SalesHQ

Sales Tips >> Browse Articles >> Client Relationships

10 Ways to Write Cracking Copy That Will Get Your Prospects Attention

By Victoria Player - The "Online Marketing Coach"

Whenever you communicate with your prospects or clients in a written format remember to also see it as a prime opportunity to grab their attention, build a relationship and to tell them more about the benefits of what you do. Think about the copy you use in your web pages, your letters, emails, brochures or advertisements. You have so many opportunities to communicate with people and to elicit a reaction from them.

So, is the copy that you are using at the moment getting you the results you really want? If not, then take a look at my top ten tips for writing cracking copy.

1. Concentrate on the benefits of your service, not just the features

By now many of you will have been coaching for a while and you will have built up a long list of outstanding features associated with the service you provide.

When you write copy about your services it is all too easy to be drawn into the trap of telling prospects about the 'process' of coaching and how you deliver it rather than the benefits they can expect to achieve as a result of working with you. What you need to remember here is that people don’t really care very much how you get results, they just want to know what results they are going to get from working with you.

For example, if you were to go out to purchase a brand new car, the likelihood is that the car sales man would tell you all about the latest safety features associated to that model. But what does that really mean to you? Does it matter that it has a switch here and gadget there? No. What matters are the benefits those switches and gadgets give you, such as greater safety for your family or easier climate control so that granny doesn’t get cold in the back seat! Think end results!

2. Be reader-centric, not writer-centric

How many coaching websites have you looked at recently? Have you ever noticed that the copy for the large majority of these sites focuses solely on the writer? The words 'I' or 'we' are sprinkled about regularly throughout the site. There’s a lot of talk about the coach and the process of coaching but there is very little reference to the benefits that a potential client might gain from working with these people.

The key point that you need to keep in mind when writing any copy is to keep it reader-focused and use the word ‘you’ regularly. Another trick is to apply the ‘What’s in it for me?’ scenario. Always look at it from the reader’s side. What’s in it for them? What questions might they have about your services? What are they going to gain from working with you? What reservations might they have? Ask past clients what they got out of working with you and you will have something more meaningful to add to your copy.

3. Create an attention-grabbing headline

Every day we are absolutely barraged with hundreds of marketing messages so it is essential to get your prospects interested with an attention-grabbing headline. It could be the difference between success and failure.

The most effective headlines are those that focus specifically on your prospect's interests and concerns and shout out to them in order to get their attention.

For example, if you saw an advertisement that said: “Is you name (insert your name here)?” Surely you would read on because the headline specifically applied to you.

4. Use an enticing sub-heading

Sub-headings are an eye catching way of helping a reader skim over or get a brief overview of the key points that are to be covered in the main body of your copy. When you have written your copy go through it to identify the main selling or action points and incorporate these in your sub-heading to make them more engaging and to encourage your prospects to read on.

5. Make it easily digestible

These days nobody has the time or the inclination to read a huge long-winded piece of copy without very swiftly loosing interest and moving on. Our attention span is very short so we need to keep things brief. With this in mind it's essential that you write about your biggest benefits first. Do not leave it until the end of the page otherwise you risk loosing the reader's interest. Keep your sentences short and do not use more than four or five sentences to a paragraph. The use of headings and subheadings breaks up the copy and bullet points illustrates your ideas clearly.

6. Write in a conversational manner

The key point to marketing is to build relationships with your prospects and clients. What do you think is the best way to do this? Well of course, write your copy as though you were having a face-to-face conversation with them. What better way to engage your prospects? Nobody wants to feel that they are back at school again wading through loads of heavy going text full of long words. So, keep your copy light, use conversational phrases and short words that are easy to understand

7. Use client testimonials

Where possible use a smattering of client testimonials to remove doubt from your prospect’s minds. Get you past clients to talk about the challenges they had faced and then the specific results they gained from working with you. Where possible use your client’s photograph, but at the very least use their full name, their title, company name and geographical location. All of this will serve to give testimonials more credence.

8. State a call to action

Have you ever read something that sounds great, you are really interested and want to move to the next step and then… nothing! You can’t even find the information you need? Without a clear call to action your reader will not know what you want them to do next. Buy now, email me for a free consultation, click here for more information are just some of the ways to call your reader to action and get them to take the next desired step.

9. Avoid jargon

Often it's easy to fall into the trap of using coaching jargon that means absolutely nothing to your prospects. Keep things simple in a language that people will understand and stick to the facts and benefits of your services. Of course this very much depends on your target market and there are instances where the use of industry buzzwords and jargon will apply.

10. Enlist someone to proofread your copy

What one thing could instantly make your practice look unprofessional? You’ve got it - typos, poor spelling and grammatical errors. Please do keep in mind that you only have one chance to make a good impression so it is essential that you ensure that your copy is up to snuff.

If you are stuck for someone to proof read for you leave what you have written until the next day. Go back to it and re-read it. You will be amazed at how many mistakes you will be able to pick out for yourself.

So are you ready to incorporate cracking copy into everything you do?

© Victoria Player 2007

www.innovationcoaching.co.uk

---