Have you ever been to the V&A Museum of Art and Design in London?

I went for the first time just yesterday and noticed something interesting – and it wasn’t something the V&A were exhibiting.

The exhibitions, of course, were all well and good. But what really caught my eye was this little box here.

Unspectacular? Maybe. But not when you compare it with this little guy.

Look at that! Two boxes! Placed at two different entrances! Both suggesting different admission prices! Now do you see the magnificence?!

I’m sure you do. But just in case you don’t let me tell you what was so lovely about the boxes.

The boxes suggest the folk at the V&A are up to something:

They’re running a test.

At least I hope they are.

I hope the V&A are monitoring the total each box brings in so that they can work out their most profitable price point.

Perhaps when charging people £4 they get a great many more donations – and therefore make more money – than when charging people £5.

If that’s the case, then the little boxes at the V&A are direct marketing in all its glory, and they can teach marketing folk a valuable lesson.

When you’re wondering how much to charge, or which headline to run, or which call to action to use, or which proposition to promote, or how long your guarantee should be, don’t sit around a board room table debating.

Get out there and test your alternatives, then let the results dictate your actions. Because in doing so, you guarantee yourself better results.

By the way, on the subject of bettering results, you know what you could do to improve yours?

Yep. Contact me here and ask me a question, such as ‘is my website copy turning customers off?’ or ‘what would you do to improve these Google Ads?’.

I offer free advice to all prospective customers.