Welcome to the 10-Day Copywriting Challenge™!

I’m really excited about this course. And that’s because –

Copywriting is one of the most profitable skills you can develop.

Once you know how to create your own cash-pulling copy,

you can virtually write your own ticket in life!

Whether you sell your own products, sell affiliate products or you want to write for someone else, this course will help boost your income.

But here’s the thing…

There’s a world of difference between copywriting and other forms of writing (such as article writing).

The other forms are used to educate and perhaps entertain. Copywriting is different because it’s used to persuade, motivate and sell. To do this, you need to tap into your prospect’s emotions. You need to understand your prospects so that your letter touches their hearts and minds.

So do you need a degree in psychology in order to turn yourself into a master copywriter?

Fortunately, no!

All you need to do is follow this course for the next 10 days!

Here’s a sneak peek at the ten keys of copywriting:

Pre-head, primary head, post head: Where you’ll learn to nab attention.

Problem: Remind the prospect of his problem.

Product: Introduce your product as the solution.

Proof: Where you turn the skeptical prospect into a believer.

Points: Stoking desire for the product.

Pull: Closing the sale.

Promise: Offering a strong guarantee.

Process: Giving your prospect last-minute instructions.

Postscript: Reminding the prospect of the benefits.

Putting it All Together: Just what it says! You’ll even get a template that makes writing sales letters a breeze.

Let’s jump right in…

Challenge #1: Pre-headline, Primary Headline, Post-headline

Your headline “block” has one main job:

Get your prospect’s attention.

To that end, here are the three pieces of your headline:

The pre-headline, which sits at the very top of your sales letter. This is often used to get attention by speaking directly to your prospect, perhaps even “by name.”

Example: “Attention NBA Fans…”

The primary headline. Since this is your main headline, it’s usually in bigger, bold font. This is where you put forth your main benefit or make a big promise.

Tip: Be bold here, because this part of your headlines needs to make your prospects stop in their tracks and give you their full attention.

The post-headline. This part of the headline sits right below the main headline (in smaller font). This post-headline is a bridge that connects your main headline to your opening sentence. It may elaborate on the main benefit you mentioned in your primary headline, or you can use the post-head to mention additional benefits.

Tip: Either way, it needs to hold your prospect’s attention and interest.

Collectively, these three headlines are the most important part of your entire sales letter. That’s because the headline is the first thing your prospects will see when they land on your page. If the headline doesn’t attract attention, then the prospect is going to click the back button lickety-split and be on his way.

Here then are the keys to creating a cash-pulling headline…

Say “Hey, You!” to Your Prospects

Your headline’s #1 job is to get your prospect’s attention. This starts up in the pre-headline, where you make the prospects realize your letter is written for them.

You want your prospect to stop and say, “Hey, that’s me!”

You can do this by identifying them by their niche group or identifying a problem or solution they have.

Examples:

Attention Skinny Guys!
To Every Aspiring Novelist…
An Open Letter to Pig Farmers…
Do You Sneeze and Wheeze Your Way Through Allergy Season?

Or you can do it by asking a qualifying question. In other words, you ask a question that makes your prospect raise her hand, step forward and identify herself as a qualified (targeted) prospect.

Examples:

Does your partner’s snoring keep you awake at night?
Do you always have cat hair on your furniture and clothes?
Are you embarrassed by your acne?

Take Out the Big Guns

Your primary headline is NOT the time to by coy or subtle.

Instead, you need to take out the big guns to draw attention. And that means you need to make a big promise or present a big benefit.

Indeed, this should be the biggest benefit of your product or service.

Examples:

“Now You Too Can Quickly and Easily Pack on Muscle – Even If Your Genetics Are Working Against You!

“Now Writing Cash-Pulling Copy is as Easy as Pressing a Button!”

“Here’s How to Grow Trophy-Winning Roses That Will be the Envy of Your Whole Neighborhood!”

Tip: Be sure to put your main headline in quotes. That’s because it tends to attract attention better. I’m not just guessing here – this has been proven time and again by countless copywriting and marketing experts!

Create an Itch

While your headlines need to get your prospect’s attention, they also need to compel your prospect to keep reading. And one way to do that is by arousing curiosity (“creating an itch”) in your headline.

You can do this either in your main headline or in your post-headline.

Now here’s the key: You can arouse curiosity by offering a main benefit without telling your prospect how, exactly, they’ll get this main benefit.

Here are a few examples:

Example: “Now You Can Keep Your Poodle’s Coat Shiny and Free of Mats – Without Spending a Fortune on a Professional Groomer!”

“Here’s How to Grow Delicious Tomatoes Without a Garden – Even If You Live in a Tiny Apartment!”

“Now You Too Can Earn Six Figures – No College Degree or Experience Required!”

Another way to do it is by offering the beginning of a curiosity-arousing story. You may do this by asking a question about the story you’re going to tell.

Examples:

“How Did This Small-Town Girl Become a Rock Star?”

“What Common Vegetable Did Suzy Use to Cure Her Acne In Just Seven Days?

“How Does This 15-Year-Old Lazy Kid Make So Much Money Online?”

Still another way to do it is by asking a non-story-related question.

Examples:

“Do you make these snowboarding mistakes?”

“Have You Heard About the Latest Breakthrough in Acne Prevention?”

“Who Else Wants to Discover the Secrets of Creating Cash-Pulling Copy?”

In all cases, your goal is create an “itch” that your prospect can only scratch by reading your letter.

In other words, you arouse curiosity in your headline… and then satisfy that curiosity later on in your letter.

Tip: Don’t stop with your headline! Arousing and then satisfying curiosity several times throughout your letter is one way to keep your prospects hanging eagerly on your every word!

Urge the Prospect to Keep Reading

If you’ve followed all the other keys to creating your headline block – if you’ve grabbed attention with a big benefit and/or aroused curiosity – then your prospects will dive in and start reading your sales letter.

Nonetheless, you can still use your post-head to “command” your prospect to read the letter. And you do this by literally saying, “Keep reading” or “Read on!”

Examples:

Read on to discover how you too can quickly and easily lose weight…

If you want to make a six-figure income this year from the comfort of your home, then you need to read every word of this letter…

Now you too can restore a classic car to showroom-new condition. Read on to find out just how easy (and affordable!) it is…

Note: Notice that I ended each sentence with ellipses (three periods) rather than a “full stop” (like a period or exclamation point). This is intentional. It’s used to keep the flow going – to indicate there’s more that you want the prospect to read – so that the prospect’s eyes will naturally drop to the next line.

Now let me pull it all together by giving you an example of a pre, primary and post headline block…

——————————

Attention Skinny Guys:

“Now You Too Can Look Like a Beast… Even if Your Genetics Suck and You Can’t Gain Weight!”

You’re About to Discover the Secrets of Creating the Kind of Body that Commands Respect and Gets the Girls. Read On…

——————————

See the next page for another example…

——————————

To Senior Citizens Who’re Worried About Their Financial Future:

“Now You Too Can Discover How to Quickly and Easily Create a Comfortable Retirement!”

