TURN WORDS INTO SALESSECRETS FROM 20 YEARS
IN COPYWRITING
JOURNALIST AND COPYWRITER
I’ve been helping clients large (Intel, Microsoft, Rolex, Coca-Cola) and small with telling their stories in print, online and in
the media for over 20 years.
20 years as a professional writer
STEVEN LEWISDirector, Taleist
1. SHOW DON’T TELL
SHOW BEATS TELLYou can tell anyone anything, so it’s less believable than what you can show
I’m a great soccer player
SHOW DON’T TELLYou can tell anyone anything, so it’s less believable than what you can show
Sparky Electrical is a leading electrical
company specialising in the delivery of quality electrical projects and professional service.
Sparky is trusted by companies like Madam
Tussauds, Macquarie Bank and Ramsay Healthcare
because of our professionalism and high
standards.
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2. CUT THE JARGON
We work with the right people regardless of
where they are.
DITCH THE JARGONBig words confuse, they don’t impress
We work with teams of subject matter experts across multi-geographies.
We harness displacement of global banking and
finance models to deliver investors high income with a strong focus on capital preservation.
We take what has been one the most profitable
parts of banking and make it available to investors.
DITCH THE JARGONBig words confuse, they don’t impress
3. WRITE ABOUT BENEFITS NOT FEATURES
TURN WORDS INTO SALES
FEATURES VS BENEFITSClosely related but benefits are much more persuasive
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TURN WORDS INTO SALES
WHY LOSE WEIGHT
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THINNER
HAVE MORE ENERGY
LOWER RISK OF STROKE
YOU’LL LOOK SEXIER
YOU’LL GET MORE DONE
(Quite yet)
YOU WON’T DIE
FEATURES BENEFITS
4. SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE
TURN WORDS INTO SALES
WHAT WORDS DO THEY USE?Why make things harder for yourself by trying to teach your customers when you could mirror their language?
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SICK LEAVE
BONUS
PERSONAL LEAVE
STI
TURN WORDS INTO SALES
WHAT WORDS DO THEY USE?
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5. AVOID THE CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE
This cognitive bias causes you to believe that people understand you a lot better than they really do.
THE CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE
When you know things the other person doesn’t and you’ve forgotten what it’s like to not have this knowledge.
ARE YOU A SOFTWARE COMPANY?Are you 100% sure people know what you do?
SOFT CO.
6. DON’T BE AFRAID TO GET EMOTIONAL
TURN WORDS INTO SALES
EMOTION SELLSWhy do I want a photo of my children? I see them every day.
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