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Influential Copywriting!
By Eric Louviere
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
© Eric Louviere
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THIS INFORMATION IS FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. THIS ENTIRE COURSE IS FOR YOUR
OWN PERSONAL USE AND IS NOT TO BE GIVEN AWAY, TRADED OR DISTRIBUTED
WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF ERIC LOUVIERE.
THIS MANUAL AND THIS ENTIRE COURSE DOES NOT COME WITH ANY RESELL
RIGHTS WHATSOEVER. THIS MANUAL AND THIS ENTIRE COURSE IS TO REMAIN
STRICTLY IN YOUR SOLE POSSETION. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES OF ANY KIND,
NO INCOME GUARANTEES OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. THIS REPORT IS FOR
INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Introduction
Welcome! Your decision to purchase this report was indeed, a smart
one. You are about to journey into the depths of persuasion,
copywriting and the psychological aspects to “why people buy things”.
This journey should be an exciting and informative one for you. There
should be plenty of moments where you sit back and reflect on what is
being revealed here – thinking to yourself just how you will go about
utilizing this new found knowledge - to earn more revenue.
The simple fact of the matter is… to earn more, you need to sell more.
You need more prospects interested in your offers. You need to
convert more of those prospects into cash-paying buyers.
The better you are at doing that, the more money you will make,
period.
One of the best skills you can master is that of persuasion and ad
copy. The better persuader you are – even through print - the more
success you will find – in almost every area of your life.
Learning these skills can completely change your life. Everything will
look different to you, and you will have inside knowledge that most
people will never know.
~Eric Louviere
AdInfluence.com
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Think Emotions!
Your edge is mastering “emotions”. Here’s what I mean, most people
act on emotions. Not many act on intelligence. Sure, we all have our
moments when we analyze something intelligently. Sure, we sit there
and weigh out the pros and cons. Sure, we sleep on it… delaying
decision.
How many times have you looked at buying something… was about to
pull the trigger… and for some reason you decided to wait, to think
about it more, or delay pulling out your credit card.
Maybe you bookmarked a website order form, or you wrote down the
phone number to some advertisement you heard on the radio or TV.
What ended up being the result?
… No Purchase, right?
I mean, most of the time you ended up not buying after all. Sure,
sometimes you went back and purchased… especially if they followed
up with you.
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© Eric Louviere
Now, think about all of those times when you bought something and
later, felt that you just pulled the trigger to fast and should have
thought about it longer…
One more thing… how many times have you been about to buy
something, and decided to look around (research) and see what others
were saying about that particular product?
Let’s talk about buying from people for just a second (like we do so
often online…).
How many times have you bought something just because the person
(or company) you were buying from was someone you knew, or
trusted, or liked?
How many times have you checked someone out, just because others
were talking highly of that person? Or, how many times have you
looked into someone because others were chastising him/her?
Have you ever caught yourself changing your mind about someone
based on what others say about that person? What if they are wrong?
It usually does not matter. If one person does not like an individual
and expresses that, it is contagious. The same goes for those who like
others, and express that too.
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© Eric Louviere
Look, when it comes down to it… most people buy on emotions. Some
don’t sometimes, but most of the time the transactions that end up
becoming sales, become sales because the prospect bought on
emotions – not intelligence, or reason, or logic.
Sure, a little brain power goes into the purchase decision… but most of
the time it’s predominately emotions that pushed someone over the
edge to make the decision to buy.
I mean, we can rationalize, sleep on it, think about it and analyze it all
day long, but no matter what our brain says to us, our hearts tend to
determine the buying decision.
Most people, out there in the world, do not realize just how important
emotions are, and that controlling those emotions can change or
drastically improve their lives… forever!
I bet they make terrible decisions all of the time… right? Is it that they
are not smart enough? Picture that person in your mind for a second.
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© Eric Louviere
We all experience stress from time-to-time. Have you ever felt so
much stress that you made a hasty decision? Or, have you ever been
so happy and excited that you made a hasty decision?
Emotions are important to determining what people do, how they do it,
when, where and why.
Many have spent decades learning the art of influence and the craft of
writing compelling copy. It does not matter one bit if you are an
aspiring copywriter, a small business owner, and advertising agency,
or an online marketer… your ability to influence and persuade your
prospects to buy more often, can mean all the difference between
failing and succeeding beyond your wildest dreams.
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© Eric Louviere
Take the time to thoroughly investigate, decipher, push-through and
master this art of influence. It can change your life!
6 Basic Emotions
There are tons of emotions we experience as humans. However, there
are six basic ones…
1. Happiness
2. Disgust
3. Surprise
4. Fear
5. Anger
6. Sadness
Most all other emotions are sub-emotions under these top six. There
are many different titles we place on emotions, but these six are the
main ones.
How many of the six would you say are negative emotions? I’d say at
least 4 of the six, and “surprise” could even be considered negative to
some people, depending on the type of surprise…
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© Eric Louviere
I mean if you are thrown a surprise birthday party, that’s a positive
emotion. However, if you are walking through the park and encounter
a mountain lion, that’s not too positive for surprise!
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© Eric Louviere
Most of the people I know who are largely successful are
also largely happy, positive, enthusiastic, reserved,
content, humble and confident.
Ok, now, back to the 6 Basic Emotions and how you can tap into them
to earn more money…
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© Eric Louviere
Happiness:
People search for happiness and are willing to buy, buy, and buy some
more to gain happiness in just about any way they can. Your ability to
tap into people’s “hunger” for happiness can earn you more cash.
But wait; think about this in a bit deeper realm for a second…
Listen, unfortunately, most people who feel negative emotions look for
escapes or outlets to find some kind of happiness in their currently
negative worlds.
I’m not saying all gamblers are unhappy, not at all. I’m just saying
that some people look for outlets to help them with their negative
experiences.
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© Eric Louviere
For you, that is an opportunity to tap into emotions. I mean, if people
are bored, then you can capture them with entertainment. For
example, stories are entertaining. Story telling can be a powerful form
of copywriting… and persuasion.
Now, taking the emotion of “happiness” and reversing it can also bring
up opportunities for persuasion. I mean, if people are searching for
happiness, then showing them the opposite, can provoke a response.
Whew…
People are compelled to strive for happiness. It’s the ultimate goal.
People have what is called “Desires”. Desire is the motivation inside
them for something.
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© Eric Louviere
People have all sorts of desires. And, they may not even realize it.
People don’t sit around asking themselves what they desire at the
moment – they just react.
So, there is desire and we all have it. We desire control or approval,
or happiness, or security, or power, etc. For some of us, we have
some desires that are larger than others. For example, I desire
success, wealth, money and freedom. I have pounded that in my
head since early adulthood. Therefore, a copywriter or marketer could
influence me by tapping into my “desires”.
Look at your product and think about it. What kind of desire does your
product tap into? We will be getting more into this later. But for now,
understand that people have driving desires for happiness type
emotions.
The kicker here is that people gravitate towards those things they
desire, or what makes them happy… and they refrain (escape) from
those things they do not want to feel (disgust, anger, sadness, fear,
etc.)
You can present your sales message in a manner where you show
people those fearful and negative emotions they do not want to feel,
and then provide them with the “hope” or “happiness” or “desire” they
do want to feel.
