11 ways to demolish sales resistance

Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection

11 Ways to Demolish Sales Resistance: How Master Copyw Copywriters riters Make People Believe

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11 Ways to Demolish Sales Resistance: How Master Copywriters Make People Believe By Sandy Franks Editor, Copywriting Genius

Several years ago, copy and marketing guru Joe Sugarman found himself stuck at a crowded airport gate in Hawaii. He — along with a couple of hundred other passengers — was waiting to board a United Airlines flight to San Francisco, but the gate crew wouldn’t allow them on the plane. Joe approached a member of the gate crew who explained that there was a broken part on the plane. He didn’t know what it was — an EPU or APU or something like that — but they couldn’t fix it, they couldn’t shut the plane’s engines off and the captain was too busy with his pre-flight check to speak to the passengers. The United employee then got on the loudspeaker. He announced that the captain was too busy to explain what was wrong with the plane, and that anyone who’d like to switch to another flight could do so. Immediately, a crowd formed at the ticket counter to exchange their tickets. Now, Joe Sugarman just happens to be a pilot, and he understood the explanation the crewmember had given — even though the crewmember himself didn’t. He approached the crewmember again, explained that he was a pilot and asked to make a brief announcement that would help calm the crowd. The crewman was only too happy to oblige. So Joe took the mic…

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“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, “I’m a fellow passenger on this flight. But I’m also a pilot. There’s no need to exchange your tickets; the plane is perfectly safe. Here’s why: “When a plane comes into the gate, they attach a huge plug to the plane’s belly. The plug comes from the APU — the auxiliary power unit — and it provides electrical power to the plane while it’s at the gate. “The APU at this gate is broken, and they don’t have a replacement part. This means they have to leave the engines running to refuel the plane — and the FAA regulations state passengers can’t board during refueling if a plane’s engines are running. “There’s nothing to worry about. The plane is fine.” The crowd immediately calmed down, and the line for refunds melted away from the ticket counter. This story, from Joe’s book Triggers, is a perfect example of credibility in action. The crewmember — lacking expertise — only worried the passengers with his vague announcement. But Joe — an experienced pilot — was able to calm them by using his credentials, his technical knowledge and his understanding of aircraft jargon. With just a few paragraphs, Joe was able to persuade a couple of hundred anxious passengers to stop worrying and stay on the flight. Imagine if you could add that kind of persuasive power to your letters. Well, you can. And in the following pages, I’ll show you exactly how to do it.

Why We Need Credibility in Our Copy Joe Sugarman’s powers of persuasion came from his credibility. His fellow passengers believed him, because he obviously understood exactly what was going on — and backed it up with expert credentials: he’s a licensed pilot. He literally “sold” them on the safety of the flight. And just as Joe’s explanation gave the passengers the confidence to board that flight, our credibility gives our readers the confidence to buy what we’re selling.

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Giving prospects the confidence to buy is one of the two main reasons we have to build credibility in our copy. Let me illustrate: If you’ve ever spent much time along the rural coast, you’ve probably seen people selling shrimp, clams or other uncooked seafood items from the tailgate of a pickup truck. The truck is usually an older model — pretty beat up, too. And the sellers often match the look of the truck, if you know what I mean. They have crates of seafood in the bed of the truck and big hand-lettered signs along the side of the road where they’re parked. The signs usually say something simple, like, “SHRIMP $3.99/lb.” A mile or two down the road, you’ll often find a chain supermarket with a busy seafood counter. They sell shrimp at twice or triple the price the tailgate sellers advertise. And the supermarket sells shrimp at a brisk pace — to people who just drove past the folks on the side of the road. What’s going on here? Why would anyone pay twice or three times the price for supermarket shrimp? It’s a difference in credibility. People feel confident buying from the supermarket. It’s a big, clean store — a “permanent” structure. Customers know them by reputation — and often by experience. The roadside vendors, on the other hand, have a scruffy, inexpensive set-up that might even remind you of the wagons used by snake oil salesmen in the past. If there’s a problem with the shrimp you buy there, who are you going to see about it? And can you really trust the source? For all you know, they could have pulled the shrimp out of the dumpster behind the supermarket down the road. A direct mail letter can feel an awful lot like that roadside seafood seller. It’s from a stranger… and it comes along from who-knows-where. If you don’t know the seller — and people often don’t — there is a major credibility gap. Part of your job as a copywriter is to build the prospect’s confidence so they’ll be comfortable trusting your client with their money. But you build credibility for another reason, too.

