Ca$hvertising question

[zejayes]

I just finished reading this book as so many people recommended it. Something I couldn't help but wonder throughout the whole book was - isn't this stuff pretty cheesy? This kind of stuff is the first thing that'll make me leave a page. This super sleazy sales copy is such a turnoff for me, and always has been.

I decided to ignore that inclination and power through the book. Then I started using a few things here and there, like using questions to address a point....and then my wife commented "geez that looks super salesey - we don't wanna sound like that right?" - and she didn't even know I read the book. So someone who is pretty sales illiterate gets turned off by this sales stuff too. Maybe the newer generation of people just don't buy into the sales pitches as much? Skepticism?

Any experiences here? Maybe we're just the minority?

 

[skohh]

There are reasons people don't buy, your job as a salesman is to counter these objections.

A few reasons people don't buy:

• You lost their attention
• They don't believe you
• They don't need/want what you're offering
• Sales message is too hypey
• Your offer sucks

If you don't want to look cheesy too salesy, offer something useful. Give them something really useful they can apply in their own life/business that really helps them.

Gary Bencivenga talks about how you should do your best to make your sales message not look too hypey/salesy, that's why advertorials work so well.

It's all part of selling really, you need to overcome the prospects objections. A lot of people will tune you out if you do too much selling, not that I really think you can over sell something. You're goal here is to break all objections/resistance to what you're offering. You have to really know your market. It's all part of selling.

 

[zejayes]

Thanks Skohh.

I wonder if the sales copy evolves though. While something like overcoming objections is timeless advice, tactics where you end up writing these sentences that boil down to shiny objects seem like they might be getting phased out. I suppose they're just not believable enough - people have seen it too many times.

Its weird but my likelihood to purchase goes up when I sense a genuine salesman. One who isn't throwing the gimmicky 1-liners at me. One who *lists* features and doesn't sell them. Is this a poisonous attitude to have as I create my own landing pages or am I on to something?

 

[skohh]

Thanks Skohh.

I wonder if the sales copy evolves though. While something like overcoming objections is timeless advice, tactics where you end up writing these sentences that boil down to shiny objects seem like they might be getting phased out. I suppose they're just not believable enough - people have seen it too many times.

Its weird but my likelihood to purchase goes up when I sense a genuine salesman. One who isn't throwing the gimmicky 1-liners at me. One who *lists* features and doesn't sell them. Is this a poisonous attitude to have as I create my own landing pages or am I on to something?

Yeah, it is very poisonous because it limits your desired outcomes. You think, nah that wont work, I'll go play chess instead of writing this lander out.

WAT.

No, really, try it and test it, then optimize and test some more.

Sales copy evolves around delivery and mediums but as long as there is a need/desire/want/fear and you can provide a solution, you're golden, you're going to have buyers or get a response.

I GUARANTEE IT.

 

[IceToEskimos]

This kind of stuff is the first thing that'll make me leave a page. This super sleazy sales copy is such a turnoff for me, and always has been...

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in writing copy is to assume that your audience is similar to you.

They aren't.

For one thing, you're talking about hundreds of thousands or millions of people, not a handful. Writing something that is going to resonate with the majority of your market is the goal here.

It's really hard to get over the idea that your opinions don't matter when it comes to copywriting, but it needs to be done, because they don't.

In the end, it's going to be judged by how well it converts, like everything else in the world.

 

[IceToEskimos]

Its weird but my likelihood to purchase goes up when I sense a genuine salesman. One who isn't throwing the gimmicky 1-liners at me. One who *lists* features and doesn't sell them.

Oh, one other thing, features really do suck.

Benefits sell.


People are not as bright as we might hope, so if you rely on them to put 2+2 together and realize that picture-in-picture on a TV allows them to channel surf during commercials while keeping on eye on their original channel...you're going to be let down, but you'll never know what you've missed, because most people are shy/embarrassed and will NOT ask for further clarification. In print they CAN'T ask, so you really need to spell it all out for them and not take chances.

If you just say "this TV has picture-in-picture, so you can watch two channels at once" you aren't doing the math for them, and a fair % will fail to understand how that feature can improve their situation.

 

[cloudninja]

Oh, one other thing, features really do suck.

Benefits sell.


People are not as bright as we might hope, so if you rely on them to put 2+2 together and realize that picture-in-picture on a TV allows them to channel surf during commercials while keeping on eye on their original channel...you're going to be let down, but you'll never know what you've missed, because most people are shy/embarrassed and will NOT ask for further clarification. In print they CAN'T ask, so you really need to spell it all out for them and not take chances.

If you just say "this TV has picture-in-picture, so you can watch two channels at once" you aren't doing the math for them, and a fair % will fail to understand how that feature can improve their situation.

this is pretty much the best advice I think I've heard so far this year.

