Very often, when I tell my clients, students and subscribers that we're not in the writing business... they don't seem to get the point.
And who can blame them?
Here's a Copywriter telling people who are awed by his writing prowess that Copywriting has little or nothing to do with writing!
In some climes, you could be hanged or shot for this!
It's betrayal!
Okay that would be too extreme but the point I am trying to make is, we're not necessarily in the business of writing.
We're in the business of channeling desires, caressing emotions and rekindling or restoring hope!
And to do this effectively, on a mass scale... we use letters.... sales letters.... and they must go out there and bring home money or else....
We'll Be Forced to Starve!
Our standard of living... and our lifestyle depends largely on the results of the sales letters we assemble.
That's why every letter we write goes through certain filters before we even consider it worthy to be promoted!
There are certain boxes a sales letter must tick for it to stand a chance at getting the sale when the prospect reads it!
Ignore these and you'll go home with....
Empty pockets!
At some point in my career, after studying the works of Michael Masterson, I discovered the four-legged stool test....
A great way to quickly find out if your letter is lacking any or all 4 of the most important elements of a great sales letter!
After I started using it, the results of my letters improved drastically and I am now going to reveal....
Everything you Need to Know About
The 4-legged Stool Test!
There are four key components of a great sales letter:
- The BIG Idea
- The Primary promise (supported by statements throughout your copy)
- Solid proof
- Credibility!
Now, let's start with.....
The BIG IDEA!
This is by far the most important component of a sales letter!
Every sales letter is built around one powerful idea.... and everything you say in your message must directly or indirectly make your reader believe in that idea!
The stronger your BIG IDEA is...
The More Money You'll Make!
And vice versa.
Please note, it is not enough to have a BIG IDEA, you must offer your reader a vehicle that takes them on an amazing experience with this big idea of yours!
The marketing lingo for this vehicle is called...
The unique mechanism!
And this is critically important because you want to differentiate your product/service from the competition and give your reader a powerful reason to choose you and you alone!
So let's say you're selling a weight-loss formula....
Your unique mechanism could be an ancient Bulgarian fat burning fruit component that has....
A different plan of attack....
Now, that's unique.
They can't find it easily.... while everyone else in the weight-loss market is talking about how X can make you lose weight, you're positioning yourself as a credible solution by saying something uniquely different!
Onward.
The next thing is your primary promise:
Behind every BIG IDEA and it's unique mechanism, lies a powerful promise!
Example:
BIG IDEA: "Take action before Dec 31 and watch The Secret $50 Marijuana Stock Blueprint turn a single $50 bill into a massive fortune"
- Unique Mechanism: The $50 Marijuana Blueprint
- Primary Promise: Turn fifty-dollars into a massive fortune
Keep in mind: it has to be intellectually interesting too!
And in this case, it's pretty clear what the intellectual appeal of our BIG Idea is right? And here it is.....
What is happening with Marijuana Stocks on Dec 31st that presents this unique once in a lifetime opportunity for The Little Guy to Make a Fortune?
Doesn't that just hit you where you live?
Exactly! and that's how your letter should appeal to your reader!
Straight to the heart!
Now, we are getting into areas where most Copywriters and marketers don't put in as much thought as they should.... and that affects the response or conversion rate of their sales letters!
The first one, is solid no-bullshit proof that is believable!
It's okay to make big claims in your sales letters..... as long as you can back every single one of them up with strong believable proof!
Screenshots, testimonials, graphs, third-party quotes, personal stories etc
And don't just throw in these randomly... you should use them strategically... plugging the necessary proof right after you've made. a claim that may sound...
Unbelievable!
Or any claim for that matter!
EXAMPLE:
"All you have to do is press -send- and in 25-minutes max.... your $1 bill brings you a neat $15 in trading profits. And it could be more, up to $17 and even $35 in under 30-minutes.
Now, I know that may sound too good to be true. In fact, when I first heard about this trading secret, I was skeptical. I didn't believe any of it.... until I did some research and decided to try it out... with the support of a recommended expert.
"What I saw completely blew me away. Just take a look at the movement of this graph below..... see how, after activating the trade, it only takes a few minutes for $1 to bring you $15... then $17..... and even $35...."
{GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION}
And everyday Nigerians like you are collecting small fortunes day by day, week by week... even if they've never really traded in the financial markets before.
"Take Gene Schwartz for example, a mechanic who sells ====="
Are you beginning to see the importance of proof? and how it works?
Another thing you could do, is plug in testimonials.... with names and pictures if possible! You could even make your testimonials more effective by turning them into brief case-studies inside your sales letter!
Now, let's talk about....
Street Credibility (How and Why You Should Use it!)
This involves social proof, fame, awards, recognition, TV appearances, celebrity or influencer endorsements.....
This is a very powerful element when you're selling a coaching or consulting program, a newsletter or any service built around the expertise of an individual or company!
And even if you're selling a physical product, this is important too.
What's the media saying about this product?
Write it down!
Now, we'll take it a step further!
What are key institutions, industry experts, famous figures, historical facts and even everyday people saying about this product that supports the promise you're making in your sales?
Do your research and take note of these things, then plug them into your sales letter.
So there you have it, The four-legged stool test.
Before you publish a sales letter, be sure to check if it has:
A Big idea, a Strong Primary promise, Solid proof, and some Street Credibility!
If your letter has these components, and you're selling to a hungry market, you should make a great deal of money!
To more sales and higher profit margins!
Andy!