THE shortcut to copywriting success is...

[GordonJ]

There is a shortcut. A fast way to get results.

You don't need years of study to master it. You do, however, need to have a functioning brain, and be able to think.

THE shortcut to writing persuasive copy which gets people to take action is this:

KNOWING all people are preoccupied and self-involved, you write to their preoccupations.

Sometimes the product directly addresses their preoccupation, sometimes you need to break their surface thinking (what to order for lunch) and get into their deeper thoughts (what I want from life)...

THE shortcut is then using their own automatic response mechanisms which allow your words to resonate at a visceral level.

So, you begin to write your copy with a mission statement, something like this:

Knowing that Mary, my avatar prospect, is a 30 something single female who is preoccupied with finding a mate/partner and has shown a history of buying certain products or services which she feels will help her...

then I will write

to Mary's concerns,

using a PREOCCUPATIONAL INTERRUPTER

which will automatically bypass the Reticular Activating System's (RAS) filter and harmonize with her deeper desires...

Once I have engaged Mary at this deeper level, then I will help lead herself to the well in the desert she has been looking for and let her discover the well on her own,

so she comes to her own conclusion about the need for the solution I am offering.

BEGIN with this simple mission statement concept, and build your copy out from that.

Although there could be layers and layers of psychology involved, to put it in layman's terms...

Help Mary get what SHE wants. (THE mission statement).

As soon as you get this, your copywriting success will soar.

OR, spend thousands of dollars and months and years of time learning how to trick, manipulate, NLP, formula-ize, swipe, study with gurus...as long as you want.

But, the sooner you help Mary get what she wants, the sooner you benefit from your words.

Gordon

PS. Which is THE reason it is
THE shortcut anyone can take to become an effective copywriter...

but, you have to know what she wants, and get away from what YOU want,

and for most new copywriters, THEY WANT to sell themselves, their services, get their money...

and they get it totally AZZ backwards, which is why they struggle for so long.

All I can say is..."BANG"...I only hope that everyone reads this post of Gordon's and TRULY understands what he is saying...because it can not be said any more CLEARLY or MORE ACCURATELY than the WAY he just presented it..."THE WIZARD" has just pulled back "The Curtain"..........GOOOLLD...pure...and...SIMPLE.

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by Fishman

All I can say is..."BANG"...I only hope that everyone reads this post of Gordon's and TRULY understands what he is saying...because it can not be said any more CLEARLY or MORE ACCURATELY than the WAY he just presented it..."THE WIZARD" has just pulled back "The Curtain"..........GOOOLLD...pure...and...SIMPLE.

Holding gold is not my thing. So, I'll start to present some CASE STUDIES, and too many copywriters want to take ALL the credit for the successful sales of a product, when other factors, like TIMING could have played a more critical part.

This world today of selling copywriting courses as the answer to any and all writer's woes is spurious to me.

The product, chosen to match the market prospect, and revealed in the right media at the right time, almost eliminates the need for copy.

Some products, especially those of HOPE, need to have all the persuasion and emotional manipulation they can muster to find a profit in their markets.

Busy today, but I'll be back later in the week with some case studies and examples. In the meantime, feel free to post your own, or even to refute my premise.

Gordon

Originally Posted by GordonJ

KNOWING all people are preoccupied and self-involved, you write to their preoccupations.

Help Mary get what SHE wants. (THE mission statement).


But, the sooner you help Mary get what she wants, the sooner you benefit from your words.

but, you have to know what she wants, and get away from what YOU want,

How do you know or find out what she wants? This is a pretty big key to the process also.

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by DarrenS

How do you know or find out what she wants? This is a pretty big key to the process also.

...to know who you are writing for.

You know because of the where the promotion is going to be shown.

You know because you've studied human behavior, are familiar with Wants and Needs, and because of where your INTERSECTION is going to occur.

Mary is 30, joined dating sites, does searches on finding a mate, joins a facebook group. You know what one of her preoccupations is, so you write to that one...

Old ad adage, don't sell lures and bait to golfers.

You wouldn't spend money selling golf products to bowlers.

So, it is about what you are offering and to whom. Then the WHERE, the Intersection and from that you extrapolate the preoccupation and the interrupter you want to use.

Gordon Jay

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

PS. Which is THE reason it is
THE shortcut anyone can take to become an effective copywriter...

but, you have to know what she wants, and get away from what YOU want,

and for most new copywriters, THEY WANT to sell themselves, their services, get their money...

and they get it totally AZZ backwards, which is why they struggle for so long.

Hi Gordon,

That's definitely some great advice...

When I was in 9th grade or so, I came across an old book my Dad owned. Dog-eared as it was, I picked it up and read it...

It was Dale Carnegie's "How to win friends and influence people."

I put the book into practice.

Carnegie recommends that you find out about what other people are interested in... What are their hobbies? What things do they like to do and discuss?

Don't talk about what you are interested in. Talk about what they are interested in!

And blimey, the thing works!

