Would you ever go up to anybody in the street and say “Dear Sir” Or Dear [fname]?
And would you say to anybody face to face, “I am writing/talking to you in relation to our mortgage broking / mechanical / accounting service”
Of course not. People would look at you like you were some martian from another era.
Yet why do we do this with letters when it’s such a sterile and emotionless way to get started? A terrible way to create rapport and generate a first impression?
The secret to powerful ad copy is ENTHUSIASM… and rapport.
One of the best things you can do to achieve this when you write ad copy is imagine you are talking to one person sitting across the table from you. And make sure that person resembles your target market. (If you're selling women's clothing, don't imagine a 6 foot tall boxer who hangs out at the pub 7 nights a week)
Why? Because there’s only ever one person reading your ad or letter.
So try starting your letter out with something like this:
Hi [fname], how are things? If you’ve got 5 minutes and would like to learn how to cut your mechanical costs by 32% over the next 12 months… then this could be the most important message you ever read…
That’s how you would say it face to face, isn’t it? So start right now… writing as you would speak… and forget what you learnt at school. It doesn’t work in sales copy.
The key to success is to simply write in a conversational tone.
Digesting this strategy alone will significantly increase the effectiveness of your sales copy.
Scott Bywater is a professional direct response copywriter and the author of Cash-Flow Advertising. To get a complimentary copy of his special report '7 Ways To Increase Your Turnover... No Matter What The State Of The Economy' (valued at $29.95) and a free subscription to his "Copywriting Selling Secrets" ezine where you'll discover how to write ads and sales letters that make people line up and practically beg you to do business with them visit his web site at www.copywritingthatsells.com.au
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