Even if the product or service is new, there should be plenty of paperwork you can refer to. No new product just appears. There are memos, business plans, marketing plans and proposals that were used to get to the launch pad. Mine them for information you can use in the copy.
By getting all of this information together, you will have most of what you need to write the promotional material. The cracks can be filled in by asking questions.
Ask questions about the product
The first thing to do is make a complete list of product features and benefits. Decide which benefit is the strongest. Is there something your product or service offers that others don't. If you have a feature that's unique and offers a benefit others can't, you want to highlight that fact. Maybe your product or service offers a more complete solution than your competitors. The point is, learn everything you can about the product you are promoting. You never know what nugget you might dig up that could mean the difference between having promotional material that generates great results instead of getting lost in a sea of sameness. In addition to generating leads and sales, your goal when writing promotional material should be never to bore the reader. What problems can the product solve ? Who has bought the product and what are their comments about it ? Is there a guarantee if it doesn't deliver ? How does it work ? Does it require service ?
Who is going to use the product?
Having a thorough understanding of the intended customer is critical. It's not enough to “think “ you know what makes him tick. You MUST know. To be effective, he has to read the copy you write and feel like he's talking to someone who has an intimate understanding of what's important to him. If his main concern is performance and you highlight delivery, you'll lose him. The only way to know what his priorities are is to work at developing an understanding of his world. You need to learn the character of the buyer. You can do this by calling up people who your product is intended to benefit and talk to them in preparation. Find out what their priorities are. What drives them? One way to gain a better understanding is to read the trade journals they read. This will help you learn how to “talk the talk' and will also provide some insight into the issues of the day that your intended customer is faced with.
What is the purpose of the copy?
This will dictate your approach. If you are looking to generate inquires, fine. Your copy doesn't have to answer every question the reader may have. But you should make sure your copy makes it easy to figure out how to inquire. If generating sales is the primary objective, you must ensure that the copy provides the reader with the complete sales story. You'll need to anticipate and address possible objections. If you're intent is to send out product information, make sure it's complete. Perhaps you have two or three objectives. If that's the case, pay careful attention to presenting the information clearly. Give the objective of your copy lots of thought before you start to write.
In business-to-business advertising and promotion, specifics sell. CEOS, Business Owners, Managers and others charged with making business decisions want to do business with companies that understand their needs. A clear way to show you understand this, is to make sure you present your sales message in such a way that it's obvious you know what your product or service can offer, who it can benefit and most importantly, why.
Knowing your product, knowing your audience and knowing the objective behind your selling message will help maximize results.