If you’ve ever dreamed of being able to sell more products, exponentially increase your chances of success in business and make an absolute fortune…this might be the most important article you’ve ever read on how to write compelling copy that sells like crazy…
Gary Halpert was, and still is, one of the greatest direct response authors to ever walk the planet.
Although I didn’t get a chance to meet him in person, his overwhelmingly abrasive yet positively motivating personality (in my opinion) shone through in everything he did.
Through his newsletter “The Gary Halbert Letter” and his seminars on copywriting, Gary has produced some of the greatest success stories of our time.
He taught the secrets of how to write copy that produces results and anyone who was smart enough to follow his advice, harsh as they were at times, made a killing.
I know, because ever since I launched my first website I have been following his writing style and even that of his colleagues and students.
In my study of this amazing man and his version, I was able to uncover two key secrets that Gary used, and that I believe can help anyone looking to greatly improve the results they get from their current version, both online and offline.
They came to me like a breath of fresh air. In a world where everyone has an opinion on how to do just about everything, including how to write effective copy and sales letters, being overly complex has become a reason many people have. The truth… Simplicity is the key to success!
Those two secrets that I only saw Gary use, are simple. So what are they?
Desires and duality.
One of the best ways to sell any product or service is to tap into the hidden desires of your target market. Doing so helps you appeal to their “self-interest” and my friend is so much more powerful than the product or service you’re selling!
You see, no one cares how great it will be to sell more products by using “me or your” methods or strategies. But if we tell them…
“The benefits of knowing exactly how to ‘make money on demand’ from using simple yet compelling words will insert themselves into every aspect of your life so much so that you…will subconsciously earn instant respect from your friends and family for your newfound mental dominance.”
…now this will get them to read your copy and buy your stuff faster than you can imagine.
Don’t get me wrong. Taking advantage of those hidden desires is not the only thing you need to do. At the beginning of this article, I used an introduction or editorial that began with, “If you have ever dreamed…” and ended with, “This may be the most important article I have ever read about…”
why did you do that?
Well, the first reason is that it is one of those phrases that open your mind and start eavesdropping on your hidden desires. It also prepares you for what’s to come. The second reason is that given Gary’s work, he has repeatedly used similar phrases as those in his introduction and in other areas, in many of his major sales letters.
What the great Gary Halpert knew subconsciously, and later discovered, was that if self-interest and hidden desires were what I was after, and that phrase worked in the current disciplines, then repeatedly using persuasive phrases for different, even similar markets, and applying them to my copy would work like magic!
Now, I might get in trouble for saying this because some people might take it the wrong way.
Passing, editing, and reusing a persuasive statement for your specific product or service has been a copywriter’s secret for decades. Notice I didn’t say copy it word for word… I said, “clear it,” not plagiarism.
It’s a very simple thing. When you find something that works, repeat. Simplicity is the key to successful copywriting. Write to capture the hidden desires of your target market and craft successful copy.