Pizza in Warragul

Traveling through WARRAGUL and want pizza? Try a traditional style pizza at Wild Dog Pizza 56222 220

Wild Dog Pizza was founded in Warragul over 10 years ago and specializes in Traditional style pizzas.
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3 Mysterious Mind-Twisting Psychological Copywriting Techniques!

By Grady Smith

How to use words to influence prospects reading your sales letters and ads by diving inside thier minds
Stop reading if youre opposed to using physiological techniques that literally force readers of your sales letters and ads to do what you tell them.

But if youd like to use these techniques to boost response, generate more leads, and bring in a fast rush of profits, you need to remain glued to this article as Im presenting some killer techniques for using mind-twisting power on your prospects…

1) TELL PROSPECTS YOUR PRODUCT STINKS!

Actually, I wouldnt go that far. But by being straight with prospects and telling them the faults your product possesses, you can instantly boost the believability of your whole offer.

Heres how it works

Explain in great detail all the desirable benefits of your product. And right when you begin to feel the prospect is going to start doubting a product can be so great, throw them a real ZINGER:

Tell them about a huge fault with your product and youll see some real magic. They instantly believe every claim youve made before this one word of truth.

Will they sacrifice one downfall of your product in exchange for the truckload of other desired benefits they cant resist? You bet! And theyll believe all your claims too!

2) POUR A COLD GLASS OF WATER ON YOUR PROSPECT AND ENGAGE THEM!

Ever read something, and then as you finish plowing through it, you wonder what the heck you just read?

When reading your sales letter becomes a chore, people tune out and then click away. So youve got to splash a cupful of cold water on their brain here and there throughout your copy and bring them into the here and now.

Using power words and phrases that everyone has seen a hundred times makes the mind react in a routine manner. But when you SHOCK the reader by making statements out of the ordinary, you instantly engage them and keep them very much inside your sales letter.

Even better, when you wake them up out of their trance, theyre much more receptive to what youre saying.

So use words you dont often see in advertising. Use phrases that capture their attention and keep them wondering why youre referring to your product as the Ultimate Companion For Tired Monkeys And Homemakers.

3) USE POWER ADJECTIVES THROUGHOUT YOUR COPY!

What exactly is a power adjective?

Well, I assure you, its not your average adjective. Its actually a word that seizes your prospect by the ears and gets inside their head. And when used properly, it actually makes the prospect begin to dream about owning your product. Powerful stuff!

The secret to using power adjectives is to select the words that create powerful visual images in your prospects mind. Make them actually see, taste, even smell your product as they use it. The results are simply amazing when you can get your product inside your prospects mind!

Grady Smith will give you a FREE evaluation of your current sales letter, FREE copywriting secrets to boost your sales, and sales materials at rates you can afford! Go to http://www.cheap-copy.com now.

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Seven Sales Letter Writing Methods Anyone Can Use To Write A Throat Grabbing Sales Letter

Conceptually, writing a sales letter is one of the most difficult things the average person can try to do when starting any kind of online business.

The thing about it is, when that same person applies these seven tricks, writing a sales letter can become as simple as writing an email to a friend.

Here they are…

1. Read other sales letters. Seems simple enough but countless people I’ve interviewed over the years have this one fault in common. They don’t read other sales letters. It’s like trying to ride a bike without ever putting your but on a bicycle and riding it. Is it possible? No, and neither is learning to write a sales letter without reading and understanding how sales letters are written.

2. Swipe other sales letters. I’ll probably get a tongue lashing for this but who cares! From junk mail that comes in the form of sales letters or those little booklets are really a sales letter in disguise in the mail you can start a swipe file of your own. Then save all the pages of websites that are trying to sell similar products or even non-similar products. You’ll know a sales letter when you see one. Save them on a folder called “Swipes.” Read through these and look for language patterns and phrases you can use and edit to suit your product or service.

3. Start Writing headlines. Headlines are the most important elements of any sales message or sales letter. Write between 10 and 50 headlines per sales letter following the A.C.E.S. principle. Attention, Curiosity, Excitement, Specificity. TO learn more about A.C.E.S. search on Google for an article called, “How To Write A Headline That Converts More Visitors Into Customers.”

4. Write to a friend. In other words, write your sales letter as if you are writing an emotional letter to your best friend about your product or service. Keep writing and don’t stop to correct mistakes until you can’t write any longer. If you use informal language, so be it. Anything that makes your sales letter seem more personal will make it more compelling.

5. Write short sentences and paragraphs. Keeping your paragraphs short and simple, will help you to increase the readership of your sales letter. The easier it looks to read the more likely they are to read it and buy your product! People are lazy, make it easy. Please note…I didn’t say, make your sales letter short, I said, “keep your sentences short.”

6. Use subheads. Subheads are like mini headlines. Heck, many of them ARE in fact headlines that you wrote earlier. Just make sure they work seamlessly with your copy. Subheads are used to break up long copy and drag people deeper into your words. Especially people who are skimming your copy. Online, it is also a way to relax the eye and give your sales letter more ‘optical appeal’. Subheads can be compelling statements, confusing statements or positive reinforcing statements about your product or service.

