Ever try to sell something you can’t talk about? Well believe it or not, there are many salespeople who find themselves challenged with the task of doing just that. They have a product to sell and they know there are people out there who want it. The only problem is—well, there are certain things that for various reasons they aren’t allowed to say about it or show about it. And oftentimes these things that can’t be seen or heard are the same features that happen to be the major selling points of the product.

Sounds like a frustrating task, right? In fact it seems so frustrating that salespeople in this situation would probably be better off trying to sell ice to an Eskimo. But the situation is a whole lot more common than you might think. There are all kinds of taboos about certain products that society imposes and that salespeople are required to recognize and respect. Some of these taboos involve what you are allowed to say about the product and what you are not allowed to say. In some cases, you are allowed to say very little. And yet clever advertisers have figured out how to accept these constraints and still get their message across very effectively. They do this by using certain techniques which allow the customer to know all about the product without being directly told about it and to “see” the product without directly looking at it. Here are five of those techniques:

1. Show them something that makes them think of something else. 

   Not too long ago, a fast food chain had an ad campaign for one of its products which it touted as being “good to go.” The ad showed how easy it was for marathon runners to pick up this product at the take-out window, unwrap it, and then eat it—all this while continuing to run in the race without losing a step. So how many marathon runners do you know that eat food in the middle of a race? Could it be possible that they wanted us to think that this product could be eaten while driving? Well, they would never show someone eating while driving. But with an ad like this, they really don’t need to.

    

2. Target the benefits instead of the product. 

   Sometimes the restrictions on what you can say or show are self-imposed. One of the best examples of this is breakfast cereal. Manufacturers are victims of their own success and are challenged by the fact that almost 100 percent of households already eat cereal at breakfast time. The large cereal companies are also hindered by the realization that getting people to eat one of their cereals often means losing sales from one of their other brands. One answer to this dilemma is to do what Kellogg’s did in its Special K campaign. They don’t show the product or even a logo in their ads. Instead, they market a weight-loss plan featuring videos of women being coached by not only dietitians, but also by fashion experts and professionals in the fields of hair styling and makeup. Part of the weight-loss plan calls for eating cereal twice a day instead of once. Sales were increased simply by leveraging a cereal brand into a diet brand.

    

3. Use an unrelated image to convey a feeling. 

   They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes a single image can speak volumes. A prominent investment bank used a branding campaign showing the visual of a fencer. Although an image like this appears to have nothing to do with banking, the advertisers used it to portray the company as both aggressive and sophisticated at the same time.

    

4. When you can’t say it, imply it. 

   As early as in the 1940s, ads for cigarettes would imply certain things without saying them. A prominent magazine ad for Camel cigarettes claimed that more doctors smoked Camels than any other cigarette. The implication was twofold: (a) it was medically OK to smoke cigarettes because doctors smoked them, and (b) Camels were healthier than their competitors because more doctors smoked them than other brands. Of course the statement in the ad actually said neither of these things at all.

    

5. Use music, lighting, and editing. 

   A lot of TV ads can more properly be classified as miniature movies. Directors are becoming increasingly adept at conveying a message by creating a mood. And they do this through creative use of audiovisual effects. This trend is especially prominent in political advertising, where campaign directors have to be ultra-careful about how their candidate is portrayed and even more importantly, about what they say (and do not say!) about the opposing candidate.

A good salesperson can always find ways of touting his product. But sometimes there are restrictions on what can be said. When the direct approach is not an option, more subtle methods may be called for. And many of them have been shown to work wonders. When the right techniques are used, you don’t need to tell in order to sell.

About the Author

Marni Mutrux is a staff writer for v2cigs.com.V2 Cigs offers the industry’s most innovative electronic cigarettes. An e-cigarette is a non-smoking alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes.

Related posts:

1. How To Sell Your Product Or Service Using The 7 New Rules Of Marketing
2. Free Private Label Rights To 5 Products
3. Is Advertising On Facebook Right For Your Business, Brand & Products?
4. How to Use Teleseminars and Webinars to Market Your Products or Affiliate Products
5. The Easiest Way To Sell Stuff Ever