But not regular salesmanship.
Copywriting salesmanship.
Doing things like breaking up your paragraphs into one or two sentences so they're super easy to read.
Like I'm doing here on this page.
Also, when you're writing...
Hit return and make each line of each paragraph only like 10 words wide.
Like I'm doing here on this page.
Because really wide sentences are hard to read.
Facebook actually chose their timeline width because their research proved that was the easiest width for the human eye to read without straining.
If you look at any novel, or great advertisement, the words are big enough and spaced out enough they're incredibly easy to read.
As a writer...
The only goal of your headline is to get them to read the sub-headline.
The only goal of your sub-headline is to get them to read the lead-in (the first few sentences of the sales letter).
Then every sentence after that, your goal is to get them to read the next sentence.
So anything that makes that difficult to do will cost you sales.
I also teach people to use lots of whitespace for this same reason.
Because making sales is not about design (even though people think it is).
It's about the copy.
I've been known to use some of the ugliest pages known to man in my campaigns.
But like I said, the design matters so much less than people think it does.
The copy is what matters.
Another thing I love to teach newbie copywriters is how to write more clear.
Everyday thousands of things get "lost in text translation".
Think about it...
Have you ever had someone misunderstand what you meant over text message or email?
Yes?
Well, we all have.
What does that have to do with writing copy?
You need to understand a confused prospect will never buy.
So if your sales message gets "lost in translation"...
And the reader gets confused by your copy or doesn't understand something you wrote...
You just lost another sale.
That's why I always teach people how to write clearly.
Yes, it's about making the sentences and a paragraphs easy to read.
But it's also about writing in a clear and cohesive way so the reader can follow what you're saying...
...and it's crystal clear what your offer is and how to order.
Again, if at anytime your customer is lost or confused....
If they don't know what they're getting or why they need it...
If they don't know how to order and how they'll get access to your product...
And if the sales message is clumped up...
Hard to read...
And they have to strain to "be sold"....
You will not sell jack shit.
(sorry for the language, trying to get a point across here)
And you will be left saying *in my best valley-girl voice*
"WTF, my product is so great, I just can't understand why it's not selling!"
Clarity.
Simplicity.
That's where I usually start with students.
Then we get into how to write headlines...
How to write lead-ins...
How to write hypnotic stories around products that make them irresistible vs just giving facts and boring benefits.
Then...
How to write great bullet points...
How to do write great risk reversal guarantees ("30 day money back guarantees)...
And how to write killer no-brainer offers that getting them pull out their wallet and actually buy.
That's all basic copy playbook stuff I've been teaching newbie marketers for almost a decade...
...that has made my students and affiliates some of the most successful online.