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© Eric Louviere
It would be simple to just say that you need to provide pain. Well,
there’s more to it than that.
What kind of pain are you really supplying? It’s emotional pain. And,
that is those negative emotions I mentioned. As you write your sales
messages, think about those 6 basic emotions, and tap into them with
your message.
For example:
As you can see with that example the first part hits on the fear,
insecurity, and pain. The rest of the example provides for happiness
and safety.
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© Eric Louviere
Here’s another quick example:
Therefore, with your copy you can present the emotions of fear,
disgust, anger or even sadness to compel people to take action so that
they can finally feel happiness.
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© Eric Louviere
After all, the desire to feel happy is what compels people to take
action… and to avoid fear, pain or negative emotions.
When you write your copy, tap into these reasons. Think about your
product, and all of the benefits and compare those benefits to this list
we are about to cover.
Ed Mayer has a terrific take on why people buy and has created lists of
these reasons. Some of them are included below:
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© Eric Louviere
• They want to make more money: People will buy products
left and right so that they can earn more money. Money is one
of the leading causes of unhappiness. It is one of the leading
causes of divorce. People are very disgusted, stressed-out and
angry about their money situations. If you can tap into those
negative emotions, and then present them with answers ---
solutions --- and fulfill their desires for money, then you can
surely make a ton of money yourself.
Therefore, people will buy all sorts of products to help them have
more money!
Think about your product right now. Does it save people money
somehow? If so, tap into it. Bring it out in your copy. Make
people feel it.
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© Eric Louviere
Software that saves people time sells like hotcakes!
Anytime you find an avenue to save people from effort, you can
create a business where supply meets demand. I know those
Alaskan king crab fishermen make big money doing one of the
world’s most dangerous jobs. However, people love those crabs.
People buy cars just because of the smooth ride, and the
luxurious leather seating. Cruise control is a very nice feature
with vehicles and makes driving more comfortable. Security
alarms provide security, and more comfort. Big screen TV’s are
more comfortable.
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© Eric Louviere
Convenience and comfort, is a driving force for many people.
But, keep in mind that saving people time makes them more
comfortable, and more money does too. Saving people from
having to work more, is more comfortable for them as well.
There are many ways to tap into emotions, and many of these
emotions cross over to one another. However, you can tap into
them individually and create a bit of repetition.
Perhaps you have a neighbor who has a riding lawn mower and
you don’t. In a way, you might feel compelled to get one
yourself to be like the neighbor. I know during Christmas, my
neighborhood seems like they are madly in competition with one
another.
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© Eric Louviere
There’s a few ways to look at the reason. Some people buy
things because they want to be just like one other person.
Perhaps the person they look up to drives a sports car. They
then want to drive a sports car too.
We are like the curious cat that just has to know. That is a sure-
fire way to create sales. If you can peak people’s curiosity,
you’ve got them right where you want them.
Everyone sighs when they see that “To be continued”… but they
tune in next week to see what will happen next.
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© Eric Louviere
You can also use storytelling quite effectively to peak curiosity as
well. For example:
Now, it’s good to keep with the flow of the letter, so I would
probably hit on “taking risks” or “escaping your comfort zone”
right after “… more on this in a moment” for that portion of the
letter.
You see, I even use this technique in emails and other forms of
promotion. Marketers use this technique in product launches as
well. It is building anticipation. Warming people up, getting
them foaming at the mouth and getting them rabid to “know” is
a technique that works like a charm.
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© Eric Louviere
Building curiosity, anticipation and teasing people is one of the
most powerful techniques you can use to boost response.
Later, it was released and everyone found out it was “Jack in the
Box” hamburgers. That new “clown character” was back and the
commercials began to ramp up.
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© Eric Louviere
Practice and learn how to peak people’s curiosity. I used
curiosity just today with my two nieces. I wanted them to eat all
of their food, so I told them I would show them something
magical later in the day. I really built it up and they could not
let it go. I used it all day long to get them to behave.
The IRS is another example. People will spend big money to get
out of debt to the IRS. Examples go on and on.
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© Eric Louviere
• To Have Beautiful Possessions: Those who buy antiques, art,
luxury items, “show-off” products, etc come to mind for this reason
people buy.
However, it stretches far beyond just that. People will take action
and buy things to satisfy a deeper emotion and that is “The desire
for approval”.
Desires are the hidden reasons people often buy things. Often
times, people buy beautiful possessions so that others will
compliment them on those possessions. Or, at least notice them…
For someone to say, “This Beautiful Art Piece Was Painted In the
1800’s And Is a Fine Masterpiece” is not as powerful as:
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© Eric Louviere
• To Avoid Criticism: Many will buy just so they are not criticized
by others. This is a moving emotion. If you have ever felt that you
might be criticized by others for something, and a solution was
presented to you, you’d probably buy it.
Not only did I go out and shop for suits and dress clothes, I maxed
out my credit card doing so. I did not want to be criticized one bit.
I remember one store clerk telling me the key is in the shoes. He
said, don’t wear the same pair of shoes everyday, and make sure
each pair is high quality leather. Make sure your shoes are shinny
and crisp.
Not only did I buy more shoes, but I bought the shoe shinning kit
too. Also, right now, at the time I am writing this, I have a
landscaping crew outside my window cutting the grass and
trimming the hedges.
They do a much better job than I could ever do. Plus, everyone in
my neighborhood has such nice lawns and landscaping. If I did it
myself, they would criticize me.
You can tap into that emotional drive with your sales messages as
well. I know when the chamber of commerce approached me, they
sold me when they said, and… “Your clients will wonder why you
are not a member”…
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© Eric Louviere
• To take advantage of opportunities: This is a big one. People
do not want to miss out. One of my favorite phrases to use in
copywriting is as follows:
You can use a take-away in your sales messages as well to tap into
this desire. A take-away is where you show your prospects a vision
of not having your product. You sort of pull it away from them and
show them a miserable life without your product.
In their minds, this makes them want the product even more.
People want what they cannot have sometimes. So, this form of
“take-away” can surely boost response.
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© Eric Louviere
If you can create demand and anticipation for your products ahead
of time, then you can use this method to skyrocket response. By
getting people buzzing about your product offer, you can then come
back and provide a limited supply (scarcity) and couple that with
pushing their buttons that they could lose out.
They could miss out on the opportunity. They could miss the boat.
They could have to do without your product and that is not a good
thing. They will feel miserable without the product and kick
themselves over and over for not jumping on it when they had the
chance.
Countdown tickers, 100, 88, 72, 26, 11, 8 LEFT! These are
mechanisms that create urgency and scarcity, or lack. You can
surely utilize these strategies in either a very direct “in your face”
style or a more subtle approach.
Not only are they drooling about finding out what your product is all
about, but they will take action and buy “faster” if there is a limited
supply.
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© Eric Louviere
This style drives up demand. Well, if we limit supply and drive up
demand, not only can you charge more, but you can sell out fast!
If you had a product that was $47 and you left it open forever, then
the perceived value of that product would not be as high as if you
charged $97 and limited it to 400 customers only!
It may take you a year or more to sell 400 customers, but having
urgency like that – and by utilizing “anticipation” marketing, you
might sell out in a week, or even a day!
… Or even minutes!
