Steve Wagenheim’s Home Business Blog

There is a common mistake that beginning Internet marketers make that I’d like to address in this article. That mistake is overkill. If you’re not exactly sure what I mean by overkill, keep reading and you’ll find out.

Okay, let’s face it… selling is an art form. Some people are born sales persons and others couldn’t sell water to a man dying of thirst in the desert. I used to be one of the latter. How I was ever successful as an Internet marketer sometimes amazes me. In fact, one of the first interviews I ever went to… back in the 80s… the guy asked, first question, who here hates sales? I raised my hand and he told me I could leave. I got up and left. Okay, I NEVER wanted to be in sales. And yet… here I am. But I digress.

What do I mean by overkill? Well, it’s essentially trying too hard to make the sale. It’s an ad that is so in your face and over the top that it makes you just close up your browser in disgust. In fact, the ad almost reads like a joke. Most overkill ads are cliched and worn out. You’ve read the punch lines a million times or more. You can almost tell what’s coming next.

Yes, I know…you have to write compelling copy. I get that. But there is a difference between compelling copy and schlock. If you can’t tell the difference, maybe you’re in the wrong field. I’m dead serious. Let me tell you what works for me. This might not work for you so please test.

First, I tell the prospect what they’re getting. I hate this mystery products where you have no idea what’s in it. All you know is that the seller promises that it’s going to make you a fortune. You just don’t have any clue how that’s going to happen. I’m up front with my sales pitch. Here is what you’re getting. That way, there is no confusion or mystery.

Next, I tell the prospect what it will do for them. I point out the benefits. I don’t blow them out of proportion. I make them very realistic benefits that are believable. I don’t know how many people REALLY believe that you can make a fortune overnight. Though, based on some talk I hear, there are a lot of gullible people out there.

After that, I tell them how much the product costs. I try to show them how trying to get this information by researching it themselves could cost them hundreds more in time lost. I try to show how the money spent is a good value.

Finally, I tell them what my guarantee is and I make it a darn good one. I give them literally no reason not to give this a shot. And I do it without all the glitz and rah, rah, rah that I see on other sales pages. Personally, when I see that stuff, I just walk away.

Will my approach work for you? I have no idea. You’ll have to try it and see. But I will say this. One day, and I don’t know when, the FTC is going to say, “Enough with these sales pages that promise the moon” and come crashing down on a lot of merchants’ heads.

When THAT day comes… you’re going to wish you used my approach.

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.

This is something that a lot of copywriters, especially those just starting out, don’t do and it’s hurting their chances of writing a killer sales letter. This is especially true for successful marketers who want to branch out into copywriting. By actually using the product, you’ll not only write a better sales letter but also increase sales as well. This article explains.

There are a couple of reasons why this is so important. And quite honestly, I don’t know which is the more important reason. They’re both pretty high up on the importance scale for me. First there is the simple fact that if you actually use the product, you’re going to be more familiar with it. Writing a letter for the product won’t be such a robotic act. You’ll have more of your own personal feelings invested in the copy. Trust me, it will come through in the writing.

Another reason you want to use the product before writing the copy for it is because that way, you can actually provide a testimonial for it as a user. And if you’re a successful marketer who has a reputation, this testimonial will go a long way in increasing sales. Nobody has to know that you wrote the copy for the product. And no, this is not unethical as long as the testimonial is honest. Now naturally, if you use the product and you think it’s crap, you have a problem here. And for some copywriters, this is a bigger problem than for others.

Personally, if I use a product and think it’s crap, I won’t write the copy for it. I’ll suggest ways for the product creator to improve it, but I won’t touch the copy until I can write something that I truly believe in. I know this means that I’m probably not going to make as much money as other copywriters (you should see some of the junk out there) but that’s okay. I’d rather make less money and keep my integrity. Besides, I still have my marketing to fall back on.

