| The economist Paul A. Samuelson once said, | | | | prospect for breakthrough sales-copy: |
| "Good questions outrank easy answers." | | | | - Do your prospects desire to powerfully master, |
| It's true. I found that a set of good questions | | | | control, create, or transform a thing, process or |
| about your prospect will uncover the revealing | | | | situation? |
| insights that you need to craft powerful sales | | | | - Do your prospects desire to communicate |
| copy. Yet these types of questions are hard to | | | | meaningfully and deliberately with any type of |
| find. Few marketers even know what they are. | | | | symbols -- either with others or to express |
| The best marketers know them through | | | | themselves or clarify their thoughts? |
| sensitivity, instinct and intuition -- a kind of | | | | - Do your prospects desire better social |
| knowledge and sensing that's hard to put in | | | | interaction with others in specific situations, |
| writing. | | | | occasions or gathering? Do they want to |
| I had to search deep and wide to uncover these | | | | participate effectively socially in a specific role or |
| good questions. Since they're critical to successful | | | | status? |
| sales-copy, the search was well worth it. Knowing | | | | - Do your prospects desire to be frugal or careful |
| the right questions to ask focuses your attention | | | | with resources they deem limited? Do they want |
| on what matters most in your prospects' | | | | to be responsible as they manage these limited |
| real-world experience. Such specific information will | | | | resources? |
| give your sales-copy the "feeling that impels your | | | | - Do your prospects desire harmony, coherence |
| readers to act as you want them." | | | | or nuanced differentiation of their social or |
| I've found a lot of advice about how important it | | | | individual situations, or even between them and |
| is to start with good information to make sure | | | | others or things? Do they desire more surprise, |
| your sales-copy compels your readers to act. And | | | | improvisation, leisure, fun or rest to harmonize |
| I found a general understanding of what sort of | | | | their work life and so on? |
| information you want about your prospect before | | | | - Do your prospects desire retribution in any |
| you craft your sales-copy. These popular answers | | | | sense? Do they desire what they think is due to |
| are helpful only to a point. These are the easy | | | | them by the government, society, family, |
| answers. But after searching several years for | | | | organizations or even themselves? Do they desire |
| the right answers, I've finally found the questions | | | | to get at the essence of things, events, occasions |
| that'll make the difference in your sales-copy. | | | | or situations? Or do they desire to protect |
| Before I get to the questions, let me tell you why | | | | themselves from unjust retribution from others? |
| they're so important and what you should be | | | | - Do your prospects desire to give of themselves |
| looking for when you ask them. | | | | sacrificially? Do they want to be generous and |
| Why Finding the Right Information About | | | | benevolent? Do they have a desire to be humble, |
| Your Prospect Makes A Difference | | | | respectful, courteous and hospitable? |
| These questions are critical because the most | | | | - Do they desire to have a clear vision of who |
| important part of your sales-copy is your | | | | they are, what is around them and what or who |
| customer. The respected copywriter Michele | | | | is divine or ultimate? Do they desire to strengthen |
| Fortier, in his article How to Get Your Perfect | | | | their commitment to powers that make demands |
| Customer tells you that, "[the] most important | | | | on them and compel them to respond? Do they |
| part of your copy is not your headline, not your | | | | desire to strengthen their hope in life? Do they |
| offer and certainly not your benefits. The most | | | | desire meaning or significance in life? |
| important part is your customer." | | | | Look for answers to these types of questions |
| And to get the important information about your | | | | and see for yourself how you'll have a better |
| customers, he advises you to talk to your | | | | understanding of what's driving your market. Most |
| customers in depth. You need good qualitative and | | | | often, it's a combination of these desires that |
| quantitative information around these four areas: | | | | defines your market. Remember, I'm talking about |
| - Geographics | | | | getting a keener understanding of your prospect |
| - Demographics | | | | so you can write highly responsive and |
| - Psychographics | | | | fast-converting sales-copy. |
| - Technographics | | | | How to Make The Revealing Insights |
| The idea, he tells you, is to find out why your | | | | About Your Prospect Work For You |
| customers are buying from you so that you | | | | Let me now give you a couple examples of how |