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© Eric Louviere
Now, at first glance that may seem a bit brutal, and there is a little
intimidation there as well (which is another topic), but I believe that
statement in that email pushed some people over the edge to buy.
His email started talking about what it would be like to not get his
program – which probably made many more people want it even
more!
He had all of the classic strategies with his overall promotion of this
program. He built anticipation, utilized psychology in his emails and
salesletter, created big time urgency, got everyone hot and bothered
about his opportunity, pulled a serious take-away at the end, and sold
out in 4 minutes!
Sure, he has a big name and status in the market, but for $1,000
you’ll need to have more in your arsenal than that. He did. He pulled
out some serious marketing and persuasion techniques that drove the
demand through the roof.
I think he could have charged triple the price and still sold out the first
day.
This is how big this reason is. People will buy very expensive products
in order to not miss out on the opportunity.
Always think in terms of “supply and demand”. The more you can
drive up demand, the more action prospects will take. Look at your
overall marketing and promoting system. Think of your entire
promotion as one big fat story or movie.
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© Eric Louviere
Think of grabbing attention, picking at that attention until it bleeds,
building up anticipation, get people sitting up on the edge of their
seats like a good action thriller, further driving home the value and
opportunity, pulling some serious take-aways, and then slamming the
door shut with urgency and scarcity! Drive a lot of attention to the
scarcity of your offer. Back it up with tons of social proof (public
declarations or testimonials) and you will sell out so fast, you’ll kick
your mother for not teaching you this at a younger age!
This insight alone – when mastered – can make you filthy rich!
One of the things he bought was a carnation for his suit. A young
boy approached him while he was walking to a meeting, and said:
The writer said he almost broke his neck to buy that carnation.
After all, others had carnations, and he wanted to feel important.
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© Eric Louviere
• People buy for entertainment: People are bored. They have
extra time and do not know what to do with it. I remember a time
when I did not have much money. I had to budget what I spent my
money on, and often had very little left over to spend on myself.
And, I’m really not ever bored. I guess we know why now, huh?
Even though I am very busy, and work a lot of hours, I still seek
entertainment. And, I’m fast to pull the trigger on things that
provide humor, laughter, drama, gossip, action, performance, etc.
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© Eric Louviere
I recently saw a website where a guy from New York simply video
tapes himself going off on rants about current events. He just
blasts people and situations on video tape. Then, he uploads it to
the net. And, he charges per month to watch.
He has partial clips of his funny rants. I am quite sure many buy
that just for entertainment.
For example:
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© Eric Louviere
• People buy to gain praise, power, status, vanity, fame and
fortune: There is no doubt that people have desires to be
admired. People want to feel important (think about that carnation
example).
People want more happiness, and have desires for control. Some
people are so attracted to power; it is clearly obvious to anyone
who spends an hour with them. Everything they talk about is
controlling and geared towards vanity.
Say a couple nice things about them, and they’ll love you forever.
Flattery goes a long way with people who seek it. The more
powerful people are the more power they want and strive for.
Amazing huh?
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Often times, people focused so much on dealing and counter-
attacking each other that they forgot there were customers and end
users.
Who gets the best office, the best perks, and more face time with
the owners, the highest titles, and the most pay… was what they
were after.
However, it seemed the largest driving force of all was that they did
not want to lose power. Once you have a good thing going, you
protect it.
You can surely take advantage of this drive people have for vanity
and power. There are plenty of niche markets and products out
there that completely appeal to this desire.
For example:
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© Eric Louviere
If that example above does not tap into people’s hidden desires for
fame, fortune, vanity, power and status, I don’t know what does.
Heck, I wanted to join after reading my own fictitious example.
All of these reasons listed above can severely help boost your results.
What I do when writing copy is I go through the list. I keep in mind
what the product or opportunity is I’m selling, and I run down the list
to see if any of these “reasons” apply to this product.
For example, I ask myself, “Does Vanity apply to this product offer?”
Are the prospects people who have desires for “vanity, fame, power,
etc”?
Does this product save people time? Does it save people money, or
make them money? Does it help them avoid effort or pain?
Ad Influence
Copywriting Quick
Pointers!
In this section of the report, I will hit on some very valuable pointers
for writing copy. These pointers can be used in advertising, sales and
promoting in general.
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© Eric Louviere
Make it easy for customers to buy or take action!
The easier it is for your customers to take action, or buy, the more
response you will get. Online, marketers sometimes hide the price,
hide the order form, and even hide what the product is really about.
When I rewrite salesletters for marketers, I have often noticed that the
letter they wrote is not very clear as to what the product even is. It is
almost like studying or researching just to read the letter and
determine what the offer is.
Do everything for them. Make it easy as can be. Ask yourself what
else can I do to make this easier for them?
I see way too many marketers and advertising that makes things
difficult for prospects. Make it easy.
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© Eric Louviere
Be Clear, Simple and To the Point!
Don’t try to outwit them, be to fancy, sneaky, or trick your prospects.
Be straight to the point. Sure, you can add in sizzle and tap into
emotions, tell stories, etc. But, be very clear what you are selling.
People are busy. You have to come right out and show them what you
are about. Their attention span is short. Keep in mind, you have
mere minutes to grab their attention and get them interested enough
to commit time in reading the rest of your offer – or sales message.
If you are getting prospects that are your “target” market, then they
should be interested in your “targeted” product. Get to the point.
Now, that does not mean come right out and start selling hard-core
either. You can subtly explain what the product is with one major
benefit at the beginning of your salesletter.
Later, you can go for the kill with more hard-core “closing”.
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© Eric Louviere
Teach In Your Sales Messages!
Give away some of the best nuggets of advice, information and
guidance in your sales messages. Do not be afraid to reveal some
high-quality information for free – in your letters.
This will keep people reading, get them interested and hold onto their
interest throughout your message. And, that is quite important.
Remember, people are ADD and you have to capture them, hold onto
them and then close them.
One of the very best ways to do that is by teaching them some of your
valuable information. This goes for any product. If you are selling bug
spray, teach them how to avoid bugs. Tell them about bugs and which
ones are dangerous, and why.
If you are selling carpet cleaning services, teach them about taking
care of their carpets. Teach them about various types of carpets and
why pet urine can also destroy the matting underneath the carpet (I
learned this the hard way).
By teaching in your sales messages, you will hold onto your prospects
longer. That will inevitably increase conversions. But, there is more
to this story…
You will come across as an expert. You will gain their trust and belief
in you or your company. They will want more of what you have to
provide them. You will peak their interest even more, and you will get
them thinking seriously about “your topic”.
You can even tell them at the beginning of the letter that you are
going to be giving away high-quality information that most people
would charge for – and they will gain insights just by reading your
sales message.
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© Eric Louviere
For example:
Not only is this letter a sales pitch, it is also one big lesson for the
prospect. And, they will think to themselves that if you are giving
away this type of information for free, imagine what the paid version is
like.
Movies do this all of the time with their previews. Heck, sometimes,
when I go to the movies, the previews are more entertaining than the
movie.
The motion picture industry understands this all too well. They often
put in the best scenes and parts to the movie in the preview. That is
why we often catch ourselves saying, “The best part of the movie was
in the previews”.
And, just like you say to yourself when watching a good preview “I’ve
got to see that movie”… your prospects will say that to themselves by
learning from your sales message.
