How Little Moments in the Real World Can Give You Huge Insights About What REALLY Works In Copywriting

On Wednesday I went to pick up my dry cleaning before the holiday weekend started.

There was a guy in front of me who had a much bigger order - sportcoats, slacks, and it looked like his whole closet full of shirts.

The bill was $65.  This may have been the first time in ages that he had had his clothes cleaned, because he was shocked.

"$65!" he sputtered.  "Am I buying a suit?"

(George Zimmer, you have done your job well.  Thanks to successful aggressive marketing of Men's Wearhouse, there's a whole generation of guys out there that think the going price for a suit is around $65!)

I made a crack that "the price of your suit is just the down payment."

He wasn't amused.

He paid his bill and I picked up my much smaller order.  (I've learned to avoid sticker shock by going to the cleaners on a more regular basis.)

OK, here's the kicker:

"Charge him $65!" he cackled to the cashier as he walked out with half his wardrobe in his hands.

Now... the copywriting lesson?

Michel Fortin might call it the Law of Contrast.

Me, I'd call it envy.  The guy was envious of me, that I was paying 80% less than he was.

Silly?  Sure.

Rational?  Not really.

Typical - of most human beings, most of the time?

You bet.

Never mind that I was only picking up a few items.  That didn't matter.  He was doing a mental comparison, and the green-eyed monster had him in its grips.

This is very powerful to realize when you're writing copy.

See, most of us writing copy, running our own businesses, pursuing personal growth, learning to think positive, have relegated "negative emotions" to the basement of our minds.

Big mistake.

No, I'm not saying we should dwell there.  We shouldn't.

But we should recognize that despite our own good choices and our relentless pursuits of higher emotional ideals, the world doesn't work that way.

People don't work that way.

In making decisions and in experiencing emotional reactions, the "lower emotions" rule.  More often than not.  Most of the time, in fact.

I've joked in seminars and with my mentoring clients that, when you're writing copy, the Seven Deadly Sins are your best friends.

In case, like me, you're not a stellar Bible student, here they are, for your quick reference:

1. Pride

2. Envy

3. Gluttony

4. Lust

5. Anger

6. Greed

7. Sloth

Now, I am not saying to embrace these emotions and hold them as your guiding lights.  Not if you want a pleasant life.

Hold to the higher standard yourself.  Seek a better experience; live a better life.

Be a better role model to your children, your employees, your students, your community.

Be someone others could conceivably enjoy spending time with.

But don't confuse all of that with what you need to be aware of when you are writing copy.  Namely, that where you could be worlds apart from where your prospects are... and, most importantly, from what motivates them to make decisions to take action.

It's a balancing act, for sure, living in two worlds.

But hey -- that's what copywriting's all about!

David Garfinkel
Publishing, World Copywriting Newsletter

Comments

[Jim Van Wyck]

Thanks, David.

I have the illusion that I
live in the "higher emotional tones"

BUT I sometimes remember it's
just an illusion.

Sigh.....

I really enjoy these blog posts.
Keep up the insightful work.

Jim

[Matthew Bamberg]

Overriding rejection is our biggest task.

[David Garfinkel]

Hi Jim and Matthew,

Thank you Jim for your sage comment.

Thank you, too, Matthew. I would agree with you but with a slight modification:

Preventing rejection in the first place by knowlegeably engaging the prospect's emotions is far easier, more more effective and more agreeable to a qualified prospect than overriding that person's objections (after you brought them up in the first place by not anticipating and preventing them).

What do you think?

----

To everyone else:

Want to see some truly stunning and beautiful photos?

Check out Matthew's blog:

http://digitalartphotographyfordummies.blogspot.com/

[matthew bamberg]

I guess you mean that before we approach someone or submit something somewhere, we should get to know that person or product before we submit blindly. Perhaps what we have to offer them has nothing to do with what they do. Also, thanks for the complement!

[David Garfinkel]

What I was referring to specifically, Matthew, was to use emotional hooks based on envy, pride, greed, etc. to get them "prepped" to see the necessity of accepting your offer, so their own emotional momentum is at such a point that irrelevant or quibbling objections are not even part of their thought pattern.

It's an advanced copywriting skill that's worth researching and learning!

And, BTW, you're welcome. I'm an advanced amatuer fotog myself and a fairly good judge of what looks good on the printed and digital page!