I have heard many sales trainers say, "Don’t tell…sell."
This is the conventional wisdom of days gone by. In today’s market, I have found the more information someone is given, the better. And if they think of you as the honest, trustworthy ‘teacher’ who gave them a good education, you are more likely to be the recipient of their business.
Syms, an off-price clothing store in New York, says, "An educated consumer is our best customer." That's because highly educated consumers have the ability to differentiate the benefits of products or services in their own minds, which gives them a sense of comfort and security. Comfort and security help a consumer hurdle their fears which, in turn, it gives them the green light to buy your product.
How much education is required? Good question! It varies from product to product. The amount of education you need to give to a prospect is based on the value of your products or services and the customer’s awareness of your products or services.
But make no mistake about it, the more informed a consumer feels, the more likely he/she is to buy now. And that’s exactly what you need to make your business (and your profits) grow.
The following 21-point copywriter’s checklist will help you inform, engage, and ultimately SELL:
TOOL: The ‘21 Club’ of Copywriting
- Don't talk about yourself; it's not about you!
- Keep it AIDA simple ─ create Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action.
- Test your headlines ─ you only have one chance to get it right.
- Determine the unique selling proposition for your product and from that, create your headline in a clear, short phrase.
- Remember people are asking what is in it for me? Talk to them about their feelings, values, and the benefits of your product.
- Be honest with your prospect.
- Write as much copy as you need and no more.
- Don't be boring, but don't be flippant.
- State your biggest benefits right away, don’t hold them back for the big finish, many people will never read your big finish.
- Sub-headlines can be questions that the customer is asking.
- Use bullets and underlines as well as bold face type, but sparingly.
- Detail your offer and summarize the offer throughout the copy.
- Repeat your headlines and summarize your offers again.
- Ask for action.
- Make it easy to order. "All you have to do is..."
- Don't trust ad agencies or do image advertising.
- Test on a small basis before rolling out on a large scale.
- Be 100% believable.
- Hit all the hot buttons you can.
- Make your offer personal and exciting.
- 21. Use the many devices available such as sweepstakes, free gifts, new and improved, guarantees and money back, limited time offers, etc.
I can’t stress this enough: great copy sells products and services. It’s worth all the blood, sweat, tears, and time you take to craft a marketing message that is appealing, engaging, and moves the reader to take action.
The flip side of great copy that sells, is bad copy that kills. Inferior marketing messages make you look bad. If your web page, flyer, brochure, or other business tool is poorly executed, then the consumer will assume that everything you do is sub-par.
Sorry. But that’s the cold, hard truth.
That’s why it’s so important to avoid the common mistakes that undercut the effectiveness of marketing messages. So please take time to read (and re-read, if necessary) the following section.
Direct Marketing