Who should you write for?

Jul 5
06:05

2006

Abe Cherian

Abe Cherian

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Do you really think that somebody who is in the grips of making a decision about a major purchase, with all the emotional turmoil and ...

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Do you really think that somebody who is in the grips ofmaking a decision about a major purchase,Who should you write for? Articles with all theemotional turmoil and all the question and uncertainty theyhave, with all the stress and anxiety over spending, do youreally think that your one-page flyer that says, "We care,"is going to interest that prospect enough to want to dobusiness with you, as opposed to the ten million otherbusinesses in their area?

See, they want to understand what's going on. They want tounderstand why you're the one who can help them. And, aslong as it takes to do that - is as long as it takes!

Are your prospective clients any different from you? Do youreally think that for big decisions about major purchasesor investments, they want some short, sweet thing? No. Whatthey want is someone they can trust. In order to develop atrust, you have to make an emotional connection with them -to the heart.

In order to make that connection, you have to talk to themin a way they understand; in a way that makes them feelthat you have empathy and that you can solve their problemsor give them the best product or service. All that can notbe done in one page!

I don't have a rigid answer for how long the copy shouldbe. In ads and postcards, you're limited by size, so youdon't have as much room. Sometimes it's very difficult tocut copy down to make it fit on one page. I know! But, whenit comes to sales letters, you have as much room as ittakes. I promise you - people will read it if they areinterested. So, write for interested people.

You cannot trick people who are not interested intobecoming interested. And people who are interested want toknow everything before deciding who they're going to dobusiness with.

So, again, who should you write for? The majority of thepeople who aren't interested, and try to trick them intobecoming interested? Or, for people who are interested, whowant as much information as they possibly can have beforethey make a decision? Or, at least, for people curiousenough to want to know more and to respond to you?

When you think about it this way, it makes a lot of sense.If you were a sales person, you'd go nuts if your boss toldyou that you only had one minute to close a sale. Youshould go just as nuts if somebody says your copy should be"short and sweet."

See, we're not fans of long copy because we're fans of longcopy. If we could market to people in one page, we'd do it.It's cheaper and easier to do. Unfortunately, though, whatmarketers "like" has nothing to do with what prospects love!

Keep in mind that the best marketing is marketing thatworks! Not marketing that fits into a certain sizeenvelope, or that has lots of white space or whatever.

The only issue is what works. And if it takes long copy tomake it work, then that's what you write because you areinterested only in finding out what works.

Now, if you test something, and it works in one page, morepower to you! Because I'm not saying you should always dothings one way or another.

No. What I'm saying is that you should, always do whatworks. And if you can make something work in one page,GREAT! BUT, I am going to tell you that, in most cases,what usually works is longer copy.

So, don't leave this secret with a predetermined notion onexactly how long something should be. The only way toreally know is through testing.

You should know, though, that going "as long as it takes"may move you out of your comfort zone when you first getstarted.

Try to have faith in what I'm talking about. It makessense, and it's right. Not because I say so, but becauseit's been proven through years of testing. Long copyoutpulls short copy if it is interesting and relevant tothe reader, and it tells the whole story.

When you start getting customers responding to you becauseof the long copy that you are using, you'll quickly give upyour preconceived notions about "short and sweet."

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