- 20 Mar 2024 Author: Doug Wyton
Why are people so quick to read text messages and emails as soon as they come in, but loath answering them? Putting off answers to messages is an elevated art form for some people and a common habit for the rest of us.
But that could be a problem for you if your income depends on other people taking action. To help you improve your game, here are some simple tips to get faster responses to the words you write.
The 100 MostPowerful Words in Advertising
Google “The 100 Most Powerful Words in Advertising” and you will get 921,000,000 hits. Yes, people who have something to sell know that certain words prod people into action.
Get familiar with those words. Pick a list of popular advertising words you like and experiment with them in your written messages.
New lists of the most popular advertising words come out every year. What never changes? The three words ‘free, new, and improved’ always rate in the top ten most action-inducing words.
Why is that? Because every human:
- Finds the offer of free things appealing (positive motivation)
- Does not want to feel ‘left out, passed by, or unimportant’ by not knowing about the latest, newest version of anything (negative motivation)
- Is curious by nature. What is improved? We all want to know. (The motivation of excitement)
Make the message About Them, Not About You
It’s easy to say what we want but awkward to phrase things from other people's point of view. But every good salesperson knows that and can do it with precision verbally.
Put your hard-earned verbal skills to work in your written words. Develop the skill of writing from the other person’s point of view. What do you have to gain? More sales, better cooperation, less strife.
Make the Message About What They Want, Not About What You Want
Let’s take that ‘point of view’ thing further. Yes, you want people to cooperate. They already know that and are not interested in what you want. For example:
Don’t write “I will be here till 9:00 pm so you can come test drive this car.”
Instead say: “You would enjoy driving this car. It’s nice. How’s your schedule looking for a quick test drive this evening or tomorrow before noon?”
Make Your Points Like Throwing a Knife – Point First
Long introductions are out. Make your point fast. Make it immediate. Say it first. Then follow up with any supporting details if necessary.
The Most Important Part of Any Message –
The Headline
What gets people’s attention and makes them read an advertisement?
The headline. Get it right, and you will have an audience that is interested in your message.
Writing effective headlines is so important that people have earned Ph.D.’s in studying how to do it. The most action-inducing headlines are:
- From 8 to 14 words in length
- Mention a problem someone is having or an advantage they can get
- Mention the solution to the problem or promise the advantage to them
- Name the product that does all that
It can be challenging to convey those four things in a concise manner of 8 to 14 words. However, if you become proficient in doing so, your email subject lines will be engaging and the opening sentence of your text messages will immediately capture the reader's attention.
Summary – Get an Edge on the Competition
Everybody communicates by electronic means, but few do it well. Pick up this skill and you will stand out from all the other people who crowd the inboxes and phones of your audience.
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to share it with your dealership team.
