Here’s a breakthrough for you when it comes time to write some copy. What you need is a bank of “starting points” that are proven and that gets you into writing your copy quick smart. So here are “4 Starting Points” to kick your copy production up the backside and get you writing copy quicker, smarter and with less effort.

#1 Choose Theme By Object

When it comes to “grabbers”, those things we attach to letters that gets attention, gets the reader in fun, and gets the letter remembered for future mailings, I usually choose the grabber first, then tie it into my message.

I’m always on the hunt for ideas, for grabbers, for the theme that’ll get my message read. Take some time out from your day and check out novelty stores, dollar shops, go online and search for promotional products… they’re all good starting points for a theme that will hook your prospects. Plus, it gives you a great starting point to get into your copy.

#2 FREE Offers

The offer is KING! Many times, if your offer is great, especially if it’s free, I like to get it up front and in the headline. Here’s what I did for my newsletter promotion…

FREE!
2 Content Rich Reports, 52 Wake Up Calls,
3 CDs, 3 Hot Sheets, Phone Coaching & Consulting…
a smorgasbord of business-building information and assistance…
ALL FREE… and you don’t even have to say yes right now…
all you’ve gotta do is say “maybe”…

NOTE: This is a blatant rip-off of Kennedy’s old newsletter control before he formed Glazer-Kennedy. It’s a proven template to follow. Think of the old music clubs and how they offered, “6 records for 1 cent.” Point is, many folks get cheap with their offers. Don’t you be one of them. Know your maths and how much each customer is worth to you and then work out how much you’re gonna spend to get them. That’s the proven formula that’s stood the test of time.

 #3 What This is Not Click

This click is especially good for markets that have been exposed to a lot of Direct Response Advertising, such as the Business Opportunity & Diet Markets. You can use it in your Lead Generating Ads or in the Sales Letter itself.

It’s a good way to build up to what you are offering. You start by listing everything your product is not. You list all the bad things… all the things you prospects don’t want… this whets their appetite and arouses their curiosity to find out just what the hell it is you’re selling.

Here’s a great example of the “What This Is Not Click” taken from one of my million-dollar-plus Business Opportunity letters. If you’re writing to this market, this click is almost mandatory.

And second, let me tell you what this business is NOT:

1. NOT Multi-Level Marketing where you try to flog over-priced products to your friends, family, workmates and neighbours.

2. NOT some Internet get-rich-quick-scheme.

3. NOT another “how-to course” or pile of books and tapes that get you all revved up with nowhere to go … or worse, gather dust on a shelf.

4. NOT another Mail Order scam where you get to buy “reprint rights” to outdated American books that nobody wants.

5. NOT a “regular business” with BIG overheads and BIG headaches.

See how it’s done?

 #4 Without Click

This is a variation on the previous click that takes it up another level. I call it the “Without Click.”

Here you simply list all the things your prospects don’t want or don’t want to do while still getting the benefit of your offer. Below is a chunk of copy taken from one of my weight loss promotions that demonstrate the “Without Click” perfectly.

Sick Of Dieting?
Relax… Now You Can…

SHED WEIGHT NOW
Without Dieting, Without Strenuous Exercise, Without Counting Calories,
And Without Starving Yourself To Death Either

A BIG point to keep in mind is the laziness of most people. They want results without the work. This click zeros in on this lazy behaviour and lets them know straight up you understand.

Okay, I’ve given you 4 ways to start your letters plus 3 winning examples of my work.

I trust you appreciate my generosity.

See you next week.

Love to hear your thoughts.

Enjoy the ride,

PeteRelated Posts:

• The Missing Money Component of the “Problem, Agitate, Solve” Formula
• How To Find The Right Tone & Voice For Your Market
• The ONE Simple Technique to Closing More Sales
• The Illustrated Sales Letter
• Sales Letter Writing Workshops Gets The Green Light

Let’s talk about headlines.

Yeah I know I cover headlines fully in my courses and yes, we have talked about headlines here on the blog and in my newsletter many times, but bare with me will ya… this is special.

We’re going down deep into the underbelly of persuasion and you’ll see a very cool way to snap your prospects awake and instantly get their attention.

But let’s back up a bit here. In last weeks, The Walking Dead post I talked about ‘The Walking Dead’ and how many folks are in a comatose state. This makes it even harder for us marketers to get their attention.

The old big benefit headlines of the past are still working, but they are losing their shine. However, one way to get attention is to shock them awake and give them a jolt that instantly removes the fog and gets their attention (albeit briefly).

You can do this by looking for the horror stories in your industry.

Here are two examples from magazines I saw recently.

Plastic Surgery Disasters

Drugged Doctor Botches Operation

Headlines like those above, targeting the right market, would sure to get attention. That’s why it’s a good idea to always be on the lookout for horror stories in your industry… ones that your product/service can solve.

Two templates for you…

Don’t YOU Be The Next ______________ Victim

Secrets They Don’t Want You

To Know

Think about this and how you can apply it to your next promotion.

For example, one of my newsletter members was doing copy for a bathroom renovations mob. She concentrated on the horror stories; her hook was the shocking number of people who get hurt or even killed each year with bathroom accidents. Another member, Jean Cannon, gets your business systems in shape so if any nasty accidents occur you are covered. Every business needs her services; the trick here is to make them want it. BIG difference between the two right?

Anyway, Jean could easily lead with horror stories of business owners getting sued and losing the business and so on.

Think about it.

It’s in the media every week. Every week we see a small business owner getting sued for something… losing the business over a misunderstanding. It makes my blood boil. I get emotional just thinking about it. And that’s what good copy does. It gets your blood pumpin’ as Carlton would say.

(By the way, Jean’s doing some mighty good workshops of late: Jean’s Workshops. But, I reckon if she looked for the horror stories she would get a lot more attention.)

Two more examples for you…

Years ago my good friend and mentor Ted Nicholas had a book that on the surface was pretty damn boring.

The title was:

“The Complete Book of Corporate Forms.”

Ted knew instinctively to use fear to sell it. This is the headline that sold hundreds of thousands of this book…

“What Will You Do When Your Personal Assets Are Seized

to Satisfy A Judgment Against Your Corporation?”

Gets ya right in the pit of the stomach doesn’t it?

But what about normal everyday businesses?

How can they use fear?

Well I mentioned the Bathroom Renovators earlier, but let’s look at something ordinary like carpet cleaners.

For years Joe Polish has been teaching them to focus on fear.

You may think your house is clean but you don’t see all the festering, diabolical parasites lurking in your carpet. And you let your baby crawl on that?

Classic stuff.

This is GOLD.

Use it!

And don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Enjoy the ride.

Pete

NEXT WEEK: Where’s Ya Passion?Related Posts:

• The Power of a Provocative Question
• You Need Your Own Dynamic Story
• The Fear of Loss is More Powerful Than The Hope For Gain!
• How to Position Your Product For Maximum Success
• The Missing Money Component of the “Problem, Agitate, Solve” Formula

Have you ever tried to keep a secret?

Pretty good at keeping secrets are you?

Or are you absolutely dreadful?

The point is:

People Love Secrets

We all want to know the inside gossip.

We all like to know things that other people don’t know.

Get this:

Secrets are one of the most powerful buying triggers you can possess in your copywriting arsenal.

Do you want to know two BIG secrets about secrets? (Sorry, just couldn’t resist it)

First:

People want and need to believe that their problems are caused by secrets that are being kept from them.

• It’s the old “conspiracy theory” click, or the “it’s not your fault” click.

Far be it from most people to have a look in the mirror. Much too confronting.

As a copywriter, this can easily be manipulated into your copy
so you can cash in on this powerful trigger.

Second:

We as humans believe in secrets.

It adds the spice to life.

Ever since we were children we have believed in secrets.

• Little Johnny had a secret about young Susie and what really happened on school camp.

• Young Toby’s got a secret about Miss Dean and Mr Jacob and what they get up to in the staffroom when no one’s around.

• Jackie’s got an embarrassing secret about her little brother and why his sheets are all wet and smelly in the mornings.

The point is, from an early age we have been conditioned to secrets.

We’ve been conditioned to wanting to know the secret… we need to know, we have to know!

Secrets have been used in many markets. From weight loss to stock market trading systems, secrets work to get the sale.

Have a think for a minute how you would feel if your best friend told you he knew a secret about another friend of yours. But he promised her he wouldn’t tell anybody and that he absolutely can’t tell you, sorry.

How would you feel

Would you want to know?

Think about that the next time your write “secrets” copy. Tease the hell out of your prospects so they buy to get the answer!

Secrets arouse our curiosity to a fever pitch. Curiosity is the element that drives the sale.

Here’s a headline I came up with recently for a client while critiquing her letter.

Secret Confessions of a
Celebrity Make Up Artist

Next week, we’ll look at curiosity in detail and I’ll give you two BIG ways to arouse your prospect’s curiosity to a fevered pitch

Let me know your thoughts on this.

Cheers, Pete

P.S. Folks have been asking me whether or not I’ll be doing another Copywriting Intensive this year. The answer is yes. It’ll take place in Mackay late November. I’ll let you know the details shortly.

 Related Posts:

• What Are You Really Selling?
• You Need Your Own Dynamic Story
• Muhammad Ali’s Guide To Copywriting
• The Missing Money Component of the “Problem, Agitate, Solve” Formula
• Do you really have to under-go a near-death experience to become a street-savvy Marketer?

FOREWORD: Many folks have been asking for more copywriting articles. So, because I’m such a generous and obliging kind of guy, for the next couple of weeks, my posts will all be about copywriting. You want insights into copywriting then this is the place to be.

Language is critical to making sales.

The ability to put words together to form a complete sales message that motivates folks to buy is a skill ALL business owners should possess.

Fact is, many business owners and entrepreneurs can’t afford a full-time copywriter. If you operate a true Direct Response business, then you know there’s a ton of copy to do each month such as: New Promotions, Emails, Reactivation Campaigns, Newsletters, and Videos and so on; it never stops.

Your business is fuelled by copy. It’s the life-blood of your business. So for many, hiring a full-time copywriter is out of the question. They need to do all or part of the copy themselves.

If you’re in this situation, then it’s vitally important you get at least competent at writing copy and spotting good copy. If you want real freedom, real independence and take control of your business and financial future, you’d do what it takes to get good at this #1 money making skill.

Make no mistake, everything revolves around great copy.

Your most valuable assets other than your Tribe and the relationship you have built with them, are your sales letters, websites, emails, ads… not your office equipment, your staff; not the balance sheets understood by Bankers or Accountants.

The ability to sell should be your #1 business goal. Above all, mastering the skill of writing copy that sells gives you independence, freedom to create profits at will, self-reliant in a world that breeds reliance and dependence.

This to me is the ultimate freedom.

While others, what Kennedy calls the “mediocre majority” look to Government to provide the answers and to provide for them and their families, you’ll have your hands on the steering-wheel, driving to the destiny of your own making; not cowering in the corner with a furtive glance, hand held out in submission.

When you can sell, when you can write copy that sells, life and business gets a whole lot easier and a whole lot more enjoyable too.

The GOOD NEWS for you is, writing great cash-sucking copy is a skill that can be mastered… you just need desire, commitment, and get the right mentors.

Which leads me to this… which is obviously a shameless plug… but one that has your best interests at heart.

In my humble albeit self-serving opinion, there is no better publication in Australia to get that knowledge, to hone your skills, to develop a true understanding of copywriting and the thinking that goes on behind all great promotions than my newsletter.

You want copy breakthroughs then my newsletter is THE place to be.

Brief Interlude With Bret Thomson:

“My secret weapon…”

“Clients often wonder how I get my BIG ideas, how I get them such outrageous results. One secret that I’ve been guarding close to my chest is Pete Godfrey’s Emotional Ad Writing & Marketing Letter. It’s my monthly dose of reality… my monthly dose of BIG ideas. If you want the insider’s advantage we pros use every day… then grab Pete’s newsletter… and guard your copy like a snarling pit-bull on a four-foot chain.”

Bret Thomson, Master Copywriter, Gold Coast QLD

Okay, I’m back from my shameless plug (I don’t know what came over me).

Here’s the point I want you to get…

It takes commitment to hone your copywriting skills. The ugly truth is many just won’t bother.

Too hard.

Too time-consuming.

Let’s face it; some folks have the attention span of a teenage X-Box addict on a Red Bull diet, the commitment level of a Politician’s pre-election promise.

They jump from one “Guru” to the next, one opportunity to another, caught in the glare of the dazzlingly brilliance of shiny objects, in the futile never-ending search for microwave-quick results. Like the Sirens of old with their seductive songs calling Sailors into the rocks and ultimate deaths, shiny objects can smash any hope of long-term success.

Anyway, you know different.

Success in business comes through mastery of a skill(s) such as copywriting.

The smart thing to do is to figure out what’s important and what’s a distraction.

The ability to write copy that sells is an asset, plain and simple. And as mentioned earlier, you’re in the right place to hone your copy chops right here, right now.

In the coming weeks, do yourself a favour and check in here at the blog. I’ll be posting some eye-popping, jaw-dropping, profit-pulling posts on copywriting.

And here’s another point to keep in mind, and one I discussed with Ted Nicholas on the phone the other night:

Even if you do not want to write the copy yourself,
it’s smart to know what good copy looks like.

So look out in the coming weeks… and get trained by me in the seductive art of copywriting.

But a word of warning: It can become addictive.

See you next week.

Cheers, Pete

P.S. A good place to start honing your copywriting chops is by studying my Emotional Ad Writing System. And the good news is; you get this amazing system free when you grab a subscription to my newsletter. http://www.emotionaladwritingletter.com

P.P.S. The hardest position to fill in any business is at the copywriting desk. The person who can craft a compelling message that gets acted upon, whether sales letter, web page, email, video script and so on, will never starve and can name his or her own price.

Related Posts:

• The Best Business in the World
• The ONE Simple Technique to Closing More Sales
• The Price Of Petrol
• What’s Sitting Around Gathering Dust That Could Be Making You a Whole Lotta Money?
• The Illustrated Sales Letter

Direct Mail Doesn’t Work! If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this B.S statement, I’d have enough money to buy myself a fancy dinner with wine included. It’s one of those statements we on the inside of Direct Response hear weekly.

Those who believe Direct Mail doesn’t work generally fall into two categories.

