Sales
Copy that Sells like Crazy
- How to Write Compelling
Sales Letter and Copywriting for the Web
By Angie T. Lee
Copyright 2012 Angie T. Lee
Smashwords Edition
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Table of Contents
Writing Compelling Sales Letters
Writing Compelling Sales Letters
So, you want to write winning sales copy that sells your product?
If sales copy doesn’t sell your prospects on your offer, it isn’t really sales copy. It’s an article, maybe exciting and hype-filled, maybe not, but an article nevertheless. What does it take to transform an article into a sales pitch that really works?
You’ll find out in this short guide of steps that tell you what you need to do and how to do it. The guide will boost your sales and help quickly convert more potential customers into actual customers.
We’ll cover every element of your sales copy, starting with your headline and moving through the sections of a sales page. You’ll learn about elements you have not worked with and discover new secrets to improve the elements you thought you understood. By the time you’re done, you’ll be able to put them together into an ideal, top notch strategy that moves your readers to action – and you to the bank!
So, clear away any mental clutter and bring up that draft of your sales copy. It’s time to turn it into brilliant sales copy that SELLS.
Preparing to Write
Before you begin to rework existing copy or start anew, consider some of these preparatory tasks you should complete. Think of it as though you were to paint your living room. The prep work practically takes longer than the actual painting. You need to move furniture, cover the floor, and tape off woodwork. It’s the same with writing. You can’t do a good job unless you have laid groundwork and prepared.
Begin with Research
While it’s true that you want unique, original sales copy - that doesn’t mean slaving away in isolation. Before you begin to write, take some time to study successful sales copy, particularly within your industry. Seek out the copy that works for competitors and on high gravity Clickbank sites.
Current successful campaigns provide an invaluable education about what works, so give yourself that edge. You may want to take notes to summarize successful copy on a high level - and then compare the notes until common themes and approaches become clear. Think about what works and why. What you learn from this research will take the guesswork and gamble out of your writing.
After you understand what works and why, you can emulate it, build upon it or finesse it to meet your needs. Use what works and advance it.
NOTE: Obviously, your sales materials must be your own creation. You can tweak themes or approaches, but you cannot use them outright. If you are copying words, banners, HTML, etc. then you have crossed the line. Such actions are unethical and probably illegal.
Know Your Customers
Let’s say that you’ve done your research, are you ready to write? Not yet! Because no matter how much you have learned about competitors and high gravity sites, you also need to know your customers inside and out, top to bottom. Your customers will be different, maybe a little, maybe a lot, from other market niches. You’ll want to be intimate with what they want and how you can communicate your value proposition to them.
Remember, customers don’t buy products, they buy solutions. If your customers don’t have any pesky pests, it doesn’t matter how great your mousetrap is. Every single product must be seen as a solution. A farmer doesn’t buy a new tractor because it turns the soil; he buys it because it is more efficient than his current tractor and it will improve his profit margin enough to keep in the farming business a few more years. A customer doesn’t buy a beautiful piece of jewelry just because it is high quality; the jewelry helps the customer express who he/she is, how that person wants to be seen.
Here’s what you need to know. Who do your customers want to be? What do they fear? How do they want to live? How much is it worth to them? Then tie what you have learned about customer needs to how your product can satisfy them.
Define Desired Actions and Set Goals
You know that a properly written sales page contains one or more calls to action. Decide what the best call to action would be for your niche audience and find a sweet spot for it on the page. When you have built a strong case that you can satisfy a customer need, tell the customer exactly what you want them to do. Perhaps you are not asking them to buy a new car – only to take a test drive. Commonly, you ask them to click through to your main web site for more information.
Now that you have calls to action, you need to monitor how successful they are. Set goals and measure whether those goals are met over the life of your web page. As appropriate, set newsletter conversion goals, click thru goals, actual sales goals, etc.
Develop a Powerful Hook and Use It
Every sales page needs a powerful hook, or customers stop reading on the first line. Seek a single phrase for your headline or first paragraph that will capture the most customers in your niche. Return to your research on competitors and customers for guidance on this.
Keep in mind; the best hooks are very simple. Ask a question that engages attention or highlight a problem your readers might have.
Target Only One Audience at a Time
The internet is a big, big ocean, but that doesn’t mean you throw out a broad net. Be strategic about your sales copy and target only one audience at a time. Remember that research you performed? You did it so you wouldn’t make the mistake of taking an “Everybody should want my product” approach. Too broad an approach is an easy mistake to make, so try to watch for it.
Review your research and use it strategically. You want to sell jewelry? Get your hooks, calls to action, etc. targeted to only one niche audience per article. When you think about all the needs such a purchase might fill – from an engagement, to Valentine’s Day, to the birth of a first child, 50th wedding anniversary, or supplement to power dressing – you can see how muddled an all-purpose message could become. Think how much more effective it is to show understanding of your customers’ unique need at any one of those special times, and then show how you can fill that need.
Answer “What’s In It for Me?”
No one (Well, maybe your mother.) will buy your product as a personal favor to you. Sales copy must answer the inevitable question, “What’s in it for me?”
No facts, figures or psychological appeals will help you sell a product if it doesn’t address a customer need. Your sales copy should be rich with statements that tell customers exactly what they gain by reading your copy, clicking through, signing up for your list, and ultimately buying your product.
Use “Above the Fold” Properly