Persuasive
Copywriting: Are You Losing Sales to Your Ego?
by Dina Giolitto
By far the most challenging aspect of writing ad materials
for your own business is this: your ego keeps trying
to write the copy. Yes, your ego's got his top hat and tap shoes on,
and he's ready to steal the show. If you let him write the
copy, he'll wedge himself directly between you and your rightfully
earned cashflow. Believe it.
What
do you do after you "finish" writing a good,
solid sales pitch? Here's what you're supposed to do: go
out and market it. Tell the world to read your sales page.
Do this with articles, blog posts, network participation
and ezine mailings. It's called viral marketing and it's
pretty basic.
But instead, what do most web business owners do? They let
their egos destroy what were once customer-focused,
keyword-laden headlines plotted with purpose... and replace them with weak,
word-repetitive, self-serving verbiage. They let their ego
wipe out all traces of emotional-trigger pulling
copy that's been strategically laid out alongside of well-placed
links. They let their egos toy and tinker with, dilute and defeat
what was once a spot-on persuasive argument that would ultimately
convince the reader to click PURCHASE. And all this, in the
name of overzealous self-love!
So isn't it time we asked ourselves: Am I losing sales to
my own ego?
Everybody wants to know the *secret* to writing web copy
that sells. So the great master copywriters reveal it, but
then your ego talks so loudly in your ear that you can't
recall what they told you. Here it is, from another pro copywriter,
said another of a million ways that it's already been said.
You
must "set the psychological scene" for
your customer the minute he arrives on your page. Pull
him in
to an emotional state of wanting but not having. You must
write the copy for HIS ego and not your own.
Your goal: use specific flashback or flash-forward imagery
to take him to a place of pain.
Now, when I say *pain* please don't take that word literally.
Pain here refers to a state of discomfort. You can create
*pain* by rehashing an unpleasant scenario that your target
customer is likely well-familiar with.
You
can also create pain by painting a beautiful picture with
words,
and then very artfully and subtly *leaving your
customer out of the scene.* (I'm not saying taunt your customer!
I'm saying, show him what could be; tease him
for a bit and then later present your product as the gateway
to that coveted state of being.) Whether you choose pleasure
or pain to set the tone, the effect should be the same. Your
sales page should evoke the feeling of wanting something
that has not been attained yet.
From the powerful headline and supporting subhead, all the
way down through the first several paragraphs, your reader
must live this emotion and yearn for something that forever
eludes him (the thing that you're selling). With your words,
put him under a little spell for just a moment. The spell
happens in his psyche, which you're not a part of yet. Don't
break the spell with self-proclaimed glory just yet. If you
do, you'll flip the off switch of your customer's rapt attention
*like THAT!* (finger-snap) - and lose him before he was ever
yours.
Your Ego and the Sales Copy
Where in this emotional commiseration with your future client
is there room for your clumsy and oafish ego? Absolutely
nowhere. Don't even THINK of mentioning your product during
the time that you're building the need in your customer's
mind. (Although if you're very popular, you may want to slip
in your company name for credibility value - but just a brief
mention!). The point: every person in this world is ego-driven.
So, when you're writing FOR the customer, you must NOT be
ego-driven as well or your egos will clash and your purpose
will be thwarted.
Later on down the sales page, you'll do the old switch-up,
and introduce your product or service as being the solution
to this problem (or the relief of the *pain* that the reader
is experiencing). NOW is the time to elaborate on every benefit
and feature and how it will help alleviate the trouble. Remember
to write this copy to the customer and not for yourself.
Again, mind the ego - whose are you catering to? Ultimately,
it should be your customer's and not your own.
As you're creating this emotional need and subsequent answer
for the need, again refrain from letting that big old goofy
bastard, your ego, break in and stomp all over the plan.
This sales letter is the china shop and your ego
is the Bull. You must keep the ego in check (and the bull to a minimum).
Remind yourself of this as you develop your persuasive argument.
Here's a list of self-defeating, web copy polluting stunts
your ego *may* try to pull while you create your sales copy.
DON'T let him get away with it!
Your
ego will want to make the copy LOUD and BRASH. He'll
want to share wild, outlandish claims because he's fallen
under his own magical spell during the writing process. Don't
get me wrong; it's terrific that your ego is in temporary
love with the product. Your ego will help you blow out the
incredible benefits and every last detail. But you must remind
your ego to keep the persuasive sales pitch high-energy,
yet at the same time subtle and believable. Target customers
know an ego when they stumble over one in a sales letter.
It might make them chuckle, but it won't make them buy.
Your
ego won't want to stop talking about how great the product
is. You want to keep your reader *hypnotized* while
reading your sales copy. A product page that's long and arduous
will make your customer pop right out of his happy bubble
and hop right off the page. So yes, please do assign your
ego the magnanimous task of writing out the product features
and benefits... but make sure he keeps the number and length
of points within reason.
Your
ego will want to sell other things on this page besides
the product (and he'll fight you on this 'til the end). Your
ego loves every single product that he's helped you create
or develop because each one is a part of him. But from your
customer's point of view, a ton of multi-purpose products
serve as a mess of chaos and distractions. You must keep
this landing page tightly focused if you want your reader
to make an informed emotional decision and buy. That means
sticking to ONE product and ONE argument.
Your
ego will want to slip in lots of links to other parts of
your website. Again - your company website was created
by your ego, so your ego adores it and wants all of it on
this page. But the worst thing you can do on a sales page
is include outside links that distract your customer and
make him click away. Tell your ego in a firm voice that there
are NO other links allowed on the sales page other than the
one that leads to your product order form. I mean NONE!
Your
ego will want to include 25 testimonials on the page. Your ego enjoys the luxurious massage that comes with dozens
of fawning testimonials. Hearing positive things makes your
ego feel so very nice, and he could read testimonials all
gosh-darned day. But remember that while you're buttering
up your own ego with too many testimonials, your customer
has his own ego to contend with, which is being denied at
this moment. He's growing impatient and eager to get to the
climax of the story. So, please keep the testimonials section
of your sales page just long enough to convince and then
swiftly MOVE IN for the sale.
I could go on and on about other ways your ego might try
to sabotage your plan for great sales copy... but if I did,
I'd run the risk of my own ego taking over this article.
Keep the above points in mind the next time you're writing
copy whose ultimate function is to sell a product. Then,
when you've perfected the final draft of your sales page,
leave well enough alone! Instead of handing it over to your
ego who will likely take a wrecking ball to your hard work,
do the RIGHT thing. Spend as long as it takes to viral market
it to the entire planet.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call Dina@Wordfeeder.com
for copywriting and marketing backup support... and maybe
even a little something for your ego. ;)
Copyright 2006 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
Tell
a friend about Word Food: The Copywriting and Marketing
Ezine from Wordfeeder.com. Just forward this email on
to someone
who you think might enjoy the free information. Sign up details
are at the bottom of this email.
|