You’ll Kiss Your Money Worries Goodbye Once You Know These Investment Secrets. Read On for the Surprising Details…

——————————

Assignment: Challenge #1 Before you start crafting your headline, I want you to spend a few moments thinking about two things: Your prospects: What are your prospect’s biggest problems? What do they want more than anything else? Your product or service: What are all the benefits and features of your product? What is the biggest benefit? Once you know what your prospects want and you know all the benefits of your product or service, then it’s pretty easy to determine your product or service’s biggest benefit. Your assignment is craft at least a dozen different headlines (pre, primary and post) around this main benefit. Feel free to use the included headline templates for inspiration!

Challenge #2: Problem

If your headline did a good job of getting attention, then your prospect has now slid his eyes down to start reading your opener. And it’s here in your opener that you present the problem that’s plaguing your prospects.

You see, your headline offered a benefit and at least hinted that you had the solution to the problem. But in order to make your letter really effective, you need to “agitate” this problem.

That is:

You need to make your prospect really feel the pain of this problem.

You need to dredge up some painful emotions.

You need to make your prospect feel a little desperate for a solution.

Here’s why…

Most people like to ignore their problems. They don’t like to think about them, because it’s too painful. They’d rather stick their heads in the sand like an ostrich and hope the problem will simply go away on its own.

Of course it won’t. And deep down, your prospect knows that.

So when you put your prospect’s problem right in front of him and make him face it, he’s going to get a little emotional. And he’s going to want a solution.

Later on, your letter will not only offer the solution, it will make him feel better.

Now that you know the purpose of this section of your letter, let’s talk about the keys to creating your opener…

Make it Easy on the Eyes

First things first – not only should your letter be easy to read, it should look easy to read. If you use large blocks of text, your prospect may just start skimming the letter or put it aside altogether.

So here’s what you need to do:

Create a short first paragraph. I’m talking one short sentence or a few words. If it looks easy to read, the prospect will read it. Very simple, yet very effective.
Use “regular” words. Don’t make your prospects pull out a dictionary just to read your letter. Big words don’t impress – they just confuse. So make it easy to read by avoiding your $100 words.

Offer variety. Generally, you should offer short sentences and paragraphs. However, don’t make them all one length. Instead, offer some variety so that the letter looks more visually interesting.

Get Emotional

You DON’T merely remind your prospect of the problem in your opener. Instead, you agitate the problem so that your prospect feels the pain of this problem.

You need your prospect to feel something – to get emotional – because prospects don’t buy unless you’ve triggered their emotions.

Now, there are a few ways to do this. One way is to tell a story about a person (maybe even you) who’s suffered from the same problem.

Examples:

Suzy’s house was an absolute mess. Old newspapers piled up two feet high in the living room. Dirty dishes covered the counter. It had gotten so bad that Suzy was too embarrassed to invite guests over.

The airlines used to make Rod buy two seats on the airplane. Not only was it expensive, it was humiliating…

I know what it’s like to have asthma. You see, I was the kid who couldn’t breathe in gym class…

Another way to do it is to “agitate” the problem. In other words, you talk about it, being sure to really focus in on the pain of this problem.

Examples:

You toss and turn all night, staring at your alarm clock, counting down the hours until it goes off. If only you could just fall asleep!

Acne is no fun. It’s no fun being called “pizza face.” It sucks when you’re the only guy who can’t get a date for the homecoming dance.

You told yourself last New Year’s that this is the year you’d lose weight. And here we are nine months later and nothing has changed. You still can’t fit into your favorite jeans. You still get laughed at when you walk down the street. And you still get winded when you climb a simple flight of stairs.

Yet another way to do it is by outright asking your prospect to imagine the pain of the problem… OR imagining how great it would feel to not have this problem anymore.

Examples:

Imagine what it would be like to get rid of your stretch marks and scars…

Imagine if you made at least $100,000 per year. You could finally take all those vacations you’ve been dreaming about. You could remodel the house (or buy a new one)…

I don’t have to tell you how embarrassing it is to have bad breath. But imagine if you discovered the secret to having fresh breath all the time. Imagine how your confidence would soar…

Empathize With the Prospect

In addition to getting your prospect to identify with your story (i.e., by self-identifying with the problem you’re referring to), you also need to immediately show the prospects that you understand, care and empathize with them.

You see, your prospects have been trying to solve this problem for some time. They feel alone. They feel like most sales letter authors don’t really “get” them or “get” their problem. So if you can show that you do indeed understand the problem – and that you care about the prospect – you’ll gain a big edge over your competition.

But here’s the thing…

Fake empathy does NOT work. You can’t just placate the prospect with platitudes and other word magic. You need to actually care about helping the prospect. Because when you actually do care, this “vibe” oozes out of your copy and connects with the prospect.

Once you do genuinely care, then any stories you share will reflect the fact that you care and understand. Indeed, you can even build rapport with your prospect by coming right out and saying that you understand.

Examples:

I know what it’s like to be a caretaker to someone with Alzheimer’s disease. You see, I spent five years caring for my mom before she died.

You can remember the joy on the day your baby was born. You had so many hopes and dreams for him. But the day he was diagnosed with autism, many of these hopes came crashing down. I understand that, because I’m the mom to two autistic twins.

It’s humiliating to have guests over when you’re a borderline hoarder. I should know – because I lived in isolation for ten years due to my hoarding. I understand what it’s like to [talk about more of the pain here]…

Assignment: Challenge #2 Today you need to think about your prospect and what emotion he most identifies with in relation to his problem. Example: Is it anger? Humiliation or embarrassment? Dread? Or perhaps he most identifies with the joy of his solution? Whatever it is, that’s the emotion you need to elicit in your opener when you present the problem. Your assignment today is to craft an opener (perhaps a story) that taps into that emotion and makes your prospects feel the pain of their biggest problem. You can use the 20 opener templates to help you craft your own!

Challenge #3: Product

In the opening of your letter you reminded the prospects about their problem. Putting the problem squarely in front of your prospects may have been a little painful. You tapped into some deep emotion. But don’t worry – because now you’re going to introduce your product as the solution to your prospects’ problem.

Simply put, the purpose of this part of your sales letter is to give your prospect hope.

This is where you take your prospect away from the “punched in the gut” feeling and instead offer a joyous feeling of renewed hope.

You’ll notice that I used the word “renewed.” That’s because your prospect has felt hopeful before. Unfortunately, he or she has been let down and disappointed many times. Sometimes the products didn’t work. Sometimes your prospect even got the feeling that the marketer lied.

Point is, your prospect is going to feel cautiously optimistic. For now, your job is to focus on the optimistic part, to make your prospect feel good. Just a bit later you’ll discover how to make the prospects set aside their fears and doubts and take a chance on your product.

Here then are the keys to introducing your product…

Introduce Your Product as the Solution

This part is easy. This is where you bridge the painful story with the hope you’re about to offer. Indeed, you can even use the word “introducing” when you present your product.

Examples:

Introducing [name of product] – the surefire way to melt the fat forever!

Good news: Now you too can get whiter teeth when you use [name of product]!

Imagine being able to lose all the weight you want without ever feeling hungry. Now you can… and all you have to do is join the [name of product] membership site!

Sell Hope, Sell Dreams, Sell the Sizzle

You can’t just introduce the product as the solution and expect your prospects to fall all over themselves as they rush for the order button.

Instead, you need to give the prospects hope that this product really does work. You need to give them hope that this is a quick and easy solution to their problems.

Here’s how…

Show How This Product Worked for Others

Did you open your letter with a story whose main character (maybe even you) had the same frustrations and problems as the prospects?

