This is the eigth article in a series of ten about advertising and marketing history.

1937 Another master wordsmith from yesteryear was Elmer Wheeler.

Elmer Wheeler was a marketer of pure genius and he knew that certain words produced vast increases in results over other, less effective wording.

In 1937 he wrote his: "Tested Sentences That Sell". An almost forgotten classic but probably one of the best books ever written on the subject. And here is the story of how he did it.

Wheeler was an ad salesman for several newspapers and it all started big for him when he tried to convince retailers that an ad in his papers would drive people to their stores. This, the retailers didn't doubt, but people just visiting their stores was not enough - they were not buying.

This still happens today. People visit stores; receive direct mail; and log on to internet sites. But very few of them actually buy anything.

Probably because in the majority of cases the prospects are not given any reason to buy.

In bricks and mortar businesses this could be due to poor salesmanship. In the case of direct mail and the internet it is more likely due to poor copy

After some careful analysis, Wheeler concluded that the reason people weren't buying in their stores was because the salespeople were not saying the right words.

This led Wheeler to set up his famous "Word Laboratories". You may have heard the expression: "Sell the sizzle not the steak." Well, it was Wheeler who first coined that phrase and went on to write his first book: "Tested Sentences That Sell."

During 10 years of research, Wheeler tested over 105,000 words and phrases on more than 19 million people. An incredible feat. The results of which you can profit from today.

This truly is an incredible resource that can be blamed for helping many people turn their business round. It belongs in anybody's library.

Wheeler found that you need to ask a question that customers cannot say "no" to.

Wheeler also invented what he called: "Wheeler Points." There are five of them. So offer your customers something or something. Not something or nothing.

All Wheeler's principles and tested results are adaptable to any business.

1940 Clyde Bedell, as well as being a super salesman, was a university lecturer. He became so frustrated at not being able to find a suitable book on persuasive copy. So he decided to write his own.

“How to Write Advertising That Sells” became a best seller.

1940 James Webb Young published an entry every week in ‘Advertising Age’. He later crammed all of these into a book called: “The Diary of an Advertising Man.”

1945 The novel “The Hucksters” is released and is later turned into a movie. This attacked the advertising industry and had a damaging effect.

1949 Doyle Dane and Bernbach is launched

1955 Leo Burnett introduces his ‘Marlboro Man’ ad. The image of a cowboy changed the fortunes of this minor cigarette brand and made it into a big seller.

Page 1 of 2 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 | Next