 

[Josss]

This kind of stuff is the first thing that'll make me leave a page. This super sleazy sales copy is such a turnoff for me, and always has been.

Which is why native ads is crushing it right now.

Ads in 2014 are not supposed to look like ads. Actually since about 2012.

 

[skohh]

Which is why native ads is crushing it right now.

Ads in 2014 are not supposed to look like ads. Actually since about 2012.

I sort of don't like this way of thinking. I do like were your going here, don't get me wrong, possibly would help fight some "banner blindness" but an ad is supposed to do one thing, get the prospects attention. If it does that, I don't really care if it looks like an ad.

 

[IceToEskimos]

Which is why native ads is crushing it right now.

Ads in 2014 are not supposed to look like ads. Actually since about 2012.

This is a picture of the sun:

There is nothing new under it.

Act accordingly.

 

[jasonlife]

I just finished reading this book as so many people recommended it. Something I couldn't help but wonder throughout the whole book was - isn't this stuff pretty cheesy? This kind of stuff is the first thing that'll make me leave a page. This super sleazy sales copy is such a turnoff for me, and always has been.

I decided to ignore that inclination and power through the book. Then I started using a few things here and there, like using questions to address a point....and then my wife commented "geez that looks super salesey - we don't wanna sound like that right?" - and she didn't even know I read the book. So someone who is pretty sales illiterate gets turned off by this sales stuff too. Maybe the newer generation of people just don't buy into the sales pitches as much? Skepticism?

Any experiences here? Maybe we're just the minority?

I have read the book too, and found that much of it doesn't make sense. But there are "some" tidbits of advice. For instance he talks about writing headlines below your images - that helps alot!

It really all depends on how you approach it, don't take everything to heart, but revamp it and use it

 

[skohh]

Right, ok

 

[andrewkar]

I just finished reading this book as so many people recommended it. Something I couldn't help but wonder throughout the whole book was - isn't this stuff pretty cheesy? This kind of stuff is the first thing that'll make me leave a page. This super sleazy sales copy is such a turnoff for me, and always has been.

I decided to ignore that inclination and power through the book. Then I started using a few things here and there, like using questions to address a point....and then my wife commented "geez that looks super salesey - we don't wanna sound like that right?" - and she didn't even know I read the book. So someone who is pretty sales illiterate gets turned off by this sales stuff too. Maybe the newer generation of people just don't buy into the sales pitches as much? Skepticism?

Any experiences here? Maybe we're just the minority?

I would like to add that it's important to craft a right speech for a right audience. Some of them like/NEED to be sold on a bold promise, others like some figures and facts. Sure, it's the worst misatke of a new marketer to asume that everybody else is just like him. They are not.

Our audience isn't reading WF, Matt Tucts blog and they have no idea about IRC. So, as someone else have said above, act accordingly.
BTW, book is good.

 

[Midas Touch]

You've gotten VERY good advice in this thread!!

To address your CHEESE question though, it's kinda of a reverse psychology thing and employs NLP techniques.

Believe it or not, people LOVE to prove people wrong or to find FAULT in things. Most people also want/need Peer approval.

Do you remember the PPC AD's that would lead with things like say,"Why the Total Money Machine is B.S.!!" or "The Total Money Machine is a Rip-Off!!"???

Review sites were killing it with those headlines. (TMM is just something I made up BTW.) The product sites usually had so much cheese that YES....it turned viewers away. The bounce rate was just stupid most of the time.

But....Affiliates who used the above PPC AD's to get traffic to their campaigns could then "sound" as if they too were a disbeliever and the visitor felt they were reading what a like minded individual had discovered about the product. The visitor was looking for confirmation/validation of their own initial negative opinion of the product they had viewed.

So, now their sales resistance guard is down when they went to the Affiliate Site and as the copy SHIFTED from against the product to actually PRAISING it and then ENDORSING it the NLP is setup since they are now mentally & emotionally OFF BALANCE.

If the copy is done right, it's similar to a Toad sitting in a pan of water that is slowly heating up, they never realize what has happened until they've been boiled!! (To the point of thinking, "I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!)

LOL

It is actually a BEAUTIFUL way to manipulate a Prospect's Mind to close the sale and get them to buy.


So, CHEESE can work if used properly and you KNOW going in how to effectively use it.


Very similar to the Long Sales Copy vs. the Short Sales Copy question that has PLAGUED marketers for all time. Especially in the fast paced time restricted "I want it NOW" times we're living in.



It really boils down to WHO the customer is and the type of product or service you're offering/promoting.



Sales is an Alchemy of ART and SCIENCE that must be experimented with until you get it mixed just right for your particular campaign.

Conversions & ROI will always let you know how well you mixed them.