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I write a lot of sales letters, upsells and VSLs. And I enjoy reading them from other copywriters too. However, I can always tell when the copywriter doesn’t know their target market quite well enough. Because they always leave out three silent objections prospects have. I can assure you, these silent objections, if answered sufficiently,…

When you start out as a copywriter, you begin to develop a long list of rules. Dos and don’ts. You read blog posts ad infinitum… watch videos galore… attend endless webinars and expensive seminars. Maybe you get mentored. All in an effort to get up to speed and start writing copy that converts. This is…

Do you know what one of the biggest turn-offs when reading a sales letter is? Knowing what the writer is going to say next. It suppresses engagement. It dampens curiosity. And I believe it’s probably the #1 reason prospects hit the back button. However, this email is not about being boring, the #1 sin of…

Many copywriters work with what I call “a big rock” mindset—making sure you take care of the most important things. I’m sure you’ve heard the story… A professor stands in front of the group of business students and says, “Okay, time for a quiz.” He pulls out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and sets it…

In lots of copywriting courses, you’re taught to have a “You” perspective… Basically, the words “you” and “your” in copy are said to have magical superpowers. And maybe that’s true. But my favorite superpower word these days? “I.” Yeah, I. Me. My. You guessed it, I’m talking about breaking one of the most cherished copywriting…

Everytime time I think about it, I keep kicking myself. A while ago, I wrote an email about upsells. I discussed some of the more aggressive tactics I use to increase conversions. But every time I think about it, I think I sounded greedy. Like all that matters is increased conversions. So today I want…

I’ve never read this anywhere, but I think there’s a cognitive bias for “going broad.” I’m talking about when you’ve got a product you’re launching and you think to yourself: “Man, everybody would want this!” I think it’s our human nature to think this way. Of course, the inverse of this is to tightly niche…

We’ve talked before about how when you’re emotional, whatever comes after you’re in the heat of that emotion, tends to get viewed through the lens of that emotion. In order to appreciate this idea, let me share a belief I have. I believe words stimulate your nervous system. They’re like nano-tasers, jolting your nervous system,…

I always get inspired by Eugene Schwartz’s principle of channeling desire: “Let’s get to the heart of the matter. The power, the force, the overwhelming urge to own that makes advertising work, comes from the market itself, and not from the copy. Copy cannot create desire for a product. It can only take the hopes,…

Way back when I first got started writing copy, gurus would encourage you to write letters out longhand. I tried it. I couldn’t do it. It was just too darn time consuming. And I don’t think I got the payoff others claimed. But here’s what I did do: I started analyzing a sales letter persuasion…