How To Get More Sales Or More Opt-ins From Your Copy

4-Simple Steps To Get More Sales Or More Opt-ins From Your Copy

Here are the 4 things you need to focus on to improve the response of your copy...

1. Audience
2. USP
3. Hook
4. CTA

Let's look at each of these in turn...

Audience

The most important thing you need to know before you pick up a pen or touch your keyboard is...

To know who you are writing to!

If you don't know who you are writing to... and how you can help them... then you can never craft an effective message.

At best you will write soup. Something so generic and so bland that it doesn't reach anyone.

So before you write a single word... ask yourself these 4 Audience questions.

When I say a single word, I mean before you write an email or a Facebook post. Ask yourself these 4 questions before you write anything! Even the smallest message.

This is obviously more important for the messages that cost you money (lead generation) or make you money (sales page, webinar presentation or video script).

Here are the 4 audiences question you must ask...

1. Who Are You Writing To
2. What Do They Want
3. What Is Stopping Them From Getting It
4. How Can You Help Them Better Than Anything Else

Before you sit down to write. Remember that selfish is not a bad work in marketing. Remember that we all wish we had more hours in the day. And we are not going to give our time up unless it is going to help us solve a problem or help us get what we want.

With that in mind, you can start to answer the 4 audience questions.

Who Are You Writing To?

Is it someone in their mid-40s that wants to build a property portfolio so they can quit their job? 

Or are they someone in their mid-40s that wants to build a property portfolio because they want a pension they can see?

Now you might think that these two people are the same. After all, they both want to build a property portfolio.

But...

There is a big difference in their vision. One wants cash today so they can quit their job. The other wants wealth in the next 10 or 15 years.

So...

The messages that will appeal to them most are very different. The strategies that will appeal to them most are very different.

The prospect that wants to quit their job in 12 months or less wants a cash flow strategy. They want cash today. So show them how they can have that.

The prospect that wants a pension pot that they can see, wants longterm wealth. They want to learn about capital growth and safe, secure investing. They want to learn about compounding wealth. They want to learn how to legally avoid paying inheritance tax.

The top-line vehicle to help both prospects achieve their goals is the same... a property portfolio. But the property strategy they choose will be different. And the timescales for replacing their income will be very different.

Plus... the work they will want to do every week is very different.

If you say to someone, you can replace your salary with 3 HMOs (houses that you rent by the room) and you will need to "work" 1 day a week to manage your portfolio. That will be a fair tradeoff. After all, they are working a lot less than that in their job.

But...

Not everyone wants to quit their job. Some people love their job and want to keep doing it. They are looking for a passive way to multiply their savings. So they want to "work" 1 hour a week to manage their portfolio.

Those are very different messages because you are writing to two very different people.

So do you have a clear picture of who you are writing to? What ONE person is going to drop everything to read your message right now. Give that person a name. This makes it easy to know who you are writing to.

So, if John wants to quit his job as fast as possible. And Sally wants to build a pension that she can see. You know who you are writing to when promoting different offers.

Now let's look at...

What Do They Want

We've covered a lot of this already and it's worth being absolutely clear.

You can start with the top line. They want to create wealth through property.

Then you can dive a little deeper. What specifically do they want. Is it to quit their job in 12 months. Or is it to create a pension that they can see.

Notice I didn't say make more money.

Why not?

Because money in itself is meaningless. Until you show your prospect what they can do with that money.

If they can quit their job. The money has a huge impact on their life.

If they can build a pension that they can see. This gives them security and control over their retirement.

We don't want more money. We want what money will do for us. And how that will allow us to spend our time. How that will make us feel.

So get clear on what your prospect wants... and why.

What Is Stopping Them Getting What They Want

What roadblock has your prospect run into?

What is standing between them and what they want?

If you know this and can describe it to your prospect... better than they can. Then you will earn their trust. They will feel understood. And they will want to know more about how you can help them.

Let's face it, when we run into roadblocks we often cannot see the roadblock because our anger and frustration blind us. Would you agree? I know that's the case for me.

It's only when I take a step back that I can begin to see the roadblock and start to plan how I am going to walk around it.

But...

First, I have to hit my head against the roadblock a few times to make sure I can't break it down with brute force.

Once my concussion tells me that I can't. I lick my wounds and take a step back.

Now...

If someone could show me the roadblock before I run into it 10 times. They will grab my attention because they understand the problem and how I feel. Suddenly, I will read every word they have to say to find the solution to my problem.

So what is the problem that your prospect keeps running into?

In the property investment world, it is one of 2 things... Money and Deals.

That's it.

What about in the growing a training company world?

The problem is one of 3 things... Lead Generation... Lead Nurturing... Sales.

If you get those 3 things right, then your business will explode. If any one of them is missing... then you are in for a rough ride.

Now, let's look at...

How Can You Help Them Better Than Anyone Else?

I'm going to answer this question more in USP. And it all comes down to why should I do business with you over everyone else. 

This is true for making the sale. This is true for lead generation. This is true for increasing readership.

