David L. Deutsch on Copywriting and Persuasion

 

"Effective persuasion isn't about hacks, tricks or formulas. 
It's about understanding human psychology 
and then clearly and believably communicating 
the uniqueness and value of your offer."
- David L. Deutsch

Deutsch, who has written copy that has contributed to more than a billion dollars in sales for companies from startups to some of the biggest brands in the world, continues: I've found that copywriting ultimately boils down to just one thing: persuasion.

It may be obvious, but it's important to remember that people take action only when they're persuaded to take action.

And to do that effectively requires what I call the 6 Pillars of Persuasion — grouped for easy recall as S.P.R.O.U.T.

S - Singularity — Today, more than ever, a product must be perceived as unique to capture attention. And unless you can convince prospects that your product is in some way different from whatever else is out there, even if they like the product they will go off to compare alternatives and price shop.

 

P - Proof — What you say must be believed, and we believe what is proven — with facts, studies, track records, and logic. Proof also includes HOW your prospect will get the results you promise (the "mechanism"). That gives them the all-important "reason to believe."

R - Repetition — What we hear once barely makes an impression. Instead, we tend to believe and act on what we hear multiple times. Therefore, the art of copywriting is largely about making the same key points over and over in different ways, from different angles, in a consistently interesting way.

O - Overwhelming Value — It's not enough that the benefits promised and proven are worth the price. Or even worth more than the price. They must be perceived as being worth MANY TIMES the cost. (Some say 10 times — and that's a good number to aim for.)

U - Urgency — People, just like us, usually don't act unless there is some urgency. In copywriting, that's often scarcity — time or supply (or both) is running out. If both are unlimited, the urgency can be the importance of enjoying the benefits as soon as possible, and not being without them longer than necessary.

T - Trust — No matter any of the above items, people don't buy from people they don't trust. (Do you?) So be sure — with your actions, your words, your images, and your intent — that you do everything possible to earn the trust of your prospect. (First and foremost, BE trustworthy.)

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David L. Deutsch supervises, coaches, and trains writers and copy teams both in the U.S. and around the world. He is the creator of the A-List Copywriting Secrets course and author of Million Dollar Marketing Secrets and Think Inside the Box!.