One, they haven’t tried it, so it’s new to them so they automatically deny the possibility of it working.

And two, those who have tried Direct Mail and failed because they left out crucial elements in the marketing equation.  Instead of blaming themselves, they blame the media… much less confronting and no looking in the mirror is required.

Look, this is like baking a cake without any flour and then being mystified and pissed off when instead of a cake; you’re left with a clump of goo. Not only that, you start bitching and moaning that baking cakes don’t work.

Sounds silly right?

But it’s the same damn thing. You see when you dig a little deeper it’s obvious what went wrong.

They tried shortcutting a tried and true formula;
making up their own recipe as they went along.

Anyway, as always there’s a lesson in this here ramble that does concern you and your business profits. In fact, I can feel a BIG lesson coming on, bubbling away in the depths of this Wizard’s illustrious brain, ready to unleash itself on you, my trusted reader.

Okay, phew, I’m back… here’s something to take on board:

Copy doesn’t live in isolation. You’ve gotta get your strategy right first to give your copy the chance it deserves to be successful.

That’s where being a marketer, being a great sales person comes into play. To be a great marketer, you don’t have to be a great copywriter. However, if you wanna be a great copywriter, you better make damn sure you got your marketing chops honed to a razor’s edge.

Case in point: I had feedback from a Member recently telling me Direct Mail doesn’t work; that it’s a waste of money.

Upon quizzing this member I found out she made many rookie mistakes that slashed her response. There are several lessons for you here; so pay attention, there’s money to be made. Okay, she made many mistakes that space doesn’t allow me to elaborate upon; however here’s a big mistake and how to rectify this appalling situation.

SIDE NOTE: Keep reading to find out this great strategy to doubling your Direct Mail profits…but also… this strategy is a perfect fit for product launches as well… and I’ll show you how we are using it for our upcoming Masters of Conversion launch.

MISTAKE : It was a one shot mailing. There was no set-up preceding the mailing and no follow up after the mailing.

Here’s what I found out. She had never mailed her customers before so her relationship was weak. Now, picture the scene. Her customers haven’t heard a thing from her since they had last seen her in her retail shop. There had been no follow up, no thank you, no effort in continuing the relationship. Now along comes this member’s one-off mailing and she expects outrageous results. Amazing! As I keep saying, folks have unrealistic expectations!

HERE’S THE STRATEGY TO FIX THIS: When you have little or no relationship with your Tribe, or maybe you haven’t contacted them for a while, do a set-up mailing first before you begin a promotion.

Basically a friendly “we’re still here” and “we miss you” kinda letter will do. It doesn’t have to be world class; just get the damn thing mailed. (This could be a full-on reactivation letter as well; however, a softer, lower-key letter will do much better in setting up the upcoming promotion.)

The lesson here is simple and it comes down to
thinking like your customer, not like a seller.

If you haven’t contacted your list for a while and you go straight for the jugular, that is, straight into a sales pitch, good chance your response will be low. Best off to set the mailing up before hand.

It’s the same online. Sometimes I get all caught up in the real world, I forget I’ve got a few thousand people on my online list who haven’t heard from me. So to get back into their good books, I send an email or two each week for a few weeks just to let them know I’m still around. Usually it’s a story with a lesson… and many times I get a stack of emails back saying how much they missed my emails and thanks for sharing some more good stuff. This lets me know I’m doing the right thing. This lets me know I have a solid relationship with my list. Now doing this is just good manners, but it is also savvy marketing.

So I suppose the big lesson here is to have empathy for your customers. Put yourself in their shoes for a change. Build a relationship and don’t just treat them as if all they are is a source of income.

This is where true success lies.

PS: You can use this strategy for online launches as well. Check out the video below. It’s a teaser video for our upcoming Masters of Conversion Super Conference launch. Its sole purpose is to build a bit of buzz and lay the groundwork for what’s to come.

PPS: If you liked the video, can I ask a small favour? If you are on facebook could you please share this video with your friends. It’s simple all you have to do is click like button below. Thanks

NOTE: To celebrate my good friend and mentor Ted Nicholas returning to Australia to speak at my Masters of Conversion Super Conference in October, I’ve decided to publish this newsletter article and share it with everyone.

Marketing is all about perception. It’s about how your product is perceived by the marketplace. It’s not about coming out and saying you’ve got the best product. Who cares if you’ve got the best product?

It’s not always the best product that gets the most sales! Let me explain…

It’s the product that is perceived by the marketplace to be the best; that’s the real winner. And if you can “get” this statement, if you can fully understand and comprehend its meaning, then you’re well on your way to positioning your product for maximum sales.

And even when you study this stuff on a daily basis, as I do, it’s still hard to get it right. It’s still hard to find that unique “angle” in which to lay the platform for all your marketing. It’s still difficult to craft a Unique Selling Proposition that absolutely blows your prospects away, makes them pay attention, and moves a ton of product. It ain’t easy my friend. You’ve gotta think!

