Posted by: Daniel Levis
June 3, 2009
Issue #687

Why Should I Believe You?

Dear Web Business-Builder,

Over the years I’ve tested a lot of stuff.  I mean why not? The Internet makes it so easy to do.

One of the things I’ve tested is the voice of the pitchman. I’m not talking about comparing different tone and inflection and word choice, but actually comparing response when two different people “voice” the copy.

Of course this is all fantasy built up in the reader’s mind with the use of images and signatures and so forth.

Nonetheless, I’ve seen the exact same copy “voiced” by two different people in a head-to-head split test yield wildly different results in conversion.  If you’ve done similar tests, perhaps you’ve seen the same.

What’s going on here?

The difference lies in the relationship that exists, and that can be fostered, between the spokesperson and the target audience. If you can create a powerful bond between the two, get ready to enjoy more sales.

The level of familiarity your target audience has with your spokesperson … any positive or negative past impressions … sex … ethnicity … dress … surroundings and props … even facial expression, can all make a difference. In other words:

It matters A LOT whose lips your copy comes out of …

People need to give themselves permission to believe your sales message. And that permission comes in large part from their relationship with the bearer of the message. The real question is not, “Why should I believe you?” It is “Why should I believe in you?”

Abraham Maslow, the famous psychologist, when he was alive, used to tell the story of a delusional mental patient that he had been assigned to work with very early in his career.

The patient believed he was a corpse. He sat there pretty much motionless all day long in the ward — like a corpse.

And one day Maslow went up to the man and asked him, “Does a corpse bleed?”

The man looked at Maslow and replied, “Of course not. Don’t be silly. How can a corpse bleed?”

So Maslow asked the patient, “Would you mind if I were to prick your finger with a needle to prove a point?”

The man agreed … and Maslow went ahead, gently squeezing a drop of blood out of the man’s finger.

The patient looked down at his finger and said, “Well I’ll be damned, corpses do bleed.”

Now you may laugh … but in a way, we’re all a little like that. We believe pretty much what we want to believe … and what we give ourselves permission to believe — proof be damned!

If we don’t believe in the pitchman … if we don’t feel positive about the “relationship” we feel we have with that person, we can’t give ourselves permission to believe in their message either.

This is a big key to unlocking the sale.

We buy from people we feel we know, like and trust  …

Heck we won’t even read a story or watch a movie if we don’t like the hero. How much more so if the hero is trying to sell us something?

You’ve probably guessed there’s more to the story than just comparing two different characters delivering the same sales message.  That’s right, there are ways you can actually enhance the perceived likability of your pitchman … with the words you put in his mouth … and with the way you portray him in your sales story.

We copywriters can take a page from authors and screenwriters and political spin doctors. How do they get us to like their heroes … even anti-heroes who do nasty things?

One of their methods is called “saving the cat.” That’s when the hero does something likeable — like climbing a tree to save a cat.

I remember the day Barack Obama came to Canada …

One of the biggest news items was how he took time out of his busy schedule to buy some maple sugar cookies to take home to his little girls.

If you think about it, the news is filled with these little anecdotes about Obama. How are they news? Couldn’t he have gotten an aid to buy the darn cookies? These little photo-ops are made into news because they endear people to the man. And because people like him, they believe in him and what he says and does.

The point I’m trying to make is that the obvious credibility building method — demonstrating proof of your pitchman’s achievements — represents only about a quarter of the equation when it comes to getting people to believe the claims you make in your copy.

There are really three main things that inspire
confidence in your spokesperson’s character …

Your prospects invariably ask, (either consciously or subconsciously) “Does this person know what he’s talking about? Is he honest? And does he care about my success?”

You dramatically increase response when you cover all three of these areas convincingly.

So let’s look carefully at each one …

Does this person know what he’s talking about? This is the aspect that gets most of the attention in most of the promotions I review.

How do you answer this question? If your spokesperson has a track record for delivering results, which he should, it’s important that you reveal it.

This actually requires a certain amount of subtlety. Do it in the wrong way or at the wrong time in your promotion, and you can easily bore your prospect or turn him right off. It can sound like bragging if you’re not careful.

One way to get around this is to try and put your track record in other people’s mouths as much as possible. Exhibit testimonials from satisfied customers, endorsements from recognized experts or sound bites from the media if you have them.

The quality of your spokesperson’s communication is also subtle evidence that he knows what he’s talking about. People assume a person is competent when that person presents his ideas with clarity and force. The quality of your sales copy is actually evidence of your spokesperson’s competence. Barack Obama is a prime example of this principle in action.

Simply by editing ruthlessly for potential ambiguities … removing superfluous words and phrases … and adding specificity to your copy, you automatically enhance your spokesperson’s strength and stature in the eyes of your prospect.

Now let’s look at the second question on our list.

Is this person honest? I find this question much less adequately addressed in most of the promotions I review. How do you demonstrate honesty?

