Want to persuade your prospect to buy your product or service? Then assure them they are not making a fool of themselves for buying it.
Think about it for a moment. When you buy something don’t you want to be able to tell your friends and family and have them say, “Wow, you were smart to get such a good deal?” I certainly do.
It’s the same for your buyer. They’ve already been compelled by a desire for the benefits your product can deliver. Because, of course, in your copy, you’ve convincingly conveyed that your product or service will help them save time, make $5,000 more a week, raise staff morale, get 100 more leads a month, increase productivity by 5%, feel more attractive or whatever benefit speaks their core desires.
As a marketer - or as business person writing your own copy, you always want to give your reader reasons to not just make a choice to buy your product. You also need to give them enough fodder to justify their purchase to themselves and to the people who matter to them. They need to be able to do this before they decide to buy.
When you build a strong, almost invincible reason for making the purchase in your prospect’s mind you are building credibility for your product or service.
As a copywriter I consider this an essential element of persuasive copy. But you’d be surprised how often it’s overlooked.
But what exactly is “credibility”? Can it be defined?
Here’s how I would describe it: It’s you proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that your product will do what you claim it will in your Benefit/Promise.
How To Build Credibility
There are several ways to build credibility. The bottom line is that you must use as many credibility builders as you can when you write your copy. If you don’t you’ll end up with false sounding, hype-filled promotions, which sound insincere and unbelievable to your prospect.
Result – You can forget about persuading your prospect to buy anything.
Here’s a checklist for creating credibility. Use as many of these credibility-builders as you can when you write your copy.
1. Testimonials. These can be:
- Gathered from feedback, surveys or from conversations with subscribers
- Personal success stories from people who have used your product or service
- A third person report of the success story or…
- Personal letters from satisfied customers
When it comes to getting testimonials, be proactive. Ask for them. Usually, if you’ve delivered on your promise before, people will be only too happy to tell you how it’s helped them, how they feel etc. And when you get spontaneous, unsolicited testimonials or feedback ask if you may use this feedback as a testimonial.
Copywriter Bob Bob Bly, when I emailed him on impulse how impressed I was by one of the products I had just purchased asked me just this and I was happy to say yes.
In fact I added a few more points. Needless to say I was flattered at being asked. I was just so impressed with the consistent quality of his product that I had no trouble finding good things to say.
Even if you feel you have many testimonials, it’s always a good idea to obtain more. By the way, asking for testimonials is also a good opportunity to talk to customers about any other needs they may have.
Testimonials are like gold… treat them as such.
2. Personal Profiles of your experts or product creators
This includes stories, studies and reports that validate your claims. You can collect them from sources your readers trust, such as:
- The press
- Professional organizations, such as the AMA (American Marketing Association) and studies, Harvard Business Review
- Well known experts in the same field (e.g. Warren Buffet for investing, Henry Ford for autos)
3. Photos
- Before and after pictures – they prove a claim
- Specific details that are unique to the product (e.g from zero to 60 mph in under 12 seconds
- The right words… using relevant technical terminology creatively so that what you’re writing about sounds real and substantial – for example “Our state of the art GPS navigational system gives you extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions, while echo cancellation and noise reduction gives you excellent sound quality..”
This may seem like a lot of work to do to build a credible product offer. But look at it this way. If you don’t have it, you will have a hard time proving your case to your prospect. On the other hand if you do have it you’ll be much more successful at proving your case.