7. Use a P.S. or two at the end of your sales letter. Two of the most important places on any sales letter and the two that get read most often are the headline and the P.S. It seems strange, but the truth is, like I said earlier, “People are lazy!” Many just don’t have the time or patience to read your sales letter so they read you’re Headline and if it’s interesting to them, they read your letter. So make sure you restate your offer in your P.S. and you also, apply a scarcity tactic to get your reader to take action immediately.

These seven tricks are by no means an exhaustive list of sales letter writing methods but they can and will help you improve your copy and improve your product sales at breakneck speed. Apply them today and profit fast!

by: Jagmohan

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Attention Grabbing Yellow Pages Advertisements

By Dr. Lynella Grant

Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory Users A Yellow Page directory presents a difficult challenge for advertisers. All the competitors are packed together, within the space of a few pages. Each ad within the directory category screams ‘Notice me!’ so insistently, they blend into an muffled chorus. It’s not easy for one to stand out with a clear, distinctive voice – like a soloist above the choir. That only happens when the business is clear about expressing its unique ’song,’ and understands what buyers most want to hear.

It isn’t surprising that most Yellow Page ads say pretty much the same thing. They were all prepared by the same directory employees. What do they know about marketing? About copywriting? About what’s unique and desirable about your enterprise?

The people making the ads ‘grind them out,’ using the same templates and guidelines for every ad, in every category. Originality isn’t in their job description. Following the formulas for how an ad ’should look’ is a formula for being ignored.

These quick fixes cut away the bland sameness afflicting most ads. Disregard for now the related issues like the ad’s size and placement. Such factors just amplify (or diminish) an ad’s impact. A poor ad is still a poor ad, even if it’s very large. Coupled with fine-tuned copy (its own topic), these fixes will improve the impact of any size of ad, for any directory heading.

Try these Quick and Easy Fixes You don’t have to be a designer or copywriter to make your ad stand out. You just have to understand your customers’ unstated wants, so you supply precisely the information that they’re looking for. And you need to know how you’re different than your competitors. Set yourself apart, so you don’t fade into the background, as most ads do.

1. Shrink the business name. That is NOT the most important part of the ad in the reader’s mind. And it crowds out the space for information that that could sell them on you. Once you can get them to want you, they’ll be able to find your name and contact information OK.

2. Ditto, shrink the graphics. They may be helpful to catch the eye initially, but add nothing to what directory users want to know. Images often distract from the ad’s message, wasting its moment of attention on trivialities.

3. Provide a headline that hooks the readers’ interest (the category or business name isn’t one, but most ads act like it is). A strong, emotionally-charged headline pulls attention into the rest of the information. It makes people stop skimming and actually read. Provide a promise that hits their hot button in a way that applies only to you (but not every other competitor in the category)

4. Make the location easy to find. Half of all directory users scan ads for the business location first, and then only consider those ads which are convenient. Location of the enterprise overrides an ad’s size or placement in the directory.

5. Display your expertise, along with a reason for buyers to seek out your specialized knowledge. Offer a booklet, class, in-depth information on your Web site, etc. This also establishes your credibility in customers’ eyes, which is crucial to building sufficient trust to complete a purchase.

6. Buyers are hunting for information that can assist in making a purchase. When they open the directory, they’re hoping to find a business that in some way communicates, ‘I’m the one you’re looking for.’ Make it easy for them to know it’s you, by giving ample information directed at their concerns. Organize it in bulleted lists.

7. Add your Web site address (domain name) and/or email address. Treat your Web site as a place to expand the size of your Yellow Page ad. Then state a reason why a person wants to check your site: http://www.mysite.com for 23 simple ways to keep your dog from over-eating Or http://www.myrestaurant.com for recipes to our award-winning desserts.

8. Arrange it all so the information flows logically, and to please the eye.

9. Eliminate images or phrases that appear in the other ads. Find a different, more interesting way to express it.

10. Don’t let the directory do your ad for free. It will end up costing you too much.

The Ideal Yellow Page Ad The very best ad is the intersection between what a buyer is looking for, and what a business provides. When a business is attuned to its customers’ priorities and needs, it can say exactly what rings their bell. For example, a harried mother will respond with relief to the phrase, ‘Free Childcare Provided.’ That service carries no weight with a business person, who may consider ‘No extra charge for weekend service calls’ the clincher.

What really makes an ad stand out is the specifics, not the generalities (which is what every other ad says). Visit http://www.yellowpagesage.com for advice from many experts about getting more mileage from your ad. Or obtain a customized critique of your ad, that eliminates the guesswork about what needs fixing.

Directory users are ready to buy. Simplify their lives by making your products and services so ‘just right’ that choosing you is their only sensible choice

Article source: Streetdirectory.com

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18 Tips For Writing Better Pay-Per-Click Ads

When it comes to pay-per-click advertising, there are two ways to decrease your spending. You can lower your cost per click (which will lower your position and your CTR) or you can improve your ads (which will increase your CTR and your position). Great ads will attract more clicks for a given amount of impressions, which will be rewarded by Google AdWords and Yahoo Search Marketing with lower bid prices or higher rankings.

