First Things First

I recently listened in an a teleseminar where the “guru” was telling us listeners that we should “always” write our headline first. That statement has some logic. The headline is one of the most critical elements of a sales letter or ad. After all, If the headline doesn’t pull you into the ad or letter, you will never consider the offer and will never buy.

Being somewhat contrary and opinionated, I believe the offer should be the first concern of a good copywriter.

Why is that, you may ask.

Good question.

Until you are clear on EXACTLY what you are offering to the reader and EXACTLY what you want in return, how do you know what the headline should be? If you know where you’re going, the trip is a lot easier.

Once you have your offer down pat — including the premiums and the guarantee — you can ask yourself, “Why would anyone want to buy that?” Now you can move into your reader’s mind and start to figure out why they want it and what motivates them.

Remember, never sell needs. No body wants to feel needy, but everybody wants more of everything. A need is logical and your reader may tell her significant other that she bought your widget because it fills a deep need in their life. The truth is she WANTED it. She had a deep emotional craving for it. Tap into that want and you will find your gold.

Once you understand the emotional wants of your reader, you are ready to write your headline and the rest of the letter. Once you have a clear understanding of both sides of the transaction — what you are offering and why the reader wants it — the rest of the letter just flows into place.