The Basics of Good Writing

The Basics of Good Writing

There are several elements that characterize any good writing, sales copywriting or otherwise. Mastering these elements can help the salesperson reach their customers more effectively and help to create a bond of trust between writer and reader.

Speak to the Client

The more personal sales copy is, the better. This means preferentially using singular pronouns such as "I" instead of plurals such as "we" or "us". The reader should feel that what's taking place is a person- to-person conversation regarding the product. Making it seem impersonal has the effect of distancing salesperson and customer, an effect that can prove negative to sales overall.

Think as if you were in the customers own home, telling them about the product in person. In such an instance, referring to one's self as "we" would seem something more than silly. In a sales letter, it can seem equally silly and doesn't afford the air of a larger corporation speaking, as some writers like to assume.

Write the Way One Speaks

Newspapers were once derided for writing at a "5th grade level". There is good reason they choose to do so: It ensures that all readers understand what's being said.

If one has access to both a 5 dollar word and a 10-cent word, the 10-cent word should be used. This ensures that the reader isn't caught up trying to understand overly-complex language and that they can focus on what's being said instead of being distracted by how it's being said.

This is often referred to as a "conversational tone". Quite simply, it means that the tone of the writing is what one would expect if they were sitting down over coffee with the writer and simply having something explained to them in the easiest to understand way possible. It means not using words or phrases that require a PhD to understand. It's not condescending to the reader and, in reality, shows a bit of modesty on the part of the writer which is attractive and has the feel of someone who's simply being honest.

One should seek to not overestimate the knowledge of their audience. This means not using jargon or technical language when it's inappropriate. Even the great scientific writers are characterized by their ability to put incredibly complex concepts into simple, easy to understand language. Overly-ornate and gilded prose has the effect of making the reader feel that a lack of substance is being compensated for by the writer's use of unwieldy words and phrases. The tone of a sales letter should imply that it's being written by a friend, not by one's English professor.

Go ahead and write at the 5th Grade level. In fact, it pays to ask one's self if a 12-year old would be able to understand the language being employed. The customers will feel that the writer is simply being direct and that they're not concealing anything behind hard-to-understand language. Remember, what's being attempted is to get the customer to part with their money for a product or service, something that's not likely to happen if they fell like they don’t know what's even being offered.

Sell the Cure, not the Prevention

To use a rather extreme example, consider a cancer treatment. If one received a letter that said that it provided a means to purchase a guaranteed method of preventing cancer, how much would one pay for that preventative measure. Consider that many preventative measures against cancer are completely free and that many individuals still carry on with habits that are known to cause cancer, and pay good money to indulge those habits.

Contrast this with selling a cure for cancer. If one had cancer, how much would they pay for a cure? The answer, of course, is any amount and the salesperson would have to do very little work toward persuading the person.

This carries over to any product. A product that prevents weight gain would be much harder to sell than a product that makes weight loss fast and easy. A product that educates people about how to avoid making bad investments would be more difficult to sell than one that tells people how to get out of bad investments they've already made.

Assume They're not Interested

It's best to write from the assumption that the reader hasn't the least bit of interest in the product or in even hearing the pitch. Assume your reader is the classic old cynic, possessed of a horrible attitude and a negative view of anything they're told. The writer has the obligation of persuading this person to take an interest.

Assume that, not only is the reader not interested in the product, but that they're not at all interested in the salesperson selling it. They don’t care about helping a salesperson to achieve any success and don't care about participating in any special offers. The tough crowd should be factored into any sales effort and it's imperative that the writer does not assume that the reader will start out with an enthusiastic attitude toward what's being sold. If one assumes that people are lining up around the corner to buy any product, then they're sorely mistaken. All that's on the average reader's mind is me, me, me, me and me.

Don't be Afraid to Offend

Shock value is an excellent tool for the writer. In order to capture the reader's attention, it pays to be a bit outrageous.

Remember that the average reader is distracted by myriad facets of everyday life. Family obligations, money, and the rest of the stressors individuals face on a daily basis are common and powerful distractions. The writer must be singing, dancing, shouting and screaming to grab the reader's attention.