| know what type of prospects your sales-copy | | | | asking the right questions about your prospects |
| should be targeting. | | | | can increase responsiveness. Here are two ads |
| Fortier tells you in general that it's important to | | | | whose copy shows the writer started with |
| get lots of information about the prospect, but he | | | | deeper insight about their prospects than most |
| doesn't tell you what exactly you should be | | | | other ad copy. |
| paying attention to. For instance, he suggests you | | | | The first comes from a Microsoft ad for Visual |
| should find out information like: | | | | Studio 2005. The ad is currently running in |
| - Who, exactly, is your perfect customer? | | | | e-Week. The full-page ad shows two photographs. |
| - What's a day in the life of your perfect | | | | Both have the same scene. One man is busy in |
| customer like? | | | | his cubicle, working in front of his computer. By |
| - Why did they buy your product? If not, why | | | | his desk, there are two young and attractive lady |
| not? | | | | co-workers. |
| Even if you're able to gather this type of | | | | The top photo shows the ladies looking at a |
| information about your prospects, this still doesn't | | | | report titled "Change Orders." There is a sign |
| get you what you need. It still leaves you asking, | | | | pinned on the cubicle wall behind the man that |
| what in your information will help you write | | | | reads "Overtime Policy," and on his desk you see |
| effective sales-copy? | | | | a desk plaque covered with paper clips and a set |
| For instance: | | | | of an "average Joe's" car keys. |
| - What lies behind your perfect customers and | | | | The bottom photo shows one lady now looking at |
| what drives them in their real-world experience to | | | | a magazine with the cover title, "Coders to |
| make them your perfect customer? | | | | Watch." The second lady has turned her attention |
| - What is it about the life of your perfect | | | | to the guy who is now recording something. Also, |
| customers that helps you write better | | | | the sign pinned on his cubicle wall now reads |
| sales-copy? | | | | "Vacation Policy." The desk plaque reads "2006 |
| - What is it about the reason why your | | | | MPV," and the car keys are for a BMW car. |
| customers bought or didn't buy from you that | | | | At the bottom, the sales-copy reads: |
| helps you sell to others? | | | | "Visual Studio 2005. The difference is obvious." |
| What to Look For About You Prospects | | | | Spot the difference? Your peers will. A faster |
| That Will Strengthen Your Sales-Copy | | | | path to Visual Basic 2005 makes it easier to |
| The simple answer is that you have to find the | | | | leverage your existing skills while taking on the |
| pain common to most of your prospects. You get | | | | challenging projects that make reputations. You |
| at this pain by skillfully asking questions that help | | | | also get over 400 features that streamline coding, |
| your prospects open up and reveal it to you. And | | | | so you can focus on the work that matters. See |
| yes, you have to listen well; otherwise you'll miss | | | | all 400 differences at . . . |
| it. | | | | This sales-copy writer understands that coders |
| The legendary copywriter Eugene Schwartz has a | | | | are people who function in many aspects of their |
| better answer. In his book Breakthrough | | | | everyday experience amidst their daily work. |
| Advertising, he tells us that our advertising | | | | They are social people who desire better |
| success depends on understanding "the forces | | | | relationships with others and who would like to be |
| that create the public spread of a private want, | | | | recognized for their hard work. Yes, coders have |
| or mass desire." We uncover these forces from | | | | a job to do. And they'd better do it efficiently and |
| the way people are wired -- their instincts, | | | | cost-effectively. Also, their good work helps their |
| intuitions, or from a mass technological problem | | | | company achieve their goals. |
| your prospects are facing. We also uncover these | | | | But here is the important question -- What quality |
| strong forces in the "winds of change". | | | | really drives them that you can tap into to make |
| How do you get at these forces? | | | | them turn from their "private conversation" and |
| First, by studying these mass instincts. You need | | | | pay attention to your ad? |
| to know how these mass instincts get | | | | Here is the second example. Direct Marketing |
| transformed into strong mass desires. And | | | | Magazine has a great column called The Makeover |
| depending on your product and service, you also | | | | Maven. In this column, Thomas Collins takes an ad |
| need "sensitivity, foresight, intuition to see and | | | | he finds wanting and crafts a makeover. A few |
| catch the rising tide [of the straws in the wind] | | | | months ago, he did a makeover using an ad he |
