#109: Have You Made This Mistake?

“When we talk in company we lose our unique tone of voice, and this leads us to make statements which in no way correspond to our real thoughts.”
–Friedrich Nietzsche, Scholar and Philosopher

In This Issue:

Have You Made This Mistake?
by Krista Jones

Last Wednesday I fell into an all too familiar trance when I grabbed a stack of mail from my box. My eyes were quickly drawn to an envelope that teased about a highly nutritious, yet great-tasting superfood (green) drink, and I couldn’t wait to learn more.

I sliced the envelope open as soon as I reached the house. I was not disappointed: The letter inside was flawless. It was engaging; it provided just the right amount of proof; and it answered every one of my questions without getting bogged down in details.

I got lost in the conversation.

By the time I was halfway through the letter, I was ready to toss the green drink that was in my refrigerator. It’s really high quality stuff, but it tastes like I’m drinking dead grass every morning. Why not get a green drink that tastes like a milk shake?

I reached the last page of the letter just as I was starting to wonder where I left my purse. But then the tone of the letter turned on a dime, shifting from sincere and friendly to obnoxious and aggressive. All the sudden he was yelling at me, ordering me to do things like run, not walk, to the phone to place my order NOW.

And just like that the spell was broken.

Whoa! What was I thinking? I had nearly half a bottle of perfectly good green drink in the fridge. Why would I throw away good money on something that would probably end up not tasting any better than what I was used to?

I tossed the letter instead of my bottle of superfood, and went about making my lunch.

Why did I change my mind? Because I didn’t believe the writer anymore. He (or she) lost his credibility—and the sale—the moment the tone of the letter shifted so abruptly.

How do you keep this from happening to you? Pick the voice you want to use and stick with it.

Here are six things you should do to pick the right voice before you start to write a promotion:

  1. Think about the product or service you are selling.
  2. Connect with the prospect, and identify his beliefs, feelings, and desires about the product (or similar products).
  3. Study your client’s previous promotions as well as their competitors’ promotions.
  4. Decide if you should take a soft or hard sell approach.
  5. Decide which point of view (the company president, product author, or an expert such as a doctor) will work best for the promotion.
  6. Settle into the person’s role and unique voice before you begin writing.

Once you’ve decided on a voice, like a good actor, make sure that you “stay in character” from the first word to the last.

Resource Referral: A Rich Resource of Copywriting Secrets for Today’s Market

Sticking with a single voice is a mainstay in copywriting. It was a must in years past and it’s a must today if you want to maintain credibility with your reader.

But a lot of things have changed in copywriting over the past few years. Readers are tired of being pitched. They’re more skeptical. As a result, many of the things that worked two or three years ago won’t work in today’s market. (If you don’t believe me, just think about what it takes to sell you when you read a promotion.)

How do you know what works in sales copy today? Get your copy of the brand new Creative Rules for the 21st Century. I just got mine—and I’ve already found a bunch of mistakes I’m making.

Reader Feedback: When Should You Give Up On a Client?

I heard from my buddy Suzanne Q. last week (I’ve written about her a few times in previous issues). She’s having a hard time with one of her clients.

Here’s what Suzanne had to say:

“Hi Krista,

I hope you can take a moment to give some advice and maybe address this situation in an upcoming issue of The Copy Protégé?

When would you advise giving up on a client?

I’ve decided to stop actively pursuing the client who hired me last month to write copy. He was the one who provided little direction and needed the copy yesterday when he gave me the assignment.

Now, I appear to be running into payment issues with him. Through all of my dealings with this client my gut was warning me, but I ignored it because I needed and wanted the work.

I might have become spoiled because my one other client is an established e-commerce business. They send me my assignments timely and state the deadline. They’re always available for questions, and when I invoice them, my check is in my mailbox the following week. Obviously, this is the type of clientele I’m striving for.

I realized starting out that I have to take my lumps, pay my dues, and remain humble and learn from everything. And what I’ve learned from this is that the time I spend chasing this client for payment might be time better spent contacting other prospects.

Do I sound like I’m on my high horse or do I sound reasonable?

As always, thanks so much for your input!”

Krista’s response: That’s a great question, Suzanne. While there are obviously many factors to consider, my advice is to go with your gut. It won’t steer you wrong.

Besides, the Universe abhors a vacuum. So when you let him go, something else—something better—will appear to fill the void. Best wishes!