The real secret to writing “the best ad on the page” is to ruthlessly test and track multiple ads over multiple test iterations. By doing this, you will improve your ad over time, and will eventually have a great performing ad with a very high click through rate.

But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few tips you could use to give your initial ads a boost, or to help you beat your personal best performing ad time and time again. So without further ado, here are 18 tips for writing better PPC ads:

1. Write ads for small groups of keywords. By grouping your keywords very tightly, and writing your ads specifically for those keywords, you will give yourself a large advantage over your competition. Many people are too lazy to take the time required to do this properly, yet it is something that will increase your CTR every single time.
2. Work your keywords into the ads as much as possible. If you took the advice from the previous tip, you will have an easier time with this one. You should try to get your keywords to appear multiple times in your ad so that you can take full advantage of keyword bolding. I sometimes include the keyword in all four lines of the PPC ad for maximum bolding.
3. Give the ads some visual appeal. This takes some additional creativity and planning, but can really help your ad to stand out. You can make each line progressively longer (or shorter) for a cascading effect, you can alternate lengths to create a visual “arrow” or “reverse arrow” shape within your ad, or you can make your ad intentionally extra short. All of these will help you ad differentiate itself from the competition and will hopefully attract some eyeballs.
4. Write ads with your audience in mind. When you are writing an ad, think to yourself “what is my audience looking for when they search for this keyword?” If you can “read their minds” and guess their internal dialog, you will be able to answer their exact questions and get their attention. This is another tip that is immensely easier if you group your keywords very tightly.
5. Create an attention-grabbing headline. Nothing in your ad is more important that your headline. The problem with PPC ads is that you don’t get much space for it (25 characters with AdWords). Craft your headline wisely, but don’t stress over it too much, you will probably be split testing many, many different variations before you find the great ones.
6. Ask the audience a question. This is definitely a good strategy for certain markets. If you can work a question into your headline or description, test it out and see how it impacts the CTR. If someone is searching for something, and then you confirm what they are searching for, they are likely to click on your ad. Additionally, the tone of the question, along with the question mark, helps differentiate your ad from the others.
7. Use specific numbers. This is a common copywriting trick that has been used for decades. Numbers create interest and specific numbers create curiosity. They won’t always perform better, but try to test the impact of including numbers in your ad. If you can, include a very specific number such as “314″ instead of “300+” or “76.83%” instead of “75%”. You don’t have to be 100% accurate with the numbers either, as long as you aren’t blatantly lying.
8. Capitalize strategically. It is better to capitalize the first letter of every word? The first letter of important words? Just the first letter of words in the headline? Should you capitalize words in your display URL? You can never be sure until you have tested it, but it is something that you must test. I usually start out capitalizing everything, then try out any combinations I can think of.
9. Borrow ideas from others. Another copywriting principle that has been in practice for decades is borrowing ideas from other ads. Although you should technically only take “ideas” (such as rewriting an ad about “pens” to work with your “cheese” keywords), you won’t get into any trouble copying direct competitors. Take some of the top (or your favorite) ads that are being shown for your keywords and mix them up to create something new. It they are at the top of the listings, they probably have a pretty good ad (or are paying out the nose).
10. Emphasize the benefits of your offer. Yet another age-old copywriting principle. Your audience doesn’t care how many features your are offering or how great they are, they want to know “What’s in it for me?” If you can tell them, in your ad, what benefit they will get from giving you their click, you will likely have a successful ad.
11. Use words that evoke emotion. If you can effectively get people to feel emotions when reading your ad, they will probably feel compelled to click it. The list of emotion words goes on and on, so here is a nice guide to emotion words.
12. Test multiple versions of your display URL. This was touched on in tip number 8, but needs to be expanded. While you should experiment with capitalization (i.e. “DomainName.com” vs “domainname.com”), you should also experiment with “www”, sub domains, and pages. It usually, but not always, increases the CTR when you include the keywords in your URL. You can essentially do this one of two ways: “Key-Words.DomainName.com” or “DomainName.com/Key-Words.” Although some uptight editors might disable these ads if the pages don’t actually exist, you can resubmit them and a nicer editor will realize that there is no harm done.
13. Be cautious with prices. Although prices do have their place as negative qualifiers, they will usually be detrimental to your CTR. Unless your price is the lowest, it is probably best to leave it out of your ad. You can, instead, state the savings as a benefit to the user.
14. Include a call-to-action. Sometimes, the most effective way to get someone to do something is to simply ask them to do it. That’s the principle behind the call to action. Because you have such limited space in a PPC ad, the call-to-action might not be beneficial, but is is at least worth a test. Just including something like “Click here to receive this benefit” is sufficient.
15. Double check spelling and grammar. This might seem obvious, but is can very easy to make a stupid mistake. Having a grammatical or spelling error in your ad hurts the credibility of your ad and will most likely get it disable by an editor, costing you valuable testing time.
16. Don’t waste space with useless words. Like I said before, the space available to you in a pay-per-click ad is extremely limited. Although your ads should be grammatically correct, they do not need to be sophisticated sentences. Keep them simply and concise so that it is easier for the reader to quickly understand what you are offering.
17. Use negative keywords. This isn’t directly related to actually writing your ads, but it is definitely important. It goes along with tip number 1. If you don’t use negative keywords, your ad is going to be triggered by keywords that you didn’t intend for. When this happens, your ad will not match what the consumer was searching for, they will not click your ad, and your CTR will suffer.
18. Make the ad relevant to the landing page. I saved this suggestion for last because it will not effect the CTR of your ad in the least bit (it can, however, effect your landing page quality score). With that being said, it is still very important that you make your ad relevant to the landing page. If a visitor reads a particular offer or benefit in your ad, they are expecting to find it when they click through. Give them what you promised in your ad and you will experience higher conversions. Give them something that doesn’t match the ad and you will have a lot of confused visitors who reach for the back button.

