Stale sales copy = snoozy customers

Let’s wake them up shall we?

If you want your customer to keep reading your sales copy, you need to keep it fresh and do more than simply repeat the same sales message again and again. Don’t get me wrong, it is important for you to consistently remind your audience of the benefits of your product. The trick is to find ways to keep that message sounding new.

We’ve seen how to keep your content marketing fresh and interesting, but what about the actual phrases you use in your sales copy?

Here are 10 different copywriting techniques you can use to persuade your prospect that your product is for them.

1. Make them curious

A gentle, non-pushy (but powerful) way to get someone’s attention is by using the technique of curiosity.

Curiosity phrases or headlines lower resistance in readers who might otherwise by put off by the slightest whiff that you’re selling something (even if you know it would be great for them).

Curiosity phrases usually suggest:

• There is something your target market doesn’t know (that they really should in their position)
• There is something odd / unusual that your target market can use to their benefit. 

For example:

This is an unusual, even abnormal approach to preventing sports injuries.

Did you know that one small thing could be the real reason behind unhealthy eating habits? 

Using curiosity to present a ‘new’ angle to a story is also useful when you want to stand out from your competitors.

2. Don’t solve, sympathise

Let’s say your friend has a problem.

You know that if you jump straight into telling them what they should do, they’re going get irritated and ignore you. Well, one way you can get that friend to listen is to sympathise with their problem first. So rather than saying:

If you don’t have enough hours in the day and it’s making you stressed, you should join this time management class

You could use a softer approach (and if you can throw in a compliment, great!):

It’s so frustrating not having time to do what you love when you do such a great job of making sure everyone else is okay.

This is a great tool to use in your copywriting because it focuses on the reader and not you trying to make a sale.

3. Talk about the (credible) dangers

Your customer might feel that they can live with their problem, but if your product is really going to change their life, you need to let them know the potential cost of not solving their problem.

Warnings about dangers and risks catch our attention because everyone’s number one priority is staying safe. Everyone has different versions of what ‘safe’ looks like, but if you can highlight a threat to something you know is important to your customer, they’re going to listen.

And this isn’t about scaremongering or the end of the world. It could be something as little as:

The number one reason clients don’t take you seriously

Or something more serious such as:

The real health risks you need to know about when your child goes back to school.

Think about your own product, what are the dangers of them not using it?

4. Tell them a secret

We all like to know what we think other people don’t know. Secrets make us feel included and important, like a backstage VIP pass to a concert.

In your copywriting, use this tool to tell your reader something that most other people don’t know. It might be why your product works so well, or why alternative methods aren’t the best choice. For example:

You won’t find this information on any public forum or blog…

Ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes of a successful fashion blogger? Then read on…

What secrets can you tell your audience?

5. Ask the right questions

Psychologically we are programmed to want to answer a question when asked. How often have you been put on the spot with a nosy neighbour or relative and ended up kicking yourself for giving away details that weren’t their business?

Well, we’re not going to pry into our customer’s private life, but we are going to engage them with questions. They’re not only an excellent copywriting tool for holding your reader’s attention, but they also mimic the conversational style of two people talking which is what great copy does.

So what questions might you ask your reader in your sales copy? Here are a couple to get you started:

If it was possible to gain an extra 2 hours each day, would you want to know how? 

What would it mean to you if you no longer had to worry about where the next client was coming from? 

6. Make them feel special

One way to make prospects feel good about your product is to make them feel good about themselves first.

Think about the positive attributes your customer relates to. Now,  it’s important that these attributes are aligned with your customer’s own image (or an image they want to have) otherwise this technique seems insincere.

So, how would you describe your customer?

• Ambitious? 
• Driven? 
• Health-conscious? 
• Environmentally friendly? 

From there you can pepper these into your copy to reinforce the idea that your customer is special:

This is a course designed specifically for driven and ambitious business owners

The fact that you’re reading this tells me you’re committed to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle

7. Tell them what’s going to change

The focus our attention dictates where we end up.

And the same is true in your copywriting. You don’t actually want your customer to focus on the sale, you want them to focus on the point after the sale where they start seeing results from your product.

So one other technique to persuade your customer (without simply telling them to buy) is to drop in a few phrases about what their life is going to look like when they do start seeing results:

Fast forward 1 year. Your business has expanded and you’ve even hired a small team, leaving you with more time to work in the areas that bring you the most joy. Does that sound good to you? 

Think about stepping onto that stage to speak, confident, charming and knowing you’re going to leave with $1,000s in sales. 

8. Bust a myth

There is a lot of copywriting mileage in challenging common beliefs. Why? Because if you’re the first person to do it, it makes your story unique and newsworthy. This is a style you’ll see a lot in scandalous newspaper stories.

Usually there is some traditional advice in your industry that you can contradict to get your customer’s attention and make them more receptive to your message.

For example:

Why checking your emails first thing IS the most productive habit of successful people

The secret to a successful online business is NOT about great content. Here’s why…

Of course, you have to be able to back up the claims you make. 🙂

9. Give them a security blanket

Have you ever bought something online or from an ad where it just didn’t ‘feel’ right? Maybe you couldn’t get in touch with the person after you made a payment and you worried it might be a scam.

Well everyone has experienced this on some level which is why you need to make your customer feel super confident about doing business with you.

A rock-solid guarantee can work wonders for this.  It’s also an opportunity to re-state the benefits of what you have to offer, as well as making them feel safe about doing business with you. For example:

I’m confident that you will love this product and the results you see. However if, for whatever reason you fell it’s not right for you I’ll happily refund you in full, no questions asked. It’s so rare for a customer to ask for this which is why we’re so happy to offer a bold, no-fuss guarantee!

10. Make the ending snappy

When you get to the close of the sale, having a few phrases to tie everything up neatly is essential.

Remember, we want our prospect to focus on the point AFTER the sale, rather than the actual purchase. So make sure your instructions about buying sound super-easy, with phrases like:

• To start seeing [benefits] today simply…
• All you need to do is…
• Within a few clicks you’ll be ready to…

So there you go, 10 persuasive techniques to tuck away and use in your copywriting toolkit!