Copywriting is, simply put, the study of the human ego. And, believe
it or not, there's more to writing a sales letter than word choice,
readability, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, guarantees, and
even those overly exaggerated testimonials of yours.
Look... if you've read more than two or three articles on the subject
of copywriting, you know all about "Features Benefits", "Power Words",
and every copywriting formula ever created. If you haven't, here are
a few places you'll want to check out later on...
Joe Vitale's Copywriting Profit Center
http://www.mrfire.com/profitcenter.html
David Garfinkel's Results-Driven Marketing
http://www.davidgarfinkel.com/
Copywriting Articles
http://www.webprozone.com/copywriting.html
Forget AIDA Think M.A.G.I.C.
http://www.webprozone.com/articles/000148.html
THREE TYPES OF PERSONALITIES
One of the most powerful copywriting tactics you can use is the segmentation
of the human personality. Before you write your sales letter, you
must know your audience. That's a given. But this tactic goes beyond
that...
Here's how it works:
To put it plainly, there are three types of people: commanders, thinkers,
and visualizers. Each of them will respond varyingly to different
arguments. There are exceptions, of course, and oftentimes it's difficult
to determine what type of person you're dealing with especially
if you are selling a product online, where you cannot see or speak
with your potential customer.
Some arguments resonate well with all three types. Take, for example
the "Features Benefits" approach. Instead of simply rattling off
what your product can do, you must tell your prospect how it will
benefit him or her specifically. This tactic works best with visualizers
but is important when dealing with all types of people.
Sad as it may seem, other arguments will only work well with one type
or the other. Say you decide to try selling something to a thinker
with promises of a quick & easy, visually appealing product. Guess
what? They'll tell you to shove it down your throat.
Wouldn't you just love to shove it down THEIR throat? Here's how:
THE COMMANDER
Commanders are leaders. Jobs occupied by commanders are generally
management level positions, ranging from Project Director to CEO.
They value a strong handshake, and for the most part, have a husky,
dominating physique.
Words most commonly used by commanders are physical in nature. Here
are a few good examples: tackle, power, feel, sense, grasp, touch,
people, and team.
When I think of a commander, I think of my high school hockey coach.
Although he wasn't a very husky guy, he could shoot a puck at 100+
miles per hour, shatter Plexiglas with a strong check (yes, he actually
did this once) and, most importantly, he made an honest to god team
out of a bunch of punk kids. That is what a commander does.
Top arguments to win over a commander include: strength, durability,
years in business, proven and time tested product, and famous clients/founder.
Using phrases like, "Your competitors are..." "I/We can handle (tackle)
the toughest assignments..." and "Your team will like..." are sure
to win them over.
THE THINKER
The name itself is self-defining. Thinkers are intellectuals: CFOs,
scientists, programmers, accountants... the list goes on. A few favorite
words in a thinker's vocabulary include: think (go figure, eh?), sounds,
understand, numbers, sense, prove, know, and reason.
The most effective arguments when dealing with a thinker include:
best future results (this works well for all types of people), logical
design, clever, unique design, and endorsement by experts. Here are
a few example phrases you can use on a thinker: "It sounds like you
need..." "Here are the numbers..." "There are several steps to the
solution. First..." and "Here are the reasons behind..."
THE VISUALIZER
There are more visualizers in this world than commanders and thinkers
combined. Visualizers take on a variety of jobs, but enjoy those which
allow them to "get creative" more than anything. For the most part,
they have an abstract, visual, and "quick & easy" mindset. Words most
often used by visualizers are: show, see, look, visualize, picture,
watch, perspective, perception, quick, fast, immediate, easy, and
instant.
Explaining how the features of your product or service will benefit
your customer works well with all types of people, but is most effective
with the visualizers. Other powerful arguments you should use when
appealing to the visualizer include: best looking design, quick and
easy, and cosmetic appeal (visually dramatic presentation). Some phrases
you should use are: "I can visualize the problem you have..." "Here's
a quick overview..." "The solution is simple and easy with our..."
"It looks like you need..."
APPEALING TO THEM ALL
In the real world, salespeople have the advantage of meeting their
customer in person. The Internet is a very different place, however,
meaning that unless you sell a service or big-ticket items online,
you probably won't be communicating with your customer until after
the purchase has been made. You will be unable to pick up on key words
and phrases, which help you to determine what type of individual you
are dealing with.
Because of this, you must effectively combine all forms of persuasion,
to create a winning sales letter, which will appeal to commanders,
thinkers, and visualizers alike.
In order to accomplish such a task, you'll need to determine which
arguments work with the most people. The following arguments do well
with just about everyone:
- Clear Features Clear Benefits (MOST IMPORTANT)
- Strength, Durability, Toughness
- Best Future Results
- Years In Business
- Famous Clients/Founder
- Proven & Time-Tested Product
Use lots of those arguments, and be sure to work in as many others
as you can think of. Get creative with the process too, or you'll
risk being just like everybody else. Now get out there and make
yourself some money!
About the Author
Charles Lewis invites you to join him in e-success by subscribing
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