The Copywriting Checklist For People Who Hate Writing Sales Copy

I think sales copy has a bad rap.

When small business owners think of sales copy they think of long boring website pages with a horrid design. That’s not sales copy, that’s bad sales copy.

Writing sales copy doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. Instead of visualizing yourself as a snake-oil salesman when writing, visualize yourself sitting down with a potential client and telling them how your business can help serve their needs.

If you’re thinking to yourself, easier said than done, here’s a handy list of the 5 things you need to remember when writing your sales copy.

1 Keep it conversational and avoid using cliches or jargon.

Today’s media allows you to have a very personal relationship with your prospects. Your message is right in front of them, via computer screen, direct mail or even their phone. Because of this close interaction, it’s important to have a one-to-one discussion. So your sales copy should be like friends sitting down to a dinner party, not a stuffy networking event. Make your reader think that your email, web page or other marketing was created just for them.

2 Copy has some of your personality or special flair in it.

People like simplicity and they like wit. And they don’t have the time to decipher dense complicated messages, especially online. There’s no magic trick here, just talk to your prospects like they’re real people. It’s okay to add some of your personality into messages, and it’s okay to communicate with them as if they’re a friend or neighbor. Not only will this help them to feel special, but it will help set you apart from the competition and position you as someone they can trust.

3 Copy can be quickly skimmed and is easy to understand.

There isn’t a formula for how long sales copy should be. But, regardless of the size, you have to get the message across quickly. Readers don’t have the patience to scroll through 15 pages of fluff to get to what they want. Stop thinking in terms of quantity and start thinking in terms of quality.

4 There is a clear call to action.

No matter how brilliant your writing is, you’ll need to encourage your readers to take action. One of the best ways to do this is by creating a sense of urgency. This could mean:

  • Setting A Deadline
  • Creating Scarcity
  • Creating Excitement/Anticipation

Whichever you choose, be honest. Don’t create a false deadline just to drive sales. Prospects will catch wind of what you’re doing, and then you’ll be in a heap of trouble.

5 Proof read everything, edit and repeat.

It never fails! You’ll read something over and over and somehow miss that one small typo or grammar error. Our secret for finding those pesky typos is to read your copy out loud. Doing this forces your brain to slow down to your mouth’s speed, which helps to find problems and can vastly improve your online presence.