If so, then your prospects already identify with this character… so you can give your prospects hope by telling how the character used your product as the solution.

Examples:

But everything changed when I discovered a fat-burning secret so simple that it took just 15 minutes per day to complete. [Introduce the product and tell why it works so well.]

Jose was at the end of his rope. He was stressed out and burned out. But then he learned a simple way to get more done in less time…

By this time Janice vowed to stop going out. She couldn’t stand people laughing and point at her any longer. But then everything changed… [talk about how things changed for the better]

Leave the Competition in the Dust

Your sales letter should be about your prospects, their problems and the solutions to these problems. However, you may take this opportunity in your letter to toot your own horn a bit. Not for the sake of bragging. Rather, you want to show your prospect why this product is so good (and what makes it different and better than the competitors’ products).

In other words, you want to share your product’s unique selling proposition (USP). You may offer up a benefit that no other product on the market has. Perhaps you’ll share an unusual development story.

Examples:

I know, you’ve heard all of this before. But this product is different. That’s because it was developed by a team of scientists… [tell the story]

Here’s what makes this software so amazing: We tested it across 127 sales letters and 99.3% of the time it boosted the conversion rate by at least 25%. Go ahead and look around – you won’t find another copywriting product that’s been tested so thoroughly!

You’ve probably read a ton of sales letters that tell you they have the secrets of getting ripped. But you know who’s putting those products out? Fat marketers. And that’s why this product is different. I’m a certified professional trainer and trophy-winning bodybuilder with 15 years of experience. I’m not just giving you theory – I’m giving you “in the trenches” strategies that really work!

Sell the Sizzle (Not the Steak)

You’re NOT really selling a product. Instead, you’re selling dreams and you’re selling hope. In other words, you’re selling an outcome… not a product.

Examples:

People don’t buy grass seed. Instead, they’re buying a lawn. Example: “Imagine walking barefoot over your lush, green grass…”

People don’t buy weights and weight benches. Instead, they’re buying respect. They’re buying a ripped and muscular body. Example: “This weight set turns you into a beast that commands respect where ever you go!”

People don’t buy mouthwash. Instead, they buy fresh breath. For example: “You’ll be more confident because you know your breath is minty fresh!”

Ratchet Up the Joy

Once you’ve introduced the product as the solution to your prospect’s problem, then you can get them to imagine a problem-free life. Indeed, you may actually use the word “imagine” to help you tap into those good feelings and joyous emotions.

Example:

Go ahead and imagine what it would be like to sprint up a long flight of stairs without getting winded…

This product worked for Suzy. It worked for me. And I guarantee you too will be able to quickly and easily melt the fat and make your love handles disappear…

Just imagine if you too could stay home with you children. Imagine seeing all the first smiles, filming all the first steps and hearing all the first words. Now you can…

Assignment: Challenge #3 Your assignment today is easy… Figure out what the outcome (end result) is of using your product or service. In other words, what’s the “sizzle” in your steak? What hopes and dreams are your buyers actually purchasing? Determine your product’s unique selling proposition (USP). What makes your product or service not only different but better than the competitor’s product? Be sure that this difference is actually something that’s important to your products. Once you’ve figured that out, then write an introduction to your product. Be sure to include your USP. And be sure to sell the dream, not just the product. Need a little help? No problem – just use the 15 included templates to quickly and easily create your own sizzling product introduction!

Challenge #4: Proof

You’ll recall that earlier in this challenge I mentioned that your prospects do NOT believe you.

It’s true.

They want to believe you, but they’re viewing your letter with a skeptical eye.

You can see why. Some of your prospects have been scammed before. Some of them just perceive that they’ve been scammed or duped (even if they really weren’t). And some of them just don’t believe all the big, bold claims you’re making.

Maybe you can relate.

Have you ever watched a commercial for some new gadget and thought that there’s no way the product could work as claimed? Maybe you said, “yeah, right” under your breath. Maybe you just shook your head and rolled your eyes.

Listen, your prospects are doing the same thing when they read your sales letter.

They know you’re biased, so in their view you’ll most certainly paint your product or service in the best light. You may even exaggerate. Some of your prospects are going to assume that you’ll outright lie just to get them to take out their wallets.

That’s where your proof comes in.

The purpose of this section of your sales letter is to prove your claims are true. Here you’re able to point to something else – maybe a testimonial from a neutral third party or visual evidence like a video – to back up all the claims you’re making.

Tip: Even though I used the singular phrase “this section,” that doesn’t mean that you should actually isolate your proof to just one section of your sales letter. Instead, you should sprinkle bits of proof all throughout your sales letter.

If you make a big claim, back it up with some proof. If your prospect is likely to raise an objection at a certain point in your sales letter, handle the objection by offering proof (if possible).

Point is, offer proof throughout your letter to ease your prospect’s doubts.

Here then are the keys to proving your claims…

Serve Up a Variety Platter of Proof

Sure, you can offer a couple testimonials. But imagine how much stronger your proof would be if you offered multiple forms of proof to back up your claims.

Example: Instead of just offering a testimonial that claims your weight-loss product really works, you can also offer before and after pictures. Maybe you’ll even toss in a video that shows one of your satisfied customers winning a fitness competition.

Add up all of these different forms of proof together, and even the most skeptical prospect can’t help but believe your claims!

So what kinds of proof should you offer?

Anything and everything that you can use as evidence of your claims.

This includes but is not necessarily limited to:

Testimonials from satisfied customers. These can be regular text testimonials, or you can offer something more compelling like audio or video testimonials. The more information you can provide about the person giving the testimonial, the better.

Example: A testimonial that includes a full name, a photo and a website address is more compelling (and easier to verify) then a partial name and location (e.g., “A. Johnson, London”).

Endorsements from experts, celebrities, authority figures or others. These are different because they’re not from customers. Instead, you seek out experts and authorities to endorse your product.

Examples:

You get a team of car mechanics to endorse your “How to Restore a ’57 Chevy” product.

You get a cadre of bankers, investors and other financial experts to endorse your investing product.
You get a dentist to endorse your “teeth whitener” product.

Case studies. Here you track the journey of you or someone else who used your product. Not only do you provide your story, you also back up this story with other evidence such as photos, statistics, etc.

Example: You can show a photo series of how a skinny guy packed on the muscle over six months using your product.

Visual evidence such as a photo, video, screen shot, chart or something else.

Example: You might offer a “before” and “after” photo series of a classic car restoration. Or perhaps you offer a “before” and “after” video showing how your weight loss product melted the fat off of you or a satisfied customer.

Audio evidence. This could be an audio testimonial. Or it could be actual proof, such as a satisfied customer demonstrating how your product helped him overcome stuttering. Or you can play an audio clip of a customer strumming a guitar to show what your “learn to play guitar” product can do.

Results of an independent audit by a respected authority. Let’s say you’re showing your income as proof. You may have a certified public accountant or lawyer review your books, credit cards, bank statements and other financials to verify your claims.

Seek Out Proof From Third Parties

Any kind of solid proof will help your case. However, if all the proof comes from you (such as photos or screenshots), then the prospect can’t help but be skeptical. So, in addition to offering a variety of proof, you should also offer proof from a variety of sources.

For example, let’s say you’re selling a weight loss product. You might offer these forms of proof:

A scan of your fitness trainer certificate and other credentials.