Because, after all, movie previews are just sales messages, aren’t
they?
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© Eric Louviere
Sell with your Heart, not so much your MIND!
Again, I’m bringing up emotions instead of intelligence. People buy on
emotions much more often than they buy on logic, or intelligence. So,
sell towards that.
It is not the luxury boat they want, but the desire for approval, vanity,
happiness, entertainment and excitement.
It is not the business opportunity they want, as much as it’s the hope,
desire and fulfillment that they are doing something to gain freedom,
happiness, time, money, luxury goods, memories, experiences vanity
and entertainment.
It is the sizzle that sells. It is the mental pictures they have in their
minds, and the voice inside their own hearts, and their desires that sell
them.
Your ability to tap into those desires and hidden emotions will bring
your sales message to life – capture more prospects – hold on to more
of them – and close more of them!
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© Eric Louviere
Paint a picture for them.
Words are powerful things. Put them together in a very creative way
and you have a poem, or a song, or a best selling novel, or a screen
play, or a sales message.
Empathy is what you are after with your sales messages. That is why
storytelling can be quite effective – it creates empathy with the
audience.
Now, not everyone buys from their hearts. Sometimes, they use logic.
But, we are not after every single buyer, just as many as we can get.
Therefore, it’s a numbers game. You will never sell every single
prospect, but you want to sell as many of them as you can.
And, tapping into their emotions and selling to their hearts, will get
you more buyers.
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© Eric Louviere
Tell them what they get with focused bullet points!
By focused, I mean really-really focus on your bullet points. Spend a
great deal of time crafting your bullet points. Remember, it is how
those bullet points make them feel, more than what the benefit or
feature is.
A nice technique is to use those two words to start each bullet point,
for example:
Each bullet point should have a benefit and some emotion. Notice how
I underlined and bolded in each bullet point. That makes the benefit
stand out, while the rest is hitting on emotion, sizzle and their hearts.
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© Eric Louviere
Find The BIG HOOK and Main DESIRE!
You have to find something very unique about your offer and then
emphasize it in your sales message. Find that one big hook or that
one big desire that will grab your prospects and sell them.
Call out great attention to your unique aspect or big desire and make
sure that when the prospect goes through your entire message, that
one main HOOK stands out in their minds – as best as possible.
Whatever your main benefit is, or main hook, or main spin, hit them
with it fast! Put it in your headline and introduction to your letter.
What do you think about when you think about Subway sandwiches? I
think they are less in fat than cheeseburgers. You might think,
“Mmm… tuna”… but many will think the same as I do.
Your “hook” can make you a fortune. Entire marketing campaigns and
companies have been built around one single hook.
Your message needs a hook. You need to tap into that one core desire
your prospects want to fulfill. Figure out what your USP (unique
selling proposition) is and draw much attention to it.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
How you sell, is more important than what you sell!
This may be hard for many to understand, but it’s true. The way you
sell your products and services far outweigh what your product and
service actually is.
The best salespeople can sell anything, because of the way they sell.
The same can be said about your copywriting and advertising. The
way you present your products, promotions and copy is more
important than the product.
Some of the most terrible products sell like hotcakes because of fancy
packaging. Some of the most terrible movies become number one at
the box office because of the previews or the branded actors who
appear in the movie, the promotions, buzz, etc.
People may not like reading hype, or sizzle, but results speak louder
than opinions. People may not like Donald Trump, but he commands
attention.
You have two guys. One is smarter and knows the business like the
back of his hand, except he is introverted and shy. The other guy is
charismatic, charming and talks a good game. The charming guy will
get the promotion often times.
This is why engineers or product developers are not often the best
people to sell the product. They know the product knowledge better
than anyone, but cannot sell themselves out of a paper bag.
On the other hand, slick salespeople can sell high priced jets and
expensive software applications without even knowing much about the
products.
Why, because they can sell... They know how to tap into emotions
and talk right along side the prospects.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
This is why copywriters make so much money. They can sell the
products better than the product developers or marketers.
Remember, you are not selling the best carnation in Mexico for the
best price anywhere… you are selling an avenue for people to feel
“important”!
You want to find your targeted prospects and become them. Get into
character and think like they think. Find out what they hate, like,
love, desire, are frustrated with, what disgusts them, etc.
Be them.
The better you are at becoming them, the better you will sell them.
Engage conversation. Blend in with them. Have you ever walked up
to a small group of people who were talking about a subject, and you
caught it half way into it? You picked up right where they were and
joined right in, huh?
That’s what you want to do with your copywriting. You want to pick
right up where your prospects are thinking, talking and
communicating.
They call it… “Joining the conversation they are already having with
themselves in their minds”.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
It is going in their flow. For example, you are most likely reading this
report because you want to improve your copywriting, so you can
boost response – or grow your copywriting business.
Now, that might not hit on your buttons if you do not take on clients
like professional copywriters do, but if you do take on clients, that
might have just tapped right into what you have found yourself
thinking.
I’ve read letters before that seemed like I wrote them to myself. They
were so captivating; they seemed to be speaking just to me. Ever had
that experience?
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Can you see how compelling writing in that manner can be? Talk
about boosting results… Heck, if you can write straight to someone
that you know very well (because you are that person), then you will
tap right into their frustrations, pain, joy, desires, etc.
You have to gain their trust and belief in you. Better yet, you have to
prove your worth and your products worth to them. Even better yet,
you have to persuade them to take money out of their own pockets
and give it to you!
People want to know they are making the right decision in buying your
product. They are afraid of making a mistake and losing their money
– even with a 100% money back guarantee, or warranty. After all,
who likes asking for a refund?
They are skeptical and afraid of wasting money. So, tell them they are
making the right decision. Lead them. Assure them. People are
indecisive and there is but a microscopic fraction of a difference
between buying and not buying many times.
What sends them over the edge much more often, is you taking the
lead and control of the sales process and leading them to making the
decision to buy.
You do that with everything you have. You do that with every trick
and technique and insight you have learned in this report – and then
some!
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
You disarm them by overcoming objections to buying. Sit down and
think of every possible reason someone would not buy your product.
Get someone else to give you reasons why they would not buy your
product.
Figure out all of the objections and obstacles people could have, why
they would feel skeptical and then write them all down.
Next, address each objection and overcome it. Focus on relieving the
skepticism prospects may have about you, your product or even
themselves.
By doing this, you will disarm them and they will let their guards
down.
As you continue the conversation they are having in their heads, and
you engage them, and be them, you will carry on the conversation
they are already having.
As you write “with them” and in their flow… joining the conversation
already taking place, you can subtly sell them without them even
knowing what’s going on.
They are so hypnotized with identifying with what you are teaching
them, and your honest statements, that they lose sight of the fact you
are tapping into their emotions and selling them what they really
want… to fulfill their desires.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Now, you do not want to be sneaky or try to outwit them. That’s not
what I am saying here. Here, lets look at it this way:
All you want to do is sell your product. And, all they want to do is
fulfill their desires, get solutions, etc.
Therefore, take yourself out of your shoes (the one who wants nothing
more than to sell a valuable product) and put yourself in their shoes.
Engage them in conversation and act like you are writing straight to a
friend.
