Selling Something That Nobody’s Ever Seen Before
One of the great paradoxes of contemporary life is that we live in an era of intense renewal and invention with an untold amount of ways to communicate, yet the art of communication and storytelling is barely a shred of its former self, a junior varsity version of decades past. I say so not because I’m some grizzled old barn hawk (I’m not even sure they can be grizzly), but because of what I’ve learned from my secret obsession of reading and collecting old direct mail sales letters from decades past. When lords of copyrighting had but one way (and often due to magazine publication schedules, one opportunity per month) to sell a prospect on something, they had to get it going pretty good and pretty fast.
It seems odd, but: today we have more need than ever before to explain new things to people in efficient ways. Some of the old direct mail letters in my warchest really do a good job of that, so I thought I’d reprint one of them below.
This letter was sent to prospects to sell them on a brand TLT Telex Teleprinter machine. Not only had people on this list never heard of a Teleprinter, they had never seen one. It was a tough job. Here’s how this letter sold ‘em:
Dear Telex User:
SOMETHING NEW has been introduced in telex office equipment…and scores of telex users have proven to themselves how it brings them important benefits.
To find out how you can benefit mail the enclosed card far no obligation information on the newest development in Telex Communications - The TRANS-LUX® TELEPRINTER for TELEX. It tells you about these advantages:
- Easier to operate…its standard four-row typewriter keyboard eliminates figure and letter shifting.
- Enjoy quiet operation…even quieter than an ordinary typewriter.
- Faster message preparation…off-line typing capability and memory printout is twice as fast as your present telex unit.
- More efficient…electronic memory does away with paper punch tape, mechanical perforator and reader.
- Saves time…erasures are done simply by overtyping. You don’t have to re-do entire messages.
- Neater typing…impact paper eliminates messy ribbons.
- Easier dialing…the keyboard itself is the “dial” and the number prints out for verification. Line busy? The memory re-dials for you.
- Beautiful styling…The TLT is compact, modern and small as an Executive typewriter. Attractive blue with pink and white keyboard accents complement any office decor.
- Saves money…Lease price includes service and maintenance and costs no more than your present telex.
Learn about these and other benefits by mailing the enclosed card today…it will bring you information on how to make your telex easier to operate…more efficient…and less costly, too.
Cordially,
Michael R. Mulcahy
Manager, Teleprinter Systems
TRANS-LUX CORPORATION
P.S. Your management will welcome the TRANS-LUX TELEPRINTER because it doesn’t cost a cent more than your present equipment and it can cut your communications costs.
The message in the numbered list is classic selling using benefits as opposed to features. The copy is direct and personal, yet somewhat omniscient as the writer knows certain mistakes that current users make. When I reread these I found myself drifting off and thinking about the 37Signals homepage and the way they sell their products in a similar manner.
The end result? The TLT Telex Teleprinter was a massive breakthrough and the unit you see described above is now in the Smithsonian. Today Trans-Lux is still in business, focused on LED displays for large audiences such as stock exchanges, train stations and sports arenas.
