Direct Response Writing: My 37-Point Acid Test for Sales Copy

Website design By BotEap.comIt seems that no matter if I’m talking to a home-based or small business owner, a marketing executive or a copywriter, just about everyone in this business is faced with the same burning question about every direct answer. promotion they create:

Website design By BotEap.com“How do I know how strong the sales copy is in my promotion before I show it to prospects?”

Website design By BotEap.comIf you can relate, you’re going to love this. The next time you’re tempted to put down a draft, send it off to a client, or send it off to a design artist or web developer, do the following:

Website design By BotEap.comSet aside an hour. Lock yourself in a quiet room. Pull the phone jack out of the wall. Mentally insert her dogs into a prospect’s Nikes and then read her sales copy just as he or she would.

Website design By BotEap.comDO NOT get dragged into editing or changing anything. Instead, notice every fleeting thought that crosses your mind and every feeling (excitement or boredom, conviction or skepticism, clarity or confusion) that surges within you as you read the sales copy.

Website design By BotEap.comThen, as soon as you’re done, take this quiz. Please rate how well your sales copy accomplishes each of these 37 goals on a scale of one to five as follows:

Website design By BotEap.com1: non-existent or pathetically weak

Website design By BotEap.com2: Room for major improvements

Website design By BotEap.com3: I’ve seen worse

Website design By BotEap.com4: quite strong

Website design By BotEap.com5: Wow, this is perfect. I must be a fucking direct response genius.

Website design By BotEap.comReady? Here it goes…

Website design By BotEap.com1. Is the theme or benefit presented in the headline likely to resonate powerfully with a significant number of your best prospects?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com2. Does the headline and header instantly grab your attention?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com3. Are they instantly and completely believable?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com4. Do they present compelling benefits that the prospect will get in exchange for reading this?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com5. Do they explain why it is crucial for the prospect to read this right now?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com6. Do the spokesperson’s qualifications establish beyond the shadow of a doubt?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com7. Do they sell you on the opening read?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com8. Does the opening copy connect directly with the headline and header, and intensify your desire to keep reading?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com9. Do the emotions you experienced while reading the copy that follows the open one make you willing to continue reading?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com10. Are all key factual statements supported by sufficient detail to make them believable?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com11. Does the spokesperson present a compelling reason why they are writing this or offering this product or service, at the beginning of the text?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com12. Is the prospect told why they absolutely must read this?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com13. Does the personality and conviction of the spokesperson come through loud and clear?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com14. Does the copy feel like a one-on-one conversation between two friends with a common interest?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com15. Is the emotional tone of the copy appropriate to the topic?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com16. Is it clear that the spokesperson is an advocate for the prospect and has an emotional interest in getting this information to him?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com17. Is the prospect likely to find an emotional soulmate, someone who articulates their feelings, in the spokesperson?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com18. Does the spokesperson feel like a friend and defender, and not just another salesperson?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com19. Do you feel that the copy moves faster as you go through the piece?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com20. Are the practical benefits of the product and/or premiums fully realized?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com21. Are the positive emotional benefits provided by the product/premiums fully addressed?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com22. Are the negative emotions your prospect has regarding the topic at hand fully explored and will be neutralized by the product?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com23. Are there entertainment elements scattered everywhere? If so, are they appropriate to the topic?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com24. Is the value of the product and all premiums completely dimensioned and the price completely trivialized?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com25. Is plausible justification given for the discount, premiums, and other elements of the offer?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com26. Is the guarantee restoring benefits and is it presented in a way that deepens the bond between the spokesperson and the prospect?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com27. Is the prospect’s desire for instant gratification addressed? Have you emphasized how quickly he or she will receive the product?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com28. Did you feel your enthusiasm grow as you got closer to the end?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com29. Does the spokesperson present a compelling reason to buy now?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com30. Is there an urgency motivator: a quick response bonus, a limited offer, a deadline, etc.?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com31. Would it be strong enough to make you act?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com32. Does the closure leave you feeling like you’d be crazy NOT to ask?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com33. Is there any special incentive to order right now, by phone?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com34. Does the copy of the order form convincingly reaffirm the benefits and guarantee?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com35. Does the order form look simple and easy to use?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com36. Are the ordering instructions clear and easy to understand?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.com37. Does the order form thank the new customer for their order and start the linking process?

Website design By BotEap.com1 2 3 4 5___

Website design By BotEap.comHow would you do?

Website design By BotEap.comDo you want an overview? Simply add up all your answers and check your score…

Website design By BotEap.com37-109: Wow. You just gave yourself an “F.” And you were going to give THAT to a client or a designer? If the First of Earth ever find out that you were willing to kill a tree to make paper for it, your life won’t be worth a dime. Better go back to the drawing board – FAST!

Website design By BotEap.com110-128: The bad news is that you have a copy “D” in your hands. The good news is that you know exactly how to fix it. Just work on each of the weak sections until you can honestly give them a substantially better grade.

Website design By BotEap.com129-146: OK – that’s about a “C”. Not bad for a rough draft… but certainly NOT good enough to make it into a final one. I suggest you start with the sections you rated a “1” or a “2” first, and when you can honestly give each one a 4 or a 5, move on to the ones that scored a 3.

Website design By BotEap.com147-165: So you’re at rank “B”, a great start. Just a little tweaking on the weaker sections, and you’re done. Be sure to pay special attention to the headline, header, and open copy – when you can honestly give them a 4 or 5, you might have a big winner on your hands.

Website design By BotEap.com166-184: Do you want a job? Seriously.

Website design By BotEap.com185: Yes of course. Which. Oh my fault. I forgot to mention that you have to do this SOBER!

Website design By BotEap.comI’m pulling a little on your chain here. The fact is that the overall score doesn’t make much sense. The important thing is that you’ve identified the things you still need to do to turn this sales copy into a smashing home run.

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