I know you’re used to seeing the words direct response writing, but what I’m about to show you is much more persuasive to people who don’t know you yet.
And that is the ability to write indirectly to your prospects.
Why?
Because if you write copy that is ‘in the face’ of your readers, it will simply turn them off.
If you’re starting your promotions with deals, big promises, or problems, the solution may be too straightforward.
Essentially, there are two main ways to write to people.
Directly or indirectly.
A direct prospect focuses on the product or service, an indirect prospect focuses on the prospect or customer.
The direct approach talks about the benefits you can get from owning the product, while the indirect approach talks about the benefits you get from reading the promotional piece itself.
Direct lead is talking about the problem you solve to a potential customer who has high knowledge of your problem.
The indirect headline focuses on educating the reader about a new approach to solving a problem that they are not yet fully aware of.
For example: Most business owners want to be successful and rich by having their own business.
So making an offer or a promise is pretty common on the internet right now. “Buy this software” or “Learn how to make money creating mobile phone apps.”
But most business owners are completely unaware that being able to write persuasive direct response copy is THE most reliable way to make money today.
But selling copywriting training requires you to educate your reader with great information. You have to hook the reader early in the promotion and clearly give them a huge advantage or benefit just for reading the copy.
Here is another important distinction.
When you use a direct approach, like this:
“Buy one get one free” make sure it’s for customers who know you.
The time to use the indirect approach is with prospects who don’t know you. Here’s an example, “Read this or fix yourself.”
The first method is to get repeat purchases… the other is to get people to buy from you for the first time.
The more people know you, the more direct you can be.
You could use a promise like this:
“Book now and get a half price vacation for two on the Italian Riviera.”
An indirect approach would be:
“Discover a world of natural beauty.”
Here’s an example of a more direct approach. This time it is the leader of the problem solution, like so:
“What would you do if you had the money?”
Here’s another example of an indirect approach by showing that you know something they don’t. This is called a ‘secret’ clue.
And it’s one of Gary Halbert’s headlines:
“How to get the names of every man, woman, and child who is most likely to become one of your customers.”
As you can clearly see, the indirect approach is much more powerful when you talk to people who don’t know you and then draw them to your copy with curiosity and self-interest.
All ‘leads’, or the first piece of copy you write, can start in only one of six ways.
The first three are direct, the second three are indirect.
The offer: “7 cents a minute any time of day, anywhere in the United States.”
The promise: “The best chocolate cake you’ve ever eaten.”
The solution of the problem: “Do your fears hold you back?”
The secret or system: “What makes some entrepreneurs get rich while others starve?”
The prediction or proclamation: “Read this or die young!”
The story: “15 rivers to cross and only seven bridges.”
With the first three clues, you know exactly what the writer is selling and that he or she is selling you something from the start.
However, with the other three you have no idea what you are selling or who you are being sold to.
Look at it like this… you have a sliding scale, on the left is the most direct advantage, on the right is the most indirect advantage.
And there are four places in the middle.
When the scale marker is at the farthest point to the left, he begins his bid.
As the slide moves to the right, he refrains from announcing his offer.
So when the marker is furthest to the right, start with anything but the offer.
like a story
While most people are writing offers, making huge, almost unrealistic promises, or using the old problem-solving methods, the best copywriters online are withholding their offers until the end of the promotion.
That’s why indirect response writing will take center stage online and offline for the foreseeable future.
And if you’re not learning to write vicariously, you’ll be left far behind in the history books of those who failed to move with the times.
You can study alongside other successful copywriters online or you can be a stat we’ll all be talking about years from now.
If you choose the indirection, you will be far ahead of those who also run online or offline.
A helpful resource is this.