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If you’ve completed AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting , you understand the second reason for building credibility: rationalizing the buying decision. As the program puts it, “Once the prospect has been emotionally sold, he needs to justify his irrational decision with rational reasons.” Now, chances are you’ve noticed a difference in these two reasons for building credibility. The first is so the prospect will believe you, the second is so the prospect will believe his own decision. Interestingly, you can build both kinds of credibility at the same time. Let’s look at how it’s done.

Ways to Build Credibility Specificity

If you’ve seen the ads for Rosetta Stone language courses, you’ve seen specificity at work. Their ads always provide a list of customers — often including NASA, West Point, the US State Department and other well-known organizations. Most of us, of course, think If these guys are using the software, it’s got to be pretty darn good . And that’s exactly what they want you to think. While there’s more at work here than specificity, it’s impressive to know that organizations like NASA and the State Department are using this software. But would it be as impressive if they said, “Used by US government agencies”? Or how about, “Used by many agencies”? It gets weaker and less credible every time we get less specific, doesn’t it? Now let’s get away from implied endorsements, like “used by,” and look at specificity on its own. [Editor’s note: Oddly enough, the author was very unspecific about the details in the following story illustrating the power of specificity!]

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In Tested Advertising Methods , John Caples tells of an ad campaign run by a building materials manufacturer. The manufacturer tested one of their products and found it averaged 52.7% higher than the government’s required quality standard. They planned a two-month sales campaign featuring the quality number, and within just a few weeks had sold more than 150 railcar loads of the material — mostly to new customers. The company was ecstatic as their sales soared to unheard-of levels. But their competitors — whose sales suffered as a result of the ad — complained to the industry association. The association, in turn, leaned on the company to tone down their ads. Giving in to the pressure, the company changed the ads from “52/7%” to “over 50%.” And sales of the product dropped almost immediately back to their previous levels. The only change made, Caples points out, was to that one number. That’s the power of specificity.

Try it yourself: Which of these two headlines is more credible: Last Month, More Than 10,000 Homemakers Switched to Blisto Laundry Soap! or Last Month, 10,486 Homemakers Switched to Blisto Laundry Soap! Here’s the secret of specificity: Specifics sound true. Anyone can quickly invent a generality. And generalities often sound like exaggerations. But an exact number has the ring of truth to it. It sounds like someone has gone to the trouble to calculate things out — something a liar won’t generally do. And, finally, here’s why using specifics to build credibility gives you an edge: For the update of Caples’ classic Tested Advertising Methods, the editors looked at “more than 700” large space ads in the December 1995 issue of 14 national magazines.

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They found that only five ads concentrated on specifics. That’s just seven tenths of one percent. Imagine the advantage you’ll have if you are one of seven — out of every 1,000 copywriters — focused on specificity! Obviously, specificity is being overlooked. And our next method is another one that Michael Masterson found many copywriters overlook. Let’s talk about track records. Track Record

Imagine you’ve decided to join some friends at the races — just on a lark. You’re not the betting kind, but a group of friends are going to the races for the afternoon, and you figure, why not? You don’t really know anything about horses, but your friend picks out a horse for you to bet on. “He’s won 17 of his 26 races,” your friend tells you, “and he’s never been beaten on a dirt track. This is a dirt track. It’s as close as you’re going to get to a sure thing.” So you bet $10.00 on the horse, he wins, and you go home with a little more money than you arrived with. What your friend has just done is give that horse credibility by citing its track record. In fact, racing is where the term “track record” actually comes from. It’s one of the oldest established credibility methods there is. And it still works. As Michael Masterson says, “Track record gets your reader more involved in your product or service. It allows him to see the impact your claims can actually have on his life.” Take for example, automotive reliability. If you look at the annual reliability ratings published by Consumer Reports over the last 10 years, you’ll find that Toyota and Honda models rank very high year after year. They have a track record of proven reliability. And that record of reliability has helped sell millions of their cars. Or consider International Business Machines — IBM. For many years, the common saying among buyers was, “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM.” If a buyer couldn’t find a compelling reason to purchase another manufacturer’s products, IBM was the

