For copywriters – this is a superb copywriting checklist you can consult whenever you need to polish up your copy.

It’s by John Forde of the Copywriter Roundtable’s fame.

http://copywritersroundtable.com/

Enjoy! I’m sure you will find it as useful as I did.

I Package Description:

CARRIER ENVELOPE

[ * ] *Excellent
[ * ] *Good
[ * ] *Needs some improvement, but can be salvaged
[ * ] *Needs to be rewritten
[ * ] *Needs to be redesigned

Is there a strong teaser that effectively does these two things?:

(1) *The copy identifies and qualifies the prospect immediately.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No
[ * ] MAYBE

(2) *Gets him inside the envelope?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No
[ * ] MAYBE

THE LETTER

[ * ] Excellent
[ * ] Good
[ * ] Needs some improvement, but can be salvaged
[ * ] Needs to be rewritten
[ * ] Needs to be redesigned

Content:

The letter must contain the following in this general sequence–all done
strongly and effectively according to proven direct response methods:

A. * * *Does the superscript, or headline, compel the reader to go on?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

B. * * *Does the headline give exciting news, make a promise, or offer a benefit?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

C. Should a superscript be used in this letter?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

D. Is there a strong lead sentence that picks up from the teaser or the
superscript? *Must start reader on the route to a sale.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

E. Opening paragraphs: *do they begin immediate development of the benefits
promised in the teaser? *Do they develop desire for the product/service? *Do
they show the reader how he will benefit specifically? *Or else do they compel
the prospect to read on?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

F. * * *Is the opening section mostly "flattering" and not critical?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

G. * * *Proof: *are all claims backed up by success stories, charts, figures, or a
track record or by testimonials, endorsements, etc., from satisfied customers
or acknowledged authorities?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

H. Are the "credentials" of the writer defined strongly enough that the letter
has authority and credibility?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

I. * * *Are all benefits brought out strongly? *(Product characteristics are
features. *What those features do for the customer are called benefits.)

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

J. Is the prospect told he’ll lose something if he doesn’t act?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

K. If the product is new or unique, does the letter say so and state how it’s
better?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

L. Is there reason given for an immediate response?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

M. Is the price justified? *Or are there equivalent tangibles listed to dramatize
the amount requested?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

N. * * *If a publication, is there a choice of subscriptions and terms?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

O. * * *Is there a money-back guarantee?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

P. * * *Is there a free premium or some incentive to bring quick action or a bigger
purchase?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

Q. * * *Strong summary: *Are the major benefits restated? *Have you answered all
questions and objectives?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

R. * * *Is there a reference to the order form or procedure that tells exactly what
you want the reader to do?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

S. * * *Credit card purchases and toll-free "800" number purchases increase
response up to 30%. *Are they offered?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

T. * * *Action: *Is the order/donation/action/asked for strongly and clearly?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

U. * * *Is there a P.S.? *Does it add a note of urgency, incentive, etc.?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

V. * * *Overall, has the entire presentation been directed to the toughest, hardest-to-sell prospect, and NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED in order to get the job done?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

II. * * TECHNIQUE

A. * * *Use the "you" attitude all the way through. *Talk about the reader, not you – his needs and problems from his perspective.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

B. * * *Is the "bucket brigade" used? *Use connectors that subtly lead from one paragraph to the next: *"And, But, So you see, Of course, Better yet, As I mentioned, Now here’s the important part, And don’t forget that, But that’s not all…"

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

C. * * *Does copy read smoothly? *Does it keep moving?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

D. * * *Is it in a sincere, first person singular, conversational idiom?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

E. * * *Is it in the reader’s vernacular–the jargon of his field, sex, age, or other
psychographic limit?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

F. * * *Does the copy breathe enthusiasm? *Excitement? *Conviction? Like you
truly believe in what you’re writing about?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

G. * * *Has the reader been recognized as a unique individual, and are his needs
and problems identified and solved by the end of the letter?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

H. * * *Does copy hold the reader’s interest all the way through?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

III. Writing Style

A. * * *Punctuation–forget the rules! You’re writing the "spoken" language for the most direct effect. *Do you use punctuation for impact and clarity and not for the sake of "grammatical correctness"?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

B. Words

1. *Are there too may long words? *(About 65%-75% should be five letters or
fewer.)

