Increase Sales With Benefit-Driven Titles
On the night before it's publication, one of the most famous business books of all time almost got a new name which would have definitely affected its sales.
This article includes the story, as well as tips for creating benefit-driven titles that sell.
In the mid 1930's, Napoleon Hill was ready to publish a book with the title "13 Steps to Riches.
" This would fit with many successful publications today that use numbers in the title, like "The Four Agreements" and "One-Minute Manager.
" Titles with numbers like "7 Ways to...
", "5 Steps to...
", "60 Minutes to...
" are all excellent lead ins for your benefit-driven title with a punch.
Back to our story.
The night before its publication, the publisher insisted that "13 Steps to Riches" instead be renamed: "Use your Noodle to Win More Boodle.
" 'Boodle' must be a word from the 30's.
I had to look it up.
It means 'bonus'.
Luckily, the book was released as "Think and Grow Rich," which went on to become a classic and sell over 20 million copies! "Think and Grow Rich" is a title that includes the benefit - grow rich - using two 1-syllable words.
1-2 syllable words have greater impact and punch.
Think (another short word) refers to Hill's main point in the book, which can be summarized in Hill's famous quote, "What the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve.
" A genius title can appear in many forms before you find the best one.
The key is that it has to be benefit-driven.
Why? Let me explain with another story.
Recently, Linda McLyman, founder of Progress Associates, shared this story with me.
In the late 1980s, her husband Daniel and Linda had started the small leadership consulting company.
In her words, "At that time, we thought we had great ideas for our company including the names for our seminar products.
In fact, we were totally attached to our marketing ideas.
On one hot July summer day, my older Uncle Jim (who was highly trained in marketing), came to see us during his trip back east.
This 80-year old man was bored on his summer vacation.
He showed up at our office every day in hopes of giving us his sound marketing advice.
One of the things he kept telling us was that we needed to advertise our products by telling people what benefits they would gain from working with our company.
"Benefits not features, "he would boom.
At the time, we only advertised 'features' of our products.
We listened politely but in truth we ignored his advice...
for a long time.
A year later, when our products were not selling well, we decided to try Uncle Jim's advice.
That year, we quadrupled our sales!" It pays to have benefit-driven titles.
This article includes the story, as well as tips for creating benefit-driven titles that sell.
In the mid 1930's, Napoleon Hill was ready to publish a book with the title "13 Steps to Riches.
" This would fit with many successful publications today that use numbers in the title, like "The Four Agreements" and "One-Minute Manager.
" Titles with numbers like "7 Ways to...
", "5 Steps to...
", "60 Minutes to...
" are all excellent lead ins for your benefit-driven title with a punch.
Back to our story.
The night before its publication, the publisher insisted that "13 Steps to Riches" instead be renamed: "Use your Noodle to Win More Boodle.
" 'Boodle' must be a word from the 30's.
I had to look it up.
It means 'bonus'.
Luckily, the book was released as "Think and Grow Rich," which went on to become a classic and sell over 20 million copies! "Think and Grow Rich" is a title that includes the benefit - grow rich - using two 1-syllable words.
1-2 syllable words have greater impact and punch.
Think (another short word) refers to Hill's main point in the book, which can be summarized in Hill's famous quote, "What the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve.
" A genius title can appear in many forms before you find the best one.
The key is that it has to be benefit-driven.
Why? Let me explain with another story.
Recently, Linda McLyman, founder of Progress Associates, shared this story with me.
In the late 1980s, her husband Daniel and Linda had started the small leadership consulting company.
In her words, "At that time, we thought we had great ideas for our company including the names for our seminar products.
In fact, we were totally attached to our marketing ideas.
On one hot July summer day, my older Uncle Jim (who was highly trained in marketing), came to see us during his trip back east.
This 80-year old man was bored on his summer vacation.
He showed up at our office every day in hopes of giving us his sound marketing advice.
One of the things he kept telling us was that we needed to advertise our products by telling people what benefits they would gain from working with our company.
"Benefits not features, "he would boom.
At the time, we only advertised 'features' of our products.
We listened politely but in truth we ignored his advice...
for a long time.
A year later, when our products were not selling well, we decided to try Uncle Jim's advice.
That year, we quadrupled our sales!" It pays to have benefit-driven titles.