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default choice. Their equipment was legendary for its quality and reliability. In other words, IBM had a solid track record. The beauty of using your product’s track record to build credibility is that you can show the prospect something and he’ll come to his own conclusion. For example, you might point out that J.D. Power ranks Toyotas above average for mechanical quality year after year. (If you’re really doing your homework, you’ll get specific with the number of years.) Your prospect can easily see the advantage here, so he’ll already believe it when you say, “Buying a Toyota will save you money on repair bills — and leave you stuck on the side of the road a lot less often.” Michael Masterson also states, “When you present these kinds of findings to your reader, it gives him food for thought. You’re not telling him what to think. You’re not shoving anything down his throat. You’re presenting evidence for him to consider, roll around in his head, and make a decision about.” Track record is especially important with “advice-driven” products such as financial newsletters. If you can point out that 9 of the guru’s last 10 recommendations have been big winners, it goes a long way towards convincing your prospect of your product’s credibility. For example, Bernie Schaeffer is the “guru” behind Schaeffer Investment Research. Here are just a few of his accomplishments: 

Timer Digest ranks him #9 out of the top 100 analysts for intermediate stock market timing over the past 10 years.

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He’s also ranked #2 for gold timing and #5 for bond timing over the same period.

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He’s won The Wall Street Journal ’s Stock-picking Contest three times.

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He’s been one of the top 50 market forecasters polled for BusinessWeek ’s Market Forecast Survey every year since 1999.

And that doesn’t even mention any of the many awards he’s won. But you can easily see why his subscribers trust him — he has a stellar track record.

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Once again, though, we’re touching on multiple credibility factors, because we’re talking about the product’s “guru” as well. And that’s a good place to touch on our next method of building credibility: the personal profile of your product’s guru. Personal Profile of Guru

Sometimes, it can be difficult to build a strong USP on the product alone. For example, in the crowded health newsletter market, there are a lot of similar products. So how do you make yours stand out? The answer can often be found in the person of the “guru” — the doctor or health professional behind the newsletter. For example, take The Lark Letter — a monthly alternative health newsletter for women. There are quite a few alternative health newsletters. And several target women specifically. But The Lark Letter is the only alternative health letter in the world written for women only by a woman doctor. Dr. Susan Lark is really their USP. So, to create credibility, your best route is to “credentialize” the guru. That is, provide a profile that shows her qualifications and accomplishments. And that wouldn’t be hard in this case. Dr. Lark has 28 years of clinical practice under her belt, served on the faculty at Stanford University Medical School, served as a consultant to companies such as Kellogg and Weider Nutrition, was featured in numerous national magazines and authored a nine-book series on alternative health therapies. When you provide Dr. Lark’s credentials, her credibility automatically transfers to the newsletter she edits. When you stop and think about it, AWAI uses this very technique — and does it well. Their board member’s credentials add credibility to many of their products. For example, when you learned about Michael Masterson, Don Mahoney and Paul Hollingshead’s success as copywriters, it probably gave you greater confidence in purchasing AWAI’s copywriting program. Michael Masterson’s accomplishments prove he knows what he’s talking about — and that adds credibility. Page 8

But what do you do when you don’t have a guru with strong credentials? The answer is simple. You find credibility outside your product. Third-Party Validation

You’ve seen it in ads for practically every movie ever made: the quote from a movie review. It usually goes something like this: 

“…RIVETING ACTION” — TV Magazine

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“A must see for the whole family.” — Bob’s Movie Reviews

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“An edge-of-your-seat thrill ride…” — Marcy List, San Diego Star

