Creating Sales Letter Lists That Make Your Customer’s DroolWritten by Karon Thackston
© 2002 Karon Thackston http://www.copywritingcourse.comYou’ve seen them a hundred times. Those lists that copywriters use within their sales letters that tell you what product or service offers. They might say something like: ·THE most important (and most overlooked) aspect of copywriting ·The 4 personalities of your customer and how to get each to respond to your copy ·21 words that make your headline POP! ·The 7 steps for turning features into sales generating benefits ·How to add emotional triggers that increase desire to buy ·Why some testimonials can actually HURT your sales (I hope you aren't doing this!) ·The 9 secrets to turning ordinary "sales copy" into a powerful "solution" your customer has to have ·Why your USP could actually be killing your brand But how do you create an effective list that draws customers in? What are keys to turning a list of nuts and bolts into a menu of enticing delights your customer has to have? Hold on tight, I’m about to tell you! Take a look at list above. What do you notice? What things do listed items have in common? 1. An effective list must provide a benefit – not a feature, but a benefit. It answers question “What’s in it for me?” 2. An effective list must “tease” reader. Notice that one item above says “The 4 personalities of your customer and how to get each to respond to your copy.” That teases reader. It doesn’t tell them what 4 types are, but lets them know that product or service will tell them. 3. An effective list uses “power words.” Power words are those words and phrases that people are prone to respond to. These include things like specific numbers (“21 words that make your headline POP”), “how to” statements (“How to add emotional triggers that increase desire to buy”) and “secrets” (“The 9 secrets to turning ordinary “sales copy” into a powerful “solution” your customer has to have”).
| | How a 7th grader taught me a valuable marketing lesson Written by Erik Lukas
I was seeing my younger brother (we're quite a few years apart), as I'm prone to do. He's a great kid. When he smiles, you've gotta smile along with him. It's just impossible not to. But this is about one time he got on my nerves a little. Ok, a lot. We were driving to park to play tennis. I'm trying to teach him how to play so he'll be as good as me... err, better. Anyway, there we are, driving along. I'm flipping through stations, looking for something good. I go past something he likes. He says, "Turn that back on." At this point, radio dial has stopped on a classic rock station, playing CCR, always a favorite of mine. They just rock! Well, because this is on, I say, "Sorry, but I wanna listen to this song for a minute." Yes, I'm mean, cruel, whatever. But song he wanted to listen to was some new whiney alternative band, which I don't particularly like (ok, that's an understatement). He says, "I'm going to do this until you turn it back on - (high pitched voice) nah nah nah nah! nah nah nah nah! nah nah nah nah! nah nah nah nah! nah nah nah nah! " This goes on entire ride there. I turn my music up a little. But I can't give in now. I'm too stubborn and it will give kid a bad message. I weather storm. By time we got to park, which was about 15 minutes away, I'd heard him say "nah nah nah nah" about 7,300 times. He informed me he was going to do it on way home too, unless he got control of radio. So I caved. I said he could have it.
|