I found I could talk to almost anybody... I just found out what they were interested in. Then, I would find an intersection where we both had an interest. And voila! Good conversation results...

There were a small number of people where I couldn't find a mutual interest. But they were a minority...

So, let's say I meet a stranger at a party. Through my questions, I find out that the stranger is interested in growing orchids, fixing old cars, and professional tennis...

Tennis! Ding ding... we have a match (since I follow professional tennis too). We could talk about the tennis world! And... things would go well...

But my point is... While it's not the same...

There does seem to be some similarity in the principle of what you're saying, and what Dale Carnegie said...

It's a powerful principle.

Thanks for sharing it!

Best wishes,

Dien

P.S. As a bit of trivia, Dale Carnegie's daughter still makes a mint from "How to win friends and influence people," which her father wrote 80 years ago (1936)...

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

Hi Gordon,

That's definitely some great advice...

When I was in 9th grade or so, I came across an old book my Dad owned. Dog-eared as it was, I picked it up and read it...

It was Dale Carnegie's "How to win friends and influence people."

I put the book into practice.

Carnegie recommends that you find out about what other people are interested in... What are their hobbies? What things do they like to do and discuss?

Don't talk about what you are interested in. Talk about what they are interested in!

And blimey, the thing works!

I found I could talk to almost anybody... I just found out what they were interested in. Then, I would find an intersection where we both had an interest. And voila! Good conversation results...

There were a small number of people where I couldn't find a mutual interest. But they were a minority...

So, let's say I meet a stranger at a party. Through my questions, I find out that the stranger is interested in growing orchids, fixing old cars, and professional tennis...

Tennis! Ding ding... we have a match (since I follow professional tennis too). We could talk about the tennis world! And... things would go well...

But my point is... While it's not the same...

There does seem to be some similarity in the principle of what you're saying, and what Dale Carnegie said...

It's a powerful principle.

Thanks for sharing it!

Best wishes,

Dien

P.S. As a bit of trivia, Dale Carnegie's daughter still makes a mint from "How to win friends and influence people," which her father wrote 80 years ago (1936)...

In high school, I was taking business courses. One was a class on SELLING, and one week the teacher had us "invest" in How to Win Friends and Influence People.

I protested. (Before reading).

"You shouldn't have to WIN friends, they are not prizes you get through manipulation and influence." (Although that is exactly how you do).

So, we had some heated discussions in class. But, I actually didn't want these secrets shared. I had, at that time, been studying salesmanship (influence) for 7 years. And the school was my laboratory.

Just like Elmer Wheeler went into the stores to TEST his sentences which would increase sales, I practiced on fellow students, experimenting with phrases, and all that sort of thing.

Bottom line, although I did protest too much, the lessons of HTWFIP, and getting into the

bubble of preoccupation

or inside their mind, or walking in their shoes...

gave great insight to understanding human motivation and behavior. I regard this work as a MUST own and must revisit on a yearly basis.

Thanks Dien, for the reminder.

Gordon

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

Just like Elmer Wheeler went into the stores to TEST his sentences which would increase sales, I practiced on fellow students, experimenting with phrases, and all that sort of thing.

Bottom line, although I did protest too much, the lessons of HTWFIP, and getting into the

bubble of preoccupation

or inside their mind, or walking in their shoes...

gave great insight to understanding human motivation and behavior. I regard this work as a MUST own and must revisit on a yearly basis.

Thanks Dien, for the reminder.

Hi Gordon,

I recently came across an article which said you only need THREE skills to be an entrepreneur...

These skills were...

SALES skills
MARKETING skills, and
NETWORKING skills...

I don't know if that's all you need, but all three are pretty important!

Your approach - getting into the Bubble of Preoccupation - helps with all three!

Best wishes,

Dien

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

It was Dale Carnegie's "How to win friends and influence people."

I put the book into practice.

If they like you, they like your product -- then you have a sale.

I've read the book a few times. Still use advise from it....

Find if someone new calls to check me out for possible website development, I'll ask them a few questions about their business. Pretty soon they are telling me their life's story. People LOVE to talk about themselves. The more you listen to them talk about themselves; the more they like you. By the end of the conversation you get hired because you listened to them, and they need a website built.

Regards,
Steve

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Steve MacLellan

If they like you, they like your product -- then you have a sale.

I've read the book a few times. Still use advise from it....

Find if someone new calls to check me out for possible website development, I'll ask them a few questions about their business. Pretty soon they are telling me their life's story. People LOVE to talk about themselves. The more you listen to them talk about themselves; the more they like you. By the end of the conversation you get hired because you listened to them, and they need a website built.

Hi Steve,

It's true... It does work!

By the way, someone used this on me recently...

I was going to ask this lady about herself, and her background... But she kept asking me questions. More and more questions, out of her insatiable curiosity...

Pretty soon, I was telling her my life story... Including stuff I had no intention of divulging!

Man... Despite knowing how it works and how to use it - it still works on me, too...

Best wishes,

Dien