There you have it, eighteen tips I have learned through my experience with PPC marketing. Keep in mind that these are merely suggestions, they can’t possibly be used all at once, and they won’t always make for a better ad. You need to test every change you make to your ads to determine if it has a positive or negative overall effect.

Article source: DerekBeau.com

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Copywriting Checklist To Bulletproof Your Copy

by Kristina Mills

Here is a checklist of things that you need to include in your copy. It is a good idea to go through this checklist to see whether you have included all the necessary items.

• Have you included the word ‘you’ in your headline, or at least implied it?
• Does your headline grab attention and shout out strong benefits?
• Is your headline relating to the needs of your reader?
• In your headline, have you flagged the specific group you are marketing to?
• Does your second paragraph or subheading flow on from the headline, hinting at a solution to the problem?
• Is your copy addressing the fears, wants and needs of your buyer and does it show them how to achieve the best results?
• If you’ve made some claims, have you shown them why it should get results?
• Did you start off with the most powerful benefit?
• Did you give your reader all the details and benefits that they need when making their buying decision?
• In your copy, did you address all potential objections?
• Did you include case studies and testimonials?
• Did you include a guarantee?
• Did you include a limited offer?
• Have you included an offer that has a high perceived value to the reader? Will it be of interest to them?
• Did you tell your reader the reasons why you are making this offer?
• In your last paragraph, do you summarise the most powerful sales appeal and create a sense of urgency?
• In your copy, have you told your reader what to do e.g. “Call now on,,,,,,,,,,,,, to get your free copy etc. ………..?
• Is it easy for your reader to respond to your copy?
• Is your copy following the flow of “Problem, Agitation and Solution”?
• Is your copy written in a friendly, conversational tone that is easy to understand?
• Have you used short paragraphs with short words and short sentences?
• Is there any word that you need to replace with a more ‘punchy’ word?
• Does the copy you have written flow well?
• Are the important words highlighted?
• Have you written your copy so it is easy to understand?
• Have you scrapped all redundant words?
• Have you used the word “you” twice as much as you used “we” or “I”?
• Have you used the ‘active’ voice in your copy (and not the passive voice)?

Article source:

http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au

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The Incredible Edible Subhead

Of course you’re familiar with using *headlines* to
call attention to Web copy, brochures, articles, or
documents. But *subheads* can be just as effective in
bringing out key points for your readers. And they
also help make any document easier to read, because
they break up long blocks of text into easy-to-digest
bits. (Hence my “edible” title. Hmm.)

<< Subheads Break It Up >>

Subheads are generally viewed as goodwill gestures
toward your readers, since they’re most often used to
divide lengthy articles into logical breaks. They may
indicate a change of topic or simply break up a mass
of type. Placing subheads every four paragraphs or so
allows readers to skim through your article or
document and skip sections without losing their train
of thought.

The next time you flip through any magazine, notice
how its editors use subheads throughout the longer
articles. Readers are very averse to reading large
blocks of text, so subheads break it all up into
bite-size chunks.

<< Subheads Have “Idea Power” >>

Because subheads catch readers’ eyes, you should use
them to your benefit! Read through your document or
article for your main promotional points, then
summarize the ideas as subheads. This way your readers
absorb your main points in just a few seconds by
skimming through all the copy.

For best results, subheads should *not* read like a
table of contents. To make your subheads engaging,
it’s important to include action or selling elements.

BORING SUBHEADS: “Our Story,” “50 Years in the
Business,” “Our Department’s Success”

ENGAGING SUBHEADS: “Five Clients Who Saved $10K With
Us,” “The Most Creative Solutions in the Industry,”
“Let Us Do All the Work for You!”

BONUS TIP: These types of subheads also work
wonderfully for *sales letters* and *proposals*.
Experiment the next time you compose a long letter —
try looking at it both with and without subheads.
You’ll definitely see the difference!

