Copy Writing Hints

One of the biggest challenges many people have in writing is getting started. So it helps when you’ve got a few sample templates and opening strategies which do the work for you. And that’s what I am going to give you today:

Opening Strategy # 1: The Problem / Aggravation / Solution Formula

This is probably one of the most common approaches used in advertising and it works so well because people are generally more motivated by avoiding pain than gaining pleasure.

In a nutshell, what you do is

a) identify the problem

b) aggravate the problem

c) explain why you can offer the perfect solution. Here’s an example:

Do you suffer from back pain? Do you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning? Are you concerned your back pain could deteriorate even more and you could end up with a permanent and worsening problem in your old age?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then this could be the most important message you ever read.

Here’s why: My name is Jim Anderson – and in the next few minutes, I’m going to show you a revolutionary new back care service that is going to show you how almost anyone can say goodbye to back pain for good.

Opening Strategy # 2: The Shameless bribe

This strategy works wonders in holding your prospects attention through your entire ad or sales letter. It basically involves “telling them what you’re going to tell them.” Here’s an example:

In the next few minutes, I’m going to show you how to sell your property for 20% more than other homeowners.

Specifically, I’m going to reveal 7 little-known strategies which add thousands of dollars to the value of your home with very little outlay on your part.

Furthermore, I’m going to reveal a simple strategy for selling your home fast… no matter what the state of the economy.

My clients have paid me hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to get access to these secrets. But now you, too, can use them – FREE!

Opening Strategy # 3: The crossroads opening

This is the ulimate pain vs pleasure opening, offering a contrast of what will happen if your reader listens to what you have to say compared to the consequences of ignoring your message. Here’s a sample:

TWO YEARS from now you could be enjoying the sort of lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of. Or you could be running around the rat race… struggling to get by… and wondering why you haven’t had a holiday in years.

The choice is yours.

Ok. So there you have it. There’s no longer an excuse for not putting pen to paper. I have given you three ways to get started right here. So start using them right away.

I was at a seminar over the weekend critiquing a sales letter for one of my subscribers. And the lack of proof within the sales letters was blatantly obvious. I pointed this out to her and was hit with the response:

“But it’s not about me. It’s about them.”

Mmmmm… interesting. And I guess I can’t blame her for thinking that given the fact this is exactly what we’re told in copywriting school:

Focus on You. The less times you use we in the copy and the more times you use the word you, the better.

And that’s absolutely true. However…

You Must Establish Your Authority

Why? Because the questions going on in the back of your readers mind are:

Why should I listen to YOU?
Why should I listen to you ABOUT THIS?

After all, in a sales letter you may be required to:

• Convince people of facts they don’t believe  (they are highly skeptical)
• Recommend your reader do something differently (nobody likes to change)
• Ask for their trust
• Warn them about what could happen if they don’t listen – not everyone wants to hear this

In order to do this, you’ve simply got to be viewed as an authority. Otherwise why would anyone listen to you?

Ok, let’s step outside of the ‘letter’ scenario for a second to illustrate my point:

Let’s imagine you go to a conference and a speaker stands up… doesn’t introduce himself… and just starts talking about a subject. What’s going on in the back of your mind?

Let me take a stab in the dark and say you’re thinking:

Why the heck should I listen to this guy?

And that’s why every professional speaker is backed up with an introduction explaining their accomplishments… what they’ve achieved… and what makes them an authority on the subject.

And you should do the same in your sales letters.

One more thing: The more skeptical your group of prospects the more you must “pile on the proof” in order to cement your authority. Here’s some things you might want to include within your sales presentation:

Your accomplishments

Any endorsements (particularly from people or institutions they respect)

Your experience

How you’ve overcome significant adversity which people cannot dismiss

Credentials

And anything else which sets you up in their eyes as an expert.

So something like…

“I have 16 years in the industry” simply won’t cut it. You’ve got to go deeper than that.

I’ll leave you to work-out what details help establish your own authority, but I’m sure you get the idea.