• Use simple phrases and short words. Don’t try to impress people with your vocabulary. Use the same words your prospects use to describe the problem you’re trying to help them solve  …
• Follow through on the promises made in your headlines and subheads. This is a problem I see frequently in a lot of promotions … big, bold, bad ass headline promise … lousy follow-through in the body copy …
• Make a point of revealing your pitchman’s limitations and the limitations of the product or service you’re selling, putting a positive spin on those limitations, of course …
• And make sure to disclose important facts about the business you’re promoting, simple things like where it is located and how people can make contact. Sometimes I even go so far as putting a telephone number in the running copy and inviting people to call. Works like a charm.

Do these things … and your spokesperson will be perceived as having a strong sense of self-responsibility, fairness, generosity, and a proper set of values.

And finally, does this person care about my success? There’s an old saying in direct selling, “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Like most aphorisms, it contains a healthy dose of truth.

Address the question of caring by making your spokesperson’s motives transparent. Tell your prospect why the business, product, and offer in question exist. Demonstrate your spokesperson’s personal vested interest in the well-being of his or her prospects and customers — beyond money. This is very important and massively overlooked.

Bottom line, one of your jobs as a copywriter is to breathe life into your spokesperson’s persona and to make that person into an endearing character. That character — regardless of the nuances of personality — must radiate competence, honesty, and caring. Miss any one, and you’re leaving good money on the table.

Until next time, Good Selling!

Daniel Levis
Editor, The Web Marketing Advisor
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10 Comments »

1. Comment by lawton chiles — June 3, 2009 @ 10:25 am

   Don’t foget-making complicated things simpler has sold millions of dollars worth of products for years-thanks for the gentle push to be simpler in my messaging.

2. Comment by Cheryl Antier — June 3, 2009 @ 10:54 am

   Hi Daniel,

   As always, great article! I’ve always loved that story Maslow told - and you put a great spin on it!

   You made some really good points - something we as copywriters need to remember in our own businesses, not just when we’re writing copy for our clients.

   I also think the most valuable point you made in this article is where you said, “simple phrases and short words. Don’t try to impress people with your vocabulary. Use the same words your prospects use to describe the problem you’re trying to help them solve …”

   I don’t know about everyone else, but this is something I consistently see as an issue when I’m writing copy for clients. A lot of my first-time clients hire me to do some rewriting - and invariably, when I’m going through their copy, it’s stilted, difficult to read or understand, and sounds like something out of a government “how to” manual. I think people forget that when they’re writing, it’s not about how smart they are or how much they know… It’s about reaching the reader, making a connection with them and either entertaining, informing or educating them.

   Anyway, thanks again for always offering your insight and sharing your experience with us.

   Warmly,

   Cheryl Antier

3. Comment by Spiritual Copy — June 3, 2009 @ 11:06 am

   This is an excellent article, Daniel.

   You’re absolutely right. Little things like you mentioned make a HUGE difference in overcoming your prospect’s skepticism and forging a strong bond with him.

   One of the biggest mistakes people make is in writing with an arrogant or “salesy” tone. But when the tone is more personal and intimate, you create a deeper bond of trust and turn your message into a powerful force of attraction.

4. Comment by Beau Smith — June 3, 2009 @ 11:08 am

   Daniel,

   This is a good one for new businesses. When you’re new you have a hard time building credibility. No one wants to be your first customer. These techniques would be very helpful for overcoming that.

   Beau Smith

5. Comment by John — June 3, 2009 @ 5:26 pm

   Hello All,
   Excellent comment by #3.

   Daniel,
   I don’t agree about “fantasy” in the prospect’s mind. It’s quite real to them. Old Dr. Phil says “there is no reality, only perception.” I believe there is a reality but people have different perceptions of it. After all, if I set Dr. Phil on fire, do you think he would feel it? Or would he escape the pain by declaring “there is no reality.” I’m really not on fire!
   Phil McGraw-what a jackass.

   Prospects have a very real perception when going through a promo. But the mighty copywriter can enhance and tweak it causing sales to happen.
   Your article is thought provoking.

6. Comment by Roberto — June 4, 2009 @ 3:26 am

   Dear David

   precise - focused. Such a clarity - wonderful.

   I would like to “steal” some of your thoughts
   and translate it in german.

   To make some of the folks on my next directmarketingseminar
   for realtors crystalclear what they have to do - and mostly do wrong (as we know.

   Great summary

   and great wishes to you

   from Roberto

   one of your german customers.

   Roberto

7. Pingback by ‘Why Should I Believe You?’ - ‘The Total Package’ — June 4, 2009 @ 8:26 am

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8. Comment by Juri Saragih — June 4, 2009 @ 9:16 am

   Another great post Daniel.

   Thank you,

   regards,

   Juri Saragih

   Indonesia

9. Comment by Rod Newbound, RN — June 6, 2009 @ 8:35 pm

   Good one, Daniel.

   Thanks.

   As I was reading your article I remembered how easily I fell for a pretty face (literally) when I first started learning about marketing on the web.

   This woman charged $39 a month for access to what essentially was a simple compilation of Internet marketing basics. Of course she had a good pitch, but what sold me on the membership site was the photo in the upper left hand corner of a quite lovely woman - just a head shot.

   Couple months later I found out this was just a photo purchased from a photo service to use on the site! I quickly lost interest… and learned a valuable lesson.

   Rod

10. Pingback by Why Should I Believe You? — June 10, 2009 @ 5:14 am

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