Copywriting Trust

In any sales relationship, trust is probably the most important factor. Without trust, you are unlikely to make a sale.

Therefore when producing copywriting for any marketing collateral you have to be able to convey trust.

If you blog, you’re laying your soul bare for all to read. Your posts are very personal so your reader feels as though they know you through your words. And it is that connection you have to try to replicate in your sales writing.

Too often you see dire sales letters – they’re full of hype and practically shout at the reader BUY MY PRODUCT NOW!

So it’s not surprising when they don’t yield great results.

People have a natural resistance to buying. You are asking them to part with their money so you have to show them you’re not a charlatan and you’re not going to rip them off. You have to convince them to trust you – not something that’s easy to do through text.

To help you get your sales message across in a non-shouty and threatening way, why not try one of these three techniques?

Tell them a story

If you want to tell someone about a product you are selling, don’t rely on bold or colourful lettering, just tell them about it.

Using the tried and tested story telling style will help you build credibility in the eyes of your reader. Tell them why you created the product weaving in your credentials (number of years experience, clients you’ve helped etc.) to your benefits driven copy.

This approach will help you get your benefits in first to instantly start to break down their buying resistance. Plus, mention of your experience, clients and motivations will help convince them you’re genuine.

It was all a mistake

If you happened upon the idea for your product or you were involved in doing something that others wanted to be part of, telling your reader that your service/product evolved by chance will show them the thought process behind your product, how it has helped others and – well, if they thought it was great, it must be.

Of course your story has to be true and credible if it’s going to work. This approach is an excellent way to make a human connection with your reader.

Case study

This is one of the most powerful sales tools there is. Writing about a client’s experience of your product/service will show the reader exactly what can be achieved. As with the other techniques this has to be based on fact and written with your client’s permission.

Name names, show quantifiable results and use direct quotes from your customer to add weight to it.

This type of real life illustration will really resonate with your reader.

As you can see, selling is about showing the benefits, breaking down resistance and convincing them to buy.

Once you’ve put your ‘sales pitch’ across don’t forget to add in your call to action.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter