Write Only What is Meaningful to the Potential Customer

It is often said. “Put the customer first.” “Write only about things that are meaningful to the reader.”

After all, when it comes to writing sales copy, the subject matter is not the product or service, It is the customer.?You don’t lay out the benefits of your product.?You describe how your customer will benefit from what your product is all about.

Some marketers love to brag about the company, often to the point of boring the customer, including: Reputation for quality, history, company culture, etc. Quality of materials and manufacture, skills and experience of its workers, research, accomplishments… even this list is getting to be boring…

Some writers say “don’t bother with all the ‘nice to knows’ about the company. Just stick to the product and its benefits.

I say “whatever would be meaningful to the customer.”?A customer would love to do business with a reputable company. ?One dedicated to a quality product. Having done research.

Describe the company just enough to paint a picture of a company a customer would be pleased to do business with and no more.

The key thing to remember is that the customer wants to be assured of making a good buying decision. Every sentence or written combination of words must be directed towards that end.?So after you finish writing a paragraph, ask yourself “How much of this helps a would-be customer decide to buy?”

Many writers tend to be so enamored with their company and product that they go off on a tangent, describing at length the founding and history of the company, how the product came to be, and straying from the main purpose of the sales letter, or web site or whatever writing, that the reader starts to lose ?attention.

Sure, you want your potential customers to see your company as a thought leader in the industry, but it takes only a four-line paragraph or less. You also want to impress upon your company’s commitment to quality. A brief (three lines) description plus a testimonial or two will do the job.

How and why the product was developed should not take much longer than a few sentences. Make sure they are about how the customer would benefit.

AWAI calls this “The Golden Thread” where you should do your best not to stray from the main purpose of whatever you are writing.?Every now and then, you need to “tighten up on the Golden Thread.” Remove any writing that shows no influence on the buying decision.

Once again, the main purpose of writing copy is to generate desire for whatever your client is marketing. Generate desire in knowing your client’s customers needs and problems. How the product or service will solve the customer’s problems. Supported by testimonials from satisfied customers, and backed by an effective guarantee.

If you want a free critique of your marketing materials in terms of assuring your customers are making a sound buying decision, email me at [email protected].