“So how do I know that what you are telling me is true?”
I am sure you’ve wanted to yell that same question at the TV as you sit nestled in the warm bubble of your comfy and well-worn living room recliner. As the charismatic pitch man spouts off more and more mind-blowing features of the next big problem solving widget, you find yourself staring at the screen wondering if what this 5 Hour Energy guzzling fast talker says is actually true.
Every person who attempts to sell a product via print, email, text or physical demonstration is always met with a thick slice of buyer resistance. It’s up to you, the seller, to provide them with the persuasive facts. .
In his best-selling book How To Write A Good Advertisement: A short course in copywriting, Victor O. Schwab defines several facts that can be used as proof material in your sales copy.
Harness the power of reputation
Define how long your company has been in business. It is often true that your reputation will precede you, but if you’re still building one, be sure to paint a clear picture of how happy your past customers have been with your product. A great way to do this is by including testimonials. When using testimonials to enhance a level of consumer trust, always make sure the testimonial is genuine. Use both first and last names, and I like to see their home city included as well. You want your testimonial to create some commonality between the past customer and the potential buyer.
Highlight your team’s accomplishments
Every business is made up of a team. In my own business, it’s just my wife and I, but I always make sure to highlight her past accomplishments. I let everyone know that yes…we are married, but we are also a team. Leverage the education, awards, and strengths of your team members by including them in your sales copy. By doing this, you are saying that not only is our product worth your investment, but we have some amazing people working behind the scenes to ensure an unmatched quality every time.
Quality of materials and design
You’re not just selling the constructed widget, you are selling every weld, screw, rivet and bend. Detail your processes, and create a description that imprints an image of painstaking labor and extreme attention to detail. Explain to the reader or listener why you have chosen to use these specific materials. Was it based on quality, location, or support of in-country labor? Tell the entire story, and never leave out the juicy details!
Speed of delivery and freshness of product
“If it’s not there in 30 minutes or less…it’s FREE!” Or something like that. If you say you have fastest product delivery, than prove it. Shout it from the rooftops! Don’t be scared to make promises. A promise of speedy delivery tells the buyer that you back your team and product 100%. That you have some skin in the game and you aren’t afraid to lose it. If your ingredients are fresh off the vine, don’t keep it a secret. Vine ripe fresh picked tomatoes sounds a lot better than…tomatoes. If you’ve ever read one of those .99$ romance novels off the rack at a local truck stop, you’ll experience first-hand how an author uses detailed descriptions to create an attractive image.
The key to ensuring your product consistently disappears off the shelves, is to simply tell the truth. The last thing you want to do is to be caught-up in a lie or fail to make good on your promises. If you’re reading this post, I am assuming that you are not in the business of cheating people out of their hard-earned money. Learning to become a persuasive sales copywriter holds with it some serious responsibility. Always keep in mind that you are writing to sell. But be sure to ask yourself as you write…
“Would I be comfortable reading aloud the words I am writing to a live audience of my friends, family and peers? If they bought this product, would they be happy that I suggested it?”
I ask myself these same questions. And I’ve also turned down some work because I didn’t like how I responded. I’m not saying that you have to be totally in love your product or service in order to earn a living selling it, but you DO have to stay true to yourself. If what you are selling makes you uncomfortable…it’s time to move on.
At least that’s how I see it.
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photo credit: slight clutter via photopin cc