The post reads “4500sqft, mountain view, central air, attached garage.” I’m ashamed to admit that I’m a bit interested. My needs and wants are bullet-pointed in one sentence. While this info-bite has its logical place in the scheme of things, it pales in comparison to a fully developed product description. A sentence like that might gain a clicked link (which is fantastic!), but it doesn’t close the sale. That’s the job of product descriptions.
Familiarity with Products Doesn’t Equal Good Descriptions
The times I have sat down beside frustrated clients who can’t seem to find the right words are too many to count. Whether it is an email, a newsletter, a bio, or a product description, their level of expertise has offered them no help. I approach that problem with a healthy level of understanding. Sometimes it’s hard to translate thoughts into the words you want to hear.
Good Product Descriptions Show Affinity for the Product
A good product description has numerous elements. It speaks with a voice of product familiarity. It suggests authority. The most alluring aspect of a product description for a reader, however, is the emotional message delivered. Does the computer company solve the problems of a growing business with products that appear to excite the one who wrote the description? It should. That enthusiasm translates easily to the reader. Does the vacation rental sound like the kind of place that will melt all your troubles away? If the written word suggests such a place, the reader will dream of being there. When affinity for the product shines forth from the written page, it sells.
The Power of Concise Product Descriptions
One of the first things that jumps out at me when reading client first drafts of product descriptions is excess words. It is so natural to add the flourishes that we use when speaking. Good product descriptions don’t use those. Powerful descriptions give the pertinent data and exclude all else. Does that make for dry writing? Not at all. Concise writing creates powerful descriptions that communicate facts and desired emotional content better than writing with unintentional additives.
The Sales Cycle Inside of Product Descriptions
The subject of sales cycles has been approached by many experts. Volumes of books, blogs, speaking circuits, podcasts, and other media are dedicated to it. It should come as no surprise that a product description is an encapsulated sales cycle. It most definitely appears amid a larger cycle but, in and of itself, it contains its own cycle. A product description can;
- Qualify the prospect
- Present the product (in detail)
- Answer questions
- Overcome objections
- Provide an expert opinion.
However, I like to suggest another sales cycle. The reader begins by being interested in the product. The product description then follows this cycle; interested, more interested, even more interested, “I want that.” A bit over simplified, to be sure, and experts on the matter will surely laugh or shake their heads. The above bullet points however, do manifest with interest. Interest and a decision are always the goals of a sales cycle. A good product description contains elements that bring that about.
A product description is always part of an online sales cycle.
Product Descriptions Are Indispensable Sales Tools
Knowing the product well does not always lead to a good product description. Well-written product descriptions communicate an affinity for the product in precise words. They instill a desire in the reader. Product descriptions as part of an online sales cycle are indispensable. Make sure your descriptions read well, communicate the necessary facts, and get your site visitor to say, “I want that.”