The Granddaddy Of All Copywriting Secrets

[Editor’s Note: Here’s an excellent article from my friend and colleague, Ben Settle. I love Ben’s insights into copywriting, and this one is no exception. By the way, this article hasn’t been published anywhere else — not even on Ben’s blog. Enjoy!]

Of all the copywriting secrets out there, this one is probably the most “touchy feely.”

In fact, it may actually seem weak, and lame, and even dorky.

Trust me, it’s not.

But if you ignore this one (extremely simple) step when writing your ads, your sales will be FAR short of what they could (and should) be.

Frankly, if I had just ONE copywriting “technique” to use, this would be it.

Anyway, here is the “secret”:

Sincerely caring about the people you sell to.

Now, I’m NOT saying you don’t care about the people you sell to.

In fact, I assume you do care about them — and deeply.

BUT… I’d like to suggest a unique way of looking at your readers you may not have considered.

You see, I don’t necessarily subscribe to this “herd” mentality that’s been popularized on the Internet.

This is when you see your list as a “herd” of cattle you’ve roped and bound in one place (your list) ready to give you money on command when called (i.e. when sending them offers).

Instead, I look at my ad readers differently.

I don’t see a bunch of names, email addresses, cows or a “herd” of anything.

I see people.

Real, flesh-and-blood people — with real problems, goals, hopes and desires.

People who maybe spend Sundays dreading the coming week, lay awake at night plagued with insomnia and stress, and are near-paralyzed with fear, pain and insecurities.

And before I even think of writing an ad or sending an offer, I picture writing not to a “list”… but to someone I love or care about.

Sounds almost hokey, doesn’t it?

Maybe so.

But this small mindset shift changes the entire complexion of the sale.

Instead of thinking only about how to overpower people with big promises and sales “choke holds,” I think about the urgent problem(s) they have and how to help them eliminate it.

And from here on out, I urge you to do the same thing.

If you sell, for example, a product about curing arthritis, picture your own mother suffering from the disease.

What if she could barely sew, cook or do the things she loves in her retirement years because of the crippling pain in her hands?

• What would you tell her?

• What would you say to her in an email or ad?

• What product would you tell her about?

Asking these questions automatically shifts your thinking from being “product oriented” (which always comes off as self-serving) to “problem oriented” (which is always customer-serving).

It changes the way you interact with your customers.

It changes the products you choose to promote.

And, most important of all, it changes the way people respond to your offers.

As one of my early copywriting mentors taught me…

“He who cares most about people, wins.”

Start taking this attitude and you’ll stand out head and shoulders from ALL your competition — regardless of how good your “copywriting” is.

For more advanced copywriting secrets and training like this, go to: www.BenSettle.com/blog/free-copywriting-interviews

Ryan Says: “Ben’s interviews are second-to-none. Click that link above to get access to FREE interviews that a normal marketer would charge good money for.”