If it's the perfect client you are trying to attract, you 
need your message to speak to them personally. It should 
grab their INTEREST, build their DESIRE, stimulate their 
ENTHUSIAM and compell them into ACTION, a process known as 
I.D.E.A. The I.D.E.A. formula can be used for all of your 
advertising methods including articles, your website and 
online directory listings, business cards and brochures.  
 
Go and grab your latest creation and critique it for the 
following:  
 
DOES IT GRAB YOUR READERS INTEREST?  
 
Does your headline or opening sentence immediately engage 
the attention of the person reading it? If it is your 
company name or logo, probably not. Ideally it will focus 
on whatever your clients problem is. It is also best when 
written with a specific target market in mind. Do not try 
to be everything to everyone. Questions work well here.  
 
HAVE YOU BUILT DESIRE?  
 
What are the end results your client will receive by coming 
to you. Will they feel relaxed, painfree, energetic, be 
able to cope with the kids?? Always talk the client and 
what they will receive from you if they use your service. 
Remember the radio station everyone is tuned into: WII-FM 
(that's 'what's in it for me?) Are you stimulating any 
emotional responses? Please please please don't talk about 
how wonderful you are or your modalities! (A very common 
error).  
 
ENTHUSIASM  
 
The enthusiasm element is closely related to desire and 
will naturally lead them into reading the rest of your ad 
or find out more. Testimonials are extremely useful for 
this. Ideally demonstrate that you are the obvious choice 
to solve their problem. If your ad does not build 
enthusiasm they aren’t likely to move the phase that you 
really want, and that is action.  
 
ACTION!  

You have grabbed their interest, whetted the appetite and 
got them enthusiastic, so now is the time for them to act. 
You want the to pick up the phone RIGHT NOW and make an 
appointment. An irresistible offer with a limited time to 
ad a sense of urgency is highly recommended and will make a 
difference to the overall response. It is also crucial that 
it is easy to contact you. Where possible use a landline as 
well as your mobile and email address if you have one.  
 
Checklist:  
 
-Does your ad talk about ‘What’s in it for the prospect’  
-Does your ad make it clear what they will get?  
-Are you easy to contact, do you have a landline in your 
ad?  
-Does your ad have a sense of urgency so they act now?  
-Do you talk about the benefits to your client?  
-Have you tested your ad on a sample of your target market? 
 -Does it look professional and well laid out?  
 
Other things to consider: 
 
Be sure to gauge where your calls are coming from, 
especially if you are using different methods to attract 
clients. Ask every new prospect how they found out about 
you. Be careful that you choose the right mediums to 
attract clients. For example, it is not much use taking an 
ad out in the seniors magazine if you are typically 
targeting an active sportsperson. Once you have found a 
method that is working for you, stick with it and increase 
it as much as your budget will allow.

Krishna Everson