But I have discovered one method over the years that can make a huge difference to your bottom line. It has the potential to skyrocket your sales. In a minute you’ll see an example of this method in action, in an actual ad. You can see for yourself just how powerful it is!

But first, understand this…

With so much competition in the marketplace, and what I call “plain vanilla” advertising, all claiming the same thing, the only difference being price, it’s vitally important that you position your product as being unique.

And please understand it doesn’t matter if your product is much the same as the rest of them. That’s NOT the point. You must find a way to differentiate your product, to set it apart from, and elevated above, the other products being marketed to your prospects.

Because your product IS different no matter how similar it is to others. There’s a story there. How’s it’s made, who made it, the story of its discovery and so on. And you’ve got to find it!

So it’s vitally important that you get this right. The future profitability of your business depends on it.

The Hidden Benefit

The great Ted Nicholas coined this term and when I first come across it 7 or so years ago it completely changed the way I was writing copy. It’s like Ted flipped a switch inside my mind and I got it. Wow! What a day that was! I still remember it!

In his book: “Magic Words That Bring You Riches,” this Direct Marketer Extra-ordinaire reveals a technique that can transform an ordinary run-of-the-mill product, and turn it into an extraordinary success. Out of all the things I have studied, practiced and learned in copywriting and marketing over the past dozen years, this IS in my top 5… no doubt about it. And no doubt I won’t do the subject justice as Ted did in his Magic Words book, but it’s vitally important for me to let you in on it. (Go buy Ted’s book Magic Words and devour the info he shares and see for yourself!)

Anyway, it’s called the “hidden benefit technique” … and don’t take my word for it, here’s what Ted said in his book…

“The hidden benefit technique, properly applied, is the most powerful marketing strategy in the world bar none. You stand a good chance of increasing sales so much that you’ll experience unwanted shipping delays. Be sure you can promptly fulfil the extra orders you are bound to generate!”

The Hidden Benefit Explained

To fully explain hidden benefits, let’s begin by looking at the obvious benefits of a product. For example, if you sell a diet supplement product, then the obvious benefit to your prospects is weight loss. They take your product and they lose weight. Simple. Many products base their advertising around the obvious benefit. Most of the headlines you see in advertising use the obvious benefit technique.

And there is nothing wrong with doing so. Some of the most powerful headlines I’ve come across use the obvious benefit to the prospect as the main selling point. So it does work and you may find yourself using this technique to sell your product. However, there is another way to craft your message.

In the diet supplement example above, we could use a headline like the one below to showcase the obvious benefit…

“Lose 5 kg in 30 days … guaranteed!”

Now that’s not a bad headline. But we could try something different. We could uncover the hidden benefit and use that instead. For example…

“I can’t believe it … me in a size 8!”

OR

“Imagine Me At the Beach In The Middle Of Summer…
Wearing Only My Bikinis!”

Can you see the difference?

The hidden benefit is more subtle and may not have anything directly to do with the product itself. Often it’s intangible. It’s that secret yearning of your prospect, the secret desire they want that your product can give them.

How to Uncover The Hidden Benefit

First, you’ve got to uncover all of the obvious benefits. And this will take some work. It means analysing and studying your product to bring out every benefit that it offers.

A method I and many other copywriters use is to simply grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Then I make two headings up top. On the left write features, on the right put down benefits. You then write down all the features of your product in the left-hand column. Even if the features seem unimportant just get them down. Now’s not the time to pick and choose … just get ‘em all down and sort them out later. Then you turn each feature into a benefit.

For example, your e-book may have only 50 pages. Now that’s a feature. Your job is to turn it into a benefit. So what’s the benefit of having fewer pages? Well the reader gets the information fast … no need to wade through 300 pages of 10-point type trying to find the answers.

See the difference?

(But you’ve still got to mention the features so your prospect knows exactly what he’s getting. You’ve still got to tell him it’s only 50 pages. But you tell him in a benefit-filled emotional way like this: “And at just 50 pages, there’s no fluff or filling… just 50 concise pages that reveal the secrets to doubling your income within the next 30 days.” See how it’s done?)

When you have completed your list of obvious benefits, it’s now time to uncover what’s hidden behind your list.

Here’s how Ted Nicholas reveals how to create the hidden benefit in his Magic Words That Bring You Riches book … this is the question he asks…

“If I had unlimited God-like power, what would be the single most compelling benefit my prospects would like to gain from my product?’

Now that’s powerful and I want you to re-read it to fully “get” it.

Listen, most marketers don’t even mention this technique when it comes to positioning your product. Maybe they don’t know it? But Ted does and now you do too! That’s why I want you to think about how you can apply this technique to your product.

It’s damn powerful and the results can be overwhelming. To illustrate just how important this technique is I want to give you an example of real-world advertising that takes advantage of, and cashes in with, the hidden benefit technique.

