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Six Things I Know For Sure About Marketing To Engineers
By Robert W. Bly
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I am a chemical engineer and have been writing copy designed to sell
products and services to engineers for 10 years. Here s what I know
about appealing to this special audience:
1. Engineers look down on advertising and advertising people, for the
most part. Engineers have a low opinion of advertising and of people
whose job it is to create advertising.
The lesson for the business-to-business marketer? Make your
advertising and direct mail informational and professional, not
gimmicky or promotional. Avoid writing that sounds like ad copy. Don
t use slick graphics that immediately identify a brochure or spec
sheet as advertising. The engineer will be quick to reject such
material as fluff.
Engineers want to believe they are not influenced by ad copy and that
they make their decisions based on technical facts that are beyond a
copywriter s understanding. Let them believe it as long as they
respond to our ads and buy our products.
2. Engineers do not like a consumer approach. There is a raging
debate about whether engineers respond better to a straight technical
approach, clever consumer-style ads, or something in between. Those
who prefer the creative approach argue, The engineer is a human
being first and an engineer second. He will respond to creativity and
cleverness just like everyone else.
Unfortunately, there is much evidence to the contrary. In many tests
of ads and direct mailings, I have seen straightforward, low-key,
professional approaches equal or outpull glitzy ads and mailings
repeatedly. One of my clients tested two letters offering a financial
book aimed at engineers. A straightforward, benefit-oriented letter
clearly outpulled a bells-and-whistles creative package. And I see
this result repeated time and time again.
Engineers respond well to communications that address them as
knowledgeable, technical professionals in search of solutions to
engineering problems. Hard-sell frequently falls on deaf ears here
especially if not backed by facts.
3. The engineer s purchase decision is more logical than emotional.
Most books and articles on advertising stress that successful copy
appeal to emotions first, reason second.
But with the engineering audience, it is often the opposite. The
buying decision is what we call a considered purchase rather than an
impulse buy. That is, the buyer carefully weighs the facts, makes
comparisons, and buys based on what product best fulfills his
requirement.
Certainly, there are emotional components to the engineer s buying
decision. For instance, preference for one vendor over another is
often based more on gut feeling that actual fact. But for the most
part, an engineer buying a new piece of equipment will analyze the
features and technical specifications in much greater depth than a
consumer buying a stereo, VCR, or other sophisticated electronic
device.
Copy aimed at engineers cannot be superficial. Clarity is essential.
Do not disguise the nature of what you are selling in an effort to
tease the reader into your copy, as you might do with a consumer mail
order offer. Instead, make it immediately clear what you are offering
and how it meets the engineer s needs.
4. Engineers want to know the features and specifications, not just
the benefits. In consumer advertising classes, we are taught that
benefits are everything, and that features are unimportant. But
engineers need to know the features of your product performance
characteristics, efficiency ratings, power requirements, and
technical specifications in order to make an intelligent buying
decision.
Features should especially be emphasized when selling to OEMs
(original equipment manufacturers), VARs (value-added resellers),
systems integrators and others who purchase your product with an
intention to incorporate it into their own product.
Example: An engineer buying semiconductors to use in a device he is
building doesn t need to be sold on the benefits of semiconductors.
He already knows the benefits and is primarily concerned about
whether your semiconductor can provide the necessary performance and
reliability while meeting his specifications in terms of voltage,
current, resistance, and so forth.
5. Engineers are not turned off by jargon in fact, they like it.
Consultants teaching business writing seminars tell us to avoid
jargon because it interferes with clear communication.
This certainly is true when trying to communicate technical concepts
to lay audiences such as the general public or top management. But
jargon can actually enhance communication when appealing to
engineers, computer specialists, and other technical audiences.
Why is jargon effective? Because it shows the reader that you speak
his language. When you write direct response copy, you want the
reader to get the impression you re like him, don t you? And doesn t
speaking his language accomplish that?
Actually, engineers are not unique in having their secret language
for professional communication. People in all fields publicly
denounce jargon but privately love it. For instance, who aside from
direct marketers has any idea of what a nixie is? And why use that
term, except to make our work seem special and important?
6. Engineers have their own visual language. What are the visual
devices through which engineers communicate? Charts, graphs, tables,
diagrams, blueprints, engineering drawings, and mathematical symbols
and equations.
You should use these visual devices when writing to engineers for two
reasons. First, engineers are comfortable with them and understand
them. Second, these visuals immediately say to the engineer, This is
solid technical information, not promotional fluff.
The best visuals are those specific to the engineer s specialty.
Electrical engineers like circuit diagrams. Computer programmers feel
comfortable looking at flow charts. Systems analysts use structured
diagrams. Learn the visual language of your target audience and have
your artist use these symbols and artwork throughout your ad,
brochure, or mailer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter with 20 years experience in
business-to-business and direct marketing. He has written direct mail
packages for Phillips Publishing, Agora Publishing, KCI
Communications, McGraw-Hill, Medical Economics, Reed Reference
Publishing, A.F. Lewis, and numerous other publishers.
Bob Bly
Copywriter, Consultant and Seminar Leader
22 East Quackenbush Avenue, 3rd Floor, Dumont, NJ 07628
Phone (201) 385-1220, Fax (201) 385-1138
email: rwbly@bly.com