Testimonials from multiple satisfied customers.

“Before” and “after” photos from multiple people.

Endorsements from doctors, nutritionists and well-known niche authorities.

Video clips of you talking about your product to the media (e.g., on a popular talk show).

Case studies from at least two people.

Weed Out the Weak

Warning: Just because you have certain forms of proof doesn’t mean you should use them. That’s because some forms of proof are so weak that they actually hurt your case.

Let me give you a few examples of weak proof to avoid:

Weak testimonials. Many marketers make the mistake of posting weak testimonials. Generally, this means the reviewer offers weak praise. Or they offer praise about something that’s not all that important to prospects.

Example: Let’s say you’re selling a book. Does the customer praise the book based on how enjoyable it was to read… or based on the results he received? Like this: “This is a page turner – I read it all in one sitting!”

Praising an enjoyable read is good if you’re selling fiction. It might even be good if prospects in your niche are complaining about the readability of products in your niche. But for the average non-fiction “how to” book, you want to offer testimonials that praise the actual content and, better yet, show that the reviewer got good results.

Endorsements from questionable individuals. If one of your endorsers just got nailed for running a dog-fighting ring – and you’re selling a dog training book – leave that endorsement out of your marketing.

Photos that don’t prove much. Maybe a customer sends you “before” and “after” photos that are fuzzy, don’t show much of a change, look doctored or otherwise don’t inspire confidence. Skip them.

Assignment: Challenge #4 Your assignment is to collect as much proof as possible to add into your sales letter: For starters, contact your customers and ask them for feedback about your product. If they can provide other forms of proof (like photos), ask for those as well. Secondly, figure out what types of compelling proof you can offer. (Use the list above as well as the included template file for ideas.) Next, weed out the weak proof. Finally, set your strong proof aside. Don’t add it in quite yet – you’re going to want to wait until your letter is complete. That way, you can insert proof in the most relevant places (such as right after you make a bold claim).

Challenge #5: Points

You’ve established (and “agitated”) the problem, shown the prospect that you care about his problem, and introduced your product or service as the solution to this problem. By this time your prospect is pretty interested in what you’re offering. Now it’s time to ratchet up this interest so that he starts to really want your product or service.

And how do you do this?

Simple: By sharing a list of “points,” usually in the form of a bulleted list.

The purpose of this bulleted list of points is to tell your prospect all about the benefits of your product (or service).

You can think of these points as all the possible reasons why your prospect would want to take advantage of your offer. This is where you tell your prospect what’s in it for him if he orders and where you really sell your prospect on your offer.

Here are the keys to creating a compelling list of points…

Tout Benefits

Your product or service has a lot of features. But these features don’t really mean much to your prospect, unless you can show how these features benefit the prospect. And that’s why your points need to focus on the benefits of your product or service (not the features).

Let me explain by way of a few examples:

Example: One feature a jacket is that it has a nylon shell. The benefit of a nylon shell is that it’s wind and rain resistant, which means the wearer stays warm and dry.

One feature of an online marketing book is that it has a chapter on pay per click marketing. The benefit is that the reader can discover how to get boatloads of highly targeted traffic, almost instantly.

One feature of an energy drink is that it contains no sugar. The benefit is that buyer won’t drink empty calories or pack on extra pounds.

In other words, your bulleted list of points are a lot like headlines – they focus on the big benefits. Which brings us to our next key…

Fire Your Big Guns

Time to take out your big guns again.

What are the biggest benefits of your product or service?

What benefits are the most important to your prospects?

These are the benefits you need to focus on in your bulleted list.

You may want to emphasize your best benefits somehow, such as by bolding them and/or putting them in bigger font to make them really stand out.

Drive ‘Em Crazy With Curiosity

Remember earlier when we talked about arousing curiosity in your headlines so that the prospect would read your letter?

This is another place in your sales letter to arouse curiosity. The difference is that you’re arousing curiosity about your product. And that means the only way your prospects can satisfy this curiosity is by buying your product!

This works extremely well with information products (like books, reports, videos, etc).

Example: “What does your bank account have to do with an 800 pound man? You’ll find out on page 28!”

And here is another approach from a real story: Marketing guru Joe Sugarman (of BluBlocker sunglasses fame) aroused curiosity to sell tons of sunglasses. He would show people’s surprise reactions when they put on the sunglasses. Yet he never put the camera lens up to the sunglasses so that the prospect would see what it looks like.

Example: The movie trailer for “Paranormal Activity” didn’t show movie footage. Instead, it showed the audience’s terrifying reactions to watching the movie.

Granted, these were video clips. Nonetheless, you could describe a physical product (perhaps somewhat vaguely) so that you arouse curiosity. Or you could show a video testimonial that arouses curiosity in much the same way as the above two examples.

Stir Their Imagination

You want these points to get your prospect imagining what it would be like to own the product and receive the benefits.

So once again, you may occasionally use the word “imagine” in your points.

The second thing you want to do is engage your prospect’s senses. If you’re selling a product online, your prospect can’t handle it and he can’t take it for a “test drive.” Your letter needs to be the substitute for handling and using the product. Depending on what you’re selling, you may mention the weight, the color, the smell, the feel of the product, etc.

Example: The weight and color are important features of a laptop. The smell is important if you’re selling something like candles. The feel is important if you’re selling something where comfort is important, like shoes or a pillow.

Now let’s pull all these keys together. Below you’ll find several examples of how to create compelling points. Note how some of these arouse curiosity, some tap into emotion, some engage the imagination… but all of them present a big benefit:

Curiosity Examples:

What’s the secret to getting six-pack abs without going to bed hungry every night? You’ll find out on page 37!

Are you making these disastrous business mistakes? See the top list of 100 mistakes on page 50 – you might be surprised!

You’ll discover a surprisingly simple way to clean your carburetor – without removing the linkages!

You’ll find out why everything you’ve heard about SEO is all wrong – and what you need to do instead to get a never-ending flow of targeted traffic!

WARNING: The FTC will come knocking at your door if you keep making this mistake. See page 23 for the surefire way to stay safe!

Imagination Examples:

Imagine having your whole house smell like fresh-baked apple pie (just like Grandma’s house) – no one will know it’s a candle!

Imagine clicking the “send” button and minutes later having your PayPal account flooded with new orders – now you can, once you know these email marketing secrets!

Imagine the jaw-dropping looks you’ll get when you show off your fully restored classic Camaro – no one will believe you did it yourself (on a shoestring budget)!

Once you see for yourself how mouthwateringly rich and delicious this chocolate cake is, you’ll find it hard to believe that it’s so low in fat!
You’ll be amazed at how lightweight this laptop is – just four pounds – so you can take it anywhere!

Assignment: Challenge #5 Today you’re going to work on drawing up your bulleted list of points. Your first step is to list ALL the features and corresponding benefits of your product or service. This is just the brainstorming phase, so don’t edit your list. No feature or benefit is too small to include on this list. Next, go through your list and choose those benefits that are the most important to your customer. Finally, create your points based on these benefits, being sure to arouse curiosity and engage the imagination whenever possible. You can use the included templates to help you craft your points!

Challenge #6: Pull

Your prospect is chomping at the bit by now. He wants your product. So now is the time to tell him how to get his hands on it. This is the classic call to action.

