Over the line – how to create effective sales copy

A decision isn’t a sale!

Listen carefully, I will say that again for you…

A decision is not a sale!

For example – “I’ve decided to take a trip to Jordan.” I haven’t booked my flights yet, though.

See the difference? A decision to go to Jordan has been made but no concrete action has been taken yet to actually get me there.

So, taking people over the line means creating effective sales copy that lays out the actual deal, really clearly and, most importantly, asking them to then take action on it!

Consider this…

The actions you are asking people to take might look something like this:

• On a website for a product or service – this will be your sales page with a ‘buy now’ button to the checkout page
• For an event – asking people to buy a ticket to attend
• For a business (B2B ) deal – having someone sign the contract

These are the points where you move out of the marketing process and over into sales.

The world of sales copy

Marketing copy can be quite ‘soft and cuddly’, because its primary purpose is to gently guide people along a journey, convincing them along the way that they need what you have to offer. Sales copy on the other hand is far more direct and specific.

It looks a lot like this:

These are the benefits

• These are the features
• You’ll be getting this
• Here’s how you’ll get it
• Here’s what you’ll pay for it
• Here’s what you need to do next…

The key to great sales copy is to keep it short and snappy – there is no convincing needed because people have already decided. All you need to do now is show them how to get your ‘thing’.

The proposal

For B2B (and especially if your customer or client is an organisation rather than a sole trader) it is common to write a proposal.

These generally take the format of:

• The customer’s problem that they want to solve (NB: be specific about the problem you can solve. Don’t write an essay on the history of the company. They already know it – it’s their company!)
• The solution you offer – how what you do solves their problem.
• Your price and terms of business
• Any payment terms (e.g. pay over 3-months, 6-months, etc.)

In your proposal ALWAYS include standard terms of business. (You don’t have them? Are you crazy? Get some and get them NOW!)

Creating your proposal is long-form writing and the bigger the organisation the longer this job will take (but they often give you full instructions on what is required). Be sure to give yourself plenty of time for this process every time you write a proposal, to ensure everything is covered. Although you will find that once you have created one, some elements can be used over and over again.

Now go and get those customers and clients over the line, and watch your business take off!

And if you’d like to learn how to generate great content that works beautifully with your marketing and sales strategy, take a look at our online course Demystifying Content.