<< Subheads Rule on the Net! >>

When you’re writing copy to be posted online —
either in an e-mail or on a Web site — it’s even
more crucial to use subheads! People don’t like to
spend a lot of time reading online — it strains the
eyes. Subheads help readers skim over your main points
and pick up your ideas quickly. And if they’re looking
for a particular piece of information, subheads help
them locate it faster.

If you’re writing an e-mail that’s longer than one
screen length, try inserting subheads every two or
three paragraphs, if appropriate. It only takes a
minute, it helps you organize your information, and
your readers will love you for it!

<< Subheads Add Interest >>

Even if your document is a white paper that’s about as
exciting as white rice, don’t be afraid of using
“sum-it-all-up” subheads to retain the reader’s
interest and break up the copy. Remember, you want
people to be drawn to reading your master- piece —
especially when it’s a formal document!

Examples: “Great Forecasts for Next Quarter,”
“Improvements Needed in Management,” and “30% Sales
Increase Forecasted.”

So consider subheads your new best friend — whether
you’re writing an e-mail, Web copy, brochure, or
report!

About the Author

Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of
“Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” Sign up for her
FREE newsletter that shows e-zine publishers how to
write irresistible content, promote their services and
products, and gain thousands of subscribers quickly.
Subscribe now via
mailto:EzineQueen-On@lists.webvalence.com

Article source: http://bichlorides.com/archives/2008/11/30/the-incredible-edible-subhead/

Copywriting Selling Secret #5: Irresistible Offers!

by: Scott Bywater

Next time you’re flicking through your local newspaper, take a good hard look at the ads. And notice how many of them give you a compelling reason to pick up the phone and get in touch with them now. You’ll need to look closely because…

FINDING AN AD WITH A POWERFUL, KNOCK-EM DEAD OFFER IS LIKE LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK

But why is a powerful offer so important?

Listen: People will only give your ad a few seconds. If you’re lucky enough to catch them with a strong headline, then they’ll read your ad, but if they get to the end of it and there’s not a dynamite offer to knock their socks off, they’ll turn over to the next page, and your opportunity is gone, FOREVER.

You need to apply offers differently based on the type of business you operate.

1. A service business with a high-value product (solicitor, accountant, real estate agent, consultant, copywriter) could offer a FREE REPORT of some sort. Here’s some examples:

* Free Report Reveals How To Make Your Assets As Secure As Fort Knox And Deter Any Scumbag From Taking Everything You’ve Got (solicitor)

* Free Report Reveals How To Sell Your Home Faster And For A Higher Price (real estate agent – for generating listings)

* Free Report Reveals How To Write Ads And Sales Letters That Practically Make People Line Up And Beg You To Take Their Money (copywriter)

Get the idea?

2. A business which has products which customers keep buying over and over again (e.g. ice cream shop, grocer, restaurant, hairdresser, etc) would approach things a little differently. Here’s some examples:

* Anyone who says there’s no such thing as a Free Lunch hasn’t read this letter

* Free Ice Cream. simply present this offer in our store before (date) to collect yours

* Free Haircut to introduce you to our new salon

Article source: streetdirectory.com

copywriting tips

Why and How to Create Subheads in Your Sales Letter

Using good subheads in your copy is a must. Especially online.

Subheads have two basic purposes:

1. To break down your copy into easily digestible segments.
2. To capture the attention of those who quickly scan your copy to see if they’re interested.

How People Read Online

See, most of your readers, especially on the web, quickly scan copy to see if there’s anything that they’re really looking for. The results or benefits that they want. The information that they’ve tried to find for hours.

So you should break down your sales letter into sections and give each section a subhead. That makes it more easily soaked in. It also makes it more confrontable. Think about how you are. Would you rather read pages and pages of pure text? Or would you rather have that broken down into sections that are labeled so you know what you’re reading better? So you know what you’ve read and what you haven’t if you come back to it?

The Thought Behind Subheads

You’ll have two main types of people reading your copy online.

• Strongly interested prospects
• Prospects interested, but not really looking to spend money.

The strongly interested prospects will read every word. And they’ll love that your copy or information has been broken down into sections.

Those interested in the result or benefits, but not really looking to spend any money, will usually just scan the info to see if it’s the type of benefit or result that they’re looking for, the type of information. Then they’ll read your subheads.

So your subheads are really mini-headlines in that sense.

So what you want to do is give the fast scanner what she’s looking for. Benefits. Results. The strongly interested reader will like it, too.

How to Create Your Subheads

When you sit down to write the subheads for your various sections, have them tell a little story all on their own. They should help to contribute to selling your product or service.

They would tell of main benefits and the offer.

“Learn how to Keep all of your Condiment dispensers Perfectly Clean”
then, “Written by 11 of the top Kitchen minds in the World” (starts a credibility section)
then, “Keep Salt from Clogging up the Holes” (starts a benefits section)
then, “147 tightly packed pages of Tips and Tricks for Just $9.95″ (starts the offer section)
then, “Guaranteed for life.” (starts the order form or order form link)

That’s an example I just made up, but all by itself it tells a little story that could enhance the content of the sales letter and make the scanners immediately know what’s in it for them.

