7 Simple Steps to Sales Copy That Sells
When people read about how to write impactful sales copy, they look for tips and tricks. Some small changes that can have big effects. I’m sure you are and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it may be one of the best things to ever happen to your business. But these tricks don’t always work. Sometimes they make you rich, sometimes they don’t. Unfortunately, the painful fact is that they don’t work 99% of the time and when they don’t, it costs you. Whether it’s time, money or effort. It’s like gambling if you ask me.
Now let me ask you, isn’t it infinitely better to stick to the proven guidelines? Steps you can follow to produce a masterpiece? Here, I’ll show you the exact steps I take to create messages so powerful that they drive customers to come to you instead of the other way around.
- Never assume that someone else’s results are universally true. How many times have you read a book on copywriting or attended a seminar where the speaker talks about your test result? How many times have you been convinced to do the same? Do not do it! Stop now because those “tricks” worked in their situation and not yours. Ironically, sharing test results is the time attendees are sitting on the edge of their seats. You should get your own test results… which brings me to the second step.
- Always implement a test system before implementing your copy, even if you think your copy is “proven” to sell. Testing is the only way to ensure that your sales copy doesn’t fail. If you do, you can stop it before it crashes and deploy your controller to stop the damage.
- Find a hungry market and meet the demand. Most entrepreneurs mistakenly run their businesses backwards. They came up with an innovative idea and thought that people would rush to buy them. You are wrong! It is easier to satisfy an existing demand than to create a new one. How do you know if there is enough demand? Do some keyword research and see if they have been searched for. Simple and effective.
- Know your customers and do your research. Find out what turns them on and what turns them off. This is extremely important because as I always say, cows will never be interested in meat, they want grass! Don’t make the mistake of offering your customers what you think they need. Give them what they want. If you ever find yourself telling people what to do, then you are preaching, not marketing.
- Create a headline that stops readers in their tracks. No doubt you’ve read a list of “best headlines” or “best words for headlines.” They can be quite useful, but that’s not where your attention should be focused. Again, your focus should be on your customers’ greatest desire and express it in your own words. Make it feel like you’re speaking directly to them instead of just copying “proven” headlines. As any good copywriter will tell you, crafting a compelling headline is half the battle won.
- Make an irresistible offer. Your offer is much more important than your own copy. If I’m selling a new genuine gold Rolex for a measly $100, would you take it? Point done. Increase the value of your product so much that price is suddenly no longer an issue.
- All the last 6 steps would be useless if you get step 7. This is the most important thing to do or you will surely fail. Gary Halbert once asked seminar attendees if they were selling hot dogs at a hot dog stand and if there was one advantage they could have over their competitors, what would it be? They came up with many great answers including a better stand, better hot dogs, better location, and cheaper hot dogs. But he told them: “My advantage will surely be better for all of you!” Know what it is? It’s a hungry crowd! If you can get your hot dog stand in front of a hungry man, would it matter if your stand is old and your hot dogs are stale? The point is to get the right crowd to read your sales copy! Broadcasting to the whole world is expensive and unnecessary. Get a target readership and it will be more than enough; non-target readers, on the other hand, can distort your quiz results.
If you follow the 7 steps, there is no doubt that you will succeed. Forget those tips and tricks and focus on the basic steps FIRST and you’ll be inundated with so many orders you can’t even handle them. And if you’re still looking for more sales, come looking for little revenue boosters.
