Persuasive and Compelling Words

Are your words powerful and persuasive enough to move your reader (translation: prospective customer) into some type of action? Whatever you're looking to accomplish, you need to know what words to use and how to use them or everything you say will just be more noise in a loud and insanely busy world.

Experience has taught me a lot about persuasion. I spent many years sitting in a federal courtroom, listening to lawyers, prosecutors, witnesses and experts all trying to persuade a judge and jury that they were right. I have spent even more years in a career writing advertising and marketing copy. My bank account and bloodshot eyes are testimony to the hundreds (even thousands) of hours I have dedicated to learning everything I can from true masters of persuasion.

The one thing that is constant, whether you're writing for a full-color glossy brochure, a direct mail piece or for the internet, is that people are still people. They have the same fears, wants, needs and dreams.

People first and always want to know, "What's in it for me?" They won't care about the details of your fantastic product until they believe you're offering a benefit that will fill a need they have. And your expression of the benefit(s) had better be persuasive and compelling or their 5-second attention span will move to something that is.

So what are the characteristics of persuasive copy? Write this down. Your words must:
1) Get their attention (as in, Why should I read this?)
2) Focus on the reader/customer (as in, It's all about me.)
3) Stress benefits (as in, What's in it for me?)
4) Set you apart from the competition (as in, What makes you so different?)
5) Establish credibility (as in, Are you for real?)
6) Build value (as in, Why are you so special?)
7) Prove what they say (as in, Don't blow smoke.)
8) End up with a "call to action" (as in, Just do it!)
9) Give the reader a valid reason to act now (as in, Don't wait.)

Just FYI - not every sales page or copywriting task will require all nine characteristics. But a good copywriter knows how to be compellingly honest and persuasive with each one.