Are copywriters spin doctors? Maybe.

Spin-doctoring is often attributed to people, mostly politicians, who attempt to do damage control to downplay something truly negative. But in terms of copywriting, there’s a difference between putting a positive spin on a negative idea, versus putting a positive spin on an idea that can be perceived as negative.

Left to her own devices, a reader can come to many conclusions. Both right and wrong. Both true and false. Copy, in this case, has the power to steer the reader in the right direction — and therefore avoid going in the wrong one.

One such tool that enables copywriters to do this is hyperbole. In fact, hyperbole is powerful because it helps to drive home some important points, and aids in the comprehension of critical or complex ideas. But when it is perceived as hype, that’s when the copy did a poor job.

So how can you turn “hype” into “hallelujah?”

Since the mind thinks in relative terms and not in direct terms, to understand a key point it can do so easily when it is compared to something the mind already knows, understands and believes.

Like comparing the size of an acre (something the mind can’t visualize or refer to, unless you’re a land surveyor by trade), to the size of a football field.

Exaggeration is the same thing. It’s subjective, not objective. And using hyperbole can add emotion, vibrancy and understanding. At an intimate level. A visceral level.

When the exaggeration is properly used, it can invoke vivid mental pictures. And it should.

People will see it for what it is. Cognitively, they will know it’s impossible. But they will not discount its message and the meaning behind it, because they understand what the author is trying to do — which is to make a point and not to deceive.

For example, there’s no such thing as “boatloads of money” or “a torrent of website traffic.” These are obviously exaggerations. (Take the lyrics in the song “Love Shack” by the B-52’s — e.g., “I bought me a Chrysler and it’s as big as a whale…”)

But used judiciously, exaggerations can be formidable tools to drive points home more effectively, powerfully and compellingly. They allow readers to grasp the meaning of the message, and not just the message itself.

Overused, however, or used in the wrong way, hype can not only be perceived as too sensational and unbelievable, but also can be counterproductive and destroy any credibility you’re trying to communicate with your copy.

This is when people say “it’s all hype.”

Granted, some people use hype to make a point. Others use hype to aggressively push their wares. When hype is used in the former, one will almost not even realize its use. But in the latter, people will see it because it’s so glaringly obvious.

What’s the difference? It’s the perception.

It’s like a professional car sales representative who works in the best interest of the customer and uses some exaggeration to make sure the client grasps some key points, versus a stereotypical used-car salesman who overuses hype (and pardon the pun) like a bulldozer trying to plow their way into a sale.

One recent topic that came about on my discussion board is the concept of people trying to increase the value of some information product by making incredible, puffed-up comparisons that are obviously too far-fetched.

(And “obviously” is the point, here.)

For example, they manufacture a higher fake price to enhance the size of a discount (when the discounted price is the real price all along — which, by the way, is illegal according to some advertising laws).

Another is the comparison to exaggerated figures in order to strengthen the value of the product, when the exaggeration is perceived as an attempt to inflate, lie or sell using underhanded tactics.

This type of approach is not only despicable but also extremely counterproductive. People see the exaggeration not as trying to make a point but as a boldface lie, which undermines any attempt at building credibility.

And lack of credibility is what makes some sales copy perceived as “too hypey,” “too long,” “too salesy,” etc. (And above all, “too much like a stereotypical salesletter.”)

Use it this way only once in the copy, and people will immediately discount anything and everything else that is being said, whether it’s 100% true or not. They will doubt every word you write. And perhaps everything else you sell, too.

But this where the power of words comes in.

Here’s an example.

Someone says, “I charge $1,000 an hour for consulting but I put my expertise in this $37 ebook.” Naturally, just said in this way is very incredible. (And I mean that literally, as in not credible.) The entire pitch thus becomes suspect, even if the exaggeration is used only once in the copy.

Sure, there are people who say they charge that much for the purposes of inflating their value, and others who, even though they never really charged that much, would, depending on the circumstance — such as a way to prevent any clients from hiring them.

I know some people who do charge that much. Personally, I charge $350-$500 an hour. (Depending on the case and type of consulting work required.) And I currently have eight clients who pay that much when they hire me for ad hoc consulting.

But there’s a difference between people who never charged that much but would, and people who never would. Ever.

Some people don’t want clients. They prefer to sell products and, if someone ever asked to hire them, they quote exorbitant fees for the sole purpose of driving the prospect away. They want to steer clear of working with clients.

For instance, one person on my forum said:

Just because they charge [x] amount doesn’t mean people are taking them up on their consulting.

True.

Perhaps that’s because they don’t want anyone to take them up on it in the first place. In fact, the marketing strategy is such that, the perceived value is not in that person’s expertise but in that person’s time. It’s like saying, “The only way you can hire me is to buy my product.”

BUT…

It’s really all about perception. And perception is key — if not done right, such a standalone exaggeration can be perceived as bull manure. (And it often is.)

Some people do use this strategy to merely inflate the value of their expertise “disclosed” in some ebook, to in turn prop up the value of the ebook. That’s deceit.

However, others do use this strategy for real, logical reasons, but fail to justify it and communicate it in their copy.

This goes back to the power of adding “reasons why.”

If someone carefully explained in their copy that the reason they charge so much for their time (and hence why the ebook is so valuable) is because they don’t want clients, and would prefer to sell some ebook instead, that would be more plausible.

I’d go a step further in saying that the person can say:

“I used to charge $100 an hour for consulting, but that’s when I was taking on new clients. But because so many people asked me questions about [my expertise] and there are only so many hours in the day, I wrote this ebook to ‘duplicate myself’ and save me time so I can cut down on my workload. Today, I no longer take on clients. In fact, if you were to hire me, I’d charge $1,000 an hour. Why? Because I simply don’t want to consult anymore. The only way you can get my expertise nowadays is to buy my book.”

To me, that’s a heck of a lot more realistic and believable than some puffed-up claim about a seemingly non-existent consulting fee. In other words, the “reason why” used is not to inflate value specifically but implicitly.

As my mentor used to say: “Perceived truth is more powerful than truth itself.” He also said, “Implication is more powerful than specification.”

It really all boils down to the copy.

That said, however, the earlier forum member added this interesting yet powerful tidbit:

Although I agree somewhat, the bottom line is nobody believes it. I don’t even think it does anything for perception as I don’t know ANYBODY that would believe that crap.

I understand your position as far as not wanting clients, etc but it comes down to what they actually charge. I just think it makes somebody look REAL dumb when they say stuff like this. But then again, that’s just my perception.

Good point. But this person’s comment actually said a lot about the very point I’m trying to make. Let me explain.

He said, “Nobody believes it.” Which is a universal, and therefore a misleading and untrue statement. I mean, nobody? As in, not one single person? How does he know for sure? Realistically, he doesn’t. And can’t.

But, to give that person credit, he did follow up with, “I don’t know anybody that would believe that crap.” And that’s likely true. In fact, it says it all right there, and I’ll come back to this in a second.

First, he said, “It comes down to what they actually charge.” I agree. But one wouldn’t come to that conclusion if there was ample proof (or a reasonable explanation) in the copy.

If they don’t want clients (and that’s just one reason among a possibility of many others, which nevertheless should have been explained in the copy), they might indeed really charge that much. But the problem is, it wasn’t said.

So, it leaves the reader guessing. And that’s not good.

They just put this seemingly fake number out there with no realistic justification, no logical explanation, no believable backup — thus leaving it to be desired.

If you don’t give any reasons why to justify and backup your claims, everything you say will indeed look suspect. People will invariably come to conclusions — and without proof, they will likely be the wrong ones.

Now, coming back to his statement of “nobody believes it,” I believe that’s not necessarily true in all cases.

Granted, it often is an outright lie. It’s a flagrant attempt to deceive, pure and simple. And I agree that many people use such tactics to fraudulently coerce their readers.

But I also agree that poor copy would lead to such conclusions, especially when the motive is an honest one.

When the forum member above said “Nobody believes that crap,” he’s right — in other words, nobody would believe “THAT crap.” (Meaning, when it is said in “that” way.)

