And so the Owens-Corning advertising looked pretty much like its competitors. Later, when fuel prices went up and construction of new homes went down, Owens-Corning differentiated its insulation as the brand of choice for owners of old homes who want to reduce their fuel costs. This was done by latching onto an apparently unimportant feature: the unique color of the Owens-Corning product. Today Owens-Corning Fiberglas has escaped from the ‘commodity trap.’ It has by far the best reputation for quality among all insulation material, being preferred 3 to 1 over the second brand. How to stimulate inquiries McGraw-Hill reports that nearly all inquiries come from people who have a specific need or application in mind; and a substantial percentage of them buy within six months of their inquiry. Always put a toll-free number in your advertisements, to make the inquiry as fast and as easy as possible. In the United States, seven out of ten readers of trade journals now use such numbers. Include a business reply card and a coupon requesting more information. This combination guarantees you the greatest number of productive inquiries. In addition, close your body copy with your offer, your address and phone number. The average business publication is read by three readers besides the subscriber. If the first reader cuts out the coupon, the others cannot respond to the offer without the second address. Analyse your inquiries Analyse your inquiries and the action they produce. This will enable you to answer your boss’s inevitable question: ‘What tangible results am I getting from my advertising?’ Here are three ways to analyse inquiries: 1 Survey a sample of inquirers. Do they intend to buy your product? To bide their time until a salesman calls? Or simply to keep your product in mind for the future? 2 Question the sales people who follow up the inquiries. Did the inquiry lead to a sale? Was this account a new prospect? How did the salesman rate this prospect – a one-time sale, a growth account,