I never thought it was a bad thing to squeeze a womans\’s irresistibly cute bottom - of course you do get the occassional slap - but if you manage to stay \”Darling it WAS a compliment!\” - usually it\’s ok.

But from now on I think I\’ll ask first…

Roberto

1. The last thing your prospects need at the end of the day is a new additional fear
If you’re going to invoke fear in your sales copy, make sure it’s a fear that’s already waking your prospects at 2:30 AM in a cold sweat.

2. Fear did not work if it is far away – even if it is a deadly Bedrohung
If you’re going to use fear in your copy, make sure it’s an imminent fear. Something that is likely to happen in the very near future – or better yet, at virtually any moment.

3. Do NOT use fear that paralyzes:
Using a fear that paralyzes prospects won’t do you any good and it sure won’t help your prospects

4. Don\’t mention a fear for which you did not have a solution
Pushing your prospects’ panic buttons is pointless unless you can show how your product eliminates the cause of his fear. Quickly. Cheaply. Permanently.

5. Push the Fear buttons but then concentrate on the solution
It’s not, ultimately about fear. It’s about the solution to that fear – the benefits – that you’re offering

I think it is perfectly acceptable to ratchet up the anxiety with some general references to the fears we might assume the prospect has somewhere deep in his psyche.

In a recent sales letter I wrote for an industry-specific newsletter, I casually mentioned saving the company from big losses during the coming recession.

I also dropped in a line about making yourself indispensable to your company.

Will there be big losses? Will there be a recession? No one knows for sure, but those thoughts sure do make a lot of prospects nervous, even if they have not been consciously thinking about it…

– Peter A. Schaible

I almost \\\’created\\\’ a fear that didn\\\’t exist, but now see how to \\\’loop it back in\\\’ from an existing fear. Easily done, and far more \\\’actionable\\\’ as well. Thanks Clayton.