How to sell in print: the secret of writing killer copy
by OneCoach Team | posted on December 9th, 2008 | Marketing
Zig Ziglar said that sales is about transferring enthusiasm that you have for your product into the hearts and minds of your prospect. Copywriting is simply the written form of that same thing.
When we put on our sales hats, we have to differentiate ourselves to convince potential customers to buy from us, not our competition. Whether it’s billboards, radio or TV, it’s impossible to go through a single day without being bombarded with some combination of what people want us to buy. So if we want our audience to notice our message, we’ve got to have a better way of targeting them.
One of the best places to begin is with positioning, not prospecting. If you position yourself as an expert in a certain field, then you can actually attract and magnetize qualified ready-to-buy prospects to come to you. This positioning begins with writing solid lead-generation materials. Write a sales letter or lead-generation ad and send this virtual salesman out to do the work for you. The main point of these letters is to include a strong call to action, such as calling for a consultation. And don’t worry, you’re sending your material out to other humans, so it doesn’t have to be perfect.
The biggest error that most people commit when they write copy is that they try to be clever, trying to ‘WOW’ people with every sentence. You don’t need to be an extraordinary writer, you just have to put the effort into learning. Above all, you want to transfer the enthusiasm you have for your product into the hearts and minds of your prospects through your copywriting. So begin writing your copy as if you’re making a natural sales pitch.
Maintaining a natural tone is very important. The power of copywriting and selling online is the power of telling a good, compelling story. If you achieve this with your copy, then you ensure that people will be able to relate to you and your product. You want to provide enough of a story so that your prospect can create a mental picture of your product.
Next in this series: Writing in the dark.
This post is the first in a series of excerpts from OneCoach CEO John Assaraf’s interview with direct response copywriter Michael Fortin. See his Web site here: http://www.michelfortin.com/. Members of the OneCoach Business Growth Network have unlimited access to this and hundreds of other interviews with world-class thought leaders.
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December 22nd, 2008 at 12:55 am
Great info, simple, wise, practical and can do. Success based on simplicity, ethics and authenticity… yay.