Chart Smart Charts may make good copy, but does your ad tempt prospects to read them?

Have you got a clear price advantage over your competitors forthe exact same service or better? If so-and if you can carveout some extra room to work with in your sales letter, ad, brochureor Web site-you can't beat an old-fashioned comparisonchart to illustrate that point effectively.

That approach is not lost on Ann Kelsey, who runs MedicalCollections Unlimited in Atlanta. Her sales letter features acomparison chart that makes the salient point (that is, she'scheaper than most collection agencies), but the letter needs tobetter provoke prospects to read the chart.

To that end, I recommend a headline asking "Doctor, are yougetting robbed TWICE on delinquent accounts?" The messagebeing that not only is the patient "stiffing" the doctor,but the collection agency is also charging too much to collect thebad debt. The doctor is likely to wince at those words and feelcompelled to read on-and quickly notice the chart.