Writing Copy That Sells - What's The Big Secret?

When someone buys a product, what they actually are buying is the benefit of owning that product.

A woman buys a gift to celebrate a birthday or express a thank you... but deep down she wishes to be generous, thoughtful and remembered. A man buys a new set of golf clubs – his old set might be a bit worn out, true... but he's really hoping this new set will knock strokes off his game and improve his prestige at the clubhouse.

Writing copy that sells is all about showcasing these benefits to the potential buyer. It can be a product or a service - what sells is the excellent benefits they bring. It's the benefits that motivate and persuade the reader that your product will make his or her life easier or better.

To put it another way, there are hundreds of gifts and golf clubs out there. Why buy yours? The buyer's inner decisions will determine the sales outcome, after all. As a copywriter, your mission is to develop a relationship with the reader, understand his problems, and then solve those problems with your product. Lead him to choose you!

Here's a look at some key points to writing great sales copy, all focused around selling the benefits of your product or service:

Use Attention-Grabbing Headlines.

They say headlines pull in 80% of the orders if done correctly. Your "hook" headline is the most important piece of copy on your page. Make it irresistible. Good, effective headlines get your readers' attention and draw them into your sales copy. Now you're on your way to a sale.

Write Copy That Answers The Age-Old Question: "What's In It For Me?"

Explain the features of your product or service only in a secondary light. Features are product centered. Benefits are people centered and solve problems! It is easier to sell a solution to a problem than it is to sell the same feature that hundreds of other products have. Simply put, your copywriting should highlight these problems, and then offer your product or service as the best solution.

Establish Trust. Show Them You're Real.

Rapport is so important! Part of what will lead your readers through your copywriting is the one-on-one relationship you develop with them. This is especially true in web site copywriting.

Write about your product or service from the standpoint of a friendly expert. Study the product information and history until you know it well. Present the information in an entertaining, clear and concise way. People want to do business with an expert. Keep your writing as simple as you can, too. Never lose your readers in the details.

Understand Your Audience!

Who is your target market? What do they need? How old are they? What brought them to read your sales copy? This kind of information will make a great impact in how you write your copy. It is impossible to sell to everyone, so narrow your copywriting down to focus on your real target market.

This one tip alone will reshape how you write your sales copy. When you understand and write for targeted readers, the return will be remarkable.

Because you'll know who they are and what they need, you will be practicing all of the above techniques by default:

-- You will be able to write targeted headlines that will grab your readers

-- You will be able to show your readers what is in it for exactly them

-- You will establish rapport with your readers

Writing copy that sells simply focuses on good, old-fashioned human behavior! We all want benefits in life. Write about them.

Copyright 2006 Trish Andrews

About The Author


Trish Andrews helps freelance writers and businesses grow and profit through writing and search engine optimization. To discover how to prosper from SEO web content in your business, or to hire a writer that will make your site come alive ... visit her website at http://www.pro-technical-writing.com.

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Creative Fiction Writing Workshop: Character Development

Would you recognize your characters if you ran into them on the street?

Answering a resounding “yes” to this question indicates you have been able to develop solid, plausible characters in your fiction stories.

Make your characters come alive, whether in good or bad ways. Let them talk. This means using dialogue. However, you need to also provide vivid descriptions of the characters’ mannerisms or facial expressions or body expressions. Your readers must be able to create a visual picture of your characters, as well as hear what they are saying.

Pay particular attention to how your characters interact with other people in the story. How they behave toward others reveals much about their character. Are they kind? Abrupt? Intelligent? Funny? Weird? Concerned? Evil? Strong? Controlling? You need to convey these traits to a reader in a way that will inspire your reader to love, hate, admire, or feel SOMETHING about the people you have created.

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“And she hates you.”
“With a passion and what a passion.”
“And what have you done to earn such ire from such a young woman?” Tonie seemed mildly amused by the man.

“I tried to force her to marry me. I shot one of her oldest and dearest friends down in cold blood and killed him.” He didn’t even pause for breath as he listed his catalog of worthy accomplishments. “I betrayed my own brother. And I shot her lover in front of her eyes. A pity Frederick William wouldn’t give up on the man or he would have died. As it was it took him months to recover. I guess you could say the woman has a personal vendetta against me. Will there be anything else, madame?” he concluded with a practiced politeness.

“Not at the moment.” Tonie left the room, Konrad on her heels. She stopped long enough to pull Greg aside and give him instructions in regard to the pursuit of one Laurel d’Anlass. “Ever try betraying me, and I’ll kill the woman myself, Konrad.”

“I would expect nothing less. But, my lady Tonie, I highly recommend you do not seek to threaten me.”

“Take it as a threat if you will, Konrad. But you have shown your weakness, my dear.” Tonie’s barbed words struck with more force than even she realized. “In that warped heart of yours you love Laurel and could never kill her without dying yourself. So don’t push me unless you want me to take all control out of your hands and make you lose any possibility of ever possessing that beautiful, young woman.”

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In the above scene from the coming book, Righting Time by Kat Jaske, even though you have not read the book, you can discern much about the characters. Note that Konrad is speaking rapidly and doesn’t even pause for breath as he rattles off his list of worthy accomplishments. He is polite, but it is not real. He has a “practiced” politeness. These behaviors help the reader to instinctively dislike the man. Readers quickly realize that Tonie is a killer since she is amused by evil deeds and so easily states she will kill Laurel herself.

Who is in control here? Tonie or Konrad? Near the end you see that Tonie controls this scene, but Konrad pushes back when she threatens him. These two people are fighting to establish who is really in control.

Note also the double use of the word “passion.” Although one would not normally use the same word twice so close in the same sentence, this is much more powerful and descriptive than saying, “With a great passion.” Kat Jaske http://www.forhonor.com.

About The Author

Kat Jaske is an English and French teacher and fiction author in Las Vegas, where her high school selected For Honor as the featured book for the 2006 Reading Incentive Program in the school. See samples of her great writing and all her articles at http://www.forhonor.com. ©2006 All rights reserve

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