Writing Compelling Copy – The Seven Yes Secrets

Writing compelling copy means getting people to say “yes”! As a copywriter, this is what all your copywriting efforts are focused on. You are aiming to get people to buy your product or service.
The big problem is that people don’t like being “sold” to. If they feel they are being “sold” to, their immediate reaction is “No”. So don’t “sell” to them! Instead, you have to put them in the mindset to say Yes. Make your customers feel that they are in the driving seat. Make them feel it’s entirely their decision.
So how do you do this? This is actually the main skill of writing compelling copy. Here are seven secrets to getting people to say Yes.
Get them to like you. Customers buy from people they like. This is one of the best known facts of marketing. So how do you get them to like you in your copywriting? You must establish a bond between yourself and them. Talk their language. You presumably know who your customers are – their age, gender, demographic, social class – or you shouldn’t be marketing! Use the sort of language they would use, tell personal stories that show you are one of them, demonstrate that you know where they’re coming from. And pay them compliments! If you show you like them, they will like you!
Make them trust you. Have you noticed that when someone says “Trust me!”, that is the last thing you do? So don’t ask them to trust you. Instead, show that you are honest. The best way to do this is to admit to a negative. If you’re reducing prices because you need the money, say so. If your product is the second or third best seller, not the best seller, say so – and add that you’re aiming to make it the best! You may be afraid to do this, thinking it will scare people off. Quite the contrary – it is incredibly persuasive. It means people are much more likely to believe your other claims.
Put them under an obligation.When someone has done you a favour or a good turn, what’s your response? You feel an obligation to return the favour. This pressure is often subconscious but it’s there. And overwhelming research shows that the word FREE has a more powerful response than any other word. Use this word over and over again and see the effect. Give people something that will help them in their business and they will want to help you.
Make yourself an authority. Why should they listen to you? Why should they believe you rather than your competitors? You have to show that you are an authority, that you know what you’re talking about. You can’t afford to be modest. Mention any books you have written, articles you have published or websites you own. If you’ve been in the business a long time, say so, and list any other related products you’ve sold successfully. Your aim is to impress them, so don’t hold back!
Emphasize scarcity. This is one of the most powerful “yes” secrets. We all want what we can’t have. If the product is seen to be selling out fast, it shows first that lots of people want it and, second, that if your readers delay, they might miss out. This results in an almost irresistible impulse to order.
Make them afraid to say No! Marketing research has proved time and time again that people are more powerfully motivated by fear of loss than by hope of gain. There was one project where a sales letter advertising a home insulation program was sent to a few thousand people. Half the letters emphasized the weekly sum the customers would save if they insulated, the other half focused on the sum they would lose every day if they didn’t. The second letter out-pulled the first by a very significant number. One of the secrets of writing compelling copy is to tap into people’s fear of loss.
Make it easy to say Yes! It’s a fact that despite all these persuasive tactics, people find it hard to make a decision. So make it as easy as possible to say yes. Provide a plan of action. Give them just one action to do: click this link, call this number. If they have to jump through a lot of hoops to order, they won’t. And don’t provide any alternative actions, like suggesting they look at this site, or order that free book. Give them one option and one only.
These seven secrets of writing compelling copy are used regularly by the most successful marketers. Give people a sales pitch and they will say No. Make them feel in control, and they will say Yes without even knowing why.