A Proven Formula for Writing Winning Copy

Do you want to write profitable copy? Then think like someone lost in the desert.

Allow me to explain. Imagine that you’re lost in the Sahara desert.  The sun is beating down.  You desperately need water and shade.  In fact, if you don’t get both soon, you might not survive.

And time is getting short.  Your throat is dry. Your lips are cracked.  You’re fighting to stay on your feet.

You’re hoping that over the next dune you’ll find what you need. Water.

You trudge painfully to the crest of the dune.  You’re exhausted.  Your eyes can barely focus.  The need for water is overwhelming.

And then you see it.  An oasis.  A cool, shimmering pool of crystal-clear water.  A tree for shade.  Some soft grass to rest in.

You’re saved. A sense of profound relief washes over you.  You start to stumble towards the water.  You can already feel its cool touch on your lips.

You’re safe. You can make it over the next dune, and the next, and the one after that. You can find your way out of the wilderness…thanks to this small desert oasis.

A Classic Copywriting Formula

The story above is an example of classic copywriting formula “P.A.S.” or “Problem, Agitate, Solution”.   As you may know, P.A.S. has been used in one form or another since Claude Hopkins’ day.  And it works just as well now as it did 100 years ago.

In the story above, I stated a problem (lost in the desert and thirsty), agitated it, (described the physical sensations associated with that experience) and then gave you solution (water and shade).

That’s P.A.S. in action.  Now let’s break down the P.A.S. formula in a little more detail.

1. What’s Their “Big Problem”?
To write good copy, you need to find a thirsty market with a big problem.

How do you do that?  First, you need to find your ideal prospect.  You need to know who they are, what they want, and why they want it.

Then you can find out what really gets them worked up.  What are the “hot button” issues in the market?  What really gets your prospects worried about their future?

When you know what your prospect’s hot buttons are, you can identify their biggest problem.  Once you know your prospect’s biggest problem, you have thirsty market.  And you own the oasis.

How much do you think your “thirsty market” is willing to pay for a glass of water?  That’s how powerful know your market’s “Biggest Problem” should be.

2. Emotionally Agitate the Problem
Once you’ve identified your market’s “Big Problem”, you need to agitate that problem emotionally.  At the very least, you should get the prospect “seeing”, “touching”, and “feeling” their pain, frustration, and anxiety about the Big Problem.

When you emotionally agitate your prospect’s Big Problem, you get them emotionally involved in your copy.  And when you do that, your prospects will become intensely aware of the pain their “Big Problem” is creating.  And when they’re really feeling that pain, they’re ready to buy—at your price and on your terms.

3. Offer a Simple, Straightforward Solution
Once you’ve identified the Big Problem and Emotionally Agitated the heck out of it, the sale is almost closed. Now all you have to do is offer a simple, easy-to-use solution.

But be careful: If your solution sounds like too much work, you can break the momentum of the sale.  Once that happens, it’s almost impossible to get that momentum back. It’s vital that your offer is simple to understand and easy to act on.

Want an example? Just think of the “desert traveler” story above. Thirst is a simple problem. And water is the simplest, easiest, and most logical solution to that problem. That’s how straightforward your solution should be.

So that’s it: P.A.S. in a nutshell.  This time-tested copywriting formula is deceptively simple and very powerful.  When you use it in your copy, you can easily find the thirstiest “desert travelers” in your market.

You can lead them by the hand to your own private oasis.  And you can charge them top dollar for each sip of that cool, refreshing water.

– Paul