CHOOSE a list of reliable Publications, for a representative month’s advertising.
Run Current copy in half the number of these publications for that month. Key each advertisement, in each publication separately, so you will know just which advertisement and which publication each Inquiry results from.
Then, run Reason-Why Salesmanship-in-Type copy in the remaining half of the publications, keying each advertisement separately, in each publication so you will know which advertisement and which medium each Inquiry comes from.
By “keying” is meant that you change the reply address in each advertisement, and in each publication.
Thus, in Munsey’s you say “Address 86 State St.”; in Woman’s World, “75 State St.”; and in Wallaces’ Farmer you say “6th floor 86 State St.”; while in another you say “8th floor 75 State St.,” for instance.
By arrangement with the Post Office all replies to these different addresses will be put into your Letter-box, regardless of street address on envelope.
Now, you can tell by the envelope address on each Reply or Inquiry which publication, and which particular piece of copy in that publication produced it.
Then, when the Inquiries from the competing advertisements cease coming, you can total up the number of Inquiries each publication produced from each particular advertisement.
Now, having the total number of Inquiries from each individual advertisement in each medium, you divide that number into the cost of the Space used for each piece of copy, in each publication.
This will give you the exact cost, per Inquiry, from each separate piece of copy, in each publication. The cost per Inquiry with your other current Copy may then be intelligently compared with the cost per Inquiry through Reason-Why Salesmanship-on-Paper.
Now, cross the copy for the second month’s Advertising Test.
By this is meant, -insert your other current Copy, which appeared last month in Munsey’s in this month’s Wallaces’ Farmer, for instance. And, the “Reason-Why” copy which appeared last month in Woman’s World you now insert in Munsey’s of this month.
This gives a fair distribution of Mediums to each competing Advertisement.
When the Inquiries cease coming from this second month’s insertion, make the same record as before of Cost per Inquiry, for each piece of competing copy from each publication.
Then, add the total number of Inquiries obtained from your other current Copy, during the same period. Then divide that total number into the total expenditure for Space used in publication of that Copy.
This will give the average cost per Inquiry, with the kind of copy you have been regularly using.
Now, compare this with the average cost per Inquiry obtained from the same publications, at the same identical periods, with “Reason-Why” results.
The difference between the cost per Inquiry with the two kinds of Copy will then be a reliable Index to the relative Earning Power of the two competing kinds of copy.
Now, use the same “Follow-up” (Booklets and Letters), on all the Inquiries from both Sources.
The percentage of Sales which results from each of the two competitive groups of Inquiries and Follow-up will then determine the relative Profits to the Advertiser from each kind of Copy.
No Test on earth can be more conclusive than this, and none is easier made. And, what such a Test reveals (in difference between Results from two different kinds of Copy) would “stagger” the average Advertiser.
An extensive series of such Tests, carried over a long period of Time, with many differing propositions, has proved a fine consistency in Results.
It proved that the Reason-Why kind of Advertising which sold Washing Machines by mail at one-third the cost of other copy sold them, would, when applied according to the individual needs of the different articles, also sell Violins, Shoes, or Pianos, in about the same ratio.
Moreover, it has been found that the “something” in Copy which sells these Goods by Mail (at one-half to one-third of the cost other Copy sells them), will also sell them through Retailers over the counter. That “something” is Selling force, -Conviction-Salesmanship-saturated into the Copy, with sound Reasons-Why as the foundation.
It is the salient “something” which makes millionaires of some Advertisers in a few years, while other Advertisers, spending the same amount of money for equally good propositions, “go broke.”
Now the kind of Advertising which works these Miracles of Success may be the kind you personally like least, quite contrary to your preference in fact.
But, Advertising is not really intended to merely please the Advertiser’s fancy. Its first, last and only duty is to Sell Goods for him, and to sell them at less cost than they can be sold without it.
The kind of Advertising which will be found to do this at lowest cost is Reason-Why Salesmanship-on-Paper. Which is based not on what you like best to read but on what records prove will sell the most Goods to Readers, per dollar of outlay.
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- Chapter X How to Test Out General Advertising
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- Chapter VIII Making Sure of Results from General Advertising
