SSWT Internet Marketing Forum

I've often had the same concerns about copywriting - that's probably why I'm so bad at it

I recently got a recommendation to read a book by Harry Browne called "The Secret of Selling Anything", which is supposed to be a low-pressure, low-aggression, manipulation-free way to sell a product. Haven't had a chance to look at it yet, but I do plan to buy it.

(non-aff), it's only $10.

Gary Bencivenga (a highly respected copywriter) recommended it , I think he does a good job of explaining the basic premise behind it. Feels much more ethical and "comfortable" to me.

I took a look at the link. The book seems to be right on target with how I feel. I think selling needs to be professional and quality ideally. You can get people to buy things on hype, but how can you respect your customers if you are treating them like morons.

And it seems to me if you want to have a long term business then you are going to have to be a quality sales person.

If you just want to make money overnight on affiliate products or something like that, then maybe you can afford to sell in a scammy way, but most people will grow wise to this pretty quick.

I will definitely give this book a read.

I got the book.

I really like the info so far.

I actually read one of Harry Browne´s books a few years ago about FREEDOM that I really enjoyed. He seems to be an all around good thinker.

The book is 141 pages long and the premise of the book is that people don´t do anything that they dont WANT to do. So, you aren´t going to get them to do something they don´t want. And people are always trying to make their life easier, less painful and more happy, but each person goes about it in different ways. What makes one person happy may not make another person happy.

So, the idea is that you have to find out what makes another person happy and then show them how you can offer them greater comfort, happiness, problems solved.

To me, this makes a lot of sense. In terms of an online business, it makes sense that people spend time where they WANT to spend time and they don´t HAVE to spend time on your website or using whatever it is that you offer.

So, the idea that people basically do what they want and what makes them personally happy was a valuable point I took away from the book.

Selling can't be an exercise in logic because people, quite frankly, don't make decisions purely on the basis of logic.

That doesn't, however, mean that copywriters should check their ethics at the door when they start working on a project.

There are ways to make an honest, yet persuasive, presentation in support of a quality product or service and I think that's what we should strive hours.

I just got done with Harry Browne´s book and he says that people buy things that will improve their situation or make them happier.

His idea is that PEOPLE already know what they want. Sure, they may want things for EMOTIONAL reasons.

Maybe I want a new "crop of hair" or a nice green front lawn. I want them for emotional reasons, but having these things really does make me happier and improves my state of mind and happiness.

If someone shows me how I truly can have a new crop of hair or a green lawn, then I have found a way to solve my worry or my problem and make myself happier.

And ultimately, probably, the problem I am trying to solve is not my hair or the lawn, but how other people percieve me (hair) and what my neighbors or friends think of my yard.

But, if someone can show me HOW to improve my image, then that IS the problem I am trying to solve. I want to solve it for emotional reasons, but there is a clear problem that I have in my mind that I am motivated to find a solution to.

So, it seems like the idea is not to MOTIVATE the person to buy, but to understand the motivation they already have and show them how you can solve their problem. To do this, I think you need to know what frustration your product is going to solve for the person you are selling to. Or, what pleasure or happiness it will add to their life and WHAT makes them happy.

The Harry Browne book basically stated that the Rockefellers and the very rich men in the world have just made a lot of people happy. I think this is a great way of thinking about sales.

"How is my product going to make my prospect happier or their life easier?"

It makes a lot of sense why movie makers and music artists are so rich, because they provide lots of people with lots of pleasure. And there aren´t very many people that can make products that give people pleasure or actually make their life easier or make them happier.

Selling will never be logical? It's always emotional. People act based upon emotion. Logical stuff is based upon common sense. Emotions are prevalent and common sense goes out the window. If selling was logical, then it everybody would get an A+ in copywriting and you wouldn't hear so much about the top copywriters in the Internet Marketing field.

I like Gary Halbert's "starving crowd" teaching:

Find a hungry crowd first... and then selling 'em your "food" is like shooting fish in a barrel

Much easier than going to people who are already full or not hungry and trying to sell 'em food.

Ben

Joe Vitale has been quoting this quote by Eugene Schwartz "A Copywriter is the scriptwriter of your customers dreams."