature received from the manufacturer. (And if the catalog house doesn’t have it, it must be solicited.) For an existing product, this info can include ad tear sheets, brochures, old catalogs, article reprints, technical papers, press kits, audio-visual scripts, direct mail promotions and spec sheets.

If the product is new or manufactured by the catalog company itself, these publications may not exist. But the birth of any new product is accompanied by mounds of paperwork which can be sent to the writer, including internal memos, letters of technical information, product specifications, engineering drawings, photos of prototypes, business and marketing plans, reports and sales proposals.

If the catalog house is supplying the copywriter with information on many products, file folders should be used to separate source material by product. Include a brief note with each folder indicating whether the enclosed background material is complete and up-to-date and, if not, who the writer can call to fill in the gaps.

Be sure to mark the source material to indicate what information should be included in the catalog and what should not. Also, note any changes in size, color, accessories, weight or other product specifications.

Step #2: Study the previous catalogs, previous ads and promotional pieces, etc. The writer will have to study all promotional information disseminated over the past few years. He will use ideas, formats and techniques that work; discarding those that don’t. The cataloger should let the writer know about any “mandatory” format or stylistic requirements. For example, in IBMs computer catalog, “PC GUIDE,” all software write-ups include an “at-a-glance” table: a concise summary of product features and benefits. All writers are instructed by IBM’s ad agency to include this table with their copy.

Step #3: Set a direction. If the catalog house has instructions or suggestions it wants followed, they should be written down and shared with the writer. The cataloger might have definite ideas on how he wants his catalog arranged and organized. Or, he may prefer one style of copy to another. But the copywriter can’t read his mind. He must tell the writer his preferences.

Some writers might object, “But isn’t it up to the writer to set the tone, style, content and organization? Isn’t that what the marketer pays the writer for?” Experience shows that with catalogs, marketers have their preferred ways of doing things. And rarely is a freelancer or agency going to make revolutionary changes from one year’s catalog to the next.

A recent help-wanted ad placed by a catalog marketer said a freelance copywriter was needed to write about garden tools and products in a “homey” style. If a homey style is what they want, the company is not going to change to a “high tech” or corporate, formal style because a freelancer comes along and prefers to write it that way. Instead, they’ll get another freelancer. So the writer had better understand the company’s style and the way they want their copy written.

Step #4: The catalog marketer must be available. Once the writer has the background information and knows what the marketer wants, he is ready to write the copy. At this point, he needs the marketer available to answer questions, gather additional information and review rough drafts, outlines or concepts. If the cataloger is not available, the project will be held up until the writer gets the information, feedback or approval he needs.

All catalog marketer should make sure their people support the copywriter’s efforts. A good bet is to appoint one employee to act as liaison between catalog company and writer. It’s inefficient for a writer to have to track down the many people in a company who are involved with the catalog and its creation.

How To Write Catalog Copy and Avoid “Writer’s Block”

Copywriters who have no trouble dishing up a sales letter or ad suddenly “freeze” when faced with the task of producing 180 lines of 44 characters each for a catalog. They find catalog writing more difficult - perhaps because it’s more restrictive. In an ad or sales letter, the writer is pretty free to “let loose.” But in a catalog he is limited in space and confined to following the catalog’s set tone, format and style.

Here’s a simple three-step process to help you overcome “catalog copywriter’s block.”

1. In the first stage, you simply ignore the constraints of space, format, and style and just write. Let the words flow. Write whatever comes naturally. Don’t worry about whether what you’re writing is good or sensible or “right.” You’ll have a chance to go back and fix it later. Right now, just let the words pour out.

Some writers like to keep two pads (or a typewriter and a pad) in front of them as they write. The first pad is used for composing the copy. Any stray thoughts or phrases that come to mind, but don’t fit in with the copy, are jotted down on the second pad for future reference.