Let me post here the example from above where I was writing straight
to professional copywriters… reread it again for better understanding:
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
One of the greatest copywriters, who ever lived, Gary Halbert, was a
master at this. As a reader of his work, I could read it from start to
finish and completely identify with what he was writing about.
He had a talent for tapping into emotions and engaging the prospects
to follow along, get engulfed with the copy and eventually grab the
offer with both hands.
This form of writing is very responsive. People get “into” the copy and
get “engulfed” with what is being revealed. They are hypnotized and
the copy flows capturing their attention, emotions, desires and money!
Power Formulas To
Boost Response!
In this section we will cover some of the most powerful formulas and
strategies to BOOST your results! Each formula can be tied into your
overall marketing, promotion, advertising and sales messages.
These are quite powerful and some are even a bit controversial.
Master these and your income could go through the roof. After you
master these, you’ll never look at another salesletter the same again.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Reason WHY Marketing!
Find a compelling reason that captures grand attention to why you are
doing what you are doing. Draw big attention to your reason “why”
you are providing your offer.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
The reason is retirement. It can be anything compelling. For
example:
When you give people a reason to buy, take action like that – and a
reason you are selling a product at a discounted rate, you provoke
action!
They identify with the story. They are moved by your emotion – even
if that emotion is anger – and they will react with their money in hand.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
I see “reason why” selling taking place in the Internet Marketing
community all of the time. Help me pay my taxes. Send me to the
Big Seminar!
Do not discount this formula off, because it works like a charm! The
word can spread fast and the next thing you know, you are selling out
like crazy.
This method also works like a charm with your salesletters and
storytelling. People relate to stories full of emotion and empathy as
we have covered already…
With this method, you are explaining to the prospects how you were
beat-up, down, misguided, lost, broke, hurt, wounded, etc.
Then, you found _______ (blank). And, ever since you found _____
(blank) you are happy, healthy, rich, famous, perfect, the greatest,
fulfilled, excited, joyous and gorgeous!
And, your prospects can too if they buy your product or service!
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
BAM! Can you say money in the bank? …Because that’s what will
happen if you craft your message in a compelling way using
redemption.
All in all, people will identify with your story of redemption and want to
be a part of it, or experience it themselves.
This strategy shows why everyone is missing the boat, including your
prospects. It sort of goes like this:
They just don’t get it and probably never will. It’s a secret
and I’m about to tell you. You see, most of America is
overweight. You may be too. However, it’s not your fault.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
When you explain to your prospects that it is not their fault, they are
disarmed. They let go and open up to your message. People don’t
want to blame “themselves”, so blame someone else.
Let them off the hook by explaining how it’s not their fault and the
entire world has been mislead by the masses… and on and on…
Once they have an excuse, they can now focus on the right
information, the only information that is in their face – your
information!
What??
He then said, “Go get the cash and bring it up to me”. Well, not only
is that a terrible way to treat your customers, but he pointed the
blame at me. Wrong!
I quickly replied, “No, the server said it was fine, so YOU go get the
money on the table”.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
I’ll never eat there again.
You have to cast the blame somewhere else, and put your prospects at
ease. It’s not their fault. It’s not their mistake. And, don’t avoid
these mistakes.
With this formula, you explain in your sales message how it took a lot
of pain for you to provide this offer to your prospects. For example:
Plus, you will be able to tap into all sorts of other emotions, such as
the fact they can save time, effort and money not having to handle
that for themselves. You did all of the work for them, so their lives
would be much better.
It’s a sacrifice.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Things to look for when buying, or hiring!
With this formula, you explain to your prospects the top things to look
for or watch out for, when buying or hiring ____ (blank). You could
use a top 10 model.
For example: The top 10 things to look for when hiring a copywriter.
Plus, you just gave them all that valuable information (see
reciprocity). It will appear to them that you have their best interest in
mind. You are helping them.
This can work in just about any industry for any product, service, etc.
Here are the top ten things to watch out for when hiring a roofing
company… and so on
Recommended!
Again, people are skeptical. One way to really drop their guards is to
be a recommended product or service. Some marketers even set up
their own recommendation sites – recommending their own product.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Testimonials and endorsements also help to show “credibility” or
recommendations. We all know that word-of-mouth is huge in
marketing, so using recommendations is a great way to get people to
drop their guards and trust you more.
Social Proof!
Social proof is a big driving factor with persuasion and human
behavior. People trust the masses. If a ton of people express a solid
opinion, then many others will join in.
You can utilize social proof with your own advertising, marketing and
sales messages!
Proof in general will compel people to buy, because they trust you
more. Showing proof of results (before and after), checks, etc can
boost response because more people believe.
My rule is to always make sure you provide much more value than the
price tag is asking for. And, you should always hold yourself and your
company to the highest integrity you can.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Shock Value!
This is where you make crazy, out-of-the-world statements, claims or
challenges to create a firestorm of buzz. It is where you are
controversial or edgy.
People identify with that, and are sucked into seeing what’s going on.
It puts you and your offer in the spotlight, and a ton of action follows.
PT Barnum was great at this. He would make crazy claims and pull
grand publicity stunts to spark attention and make himself a killing!
Remember, people are often bored and in reaction mode. They are
looking for something interesting, something to make them sit up in
their chair, and shock value can do the trick.
Damaging Admission!
This is where you admit something damaging about your product or
yourself. Nothing or nobody is perfect, and people know that. They
are skeptical and need to trust you and believe you.
If you come across as perfect, they will think there is a catch. In fact,
they are looking for the catch. Therefore, give it to them.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Reciprocation!
This is a very strong technique that I believe in very much. The
technique here is to give something away, or do for others. Then,
they will feel obligated to do something back for you.
Fortune cookies always come to mind for me when I think about this
method. They bring you cookies with the bill. I’m sure that helps with
tips.
I believe in giving. And, when you give, it comes back to you even
more. However, with reciprocity, people feel obligated, and that is
persuasion and influence.
Stores do this by giving away free gifts. In the mall, I see people in
the food court giving away free samples. Once, I saw a truck filled
with Snapple Drinks just giving away free stuff.
Once, I was running a promotion and sent out free reports to my list of
subscribers. Then, I sent out reports that they could sell themselves.
Then, I sent out reports they could change, alter, edit and do whatever
they wanted with them (private label rights).
Then, I explained to them that I gave them such tremendous stuff for
free. All I asked in return was to view my new product that was
launching the next day.
At the time, I had a small list. However, I sold out in just a couple
hours.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Pain And Pleasure!
With this method, you drive home the pain. There is some kind of
pain people are feeling that has something to do with your product,
drive it home.
Get them to relive the pain. People can be in denial, so get them to
relive it. Get it fresh. Poke at their scars until they start to bleed a
little.
People avoid pain, and hate it. Get them angry, frustrated, sad,
agitated, and hasty and fed up.
Then, show them the beautiful happiness and pleasure they will get by
buying your product. Show them their desires fulfilled. Paint a happy,
joyful image of them smiling with your product.
People avoid pain and gravitate towards HOPE. They want happiness
and their desires fulfilled. Serve it up on a silver platter!
This is one of the most powerful formulas for boosting response there
is. Figure out what their hidden desires are, and then tap into them.
FEAR!