Just as the name implies, the purpose of this part of your sales letter is to get your prospect to take action (i.e., buy your product).

This isn’t just a light-hearted suggestion. Instead, you take your prospect by the hand and tell him exactly what to do next.

Indeed, you virtually command him to take out his credit card and click the “order” button now.

But here’s the thing…

You want your prospect to take action right now.

Not “later,” because later may never come. If your prospect clicks away from your page, his enthusiasm for your offer will fade. Buying won’t be at the forefront of his mind anymore. And he’ll probably totally forget about you and your product.

With that in mind, here the key components of your pull…

Create a Sense of Urgency

Remember, you don’t want a hot prospect to leave your page without ordering. That’s why you need to create a sense of urgency so that your prospects orders right now.

One of the most powerful ways to create urgency is by creating a fear of loss. Like this…

Fear of Missing Out on a Good Price

You may offer a time-limited discount price or even a discount to the first X number of customers.

Examples:

The next 129 people to order now will get everything mentioned on this page for just $99 – you save $100!

Order now, because this special discount price ends Thursday!

Sometimes marketers plan to raise the price, but they don’t yet have a date picked out. In that case, you can say something like this:

Order now to avoid disappointment, because this special discount offer ends soon!

Note: If you say a discount offer will end, then be sure to actually raise your prices when you said you were going to do it. If you don’t, you’ll lose credibility. Your prospects and customers won’t trust you.

Fear of Missing Out on an Extra Bonus

Another way to create urgency is by offering “early bird” bonuses or other incentives. These bonuses may be offered for a limited time, or they may only be available to a limited number of customers.

Examples:

Order in the next 22 hours and you’ll get the barbeque tools set absolutely free!

Be one of the next 25 people to order now, and you’ll get a tackle box absolutely free!

Note: Of course you can combine both a discount and an early-bird bonus offer to create an even greater sense of urgency.

Fear of Completely Missing Out on the Entire Offer

Yet another way to create urgency is by limited the number of people who can take advantage of the offer… or by closing the offer on a certain date.

This is a form of natural scarcity, and it works well.

Maybe you have a PLR membership site where you can membership to 200 people. Or perhaps you’re selling a limited-edition collectible. Or maybe you’re selling an event (like a weekend seminar), so people need to buy before a specific date.

Examples:

But hurry, there are only 125 memberships left, so order now to avoid disappointment!

Hurry and order now, because this workshop starts [date]!

Only 130 limited-edition copies remain, so order now so that you don’t miss out on your chance to own this valuable collectible!

Fear of Missing Out on the Benefits

Finally, you can create a sense of urgency simply by reminding prospects what they’ll miss out on if they don’t act now.

Examples:

Order now, because the sooner you do, the sooner you’ll start losing weight and feeling better!

Act now, because the sooner you purchase this insurance, the sooner you’ll be able to start sleeping like a baby… carefree and worry-free!

Hurry and order right now, because the sooner you start, the more money you’ll be able to make!

Sweeten the Deal

If your prospect is sitting on the fence, you can gently push him to make the buying decision by offering one or more incentives.

These bonuses aren’t time or number limited. Rather, the restriction is that the bonuses are only available to those who purchase the product.

Warning: Some marketers toss in bonuses as an afterthought. And that means that the bonuses are usually junk. DON’T do this. Instead, create an exclusive bonus with a high perceived value. This bonus should enhance the buyer’s purchase.

Example: You might offer a free dog-training video to compliment a dog-training book.

Raise and Handle Objections

Your prospect wants to buy, but she has a few objections to overcome first.

In other words, she has reasons floating around her head about why she should NOT buy your product. Your job is to handle any possible objections, ease your prospect’s mind, and show her why she should buy.

Now, the specific objections your prospects will raise depend on what you’re selling.

Example: If you’re selling a leisure item like a snowboard, your prospect may be thinking, “I don’t really need this.”

So you need to offer logical reasons why it’s ok to buy it. In this example, you might point out how snowboarding is good exercise and a great stress-buster.

One of the most common objections (no matter what you’re selling) tends to be price. That is, people think, “I can’t afford this.” Even other objections such as “I don’t need this” are often indirectly related to the price. And that means that you need to justify the price.

The fact that you’ve been building up value for your product goes a long way in helping the prospect justify the price in his mind. He’ll see that the value of the product far outweighs the price.

But you need to take it a step further.

You need to explicitly tell your prospects why it’s such a great deal. And one way to do this is by comparing the price to some other small thing that the prospect is very familiar with.

Examples:

If you act now you can get everything you see on this page for less than the price of a small pizza!

Order now for just $30 – that’s less than the price of your monthly cable bill!

It’s especially powerful if this item is somehow related to the general niche. Let me give you a couple examples…

Examples:

Order this car restoration book now for just $10 – you can’t even get a decent wrench for that price!

Order this muscle-building now for just $20 – that’s less than the price of your monthly gym membership!

Another way to help justify the price is by breaking it down to the lowest price unit.

For example, if you’re selling a yearlong subscription, you can talk about how much it costs per day, week or month (rather than how much it is yearly).

Examples:

Now you can discover the secrets of making money online for less than the price of a cup of coffee per day…

Would you trade a pack of gum for more confidence?

Assignment: Challenge #6 Here’s your assignment for today: First off, all the possible objections you think your prospects may raise with regards to your offer. Price should be at the top of your list. (Don’t worry about a guarantee, because you’ll learn about that issue in an upcoming lesson.) Next, think about how to justify the price as well as all other major objections. Finally, create your call to action, raise and handle those objections, and finish your pull by creating a sense of urgency. See the included templates for examples of how to create your call to action.

Challenge #7: Promise

A moment ago I told you that another common objection people raise has to do with a money-back guarantee.

The objection is usually something along the lines of, “What if this doesn’t work for me?”

And your answer is: “You’ll get your money back.”

This is your promise… your guarantee. It’s also referred to as a risk-reversal, because it takes the risk off your buyer and puts it squarely on your shoulders. And that means your buyer has nothing to lose by ordering from you.

The purpose of an offering a promise is to help ease your prospect’s mind and remove any major objections. The benefit to you is that a strong promise often boosts your conversion rate. Better yet, a long guarantee often reduces your refund rate!

Bottom line, you put (and keep) more money in your pocket!

Tip: Why does a long guarantee reduce the refund rate? Simple: Because the longer period of time a prospect has to try out your product, the less rushed he feels to ask for a refund.

Example: Let’s say you offer a one week money-back guarantee. The buyer may not have a chance to look at or use your product. Suddenly six days have passed without him looking at it, so your buyer panics and asks for a refund.

Now imagine if you offer a three-month guarantee. Your buyer doesn’t feel rushed. And that means he’s not going to ask for a panic-induced, “I’m running out of time” refund. As such, you enjoy a lower refund rate when you offer a longer guarantee!

Here then are the keys to creating your promise…

Get Crystal Clear

Tell your prospect the exact terms of your guarantee, including:

Length: How long do they have to take advantage of the guarantee?

Conditions: Are you offering a conditional or unconditional (no questions asked) guarantee?

Procedure: How do they get their guarantee? Do they need to send something back? Is it as easy as emailing you?

Show Confidence With a Strong Guarantee

As mentioned above, a long guarantee will reduce your refund rate. What’s more, an overall strong guarantee will boost your conversion rate.

