How To Write Great Sales Copy That Sells

There's a great marketing saying that copy is salesmanship in print, which means you can't always be in front of the customer personally, so your writing has to do the selling for you. Even if you don't like writing, or think you're no good. Don't worry, we're not asking you to write War & Peace!

Anyone can write good copy once they know the 10 key elements that make a good sales letter.

If you think you would rather pay someone to do all your writing, that's fine, but you've still got to make sure they cover the 10 elements of copywriting that sells. So here goes.

1) Who is your customer? Sounds like a dumb question, but many entrepreneurs cannot tell you in one sentence who their typical customer is. You have to know everything about your customer so you can speak in their language. You wouldn't speak to a car dealer the same way you speak to a Massage therapist. You want to sound genuine and authentic. The best way to do this is to know your customer. Use surveys and competitions to get this information.

2) Find the ouch point.Every customer has an ouch point. The obstacle or challenge that is preventing them from getting that goal.It could be monetary, dietary, emotional etc. Once you find the ouch point, provide a solution and make that a theme running thru your copy. For example, a customer says I can't lose weight. You say you will lose weight on my specially designed nutrition plan.

3) Write a killer headline. This is the most important part of your copy. You need to grab the readers' attention before they click away. Be bold and call out your customer by name .Make sure they know you are speaking to them. Now is not the time to be vague or abstract. Top copywriters often write hundreds of versions of a headline until they get the right one.

4)Tell your story. People buy from people they know, like and trust. You've heard this before, because it is so true. Let your personality and character shine through. If you have an interesting story about how you got to where you are, TELL IT. Customers want to know that you are real, flesh and blood with imperfections just like them. It breaks down barriers which drives sales.

5) Break it up. Don't write pages and pages of long boring text, ugh no one wants to read that. Everyone is pushed for time now and very impatient. Make your copy Scannable, which means using lots of bulleting, bolding and highlighting. Hold your readers attention by making your copy attractive and not seem like too much work to read.

6)Write in plain english. Don't use technical jargon unless you are sure the reader will understand it in a particular narrow niche. Keep your sentences short and write the way you speak, it's more casual and friendly. Don't worry no one is going to give you a bad grade!

7) Do the so what? test. Read your copy and if any part of it makes the reader say so what's in it for me?, scrap it and start again. The letter should be about the reader and how they are going to benefit from your services.If you're still not sure, check that you have more You than I in the copy.

8)Use testimonials. What others say about you is 10 times more believable and compelling than what you say about yourself. Start collecting testimonials from happy customers and use them, preferably with full name and picture. Make sure the testimonials address any objections a reader may have such as price, lack of time
etc.

9)Call to Action. Tell the reader what you want them to do. Sign up, buy, register. Give them an incentive or a deadline to create a sense of urgency and value. People read words, not minds. Make it VERY EASY for your reader to give you their information.

10)Don't forget the PS. Probably one of the most read parts of a letter. This is a great place to remind them of an offer or a deadline.