The thin line between love and hate. Remember that song? It came out in 1971. I forget the name of the group. Oh well, the price of fame. Anyway, a sales copy is kind of like that. You can write a sales letter that just about borders on that line. Cross it and you can end up ticking off your prospects. The key is knowing who your market is and how to communicate with that market. This article is going to explore this issue in some detail. Hope you find it helpful.

The best way to explain this is with what was probably the best example of cutting edge, living on the edge copy that was ever written. I’m talking about the Rich Jerk’s original sales page. Remember it? I do. Imagine my shock when I saw him calling people losers in print. I couldn’t help thinking to myself, “Wow, what an egotistical maniac.” But his copy sold books like crazy. The question is how? How did he not cross over that thin line between love and hate?

Well, for starters, did you see the “fictional” characterization that he had on his sales page? It’s kind of hard to hate a cartoon character. Had he had a picture of himself on the page, it might have been a different story. But he had enough sense to turn this whole campaign into a caricature. This was smart marketing.

He also knew his market. He knew he was targeting people who, quite honestly, were losers. They weren’t having success online and they were looking for a real way to find that success. Sure, some would be offended but most were not. And a big reason for that was because he was able to walk the walk.

See, the Rich Jerk had tons of proof of income that he had earned. The site he sold on Ebay was a classic example. So, you could try to hate him if you wanted, but if you were still spinning your wheels trying to get somewhere and then saw what was capable, you’d probably give in to your anger and say, “Okay, let me see what this jerk has to teach me.” The bottom line is simple. He made a lot of sales.

It takes a lot of research and a lot of skill to pull off a sales letter that doesn’t send your prospects to your competitors. That’s what makes a great copywriter. Can you learn to write copy like this? Sure, anybody can. It won’t happen overnight, but with practice, you can be the next “thin line” copywriter.

Now, if only I could remember who did that song.

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.