Remember, selfish is not a dirty word in marketing. Your prospects are selfish. They want to know how you can help them. And they want to know why they should read your message over the other messages clamouring for their attention.

If you can't answer that in a way that makes your prospect drop everything right now... then your message can easily be ignored.

Let's look at this in more detail in the next step...

USP 

The one thing your prospect wants to know is why should I do business with you over anyone else.

This is true for lead generation because we all get enough email. So if you want your prospects email address, you have to give him a good reason to give it up.

This is true for readership because we are all starved for time. So if you want your prospect to drop everything and read your message. It has to help them achieve their goals.

This is true for the sale. If someone else can help them better (faster, cheaper, easier) then they will not invest with you.

So...

Where do you find your USP?

In your mechanism or system.

Eugene Schwartz talks about your unique mechanism in his book Breakthrough Advertising. A book every serious copywriter, marketer and entrepreneur should own. It's not cheap (£300 to £1,000 depending on the condition) and worth every penny.

What do I mean by mechanism?

Your mechanism is the process or system that you use to get results for your clients.

So...

What is unique about your system?

Is there one element that nobody else has? This is common in the supplement business. A pill will have 11 ingredients. All their competitors have the same 10 ingredients. You tell the reader the difference the 11th ingredient makes to them.

What's unique about my mechanism?

Storytelling!

Telling my client's stories. Teaching trainers and mentors how to uncover and tell their stories.

Storytelling creates trust, builds the need for what you have, separates you from the competition and permits you to present your offer.

Stories also give your prospect the tools to defend his purchase decision from the doubters in his life.

So, stories are critical for every stage of the persuasion and sale process.

What is unique about your mechanism?

And...

Are you highlighting that to your prospect?

I've got many clients who have a unique mechanism but they aren't shouting about it! They are literally hiding the one thing that will help them make the sale.

So, get clear on your unique mechanism. Then make sure this is at the core of your message.

Now let's look at...

Hook

What is going to make your message cut through the clutter in the market?

And...

What is going to make your prospect drop everything to read your message right now?

Is the Hook or Angle of your message different to your competitors?

Are you another trainer shouting about how to make £1000 monthly cash flow from an HMO?

Yes, this is an appealing message. But it doesn't make you different to anyone else. So is there something in your mechanism that you want to make part of your hook? Something in your mechanism that makes it easier for your prospect to get what they want?

If so put it front and centre of your message.

Is there something in the wider environment that will add urgency to your message... and make you stand out from the crowd?

This is common in the Financial Newsletter market because the stock market is changing so fast. So can you borrow this tip from that market and apply it to your business?

Now let's move on to the final part of improving the response of your message...

CTA

Copywriting is about salesmanship.

A great copywriter is a great salesman. They may also be a good wordsmith. But that is less important.

If you want someone to take an action then you've got to sell them all the reasons why they should.

Why they should give up their time right now!

Why they should read your message or watch your video above everything else!

You are competing for your prospects' attention. You are competing for your prospect's heart. You are competing for your prospects' wallet.

If you don't win their attention and their heart. You will never win their wallet.

So...

What's in it for them if they take the action?

If the answer to that is irresistible... then they will do it.

If it is not irresistible... or it is not believable... then they won't do it.

It's as simple as that.

I've been studying $1 million (plus) sales letters. Sales letters that I know have made $1 million or more. In some cases a lot more. To the tune of $2 billion! Yes, that's the big B. And there's one thing they all have in common...

The call to action is so subtle you could miss it.

There is no hard close. 

Why?

Because all the work is in making the prospect want what you have so badly that the only thing you have to say is where to get it.

That's what the best sales messages do. They build the need and build the need until you are desperate to buy. Then throw in some bonuses to make your offer completely irresistible. Then take away all the risk to make your offer a no brainer.

So...

Don't focus on closing well or closing hard.

Focus on building the need for what you have. Focus on what makes your product or report or blog unique. Focus on why they should take the action right now.

When you are clear on these 4-key copy aspects before you touch the keyboard. You will write a much more persuasive message. You will write a message that strengthens the relationship with every reader so you make sales today and in the future.

We all want sales today. And if we plan to be in business for the long term we must remember Brian Kurtz's quote

"Not everything in life is a revenue event. Everything in life is a relationship event."

If every message you send is a relationship event... Every Facebook post... Every email... Every Blog, Video or Podcast... Every sales message...

Then the money will take care of itself.

Now It's Your Turn

You now know the 4-simple steps to get more sales or more opt-ins from your copy.

You only have to decide to use them if you want better results.

I'm sure the answer to that question is an easy Yes.

So take the time to answer these questions before you touch the keyboard. Your audience and your bank account will thank you.

If you've found this useful then please leave a comment below.

If this can help someone you know then please share it with them.

Until next time...

Carpe diem

Roland Eva

P.S. If you'd like to learn more my simple system to turn email databases into 6-figure campaigns. Then you need to read my book How To Turn Expertise Into Cash.

To download your free copy. Click the link below.

http://rebrand.ly/How-To-Turn-Expertise-Into-Cash-Book