Here are some tips:

Offer a guarantee of at least one month. The longer, of course, the better. So if your payment processor doesn’t have any restrictions, then offer a longer guarantee.

Write a strong guarantee. Don’t just tell your prospects that you offer a “money back” guarantee. Instead, tell them you offer (for example) an “iron-clad, no-questions-asked 90 day guarantee,” which makes their purchase completely risk free. Or, “If you don’t lose 20 pounds, the program is free!”

Read on for a way to make your guarantee exceptionally strong…

Raise Eyebrows with an Unusual Guarantee

Instead of offering a regular money-back guarantee, you can offer something unusual.

For example:

Offer a “double your money back” guarantee. You may offer two guarantees. One is the unconditional money-back guarantee. The second is a conditional guarantee where you offer more than the purchase price based on provable claims showing that the buyer tried the product and it didn’t work.

Example: If you’re selling a diet product, for example, you could ask buyers to turn over their food and fitness journals. If they followed your program and they didn’t lose weight, you could offer double their money back.

Let them keep the bonus. Here you offer an unconditional money back guarantee. And even if they ask for a refund, they still get to keep the bonus products as your way of saying “thank you” for giving your product a try.

Let them keep the product. An even stronger guarantee is to let them keep the product if they ask for a refund.

Note: You can even offer this sort of guarantee with downloadable products (like ebooks), where obviously the buyer keeps the product anyway. You’re basically stating the obvious, and yet some marketers suggest that it reduces refund rates. Test it for yourself and see if it doesn’t work for you too!

Keep it Hassle-Free

Finally, you want to assure the buyer that he won’t have to jump through any hoops in order to get his refund. That’s because buyers have experienced or heard about horror stories where you have to call and practically beg or argue with the vendor just to get the refund.

So, make it easy, like this:

Example: “…And if you ever need to take advantage of this guarantee, simply drop me an email with your receipt number and I’ll process your refund in 24 hours, no questions asked.”

Now let me give you a couple examples of guarantees that incorporate these keys…

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Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed!

Order now and download instantly. You’ll then have the next 60 days to read every word, apply every tip and prove to yourself that these weight loss tips really work. If you don’t absolutely agree that this program is the quickest and easiest path to losing weight – or if you’re unsatisfied for any reason – all you have to do is send me your receipt via email and I’ll give you a full refund, no questions asked.

This is a completely risk-free offer, so order now!

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It Works – Or You Get Double Your Money Back!

I’m so confident in this product that I’ll happily give double your money back if it doesn’t work for you.

All you have to do is send me your daily journals that detail what you ate and what exercise you completed every day. If you followed the program and didn’t lose at least 20 pounds, you get double your money back. It’s as simple as that – and I can’t be any more fair – so order now because it’s guaranteed to work for you!

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My Promise to You

Go ahead and order this treadmill now, risk free. Once it arrives at your home, you have a full 30 days to use. If you’re unsatisfied for any reason, all you have to do is ship it back to me and I’ll refund your money – I’ll even pay for the shipping!

And that’s not all…

Earlier I promised you that this treadmill would get you in shape and keep you in shape. That’s why I stand behind this product and offer a full ten-year warranty. I don’t care if you and everyone in your family use this treadmill three times per day, every day – if it breaks, I’ll fix it for free.

You won’t find a better treadmill at a better price with a stronger guarantee, so order now!

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Assignment: Challenge #7 Here’s your assignment for today: Have you chosen a payment processor yet? If so, check with your payment processor to see what sort of restrictions they place on your guarantee. Next, check your local laws and regulations to see if there are any local regulations you need to follow. The good news is that any guarantee you create will likely be longer and stronger than what the law calls for. Your next step is to decide if you’d like to offer any sort of unusual guarantee, such as a conditional “double your money back” guarantee alongside a regular unconditional guarantee. If you do offer a conditional guarantee, just make sure that the “proof” you require from your buyers isn’t too easy to fake. Once you’ve gathered all this information, the final part of your assignment is to write your guarantee. You can make it easy on yourself by using the included templates!

Challenge #8: Process

You’ve presented your call to action (pull) and handled the last minute price and “what if it doesn’t work?” objections.

Now we get to the “process” part of your sales letter, which is where you take the order.

The purpose of this part of the letter is straight-forward.

Namely, you once again tell your prospect how to order, and then you give them the means to do so. For example, you’ll now provide at least one of the following:

A link where buyers can pay with a credit card and/or their PayPal account.
A telephone number for those buyers who’d rather call in their order. If you’re selling a big-ticket item – or a personal service like coaching – some buyers will prefer to call you just to see if there’s a real person behind the website. In that case, offering phone ordering may increase your conversion rate.

In other cases, the buyer may simply not feel secure ordering online.

Example: If you’re selling security software that gets rid of spyware, viruses and other nefarious computer malware, then your buyers may feel more comfortable using the phone.

Note: Depending on what you’re selling, you may also give buyers the option of printing a form, which they can fax or mail to you. You’ll need to test this to see if these options are worth offering.

Now let’s go over the keys to creating this section of your sales letter…

Go Big

Not everyone is going to read your entire sales letter. Some people are going to check out the headline, run through the bulleted benefit points and then head straight for the order button. Still others will arrive on your sales letter via a recommendation, meaning they’ve already decided to buy (no need to read the sales letter).

Point is, in cases like these your visitors will want to be able to find the order link, fast.

So don’t tuck it away or hide it. Instead, put any order links in big, bold font with lots of white space around it. If you’re using order buttons, here too they should stand out.

Bottom line: You want even those who are merely skimming your letter to be able to quickly and easily find your order link or button.

Create Commanding Links and Order Buttons

Don’t just create a link or a button that says “order.” Instead, turn your link or button into a call to action.

Examples:

Click here to order now!

Click here to claim your seminar seat now!

Click here to take advantage of the discount price!

Click here to get started losing weight the easy way!

Claim your early-bird price and get instant access by clicking here now!

Note: Obviously, your order button or link should link to your order page or payment processor. For example, your order button should link to your Clickbank.com order form, your 2Checkout.com order form, your PayPal.com payment button, your shopping cart, etc.

Share All the Details

Your buyer doesn’t want to order and then be left in the dark about what happens next.

That’s why you need to give your prospect plenty of details upfront as well as last minute instructions.

Examples:

When will the buyer receive her order? Does the buyer get the order instantly (as the case might be for a downloadable ebook)? Or is it a product you need to ship? Is it an event that starts on a particular date? If it’s a service, what’s the turnaround time?

How will the order arrive? Does the buyer download the order? Is it delivered by USPS, FedEx, or UPS? Is it delivered via regular (slow) mail or express mail?

Does the buyer need any special items to use the product? Maybe you’re selling a software product that’s only available to PC users. Or maybe buyers need a PDF viewer to read your file. Or perhaps your buyers need a high-speed connection to view videos. Point is, tell your buyers upfront what they need to use your product so that there aren’t any nasty surprised later.

Serve Up the Fine Print

Finally, you need to make your “fine print” – like terms, conditions and other legalities – plainly visible. Depending on what you’re selling, you may even want to have your prospect agree to the terms before they can purchase your product.

Now, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t even play one on TV. And so I can’t give you legal advice or examples of how to write up your terms and conditions.