Point is, if you use the product, you give yourself a much better chance of writing a good sales letter and by providing a testimonial, you can help increase sales. Now, naturally, there are some products you won’t be able to try personally such as if you’re writing a sales letter for an acne cure and you’re 53 years old and haven’t had a pimple in 40 years. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a hold of your son or daughter or a friend with the problem to try it and have THEM write the testimonial. By personally observing the results, this will still help you write a better sales letter.

Nothing beats personal experience no matter what it is you’re doing.

That goes double for copywriting.

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.

It’s not often that I’m late to the party with something, but quite honestly, I had been stuck in the tried and proven copywriting rut for so long that I didn’t even consider something else. Well, maybe it’s time to consider something else. I’ve looked over this ugly video sales letter thing and I’ve developed some logical and rational opinions on it. Before you totally disregard the idea, you might want to read this article. I think it will give you a whole different perspective.

Let me start off by saying this. The ultimate goal of your sales letter is to turn a prospect into a paying customer. However you can do that, as long as it’s legal and ethical, is fine. If nothing else, I have learned from my almost eight years of marketing online that there is more than one way to skin a cat. What works for one niche might not work for others. Having said that, here is what I think of ugly video sales letters and the arguments for and against their use.

It is no secret that in many niches, people just don’t read long sales letters anymore…at least not in their entirety. They pretty much skim certain parts like the headline, bullet points, maybe a few sub heads, the guarantee, testimonials, price and the PS. You may even fall into that category yourself. I know I do unless it’s a sales letter for a very critical problem that I have to be as close to 100% sure about in regard to the solution as possible. In that case, I will read every last word. This is particularly true in many areas of the health niche. When people are dealing with life and death health issues, they read.

Having said that, I feel that the ugly sales video format, for some niches and for some low end products is actually a better idea. Essentially, what it does is it gives the prospect bits and pieces of the sales letter so that the whole thing is more easily digestible. So you can actually take a 20 to 30 page sales letter and break it down so that it doesn’t seem that long, even though in reality, after you’re done viewing the whole thing, it’s 10 to 15 minutes long. Properly formatted, it doesn’t seem that long. Of course it helps to have a good voiceover man.

You will probably get your best results with low end products because the video itself can be much shorter than normal. I’d say a 3 to 5 minute read would be more than sufficient to sell a $17 to $27 product. Naturally, you will need to test this for yourself.

I arrive at these theories not from thin air. My sales letters in general are very short, and yet, they convert very well. In fact, I am right now somewhere in between the ugly video sales letter and long sales letter method of getting my sales pitch out there. But again, I don’t sell high end products doing this. That would have to be tested.

Ultimately, the whole process of using these will have to be tested. The only way you’re going to find out if they work better or worse than a traditional long form sales letter is to split test.

Then…you will have your answers.

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.

There is one very big downside to copywriting, which is why I won’t ever allow it to be my main source of income. If you don’t write, you don’t get paid. It’s a service industry. And as with any service industry, in order to make money, you have to provide the service, unlike ebooks that can sell even while you’re sleeping. So, when a potential client asks you if they can get a discount on your service, does it pay to give them one? This article is going to explore this issue. You can make up your own mind on what to ultimately do.

First thing we have to take into consideration is how long you’ve been doing this. If you’re just starting out and you need some testimonials for your work, then offering a discount on a sales letter might not be such a bad idea. In fact, you should probably offer your service to X number of people for a very low price in order to build up, not only a portfolio of work to show people, but a portfolio of testimonials as well. The more people that you can show were happy with your sales letters, the easier it will be for you to get more clients.

Another thing you have to take into consideration is what your time is worth to you and how long it takes you to do an average sales letter. I can usually crank out one in about a week working about 8 hours a day. If my time is worth at least $100 an hour and I’ve put in 56 hours into doing a sales letter, I’m going to want at least $5,600 for that sales letter. I might go as low as $5,000, but that’s it. Now, if your time is worth less to you, then you’ll charge less. And any discount should be based on the minimum you’ll be willing to work for.

