| Any experienced sales person tells you the same | | | | Sounds too obvious to be useful advice, right? |
| thing. And their message is the same regardless | | | | You would be surprised by how many copy |
| of the type of selling involved. Whether it is direct | | | | writers defend their material by pointing to some |
| sales, cold calling, phone marketing, television, | | | | particularly penetrating, succinct and effective |
| brochures, posters, mail campaigns, newspaper or | | | | phrase halfway through the copy and say, "See |
| other print ads or any of the myriad online | | | | that? How could anyone read that and not buy |
| marketing techniques- you have a period of time | | | | the product?" Of course, that misses the point |
| at the beginning of your sales encounter, a period | | | | entirely. The prospect is never going to get as far |
| of time measured in seconds, not minutes, in | | | | as that incredibly effective tagline because after |
| which to capture your target's attention. If the | | | | reading the headline she sighed and with a |
| medium is audio, you have to perk their ears. If | | | | 'ho-hum", turned the page. |
| the medium is visual, you have to catch their eye. | | | | If you have the prospect's attention with an |
| If the medium is aroma, you have to widen their | | | | effective headline, the copywriter's next task is |
| nostrils. | | | | to maintain interest and keep them reading. Do |
| In whatever way you are approaching your | | | | that with short, simple sentences that pop and |
| prospect if you don't succeed in those first few | | | | sizzle. Anticipate your prospect's questions and |
| seconds, all is lost. In print media, copywriting | | | | answer them. Let your prospect know that you |
| must also bow to this universal sales truth. With | | | | are telling them something that is important- to |
| this in mind, ask yourself some questions about | | | | them. Converse with your prospect, don't preach |
| the copy you have written. Start with the | | | | or talk down. And by all means, keep it simple. |
| headline. This is what is read first. Whether one | | | | The job of good copy is not to impart information |
| reads any further is a function of whether you | | | | and facts. Good copy grabs, holds on, and leaves |
| have captured their attention with the headline. | | | | them wanting to know more. |