If you want to sell more of your products and services, or even simply sell more people on your ideas, you must learn the basics of selling. And if you want to grow your business beyond, then you’ll have to learn the art of copywriting.
Here’s the deal, you could have the best weight-loss program… the greatest productivity training… or the tastiest coffee shop in town… and still go broke.
But, there is a simple, no-cost way to avoid going broke. It doesn’t matter how good your product or service is, it won’t sell if no one knows about it. It won’t sell even if people do know about it, but don’t know why it’s right for them or how it will benefit them.
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Learn Copywriting First
This is where marketing comes in, and more specifically copywriting. And most people make the mistake of jumping straight into marketing without first learning the art of copywriting. That’s a good way to lose a lot of money.
People want to know the latest and greatest Facebook ad strategies, or how to leverage Google AdWords to get more traffic. But marketing only works if the words in the ads can persuade people to buy (or click the link, or call a specific number, etc…).
Otherwise, you’re just throwing money out of the window. Facebook and Google will appreciate your financial hemorrhaging, but your business won’t.
Think of marketing as your marketplace battle plan and copywriting as the soldiers. The battle plan won’t work if the soldiers can’t fight. However, if the soldiers are expert fighters, they can still win… even without a battle plan. And that’s why we need to master copywriting first.
But what is copywriting, precisely?
Salesmanship In Print
One of my favorite definitions was given by a man named John E. Kennedy, back in 1904. Kennedy defined advertising (and copywriting) as: “salesmanship in print.”
If you can write effective sales copy, you can literally write your own paycheck. By definition, good copywriters can create money out of thin air. So why does copy so often fail? And what if you need to write copy that can generate sales immediately?
A Simple Copywriting Framework That Sells
There are universal psychological triggers that help you sell more effectively. The problem is, the field of copywriting is strewn with misleading, manipulative, and in some cases malicious techniques.
You can hardly “swing a cat” without hitting a copywriter who has a “formula” for writing copy. Most of these formulas are actually quite good. Many, however, are based on tricks of manipulation and psychology that are more than a bit morally wonky.
I once heard a lawyer-turned- businessman say, “If I did the things online marketers do as a lawyer, I’d be disbarred.” That’s no way to make a living.
The framework I’m going to share with you, however, allows you to write effective and ethical ads… Ads that make you more money, and let you sleep at night.
To Sell More, P.A.S.T.O.R. Your Customers
Most people associate the term “pastor” with the preacher at church. While this is certainly true in most cases, the original meaning of the word “pastor” was actually “to shepherd.”
And what does the shepherd do? He or she cares for, feeds, and protects the flock.
Now, before we go any further, I should address the habit that some marketers have of referring to their customers as their “herd.” It seems to paint an unflattering picture.
This kind of imagery is not what I am invoking here. The actual role of a shepherd is a loving, caring, and protective one. In fact, Jesus, who called himself the “good Shepherd” actually laid down his life for his flock.
I am not suggesting any religious overtones for your copy: what I am suggesting is that you adopt the same loving, caring, and protective role as you write copy for your prospects and customers. And, as you might’ve guessed, P.A.S.T.O.R. is also an acronym for the major sections of your copy.
Here is the explanation:
