The phone rang a couple times before he picked up.
In 1995, Pat published The Doctor’s Vest-Pocket Sampler of Natural Remedies, a piece of direct response mail designed to sell a bigger, more complete book called New Choices in Natural Healing.
In other words, the free “sampler” book was designed to garner the attention, engagement, and trust necessary to sell prospect’s on the real product, the money-maker.
How did Pat sell all those books?
He hired Gary Bencivenga to write the copy.
Bencivenga is a Hall of Fame copywriter. He’s on par with John Caples and Eugene Schwartz, David Ogilvy and Joe Sugarman. He knew what he was doing. That is, he knew how to write copy that captured attention, garnered engagement, and drove readers to take action.
Like any effective copywriter, Bencivenga was part writer, part psychologist. As a writer, he was able to produce clear, concise sentences. As a psychologist, he excelled at thinking like his prospect. He understood her, empathized with her. And that’s what this article is about.
It’s about the big-picture concepts you can learn by studying one of Bencivenga’s most successful controls. In other words, this article won’t teach you how to write like a copywriter as much as it’ll teach you how to think like one.
You’ll learn the rules of the trade, the fundamentals of crafting ad copy people notice, read, and trust.
How to write copy people notice, read, and trust.
If you don’t already own The Doctor’s Vest-Pocket Sampler of Natural Remedies, you can buy one on Amazon for a buck or two plus shipping. If you’re a serious student of copywriting, I recommend ordering your copy as soon as possible, reading it daily, and transcribing it often.
When you receive it, smile. You're holding one of the finest direct marketing assets ever created.
1. It hones in on a single, primary desire.
That’s why people notice it in the first place.
People buy things to achieve their desires. Period.
The Sampler’s target audience was older, likely suffering from an ailment, likely fatigued from the side-effects of conventional medicine, and likely eager for alternatives. Natural alternatives. Bencivenga honed in on this.
a) Make the desire plainly visible and unmistakably clear.
This will ensure that the prospect sees it.
b) Repeat the desire over and over, using synonymous terms.
This will keep the prospect engaged without wearing her out on the same verbiage.
This will allow the prospect to take your copy seriously.
The Sampler doesn’t over-step its product’s promise. For instance, the word “antidotes” sounds more compelling than “remedies” but it’s also less plausible, which is why Bencivenga never uses it. After all, he’s selling a book with thousands of medical suggestions. They’re not all winners. Reasonable people know this.
If you say something that plants doubt in your prospect’s mind, even once, you might lose her. Fantastic claims are risky because they're hard to believe. Temper your promise to give the message a chance.
2. It doesn’t look like an ad.
That’s why people read it.
Chapter 3: How to Instantly Get a Second Opinion, or a Third, Fourth, or Tenth!
Each chapter is well-formatted and written in plain English that’s scannable and digestible, peppered with bolding and italics that highlight value. Bencivenga gave the Sampler all the characteristics of a real book, which is why Debra-from-Nebraska pulled it from her mailbox, then sat down, put on her glasses, and actually took the time to read it.
Online advertorial articles, or “sponsored” posts, are a good example of this: they look and read like typical articles but have a hidden sales agenda. Bencivenga uses the same tactic, except he camouflaged the Sampler to look and read like a book.
This will help your promotion look familiar to the prospect.
The Sampler looks like a book because it was published before the internet took root (circ. 1995), when physical mediums (e.g., books and newspapers) were among the only recognized, credible sources of written information.
b) Borrow the words and tone.
This will help your copy sound familiar to the prospect.
That’s why people trust it.
On page 14, he shares a juice recipe that treats asthma.
On page 15, he shares a tonic recipe that quells cigarette cravings.
On page 16, he shares a cocktail recipe that relieves leg cramps.
In fact, almost every page lends a valuable suggestion, something that makes the reader feel excited about the future, hopeful. Something that makes her say, “Wow, I had no idea ...” Over time, these feelings compound and intensify in the reader, engendering trust.
This, again, will ensure that the prospect sees it.
The Sampler is full of bolded, italicized, and underlined words and phrases. It’s full of headlines and subheads, sidebars and images. Remember, people can’t begin to draw value from information if they never even see it.
b) Make it clear and concise.
This will fill the prospect with hope and excitement over her newfound knowledge.
The Sampler uses clear language and short, crisp sentences. Even though it’s a medical book, a native English speaker will comprehend every word. Remember, people will only get value from information they understand.
This will satisfy the prospect, making her happy.
Remember, people will get the most value from information they can put to use.
“So, what did working with Gary teach you?” I asked.
I nodded, silently, on the other end.