It pays to devise a demonstration that your readers can perform for themselves, like this one. Click here for hi-res image. News and demonstrations work particularly well. Even humor has its place, as in the hilarious Ally and Gargano commercials for Federal Express. But it is worth noting that the humor in these commercials always supports the powerful end promise: ‘Federal Express – when it absolutely has to be there overnight.’ Some products used by business cannot be sold in 30 seconds. In such cases, I advise you to sacrifice frequency to delivering a thorough sales message. For IBM computers we used three minutes. Many small business-to-business advertisers shy away from television because commercials cost so much to produce, but inexpensive commercials can be highly effective – if they come directly, to the point and offer something of genuine interest. I have seen a television commercial for an industrial product produce so many inquiries that it had to be taken off the air; the salesmen couldn’t handle any more. One commercial for another industrial product produced more inquiries in two months than print advertising had produced in a year. (However, the print advertising produced a higher rate of conversion to sales.) Differentiating commodity products Many industrial products are thought to be little more than commodities, with no apparent differences between them. How do you differentiate your bolts, washers or machine tools from those of your competitors? But, says Professor Levitt, ‘there is no such thing as a commodity. All goods and services are differentiable.’ In a Harvard Business Review article, Professor William K. Hall reported on a study of eight industries, from steel to beer. The most successful companies were those that best differentiated their product or service. According to Professor Hall, the most successful commodity products differentiated themselves in one of two ways: either by low cost or by having the best reputation for quality or service. Advertising can help you spread the news about any price advantage you may have, and it can work wonders in creating a reputation for quality or service. Before 1972, Owens-Corning sold its insulation to builders for use in new homes. In those days insulation was all the same – a commodity.