There is no real face-to-face interaction where the written word is concerned. If one feels they're taking their writing a bit far, they're likely only beginning to take it far enough. If someone isn't offended, the marketing may well be inadequate to the task.

Consider how some of the most successful business people behave. They don't come off as warm and fuzzy or necessarily someone one would want to bring to a family dinner. They're bold, straightforward, no-nonsense individuals who aren't afraid to use a word that may offend if that word is simply the best way to get their point across. They don’t care about what people think of them or social approval. Do not be afraid to offend people every now and again. It's a sign that one is on the right track.

If it makes one feel timid, consider that those people who are likely to be offended are unlikely to constitute one's target market in any regard. Sometimes it's best to get a few complaints and be more effective at reaching the people who are actually going to buy one's product rather than cater to those who don’t have an interest, anyway. Remember, the most successful rock stars are frequently not the best musicians in the market but they're quite often the most shocking.

Don't Fail Big

If one is launching a new product, it's best to limit one's efforts until they're sure of the actual market for it. Do the marketing in the most cost-effective way possible so that it has a chance to pay for itself in this small regard before throwing all of one's resources behind an unknown quantity.

More importantly, don’t take this to be permission to sell low-quality products. One's credibility still takes precedence over most other concerns. The idea is to limit one's risk to a sensible level so that they're not stuck with a huge bill for having marketed an unsuccessful product. Should the product prove popular, one can always go back and dedicate more resources toward the effort.

Copy is not King

There is a common-enough misconception that the copy is the king. In reality, the list of potential customers is the king, the offer made is the queen and the copy is more of a princess. All three of these elements are necessary to launching any successful campaign.

Multi-Step Mailing

If a product is good and it's garnering interest, one shouldn’t give up on those potential customers who haven't responded to the initial offer.

One can resend the mailings with small modifications such as "I'm puzzled that I haven't heard from you" or "I'd like to offer this product again." If the product returned profit on the first occasion, it'll likely continue to do so over the course of several more mailings. Persistence goes a long way toward success.

Consider three times to be the charm. Consider strategies such as changing around the headline a bit to reach customers who may not have been enticed by the first offer. One may consider adding more testimonials to their pitch or adding additional bonuses for those particularly hard-to-convince customers.

One may well become thoroughly sick of looking at their ad while undertaking this process. It doesn't mean that one's customers feel the same way. When the ad fails to return any profits after having been used for a while, it may be time to consider ending the campaign.

The three-times rule is particularly important toward showing respect for the people on one's list. If they don’t want it by the third mailing, they may well not want it at all. Assume that they're just not interested and go ahead and back off the effort.

Test, test, test

Skillful marketers spend a great deal of time determining what works and what doesn't. This means changing headings, changing the price and not working off of guess work. Start by determining what the best offer may be and be willing to tweak it to accommodate the market.

Look at the ways the advertising campaign is generating traffic. If SEO is a part of the campaign and if one is using Internet advertising and joint venture partners, they can be reasonably certain that the traffic they're receiving is qualified. If they're not qualified, the offer may need to be changed.

Consider changing the offer before changing the heading. Adding a few more bonuses so that a $500 value is being offered for $67 instead of a $300 value being offered for $67 dollars may well increase conversion rates.

After that, consider tweaking the headline. Try to beat one's own headline. Changing the headline, especially online, is very easy and fast.

Psychology plays into this. People like to be given a reason for doing something. Studies have shown, and most people will realize this, that it's much easier to persuade someone to go out of their way on one's behalf if one offers a valid reason. Offer the customers an explanation of why a discount is being offered.

Consider the retail model. Most retail stores simply advertise a sale. These campaigns are notoriously ineffective. However, when there's a reason put to that sale, "overstock", "back to school", etc., customers find it far more persuasive. Some savvy retailers even go the long headline route, such as: "We purchased too much of Product X and have to get rid of it so we're offering this amazing product at a 40% discount!" This goes toward developing trust and credibility. If one happens to be offering a great deal, they should always take the initiative and define why and how that deal is able to be offered.

