A brief discussion of the 5 common mistakes that are made with sales copy
Writing copy has sometimes been compared to an “art.” While it does take creative skill to write great copy that generates results, there are some mistakes that you should avoid to make sure that your copy is read and acted upon.
The copy is boring. Great copy will never be boring and will always get the reader to read the entire message. It is engaging and written in a conversational tone. It bypasses the readers mental resistance to being sold and will always generate results. That's why the best copy that you read, is always the ones that read like a good book. They tell a story and bring the reader along your sales process.
The copy is all about you. Copy that is all about the features of a product, or all about your service will fall flat on its face. The reader will not finish reading the copy and will in all likelihood toss the letter in the trash. There goes your marketing budget to the landfill. It would be more profitable to donate the money to a deserving charity and have a press release written about how you or your company is concerned about people's welfare. No, your copy must tell the reader “what's in it for me,” WIIFM. You must show the reader what the result of using your product of service will be of benefit to them. They could care less about you, so keep yourself out of it. Now, there are times when you must tell about yourself or your company. And that is used to generate credibility, not to make the sale, and it must come after telling the reader the benefits of using your service or product. Only then will the reader be interested in hearing about you or your company.
Has no clear “call to action.” You must spell out what you want the reader to do. If you want to reader to fill out your order form, give them specific instructions on how to do it. Tell them exactly what to do. Don't dawdle around and say, “Just fill out the order form to get your...” No, no, no. Rather tell them that they need to give you their name, address, etc. on the order form, and make sure you tell them to “print” on the order form, that way it will be easier for you to read. I'm not saying that prospects are dumb, but you must give them specific instructions on what action you want them to perform.
Has a week P.S. The PS is the second most read part of your sales letter. Restate the benefits the reader will enjoy by ordering your product or service. Throw in an extra bonus here as well. For example, “Order in the next 5 days and you will also receive (fill in the blank).” And if you want to make sure that you have a strong PS write it before you write the body of your letter. That way you won't be tired of writing and scratch out a hurried PS.
Has no testimonials. Without testimonials (and we're not talking about the “Oh I just loved your service” kind of testimonials) your copy has no credibility. Why should someone believe what you are telling them if there is nothing to back up your claims? Without testimonials your reader will assume that you are hyping them. That you are claiming to be something that you are not. You must have testimonials to help your reader/prospect believe in you. Survey your customers to get good specific testimonials so that you can sprinkle them throughout your copy.
These are just a few mistakes that I've seen people make when trying to write their own copy instead of hiring a qualified copywriter. A really good copywriter will avoid these mistakes like the plague. Examine the copy you have on your website or in your sales literature. Does it make any of these mistakes? Chances are if it is making any of these mistakes then it is making others that will jump off the page to a well-trained copywriter's eye. Don't make these mistakes yourself if you decide to tackle writing your own sales copy. If you do, you will be doomed to fail at the outset and you will be wondering why your copy isn't converting more prospects.
Gary Glasscock is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct response copy. He has written direct response web copy and direct mail letters. Gary can be contacted through his website at www.gc-copywriting.com
