How To Write Copy That Sells

Whether you’re writing a sales letter, an e-mail newsletter promotion, a news release – or a web page, four critical rules will ensure you write successful copy.

1. Find out what the prospect is most concerned about

…and make sure all your copy addresses that concern. Keep it focused on this, if you stray you will lose the prospect.

2. Stress the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of the product

… in the beginning, middle, and end of the promotion. If you’re not sure what the USP of the product is your promotion is in trouble. Find out the USP before you begin writing. If you know what the USP is but it’s not strong,work on it until you make it stronger. If you need to improve the product, do so. But don’t promote the product before you’re satisfied that you know the USP and that it is indeed a USP.

3. Make one big, irresistible promise

You can have dozens of smaller benefits and promises embedded in your copy however you must come up with one overriding promise that touches all your prospects’ emotional and intellectual buttons. If you lack the irresistible promise your copy will fail to convince the prospect, and you’ll be wasting your time.

4. Avoid phoniness

Prospects can spot phoniness a mile away and there’s a lot of it on the web and off it. Phony copy at best insults your reader’s intelligence with B.S. At worst it simply lies. It does nothing to bring in leads or close a sale.

Great copy is simple, straightforward, direct and easy. It does not deceive. It aims to deliver what it promises. And great copywriters write with clear,strong voices. They use direct language and get straight to the point, without waffling.They understand and speak directly to the prospect’s needs and wants. They spend little, if any time, talking about themselves or “the company.”

When the benefits you are talking about are real and desirable, it’s easy to sell. All you need do is study the product, know your prospect well and zero in on how it can really help him or her.

Get excited about the good it’s going to do and let that enthusiasm show through your language.

Result? Copy that sells.