Sell the Sizzle, not the Steak

In most cases, writers are encouraged to write with verbs and nouns and to eliminate unnecessary adjectives. This is not the case where sales writing is concerned. The right use of adjectives can easily double the impact of sales copy.

Consider, for instance, the following two statements.

“Give me any copy and I’ll transform it into a kick-butt sales letter that will practically force your prospects to buy your products and services.”

Now, contrast that copy with the following:

“Give me any dead in the water copy and I’ll miraculously transform it into an absolute kick-butt sales letter that will practically force your prospects to buy from you.”

The second example benefits from instantly creating an image in the reader's mind. It describes not only the letter the writer intends to produce, but the lacking characteristics of the marketing materials currently being employed by the company. This clever use of descriptors can entice a reader to create their own mental image and affords the writer the opportunity to direct that image in the way that's most beneficial to them.

Remember that customers buy out of emotion. The writer's responsibility is to invoke in the reader that emotional state which is most likely to result in the reader making the purchase. The writing should hit them with a bang and make them feel as if buying the advertised product was the only rational action they could take.

Constructive Criticism and Rewriting

The vast majority of writing is actually rewriting. Don't be afraid to have text looked over by another sales professional, friend or other individual and have it critiqued for its effectiveness.

Having such critiques made of a website can go a long way toward making sure copy is tight, engaging and that it grabs the reader's attention. In many cases, a writer will read back their copy as if they'd written what they thought they'd written instead of what they actually wrote. Having copy critiqued and rewritten by colleagues and friends is one of the basic success strategies of any skilled copywriter.

Create a Story

When one is pitching a product, it's a good idea to help the reader visualize how they will put that product to use and how it will help alleviate their pain and increase their pleasure. This technique is simple, effective and enjoyable for the reader.

For example, instead of simply advertising a gym being open 24 hours per day, one may create a narrative that explains how that will impact on a person's life.

"Those who haven't the time to work out during the day will enjoy the fact that the gym is always open and that there is always staff on hand that will help them achieve their fitness goals."

An entire scenario has been created in this way, ensuring that the reader not only realizes the value of the gym but that it has an obvious role in their life and in helping them to achieve their desired results regarding improving their lives.

Use Sub headlines

While the headline has a place of great importance in copywriting, the sub headline offers a great value, as well.

The sub headline can be used to set off points about the product that can entice the reader to keep going on their way through the copy. It can also provide a means to make the copy flow more efficiently and read more easily.

Know the Competition

If one is lucky enough to have a product that addresses a need that isn't currently addressed by any competitors, then a direct pitch can be very effective. This need only entail outlining the specific benefits of the product and explaining how it fits into the buyer's life as outlined above.

In most cases, however, there will be competition in the market for whatever product is being offered. For instance, offering a weight-loss product means that the salesperson will have innumerable competitors who have already done their sales copywriting and who may have done a better job of it than the salesperson can do themselves. In this case, comparisons are useful to making one's product stand out.

One can study the competition, read their sales copy and challenge their competitors. This means finding those needs that competitors haven't effectively addressed and making certain that one's own product is cast in a light of addressing those concerns in a way that is fast and easy. Tell them how the product being marketed is different than the competition. Tell them how it's better and be bold in doing so. As long as the claims being made are honest and true, one can use this technique to make their product stand out. While one's product may not be the only such product on the market, it can be cast as the best product currently on the market and, thus, the most sensible choice for any consumer.

Including Media

Most web copy, and a great deal of written copy, includes pictures and other media that sets it off and makes it more attractive. Formatting the media and placing it in the most effective position on the page is important.

For example, one shouldn’t break up the flow of their text with an image. A great deal of empty space surrounding a picture forces the reader to work hard, to scan the page and pick up the words where they left off. Make sure your reader can easily flow with the text and that they're not distracted by sloppy placements of pictures and other media.