Finally, you probably want to take into consideration your relationship with the person asking or potential long term relationship that could come from writing the sales letter. If it’s a friend, or at least somebody who you’ve had a prior relationship with, you might be more willing to consider offering a discount as opposed to somebody who is a total stranger. I know there are some people out there who I would write a sales letter for dirt cheap, if not for nothing.

Anyway, these are the factors you need to consider when deciding on offering a discount for your work. Ultimately, it’s YOUR decision and only YOU know how comfortable you are with doing this. There are pros and cons to offering discounts. On the one hand, you’ll probably get more work. On the other hand, you’ll be working more for less money.

Somewhere in there you need to strike a balance.

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.

One thing that beginning copywriters have a lot of trouble with is really understanding the difference between wants and needs and how to get this across in their copy. This article is going to explain the difference and give an example of how you would differentiate the two when writing your sales letter.

Okay, let’s start off with a need since I think that’s something we can all relate to. Eating would be a need. We all need to eat in order to survive. If we don’t eat, we starve to death. That’s a need and it’s pretty simple to understand.

Now, let’s take the subject of eating and bring it down to the level of a want. Okay, we NEED to eat, BUT, we don’t have to eat any particular food to stay alive. There are plenty of foods that I won’t go near because I can’t stand the way they taste. The foods that I enjoy are my wants. I want to eat oatmeal cookies because I love the way they taste. Conversely, I would NOT eat prune danish because I hate prunes.

So what’s the point? Well, let’s say that you’re selling some kind of diet food that’s going to make people well. If you focus on the needs (losing weight, etc.) people are not going to be overly excited by your copy. However, if you focus on what they want (tastes great, etc.) THEN they are going to be more excited by your product because it’s hitting them in the area that really matters most…what people want.

Like it or not, and I don’t care what niche it is, people do NOT buy things because they need them. They buy things because they WANT them. Even items that you would think are needs aren’t really. Food is a perfect example. Yes, we have to eat. But we sure as heck don’t have to eat that slop that somebody threw down in front of us if it’s NOT appealing. As long as we have choices, all needs still come down to what we ultimately want.

I need to drink water everyday to stay healthy. But I sure as heck don’t have to drink some bottled water if I don’t want to. I can easily just get it from the tap. You have to give me a compelling reason why I should want YOUR water. Do that and you’ve understood the basic philosophy behind writing salescopy.

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.

This is not a subject that gets discussed often but with the increasing trend of everybody and their grandmother turning to WordPress for, well, just about everything, I think it is important that we discuss the pros and cons of using WordPress for sales letters. If nothing else, I think this article will give you a lot of food for thought.

Let’s start with the obvious pros of using WordPress for sales letters. As you know, aside from the actual written copy, you need the sales letter to actually look good. Well, designing in HTML can be a real hassle. And if you’re really bad with coding and graphics, you have to hire somebody to do it for you, thus cutting into your profits. With WordPress, all you have to worry about is the actual written copy. The design is all built right into the theme that you decide to use.

Unfortunately, that’s where the pros end. At least in my opinion as a copywriter. There are more cons to this than you can even count. I’m not going to go over them all but I will go over a few of them.

At the top of the list is the fact that you have absolutely no control over the internal workings of WordPress. If a plugin changes or breaks, your sales letter goes down the tubes until you get the plugin either fixed or replaced with a new one. And if a new one doesn’t exist, you’re really up the creek. With HTML you are in control of everything. Let’s put it this way. I’ve never seen an HTML sales letter break.

Another huge con to using WordPress is when it comes to making changes in the design…even the most simple changes. With HTML, all you need is a WYSIWYG editor. And these you can even download for free online. With WordPress, you need to actually understand the structure of WordPress itself in order to make any change at all. If you’re technically challenged, this can be a monumental chore.