More on Why & How

Another reason that you’ll want to use ample and descriptive subheads is because when the quick scanner readers read a subhead interests them, they’ll stop and read that section of your copy.

Then, if that gains their further interest, they’ll read on. Maybe they’ll even go back and read the rest of your letter.

They won’t do that if you don’t use subheads. And if your subheads also tell the story all by themselves, you’ll sell more.

Also, with subheads being like mini-headlines, you should apply the basics of writing good headlines. They’ll help. So practice writing a series of subheads for your own product or service.

And make sure they’re descriptive of that section and tell a little story of your letter all by themselves.

Article source: http://www.sherus.com/business/copywriting/subheads.html

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How to Get and Write a Testimonial Letter That’ll Increase the Pulling Power of Any Copy

If you’re like most businesses I write copy for, you’d like to get more recommendations and testimonials from your past and present clients, because you know that testimonials are worth gold.

Gold that transforms a hesitant prospect into an instant buyer. By not getting testimonials you are throwing away certain income that you foolishly let slip away.

How can you stop losing these “letters of gold?”

That’s what this newsletter is all about. But beyond that, there is a specific formula to writing a testimonial that will help you relieve your prospects hesitation and fear of buying from you. This formula is discussed in detail.

This advice is practical, I use it most every day. There isn’t a month go by that I don’t get another 5 to 15 testimonials to use in my marketing. Once you’ve studied this newsletter, the same will hold true for you.

I’ll also be telling you different ways to use testimonials in your marketing that will help generate more business for you.

Testimonials are a great support element for successful marketing. You must have believable testimonials. And I’ve got drawers full of them… not to mention a heft number of gigabytes on my hard drive! It may take some time for you to get this many testimonials, but it is well worth it.

Testimonials are valuable no matter what you’re selling or who you’re selling to. Why? People are more skeptical than ever… and a good testimonial from one of your past customers that talks about specific results (benefits) they’ve gotten from buying what you’re selling are potent… especially when you do ‘em like I tell you to in this newsletter!

Picture this:

The sell went great. The client is absolutely thrilled with his new purchase. The person that bought from you comes up and says, “You were fabulous…. here’s your check and we’ll call you again.” So you take your check and jot down a note to call them for hopefully repeat business sometime down the road, right? WRONG!

Listen. You spent a lot of time and a lot of money trying to get this client. They once were very worried about whether or not to even buy your product or service.
Now you’ve got to help other prospects (just like this new one used to be) understand that there is no risk in doing business with you.

So you ask for the testimonial.

How though, do you ask for a testimonial?

It begins with realizing that, if you have a good product or service, you deserve solid testimonials. Believe that you deserve them, and start asking for them!

Most people have a damn hard time asking for (and getting) worthwhile testimonials. Why? Cause they hate confronting people and asking for their help! You need to realize that if you’ve done a good job, you should have no hesitation in asking for a testimonial.

What I’ve found, is that if I ask, I shall receive! (And I’m not kidding!)

ASK!

Why Bother Getting Testimonials?

Most people don’t bother to get testimonials for two basic reasons:

1- Testimonials focus on the prospect and his needs, and not on the marketer. Most marketers are terribly self focused.

2- It can be a time consuming task to bother to get testimonials, especially good ones.
Getting testimonials that are of value can be troublesome. But, it won’t be that bad if you have system for it — which you now hold in your hands!

Your contact with a client should not end the minute you get their check and the deal is done. Money is not all you want!

To get the types of testimonials that are going to boost the pulling power of your copy you’re going to have to do these things:

1) Contact your current and past customers and ask for GOOD testimonials

2) Ask for testimonials from every new client you get

3) Keep up with all customers and clients to find out what further benefits were derived from buying your product or service, if there were any.

If you succeed in these things, you can get testimonials that will help you more of your product or service faster. And testimonial-getting is an on-going activity! Don’t just do it once and forget it.
If you make it a practice to constantly ask for new testimonials, you’ll find that, over time, you’ll end-up with a slew of REALLY KILLER TESTIMONIALS.

And a good testimonial really is worth gold to you. It’s no wonder that testimonials are worth gold. Just take a look at what a good testimonial will do for you:

People work hard for their money (or at least they think they do) and they DO want to spend it. They really do want to spend it. But, because of past foolish spending, people find themselves very hesitant to do so. They’re nervous about letting go of their money because they’re afraid of being taken again.

A good testimonial will help you overcome this problem. A testimonial can get your prospect excited about buying (which is something he wants to do anyway) and it also reduces their anxieties about buying from you because he can read (or hear) about the success you’ve had with someone like him, through a testimonial.

Everyone Needs Testimonials?

Doctors suck… they don’t “need” testimonials. Dentists sort of suck, too… although they could probably use testimonials. But other than medical doctors…

I Can’t Think Of A Single Business On This Planet That
Couldn’t Benefit From Using And Leveraging Testimonials
In Their Sales Copy!

No doubt, anyone who has any type of business could do better with testimonials. In almost 20-years of business, I can’t think of a single business that couldn’t benefit from having:

a) more testimonials

b) better testimonials

That’s why I say … NEVER STOP GETTING THEM!

Testimonials, both on video and on paper, have helped me close more than one deal — and thousands of dollars worth of writing and consulting business. You need testimonials whether you are a computer manufacturer or a janitorial service.

For each market you are selling to, it will help to have relevant testimonials that include benefits specifically for each market. Different people buy for different reasons, and so will different markets buy for different reasons.

Good & Bad Testimonials

There is a difference between a good testimonial and a bad one. Too many testimonials go something like this:

“We enjoyed your product.”

DUH…

“Your salespeople are really incredible.”

DUH…

“I really liked how your product worked”

DUH…

“What’s up with the ‘DUH…’, Brian?”

Well… these testimonials may look okay… and even passable at first glance. But, these testimonials aren’t pointing to any specific benefit that your prospect is hoping for when they buy your product or service.

GREAT testimonials come directly from benefits that your buyers have gotten from you! And GREAT testimonials talk about specific benefits received!

A wonderful exercise to do is this: List every benefit that your prospect gets from your product or service and then solicit specific customers to get a testimonial for each one of these benefits!
OK. OK. I can hear you whining… “Waaa…. Waaa…. Waaaa!… How am I going to do that!!??”

Do you want me to go get the “whaaambulance?”….

Not to fear… just keeping on reading dear reader… and you WILL find out how!

Getting A Testimonial For Every Major Benefit That You Offer

There are other ways, but this is the simplest. I make an evaluation form that asks my customer what they thought of each benefit. After every time I provide a service I give the customer a postage paid evaluation form to fill out.

Evaluation forms are wonderful… if your service or product is good, then evaluations are a real balm for the ego.

But, better than that, if you word them right they also tell you why your prospects buy… a nice side benefit to be sure!

For example, in a copywriting evaluation form I would put in questions like these:

1)Please rank in order of importance WHY you used my professional copywriting services:

· I don’t have time to write advertising

· You make my job easy by doing all of the writing for me

· You blah blah blah….

· Other. Please specify:

You get the picture?

Now this stuff is nice to know, because it tells you why your customer bought you. Or at least the biggest reasons why. BUT, let’s relate this to testimonials.

Later on in the evaluation you put this:

In question #1 you ranked the main reasons why you took advantage of my services. Please explain how I “delivered” on these benefits. Include any praise or suggestions for your reason #1, reason #2 and reason #3. (Refer to question #1)
Then you leave a big blank space for them to tell you how great your are concerning each specific benefit.

Does this work? YOU BET IT DOES! I use it constantly, and so should you.
On the evaluation you should always end with a question along the lines of this:

10) IMPORTANT: Please summarize your feelings about my 100% guaranteed copywriting services and give any additional comments, suggestions, or praise.

Then leave another large blank space for them to write in their comments. This will sometimes be left blank. But usually this is where you’ll get your really strong testimonials.
After that question, have a place for them to sign the evaluation, and after they sign it, have two little tick boxes with a yes or no response along side them and ask “May I quote you?”

That’s all there is to it, and you can quote them all day and all night!

What A Good Testimonial Will Do For You & Your Prospects

A good testimonial will get a prospect excited about booking you because he sees the benefits that a person like himself achieved by using your services.

When a prospect reads a testimonial about you (or hears or watches one) he needs to know immediately what kinds of benefits he gets from buying from you. Your prospect needs to see that the endorser is someone that he can relate to, someone that he has things in common with.

That’s why you want to do your darndest to get testimonials from people from all walks of life… young or old, black or white, etc., etc., etc.

As your prospect reads the testimonial he needs to say to himself, “Hey, this person is like me. It must be a good decision to buy this product because it worked well for this person and they are like me.”
Now – they usually won’t “consciously” think that… but there’s a part of them that’s thinking that, and getting that “reassuring feeling”.

When your prospect reads this, their hesitancy to spend their money on you diminishes, and they also get more excited about the possibility of you doing such a good job for them as well.

Getting Good Testimonials – Even if You Don’t Have Any

As long as you are in business, you need to be in the business of gathering testimonials. Whether you’re just starting out or have been in business for years, you need testimonials.
If you’re just starting out, I suggest that you simply get testimonials about yourself. These are better than nothing, but really can’t possibly have specific benefits focused on your service. For starters though, they may help build credibility.

Better yet… JUST GIVE YOUR PRODUCT TO PEOPLE IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR TESTIMONIAL… and many times… YOU CAN WRITE THE TESTIMONIAL FOR THEM!!! That way you get the exact testimonial you need!

Now… if you’ve been in business for a while then it’s a simple matter to get testimonials, if you believe you deserve them and overcome any fear of asking for them.

The very simplest way to get testimonials is when a customer comments about your product or service, simply ask, “May I quote you?” Then write down what they said, send it to them with a short note and a self-addressed stamped envelope and ask them to sign it granting permission to use it in your marketing communications. Or just email it to ‘em.

Remember to ask for specific information from them, name, business, title, etc. The more specifics you have to show other prospects that people like “just like me” have bought from you, the more powerful your testimonial will be.

