If you can get this mental move down, the rest of your copywriting becomes easy by comparison

Last week I was talking with my friend copywriter/designer Peter Aristedes in Chicago, and we discovered we both have a weakness for buying too many books.  In fact, he took "unfair" advantage of me by telling me about an old out-of-print advertising book he had recently bought, and before the conversation was over, I had tracked it down on the Internet and it's on its way to me now.

Then a few days later, out of my bookshelf I picked my copy of a book originally written in 1945 (I have the 1961 edition) called How Advertising Is Written -- and Why by Aesop Glim (the pen name for the old Printer's Ink columnist George Laflin Miller).

I found a gem in there so good I have to share it with you:

Why does he buy it?

This is the most misleading question of all-- because we have the paradox that what you sell is almost never what your prospect buys.

...

People don't buy soap -- they buy cleanliness.  People don't buy dentifices -- they buy beauty and freedom from toothache.

People don't buy automobiles -- they buy transportation, social prestige, the great outdoors, life, liberty, and the pursuit of the opposite sex.

People don't buy houses -- they buy homes.

I guess most of us have heard some version of this before, so we "know" it.

But, does that matter?

Because, "knowing" and "doing" are two different things.

I still see so many ads that are trying to sell what the business wants to sell, rather than what the customer wants to buy. 

Unsuccessful ads, I might add.

Do you know why your prospect buys?

If you don't, a good place to start is by asking him -- or her.

David Garfinkel
Publisher, World Copywriting Newsletter

P.S. I just did a quick search and as of this moment there are about six used copy of the book I mentioned available on Amazon.  You could do worse than to join Peter and me in our unwieldy habit.

Comments

[Shama Hyder]

Just ordered my copy! Thank you.

[Mauricio Martinez]

Hi David,

Make that 5 copies (:

Being able to see the world through my prospect's eyes and being able to feel their deepest emotions has been the most agonizingly difficult task I have ever encountered - in writing copy or anything else related to working with human beings.

The rewards of achieving this, however, even in the most basic way, has brought me the greatest of financial successes.

Looking forward to my new old book.

Thanks,

Mauricio

[James Van Wyck]

Back when I was running some
Weight Loss Emporiums,
we would always ask "why do you want to lose weight....?"

And you know,
we'd get only superficial
and cliche'd answers...

... I want to be healthy"
... I want more energy for work and family..."

blah
blah
blah

But after we learned to probe a little deeper...

"So, what's important to you about ____"

And when you have ______,
what is it that's even more important than ______ ?

*****************

The we'd get the gold!

People wanted to lose weight
so they could have more sex

People wanted to lose weight
so they could wear sexy clothes,

People wanted to lose weight
to have revenge on their negative spouse

People wanted to lose weight
so they could get compliments again (other than ... you have a pretty face.... which EVERY fat girl hates with a passion -- believe me!)

People wanted to lose weight
for all kinds of reasons they
would NEVER admit at first questioning...

Great, thought-provoking article,
David. I like it a lot!

Jim

[Robert Lehrer]

I don't read your blog because you're the world's greatest copywriting teacher. I read your blog because I want to become a potent copywriter!

Thanks, David.
Rob

[Mike Morgan]

So dang true!

That's the trouble with many salesletters these days... the writers really don't know what they are selling.

And when you find that hook... it all gets easy.

Thanks for reminding us Master Jedi!

Mike Morgan

[David Garfinkel]

Rob,

Thanks for the wake-up call! :)

Shayma and Mauricio,

Good choices :)

Mike,

You da man!

Jim,

Good insights... and how true.

David

[Mike Sigers]

They're all gone from Amazon, but I just got a copy at Alibris and there's a couple more left there.

I'd heard about this book years ago, but never took action in finding it... 'til now.

Thanks David.

[Forum for writers]

Dear David,

I guess your post is worth reading and discussing at this forum for writers.

I've recently posted a part of it here http://www.writersclub.net/nuts_and_bolts_of_writing/copywriting_and_psychology-t114.0.html

Hope I don't break any copywriting laws :)

[David Garfinkel]

Hi Simon,

Perfectly legal and much appreciated! :)

For a few reasons:

- The words you quoted weren't my words. They were words I was quoting from author Aesop Glim

- You did offer a link back to this blog in your post on the Writers Club forum

- Just about anything up to 250 words is allowed under the "fair use" doctrine of copyright law, as i understand it. I think there may be exceptions when it comes to song lyrics and certain non-educational, commercial uses of copyright material. I ain't no lawyer, so you'd have to consult your own to get the fine points on that one. But for what you're doing, you're definitely in the clear.

Thanks for letting me know, Simon!

-- David