They are many myths about copywriting; I’ve written about a number of them previously. I’ve deliberately chosen to end this series of articles with the two most harmful erroneous beliefs.

 

MYTH: Verbal skills are the most critical part of effective copy.

 

More nonsense.

 

Yes, good verbal skills are useful in turning a good letter into a better one. They are a distant second to the skill that is truly the most critical in producing great copy:

 

Listening.

 

Listening to your prospects. Hearing what they really want from you. Coming to an understanding of what need, what want, or what desire they hope your product will satisfy.

 

That is the one great skill that lies at the heart of compelling, million-dollar copy.

 

When you think about it, you realize that of course listening is vital writing good radio advertising copy, whether for a single radio commercial or a series of radio commercials. But it’s important to all advertising media, not just radio.

 

That leaves one more myth. A quite deadly mth…

 

 

MYTH: The customer is always right.

 

The client is NOT always right. If all clients always were right, they would have no need of you.

 

The customer is NOT always right. They wouldn’t need you if they werer product.

 

Yes, you’ve run into situations where the customer wants something that you believe isn’t what they really need. Anyone who produces and markets a product has experienced that.

 

Their DESIRE is right. Never forget that. They don’t understand the benefits of what you offer because they have much less experience in that area than you do. But you’re valuable to them BECAUSE of that experience differential, no?

 

Don’t argue with them, and don’t try to educate them all at once. It’s like trying to teach a pig to ride a unicycle. It’ll only cause you to experience tremendous frustration and the pig to experience a good deal of annoyance.

 

Your prospects are a whole lot smarter than pigs. That doesn’t mean they’ll welcome being “educated” about how wrong they are. It means they’ll end being even more annoyed than that pig…

 

The only time you should outright refuse to provide what the client truly desires is if it would be unethical, uneconomical or harmful for you to do so.

 

Here’s a simple formula that will solve your frustration and let you provide the maximum benefit that you want to provide:

 

Sell them what they want. Deliver what you promised to sell them. Slip in what they also really need.

 

Everyone gets more of what they want, need and desire. That’s a real win-win.

 

If you really grasp these ideas, and keep them in mind as you practice writing your sales materials, you’ll find that you’re way ahead of the curve.

 

If you look carefully, you’ll notice that none of them are what people usually think of when they think of “copywriting.” They are not the kinds of attitudes or skills that typify the trade.

 

They’re much more powerful. They’re human skills. And, unless you’ve tapped markets I’ve never been able to reach, that’s who you’re selling to: Humans.

 

Remember that.

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