It’s “third-party validation,” as Michael Masterson calls it. And it’s a powerful way to add credibility to your promotions. For example, Dr. Robert Jarvik has recently appeared in ads promoting Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering drug. Jarvik’s standing makes this a particularly effective endorsement. That’s because he’s both an expert (as a doctor) and a celebrity (as the inventor of the first successful artificial heart). But third-party validation can come from more than just celebrities and experts. A positive mention in the mainstream press is excellent third-party validation. A product’s use by a respected organization is, too (Remember the Rosetta Stone software we discussed earlier?) Third-party validation adds something extra to credibility: the appearance of objectivity. Like testimonials — which we’ll discuss shortly — third-party validation is an outside opinion, theoretically unbiased. (In reality, of course, most celebrity endorsements — like Dr. Jarvik’s — are compensated.) The sense of credibility a respected authority/celebrity brings generally overcomes this obvious bias. That’s why so many sports stars and actors are still sought after for their endorsements. But this particular form of third-party validation works best only under specific conditions.

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How many men do you suppose purchase Haynes underwear just because Michael Jordan endorses it? If the men I know are any indication, very few. Yes, Jordan generally comes across as warm and human, and some of the ads are amusing. But Michael Jordan as an effective underwear salesman? He may boost brand awareness (which can increase sales), but I doubt he’s earned Haynes a significant increase in market share. On the other hand, how credible is Chuck Norris as a spokesperson for the “Total Gym” exercise machine? Here’s a fit martial arts expert who says, “I’ve used the product for years.” And it works. Chuck Norris sells a lot of exercise machines. That’s why his Total Gym infomercials continue to run — years after they were first introduced. What’s the difference? It’s simply this: Michael Jordan’s accomplishments and celebrity are associated with basketball, not underwear. Chuck Norris, however, is known for his physical fitness. And he endorses a product that’s closely related to his area of expertise/ celebrity. The lesson here is to match the “third-party” endorser to the appropriate product or service. Use Halle Berry to endorse beauty products, not motor oil… use Mario Andretti, Jr. to endorse motor oil, not spices… use Emeril Lagasse to endorse spices, not beauty products. Of course, you won’t always have celebrities to endorse your products. And that’s where our next category comes in. Testimonials

“Ordinary Joe’s” are often just as effective — sometimes even more effective — than celebrities in promoting a product. When a celebrity is paid to push a product it’s called an endorsement. But when a regular guy (or gal) promotes it for free, it’s a testimonial. Prospects see testimonials as particularly unbiased. And the people who provide the testimonials are often people your prospects can relate to. This makes testimonials doubly effective. John Carlton — “the Marketing Rebel” — is one of today’s most successful copywriters. His “one-legged golfer” promotion is legendary in the business, and he’s been Page 10

called “the most ripped-off writer on the Web.” Here’s some advice from John on getting the best testimonials for your product or service:

HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD TESTIMONIAL By John Carlton You probably already know that believable testimonials can bolster your credibility and boost sales. Pithy, hook-laden, interesting, and detailed testimonials work like crazy inside your sales pitch to convince prospects to buy. However... boring testimonials just put readers to sleep. And can KILL response. Remember the “4 S’s”: Great testimonials are specific... short... sizzling... and signed. (And avoid the “4 L’s”: Long, lame, lazily-written, and lacking a point.) I am forever astounded when I see copywriters passively slap dumb testimonials into their pitch. As if just having someone say something nice carries mysterious selling power. When you are in total control of your advertising, you are also hands-on in the acquisition of testimonials. That means you have at least some interaction with the people willing to give you a good quote... and you help them format it in a way that carries the most water for your pitch. Don’t be shy. Ecstatic customers want to give you an effective quote. Most aren’t all that articulate, and will welcome a little coaching on how to say what’s on their minds. When you reach this point... where you can confidently look a satisfied customer in the eye and divine what part of your amazing service/product/ business really rang their chimes... it is totally ethical to help them verbalize their feelings.

