Hopefully, you already have a good headline. The words that come after it are your lead, and it’s their job to sink hook into your prospect and keep her reading or listening until you can convince her that you are answer to her prayers.

Here you introduce your Big Promise. Not just another benefit, but Granddaddy of all benefits. The One that will reach down into her heart and stimulate some emotion. The One that taps into her core desires.

But you don’t just tell her how your widget will change her life. And you absolutely, positively, never talk about yourself or your company here. Here, you show her what it will be like when she’s experiencing that Big Benefit.

He’s your target customer – person most likely to buy what you have to offer. He is person responsible for your paycheck. He pays your rent and feeds your kids. Or at least, he will, once you convince him to buy from you.

But to convince him, you have to know him. Intimately.

I know, I know – this is elementary stuff. Marketing 101. But you’d be amazed how many people are in business without a clue about who they’re selling to. Even if you have a pretty good idea about what makes Mr. Prospect tick, you could stand to learn more.

Because better you know him, better you know how to sell to him.

Dig deep. Get way down into his psyche. What are his core beliefs? What are his fears? What keeps him awake at night? What kind of person does he really want to be? (That one is actually far more important than who he actually is. Can your product or service help him be that person?)