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

2. *Are they familiar, common words most used in ordinary conversation–
NOT pedantic, pretentious, or "business letter" English?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

3. *Do you use the active tense, not the passive?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

4. *Are there "word pictures"–metaphors, similes and analogies that make
concrete, emotionally stimulating images?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

5. *Is the verb-adjective ratio good–about three verbs to every adjective?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

6. *Is the writing fresh? *Does it avoid clichés?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

C. Sentences:

1. Are most sentences under 20 words? *Fewer than 150 syllables long?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

2. Are they varied in length to lend rhythm and pace?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

3. Do the sentences flow logically–from subject to predicate to object? *Do
they read right the first time through–give the meaning you intended?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

Paragraphs

1. Are they six to seven lines maximum, but varied for visual appeal?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

First line indented?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

3. Are whole paragraphs double-indented occasionally for emphasis and visual
appeal?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

IV. Appearance:

A. Placement on page: Ample borders all around?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

B. Subheads used for visual and strategic purposes? *(The ideal is to have your
subheads form a synopsis, in sequence, of your basic proposition or story.)

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

C. * * *Underscoring: *Effective for emphasis, but use sparingly. *Overuse kills
the effect. Has underscoring been used effectively?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

D. * * *ALL CAPS: *Effective for emphasis, but unsparingly. Overuse is more
likely than with underscoring. Has ALL CAPS been used effectively?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

E. * * *Is there a second color and is it used well? *It increases response
substantially when used sparingly but wisely.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

F. Type: Use typewriter — Don’t typeset unless you use a type font that looks
very much like a typewriter. *Prestige, pica 72, ten point?, is preferred by the
many of the world’s top direct mail letter writers.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

(JF Note: This was true when Kevin first made the list. Does it still apply? You be the judge. If you were rewriting the question for online marketing, you might substitute Verdana as the typeface.)

G. Are ragged right lines used (lines not justified at right end?)

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

H. * * *Bottom line of page–break sentence at a "leading" word when possible so reader must turn page to get the meaning.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

I. * * *Is there a continuation note in the bottom-right corner (such as "please
turn…")?

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

V. Specific Comments:

OVERALL EVALUATION OF INSERT

I. * * *Overall rating of your strategy, writing, design, pricing, and terms:

[ * ] 10 – Rare. *A landmark achievement.
[ * ] *9 – Outstanding. *Deserves a prize.
[ * ] *8 – Unusually good, top 5% of all copy.
[ * ] *7 – Good. *Reaches ordinary standards.
[ * ] *6 – Passable, with luck.
[ * ] *5 – Marginal value, may even lose money.
[ * ] *4 – Weak. *An almost certain money-loser.
[ * ] *3 – Very weak and unprofessional
[ * ] *2 – Awful.
[ * ] *1 – Offensive or illegal.

II. Your offer is clear as presented.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

III. *The pieces in your package complement each other in the right way.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

IV. You have separated yourself from the competition adequately.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

V. * * *Your product/service/publication/ministry is marketable through direct
mail.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

VI. You should also look into other direct response media like magazine ads, radio, television, posters, fulfillment house stuffers, etc.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

VII. *Your strategy, product, service or publication can and should be
improved before you continue marketing.

[ * ] Yes
[ * ] No

Jag Foo

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What if you can learn the secrets of the top ad agencies to create blockbuster ads that pull response like crazy?

If you know their techniques…you can absolutely replicate them and create the same sales success for yourself.

Imagine if you knew the following facts:

FACT! 60% of people read only headlines. Your headline MUST stop them or your advertising will likely fail.

FACT! Captions under photos get 200% greater readership than non-headline copy.

FACT! Ads with sale prices draw 20% more attention and increase depth of readership.

FACT! Half-page ads pull about 70% of full-page ads… quarter-page ads pull about 50% of full-page ads.

FACT! At 12 points and larger, Ariel is the easiest to read font. Under 12 point, use Verdana.

FACT! 4-color ads are up to 45% more effective than black and white.
Could you use these insider secrets to your advantage?
You bet you can!