Fear is one of the most driving emotions known to mankind. Fear will
motivate someone to lift a car with their bare hands. Fear will make
someone leap over a 12 foot fence without even blinking.
Fear compels.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
People will buy, act, and do just about anything to avoid fear. If your
product targets prospects that stay up late at night worrying about
some problem – and your product helps with that problem, then
driving home fear can pay huge dividends.
People who are fearful of something are very vulnerable. That is why
this tactic is so dangerous in the wrong hands. Criminals use fear to
control and intimidate others so that they get their way. They use fear
to gain power over others. And, that is wrong!
You have to be careful how you use fear and intimidation with your
marketing. It can backfire and lead to serious problems. Remember,
people do not like to feel pain – and fear is a form of pain.
Therefore, if you use this method wrong, you could create a backfire
with social proof who ridicule you out of business. That is why it is
crucial for you to be honest, have integrity and do things the right
way.
Now, let’s look at using fear to positively influence others. You would
agree that security alarms are a good thing, right? Well, security
alarm salespeople use fear to sell their products.
They will show videos of houses burning down and thieves breaking in.
They will get you to relive the fear, and bring it top-of-mind. And, let
me tell you, it is hard to turn down one of those alarms after you have
just witnessed a house burning to the ground and a little girl crying
because all her toys are destroyed.
People will protect themselves from fearful emotions. You can tap into
that, and make a fortune.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Here are some more examples:
• Investments,
• retirement,
• 401k,
• exercise,
• diet,
• vitamins,
• prescription drugs
All are examples of products and services that can utilize people’s
fears for security, health and being comfortable (see reasons why
people buy section)
People can absolutely hate their jobs, and never look for another one.
For 20 years, someone can get up in the morning and go to a job they
hate and never actually take any action to get a different job.
However, if they all of a sudden feel they may lose their job, they will
go to interviews during lunch, breakfast and dinner. They’ll spend
money on a professional resume, and they will go to great lengths to
secure themselves again.
Some will even end up quitting their jobs because they cannot stand
the anxiety and fear of losing that job. Fear will make people do crazy
things.
For you, fear can be your friend. You can utilize fear to compel people
to buy. Remember, “Desire” is their hidden agendas. Tap into the
fact they want to gravitate towards their desires and avoid pain – and
sprint away from FEAR!
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
It could go like this on formulating your salesletter:
Pain (introduction)
Fear
Pain
Fear (body)
Happiness (body of letter)
Happiness
Happiness
SOLD! (closing of letter)
Fear (closing and objections)
RESOLD! (re-closing of letter)
People relate to those they like. If you are just like them, there is a
better chance they will like you. And, if that is the case, they will trust
you more. They will be more comfortable with you and confide in you
--- and buy from you!
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
The Common Enemy!
This is where you find a common enemy with your prospects. You
identify this enemy and then you side with your prospects. Then, you
hammer the enemy.
This is conquering the bully. Everyone will love you for doing it, if it is
a bully or enemy you are hammering. Figure out what they hate. The
enemy may not be a person, but an organization, or anything that
causes frustration, pain or anger.
The IRS is a good example. Some people absolutely hate the IRS.
For example:
At the end, they are so curios as to what it is, they have to buy it. “I
was just too curios to pass it up”. They think to themselves, I’ve got
to find out what this is.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Being Specific!
This is where you are so deadly specific about what you are providing
that it comes across as honest and straight forward. This is anther
example of disarming people.
Here is an example:
That is very specific. You could also use this strategy when explaining
what you will provide customers. For example:
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
8 Keys To Persuasive
Copy!
Key #1
Know Your Prospects Extremely well and better than
your competition.
Marketers and companies pay big dollars for accurate data that shows
what the market feels and thinks. You are marketing towards
demographics, so understand that you must know your prospects well
to be successful.
Some large companies are so focused with their internal battles, they
lose track of their customers needs, wants and desires. They then
wonder where all of the profits are. If only they would get out from
behind their desks and go interact with their customers and prospects,
they’d then figure out how to better serve them.
When it comes right down to it, the number one rule in generating
wealth is to find a demand in a market and fill it better than anyone
else is filling it.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
If you can fill a demand better than competition, then you will earn the
lion’s share of the market revenue. It is all a matter of serving the
market.
If you are writing copy for clients, you may want to research their
prospects and figure out what pushes their buttons. Spend enough
time communicating with the market. Don’t just take your client’s
word on the market, get out there and interact with them.
That can make all of the difference in the world for conversions. I
mean, how else can you speak their language if you do not learn their
language?
Someone who is not into Internet Marketing may not know what I
meant when I typed in PPC, or CPA. That would be foreign to them,
and they could be turned off by that language if they don’t understand
it.
Get inside their heads and their souls. You have to know what they
hate and rave about with other similar products in your market. Know
what they love, what products they talk about, know about and rave
about… and WHY!
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Key #2
#2
Your Copy Needs To CAPTURE the Visitors
In A Matter of Seconds!
People are busy, very distracted, ADD, their fast, bored and
preoccupied. Gary Halbert said that the world sorts through their mail
while standing over a wastebasket.
You have a matter of seconds to capture them and get them to invest
time in reading your sales message. We once sent out direct mail in
thank you card envelopes to capture attention. We even spent money
hiring some college kid to address the envelopes by hand – just to
increase the read.
The best way I have ever heard this explained was from Tony Blake.
He explained that you have to disrupt their flow. Online, people have
several windows open, instant messaging going on, checking their
emails, answering the phone, the dog is barking, the family is calling,
the kids are pulling at their legs, and you want them to escape all of
that and invest time in reading your message.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
A long salesletter can take 30 to 45 minutes or longer for someone to
read. That is an eternity in today’s day and age. What do they say,
“If you would exercise just 45 minutes per day, you’d be as healthy as
can be”. And, what is the number one excuse for not investing that
time in working out? Yep, it is that they just don’t have the time.
What you want to do is find your number one benefit and emotion,
that number one desire you are tapping into and carefully craft a
thought provoking headline.
Think about action movies. They tend to start out with an action
scene. Horror movies start out with scary sounding music and
scenery.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Key #3
#3
Tell Them Exactly What You Are Providing!
I hit on this earlier in the report under a different section, but that is
my 3rd key to writing compelling copy. I often get letters to rewrite for
clients, and sometimes those letters are very confusing. I do not know
what the product is that they are selling, without careful study.
That’s a big mistake. Like I just said a moment ago, you have mere
seconds to capture them. If they have to search and study to figure
out what your offer is, you are dead before you even get started.
Key #4
#4
Write To Them, About Them – Not About You!
They are not so interested in you, as they are in what you can do for
them and how you can fulfill their desires. They want to talk about
themselves in a sense.
Use the word “You” often and always in your sales messages. It is one
of the most powerful words in our language. In other words, don’t
write in a manner where you are referring to everyone. Use the word
you.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
For example, don’t write like this:
See how that is not very personal? That is writing to everyone, not
me, or you. Even this publication is mostly written towards you… not
everyone who buys it.
I’ve actually received emails where I thought the marketer was writing
straight to me. I thought he/she was sending me a one-on-one email,
but it wasn’t. It was to thousands of people.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
But, tie them into the story and use the word you while you are talking
about yourself. Here is a quick example:
See how I included them in the story about me? Write straight to one
person. Act like you are writing to your friend. Be yourself, but write
to one person.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Key #5
#5
Tap Into Emotions, People Buy On Emotions Much More
Often Than They Buy With Logic!