A Powerful Example of the Hidden Benefit Technique

Here’s just one of the many examples Ted reveals on the hidden benefit technique in his book: “Magic Words That Bring You Riches.” If I recall correctly, the target market for this product was anyone who has to speak or communicate effectively on a daily basis. This headline was used in display ads.

“How to Get Enthusiastic Applause
-Even a Standing Ovation-
Every Time You Speak!”

Directly below this headline was a photograph with a crowd standing and clapping enthusiastically. Now, remember what a hidden benefit is? It’s the most compelling benefit your prospect gains from your product. So just think about Ted’s example.

Let’s pretend for a minute that your career depends on your ability to speak in public. Now, isn’t “enthusiastic applause” and “even a standing ovation” what you secretly desire? Wouldn’t that be just fantastic? Instead of getting up there in front of your peers with sweaty palms and a mind that refuses to focus, you’re up there getting a standing ovation for your auditory skills!

Can you see just how dynamic that headline really is?

You can? See how Ted uses the hidden instead of the obvious? Sure Ted could have used an obvious headline like the one below (this is a book title by Dale Carnegie)…

“The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking.”

That’s an obvious benefit and Ted could have gone down this path and he would have got orders. But see how much more effective Ted’s example is? How it appeals directly to the prospect’s secret desires? And this is what separates the good copywriters from the greats like Ted. This ability to look beyond the obvious and come up with something extraordinary!

So now you know this technique and it’s up to you to see if you can use it on your product. And the only way to be sure is to test. Choose a headline with an obvious benefit and one with a hidden benefit. Then test the headlines against each other and find out which works the best.

You’ll soon discover that one headline will outperform the other. My bet is if you have done your homework effectively … the hidden benefit headline will be the winner!

Here’s another way to uncover the hidden benefits.

Okay, your turn features into benefits right? Then I take it a step further and turn those benefits into the feelings the prospect experiences once he or she gets those benefits.

How will she feel about those benefits?

What do those benefits mean to her?

What can she now do now she has those benefits?

What dreams and fantasies will these benefits give her?

All these questions and more should be thoroughly thought through… this is where the breakthroughs happen.

That’s how to come up with a headline like this…

“Imagine Me At the Beach In The Middle Of Summer…
Wearing Only My Bikinis!”

See how that’s the hidden benefit? It’s what she really wants to do… go to the beach and enjoy herself… without feeling self-conscious. She wants be in her bikinis looking good and looking hot and feeling confident! That’s what she really wants. It’s damn powerful.

Okay, what about if you were targeting gardeners… something ordinary like that?

Well what about…

“My Friends Laughed When I Bought Fertiliser Through The Mail…
But When I Won Best Garden Competition…”

(Students of Direct Marketing will instantly see this is based on the famous John Caples headline.)

See how the above headline hits the hidden benefit of the fertiliser? Sure, these gardeners want the benefits, bigger more colourful gardens, that’s a given. But take it a step further. What they really want is to show off to their neighbours right! Right! It’s just one of the many hidden benefits you could use. I’ll give you one more example so you really get this. Okay, let’s do a cooking product that targets busy working mums. Here’s what could be a headline…

“Mum, Can We Have Seconds?”

OR…

“Mum, Is There Any More?”

It’s the hidden benefit again weaving its magic. Every Mum wants their kids to love her cooking. (Dad’s too… my kids love my cooking!) And this is what is promised in the headline.

So now, think about how you can apply this info. If you’ve got an obvious benefit headline, test it against the old hidden benefit. And whatever you do, make sure you grab Ted Nicholas’s book “Magic Words That Bring You Riches” and see how the legend himself describes this technique!

POST SCRIPT: You’ll be receiving details about the Masters of Conversion Super Conference in the coming weeks. The good news is Ted will be making time for book signings and photograph opportunities as well as speaking at the event. This WILL be special!Related Posts:

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• How To Find The Right Tone & Voice For Your Market
• Shock Night! How to feed the fear

I get to hear this every a lot; that Emotional Direct Response doesn’t work to the more affluent market. This market is too sophisticated to be induced to buy with the use of emotionally charged copy. They’re too smart for that. Well excuse the French, but that’s just plain old Bull Shit!

Look, Emotional Direct Response works no matter who you target. From the executive on the 70^th floor in his Armani suit to the Janitor in the basement in his overalls… Emotional Direct Response works just as well.

It’s just you have to adapt a few things to suit each market.

First, the whole look and packaging of your message changes from market to market. An eight page sales letter stapled in the top left hand corner works fine in certain markets. For other markets such as Corporate or the Affluent, you may have to package up your letter so it looks more appealing.

The second big point is your language. You use the language your market finds acceptable. For example, if I was writing to plumbers, the odd “ain’t” or “gonna” is fine. For other markets it would kill the sale.

