Dissolving Buyer Scepticisim ... A Lesson In Copywriting

When making a purchasing decision, people have their "rip off radars" on high beam. They're wary and so they should be -- after all, they're about to spend money so they want to be sure they're not going to get ripped off, AND they want to be sure they're going to get the absolute best return on their advertising dollar.

Anyone can claim something generates great results. And they often do.

Here are some ways to dissolve scepticism and prove your claims:

1. Testimonials

You can never underestimate the power of testimonials. Testimonials will add enormous power to your copy. Because a 'real' third person is backing you up, your claims have much more credibility. The best testimonials to use are ones that tell about specific results a client has achieved. eg.

"Our turnover has more than DOUBLED in the last financial year, during a recession and much of that has been due to your great service."

"I lost 16 kgs in just 6 weeks and it was so easy"

2. Test results

Prove to your prospects that your product or service really works by including any test results that prove that or position you above your competitors. Make sure that they are independent tests so they are seen as being reliable. Statistics can also work wonders in backing up your claims.

3. Money back guarantee

When prospects are deciding between companies and between products there is always a conscious or subconscious fear in the back of their minds... a fear that they are going to be ripped off, or the product isn't going to live up to its promises. After all, your prospect is about to hand over money so he/she wants to make sure it is money well spent.

There are many ways (including the ones mentioned in previous sections) to prove to your customers the reliability and quality of your service or product but none of them compare to offering a guarantee.

If you offer a powerful money back guarantee, you are showing your prospect that you are willing to stand behind your product. You are willing to put your money where your mouth is. You are willing to risk a refund because you believe in the product so much.

You've probably seen some businesses using a half hearted approach at offering guarantees. These simply don't work. eg. Personal service guaranteed. A guarantee is useless unless you offer a refund or replacement as a result of not living up to that guarantee. You need to state these terms in your guarantee.

4. Case studies

Give an example of a before and after situation relating to one of your clients. This helps build credibility and it also helps your reader picture themselves owning the product.

5. Comparison chart

If the features and benefits of your product are proven to be better than that of your competitors, use a comparison chart which illustrates this.

Your sales arsenal

So you're about to meet with a prospective client to sell them your products or services. You're fairly clear on what to say to them to excite them about doing business with you but unless you're in a position to ensure that they sign up on the spot or if there are the minute they leave your premises.

If your prospective client needs to go back and think about your proposition and/or if there's another decision maker involved, it's very important that you leave them with something that will ensure they stay excited about using your services. Not only that, it's also important that the information they take away helps handle any objections they may have.

* Professional looking corporate profile which gives details of your company history, your products and services and most importantly, the benefits of doing business with you. The more professional this document looks, the more professional your company will look in the eyes of your prospect.

* What clients say ... a list of testimonials with punchy headlines (the more the better)

* Imagine getting results like these - a sharp list of results you've achieved for clients (a paragraph or two on each one)

* Client Success Stories - This is a more comprehensive case study document which gives a before and after picture.

* Quality colour copies of any press coverage you have received

* Frequently asked questions document which addresses the most common objections or fears felt by prospects.

About The Author

Kris Mills of Words that Sell is a seasoned copywriting professional and author of "How to Create a Sales Explosion With Every Ad and Letter You Write". More information on this popular guide can be found at http://www.synergie.com.au/explosion.htm or check out more of Kris' many copywriting articles at www.advicegalore.com.

Kris@wordsthatsell.com.au

---

Tech-writers: A Necessary Evil

New to tech-writing, or thinking about starting? The key to... Read More

What A Ghostwriter Needs To Do To Earn Top Dollar

The huge demand for writers online is really for ghostwriters.... Read More

Step One for Copywriters: Understand WHAT to Say

Find a passage of poorly written copy, and chances are... Read More

Copywriter Trick Unveiled: How to Write Better Copy Faster

"Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a... Read More

7 Steps You MUST Take Before Writing a Word of Copy!

Copywriting ChecklistOkay, you know you have your product (or service)... Read More

Web Writing - Dont Lose Your Visitors Attention!

Did you know that your writing can have a huge... Read More

Touching the Prospect?s Emotions in Your Sales Letter

Your prospect has emotions? and you MUST touch these emotions... Read More

7 Big Ticket Copywriting Secrets I Learned from Ted Nicholas

I recently sponsored and attended Joel Christopher and... Read More

Cleaning Up Your Copy

When you are beginning to write, you gather as much... Read More

Magic Words That Sell and What Words to Avoid

We all know words are powerful. Whether written or spoken,... Read More

Super Verbs Really Move Your Copy

Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You... Read More

12 Copywriting Tips to Make Your Advertising More Profitable

Year after year people make the same mistakes in direct-response... Read More

16 Golden Rules of Master Copywriting

You could spend thousands of dollars on advertisement and have... Read More

How To Take Your Freelance Writing Chances

Your initial freelance writing assignments are the best way to... Read More

Freelancers Can Jump-Start Your Publicity Initiative

If you find that your progress is blocked by a... Read More

Copyright, Copyrighting, and Online Copyright Abuse - Save Yourself the Headache by Reading This!

Lets start with copyright infringement.It is easily explained as copying... Read More

Website Promotion: 10 Secret Motivational Triggers That Make People Buy

Unless you know the secret motivational secrets that make people... Read More

Quotations as Expressions in Life

Quotations are expressions, usually in the spoken form or in... Read More

Creative Copywriting?

There is a difference between creative writing and copywriting. It... Read More

Copywriting Goldmine: One of 20 Insider Secrets to Great Copywriting

Each weekday during my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp, attendees (or... Read More

The Secret to Web Copywriting Gurudom

Have you seen those copywriting gurus, working it on the... Read More

Website Advertising: 10 Tactics To Make Your Ad Copy More Impactful

If your ad is not generating a lot of sales,... Read More

Ad Copy - Your 12 Point Inspection!

You're ready to launch that new product or promotion, &... Read More

Professional Writing: Six Great Reasons to Hire a Writer

Most people can write. Some can even write well. But... Read More

Organizing Your Data to Write Better Copy

Last quarter I talked about interviewing / gathering data. So... Read More

The Number One Copywriting Technique That Makes Your Prospects Read Every Word You Write

How does this sound?Today, I'm going to show you how... Read More

SEO Copywriting: 7 Tips

So you finally built a website for your home-based business.... Read More

How To Get Started With A Career In Copywriting

Careers in copywriting are booming. Could it be that the... Read More

How To Write An Effective Ad

A letter or postcard allows you to "talk" one-on-one to... Read More

Kick-Starting Body Copy

Several correspondents to our newsletter, AdBriefing, say that they are... Read More

How To Write Powerful Headlines

I want to tell you how I go about writing... Read More

Better Copy: The Interview is the Key

Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy... Read More

Can 97% of Netpreneurs be Wrong?

Why Some People's Ads Almost Always Make MoneyDiscover the Master... Read More