Sell the sizzle. Remember it is not the carnation people are buying,
but the desire to feel important all day long (explained earlier in the
report).
Key #6
#6
You Must Grab And Hold Onto Your Visitors/Prospects’
Attention From Start To Finish!
Your tempo must be fast paced. In other words, it should read fast
and not be confusing or read slow. Read over your letter and take
note of the spots where your reading tempo slows down.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Then, adjust that part where it is confusing or reads slow. Or, take it
out entirely. It is so critical that your copy reads fast, or that’s where
you lose people.
Let me compare this to movies again. Can you tell I am into movies?
Anyway, with movies, I have notice while watching a movie with my
wife, that at the exact same time, we both feel that the movie is
dragging or becoming boring.
She will say, “This is boring”. Or, she’ll say, “I wish they would get on
with it”. Well, the movie is slowing down and people are getting
restless. People are going to the restroom and stocking up on more
popcorn.
Some even fall asleep. The same can be said for your prospects. If
they are having a hard time reading your letter, then they may go
somewhere else and forget about your product.
If you have ever read a long letter and did not even realize you spent
30 minutes reading it – it just grabbed you and sucked you in, even if
you knew you were not going to buy it – that is a good example of a
fast tempo letter.
Here are a few ways to speed up your tempo and hold onto your
readers…
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Ok, I’ve been using this trick in the above example. You may not have
caught it, so read it again and look for the questions. Here are a list of
these mini-question triggers:
• Isn’t it
• Couldn’t it
• Shouldn’t it
• Don’t you agree?
• Right?
• Doesn’t that make sense
• Are you beginning to see the power in this?
In sales, this works like a charm. You get the prospect saying yes
many times, subconsciously. At the end, when you close, you have
had the prospect agree with you a ton of times already. So, if they
are used to saying yes, over and over, then you should get a yes out
of them one more time, at the end, during the closing. Makes sense
huh? See, I did it again.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
I believe those conjunctions, help flow the reader throughout the sales
message, and it holds onto them, passing them from one paragraph to
the next…
Another subtle trick I use is ellipses (the three dots at the end of a
sentence…)
If you look up at the paragraph that ends with the word “next”, you
will see right after that are the three dots…
And, while we are on the subject of ellipses, they are great for
breaking up sentences and creating whitespace. In other words, you
can use them right in the middle of sentences. I shall show you in the
next paragraph example:
They do not want to read a novel, or some long drawn out paragraph.
So, chop up your paragraphs into two or three sentences long. Most
of this publication is written in that manner. I try not to have long
paragraphs…
Let’s go back to the three dots for just a second... Those three dots
also help the reader flow from one paragraph to the next one…
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
It leads the reader to shift their eyes to the next paragraph. It is sort
of like a cliff hanger… they want to see what is going to be said next…
You see, you can use the three dots to start a sentence also.
All in all, formatting your copy with enough whitespace can have a
drastic effect on readership. Too much text crammed into one small
space can be a quick turn off.
Take note of your copy and where it reads slowly, and fix it to read
faster. Your results will thank you.
Key #7
#7
You Must Know Your Benefits… All of Them!
Find all of your benefits and write them down. Spend a good amount
of time figuring out all of your benefits. Compare them to the reasons
people buy and gather as many benefits as you can about your
products or services.
This is time well spent, because you will be able to find a hidden
benefit you did not think of before. And, that hidden benefit could be
the magic one that many people identify with.
That last hidden benefit could be the one that sparks an entire
different hook – that could be better than the initial one you started
with.
Too many times, I have taken over copywriting projects where the
client missed the boat on several important benefits. Those benefits
are what your prospects are looking for. Find them.
AdInfluence.com
© Eric Louviere
Example, if your software has a feature that allows customers to push
a button and it do everything for them, how does that feature benefit
the customer?
Key #8
#8
Close Your Prospects!
All too often, I see salesletters and advertisements that pitch the offer,
list the benefits, maybe even overcome objections, and then deliver a
pansy “close”!
You have to close your prospects. Start closing them early on and
close them throughout your letter, and really close them hard at the
end – and then close them again.
At the end, call great attention to your close. Tell them how their life
will be terrible if they do not get your product. Pull a “take-away”.
Show them the happiness and fulfilled desires by getting your product
and show them pain and fear for not getting your product.
Many people who buy express that they do not read the entire
message. That means, many customers don’t read the entire
salesletter.
Some do, but many don’t. That means that many people scan your
message, or pick out bullet points, or read a few sub-headers and
make a decision of “to buy” or “not to buy”.
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This is why building anticipation is a smart move in your marketing.
This is why getting referrals can boost your response. Nevertheless,
some people will buy your product by not reading your entire
message.
If they have gone through your entire letter, and are at the end of the
presentation, then they are hanging on by a thread… they could go
away and not buy, or they could buy. It will be up to your “close” to
make the difference.
Tell them why it is a big mistake if they pass your offer up. Explain
how they will miss out on an opportunity. Use testimonials to further
illustrate how they will screw up if they pass on it. Use your PS’s to
further close them.
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People are indecisive, so tell them exactly what to do. Ask for the
sale. Paint a picture of them already having your product. Assume
the sale. Assume they are buyers from the beginning. Write to them
as if they already purchased the product. For example:
You can present a benefit you have not presented at all in your letter.
Use the PS’s to make the deal one step sweeter!
I make the letters stand out with larger font and a different color. I
like green for PS’s. Most of my letter is black and red. So, at the end,
green will stand out. I traditionally like to go with three PS’s.
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Here is an example of what my PS’s might look like:
I also like to use a completely different font for the two letters, PS. I
like to use Georgia font in green at a larger size. I also like to provide
plenty of whitespace around the PS paragraphs. See how the PS
paragraph is indented further to the right than the rest of the text on
this page? That makes it stand out and gives it more whitespace.
For example: Giving away your $97/month product for only $1 for the
first 7 days disarms your prospects on pricing and fear of not getting a
good deal, or wasting their money.
This is a solid approach to take, but there are a few things to weigh
when taking this type of approach…
The way you frame or position your products can determine your profit
margins and sometimes your success in general. For example, if
someone launches a membership that shows tons of value for a very
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low monthly rate, some will perceive that membership to not be very
valuable.
On the other hand, if the price is a bit higher, some will perceive it as
worth more, and more valuable. There are cases where marketers
have sold more units at higher prices, and fewer units at lower prices.
For instance, I once sold more reports when the price was $47, than
when it was only $19. People figured it had more value, even though
everything else remained the same – except the price.
In fact, when testing and tracking, one of the most important things
you should test is your price points. Many will test the headlines, sub-
headers, PS’s, call to action, testimonials, bullet points, etc and never
stop to think about testing the prices.
When you test your price points, you will find that perfect price that
not only provides you with profit, but more sales. This is a valuable
piece of advice right here. Just because you think $127 is expensive
for your own product, does not mean others will think that.
After all, you created it. Sometimes, you will discount your own
products with fear it’s just not as good as you could have done.
However, on the other hand, some folks think their stuff is worth much
more than it is to the market. So, they price themselves too high.