And you can them more from a phenomenal book by Eric Drew Whitmen’s Cashvertising.

Here’s the link:
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Ad agencies spent millions to billions to find out what works. You get the shortcut to that – without spending all that money (and pain)
to test for yourself.

Do yourself a favor. Get it. You will love it. The juicy human psychology tactics you will set your sales mind racing – I guarantee you that!

http://www.cashvertising.com (Look ma! No affiliate link!)

Jag Foo

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When it comes to selling, you have to understand that people buy largely on emotion. Not logic.

For them to part with their hard-earned money, you have to first discover their innate wants and desires. We call these “mind motivators”. Once you get their sweet spot, keep pressing these emotional hot buttons.

As you slowly begin to understand what gets the buyer’s pulse racing, you can easily incorporate them in your sales presentation and sales copy.

Use it in your sales copy for PPC ad…landing page copy…banner…whatever!

Here are a few mind motivators for starters:

• Buyers want to avoid pain
• Buyers want to gain pleasure
• Buyers want to save time
• Buyers want to have an easier life
• Buyers want to feel safe and secure
• Buyers want to have a peace of mind
• Buyers love to receive compliments
• Buyers like to invest in future
• Buyers also love short term, instant gratification
• Buyers like experience happiness
• Buyers are fearful of being disadvantaged
• Buyers love to dream the dream
• Buyers want to save on trouble
• Buyers want to let the people (especially loved ones) around them feel happy
• Buyers want it more if they have to be qualified first
• Buyers want to have authority and power
• Buyers want to be part of an exclusive group
• Buyers want to feel independent

Do these points give you some ideas on how you can sell your product?

Remember, you want to be focused on selling benefits (emotions) and not so much on features (logic).

Let me know what you think.

To your success,

Jag Foo

P.S  If you like to discover more effective yet simple copy techniques, I have something that may just be right for you…

=> http://persuasivecopywriting.net/ChunkCopy/

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Here’s another example of how a little tweak can effect a huge change.

In this case, we are going to talk about the power of consensus.
Or the power of the crowd.

How does this fit into the “small change big impact” theme? Let me explain…

There’s this product where buyers can call in to buy.

The product was advertised as an infomercial.
And the call-to-action line was “Call now and our operators will be there to serve you”.

Well…the response was okay, but not fantastic.

So the call-to-action line was re-written and tested.

It now read, “Operators are busy. Please call back again later if the line is engaged”.

Straight away, orders went through the roof!

Why was there such a big impact when the change to the call-to-action script is so small?

Because of the power of consensus!

In the first case, you get the mental picture that operators are free, and are probably twiddling their thumbs waiting for calls to come in.

But in the second case, the picture is that of busy operators who have their hands filled with orders.

And if everyone is buying it, then it probably is going to be a good product. So I must get it!

See the difference?

Yet another example that demonstrate the importance of:
- Constantly testing and tweaking for higher conversions
- Paying attention to the even the smallest of details. Because sometimes they make all the difference.

As usual, I love to hear your comments.

All success,

Jag Foo

P.S Important => What if you can discover the secret element that can increase your profits by 1,000%…and more…

Will you be willing to do a small test – which you can implement in no time and cost zero dollars – that can potentially yield you disproportionally large results?

Click here now if you want to discover these secrets that Jay Abraham, Mark Joyner and other marketing legends have been exclusively to their clients => http://emoneymarketing.com/SmallChangesBigProfits/

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In the previous post (part 1), we talk about using the principle of consistency technique that helped a restaurant reduce their cancellation of table reservations by 30%.

This was achieved just by adding 2 “small words” to the call script used by the phone receptionist.

Today, we are going to explore another “Small Change Big Impact” scenario.

I got this from a newsletter issue from John Forde’s Copywriting Roundtable. I thought it’s pretty relevant to today’s theme.

And I think you will like this. It goes like this:

In Italy, and for many countries for that matter (including Singapore where I am based), you get penalized with points if you commit a traffic offence.

Once you accumulated points to a certain level, your driving license get suspended.

Now Italy is well well-known for bad driving on the road. And while this measure probably work to a certain degree, the authorities decided to do a small tweak to the system.

