Copywriting

Facts to Know…

h e a t
• When college students read texts that were less technical and had a more
conversational tone, their reading retention rates were 20%-46% higher. (The
C heet
S
Journal of Educational Psychology)
• 63% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has
product ratings and reviews. (CompUSA and iPerceptions study)
• 90% of the people in the U.S. read at a grade seven (age 12) level or lower.
Research also shows that reading from a computer screen is around 25% slower
than reading from paper. (Gary Halbert, copywriting expert)

10
The consumer isn’t a moron; she’s your wife. You insult her
intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few
vapid adjectives will persuade her to buy anything.
—David Oglivy, Advertising Executive

Steps to Killer Sales Copy

1
Define Your Outcome
The first step toward getting what you want in any situation—in business or in life—requires the customer acquisition funnel and your specific revenue goals, your
that you get clear on your core outcome. For each piece of copy you write, what is the goal will likely differ.
specific result you want to achieve? Is it a certain number of sales? Are you looking to get Take a moment to go upstream in your business and get clear about
a high number of people to convert (volume) or are you targeting a more refined customer what it is specifically you want your copy to deliver for your business
for a higher end offer (quality)? Depending on the stage of your business, where you are in before you get started.

2
Know Your Audience
Once you know what you want, clarify who your customer is and what they want. The more want, what their big problem is, and how you can specifically help them
clearly you understand who your ideal customer is—whom you’re writing for—and what will solve it forever. The more clearly you understand this and the more
get them to respond, the better results you’ll get from your copy. precisely you can mirror back their own frustrations, fears and goals
Look at your competitors’ products and what their customers are talking about, look for back to them in their own words, the more effective your copy will be.
keywords and ads that are effective in your market, join groups or forums so you can get
in on the conversation and/or consider surveying your customers. In short, do anything and What does this specific customer need to read or hear
everything you can to narrow down who your ideal customer is and to understand what they that lets him or her know that you understand exactly what’s going on?

3
Clarify Your Offer The 2-Part
What are you selling? In the simplest terms, what do they get, how much is it, which equal or exceed the value
option is better (if you have more than one) and how do they buy? of the main part of the Offer Test
You’re also going to clarify pricing and bonuses in this step. For the pricing, be sure to product, it will increase your • Is it something
benchmark, which means look at other similar products in your niche so that your pricing conversions. The key is your your target audience feels
is consistent and competitive. That said, your goal is to charge one level above your bonuses can’t overwhelm like they HAVE to have?
competition…because you’re delivering five times the value. or feel like more work; they need to compliment your main • Is it something your
product (i.e. an app or piece of technology that helps them target audience believes
In addition, bonuses are a great way to increase the value—and therefore the price implement effectively) and they need to be highly desirable.
point—of your product or service. If you can add two or three bonuses that genuinely they have to have NOW?

4
Create Your Headline & Your Hook Types of Hooks
Your headline is what you use to get your audience’s attention—a
• Question(s): “Have you ever read a • Personal Story: “Ever
single statement that summarizes the big problem and your solution in
book, listened to an audio program, since I was 5 years
a way that compels the reader to want to know more.
watched a video or invested in a old, I was taught to
Copywriting expert John Carlton suggests starting with a “how-to” hook product that literally changed follow ‘the plan…’”
if you’re struggling to create one. For example, “How to Fix a Flat Tire in Traffic in Five Minutes or your life?” • Humor: ”The first
Less So You Don’t Have to Use Your AAA Card.”
• Startling Fact: “Did you know the rule of leadership:
Your hook is used to reel in your audience and pull them into your copy or presentation. In a sales average attention span of a human everything is your fault.”
letter, your hook may be used under the main headline as a transition into the main body of your being is 8 seconds…1 second shorter (from the movie A Bug’s Life)
copy. Your goal here is to further explain your headline so you can present what it is you have than that of a goldfish?” • Literary or Popular Quote: “We
to offer.
• Sound Bite: John F. Kennedy’s “Ask cannot solve our problems with the
not what your country can do for you, same level that created them.”
Five times as many people read the headlines as read ask what you can do for your country.” —Albert Einstein
the body copy. It follows that unless your headline sells Note: The Hook and the Headline are not the same. Hooks are elements you can use
your product, you’ve wasted 90% of your money. when you open a presentation, or the body copy of a sales letter. Your Headline needs
to specifically and clearly talk about the problem and the solution so they have a
—David Oglivy reason to continue to read NOW.

© 2014 Content Solutions Group Inc. • 866.654.6534 or 858.720.8720 • www.PamHendrickson.com

5
Build Your Benefit Bullets
The biggest mistake most copywriters make is they focus on the features of their product or your connection with your spouse or kids” or “stop snapping at your
service and not the benefits. There’s a saying in marketing, “Sell the hole, not the drill,” or spouse or kids or co-workers”).
“Sell the shade, not the tree.” Bullets are mini-headlines that make specific promises about Use phrases like:
your produce or service and what it will give your customer.
• “So that you can…” • Use numbers—i.e. “8 easy
Bullets are particularly effective as your reader can scan them quickly, yet each one tells a and proven ways to market
• “Imagine…”
different story about what’s in it for them as it relates to your product or service. Vary your your product or service”
benefits so that you are highlighting a different value proposition in each one. Include some • “Because...”
• “Why…” • “How to…” Keep your bullets
that are very simple and practical (i.e. if you’re selling an ergonomically correct pillow, your
practical benefit will be about “getting a restful night’s sleep and waking up energized”) and • “Avoid these • “Why you NEVER want to…” brief and consistent
also include benefits that hit your customer at a deeper emotional level (i.e. “improve common mistakes…” (counter-intuitive approach) in length and style!