It’s all about perception. More specifically, it’s all about “reasons why” (or the lack thereof). In this case, it’s perceived as “crap” because there are no reasons to believe otherwise. And this is particularly true in this cynical, skeptical world we live in today.

But there’s a difference between value of time versus value of expertise. Time is scarce. Expertise is not — unless it’s unique or proven through documentation.

So rather than specifying it outright, one can use copy to imply it. Which is more powerful, too, by the way. In other words, by focusing on lack of availability, the expertise becomes valuable because it is made scarce.

Here’s a real story we actually had in textbooks when I used to teach marketing in college.

Two guys opened a premium coffee shop (I believe it was in Toronto, Canada). They sold coffee beans. But they were failing and floundering. So much so, that they were about to close their doors and go out of business.

Just a few weeks prior to the closing date (if I recall the story correctly), one of the partners wanted to slash the coffee prices in half in order to get rid of their inventory before they closed out.

To that person’s dismay, the other suggested they doubled the price. “What do we have to lose?” he said. “We’re going out of business anyway.”

An argument ensued, but the first one gave in. So they took a risk and gave it try for a day or two, just to see. They doubled the price on their “premium coffee.”

The result?

They sold out that same day.

Today, “Second Cup Coffee” is a large national franchise, with several hundreds of stores all over Canada. The bottom line is, people couldn’t believe that “premium” coffee could be so cheap. Was the price inflated? Yes. Was it perceived as being inflated? Nope.

And that’s my point.

Here’s another story.

Oprah Winfrey did a show once on misleading advertising. To prove her point, she ran “taste tests” in shopping malls across the U.S. While it might provide some insight into misleading advertising, to me it taught more about the power of perception.

She had her staff place two bottles of apple juice on small tables, and asked passers-by to taste each of them to decide which one tasted better.

One was a plain, white plastic bottle with a picture of an apple on its label. The other was an intricately shaped, clear glass bottle, with a red label that showed the picture of an old lady cooking apple juice the old-fashioned way in her kitchen.

If I remember correctly, over 70% of the people said the juice from the glass bottle tasted better (the remainder said the other did, or that there was no real difference).

Their reasons? They interviewed them and, on camera, they said things like: “it’s sweeter tasting,” “it’s crisper and fresher,” “the picture of the lady tells me they take greater care in preparing the juice.” And so on.

All the while, they showed hidden cameras, which revealed that they were filling up both bottles with the exact same juice from the same large container hidden behind the tables.

In this case, yes, it was misleading advertising. But was it misleading in a negative way? Or was the packaging enhanced to put the juice in its best possible light?

The point remains — it’s not about whether it is crap or not, it’s about PERCEPTION.

If some people make you feel that charging that much per hour is false, it is not because it is, but because they didn’t give you ample reasons to believe otherwise.

No “reasons why.”

My wife-to-be once told of story of a website giving out a bottle of nutritional supplements, saying “Free bottle!” on the front, and then asking for people’s name and addresses. People weren’t responding well. They immediately thought, “What’s the catch?”

But then they added this simple statement: “Why free? Because we’re so confident you’re going to love our product that, once you try it, you will want to come back to us for all your nutritional needs.”

Their response shot through the roof.

Look at “Video Professor” commercials, which have been running on TV for years. That’s the technique they use — they give out a free CD. And the CEO in the commercial explains that they’re doing so because, once people give a CD a try, they’ll come back for more. (Since it’s been on TV for so long tells you that this approach is indeed working. And profitable.)

Ultimately, the bottom line is, nobody believes blatant, explicit attempts to puff up and exaggerate value. But the lack of a proper reason why is what often makes it so.

However, add a logical, justifiable and plausible reason why, and the perception, I submit, would be entirely different.

In the end, it really boils down to the copy.

About the Author

Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, author, speaker, consultant, and CEO of The Success Doctor, Inc. Visit his blog and signup free to get tested conversion strategies and response-boosting tips by email, along with blog updates, news, and more! Go now to http://www.michelfortin.com.

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