A Short Primer on How to Write Copy (Part 5: Personal Credibility)

Once you've supplied your readers with adequate proof that your product/serve is beneficial, it's useful to provide similar proof for you or your company.

This is where many businesses err, and it even happens with big companies. I see this all the time, and it basically comes down to a single, fixable mistake:

Mistake: Telling Your Prospects How Great You Are

Just as saying that your product is great won't get you far, saying that you or your company is great will do nothing to turn your readers on. The main problem with this is that you will either come off as BRAGGING or as SELLING, the two things consumers hate the most, barring high prices (but sometimes even high prices are more appealing than knowing you're being sold to).

Here's what not to do:

DON'T...

• Tell your customers about all your other customers (e.g., "we supply our parts to Boeing")
• Talk about how long you've been around (e.g., "with 13 years of experience...")
• Mention how everyone loves your product -- that's what testimonials and stats are for

Those are the three biggies that most companies love to put on their "about," "history," or sales page. As soon as your prospect sees that, he knows he's being sold to.

Of course, if your other customers have big names, if your company has a long history, or if everyone really does love your product, you should let your prospect know. But you've got to do so incognito.

I can't tell you how many beginning copywriters I've write something like the following on their "hire me" page:

I've undergone training with Dan Kennedy and have studied all of Ogilvy's sales letters. I use the Ted Nicholas approach to copywriting...

These amateurs aren't pumping up their own names--they're boosting the repetition of other copywriters--people who should be taken as competitors!

Don't make this mistake with your own service. Don't compare your social work experience to that of Obama; don't compare your sailing ability to that of Captain Crunch--focus on your own business!

The Right Way to Do It

Show your credibility in indirect ways. For a lot of web copy, the best way to do this is through images:

• Want to show off your company history? Attach some pictures of how your company has evolved over the last 13 years, from an garage startup to a corporation.
• Want to prove that your successful? Post pictures of your extravagant lifestyle, traveling around the world and parting with hot babes.
• Want to brag about your credentials? Attach your Harvard diploma.

The proof outweighs the words. And as often as copywriters tell you that "words sell," it's actually the proof your are providing in non-word terms that gets your product out the doors.

Click for part 6 of How to Write Copy.