6
Write the Story
Building around your headline and your hook, tell the story of your product and Build your benefit bullets into your story.
service. As you do this, be sure to keep asking yourself, “Why should your audience care?” When you’re done with your story, you can go back and insert
Look at how you’re positioning yourself in the market and the compelling ‘why’ that will sub-headlines (very specific, meaningful statements, often in
motivate your audience to act. bolded text that pull your reader through the copy). A great test
A great way to approach your core story (or the main body of your sales copy) is to tell of good sub-headlines
a ‘before/after’ story. As you do this, you can mind-read where your audience is and the is you should be able to
pain they are feeling (the ‘before’), and you can paint the picture of what life is like after read nothing other than When readers are reading a story, the language center of
implementing your product or service (the ‘after’). Weave in your benefits, advantages, social the headline, hook, their brain lights up, as well as the other parts of the brain
proof and selling points as you go. Also, include research and facts to back up your claims. sub-headlines and that would light up if the reader were actually experiencing
benefits and still have the event. A story is the only way to activate parts in the
Most important, keep your story simple, brief and clear. A complicated story told with brain so that a listener turns the story into his own idea and
sophisticated words isn’t going to connect with your prospect. It’s about them. Use short and clarity about the offer and
be compelled to buy. experience. (Uri Hasson, Princeton University)
simple words, sentences and paragraphs that are conversational and personal in tone.

7
Include Social Proof
What your customers say about you and your product or service is much more powerful than to include the ‘before’ and ‘after’ in your customer stories
anything you can say yourself. Testimonials and customer success stories are a great way to and ask your customers to reveal the specific results they
counter possible objections and build trust. achieved as a result of implementing your product or
Match your customer testimonials to specific benefits you’ve claimed in your copy. Be sure service. Be sure to review FTC guidelines and follow any
regulations in your industry as you use testimonial stories!

8
Make Your Offer
Present your offer with total clarity. This is where you want to tell
Build Scarcity or Urgency:
them what they get, how they get it, how much it is and how to Make it a Limited Time Offer
buy. Structure and clarity is king when you present your offer!
• Offer ends on a specific date (i.e. Friday • Price goes up on
Your offer doesn’t need to be super long—in fact, the more
at midnight) a specific date/time
succinct and clear you can be, often the better your offer
will convert. • Limited quantity (“Only 503 units” or • Use a countdown timer
“First 40 people get a book • Use a time dependent limitation (i.e.
Your price presentation needs to be compelling—build the
cover designed”) “Our class starts Tuesday at noon” or
value before you reveal the price. Then, as soon as you
present the price, justify it. For example, “Let’s say you create and sell a product for $500. • Bonuses go away on a specific date/ “The webinar is Thursday at 2 pm”)
How many do you need to sell to cover your investment in this course? 2! That’s right—your time (i.e. a value-added deadline—i.e.
mom and your grandma will probably even buy these two copies for you! J” ‘Get X free for a limited time…’)
Be sure to include any bonuses that will tip prospects over the edge to take action now. For Whatever you use for scarcity or urgency, be authentic. Don’t make things up! If you are
each one, share what it is, give the benefits for it—tell them what it is, how it works and how announcing a limited quantity, it needs to be because you really have a limited quantity!
it will help them be even more successful with your product or service.

9
Reduce the Risk
When possible, provide a money-back guarantee. For example, “If you’re not totally blown to deliver the product. In these cases, you might consider forgoing the
away by the value of this product, simply return it to us within 30 days, you’ll receive 100% guarantee so you don’t put you or your business at excessive risk.
of your money back and we can still be friends.” Most important, be sure that you are prepared to honor the guarantee no
The only exception to this is if you are offering something like an intensive coaching matter what. You can’t get your reputation back, plus it’s just not good
program or a trip to an exotic location where you are investing substantial time or money business, so don’t make promises you’re not prepared to back up 100%.

10
Ask for the Action
Remember to ask for the sale! Remind your audience of the core benefits and build in scarcity your final point about why your audience has nothing to lose and
and urgency as you ask for the action. everything to gain. Ideally, your P.S. will build off of your headline
Finally, include a P.S. Often, your P.S. will be read more than the entire sales copy. Use your to put a nice wrapper around your copy.
P.S. to reinforce an important point, highlight your best benefit, overcome an objection or make

The single most powerful force in advertising

Success Tips and selling—the most important psychological
• Tell a story that connects. • Avoid jargon (words your trigger—is honesty. The consumer is very
• Be specific and clear. The confused mind audience may not know smart—smarter than you think and collectively
doesn’t buy! or understand).
smarter than any single one of us. They really
• Use numbers and details wherever you can. • Avoid hype (clichés,
appreciate the truth. This is something you
• Be authentic, real and conversational. exaggerations, hyperbole—words like
can’t fake. If your prospect picks out or even
“amazing” “best ever,” etc.)
• Use the first and second person—i.e. “you” senses a phony statement, you’ll kill your credibility every time.
instead of plurals like “everyone” or “people” • Tap into the core emotions and desires of
or “you guys.” Talk to one and you talk to all! your prospect. —Joseph Sugarman, author of Triggers: 30 Sales Tools You Can Use to Control
the Mind of Your Prospect to Motivate, Influence and Persuade

© 2014 Content Solutions Group Inc. • 866.654.6534 or 858.720.8720 • www.PamHendrickson.com