Writing Effectively -- Getting to the Heart of the Sale

By Kevin Nunley
Posted Thursday, August 26, 2004

Nothing sells like simple, easy-to-read advertising copy. Penning clever, articulate prose may be tempting, but busy prospects and customers will respond faster to short words and simple sentences. This is especially true for web sites and sales letters.

You usually only have a few seconds to capture the attention of your customers in your writing. This means that you have to be brief in your message, and you have to cut to the important information early -- getting to the heart of the matter before your readers turn away. You should follow a few simple rules when writing in this quick style:

* Keep your paragraphs short. Sales copy should rarely use paragraphs longer than three sentences. One and two sentence paragraphs work great.

Why? Most readers are in a big hurry. Long paragraphs look intimidating and hard to read. Short chunks of copy separated by white space immediately say "get this information fast."

It also looks nicer on the page. Recently an editor of a major national magazine told me he favors articles with two and three sentence paragraphs. The look of the article is almost as important as what it is about.

* Keep your words simple. Someone once wrote a note to me that said, "I favorably anticipate interaction on this issue." Wouldn't it have been simpler and more effective to just say "I look forward to talking with you about this"? Sure, I understood the first sentence. But the second sentence is a no-brainer to understand.

Try not to use a four-dollar word when a more common one will do. Keep sentences short. Limit the number of sentences that have commas in them (a sign that your sentence is getting complex). Break complex sentences into shorter ones.

Of course, there are some exceptions. Lawyers, CEOs, and college professors often insist on flexing their intellectual qualifications by using complex prose. In those cases, give the audience what they expect.

* Cut straight to the customer's needs. Savvy marketers stress the benefits a customer will receive when they buy. They try to get straight to the customer's personal emotions.

"Earn more money! Spend more time with family. Get the dream car you've always wanted. Show the boss how you saved 20% on all future supplies."

Those lines make you feel good about your future and proud of your accomplishments (or future accomplishments you will achieve AFTER you've purchased the product.)

The copy tells the customer "you're ok, what you want is ok, and you should have what you want."

Build emotion into your marketing by stressing the problem your product or service solves. It's a BAD problem that makes people miserable. Build up the stress the reader feels. Then show your customer how to relieve that stress by purchasing your product

* Use phrases that will capture the audience's attention. There are a few proven phrases that will quickly and effectively target your customers' emotions and concerns. Just drop them in from time to time.

1) Almost everyone feels pressed for TIME:

"People feel pressed for time these days:...be there for family and friends."

"...spend more time making money and less time (doing what YOU do)."

"...take time for yourself."

2) Customers usually have a need for MONEY:

"Everyone wants to earn more money:...a steady monthly income."

"...the cash you need to afford life's extras."

"...earn what YOU deserve."

3) Customers love to get something FREE:

"...PLUS you get this valuable BONUS!"

"...No-cost service."

"...FREE for a limited time."

"...try us at NO charge."

4) Customers like to feel safe with a GUARANTEE:

"...No-risk, no-hassle opportunity."

"...90 day 100% money-back guarantee."

"...Love it or your money is refunded with no questions asked."

These brief phrases will get your point across quickly and target the areas that customers are concerned about. With this kind of simple, direct writing, you can make your point (and hopefully make your sale) in a way that is both effective and considerate to your customers.

About the Author
Publicize your business with Kevin's popular all-out marketing packages at (http://DrNunley.com/marketing_plan.htm) Now with lower prices! Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 801-253-4536.