Selling is a necessary evil 

When it comes to running a business and putting food on your table, you need money. But selling can also come with two distinct feelings: 1. Self-doubt (will people actually buy from me??) and 2. Guilt (I feel bad/sleazy asking people to buy). 

You are not alone if you have thoughts of self-doubt or guilt. One of the ways I’ve overcome self-doubt—and try to help other people to overcome it—is to  judge myself only AFTER I’ve put something out into the world. Self-doubt tends to build and fester before you share or sell something, but typically dissipates once you’ve put something out there. And the more you put out into the world, the easier it becomes to have less self-doubt. It’s kind of like doing anything challenging in life. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. 

When it comes to feeling guilty about asking people to buy something from you, this mantra has been incredibly powerful for me over the years:

You don’t get what you don’t ask for.

Just like self-doubt, we can create feelings of guilt for ourselves that are completely unfounded. Until you actually ask people to buy, you shouldn’t worry about how they’ll respond. Then, when you do make the ask, what is the data telling you? Even if you get a negative response from someone, did you also get a few sales or positive praise? If you did, like almost all of us do, it’s important to compare the ratio of positivity/sales to negativity. It’s NEVER a 1:1 (or even close to that) ratio. And if the ratio is any better than 1:1, you’re doing the right thing, selling in the right way, and don’t need to feel guilty about it. 

The 30,000-foot view of writing sales copy

Now, let’s focus on a few high-level ideas and then we’ll dive into a formula for writing that sells:

High-level thing #1: Sales copy should always be focused on writing to “you the reader” not “you the collective” 

Just like this module you’re reading right now, we want it to feel personal. We want you to feel like we’re talking directly to you. Especially when it comes to selling, you want your customer/fan/subscriber/reader to always feel like you are talking directly to them. 

High-level thing #2: What you are selling should make someone better at what they do

This is the end goal. This is the reason you create and sell whatever you create and sell. Kathy Sierra wrote an entire book on this topic, and we 100% buy into this thinking too. 

High-level thing #3: What works for other people won’t necessarily work for you

We’ve all been down the rabbit hole of reading one of those “How I Made X-Bajillion-Dollars” articles. Combing through every tip, strategy, and trick, trying to glean that one perfect blueprint that we can replicate for our own writing. Unfortunately, just because a certain type of sales copy works for someone else, does not mean it will work for you.

High-level thing #4: Follow ups are critical to success with selling

In a previous life I had a business that was sponsorship-based. Looking back on that business, I realized over 75% of my sales (1,600 sponsorships) came directly from follow-up emails. Whether you’re writing follow up emails, an email sequence, or you’re just communicated with potential buyers, any type of follow up will help you increase your sales.

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We talked about writing formulas in Module Two, and we’re going to lay another proven formula on you when it comes to writing sales copy. You can apply this thinking to the sales page of your website, a sales email, or a script for video/audio. 

Foolproof Sales Copy Formula

First section—Address the problem

What is the specific pain-point you’re solving with the thing you are selling? Grab the reader by his/her painful haunches and remind them of what’s causing turmoil in their life. 

Second section—Offer up a solution with a story

John Doe went from <insert problem again> to <insert success metric>. Tell John’s story and show the reader a solution is at hand.

Jane Doe also went from <insert similar problem> to <insert success metric>. Tell Jane’s story and, again, show the reader a solution exists to this terrible problem.

Third section—Peel back the curtain

John and Jane were able to succeed because they had <insert your product or service>. Before <product/service> they thought they’d never overcome <problem>. But just like you, they couldn’t take it any longer and decided to do something about it. This is the “why” of the thing you sell.

Fourth section—Outline the specific features

A lot of people want to start sharing the features right at the beginning of their sales copy. But this step is actually somewhat far down the list. The features are the “what” of the thing you sell. They the course modules (like these). The software access. The mastermind group. The cool new crazy app that uninstalls itself after 3 hours (take that, disappearing photos!). Expand on what your product or service can specifically do to address the problem at hand.

Fifth section—Make the sale

You want to overcome <problem>, yeah? You want to have the same success that John Doe and Jane Doe had? It’s time to take action and get <product/service>. 

Sixth section—Toss in a few more testimonials or social proof

This is a great place to throw in those fancy “as seen on” logos if you have them. Or “as featured in” mentions if you/your product/service has been talked about anywhere. If all else fails, get a few more existing customers* to give you happy quotes about their experience.

*People like reading about other people. It creates trust and human connection. Sometimes a quote from a person you’ve never heard of does more than a fancy logo for some news outlet.

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Now that you have the “formula,” go back through and watch the breakdown videos again at the top of this module. See this formula in action, with three separate people selling three separate things, to three different audiences. 

Bonus reading material: How To Write a Pitch Email
Bonus reading material: The Secret Art of the Follow Up
Bonus reading material: The Best Launch Email You’ll Ever Write

Did you guess what your practical assignment would be? Write a sales email! 

Using the formula outlined in this module, write a sales email for the product or service you’re currently selling.