Finally, and my no means is this the end of the cons, split testing your sales letter while using WordPress is a real pain in the butt. With HTML all you need is a simple script to do the job. With WordPress, not so simple. And again, if you’re a technical idiot, you’ll need to hire somebody to get it done for you.

And the above only scratches the surface. Bottom line for me is simple. If you’re a beginning copywriter or thinking of doing copy for your own product, PLEASE stay away from WordPress. I love it for blogs and even membership sites, but for sales letters, it’s a royal pain in the butt.

I want to thank Paul Hancox for the inspiration for this article as he brought this topic up over at the Warrior Forum just recently. Paul is a super smart guy and it HE’S against WordPress for sales letters, you can bet your bottom dollar that there is something to it. And I agree with him 100%.

Take that for whatever it’s worth to you.

Say NO to WordPress for sales letters.

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.

This is not a knock on people who can’t read. I truly have a soft spot for those who are illiterate for whatever reason. I’m talking about the people who REFUSE to read. You know who you are. How do you write sales copy for folks who just refuse to read sales pages? Well, you don’t…not really. But what you do is you make sure you include some key things that will get THEIR attention and make them check out enough of your sales page to actually click the buy now button. Keep reading to find out how.

At the top of the list is the top of your sales page…the headline. This has got to be big and bold and absolutely SCREAM benefits. This is the first thing your non reader is going to see. If the headline doesn’t grab him immediately, he is going to be gone. In fact, 80% of the sales you make come from your headline. If you think I’m kidding, take one of your great converting sales pages and change the headline to something that you know just plain stinks and watch your sales go through the floor.

Next thing that non readers look for is a list of features and benefits. You’re going to cover this with your bullet points. Now, what you want to make sure you do is not only cover the features of your product but the benefit that each feature is going to give the buyer. For example, if one of your bullet points for a computer product is “4 ghz processor” then right after it should read something like, “so that you can do your work at lightning speed and have more time to relax.” Features tell…benefits sell.

After that, the next thing the non reader looks for is the guarantee. He wants to make sure that if he’s not satisfied with the purchase that he can get a refund. You want to make sure that your guarantee is stated clearly and in big bold letters. Also, if you can (ClickBank vendors can’t do this) make your guarantee so incredible (double your money back, 6 months, etc.) that there is no way they can pass up your offer.

Finally, there is the price and the actual buy now button. Don’t make them hunt for the price. Many people can’t stand when they have to click the buy now button just to find out how much the darn thing costs. Make sure the price stands out and present it as a real bargain. As for the buy now button, you want it to be big and clear so that there is NO way they can miss it. You might want to experiment with the “Add To Cart” button as a lot of people are reporting success with it.

Bottom line…some people refuse to read and only look for the high points. I’ve just given them to you.

Use them.

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.

Let me start out by saying that the thread that inspired this article actually had nothing to do with copywriting and everything to do with marketing. However, when I thought about the topic, I realized that it could easily apply to copywriting as well. Let me start off by telling you a little something about the thread itself and then tell you how it applies to copywriting. I think you will get a lot out of this article.

I am sure you are familiar with Hemingway’s short story, “For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.” He said it was his best work and you can understand why. Those six little words tell a story that really hits home. You get the entire picture just from that.

Anyway, the thread asked the question, “If you had to sell somebody in just six words how to effectively market online, what would they be?” Some of the answers were brilliant. By the time I got to the thread, there was really nothing for me to add. But then it got me thinking about all these long sales letters. Do we really need to be so long winded all the time?

Personally, I’ve written sales letters that were less than a page and sold tons of product. Why? Why is it that I can be so brief and yet be so effective? Well, to be honest, in my case, there are two reasons. The main one is trust. When I promote to my list, they trust me. So I could pretty much send them a buy now button and a headline and they’d purchase. The second reason is because my products are not expensive, so they don’t need a lot of selling.

Even so, I have to believe it is possible to cut out some of the excess verbiage that I see is so many of the sales letters that I have read online. Who really cares that you discovered this amazing technique or secret while exploring the Swiss Alps? I sure as heck don’t. Can’t you just get to the point a little bit quicker without all the fluff that I am so sick of reading in salescopy?