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Including the specific results that brought those feelings of gratitude to the surface. When you control the way a testimonial is presented, you’re doing everyone a favor — the quotee, the reader, and your own bottom line. So: What do you ask for in a “controlled” testimonial? Simple. Take all the benefits of your USP... list them ... and aim to have at least one testimonial target each benefit. Let’s say your USP is that you are fast, simple, easy, and cheap. Okay, then you would ideally want at least four testimonials in your ad. One would say something like “This is the fastest service I’ve ever had — I really felt taken care of.” The next: “It was so simple, my four-year-old helped assemble it.” And the next: “I can’t believe how easy it all is once you know the inside secrets. I would have never discovered any of this on my own - like everyone else, I always thought it was difficult. Well, it isn’t.” And the last: “Not only was this super-affordable ... but, heck, it worked so well it paid for itself the first week. Don’t get ripped off again - this is a genuine bargain.” All signed by real people in real towns. With photos. See the power here? The worst kind of testimonial you can have is the incoherent, boring one that goes on and on about nothing relevant. You chase readers away with drivel like that. Almost as bad are the “rah rah” ones that say, “Joe’s the greatest. I really like him.” No convincing going on, no furtherance of the sales pitch.

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Ah ... but when you intersect testimonials with the benefits of your USP ... then you’re really cooking. Automatically, you are hitting on major sales points with every quote. No amount of bragging you do can match the enthusiastic “third party” endorsement of a real person ... especially when it’s specific and details your USP. Something happened to spur your testimonial-giver to contact you. However, without understanding the nature of testimonials, they almost always obscure the specifics. They mumble. That’s why you should be involved. Find out what the writer meant when they said “Thanks - I really enjoyed your product.” It may take a phone call and a little detective work to discover that they just doubled their income using your stuff. They won’t come up with “money quotes” on their own very often. They’re not writers, and they’re not marketers. Most folks think all you want is a pat on the back. But what works best are mini-stories of redemption, unexpected success, and life-changing discoveries. All boiled down to one or two brisk sentences. A great copywriter should know how to “translate” vague, uninteresting testimonials into sizzling pieces of sales-enhancing copy. [Ed. Note: John Carlton has been a top freelance copywriter for over 20 years, working closely with legends like Gary Halbert and Dan Kennedy. He has been a highly respected speaker, coach, and mentor since the Internet hit its peak late last century. He’s been called “the most ripped-off writer on the Web.” You can find a long, fascinating parade of killer testimonials on John Carlton’s main website: www.marketingrebel.com.]

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That’s right: John advocates “helping” your satisfied customers write their testimonials. And as long as these testimonials truly reflect their feelings and experience, there’s nothing wrong with seeking testimonials this way. A few other pro tips on testimonials: 

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Alexandria Brown, known online as “the Ezine  ueen,” tells her clients to be sure their testimonials are results-oriented. Top copywriter Bob Bly says, “The best testimonials are specific rather than superlative, and support the key points you are making in your copy.”

Copywriter and author Ben Settle suggests working testimonials directly into your copy.

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Testimonials have a “cousin” that’s particularly effective for building credibility in business-to-business (B2B) situations. And that’s the case study. Case Studies

A case study is sort of a long testimonial, but not written by the customer. Case studies typically use the experience of one customer to show how effective a marketer’s product or service is. As I mentioned, case studies are an especially important credibility tool for B2B sales. Google AdSense provides prospects with a classic case study for their client, Weblogs, Inc. In the study, they describe the company, the challenge it faced, how AdSense was used to address the challenge and — of course — the favorable results achieved. Case studies are longer and more detailed than testimonials. But the specifics allow prospects to see clearly the value of the product/service and its possible applications to their own situation. Although case studies are usually too long to include in a sales letter (and therefore not used as frequently), companies do sometimes include a case study with their sales letter as an insert.

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It’s simply another way to add credibility to a package. Now, let’s take a look at this “fact-based” method of adding credibility: Statistics. Using Statistics

Michael Masterson recommends using statistics — in the form of simple graphs — as credibility-boosters. And this makes sense on two levels. First, it’s harder to argue with numbers than opinion. For example, I could write, “Jones widgets are the strongest in the industry.” That doesn’t really tell you much, though, does it? But what If I wrote, “In industry tests, Jones widgets withstood 46% greater stress than any other leading brand of widget”? That’s a lot more convincing, isn’t it? (And utilizes specificity which we covered above.) The second advantage comes when I put that number into a simple graph — perhaps illustrating Jones widgets vs. the three leading competitors. The lines, numbers and bars of the graph provide a powerful visual boost to my credibility. The graph lets you “see” how much that 46% actually is.

Stress Resistence Percentage 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Jones

Smith

Thomas

Ardent

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Be very cautious presenting statistics in a sales letter, though. Use them sparingly, because statistics are inherently boring to most people. And too many numbers become confusing. The last thing you want is for your prospect’s eyes to glaze over. But the careful use of statistics (especially with graphs) can add a strong sense of credibility to your letters. So far, we’ve discussed some rather “up-front” ways to build credibility. Now let’s look at something that works more subtly. A Strong Guarantee

Another of Michael Masterson’s “overlooked” credibility elements is the guarantee. Your guarantee tells the prospect a lot about your client’s opinion of his product or service. Here’s why: Imagine you’re thinking of buying a new computer. Unless you’re planning to buy an Apple, there’s not much difference from brand to brand. And that goes for the warranty, as well. Most major brands — such as Dell, Gateway and HP — offer a one-year warranty on parts and labor. But what if one major brand offered a two-year warranty? What would that tell you about their confidence in their product? They must really believe in their quality to be able to provide double the warranty of other major brands. That’s what Parris Lampropoulos did in his promotion for Boardroom’s tax secrets book when he created a money-back guarantee that extended to the buyer’s grandchildren! That’s right: a three-generation guarantee. And it worked like magic. In fact, experience has shown direct marketers that lengthening guarantee periods actually reduces returns — provided you’re offering a quality product, of course. Just as a strong guarantee adds credibility, a weak guarantee will make prospects run in the opposite direction. Take this “connection guarantee” from internet service provider NetZero. In a 2006 promotion, NetZero promised that any new customer unable to connect to the internet during the first 30 days of service would receive a full refund of their first month’s fee.

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Provided, of course, they reported the service failure within the first 30 days. Think about that for a moment: 1. NetZero charges the customer for the first month of service. 2. The customer must get absolutely no service whatever during those 30 days. 3. The customer will receive a refund only if the failure to connect is reported before the 30 days had passed. In other words, the guarantee would only be in effect if you reported the failure to connect for 30 days before the 30 days was up. (An impossibility!) Plus, if you were able to connect even once during those 30 days — for any length of time, no matter how short — you wouldn’t qualify for the refund. Now there’s a guarantee that’s guaranteed to send prospects running! As Chris Mills of “Words that Work” says, “A guarantee is useless unless you offer a refund or replacement as a result of not living up to that guarantee.” So pay close attention to your guarantee. It’s an easy way to add — or remove — credibility to your letters. The credibility a guarantee can add to your letters is subtler than most other credibility elements. But there are three others even subtler than the guarantee. Add Credibility to Your Letters With Language

Sometimes, credibility is built not so much by what you say, but by how you say it. Take, for example, tone. “Your prospect doesn’t want to be lectured to,” writes AWAI co-founder Paul Hollingshead. “He doesn’t want to read a scientific treatise. He wants to be spoken to in a convincing, conversational tone so he feels comfortable with you... and comfortable with buying your product.”

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And that’s a key to creating credibility for your letters. A dry, lecturing tone — which is easy to slip into with highly technical products like nutritional supplements or electronics — can absolutely kill response. And so can an over-hyped sales pitch. You have to find the right tone for your audience. Paul gives some solid advice on hitting the right tone. But he doesn’t start where you might imagine. Paul says, “…the two absolutely most important strategies for finding the winning tone for your promotions: Care about your prospect and believe in your product.” When you care about the prospect and believe in the product, your natural enthusiasm will shine through. And when you’re talking to someone you care about, you probably won’t indulge in lecturing or sales hype. Could you imagine telling your mother about something you really believe in using the style of a used car salesman? When your tone fits the audience, and when it lacks the extremes of hype and lecture, it feels more credible… because it sounds more genuine. Conversational speech is honest speech. And people are comfortable with it. But tone isn’t the only way you can add credibility with words. Another way to subtly add credibility is to speak the prospect’s — or the product’s — language. “Just enough technical terminology to make what you’re speaking about sound real, studied and substantial,” is how Michael Masterson describes it. To illustrate his point, he uses the example of a Cadillac ad. In the ad, a policeman stops a man driving a Lexus on a snowy road. He explains that the man can’t continue on that road; the storm has made it too dangerous. As they’re speaking, a Cadillac drives up, and the policeman just waves the Caddy through. Of course, the Lexus driver is upset — why has the policeman just let the Caddy driver pass? “Well, you don’t have the Norstar Stabillitrac system,” says the cop. “It’s an on-board computer system that ‘senses’ the road.”

