Once you know him better than his own spouse, you know how to speak to him. You know precisely what benefits to stress, what emotional buttons to push. And you know where to find him when you’re ready to do it.

Let’s say Mr. Prospect is a middle aged male who works in corporate middle-management. But you dig deep, and find out that he’s also typically a political junkie. You could use that knowledge to advertise in Time or Newsweek. But you’re not satisfied, so you dig even deeper and find out that Mr. P is left-leaning in his politics, and has a passion for environmentalism. His greatest fear is that planet won’t be in good shape for his grandchildren.

Now, you can focus on Mr. P like a laser. Skip Time and Newsweek and advertise in Mother Earth News. Send him sales letters on recycled paper, and find a way to connect your product or service to a healthy planet. Now you’re pushing his buttons, and Mr. Prospect becomes Mr. Customer.

It takes time, effort, and research. But once you really know your target, hitting him where it counts is that much easier.

To be successful, a headline needs four qualities: it must be Useful, Urgent, Unique and Ultra-specific (the four “U’s”). It must contain Useful information. It must have a sense of Urgency – read article now, not later. It should be Unique and not sound like every other headline on page. And it must be Ultra-specific: full of detail.

“How To Win Friends And Influence People” “Nevada Doctor Discovers Amazing Anti-Aging Serum” “If You’ve Got 20 Minutes A Month, I Guarantee To Work A Financial Miracle In Your Life”

“How-To” headlines are very effective, as are headlines that look like news. But always remember to make your headline believable. Put some kind of proof into it – Nevada Doctor, for example. Another way is “If… Then” headline, which asks for some kind of effort (however slight) on your prospect’s behalf before she will achieve benefit you promise. Effort makes benefit seem more believable.

It takes practice. Good copywriters say they spend as much as half their writing time just on headline. But when a change in headline alone can increase response by 300% or more, it’s certainly time well spent!