Ultimately, it will come down to testing. When you create a sales letter, split test a shorter copy against a longer copy and see which one converts better. You may be surprised at the results. It’s not always going to be the long copy that wins.

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.

Well, I guess nobody should be surprised that this was coming. The truth is, the writing has been on the wall for a long time. The smart folks did something about it early on. Those who didn’t believe it, well…they’re trying to figure out how to deal with it now. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m referring to the new regulations that have a lot of copywriters up in arms. This article dives right into this can of worms.

It was inevitable with all the scams and outright lies being sold to people. Eventually, the FTC had to say ENOUGH…and do something about it. Not only the FTC, but major search engines like Google as well. We’re starting to see a weeding out of the “over the top, over hyped” sales letters. They are slowly being done away with…either through the FTC fining these people or Google simply refusing to list them in their search engine. Either way, copy is changing.

Question is, how do you deal with it? Income claims are out. Testimonials, unless they have serious disclaimers attached (beyond the scope of this article) or have step by step details of how the results are achieved, are also out. Many copywriters feel that this is going to greatly reduce sales. What they don’t understand is that sales come down to one thing, when all is said and done…the offer.

Make your prospect an offer that is impossible to pass up and it doesn’t matter what income claims you can or can’t have, and what testimonials you can or can’t have. A compelling story of how you solved whatever problem it is you solved combined with a can’t pass up offer is going to make more sales than any testimonial ever could. A rock solid “extra mile” guarantee only cements the deal. While everybody else is offering the standard 30 or 60 money back guarantee, why not try a 90 day DOUBLE your money back guarantee?

Bottom line time fellow copywriters and would be copywriters…it’s time to actually learn how to write compelling copy and not rely on hype and over the top claims. Because one of two things is going to happen. Either the FTC will be all over your backside or Google will deep six your sales page so far in the back of their listings that even YOU won’t be able to find it.

Yes, the boys and the men will finally be separated in this more than sullied industry.

And it’s about time.

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.

I love copywriters. The good ones have some of the biggest egos I have ever seen…and with good reason. What about you? If you’re first starting out as a copywriter, you might not be totally sure of yourself. However, if you want to make it in this business, you better get that ego in gear fast. This article explains why.

What a beginning copywriter may not seem to understand, usually because he’s just trying to make a few bucks, is that the fate of your client is in HIS hands. Think about it. This person is coming to you asking you to write a sales letter that is going to launch his product into six or ever seven figures.

But there is more to it than that, and the great copywriters at the Warrior Forum said it so much better than I ever could. See, a product creator, of whom I am one, wants a copywriter who believes in himself. He doesn’t want, as Mike Humphreys said so well, a copywriter who thinks “that maybe… well, possibly… they could write something that makes their clients a little bit of money.” Thanks Mike…you hit the nail on the head.

The product creator wants somebody with the chutzpa to believe that they walk on water and anything they put in writing is going to be gold for the product creator. This instills confidence in the person hiring the copywriter. I know personally, as a product creator, that this is what I would want.

This doesn’t mean that you have to have been writing copy for a lifetime, though it can’t hurt. If you have confidence in your work and have samples to show off, even if it’s for your own products, this could be more than good enough to show your prospect that you have what it takes to pull off the job.

Here’s the bottom line…and you can take it for what it’s worth to you. Nobody wants to work with somebody who doesn’t believe in themselves. Sure, when the bell rings, you have to come out and throw some punches that actually make contact. All talk and no deliver is a recipe for having your reputation destroyed before it even gets off the ground.

But if YOU don’t believe in yourself and your ability, nobody else will. So get the education you need to write a killer sales letter, get some experience under your belt, even if it’s just writing for yourself, and then show the world what you’re capable of doing.

And don’t be afraid to let your ego show…as long as you can back it up.

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.