2. In the second phase, you edit your rough first draft to make it better. Editing consists of:

·Deleting unnecessary words and phrases,

·Adjusting the copy to the exact word length the specs call for,

·Rewriting awkward phrases,

·Making sure all necessary facts are included,

·Reordering copy points to make the organization more logical,

·Making copy conform to catalog format and style (adding tables, call-outs, charts, or special sections, as needed),

·Rewriting to fit the overall “tone” of the catalog.

3. The third step is polishing. Polishing means proofreading, checking for errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization, and abbreviation. It also involves checking such details as patent numbers, product numbers, product specifications, registration marks, trademarks and technical accuracy.

Every writer has a “creative” side and an “analytical” or “editing” side. The creative side comes up with the ideas; the editing side holds the ideas up to the cold light of day and judges their effectiveness. Both sides are needed in copywriting, but should be used in separate and distinct phases of the writing process, as outlined above. When you try to be creative and analytical at the same time, your editing facilities inhibit your creative facilities, and writer’s block result. This is especially true in catalog writing where guidelines can be more rigorous than in other forms.

How To Write Effective Catalog Copy

Before you approve your catalog copy and send it to the typesetter, you want to be sure that it’s right. Getting it right involves more than the basics of spelling and punctuation. It involves more than avoiding superlatives and generalities about your merchandise. Here’s a handy checklist to help you review your present copy. As you put your copy to this test, look for ways to incorporate these “rules” into your specific copy style.

1. Is your copy in the right order? Is there a logical scheme to the presentation of copy points about your merchandise? And have you been faithful to this organizational principle throughout? Is this the best way to organize your items in your catalog? Or would another method make more sense?

2. Is it persuasive? Does your copy begin with a strong selling message? Have you used copy to indicate your sales message on the catalog cover? Do individual headlines promise solutions to reader problems and draw the readers into the product descriptions? Does the body copy stress user benefits as well as technical features?

3. Is it complete? If the catalog is designed to generate direct sales, does it include all the information the reader needs to make a buying decision? Does it make it easy for the customer to specify and order the product? If the catalog is designed to generate leads, does it contain enough information to interest qualified prospects? Does it encourage them to take the next step in the buying process? Have you described products fully? Have you included all important details such as size, operating efficiency, model numbers, equipment compatibility, materials of construction, accessories, and options?

4. Is it clear? Is the copy understandable and easy to read? Are all technical terms defined, all abbreviations spelled out? Is it written at the reader’s level of technical understanding?

5. Is it consistent? Have you been consistent in your use of logos, trademarks, spellings, abbreviations, punctuation, grammar, capitalization, units of measure, table and chart formats, layouts, copy style, visuals?

6. Is it accurate? Is the copy technically accurate? Has an engineer checked all numbers, specifications, and calculations to make sure they are correct? Have you carefully proofread tables, lists, and other “fine print?” Do the photos show the current models or versions of your product? Have you matched the right photo to each item description?

7. Is it interesting? Is your catalog attractive to look at, lively and informative to read? Or is it boring? The typeface you choose for your copy, and the style of layout in which you print it, encourage the viewer’s desire to read the copy.

8. Is it believable? Is the copy sincere or full of ballyhoo? Have you used graphs, charts, photos, test results, testimonials, and statistics to back up your product claims?

9. Have you included all necessary “boilerplate” copy? This includes areas such as: effective and expiration dates of prices, “how-to-order” info, notification of possible price changes, payment terms and methods, shipping and handling information, returns policy, quantity discounts, credit terms, sales tax, trademark information, copyright line, disclaimers, guarantees, warranties, limits of vendor liability.

10. Is it easy to place an order? Does your copy explain how to order? Is there an order form? Is the order form easy to fill out? And is there enough space to write in the required information? Is a business reply envelope enclosed or attached to the order form? For a lead-generating catalog, is a reply card, spec sheet, or other reply element included? Have you made clear to the reader what the next step is in the buying process? If you need information to desi