I love going to the Warrior Forum. You find the most lively discussions there. The other day, there was a thread titled “What turns you off on buying a product?” or something like that. Well, the thread turned into yet another long versus short copy argument. Oh, how I love those. Well, this article is going to give you my personal opinion about the whole long versus short copy thing and you can take what you want from it. Again, this is only my opinion based on what has worked for me.

If you go into a store to get a package of batteries, maybe costing about $4.99, and you’re not sure which brand to get (you want the ones that will last the longest), you’ll probably go and ask a salesperson. The answer you get will probably be short and to the point…something like, “Brand X is really good. It lasts longer than brand Y.” And that will be enough for you and you’ll probably take that as sufficient.

Now, let’s walk into an electronics store looking to buy a new sound system for your home. Now we’re talking about spending maybe $600 or more. You don’t know which one to buy. So you ask the salesperson for his opinion. He then starts to explain the different sound systems and goes into great detail. Why does he do this? The answer is simple. You’re looking to spend $600 or maybe even more, so parting with that much money is not an easy decision to make.

I have found that when it comes to selling products online, it’s no different. If I’m selling an ebook that costs $17, I don’t really have to do a lot of explaining. I mean after all, it’s only $17. So I get right to the point. I tell the person what they’re going to get out of the product and I do it as quickly as I can. Now, if I’m selling a $97 ebook, then I’m going to have to go into a lot more detail. Why? Because the prospect is looking to part with a lot more money than $17.

My point is this. The length of the sales letter, in my opinion, should be directly proportional to the amount of money you’re expecting to get out of your prospect. Will there be exceptions? Of course there will. And you have to know how to recognize them, such as when you’re selling something that’s very technical, even if it is inexpensive. A more in depth explanation, such as for a membership site script, is probably in order.

Long copy works great for some things and not so great for others. For me, it all comes down to what I’m selling.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write copy just like the pros? Visit my site at http://www.bcipe.com/ and discover killer copywriting tips that have allowed me to write my own copy for years and earn myself a 6 figure a year income selling my own products.