\nAccording to copywriter John E. Kennedy, \u201cCopywriting is salesmanship in print\u201d.\u00a0 You\u2019ve probably heard that countless times before.\u00a0 It gets repeated over and over again in
![\"copywriting](\"https:\/\/www.marketingforsuccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/copywriting-tips.jpg\" "\\"copywriting")
<\/a>marketing circles.<\/p>\nBut when you look at a lot of copy, you may start to wonder if anyone ever really listens<\/em> to that little bit of advice.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s as true now as it was in 1905, when Kennedy said it.\u00a0\u00a0 But all too often, we get caught up in \u201cwriting a great sales letter\u201d instead of \u201cselling our stuff\u201d.<\/p>\n That\u2019s dangerous ground for a marketer to be on.\u00a0 Because the moment you start thinking about \u201cwriting a great sales letter\u201d, you\u2019re trying too hard to sell them. And as you know, people love to buy.\u00a0 But they hate<\/em> to be sold.<\/p>\n The second you get too \u201csales-y\u201d, a good percentage of your prospects will walk away.\u00a0 Sure, some really motivated prospects will buy.\u00a0 But you could be missing out on an additional 10%…20%…or even 50% in untapped profits\u2014just due to poor \u201csalesmanship in print\u201d.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why I had you start out by getting into a peak emotional state and visualize your perfect pitch.\u00a0 When you do that, you unlock your mind\u2019s creative and emotional power and creative potential. And when you direct that energy towards writing copy, you\u2019ll almost always write a great pitch.<\/p>\n But that sale pitch\u2014while powerful– is\u00a0 still raw.\u00a0 Right now your copy is like an over-enthusiatic, wet-behind-the-ears sales guy.\u00a0 If you let him, he\u2019ll overwhelm prospects with everything they know about what they\u2019re selling.\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019ll make the pitch and ask for the order.<\/p>\n And that new sales guy does<\/em> make sales.\u00a0 But he also loses <\/em>sales because he\u2019s too over-the-top.\u00a0 And the same thing can happen with your pitch.\u00a0 If it\u2019s over-the-top, unbelievable, or unclear, it might drive away as many customers as it attracts.<\/p>\n The Simple (but not easy) 3-Step Process to <\/strong>Turn Your Raw Sales Pitch<\/strong> Into Polished, Powerful Copy<\/strong> Unfortunately, our customers and clients don\u2019t care how much WE like our copy.\u00a0 So set your ego aside and get started.<\/p>\n 1.) <\/strong>Read your sales copy out loud to a friend.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ouch.\u00a0 Painful, I know.\u00a0 But there\u2019s a good reason to do this.<\/p>\n When you read your copy out loud, your mistakes become painfully obvious.\u00a0 And that\u2019s doubly true when you read it to someone else.<\/p>\n You see, reading your copy to another person is really the same thing as making a sales pitch.\u00a0 When you read your copy out loud, any weaknesses in your pitch stand out like a sore thumb.\u00a0 And just like a face-to-face sales pitch, you get immediate feedback from your subject.<\/p>\n That feedback is what you\u2019re looking for.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why you\u2019re going to record your \u201cperformance\u201d\u2014and your friend\u2019s reactions.<\/p>\n Video is best, but you can also use a digital voice recorder.\u00a0 But video lets you watch their body language.\u00a0 And that important, because 80% of our communication is non-verbal.\u00a0 As any experienced salesperson will tell you, you ignore body language at your peril.<\/p>\n 2.)\u00a0\u00a0 Have your friend read your copy out loud to you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Now reverse roles. Have your friend read your copy out loud to you\u2014and record your<\/em> reactions.\u00a0 It may be a little difficult to be objective. Just try to put yourself in your customer\u2019s shoes. Listen with a slightly skeptical ear.<\/p>\n Now, watch both videos.\u00a0 Take careful notes on how your pitch sounds<\/em>.\u00a0 Does it clearly present benefits that your prospects want?\u00a0 Does it move with momentum\u2014picking up speed towards the end? And most importantly\u2014is it believable?<\/p>\n 3.)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Cure Your \u201cCopy Hiccups\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>Now watch both videos again. This time, pay close attention to places where the copy \u201chiccups\u201d.\u00a0 \u00a0That \u201chiccup\u201d is usually a sign of problem with your copy.\u00a0 Sometimes the words just don\u2019t flow.\u00a0 Sometimes there\u2019s a hole in your argument.\u00a0\u00a0 And sometimes it\u2019s a combination of the two.<\/p>\n Those \u201ccopy hiccups\u201d are losing you money. If you want to dramatically increase your profits overnight, you need to attack them full-force.<\/p>\n So if there\u2019s a hole in your argument, fill it.\u00a0 Show the prospect some proof. If there\u2019s an unspoken objection, answer it\u2014whatever it is–completely.\u00a0\u00a0 And throw in more proof to support that answer.<\/p>\n And if your copy lacks momentum, you need to fix that too.\u00a0 Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.\u00a0 Use action verbs. Speak in the present tense.\u00a0 And of course\u2014use \u201cyou\u201d and \u201cyour\u201d as much as possible.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve tightened up your pitch, go back to step 1. This time, you should notice a huge difference in how your copy sounds.\u00a0 And when your copy sounds good, it sells.<\/p>\n However, don\u2019t go through the whole process again, unless your copy still sounds really rough.\u00a0 Take your new pitch and test it.\u00a0 Give it a month or two to see how it works. And then come back and do it all over again.<\/p>\n Ii you use this 3-step system, your copy will quickly become \u201csalesmanship in print\u201d. \u00a0Your response rates will rise. Your profits will skyrocket.\u00a0 And your bank account balance will go up and up.<\/p>\n By the way, if you want proof that this 3-step process works, consider this:<\/p>\n Copywriting legend Gary Halbert used a similar technique to the one I described above.<\/p>\n You see, when Gary Halbert finished a new sales letter, he\u2019d walk down to his favorite bar.\u00a0 And he\u2019d read it out loud to the guys who hung out there.\u00a0 And then he\u2019d ask the guys what they thought about it.<\/p>\n If they said something like \u201cWow Gary, that\u2019s a nice letter.\u201d Gary knew had written \u201cgood copy\u201d . And he\u2019d go back to his office and re-write the entire thing.<\/p>\n But if the guys at the bar said something along the lines of \u201cWhoa, Gary! My wife would love one of those\u2026and so would my mom and Aunt Mabel! Where can I get one?\u201d \u00a0Gary knew he had a winner\u2026and that he\u2019d written a killer sales pitch.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the power of a great pitch.\u00a0 Get it down on paper\u2014or on your website\u2014and you\u2019ll see the difference firsthand.<\/p>\n – Paul<\/em><\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t worry. You can polish the most over-the \u2013top sales pitch into great copy.\u00a0 All you have to do is use this three-step process. But I\u2019ll warn you in advance: this 3-step \u201cSalesmanship in Copywriting\u201d process may bruise your ego a bit.<\/p>\n