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Persuasive Sales Copywriting Technique #2

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SARubin
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Persuasive Sales Copywriting Technique #2

Post by SARubin »

The 4 U’s
This lesson is usually referenced when we talk about creating powerful “headlines”. And now we’re going to expand the concept to include the rest of our sales piece as well.

Credit where credit is due, I was first introduced to the 4 U’s by AWAI. I believe it was Mark Ford (a.k.a. Michael Masterson) who I first heard it from.

Of course when we talk about the 4 U’s in headlines, we’re referring to…
  • Useful
  • Unique
  • Ultra Specific
  • Urgent
Since this is a quick post, let me just lay down the basic idea behind the 4 U’s.
And you can see for yourself how they apply to headlines, and body copy too.


Useful: When someone first sees your sales copy, or advertisement, they make an instant judgment on whether to give you their attention or not.

If they instantly think there’s something useful or valuable in your message (useful to them) they’re more likely to stick around and give you a few seconds of attention.

Then we want to continue being useful from the headline, straight through the copy, and on through our “call to action”.

If your sales pitch is not useful who’s going to read it?
Nobody.


Unique: In a world full of blah blah clutter, being different helps you stand out from the crowd. And people notice things that stand out from the crowd.

It could be a primordial survival mechanism, or it could be a curiosity factor that gets our attention. But whatever the reason, one thing is certain… Things that are unique attract attention.

Of course “Unique” is an elusive creature (much like a Unicorn). But if we at least strive for unique, we have a better chance of finding creative.

From our headline to the “Thank You” page – no one wants to read the same old stuff every day. Different equals interesting. And interesting gets (and keeps) people’s attention.


Ultra Specific: Specific is almost always more believable than vague. And “Ultra Specific” starts with the letter “U” which makes the formula easier to remember than “3 U’s and an S”.

Depending on the market, the more specific the more it looks like a genuine calculation instead of a guess. Plus, sometimes it can help narrow down the responses to attract a more focused buyer for your offer.

Specific can be as easy as using exact numbers instead of rounding off. (assuming your numbers are true)

“I’ve sold a couple hundred units” sounds vague. But, “I’ve already sold 237 units in the past 24 hours” is specific and more believable to most people.

So whenever possible, try to be specific. Because specifics sell where generalities leave unanswered questions behind.


Urgent: Without a sense of urgency most people lean back on procrastination.

Creating a sense of urgency can often be accomplished with something as simple as limited time, or limited quantity offers.

When people are afraid of missing out, it creates an internal sense of loss and uneasiness. And a fear of missing out creates a sense of urgency to act sooner, rather than later.

Of course personal urgency in someones life is something we usually can’t control (if nobody has a headache then there’s no urgency for them to buy an Aspirin) But when someone is in the market for what we sell, whenever we can create a sense of scarcity, we create a sense of urgency to act now.


So there’s a quick overview of the 4 U’s formula for writing headlines, and sales copy in general.

Like any formula, it’s a guideline… not a law. But it’s a guideline that can help you ramp up the response rates from all your copy.

Thought for the day…
A good marketer knows how to think like a marketer - A great marketer learns how to think like the customer...
SARubin - Direct Response Copywriter / Conversion Flow Expert
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