How
To Write Motivational Copy That Sells
by Karon Thackston © 2003
Who
of us hasn't written advertising copy that we thought was great
only to find out it flopped big time? Why? When you wrote it, it
seemed very persuasive. You included lots of benefits and even gave
a money back guarantee. It got YOU up and moving so why did your
customers turn their heads?
The
reason is usually quite simple. They are not you. While one thing
might motivate you and excite you enough to open your wallet and
buy, there are other personality types who respond to different
motivational factors. If you know the factors, you hold the key
to copywriting success!
There
are several names for the different personality or behavioral types.
Myers-Briggs labels them with letters (E = extrovert, I = introvert,
etc.). Some psychologists label them with types ("A-type"
personality, "B-type" personality, etc.). The DISC model
(which I find the easiest to follow) labels the different personalities
with descriptors (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, etc.) Regardless
of what they're called, I encourage you to get to know them. Once
you decipher the inner workings of your customers, you can write
copy that will motivate each and every time.
Let's
look at a few of the descriptors used within the DISC model and
I'm sure you'll see what I mean.
Dominance
The
Dominance behavioral style is usually described with the following
attributes:
- high
egos
- problem-solver
- likes
challenges
- drives
hard for results
- positive
- loves
power and authority
- motivated
by direct answers
Influence
The
Influence behavioral style can be described like this:
- socially
and verbally aggressive
- optimistic
- can
see the big picture
- people-oriented
- fast
movers
- motivated
by praise and strokes
Steadiness
Those
who fall into the Steadiness behavioral style usually are described
as:
- loyal
to those they identify with good listener
- patient
- loves
security
- wants
to see benefits
- oriented
towards family activities
- motivated
towards traditional procedures
Compliance
The
last of the four styles is Compliance. These people usually have
the following attributes:
- critical
thinkers
- high
standards
- well
disciplined
- accurate
- motivated
by the right way to proceed
As
you can see, these simple hints already open new doors for copywriting
effectiveness. From what's written above, you are probably getting
some good ideas about how to adjust your copy to fit your target
audience.
For
example, when writing to people with a Dominant behavioral style
you'll want to be direct and to the point, focus on the business
at hand, show them how this will help them get results and offer
a win/win situation.
Influential
people will want to allow time for socialization (so include some
"chit chat" when possible), to have fun, offer new and
innovative ideas, give a way for them to respond quickly and offer
praise and strokes for them making a good decision. Steadiness types
make up the majority of the population. Over 40% of Americans fall
into the Steadiness category. These people need to see a logical
approach to your product or service, they need time for thinking
before buying, they want to see how your solution will benefit them
and they need a sense of security about buying.
This
explains why most copywriters will tell you to write long copy that
is full of benefits and offers a money back guarantee. However,
while this does work for 40% of the population, the other 60% has
an issue with it. This is why I continually preach that you should
know your target audience! If you are marketing to a group of CEOs
(which most definitely fall into the dominance category) you can't
provide long copy... they simply won't read it. They are looking
for the bottom line and may ask for more details later if they feel
they are necessary. If you have lots of information to provide,
you'll have to break it up into sections to suit a "dominance"
type.
It
all boils down to giving the customer what they want. Even in your
copywriting techniques. If you don't, you'll lose the sale - plain
and simple. As an example, I'll tell you about a real estate agent
I once worked with. I was looking for a house and had specific criteria
for the exterior and interior. Rather than scheduling an appointment
with the realtor every other day to view houses, I wanted to be
given the addresses and view the outside at my own pace. If the
outside didn't have specific features, there was no need for me
to see the inside.
One
Realtor emphatically told me, "Mrs. Thackston, that's just
not the way I sell." To which I responded, "That's a shame...
that's the way I buy!" He wouldn't give me what I wanted and
therefore lost the sale.
I
encourage you to learn as much as you can about your target audience.
Their likes, dislikes, personality traits and behavioral traits.
When you do, you'll be able to write motivational copy that creates
a desire to buy.
Which
words make *your* customers buy? Let Karon show you.
Learn to write strategically created copy that hits a nerve
and makes the sale. Boost your search engine rankings, too!
Learn
more here |
Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO
copy that impresses the engines and your visitors
with Karon Thackton's Step-by-Step
Copywriting Course. Be sure to also check out Karon’s
latest e-report “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying
the Flow of Your Copy)”.
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