4 Copywriting Triggers for Instant Sales

There are 4 triggers that instantly turn someone into a buyer: Trigger 1: His wife says/implies “Bring home X and you’ll get… something special.” Or on the flip side, “Bring home Y or I’m going to cry.” Trigger 2: He sees your offer as an easy way to step into the identity he craves or amplify the part … Read more

A Different Way to Leverage Urgency in Sales Copy

Selling with urgency is effective. Selling TO urgency is almost unstoppable. Here’s a real-life example. [Warning: If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to skip this article.] On Saturday night, I bit into a piece of caramel… and pulled the crown right off one of my teeth. It didn’t hurt, but MAN it freaked me out! I … Read more

The “Tootsie Roll Center” of Effective Sales Copy

The #1 reason people click on your ads… sign up for your email list… and ultimately BUY from you is because there’s… 1) something they want and don’t have… or 2) something they have and don’t want…AND THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT! This causes dissatisfaction and insecurity. No one wants to feel that … Read more

Need Help Sending More Emails (and Making More Sales)?

Inbox X-Factor email marketing

I’ve had more conversations than I can count with entrepreneurs and marketers who struggle to email their lists as often as they know they should. Many of them really aren’t sure how to make money with email. As a result of those conversations, I launched Inbox X-Factor earlier this week. Inbox X-Factor is designed to … Read more

The Evils of “Salesmanship in Print”

“Salesmanship in print” is an outdated description of copywriting. And not because everything is digital now… If you saw my interview on John Forde’s Copywriter’s Roundtable, you know where I’m going with this. I decreed that copywriting needs a new definition for this new decade. Think about it…Why do we constantly have to justify our use … Read more

For Coaches, Consultants and Consultative Salespeople ONLY

Consultant training

I came across a way to consistently attract high-paying clients to your consulting or coaching business that I HAD to tell you about. You’ve heard me talk about my “secret society,” an international group of marketing-savvy entrepreneurs and thought-leaders. You may have purchased the book I co-authored with some of them. Michael Zipursky has been … Read more

Selling Lessons from the Trenches: Interview with ClearSales

Selling Lessons ClearSales

Selling is a transfer of enthusiasm from one person to another. This is one of the common definitions of selling — and it’s a good one. It’s the job of the salesperson to connect the inherent benefits of a product or services with the needs and desires of the potential customer. For the buyer, getting … Read more

Learning Salesmanship from a Kid’s Toy

Today’s lesson is inspired by and based on a 31-second video. (None of this will make much sense if you don’t watch it now.) Why Does This Ad Work? I wasn’t able to find any verifiable figures on how this particular device is selling (or how much can be attributed to this 2-week old commercial), … Read more

Satanic Sales Pitches

Does your sales pitch sound like something Satan would say? In Isaiah 14, we’re given a glimpse of the mind of Lucifer as he plots the failed takeover attempt that got him booted from heaven. One thing you’ll noticed is that every sentence is I-centered; “I’m this, I’m that, I’m going to do this,” etc. … Read more

The Sweet Science of Getting Paid from Email

Email Copywriter Donnie Bryant teaching in a college classroom

You never hear people talking about this, but it’s an important concept to wrap our minds around if you want to maximize your email marketing revenue. Here it is: when discussing subject lines, most people only talk about getting opens. But subject lines have don’t just have one job. In fact, subject lines have 3 jobs. … Read more