ders – a story that will convince readers they can be as happy as the person in the story.

See how the text flows. See how early on it reminds readers they, in fact, have a problem (readers already knows this, of course, but the writer is reminding them of it).

Next the writer begins to tell readers a solution is at hand – read on! As the text flows, readers are told this particular product or service will solve the problem.

This seems to be a good point to stop for now. See you soon.

Next time we shall have more to say about your sales copy and how you need to ask the customer formally to buy your product. We shall also say a bit about classified advertising – the same principles apply but you need to do it in just a few words.

Thanks for listening :-)

Copyright © 2006 Mary Rice-Johnston & Golden Goose Dir

Hello

Today we want to talk about sales letters and sales copy. This is so important that this talk will be continued in the next article.

Your sales letter is the thing that turns visitors into customers. Your sales letter is the thing that convinces visitors they can’t live without your product – they must buy it!

Sales letters and sales copy
People don’t buy things they buy solutions to problems. They want to be slimmer, stronger, smarter, richer, prettier, handsomer, sexier, faster or happier, and they are willing to pay for this. They want their friends to envy them. They want to feel good. They want to smell good. They want to look good. They want to feel secure. They don’t buy based on logic, they buy based on emotion.

When they look at your sales copy, they ask one, and only one question: ‘What’s in it for me - will this solve my problem?’ They don’t care whether your product is 18 or 24 volt, or whether it is 2 or 4 stroke, they are interested in it because they think it will make them look richer or happier. (Yes, at the end of the day your customer does care whether it is 18 or 24 volt, 2 or 4 stroke, but this is not the reason he or she buys.)

They care not one whit about you, your family, your dog, your car, how much money you make or your likes and dislikes (unless you tell them a story that convinces them they can make as much money as you do – see below). When they click on your webpage or open your sales letter, you have about five seconds to grab their attention. In that short time you must convince them your product or service will solve a problem for them.

This article is not going to be a detailed discussion about all the ins and outs of copywriting – that would take an entire book. There have already been thousands of them written, many by very successful copywriters. I want to approach the subject from a different direction.

Do this:
Build yourself a collection of sales letters and sales copy from your market. Look at the copy written by your chosen guru (see above: Part Four – Your business Model), and look at the copy of other successful people in the same market.

Study each sales letter carefully. Look at the headline – that sentence at the very beginning of the letter. Look at:

• The font – the typeface
• The size of the text in relation to the body of the letter
• The colour of the text
• Is it centred or aligned left?
• Does it have quotation marks around it?
• Finally, how does it grab readers’ attention? What are the specific words and phrases the copywriter uses to arouse a feeling in readers they must read the rest of this letter? What has the copywriter done to make readers believe this product or service will solve their problem?

Next look at the images the copywriter has chosen to complement the text. Look at the subjects of the images, their size and position on the page. Ask yourself how they arouse readers’ interest.

Look at the body of text. Notice that the paragraphs are short – most no more than four lines of text. The style is conversational, not formal. Sometimes phrases rather than complete sentences are used. Sometimes single words such as ‘yep’ are used rather than the ‘yes’ you would expect.

Whenever the writer asks a question, he or she answers it. The answer is not left to readers.

Notice that the first few paragraphs tell a story that engages readers – a story that will convince readers they can be as happy as the person in the story.

See how the text flows. See how early on it reminds readers they, in fact, have a problem (readers already knows this, of course, but the writer is reminding them of it).

Next the writer begins to tell readers a solution is at hand – read on! As the text flows, readers are told this particular product or service will solve the problem.

This seems to be a good point to stop for now. See you soon.

Next time we shall have more to say about your sales copy and how you need to ask the customer formally to buy your product. We shall also say a bit about classified advertising – the same principles apply but you need to do it in just a few words.

Thanks for listening :-)

Copyright © 2006 Mary Rice-Johnston & Golden Goose Dire

r me - will this solve my problem?’ They don’t care whether your product is 18 or 24 volt, or whether it is 2 or 4 stroke, they are interested in it because they think it will make them look richer or happier. (Yes, at the end of the day your customer does care whether it is 18 or 24 volt, 2 or 4 stroke, but this is not the reason he or she buys.)

They care not one whit about you, your family, your dog, your car, how much money you make or your likes and dislikes (unless you tell them a story that convinces them they can make as much money as you do – see below). When they click on your webpage or open your sales letter, you have about five seconds to grab their attention. In that short time you must convince them your product or service will solve a problem for them.

This article is not going to be a detailed discussion about all the ins and outs of copywriting – that would take an entire book. There have already been thousands of them written, many by very successful copywriters. I want to approach the subject from a different direction.

Do this:
Build yourself a collection of sales letters and sales copy from your market. Look at the copy written by your chosen guru (see above: Part Four – Your business Model), and look at the copy of other successful people in the same market.

Study each sales letter carefully. Look at the headline – that sentence at the very beginning of the letter. Look at:

• The font – the typeface
• The size of the text in relation to the body of the letter
• The colour of the text
• Is it centred or aligned left?
• Does it have quotation marks around it?
• Finally, how does it grab readers’ attention? What are the specific words and phrases the copywriter uses to arouse a feeling in readers they must read the rest of this letter? What has the copywriter done to make readers believe this product or service will solve their problem?