BIG POINT: Just one word or phrase can kill the sale.

So you match your message, and the look of your message, to suit your market.

Here’s another BIG POINT.

There are certain words, certain phrases which get an immediate visceral response from your prospects. And it these words that you must use. That’s why the 4^th step in my preparation is finding and making a list of all the Power Words and Phrases… those words and phrases that hit your prospects right in the sweet spot.

Here’s a small list of words perfect to use when marketing to the affluent consumer…

• Privileged few
• Exclusive
• You deserve
• The Rolls Royce of
• Reassuringly Expensive
• Don’t settle for anything less
• For the discriminating few
• An obvious extravagance

… well you get the idea.

These are the words that immediately identify with the affluent consumer. It says your message is for them; and them only.

Because you must remember, selling is all about how your prospects feel. They buy for their own reasons. What they are actually buying is feelings… and that’s what you should be giving them in your copy. With the affluent, you are selling the feeling of superiority, of exclusiveness, of good taste. You’re appealing to their egos.

Sure, we all justify our purchases logically after the sale has been made. But the act of buying is emotional… that’s the key!

So with the affluent, convey a sense of exclusivity.

Get the old snob appeal into your copy. The words you choose and how you use them is critical to the success of your promotion. By selecting your words with a discerning eye, you’ll immediately bond with your market and you raise the odds of getting the sale.Related Posts:

• How to Write Better, Faster Copy
• How To Find The Right Tone & Voice For Your Market
• How to Find Your Own BIG Money Breakthrough
• The ONE Simple Technique to Closing More Sales
• How to Position Your Product For Maximum Success

FOREWORD: “Show me more copywriting stuff,” wrote my new (unasked for) Pen-pal from Ireland. “Forget about the mindset stuff… show me the copy!” Well thanks for the feedback Timothy; I appreciate your uncanny and articulate mastery of the English language, no doubt about it, you’re a freakin wordsmith. And while I’m not in the habit of taking orders from complete strangers in far-off lands, I’m in a kinda weird and generous mood, so stop getting your Irish underpants in a knot and relax… your wish has been granted by the copywriting Wizard.

The old Problem, Agitate, Solve is a proven formula for writing compelling copy. You simply identify and mention a problem of your market, agitate the problem, then solve the problem with your product or service. Easy right?

Well yes and no.

You see, there is one critical part missing in this formula that few know, even fewer use. It’s this missing part of the equation that gives your sales argument relevance… and … gives absolute, emotionally-charged proof of why your product is better than the others.

So listen up. Turn off your email. Put your phone on silent. Stop the chatter for a minute and really take this lesson on board.

Okay, the critical missing part is to:

Invalidate all other solutions except yours

So the REAL formula looks like this…

• Mention the problem

• Agitate the problem

• Invalidate all solutions but yours

• Offer your solution

I’ll go through this formula a step at a time so you really get it. For this example, let’s say we are selling a new weight loss program.

Mention the problem

Here I’d be bonding with my prospect by sharing a common bond; that is, being overweight.

Agitate the problem

Here I’d mention all the negative feelings people have about being overweight; how tired they feel all the time, how lethargic, how they can’t keep up with the kids, maybe even painful ankles, knees and how just getting around can be a problem. I want them to feel their weight. I may even use FEAR by mentioning the life threatening diseases you get by being overweight.

Sure I’d mention all these things in the copy, but I wouldn’t lead with them because they are side issues. The main emotion here is embarrassment for being overweight. I’d talk about not being able to enjoy the beach at summer, how overweight folks cover themselves up, not wanting to expose their bodies on the beach and all the fun they miss out on because of this.

Basically, I want their emotions on high alert. I want to get in there and stir up the emotions that are already inherently a part of their makeup.

I don’t push this too far; that’s a rooky mistake I see a lot. But I do get emotional; I do get them feeling… and sometimes, I get them real pissed-off with their current situation.

Invalidate all solutions except mine

This is where I reveal how hard it is to lose weight and how hard it is to get the right information. I’ll list other weight loss methods such as diet shakes etc. I’ll list them all and invalidate all of them and why they are not the ones to choose.

NOTE: A proven copy click to use with the weight loss market is the “It’s not your fault” click. For example:

“But listen closely; it’s NOT your fault. Greedy promoters have been pushing their outlandish diets for years. One day they tell you carbohydrates are good; the next day they tell you they’re bad. Every year you hear conflicting advice. No wonder you’re having trouble losing weight. I mean, who do you listen to? Who do you trust?”

PLUS, and this is a biggie and one key point that is often left out:

I also invalidate the option of waiting, of doing nothing.

This is urgency copy and I make them feel the pain of doing nothing.

Then, I hint at a solution to the problem.

Example: But here’s the good news… it doesn’t have to be this way. There is now a safe, easy and fun way to lose all of the weight you want, without dieting, without strenuous exercise, and without starving yourself to death either. (Notice the use of the “without” click?)

