You could know more about your topic than anyone else. You could be the best writer in the world. You may have taken classes and attended seminars where you listened to the tips and tricks of the greatest experts

With all of that, you could be a brilliant, gifted… failure.

Yes. You could understand all the rules for writing good copy, and have followed A-I-D-A (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) requirements to the letter. You could use all the best design and layout techniques in the world and still fail to “reach” your audience.

If you don’t know your audience, and how to communicate with them…in their world; their language…you could “know all” and still fall flat on your face.

The power to persuade simply isn’t about formulas or overused words. It is about knowing your audience. It is about having…and making people believe… you have their best interest at heart.

Getting to the ‘heart’ of the matter, whatever that is, is what distinguishes whether you’ll get the gold medal, or something less…or perhaps not even be in the running.

Have you ever heard the term “Easy to swallow, easy to follow?” This is one of the simplest, best rules I’ve ever found for writing good copy.

A few of the things you look at when you start preparing the first draft of your email are:

• What will it take to get your prospect’s attention?
• How can you keep them reading and focused on what you want them to do?
• What objections might they have to taking action that you can address quickly…and convincingly?
• How can you move them forward into action?

The most important thing to know is… What do your prospects…and customers…want? Email readers are, for the most part, information scanners. Keep your focus on the heart of your prospects’ needs, and write your message so that it is:

• Simple, short, sharp. Less is more in the business world, and amplified in the email business world.
• Appears to be not in your best interest, but theirs. Write to present the message in such a way that it gets to the heart of their needs and desires.
• Conveys a special… unexpected…gift of some kind. Don’t offer a discount, or a bonus every time you send an email. Do the unexpected. Incongruity throws us off balance, and intrigues our brain.
• Exude confidence. The “Just do it” attitude that says you know what you’re doing…without bragging…will influence with confidence.
• Contains empathy. Think about when you’ve “walked a mile in their moccasins,” or what that would be like. Feel their discomfort. Share your own to disarm and persuade.

There are lots of copywriting masters that you can follow. Many have made a very good living, if not a small fortune. Ray Edwards, Seth Godin, Clayton Makepeace, Armand Morin, Matt Bacak, Zig Zigler, Mark Joyner, to name just a few, have carved their names in Internet history as master copywriters, from whom we can all learn much.The person, however, from whom we all need to learn, is the ever-changing, dynamic personality we call the prospect. This is the person who takes us on an adventure in writing…the one who calls on our creative personality to find ways to engage them and move them to action.

If your message is “easy to swallow, easy to follow”, they will intuitively understand that you have their best interest at heart, and they will benefit significantly if they follow you.

You could be…their Pied Piper…for life. Only take them to the water’s edge and let them see the beautiful possibilities of the limitless life, though. OK?

http://maxkazen.com Writer…mentored by one of today’s top professional web copywriters, Ray Edwards. Arsenal of writing skills built from 20 + years of persuasive corporate writing and leadership skills. Cornell Univ. School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Sharing left and right-brain training and techniques to strengthen your client and prospect relationships.