Another way to get testimonials is to give each client an evaluation form (as we talked about earlier) after you perform your service, or about 3 weeks after they’ve had a chance to look at and use your product.

Make it easy for them to fill out and return so that the likelihood of getting it increases. Pay the postage for them, and put the evaluation in letter form. And email is always cheap!

Ask questions that are going to be valuable to you like:
“How did my service compare with other services you’ve had?” and “On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate…”

You want comments that you’re going to be able to use in your sales letters, brochures and flyers, not just general comments that are unspecific about benefits gained.

As long as you make it easy for them, most people love to help out, and do you a favor. Let them know that you’ll be putting their name in your brochures and flyers. People thrill to see their names in print!

7 Ways To Use Testimonials & A Few More Tips For You To Use

Here is a bunch of tips, hints and ideas about using testimonials:

1) Testimonials can be used effectively in any marketing format:

Emails

Fax Blasts

Websites

Live-audio Testimonials on your site

Brochures

Flyers

Business Cards

On-Hold Messages For Incoming Calls

Video Tape Demonstrations

Audio Tape Demonstrations

Cover Letters

Advertisements

Posters

Basically anywhere that can be used to induce prospects to take action that will lead to a sell.

2) As a very general rule of thumb, use about two testimonials per page in each of your marketing documents. But that doesn’t mean they have to be spread out… sometimes you’ll want them all bunched up together. Other times it’ll help your copy more to have them spread out.

3) Always get testimonials at every chance you can.

4) Never stop gathering testimonials.

5) Use evaluation forms for EVERY MARKET NICHE that you work. This is perhaps the simplest way to get testimonials.

6) Get testimonials for every benefit that you offer to each market.

7) Testimonials will help you excite your prospects about the benefits that you have to offer, and lower their anxieties about buying from you, because they know that people just like them have received the promised benefits from you.

The Winning Testimonial Formula

Winning testimonials are benefit packed. They help reduce prospect anxieties and get them excited about buying you.

Winning testimonials show a prospect that someone just like him has received real benefits from what he is now considering buying. That’s what a winning testimonial does.

Now let me tell you the winning formula that’ll make sure you get winning testimonials. Here’s what it says to your prospects:

****************************************************************
“Dear Prospect,

I am like you. I was concerned about buying a that would really do a good job. We were worried about this and this and this.

We decided to give a try. Now we know that does a great job! He delivered this benefit and this benefit, and most of all this benefit.

We highly recommend that you use him if you want these same benefits. If you have any questions about what he did for use, call me at (555) 123-4567.”

****************************************************************

Here is the formula stripped down to its bare-butt naked bones just in case it’s not obvious to you:

* I am like you.

* I had a problem like you and wanted to achieve the same benefits that you do.

* Like you, I was concerned about what I should do, wondering if anyone could really help.

* Well, now I know. (Your product or service) provided (the benefit I desired). Just like it will do for you!

Does this formula sound simple? It is. It works, and it works well enough that I suggest you give this type of outline to any customer of yours that’s crazy about how good a job you do — or how great your product performs, and have them follow it when they write your letter.
It is benefit packed and tells your prospect that someone like him is out there, that has used you with great success.

Conclusion

Now you know what a winning testimonial says and you know how to use them and how to get them.

You’re on your way partner! But let me warn you….

This information in this newsletter only works if you use it!

What?

You thought you could just pick up your magic copywriting pen and swish it here and there and all this stuff just falls into place for you?

You thought it didn’t take work?

Well… you are delusional!

You gotta use this stuff to make the big bucks! I’m tellin’ ya right now… Take some time to prepare the stuff, evaluation forms, etc., you need to gather testimonials in a time efficient manner. Just to make it even easier for you… here’s what you’re gonna need:

1) The basic winning testimonial formula

2) An evaluation sheet for each market you sell to

3) The evaluation sheets should help you gather testimonials for each benefit that you offer

4) Marketing documents to use your testimonials in

Testimonials have two main purposes to keep in mind:

* They make your prospect less nervous about buying from you because he sees that people like him have used your product or service with success. In a testimonial, a third-party is endorsing your product or service in their own words. This “endorsement” is much more credible and convincing than you praising your own product!

* Testimonials get your prospect excited about buying your product or service because you use specific benefits in your testimonials.

You need to get more testimonials.

You can get testimonials and it’s not a difficult thing to do. It’s up to you.

You can keep letting these “letters of gold” slip through your fingers, losing hundreds of dollars in business, or you can start acting like a marketing professional and get the testimonials that your quality product or service deserves.

You decide.

But, I’ll be honest with you: you’ll make a lot more money if you follow the simple suggestions in this newsletter — and you’ll see these letters help fill your bank account with gold!

To find out more about Brian Keith Voiles and what he’s up to, visit him at http://www.briankeithkillercopyclinic.com and if you have a question for Brian,
please feel free to email him at: brian@briankeithkillercopyclinic.com

Article source:

http://www.bestaffiliateproducts.com/testimonial-letter.html

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