How to improve your sales copy to get more
sales.
By
Bob Leduc
A few small changes in your sales copy can produce a big increase
the number of sales you get from your web pages and sales letters.
Here are 12 simple things you can do to improve the effectiveness
of your sales copy -- and increase your sales.
1. Make sure every part of your message focuses on the customer.
Convert anything about you or your company into a customer benefit.
For example, replace "14 years of experience" with "pleasing
customers just like you for over 14 years".
2. Write your message the way you would write to one person. Many
people will read your sales copy. But each person will read it
individually. Effective sales copy makes each reader feel like
you are writing personally to him or her.
3. Communicate in simple and informal language. Replace words
like "originate" with "start" and "receive"
with "get". Use active words in the present tense to
grab your prospective customer's attention and hold their interest.
People stop reading if they begin to feel bored.
4. Convert technical words and phrases into common words. Use
words every prospective customer will clearly understand without
stopping to think.
5. Replace general words and phrases with specific descriptions.
For example, replace a phrase like "get fast results"
with "our new clients average 9 percent more profit in the
first 60 days".
6. Divide long paragraphs into 2 or more short paragraphs. People
read short paragraphs because they look easy to read. But they
skim (or skip) long paragraphs because they look like a challenge.
7. Include some bulleted or numbered lists to make your message:
** Visually attractive
** Easier to read
** More clearly understood
8. Don't overdo the attention getters. Too much bold type, underlining
or all upper case letters makes your message harder to read. Use
them sparingly to highlight important benefits or features.
9. Eliminate anything cute, clever or humorous. It diverts the
reader's attention away from your message.
10. Keep your message positive and upbeat. Positive copy usually
produces better results than negative copy ...except in politics.
11. Make sure your message flows smoothly. Readers should be able
to visualize what you're saying without noticing the words you're
using to say it. Keep them engrossed in your message.
12. Avoid sensation and hype. They lower your believability and
cause you to lose sales. Tone down any claims that sound exaggerated
-- even if they are true.
Compare the sales copy you are using on your web pages and sales
letters with the 12 strategies on this list. Revise your copy
to implement those you overlooked. You'll enjoy an immediate increase
in the number of sales they produce for you. Then save this list
and use it as a guideline the next time you create (or pay someone
else to create) new sales copy.
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Bob Leduc is a Sales Consultant with 30 years experience in generating
low-cost leads. He recently wrote a manual for small business
owners, "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple
Postcards" and other publications to help small businesses
grow and prosper.
For more info :
BobLeduc@aol.com?subject=Postcards
Phone: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV
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