Next look at the images the copywriter has chosen to complement the text. Look at the subjects of the images, their size and position on the page. Ask yourself how they arouse readers’ interest.

Look at the body of text. Notice that the paragraphs are short – most no more than four lines of text. The style is conversational, not formal. Sometimes phrases rather than complete sentences are used. Sometimes single words such as ‘yep’ are used rather than the ‘yes’ you would expect.

Whenever the writer asks a question, he or she answers it. The answer is not left to readers.

Notice that the first few paragraphs tell a story that engages readers – a story that will convince readers they can be as happy as the person in the story.

See how the text flows. See how early on it reminds readers they, in fact, have a problem (readers already knows this, of course, but the writer is reminding them of it).

Next the writer begins to tell readers a solution is at hand – read on! As the text flows, readers are told this particular product or service will solve the problem.

This seems to be a good point to stop for now. See you soon.

Next time we shall have more to say about your sales copy and how you need to ask the customer formally to buy your product. We shall also say a bit about classified advertising – the same principles apply but you need to do it in just a few words.

Thanks for listening :-)

Copyright © 2006 Mary Rice-Johnston & Golden Goose Dir

– that would take an entire book. There have already been thousands of them written, many by very successful copywriters. I want to approach the subject from a different direction.

Do this:
Build yourself a collection of sales letters and sales copy from your market. Look at the copy written by your chosen guru (see above: Part Four – Your business Model), and look at the copy of other successful people in the same market.

Study each sales letter carefully. Look at the headline – that sentence at the very beginning of the letter. Look at:

• The font – the typeface
• The size of the text in relation to the body of the letter
• The colour of the text
• Is it centred or aligned left?
• Does it have quotation marks around it?
• Finally, how does it grab readers’ attention? What are the specific words and phrases the copywriter uses to arouse a feeling in readers they must read the rest of this letter? What has the copywriter done to make readers believe this product or service will solve their problem?

Next look at the images the copywriter has chosen to complement the text. Look at the subjects of the images, their size and position on the page. Ask yourself how they arouse readers’ interest.

Look at the body of text. Notice that the paragraphs are short – most no more than four lines of text. The style is conversational, not formal. Sometimes phrases rather than complete sentences are used. Sometimes single words such as ‘yep’ are used rather than the ‘yes’ you would expect.

Whenever the writer asks a question, he or she answers it. The answer is not left to readers.

Notice that the first few paragraphs tell a story that engages readers – a story that will convince readers they can be as happy as the person in the story.

See how the text flows. See how early on it reminds readers they, in fact, have a problem (readers already knows this, of course, but the writer is reminding them of it).

Next the writer begins to tell readers a solution is at hand – read on! As the text flows, readers are told this particular product or service will solve the problem.

This seems to be a good point to stop for now. See you soon.

Next time we shall have more to say about your sales copy and how you need to ask the customer formally to buy your product. We shall also say a bit about classified advertising – the same principles apply but you need to do it in just a few words.

Thanks for listening :-)

Copyright © 2006 Mary Rice-Johnston & Golden Goose Dir

es the copywriter uses to arouse a feeling in readers they must read the rest of this letter? What has the copywriter done to make readers believe this product or service will solve their problem?

Next look at the images the copywriter has chosen to complement the text. Look at the subjects of the images, their size and position on the page. Ask yourself how they arouse readers’ interest.

Look at the body of text. Notice that the paragraphs are short – most no more than four lines of text. The style is conversational, not formal. Sometimes phrases rather than complete sentences are used. Sometimes single words such as ‘yep’ are used rather than the ‘yes’ you would expect.

Whenever the writer asks a question, he or she answers it. The answer is not left to readers.

Notice that the first few paragraphs tell a story that engages readers – a story that will convince readers they can be as happy as the person in the story.

See how the text flows. See how early on it reminds readers they, in fact, have a problem (readers already knows this, of course, but the writer is reminding them of it).

Next the writer begins to tell readers a solution is at hand – read on! As the text flows, readers are told this particular product or service will solve the problem.

This seems to be a good point to stop for now. See you soon.

Next time we shall have more to say about your sales copy and how you need to ask the customer formally to buy your product. We shall also say a bit about classified advertising – the same principles apply but you need to do it in just a few words.

Thanks for listening :-)

Copyright © 2006 Mary Rice-Johnston & Golden Goose Dir

ders – a story that will convince readers they can be as happy as the person in the story.

See how the text flows. See how early on it reminds readers they, in fact, have a problem (readers already knows this, of course, but the writer is reminding them of it).

Next the writer begins to tell readers a solution is at hand – read on! As the text flows, readers are told this particular product or service will solve the problem.

This seems to be a good point to stop for now. See you soon.

Next time we shall have more to say about your sales copy and how you need to ask the customer formally to buy your product. We shall also say a bit about classified advertising – the same principles apply but you need to do it in just a few words.

Thanks for listening :-)

Copyright © 2006 Mary Rice-Johnston & Golden Goose Direct. All rights reserved.