Offer my solution

This is emotionally-charged copy that offers my product as the saviour to all their worries and a solution to their problem.

So there you have it.

A proven copywriting formula. Apply it to your next promotion and see for yourself the bump in response.

This is gold… and finally, you now have access to the FULL formula… use it!

Love to hear your comments on this one.

P.S. For more copywriting formulas and tips, see my newsletter. This month, I reveal an advanced convert persuasion technique few know and even fewer use. You’ll see how by telling your prospects how they should feel, before revealing your revelation, causes an involuntary acceptance of your revelation. Please STOP and read that sentence again. This is gold. If you want the full scoop on this then don’t miss this month’s newsletter.

 Related Posts:

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I’ve talked long and hard about this point over the years in my newsletter… that you’ve got to sell the end result of your product… you’ve gotta sell how your clients will feel once they’ve achieved the benefits of your product.

For example…

Don’t sell a diet book, sell sexiness and self-confidence.

Don’t sell Life Insurance, sell peace of mind.

By now, hopefully, you get this. But there’s more to this that I rarely mention.

If you’ve studied history, in particular the people of influence, and if you’ve read and studied “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene, then you know, people have an insatiable almost child-like appetite for Magic and Magic Powers.

In advertising, we call this the Magic Pill; and the closer your pitch is to the Magic Pill generally the more sales you make.

If you’ve ever seen the Giant Tomato ad displayed in many catalogues you’ve seen the Magic Pill in action. If you’ve ever seen the ad on TV for an underlay you put on your bed full of magnets and you wake up without pain, then you’ve seen the Magic Pill demonstrated right before your eyes.

Point is, folks don’t want to know the mechanics of what your “thing” does.

They want the intangible magic benefits your “thing” gives them.

If you’re in the advice giving business, and this applies to anyone from a Business Coach to a Naturopath, they don’t want to know how you do your “thing”, they’d prefer to believe you are their magic rabbit’s foot, that you possess secrets and powers only you can provide.

You can fight me on this, shake your head and tell me your clients are smarter and more sophisticated than this. But you’d be wrong. People are people and we haven’t changed that much over the years.

To ignore the power of magic and secrets and secret powers is to ignore the way people have been managed and controlled and influenced since the beginnings of time.

Folks are looking for certainty in uncertain times.

Give it to them with a magical twist.

POST SCRIPT: Never underestimate the power of curiosity.Related Posts:

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Searching for the story. We copywriters churn through a lot of fodder to get our minds to spit out ideas like a pokie-machine spits out coins when you hit the jackpot.

Ideas are our currency. Our coins of the realm. And just like a pokie-addict feeds the machine, we copywriters feed our minds… knowing the more we feed the more jackpots we hit.

For me, I’m always looking for a match.

How one piece of information could be used. Might be to help a client or member, might be a good starting point for a sales letter, a newsletter article, or it might be a good idea for one of my own businesses and so on. One article can spark many ideas with many different applications.

For example: Did you know the ancient Goddess Isis was worshiped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic? Well, apparently she was, so there.

But get this: She was also known as the Goddess of Fertility.  Now you may be wondering what this has to do with copywriting and getting the big idea. And I’m with you on this; it does seem obscure. But when I tell you I’ve been approached by a very successful prospective client who specialises in Natural Fertility Solutions, you can see how my mind works. Because as soon as I saw the article on Isis the Goddess of Fertility I immediately thought of that prospect. My mind instantly saw the match so I printed out the article and tucked it away in the prospect’s folder.

Look, I may never use this.

I might not take this client on.

But if I do, I’ll craft a story on Isis. A story that captures the imagination… a story that connects with the reader… a story that ties in my client’s services in an emotionally-charged way that instantly connects and moves the reader. (The story is half-written already from a ten-minute stream of consciousness burst at the keyboard. Sometimes it’s quicker just to get it down while the thought is fresh in your mind. It’s frustrating to family members and friends when the thought strikes me half-way through dinner. But as I explained to my kids when they were younger: “Dad’s got to get this down on paper… because… this is money.” This always fascinated my daughter Chloe, how thoughts can mean money…)

So, as Kennedy says, you’ve gotta be constantly searching for a match.

I have several each day. If you don’t come across “matches” in your daily life, chances are you’re not getting enough fodder. And you may be getting myopic in your thinking; your mind focused only on the here and now as it applies to your own business.

If that’s the case, you’re half-way there as awareness is the first step to solving any problem.

My advice? Feed your mind the fodder it needs to create ideas. Look outside your own industry. Challenge yourself to read on two levels.

POST SCRIPT: I’m happy I stumbled across that article on Isis the Fertility Goddess. I now have a good chunk of story prewritten for a future client… and… it was a great starting point for this article. No doubt, it will have other applications… and … I’m already thinking of the stage, and how I can share this story to a live audience.Related Posts:

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