Better Copy: The Interview is the Key

Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy our service, product or idea. Here is how to create powerful marketing copy to make your job easier: INTERVIEW YOURSELF.

If you hired a writer to create the copy for you, he/she would likely start by interviewing you. He would ask every question he could think of about your subject and keep probing until he found illuminating answers. You could find a colleague to help in this endeavor. Or, if you are feisty, you can interview yourself.

Write out a series of questions about your subject. (I'll suggest what kinds of questions below). Then ask your colleague to pose these questions to you and record your answers. Or you can write your own answers down.

The key to interviewing is to keep probing. If an answer doesn't make sense,say so. "I understand that your clients need to create strategy at the corporate level, but I don't understand how your software is going to help them do this." If you don't believe an answer, say so too. Keep asking for further and better particulars until you get answers that interest you and which you believe in.

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Here are some high-level questions to ask yourself.

What is the business problem?

Can you describe the problem in plain English?

How did the problem arise?

Is it a new problem?

Why is it hard to solve?

Why hasn't anyone found a solution to it yet?

Does your client know he has this problem?

Is he willing to pay the price in time or money to solve his problem?

What is his key concern?

What is your solution?

What services / products do you offer to solve his problem?

What benefits will these produce? (This is the hardest question to answer. It means going beyond the features we offer and really understanding the solution from the clients' viewpoint.) If you are going to work on producing only one answer, this is the one to work on.

Which benefit is the most important? (This will be your core message).

Why should your client trust you to solve their problem?

Who are you?

How long have you been in business?

What can you say about the stability and creativity of your organization?

Who are your clients?

Is your service unique? If not, why is it better than others'?

Do you have a robust marketing plan to execute against? How clear and persuasive is your website, brochure copy or direct mail? Call Neroli Lacey NOW to win more business TODAY.

CALL ++ 612. 215. 3826 NOW

or email: neroli@beyondcommunications.com

About The Author

I'm Neroli Lacey of Beyond Communications Inc. in Minneapolis, MN. I've been helping executives transform their businesses and their lives with outstanding marketing materials since 1995. VISA, 3M and Perot Systems are some of my bigger clients. I have worked with clients in Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Minneapolis, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Delhi. I used to be one of the top journalists in Britain writing for The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian, The Evening Standard, New Statesman, Vogue and Tatler.

Before newspapers I was an investment banker. I grew up in London, England, studying Latin with Greek at Bristol University.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Copywriting Information:

Related Articles

Four Things Every Web Site Headline Must Do
As you know, I'm constantly making the point that the text on web sites is not given enough attention. Which is unfortunate, because the headlines on site pages make huge demands on the skills of any writer.
5 Deadly Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Sales
Chances are that you are making many, if not all, of these 5 copywriting mistakes. I call them "deadly" because theyre killing your sales and your profits.
A Quick Free n Easy Content Writing Course
I do not pretend that a one-stop shop solution to content writing exists, but my experience has taught me, that working toward a 100% effective writing formula isn't a complete waste of time.At my firm (a content writing business), we find it particularly useful to go through a number of steps before we put pen to paper.
A Free Lesson On How To Easily Write Ads That Are Guaranteed To Make You Money
COPYWRITINGAfter determining what we are going to sell, the next task is to effectively convey our message.Copywriting is the art of writing words and messages that successfully sell a product or service.
3 Tips For Writing Better Headlines
The single most important element of your website's copyis the headline. Take away practically everything elseand you can still manage a sale (if the headline's good enough and you have a strong enough call to action).
How You Can Find Freelance Children's Writing Positions That Will Last
Freelance children's writing positions are always advertised. Rather, the schooling to learn how to write for these jobs is advertised.
Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 2 of 2
In part one of this article series we began looking at the Cruise Vacation Center site: a travel site whose copy was sorely lacking in emotional appeal and visual imagry. (You can see the previous version of the copy here: http://www.
The One Word Every Prospect Craves
It's arguably the most important word in the copywriter's arsenal. It ranks right at the top with words like "free," "new" and "savings.
Content is King
IntroductionA pencil. Yes, a pencil.
How To Write Headlines That Grab Your Prospects Attention
It doesn't matter if you're writing an article, a newspaper or magazine ad, a web page, or even a Yellow Page ad. If it has a headline, that headline is the most important component of the entire package.
7 Essential Tips for Reviewing and Approving Copy
Nothing can turn strong copy into a 97-pound weakling faster than a flawed review process. The result is severely handicapped marketing efforts and, alas, fewer sales.
Freelance Writing As A Career
Most people would love to make a living from freelance writing. If you tell people that you are a freelance writer, chances are that they will respond by telling you about their own desire to be a freelance writer.
Write Hard-Hitting Headlines With Magic Words That Sell
Writing a killer headline for your copy is simple! You just need to follow simple dos and donts that make or break a headline respectively. If you think you have tried them all, check this out.
Writing Online In Two Syllables or Less
About once a month I fly off somewhere to give a one-day workshop on writing for the web. For part of the day, I invite the group to take part in a series of short tasks.
Why You Should Write To Inform And Not To Sell
Advertising is key! Unfortunately most people waste their money on advertising unless they can play by the numbers. Playing by the numbers is simply spending enough money on advertising and saturating the market so much, that percentage wise, enough people will want to see what you have to offer.
Cleaning Up Your Copy
When you are beginning to write, you gather as much data as you can. You continually add allied thoughts.
Making a Living as a Copywriter; Freelancing Versus Agency
So You Want To be A Copywriter?Wannabe copywriters often check out my site for information relating to my services and fees. And quite right too! I still give my competitor's websites a 'gander' every now and then, in case they're doing something that I should be doing.
Copyright, Copyrighting, and Online Copyright Abuse - Save Yourself the Headache by Reading This!
Lets start with copyright infringement.It is easily explained as copying someone else's work without gaining permission first.
Touching the Prospect's Emotions in Your Sales Letter
Your prospect has emotions? and you MUST touch these emotions in your sales letter. Your copy has to excite.
Website Promotion: 10 Secret Motivational Triggers That Make People Buy
Unless you know the secret motivational secretsthat make people buy, your efforts in websitepromotion may not be fruitful.Here are some website promotion triggers to help you:1.