The Truth Shall Set You Free
Posted: Tuesday, August 17, 2010
by Grace O'Malley
Copywriting in direct marketing is usually all about the offer. How do you tell a person about the benefits of a product or service in as few words as possible? Done properly it is possible to make the public want to find out more. Done improperly, the direct marketing sounds like the stereotypical used car salesman trying to bilk an unsuspecting dupe.
Master copywriter Michael Masterson coined the phrase to describe copy that manipulates existing facts through skillful writing. False logic does not lie about or misrepresent those facts. It instead helps someone come to conclusions that the twisting of facts written from the copywriter might not be supported otherwise.
False logic nearly cost Jeanine Sully her business and her reputation.
Jeanine has been a marketing consultant and copywriter for a number of years. After a seemingly successful career with a major firm in a large city she decided to strike out on her own in her hometown. Her direct marketing skills were put into play from the moment she opened her doors.
Her statement that "thousands of clients have already benefitted from the expertise of Jeanine and her team" is factual on the surface. What the public did not know what that the "team" Jeanine referred to was at her former company. That company employed over one hundred professionals currently and had been in business for thirty five years.
As for her blurb that Jeanine was the recipient of "a number of prestigious industry certifications and awards", she was good at slanting words, making things sound better than they should. Each certification was awarded after completion of a seminar. Those seminars were put on quarterly by her former employer as part of a companywide meeting structure.
When it came to her own direct marketing, Jeanine did not lie. Instead she used false logic to give potential clients the perception of experience and qualifications needed to handle any and all direct marketing jobs.
It is often considered that people purchase on emotion. Afterwards they rationalize the purchasing decision with logic. That is why false logic is used so frequently and with such success.
"Millions" may purchase an item but it does not mean that item is useful or has the value expected by the price paid. Being known as a "New York Times Bestselling Author" gives cache in a promotion unless the purchaser is aware that any author can pay the Times to be on the list.
Over time Jeanine found she was in over her head. A number of prominent local and regional organizations turned to Jeanine and her "team" for their direct marketing campaigns. When she fell behind on her turn around times Jeanine began to use fill in the blank templates she had tucked away in her file cabinets. As these prominent organizations were paying big money for one-of-a-kind direct marketing ideas, they were not impressed.
While Jeanine was able to acquire many clients at the start, with time people realized her claims were simply words. She did not have the capabilities needed to fulfill her client's needs.
Her days of using false logic for herself and her clients came to an end. Today Jeanine uses her copywriting skills in a way that she can now hold her head up high, knowing she has done her best.
Most direct and mass marketing slogans and campaigns will have a bit of "false logic". After all, something important needs to be said in order to stand out from the competition. How does a potential customer tell the difference between false logic and the actual facts?
The measurement of veracity in any marketing campaign is uncomplicated: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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