I can, however, tell you what types of information you’ll want to include in your legal links…

Privacy policy. What do you do with the information you collect? Do you send emails to buyers? Do you share any of this information?

Disclaimers. Perhaps you made some claims on your website – if so, talk to your lawyer about how to write your disclaimers. For example, you’ve seen “results not typical” on the bottom of ads. You’ll likely need to add something like that (although you’ll also need to provide more detail).

Terms and conditions. This section includes all the other legal “stuff” about your website and your product. This includes but is not limited to:
- How refunds are processed. You’ll want to reiterate your refund policy here, such as the length and how customers can ask for one. If there are any conditions attached to the guarantee, be sure to mention it here.

How the buyer can use the product. Certain products and services require usage restrictions. For example, if you’re selling webhosting then you’ll have rules about what type of content your customers can purchase (e.g., “no hate speech”). Or if you’re selling private label rights content, then you’ll have rules about how this content can be used.

How people can use your site. This is the standard stuff where you prohibit people from hacking your site, scraping emails, sharing other customers’ data, pirating products or infringing on your copyright, etc.

Non-disclosure agreement. If you’re offering something revolutionary, you may ask your buyers to sign NDAs, which prohibits them from sharing the content.

Special conditions. Is there anything else your buyers need to know? For example, is your product or service not available in certain areas? For example, many major payment processors (like PayPal and Clickbank.com) don’t offer service to people who live in certain countries, like Nigeria.

All the other legalities. This is where your lawyer will cover you by saying you’re not responsible for web downtime, acts of God, or anything else that could impact how your customers use the product or service.

Assignment: Challenge #8 Here’s your assignment for today… Create your “call to action” order button or link. Write up any last minute instructions. Contact a lawyer about creating your disclaimers, privacy policy and other terms and conditions.

Challenge #9: Postscript

You probably know a postscript by its abbreviation: P.S. And while the postscript seems a bit like an afterthought, it’s actually one of the most important parts of the sales letter.

Here’s why…

While your ultimate goal is to write a compelling, “sit on the edge of the seat” letter that keeps your prospects hanging on your every word, the truth is that not everyone will read the entire letter. Some will read the headline, let their eyes scan the page as they scroll down quickly, and then they’ll read the postscript. And that means the postscript is often the second-most read part of your letter (right behind the headline).

As such, the purpose of your postscript is to put forth or reiterate one of your product’s strongest selling points. Once again, this is where you want to shoot one of your biggest guns!

You see, if the person has read the rest of the letter, then your postscript helps close the sale. For those who’ve merely skimmed your letter, your postscript needs to present a big benefit that makes the skimmer stop in his tracks. This prospect needs to be so intrigued that he scrolls back up to read more of your letter.

With those end goals in mind, here are different ways to create a compelling postscript…

Play Your Ace

You should craft your postscript in much the same way that you craft a headline or a bullet point. In other words, it should present a big benefit or make a big promise to the prospect. And since this is your postscript, you can remind them of a benefit that you mentioned elsewhere in the letter.

Tip: However, do NOT refer to the same benefit as the one in the headline. As mentioned before, some prospects will read the headline and then skip right down to the postscript. That’s why you need to offer something different, since you want the skimmers to go back and read more.

So what types of benefits should you offer in your postscript? Could by anything, including but not limited to:

A reminder about one of the product’s major benefits.

A reminder about your product’s unique selling proposition (USP). That is, why should the prospect buy your product instead of the competitor’s product?

A reminder of the guarantee (and how this is a risk free offer).

A reminder of a special discount.

A reminder about a special bonus.

Tip: Instead of hitting them up with one benefit, you can offer one sentence that recaps the entire offer (what they get and for what price).

Surprise Them with a New Benefit

Whether your prospects skim the letter or read the whole thing, virtually all of them will read the postscript. And that’s why you can mention a benefit in your postscript that you didn’t mention anywhere else.

Tip: If you use this strategy, your postscript may start with something like, “I almost forgot to tell you…” or “Here’s another benefit…” In other words, make it clear that you’re sharing new information.

This could be a benefit of the product. Or you could toss in an extra bonus or a discount. Point being, this type of P.S. helps push people off the fence and towards the “buy” button.

Remove Objections and Roadblocks

As your prospect reads your letter, he’s thinking of all sorts of reasons why he shouldn’t buy your product or service. As mentioned before, offering a price justification and a guarantee help overcome the two biggest objections. You can mention these items in your postscript.

Example: Don’t forget about the rock-solid “double your money back” guarantee! This is a completely risk-free offer, so order now!

Tell Them “Everyone Else is Doing It!”

Another way to make an impact with your postscript is by using it to offer proof of your claims.

The most common way to do that is by offering testimonials or endorsements.

Example: You might say something like this: “Just look at what others are saying about [product]…” Or, “Not sure if this product is right for you? Jane wasn’t sure either. But just look at her results…”

Note: You already know you should avoid posting weak testimonials. However, you’ll want to post one of your strongest testimonials here, because nearly everyone reads the postscript.

Persuade Them to Take Action

Yet another way to use this important section of your sales letter is by providing another “pull” – that is, reiterate your call to action. And since you’re offering another call to action, ideally you should also give your prospect a reason why they should order now (e.g., create a sense of urgency).

You can create this sense of urgency by reminding prospects of the benefits they’ll miss out on if they don’t order now. Or you can remind them of a special discount, special bonus, or even the limited available of the product or service itself.

Tip: The word “because” is an extremely powerful word. Psychologists have shown that when you make a request that includes the word “because,” your compliance rates go up significantly. That’s why you should try to include the word “because” in your call to action.

Example: “Order now, because…” or “Click here to get started now, because…”

Now let me share with you several examples of how to use the above postscript keys to create your own compelling postscript.

Note: Please note that several of them incorporate a call to action (such as “order now”). If you do not include a call to action in your P.S., you should put an order link and a call to action directly below your P.S. Doing so makes it easy for everyone – especially the skimmers – to find the order link.

Example Set #1: Reminding Prospect of a Big Benefit or Tell Them About a New Benefit

P.S. I almost forget – if you order within the next 24 hours, you’ll get an extra 50% discount! So join now, because you’ll kick yourself if you miss out on this great deal!

P.S. This is the fastest, easiest way to lose weight… guaranteed. Order now – because a new healthier, sexier and trimmer you awaits!

P.S. This is the ONLY weight-loss product on the market that’s been scientifically proven to burn belly fat!

Example Set #2: Remove Objections

P.S. Go ahead and look around – you won’t find a better package at a better price, so order now!

P.S. Remember, you’re backed by my rock-solid, 90-day guarantee. If you’re unsatisfied for any reason whatsoever, just email me and I’ll buy this package back from you. No quibbles, no questions asked, no hoops to jump through!

P.S. You work hard. Don’t you deserve to relax and let your stress and cares melt away? You bet you do. So go ahead and order now, because you deserve this. And your body will thank you for it!

Example Set #3: Offer Social Proof

P.S. People everywhere are raving about how easy it is to make money online using this system. Just look at what they’re saying… [insert testimonials]…

P.S. This is the best lure for catching trophy bass. But don’t take my word for it. Just look at what these happy fisherman say about the Bass-Catcher-Pro 500…

P.S. People just like you are enjoying amazing results! See for yourself…

Assignment: Challenge #9 Time to craft your postscript! First, I want you to do some brainstorming. Specifically, think about what’s the single most important thing you could tell your prospects to help convince them to buy? If this item isn’t already mentioned in your headline, then share it in your P.S. Next, start crafting your postscript. You can use the provided templates to help you brainstorm and write one that best suits the rest of your letter.

