Years ago, I stumbled upon a book that would change the trajectory of my entire career.
Not bad for a $15 paperback you can grab on Amazon right?
For about the price of a day’s lunch, I picked up Joe Sugarman’s “The Adweek Copywriting Handbook.” Little did I know, those pages held the secret sauce that would help me sell over $100 million in products online over the next couple of decades.
Now, I’m not saying that was the ONLY thing that led to my success.
But I took the core teachings from Sugarman and molded them into all my copywriting. It made a dramatic impact.
Today, I want to show you why…
In his book, Sugarman breaks down a simple, but extremely powerful 7-step formula.
What I love most about it is how practical and repeatable the formula is. I use it in ALL of my offers, and probably always will. It’s as effective today as it was when he first wrote it back in 2006.
Before I get into the list, one more thing…
Don’t worry if you don’t consider yourself a “copywriter” or master of psychology. Even implementing just one or two of these steps can have a big impact on everything you’re doing.
The formula breaks down the complex process of persuasion into manageable steps that anyone can follow.
It’s like having a roadmap to my customer’s mind.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting Joe Sugarman in person and diving even deeper into the world of copywriting. I’ve tested, tweaked, and refined this formula across countless campaigns and platforms.
And now, I’m going to share it with you.
Step 1: The HOOK Is Everything
If there’s only ONE thing you take away today, make it this…
Your very first task is to grab your audience’s attention and refuse to let go.
Think of this as the headline of your sales letter or the opening of your video.
The key here is to make a bold claim or address your specific audience directly. For instance, you might start with "Attention e-commerce sellers!" or make a statement that stops readers in their tracks. The goal is to create such intrigue that your audience can’t help but keep reading or listening.
Remember, if you fail to nail this first step, nothing else matters.
Your audience will tune out before they even get to the good stuff.
Step 2: Differentiate Your Product
Once you’ve captured their attention, it’s time to set yourself apart from the crowd. In a world where consumers are bombarded with options, standing out is crucial.
This is where you explain what makes your offering unique.
- Why should they choose you over the competition?
- What can you offer that no one else can?
Don’t try to be a better version of someone else – be yourself.
These days, authenticity is extremely valuable.
Step 3: Explain How It Works
Now that you’ve piqued their interest and shown them why you’re different, it’s time to give them a high-level overview of how your product or service works.
The key word here is “high-level.”
You don’t want to get bogged down in technical details. Think about it this way: if you’re selling a drill, your customers don’t care about the intricacies of the motor – they care about the hole it’s going to make in their wall.
Remember – always sell the benefits, not the features.
People care that their brand new refrigerator will keep their produce fresh twice as long as the competition. They don’t need all the details of the internal components.
Keep it simple, focusing on the end result your customer wants to achieve.
Here’s how I gave a “high-level” breakdown of how our Commission Blueprint Supercharged product works at the beginning of my webinar…
Step 4: Highlight Unique Features and Benefits
This is where you get into the meat of what your product offers. But again, there’s a crucial distinction between features and benefits.
Features are what your product has or does. Benefits are what those features mean for your customer. A good way to ensure you’re focusing on benefits is to add "so that…" to the end of each feature statement.
For example: "Our drill comes with multiple drill bits (feature) so that you can make holes of any size for any project (benefit)."
Step 5: Justify the Purchase
At this point, your potential customer is interested, but they might be wondering if it’s worth the investment.
Your job is to remove any doubt from their mind.
You can do this by showcasing the value they’ll receive, comparing your offer to alternatives (which don’t necessarily have to be direct competitors), and demonstrating both short-term and long-term benefits.
Make them see that this isn’t just a purchase – it’s an investment in their future.
Simple things like calling a purchase an “investment” go a long way psychologically in the customer’s mind. Just make sure it truly is an investment.
Step 6: Address Service and Risk
Even if someone is convinced your product is amazing, they still might hesitate to buy. People are always concerned about what happens after the purchase.
This is where you address those worries head-on.
Focus on things like…
- Your customer support…
- Any guarantees you offer…
- How you’ll be there for them if anything goes wrong…
A strong money-back guarantee can be particularly effective here, as it removes the risk from the customer’s shoulders.
Here’s how I handled that in one of my recent sales pages…
Step 7: Ask for the Order
This final step is crucial, yet it’s one that many people forget.
You need to explicitly ask for the sale. Tell your potential customer exactly what they need to do next to get your product.
Don’t be shy here – be clear and direct.
And don’t just ask once. Reiterate what they stand to lose if they don’t take action, and then ask again.
Remember, your entire piece of copy should flow like a “slippery slide,” as Sugarman puts it. Each section should naturally lead to the next, creating an irresistible momentum that carries your reader all the way to the purchase.
By following these seven steps, you create a compelling narrative that not only informs your potential customers but also motivates them to take action. It’s a formula that has stood the test of time and generated millions in sales across various industries and platforms.
So what’s next?
Pick one of two of your favorites from above and start working them into your own marketing. It’s okay if you don’t do all 7 at once. Even one or two tweaks can make a big difference.
One of my FAVORITE places to test new copywriting strategies is in my emails.
Every email is a new opportunity to test something.
Whether it’s…
- Differentiating yourself from the competition…
- Selling the benefits instead of features…
- “Hooking” the audience with your subject line…
- Driving home your money-back guarantee…
- Or anything else we talked about above…
You’ll get immediate data on how your copywriting is performing based on your emails!
And if you’re ready to take your email marketing to the next level, we’re offering FREE 7-day trials to our all-in-one email platform SendPad!
Whether you want to fully automate your email marketing or want to keep in close contact with your list through daily broadcasts, we’ve got you covered.
You can check out all the automations and features we offer, right here!
That’s it for today’s issue of the Online Marketing Classroom newsletter.
Talk soon!
Aidan