They Flipped It Around!

That means you start of with points on your record. With every violation, you get points taken off. If you hit zero, you are IN LUCK! Say goodbye to your license!

What happened after that?

Traffic deaths went down. Accidents went down. Speeding incidents went
down. Helmet and even seatbelt use went up!

Small change. Big impact.

But why?

Because fear of loss is a powerful motivator!

When it’s down to “fear of loss” versus “benefit of gain”, the former wins. Hands down.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at the stock market. It can take years for a stock to reach its absolute peak. But you only need a matter of months (or even days) for the stock to plummet back to square one during a panic.

Wonder why weekend clearance sale work so well? Because people are afraid of missing the bargain. There is “scarcity” involved. That’s very effective in getting people to act. And act now.

Amazing how human emotions work right?

As usual, let me know your thoughts below.

All success,

Jag Foo

P.S Important => What if you can discover the secret element that can increase your profits by 1,000%…and more…

Will you be willing to do a small test – which you can implement in no time and cost zero dollars – that can potentially yield you disproportionally large results?

Click here now if you want to discover these secrets that Jay Abraham, Mark Joyner and other marketing legends have been exclusively to their clients => http://emoneymarketing.com/SmallChangesBigProfits/

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Do you know that you can have significant increase in revenue just by making seemingly “small changes” to your business?

Most people tend to think that if you want big results…you need big change! You need to spend big money! But that’s not entirely true!

If you know how to make the RIGHT change, you can still achieve great results even if it may just be a small tweak.

Let me tell you a story illustrating this concept.

I read about this story in one of Robert Cialdini’s presentation about how to be more persuasive.

Robert Cialdini is a world-renowned authority in the study of influence. He is also the best-selling author of “The Psychology of Influence”.

And it goes like this.

There is a restaurant that takes advanced booking by phone. But there was a problem. There were many customers calling in to cancel at the last minute.

The thing is that the receptionist was trained to say “Thank you for calling our restaurant. Please call if you want to cancel your reservation” to all the customers making their booking.

Later, a small change was made to this statement. To be more precise, 2 extra words was added.

What was it?

Now, the receptionist says, “Thank you for calling our restaurant.

Will you please call if you want to cancel your reservation.”

That’s it. And because of these 2 extra words (“Will you”), there was a 30% reduction in cancellation.

What happened here?

Let me tell you, the restaurant just applied…

The Principle Of Consistency

We like to be consistent. And if someone points out any inconsistency in your behavior or actions…it will cause you to feel highly uncomfortable.

Therefore, when we insert the extra 2 words “Will you” into the question, it subconsciously tells the person on the other end, that now he has got to take responsibility.

He made the booking at first. And now he cancels. The receptionist wants him to know that he is being inconsistent. By using the word “you”, the person is now more aware of this fact.

Amazing isn’t it? The addition of just 2 words!

Can you apply this concept to your website’s sales copy to make it more persuasive? Definitely.

Test it. And you will see the result.

The next time you meet a client, see if you can implement this principle to get the other party to do what you want.

While you may not be succeed all the time, it will surely increase your odds.

In the next part, I will share with you another “weapon of influence” that can yield powerful results with just another small tweak.

All success,

Jag Foo

P.S Important => What if you can discover the secret element that can increase your profits by 1,000%…and more…

Will you be willing to do a small test – which you can implement in no time and cost zero dollars – that can potentially yield you disproportionally large results?

Click here now if you want to discover these secrets that Jay Abraham, Mark Joyner and other marketing legends have been exclusively to their clients => http://emoneymarketing.com/SmallChangesBigProfits/

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Are you spending hours mulling over a perfect headline?

Fret not. Here’s an instant headline idea generator…

Go to Digg.com

If you want to write a headline regarding "weight loss",
go to the search bar and key in the keyword accordingly.

And there you go.

A full page of "most dugg" (and compelling) headlines you can
immediately swipe for your articles, blog posts and sales letters.

Pretty neat eh?

All success,
Jag

P.S If you want "proven" and "battle-tested" headline
ideas, go to HardToFindAds.com

In there, you will find hundreds of promotional campaigns
written by legendary copywriters such as Eugene Schwartz,
Gary Halbert and John Carlton.