Challenge #10: Pulling It All Together

You’ve now learned all the main keys of writing a persuasive sales letter.

Now let’s pull it all together so you can see how the pieces fit.

Here’s a template you can use…

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Pre-Headline – use this to get attention, perhaps by mentioning the prospect’s problem or addressing the niche group.

“Primary Headline”

(The main headline needs to present a BIG, “stop ‘em in their tracks” benefit. You may even arouse a little curiosity.)

Post-Headline

(You can elaborate on the main benefit here or mention another benefit. Either way, the point is to pique the readers’ interest so that they’ll keep reading. )

Dear [member of niche group – e.g., Dear NFL Fan],

Problem: You might tell a story here to tap into emotion. Or perhaps you’ll simply talk about how frustrating and painful the problem is. Either way, you want the prospect to be reminded of his pain and frustration.

Introducing [Your Product] – The Quick and Easy Way to [Get Benefit]!

Product: Ahhhh… here’s hope! This is where you introduce your product as the solution to the prospect’s problem.

Proof: Your prospect wants to have hope. He wants to believe you. But he’s a little skeptical. That’s why you need to offer some proof. You may include testimonials, screenshots, videos, photos and other forms of proof.

Don’t limit your proof to this place in your letter, however – you’ll want to sprinkle it throughout your letter to help you back up any big claims. You can even include it in your postscript.

Points: You’ve got the prospect interested. Now you need to ratchet up the desire by providing a bulleted list of benefits.

You’ll discover just how easy it is to…

Psst: See page 26 for the secret of…

You’ll find out the truth about…

How Much is it Worth to You to [Get Benefit]?

Pull: The prospect is interested, so now it’s time to close the sale and ask for the order. You’ll need to justify the price here. You’ll also need to handle any last-minute objections. You can make the buying decision easier by offering a bonus. Once you’ve completed these tasks, then create a sense of urgency alongside a strong call to action.

Your Satisfaction is 100% Guaranteed!

Promise: Reverse the risk with a strong unconditional guarantee. Let your prospects know that if they’re unsatisfied for any reason, you’ll refund every penny… no questions asked.

Process: Tell your prospects how to order. Offer last-minute instructions, terms and conditions and other legalities.

[insert order link or button]

[sign off – your name, printed name, and signature]

P.S. Recap your offer, remind prospects of a benefit or perhaps tell them about another benefit not mentioned elsewhere. You should also include another call to action here.

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Now that you know how to pull it all together, let me offer a few last-minute tips and keys to creating a cash-pulling sales letter…

Use Graphical Magnets to Draw In Your Prospect’s Eyes

Think of how you behave when you flip through a magazine.

Chances are, the pictures and other graphics capture your attention. And you probably read the captions on those that get your attention, right?

Your prospects behave the same way when they’re looking at your website.

A sharp graphic will get their attention and draw their eyes to the caption as well as any surrounding text. And that’s why your caption and any nearby text needs to offer a big benefit and/or arouse curiosity (like a headline). You want this text to draw the reader back into the letter and towards the buying button.

Example: Let’s suppose you’re selling a weight loss product for women. Maybe you have before and after photo of a woman who now looks great. Your caption might say something like: “Mia lost 54 pounds the quick and easy way using – just imagine what [product name] can do for you!”

Give Something to the Skimmers

I’ve mentioned this before: Not everyone is going to read your entire letter.

Plenty of people are just going to skim down the length of the letter. That’s why you need to sprinkle attention-getting sub-headlines throughout your letter. Just like your regular headlines, these sub-headlines should present a big benefit and arouse curiosity, if possible.

Example: “Now You Too Can Discover the Secrets of [Getting Benefit]!

Note: Be sure emphasize these sub-headlines by centering them, bolding them and putting them in bigger font. And speaking of text emphasis…

Emphasize, but Do NOT Overdo It

You can also attract a skimming or fast reader’s attention by emphasizing other important parts of your letter. You can do this several ways, including by using:

Colored font (red works well).

Bold font.

Italicized font.

Highlighted font.

Underlined font.

Different font.

Big font.

Sentences With Capital Letters (Good for headlines.)

“Sentences in quotes.” (Good for headlines and testimonials.)

You can also emphasize font by putting it in a bulleted list (like the list above) or by putting important bits of font in a table or a box (like a Johnson box).

Point is, you should set your most important points apart by somehow emphasizing them.

However, don’t overdo it.

In other words, don’t emphasize every few lines, otherwise your letter looks like a circus that’s hard on the eyes. It will look downright unprofessional and even childish.

Plus, if you emphasize a lot of text, then nothing looks all that important any more.

In other words, if everything is emphasized, then nothing is emphasized. You want to use your text emphasis sparingly so that the important bits of your letter really do stand out.

Brainstorm… and Then Do It Again

You already know your headline is the most important part of your sales letter. That’s why you shouldn’t take its creation lightly.

Indeed, some of the top copywriting masters brainstorm dozens or even hundreds of headlines before deciding on the best one. If you want to write like these pros, then you too should brainstorm dozens of headlines.

Which brings us to the last point…

Let Your Prospects Vote With Their Wallets

You can create what you think is the perfect sales letter – an attention-getting headline, an emotion-pulling opener, great bullet points… and all the other keys of a cash-pulling letter. However, what you think and what your prospects think can be miles apart.

That’s why you need to test the various elements of your letter.

Instead of merely guessing if your letter is good, let your prospects vote with their wallets. Let your bottom line profits decide which headline is the best, which guarantee, which P.S. and which call to action converts best.

Tip: All you have to do is set up a split test where you create two almost identical letters, with the only difference being the one element you want to test.

Example: You create two letters with different headlines. Then you randomly send half your traffic to each of these sales letters to determine which headline puts more money in your pocket.

You can use tracking tools like Google Analytics or Google Website Optimizer. Or you can search for “split test” script to get a simple script that tracks your test and crunches the data for you.

Challenge Conclusion

And there you have it – a crash course in creating cash-pulling copy!

Let’s recap:

You need to stop your prospects in your tracks with your headline block, which includes your pre-head, primary headline and post-head.

You need to stir up a little pain and frustration in the “problem” section of your letter.

Next, you introduce your product as the solution.

You make your case using points and proof.

You close the sale with your pull, promise and process.

Then you get one last chance to make the sale and arouse interest with your postscript.

You can write an amazing letter just with what you’ve learned so far. Now let me throw one last bonus key at you…

Bonus Key: Profile

This refers to profiling your target market.

In other words, thoroughly understanding what they want, their problems and what motivates them. Because once you understand them, you can write a letter that speaks directly to your market.

How do you do it?

Simple: by getting to know your market.

Talk to them offline. Eavesdrop on them online via niche forums and social networking sites. Interact with them. Ask questions.

You’ll learn virtually everything you need to know about what makes your target market tick – and how to write letters that go straight to their heart.

Your next step is easy – proofread and polish the letter you just created. Then get it online… because the sooner you let prospects vote with their wallets, the more quickly you’ll know if you’ve created a winner!