May 2002

Copywriting Technique
 

Why Most Copy Fails Miserably
And What You Can Do About It
By David Garfinkel

Let's get real. Your advertising - it's all about you, isn't it?

It's about your company. Your services. Your this. Your that.

It must make you feel very good.

Except…

Except when you don't get any sales out of it.

Ever wonder why?

Your Customers Are Simply Not Concerned About You. . . Until
You Have Convinced Them You're Concerned About Them

And there's an easy way to convince them you care about them. In three steps.

Step 1 is to do your research. Not your typical market research.

In this White Paper, you're going to learn about a new approach to writing copy I call "Dissatisfaction-Resolution Copywriting." What sets this new approach apart from the approach used to write so much of the other advertising copy you see today, is what you do in Step 1 - research.

We'll get to that shortly.

But first, Step 2 - you were wondering what that is, weren't you? - Step 2 is writing the copy itself.

And Step 3 is editing the copy to make sure it is as alluring and intriguing - and as irresistible - as it can be.

Dissatisfaction-Resolution Copywriting Puts Your Customers
In The Driver's Seat - And Their Money In Your Bank Account

I developed the concepts and tools of Dissatisfaction-Resolution Copywriting after years of writing successful advertising - advertising copy that has resulted in millions of dollars of sales for clients in dozens of different industries.

As the author of an interactive course and two online books to help others improve their own copywriting, I realized a lot of people who were able to write better copy (as a result of learning what I taught) were still making a fundamental mistake.

The mistake?

They were focusing the advertising spotlight on themselves rather than on their prospects' needs and wants.

Despite dire warnings to the contrary.

Dissatisfaction-Resolution Copywriting aims to help you avoid making that mistake by leading you through a simple process to take the focus off you and onto your prospect.

Specifically, onto your prospect's dissatisfactions. And how you can offer them blessed relief.

Fine. So How Do You Take Advantage of the Huge Payoff
You Get From This New Approach of Writing Copy?

Start with Step 1 - research. The research I am talking about is no more than thinking through the answers to six questions, and writing them out on paper (or your computer).

Here are the questions:

1. Who am I selling to? Be as specific as you can. Most people never think this through. If you can think of an individual you know personally who represents the buyers in your market, use that person as a starting point.

2. What is the dissatisfaction in this person's life that what I am selling will fill? Don't gloss over this question; take your time. Go deep. Don't settle for the first answer - really explore this question. For example, if you sell annuities, the dissatisfaction you are filling is the individual's feeling of inadequacy that they haven't done enough (or anything, maybe) to prepare financially for their, or their family's, future.

3. How does this person experience this dissatisfaction? Very important. You don't want to say to your annuity prospect, "Do you feel inadequate that you haven't done enough to prepare financially for your family's future?" They may experience the dissatisfaction as a hidden sense of shame that they're not being responsible financially - or, as a feeling of financial helplessness. Once you know, really know, how they experience their dissatisfaction, you are miles ahead of almost everyone else in your field who's writing copy.

4. What am I selling? Of course, this is where most people start - and when you start with this question, you are on a guaranteed path to advertising disaster. But now, once you're aware of your prospect's dissatisfaction and how your prospect experiences that dissatisfaction, you can address the question of what you're selling. Make two lists, of both the literal features, and of the benefits your product or service delivers to buyers.

No, don't just nod your head in agreement. Really do it. Make the two lists.

5. In what ways does what I'm selling take care of the customer's dissatisfaction? Your answers to this question make up "the keys to the vault." This is the hard work you want to do before you start writing your copy. This is the million-dollar-payoff work.

For example, remember old O.M. Scott, the lawn-care dude? He knew that a lot of lawns turned brown in the summer. He came up with a strain of grass seed whose shoots stayed green even in the hottest, driest weather. He knew without question that the dissatisfaction he was solving was un-green lawns, and the way he did it was by providing lawns that stayed green, with his grass seed.

Sure, it sounds simple now.

But it was a breakthrough idea when he came up with it.

And last time I checked, the company was still around.

6. How can I prove what I'm selling takes care of their dissatisfaction? There are lots of ways - through the use of testimonials, case studies, facts, awards, reviews in the press, and so on.

Okay, So Now What?

Now, Step 2. Write the copy.

Let's not kid ourselves. Writing copy is never easy. But it will be much easier to write good copy that gets you great results once you have worked through the answers to the six questions in Step 1.

And you structure your copy like this:

1. Start with a promise about your prospect's dissatisfaction - either that you will help the prospect solve a problem (the one that's causing them dissatisfaction) or achieve a goal (so when they achieve the goal, it will relieve a dissatisfaction they are feeling).

2. Then, offer convincing proof that you can really deliver what you have just promised.

3. And, ask the prospect to take the next step - to contact you or to buy directly from your copy.

What About Polishing Your Copy?

Of course. That's Step 3.

I'll give you a free checklist that walks you through how to make sure your copy gives you the best results you could imagine. Maybe even better.

Just send a blank email to: mailto:checklist@mailback.com

How Did You Like What You Just Read?

Yeah, I know. Some of it was sort of brutal. Harsh. Judgmental.

I mean, who likes to be accused of being self-centered in their advertising?

But think of it as a wake-up call. And then, see how you like what you just read after you write your next ad, email, sales letter, Web page, postcard or radio commercial using this approach.

Come to think of it, you'll probably like this White Paper a lot better once you see the awesome results you get from using the new ideas you learned from it. Sales results. Money in the bank.

By the way, the information you have just read is adapted from my new e-book called "10 Sure-Fire Ways to Become Much Richer in 90 Days… Or Sooner." It has a lot more straight-to-the-point tactics for getting more return from your marketing.

It's published by wz.com. Find out more about it at http://ebooks.wz.com/richer/a189.html


About the Author: David Garfinkel is the author or co-author of five business learning products, including "The Money-Making Copywriting Course," "Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich," and "10 Sure-Fire Ways to Become Much Richer in 90 Days… Or Sooner." He is also a master copywriter whose work has pulled in millions of dollars' worth of sales for companies in 81 different industries. You can learn more about David's copywriting and read an excerpt of his book on headlines at http://www.davidgarfinkel.com