การสื่อสารแบบเฉพาะบุคคล (Personal Communication)

In creating the letter that goes with a mailing, too many copywriters write their letter as if they were hiding behind a podium, speaking through a microphone and addressing a large audience. For example:

We at ABC Company wish to invite all of you to visit our exhibit again at the upcoming trade show. Our staff will be there to meet you and demonstrate our new and novel button machine.

The personal way of saying it might be:

Hi. You might remember me from the last trade show. Well, I’d like to invite you to the next one where I will be looking forward to meeting you again to demonstrate our new and novel button machine.

You see the difference? The second version is more personal and direct. It is me talking to you --- not me talking to a large crowd. It is as if I, as an individual, were writing that letter to another individual.

… I remember reading a story about the image conveyed by the magazine itself. Forbes magazine has a strong personality. Steve Forbes now run the publication and his editorials appear in every issue. A reader feel more personally involved with the publication. In contrast, BusinessWeek appear more like corporate publication even though it has many byliness. A business woman once commented that she could put her arms around Forbes and hug the magazine but would only feel comfortable shaking BusinessWeek’s hand. So it is with copywriting.

You want to create a very personal image so that people will emotionally respond to you, feel close and feel very comfortable parting with their hard-earned money and buying your product or service.

Axiom 12:  Every communication should be a personal one, from the writer to recipient, regardless of the medium used.

As mentioned previously, the most frequently-used word is you --- or derivatives such as yours and you’ll.

Below is a passage from a Book-of-the-Month Club ad in which you or its derivatives have been used eleven times in a single paragraph. I have capitalized the word you, yours, etc., so that you can pick them out at glance.

Notice how the “you” technique personalizes the copy and make it seem like a friendly letter from the writer to the reader.

Once YOU start shopping in America’s Bookstore --- YOU’LL be enjoying the most dependable reading reminder system in the world. YOU’LL be kept informed of important new books, and given ample opportunity to choose the ones YOU want. YOU’LL soon come to depend on the Book-of-the-Month Club’s thrifty shop-at-home service. Without leaving YOUR home, YOU can windowshop, browse and buy --- and have the books YOU want delivered straight to YOUR door. And by continuing YOUR membership past the trial period, YOU’LL be eligible for our unique Book-Dividend plan.

It is my contention that everybody divides their mail every day into two piles. An “A-Pile” and a “B-Pile”. The “A” pile contain letters that appear to be personal. Like letters from friends, relatives, business associates, and so on”

On the other hand, the “B” pile contain those envelopes that, obviously, contain a commercial message.

Now, here’s the way it works: Everybody always open all of their “A” pile mail. And for obvious reasons. After all, everybody want to read their personal mail.  

What happen to “B” pile mail? Does it always get opened? No. It doesn’t. Sometimes it is thrown away immediately without the envelope ever being opened. Sometimes, if it looks interesting, “B” pile envelope will be set aside for later examination. And, of course, sometimes… IF the envelope look interesting, or IF the person receiving has some idle time, or IF the person is bored and has nothing else to do, then, MAYBE the “B” pile envelopes will be opened.

Unsatisfactory.

… And so, my dear son, what is our first objective here, as we begin to design our DM promotion? You are right! Our first objective is to get our envelope into the “A” pile.

… Now let’s talk about the salutation. Notice that the salutation addresses our reader by name, just like I do in these letters to you. “Dear Bond” gets a certain quality of focus attention that is not enjoyed by “Dear Sir” or “Dear Occupant” or “Dear Reader”.

Think about it. When you read the word “Dear Bond”, you know my letter is for you personally, don’t you. It’s not for Kevin. It’s not for whoever own the house. Or anybody who live at the address on the envelope. No. The words “Dear Bond” indicate that this letter is for you and you alone.

And this makes you pay more attention, doesn’t it?