Before I actually go on to write further , let me tell you a story. A story of how Nightingale Connant sold one of its products.

The business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on a park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy. Suddenly an old man appeared before him. "I can see something is troubling you," he said. After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you." He asked the man his name, wrote out a check and pushed it into his hands saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time."

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The executive looked down and saw in his hand a check for $500,000. signed by (continued inside)

Now that is what I call a perfect copy! Yes I know what you are thinking. Its just that old AIDA concept that we forget to use so often!

But this copy is something more than that. Its a story.

Have you ever seen how a child is so engrossed in hearing a story ? And , old habits die hard. Yes , even *****s lend their ears and minds more to stories than anything else.

Take a look at a sample of Wall Street Journal Advertisement.

"On a beautiful late spring afternoon, twenty-five years ago, two young men graduated from the same college. They were very much alike, these two young men. Both had been better than average students, both were personable and both - as young college graduates are - were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.

Recently, these two men returned to college for their 25th reunion.

They were still very much alike. Both were happily married. Both had three children. And both, it turned out, had gone to work for the same company Midwestern manufacturing company after graduation, and were still there.

But there was a difference. One of the men was manager of a small department of that company. The other was its president."

Now , Isn't that a better way of telling what would happen to you if you don't read our newspaper. Would the same message have been effective had they said it this way ?

Listen Up. If you really want to climb the corporate chain then start reading our newspaper.

I really doubt that someone would even recall this ad.

True, the story made me want to know more about what happened afterwards.

The second one posted just stopped dead and really doesn't compel me to want to know more.

Although I agree somewhat, I am not without disagreement. Some customers just don't have, nor what to spend, enough time to read a story. They want bulleted points as to what the advertisement is about.

They'd rather have a WHAM! BAM! TADA! advertisement as opposed to "There once was a little boy who lived down the lane..." copy.

But then again, this isn't ALL customers. A good story is a welcome change from our WHAM! BAM! society at times.

So, I guess I go both ways... all puns aside.

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It depends on the niche and the advertising medium. A story can go a long way but it would work better in say a magazine than on a billboard or bus stop.

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