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If the policeman’s line had been, “Well, you don’t have an on-board computer system that ‘senses’ the road,” he’d have said the same thing. But it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective, would it? Just those two words of technical jargon — the lang uage of the product, so to speak — added a whole world of credibility to the ad. The same happens when you use a measured amount of your target audience’s technical jargon. For example, if you were writing an advertisement for high-end stereo equipment, you’d probably be writing to audiophiles. And they have their own language. An ad that talked about analog vs. digital, woofers and tweeters and audio would ring true to them. Discussing baffles, decibels, harmonics and frequencies at the appropriate points would help you sound more like one of your readers. Of course, you also have to be careful not to overdo technical terms. You should avoid coming across like a show-off or know-it-all. Pepper your copy with just enough of the audience’s language that they feel comfortable listening to your conversation. Our final language-related concern is one that many beginning copywriters overlook: mistakes in grammar and punctuation. You don’t have to be an English professor to write good copy. But you should know the basic rules of grammar well enough to avoid making glaring errors. Copywriter and consultant Dina Giolitto (www.wordfeeder.com) calls them “grammatical goofs and punctuation flubs,” and they can kill your credibility. There are simply too many possible errors to list, but good proofreading should catch most — ideally all — of them. Here are just a couple of common errors to watch out for: 

Hyphens. You can have a fast-burning candle or a razor with a keenly honed edge. But you can’t have a fast burning candle or a razor with a keenly-honed edge. Why not? Because “fast” is an adjective and “keenly” is an adverb. Both two-word (notice the hyphen) modifiers are used as adjectives. But when the first word is an adverb, don’t use a hyphen.

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Homonyms. These are words that sound alike but mean two different things. The classic example is to, two and too. “To” and “too” get mixed up all the time. It’s never to hot to wear a sweater. But it might be too hot. Misplaced modifiers. These can be hilarious, but your readers won’t forgive them. For example… “Plush and inviting, the man sat in the over-stuffed chair.” This literally says that the man is plush and inviting. Funny maybe, but definitely a credibility-killer.

Imagine that you’re writing in the voice of a doctor. People expect doctors to be well educated and precise. Grammar and punctuation errors make that doctor look less than well educated… and sloppy. So be aware of these three language components of credibility: 

Tone

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Language

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Grammar and punctuation

They’re subtler than the others, but they can go a long way towards building confidence in your prospect. And confidence is what it’s all about. When people are confident in both the product and the seller, they’ll open their wallets. Or, as Joe Sugarman proved, board the airplane. Build credibility into your letters, and they’ll simply sell more. And you’ll race past the competition with bigger winners more often.

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Exercise: Learn to recognize credibility elements in sales letters. Use the forms on the

following pages to analyze three direct mail letters for how they build credibility. Feel free to copy the form so you can repeat this exercise whenever you’d like.

Credibility Worksheet Instructions: As you read through a DM letter, mark below where and how the copywriter used each form of credibility. Specificity:

Track Record:

Personal Profile of Guru:

Third-party Validation:

Testimonials:

Case Studies:

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Statistics:

Strong Guarantee:

Tone:

Language:

Grammar and Punctuation:

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Track Record:



Testimonials:

Case Studies:

Statistics:

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Strong Guarantee:

Tone:

Language:


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Track Record:



Testimonials:

Case Studies:

Statistics:

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Strong Guarantee:

Tone:

Language:


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11 ways to demolish sales resistance

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