I’ve seen marketers discount their products to rock bottom prices and
barely sell a single one of them. However, at the higher price, it sold
like hot cakes.
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I have a closet full of Polo Shirts. They are expensive compared to
many brands of shirts. But, people like what the brand stands for and
the image it presents.
Tom Hopkins teaches that there are “sales killing” words you should
never use, such as; contract, sign, cost, etc.
Those words can kill the deal. Well, the same can be said for what you
call your products or how you present them or brand them. Maybe
prospects in your industry are sick and tired of certain words, like
“membership” or “no-brainer”.
Perhaps other words would fit better and have a better meaning, like
“program”. Maybe the word, “program” or “publication” is better than
the word, “Ebook”.
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Here’s a quick comparison example:
Or
The second one is more powerful and has more impact, and sounds
much more attractive.
+++
We have all heard how powerful “word-of-mouth” is. Well, there are
ways you can incorporate the power of that into your sales messages
and “positioning” of your products and services.
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You’re A Copywriter,
Now What?
Well, the same can be said for your letters and your own clients. One
of the problems beginning copywriters make, is they try to over-sell on
their salesletters.
They “scream” out to the readers… “Hey! Buy this! It is the greatest in
the entire world! It is a sure-fire no-brainer! This letter is filled to the
brim with hype!”
If you read a captivating story, or book, you are sucked into it and
that story creates emotions within you that book will keep you reading
on and on.
That is the type of writing that I am talking about. One of the very
best things you could do as a copywriter is study “screenwriting”.
Your ability to grab and hold onto your readers with emotion, empathy
and art, can increase response and make you absolutely wealthy.
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There are ways to write your sales messages that will inspire, excite
and captivate your audience (prospects). It takes practice, study and
years of trial and error. But, eventually, your investment will pay off
and you’ll never have to worry about working some job ever again.
Grab people by their necks and pull them into your offer by using
honesty, emotion, stories and empathy… not hard-core sales that turn
people off.
Getting Clients!
One problem I see a lot with newer copywriters is they struggle to get
clients. Well, the first thing you need is a portfolio of your work,
references, testimonials, and results.
The way I started was I wrote copy for free. I did not charge a thing.
If I was to become a high priced copywriter, then I needed to not only
prove to my clients I was worthy, but to myself as well.
So, I wrote copy for free. All you have to do is ask marketers, and
they would be crazy to say no. Here’s what I did:
I asked them if I could write copy for them and they could test the
copy, use it, etc. If they liked it, and it converted well for them, then
all I wanted in return was a testimonial and the opportunity to use the
copy as part of my portfolio.
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Of course, every single one of the people I asked said yes. I mean,
what’s the worse that could happen, right? They could just throw it in
the trash if they did not like it.
So, I got myself about 10 projects and went to work on them. Next, I
signed up at a few sites online, such as guru.com, elance.com,
scriptlance.com and rentacoders.com
One thing I did not do, but would recommend is contact other top
copywriters and ask if you can be a JR Copywriter for them. I have
several JR copywriters I keep in contact with and they are great for
helping me with deadlines and all.
You can get your own site up and online that showcases your work,
and sells prospects on your copywriting ability. Then, drive targeted
traffic to your site from Google Adwords.
You can join Internet Marketing forums, and copywriting forums, and
interact. Clients frequent those places and always need copywriting
work.
Another thing you can do is look offline. Just grab the yellow pages,
and you will find an entire city of prospects. Most of those ads are
written by graphic artists who have little clue about copywriting.
You can approach local businesses, and present them with copywriting
packages or opportunities. For example, go to a dentist or
chiropractor and ask if you can do a mailing to their entire database
for them for a fee, or for a testimonial (they pay for the postage and
your fee).
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Clients are everywhere, but you have to go out and get them when
you are first starting out. Later, they will find you. And, if you are
good, they will overwhelm you. That is why it is good to have JR
Copywriters.
Once you start getting paying clients, over-deliver! Give them much
more than they are expecting, and they will rave about you.
Give Deals!
Some copywriters would argue with me on this one, but I don’t care.
Just like any product or service, it requires marketing. Sometimes, I
like to give deals or specials on my copywriting services.
What these deals do, is load up my prospect list, customer list and
relationships. You see, I have found that a copywriting client is a
great thing beyond simply writing copy for them.
There are partnership opportunities and much more that derive from
writing copy for others. To me, I’d like a large base of clients.
The more clients you have, the more you can charge, and the more
opportunities derive.
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If it does make sense, then you see how powerful building up
relationships can be. Perhaps now, you see how powerful being a
prized copywriter can be for your income.
Sometimes, I shake the tree and what falls out is income. In other
words, I’ll run a deal on copywriting, and generate a ton of inquiries,
quotes, projects, opportunities and so on…
All in all, going out and grabbing more and more clients can yield big
opportunities for you in many areas. Then, you may find yourself in a
position where you need JR Copywriters too.
Pricing!
I have seen plenty of brand new copywriters who price themselves
right out of getting any clients. They are new, have no portfolio, no
website, no reputation, and no results, nothing… but yet they want to
charge an arm and a leg for copy.
Sure, they can charge whatever they want. And, sure, their time may
be worth that much. And, sure, they may be very good. But, they are
wondering where all the clients are?
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I changed my response to them, and now request that they do the
first job for free to weed out the wishful-thinkers.
I see plenty of copywriters who charge even more than I do, who still
work jobs somewhere else doing something they hate. To me, I would
rather work from home in my underwear than work some stupid job.
So, I’d rather write copy all day from home, than battle a 9 to 5 job.
I cannot tell you how much to charge, that’s up to you. But to me, I
charged what I had to in-order to get as many clients as I could to
reach the income I wanted.
I call that taking one step back, to take two steps forward…
And now, I don’t even have to write one sentence of copy to be able to
work from home and not work a job.
I hope that bit of advice has helped you, if this is what you are after.
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© Eric Louviere
Do For Others!
If you are a copywriter, or want to be one, bad… then look for ways
you can use your skills to help others. Assist others. Use your skills
as your leverage to make things happen. Open the floodgates to
opportunities, relationships and more.
If you have little regard for yourself, and look at what you can do
generously for others, you may end up setting yourself up for big time
success!
You have a skill that most people do not have. Plus, you are willing to
do something most people hate doing for them – writing copy.
Word of mouth!
Clients referring other clients are the name of the game. I have
written copy for people in the Real Estate market. Those Real Estate
investors recommended me to other Investors.
One will say to the other, “I saw that salesletter you have for your
course, who wrote that copy?”
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© Eric Louviere
When that happens, you’ll start getting good referrals. Make sure you
over-deliver if that is a market you enjoy writing for. Word-of-mouth
can make you a ton of money.
Conclusion!
We are at the end of our journey together and I want to congratulate
you on taking the time to grow your knowledge of copywriting and
persuasion.
It is one of the very best things you can do to increase your success.
It does not matter what profession you are in, every profession
requires selling and persuading.
The better you are at that, the more successful you will be. To be a
top-copywriter, you must practice and practice and learn and learn.
Over time, your skills will grow earning you more income.
Thanks for spending time with me on this journey and I wish you the
very best with your business!
Yours truly,
Eric Louviere
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The End
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