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This is a great quote from the great copywriter, Elmer Wheeler.

Basically, as humans, we are all emotional creatures. A lot of what we do are driven by emotions. And you will include buying decision in that.

Emotions are what we made us buy. And then we use logic to justify the purchase.

Therefore, if you can appeal successful to your prospect’s emotions…and press his hot buttons repeatedly…you are going to get his business.

So what can spark off his emotions, you may ask?

The short answer is put your focus on “benefits”.

Elmer Wheeler, calls this selling the “sizzle”.

“WHAT WE MEAN by the “sizzle” is the BIGGEST selling point in your proposition – the MAIN reasons why your prospects will want to buy. The sizzling of the steak starts the sale more than the cow ever did, though the cow is, of course, very necessary!

Hidden in everything you sell, whether a tangible or an intangible, are “sizzles.” Find them and use them to start the sale. Then, after desire has been established in the prospect’s thinking, you can bring in the necessary technical points.

The good waiter realizes he must sell the bubbles – not the champagne. The grocery clerk sells the pucker – not the pickles, the whiff – not the coffee. It is the tang in the cheese that sells it!

The insurance man sells PROTECTION, not cost per week. Only the butcher sells the cow and not the sizzle, yet even he knows that the promise of the sizzle brings him more sales of his better cuts.”

Wise words indeed.

To illustrate further, consider this:

• Don’t sell the toothpaste. Sell the captivating smile.
• Don’t sell the house. Sell the warm fuzzy feeling of a home.
• Don’t sell the software. Sell how much time and money it can save for you.
• Don’t sell the fast luxury car. Sell him the convenience, and his need for REAL speed!

Get the drift?

Appeal to his inner desires, and reach deep down into his longings. Explain it to him better than he can explain it himself.

And then make him imagine it in a way only he can. With that, I guarantee you, the sale will be in the bag.

Applicable to both copywriting and offline salesmanship.

What do you think? Let me know your comments below.

All success,

Jag Foo

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Whether you are doing online or offline sales, the main question your prospects will ask is why should they trust you?

Why should they engage your service? Or buy your product?

The biggest obstacle to getting the sale is displaying adequate proof.

Proof that you are able to do what you say you can do.

Proof that it is safe to do business with you. Proof that there will little to no risk.

I’ve lost sales before. I’ve made unconvincing presentation too. Because I failed to show enough proof. So don’t repeat the same mistakes I made.

Here are a few good ways to ramp up your “proofs”:

• Display successful case studies – how, who what, when, why – explain in specific terms how your service/product has helped…
• Testimonials – better to let a 3rd party brag for you…
• Show videos/images/pictures (optical proof) of results/products – People are visual creature. They tend to believe more when they see…
• Show relevant certifications – I’m talking about security certifications… educational certifications…industry accredited certifications and so on…
• Show facts and figures – people are more taken in by numbers. The more specific the better. If they can see that you can go down to that detailed a data, then it must be true…
• Money back guarantee – To show proof that you are supremely confident of what you can deliver. If not, your money back. Not suitable for all though.
• Display client logos – rub their credibility to you. It’s the power of association.
• Quote relevant quotes by authority figures that will help your cause. Again it’s about the power of association.

Do you have anymore you can think of? Are you showing adequate proof today?

Let me know what you think?

All success,

Jag Foo

[tags]business, customers, business, proof, testimonials, case studies[/tags]

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Writing sales copy is not easy especially if you are new to it.

Often, you may get the dreaded “writer’s block”!

You don’t how to start…and where to start.

And sometimes you don’t even know what the hell to write!

Fear not. All you need is a guiding light. I prepared a quick video, and inside you will learn:

• A copywriting questionnaire to get your creative juices flowing
• How to get your sales copy foundation up and running in no time

Click the “play” button to watch the video now!

As usual, let me know what you think.

Is this video useful? Shoot away!

All success,

Jag Foo

P.S You can download a PDF version report of the video here.

[tags]E-MoneyMarketing, Sales Letter, Copywriting, Copywriting Questionnaire[/tags]

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