| when it's almost imperceptible." | | | | found on the Sony Vaio T-300 Series notebook |
| How do you know the instincts that become | | | | computer. Sony's ad wanted to highlight their |
| forces creating this mass desire? Or how do you | | | | notebook's ability to connect wireless anywhere, |
| raise your level of sensitivity, foresight or intuition | | | | even beyond hot spots. |
| so that you'll perceive and interpret the rising tide | | | | The sales copywriter of the original ad thought |
| when it's almost imperceptible? | | | | the quality that would pull male response most |
| This, he doesn't tell us. Few are able to tell us. | | | | was their desire to impress women. The ad has a |
| But this doesn't mean no one has told us. I was | | | | man rescuing his lost date by finding their location |
| able to find answers from an English researcher, | | | | using the notebook (although they appear to be |
| Andrew Basden PhD, who is working on, among | | | | far away from civilization). The headline for this ad |
| other things, artificial intelligence systems. His | | | | reads: |
| answers will help you better explain how your | | | | "Wireless Beyond Hotspots, At Last." |
| prospects are wired. Now you can see for | | | | Since the sales-copy seemed to imply their |
| yourself if his answers will add power to your | | | | market was business people, this approach didn't |
| sales-copy. | | | | work for Collins. He saw the mass desire |
| The Questions That Will Identifythe Forces That | | | | differently. In his makeover, Collins writes an ad |
| Define Your Market | | | | around the idea that a businessperson, at times, |
| With Basden's answers, I was able to formulate a | | | | needs harmony in their life. They need to get |
| few good specific questions that will help you | | | | away from the office. Even spend some |
| quickly find the forces that create the mass | | | | much-needed time at a nice cabin by the lake, |
| desires that define your market. When you ask | | | | while still being connected to the office. His |
| the right questions, your mind will know what to | | | | headline read: |
| look for. You'll then uncover the revealing insights | | | | "Now You Can Really Get Away From It All -- |
| about your customers that you need for | | | | Even From Hot Spots." |
| breakthrough sales-copy. | | | | These two examples illustrate the importance of |
| When you ask these questions, keep in mind that | | | | knowing your customer well. It helps if you have |
| these desires are a result of how your prospects | | | | the gift of seeing past the facade people show |
| function in their everyday experience, and how | | | | you, or you can ask good questions that will |
| they seek meaning in those functions. When you | | | | uncover the revealing information that will make |
| look at how they function in the various aspects | | | | your sales-copy work for you. |
| of their lives, you'll find your prospects have all | | | | In Brief: |
| kinds of strong desires. | | | | 1. Good answers outrank easy answers. |
| You need an accurate reading of their situation in | | | | 2. What's most important about your sales-copy |
| order to discover their strongest desires at | | | | is your customer. |
| specific times. These are the desires you need to | | | | 3. Your most effective sales-copy starts with the |
| tap into. | | | | right information about your customers/prospects. |
| The opportunity for you comes when your | | | | 4. It's critical to know what to look for when |
| prospects feel they're severely hampered from | | | | interpreting all the information you've gathered |
| satisfying their strong desires. The tension | | | | about your customers/prospects. |
| between what they naturally desire because of | | | | 5. Look for the forces that create the public |
| how they function, the way they distort these | | | | spread of a private want, or mass desire. |
| desires and their inability to satisfy them causes | | | | 6. To know what these forces look like, find the |
| the forces that drive and define your market. If | | | | desires that cause the most tension in your |
| your prospects feel the tension badly enough, and | | | | prospects. |
| you're able to satisfy their desire, they'll commit | | | | 7. Use good questions based on how your |
| readily to knowing about what you have to offer | | | | prospect functions in hisreal-world experience, and |
| them. And they'll ask for the sale ... all on their | | | | you'll find revealing insights that will quickly show |
| own. | | | | you the forces that create the public spread of a |
| These questions will help you accurately read the | | | | private want. |
| situations in which your prospect functions and | | | | 8. With these revealing insights about your |
| their specific desires. Find the tensions in these | | | | customers/prospects, you'll write breakthrough |
| desires, and you'll find revealing insights about your | | | | sales-copy. |