Because think about this – if you send 1,000 people to your sales letter and NOBODY buys, you’ve just wasted all that traffic. And if you spent money to get that traffic, you’re out that investment.
Even if it was free traffic, you’ve still burned your chance to sell them on your product. Odds are, even if you do rewrite the copy, they’re not going to go back a second time and read it again. (Unless you offer some kind of incentive, in which case you might be able to bribe them into taking a second look.)
If only there were a way to know ahead of time whether your copy is good or not… Wait, there is!
Here’s what to do – turn off the phone, sever your Internet connection and refuse to be distracted for the next hour.
Now then, imagine you are the prospect. You are thinking like the prospect, feeling like the prospect, experiencing the same issues, same problems, same questions as you prospect, etc.
Put yourself in their shoes and reread your letter from start to finish. Do not spend time making corrections or anything else – simply read the letter as though you are a prospect considering buying this product.
Finished?
Now rate how well your copy accomplishes the following, assigning a number 1 – 5 to each element.
1 means “Practically non-existent”
2 is “Room for serious improvement”
3 means “Not horrible, but could be better”
4 is “Strong”
And a 5 indicates “You positively NAILED it.”
Ready? Here we go…
Does the headline instantly grab your attention? _____
Does the lead-in compel you to read further? _____
Are the headline and lead-in completely believable? _____
Is the headline and lead-in combo likely to resonate powerfully with a significant number of your prospects? _____
Does the headline and lead-in combo offer powerful benefits? _____
Does the spokesperson establish his/her qualifications beyond doubt? _____
Do the emotions you experience while reading the first few paragraphs compel you to want to read further? _____
Is the prospect given a reason why he or she must read this, and must read this now? _____
Does the copy read like a conversation between two friends? _____
Is it clear that the spokesperson truly has the best interests of the prospect at heart? _____
Are the product’s benefits fully explored? _____
Are the emotional reasons for purchasing fully developed? _____
Does the letter entertain and inform as well as sell? _____
Is the price fully justified? _____
Is the guarantee prominent and does it restate the benefits? _____
Is there a compelling reason why the prospect should immediately make the purchase? _____
Is there a sense of urgency? _____
Do you feel yourself getting more and more excited as you move through the letter? _____
Is the call to action compelling enough that you would feel silly for not ordering immediately? _____
Is the prospect told exactly what to do next, how to order and how s/he will receive their product? _____
If you were a prospect, would you make the purchase? _____
Scoring
21- 50: Stop right there. Do NOT use this copy until you make significant changes.
51 – 65: Not good, but at least you’ve made a start. Now go back and make the adjustments your letter needs.
66 – 80: Not bad for a draft, but not good enough to use unless you just don’t have the time to fix it, OR your offer is so compelling ($100 cars, for example) that it doesn’t need a strong letter.
81 – 95: Looking good. A little tweaking here and there can still improve your conversions.
96 – 105: Congratulations! Maybe you should be writing copy for a living!
