In a recent critique for a coaching client, the issue of “gap analysis” arose. Gap Analysis is something I learned in sales, and it was heavily taught by sales trainers like Brian Tracy, such as in his course “The Psychology of Selling.”

Gap Analysis is an immensely powerful selling technique. It’s also an important feature of copywriting. In fact, most people will know a variation of it, which is often called “Problem-Agitate-Solve,” a term coined by top copywriter Dan Kennedy.

I prefer “Gap Analysis” because it drives home the relationship between those three elements. So what is Gap Analysis and how can you apply it to your sales copy?

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Many copywriters, both new and experienced, struggle with how much to charge their clients. In fact, it is a problem that many in the service industry face.

The dilemma?

Charge too little and you risk losing credibility in the eyes of your customers and potential clients. Additionally, the quality of your work, even if it is worth 100 times what they paid for it, will be seen as having diminished value.

Worst of all, when you charge too little, you may begin to resent the project, the client, or even your chosen profession.

In short, charging too little doesn’t do anyone any good, least of all you.

On the other hand, if you charge too much you run the risk of losing a potential client. You may lose out on opportunities to work with clients who could open doors and provide you and your business with an abundance of work.

The solution?

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… Words out of thin air and assembles them into masterful sales pages that earn more money than you can even imagine.

Sorry about the title. I just wanted to see if I could get Michel to post that title on his own blog.

It does relate somewhat to what I want to talk about, though. And that’s the power of the law of reciprocity.

I was very honored when Michel asked me to be a guest poster on his blog. What do I know about copywriting, which is his forte? If I knew anything about copywriting, I wouldn’t have had to write Glyphius and MuVar to help me figure out if the words I had put on paper were profitable or not.

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Something happened recently that provided incontrovertible proof of the importance of an infallible rule in copywriting.

I knew it all along but never saw it proven to me in such a personal and direct way.

What am I talking about? No, it’s not the headline. It’s not being emotional. It’s not benefits. And it’s not split-testing.

Sure, all of those things are important. Very important. But the one element I’m referring to, the one element that can transform your copy into a sales-inducing powerhouse, is…

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Some people like hypey copy, while others prefer newsy copy. Some people like long, others prefer short. Some people drama, stories and testimonials… Others data, statistics and facts.

Does it all matter? Absolutely.

What makes one style of copy more favorable than another? Why does one person buy from one type of copy and not from another? It really comes down to the buying behavior of your market. And in fact, there are four major personality types.

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This is another article written by one of my associate copywriters, Joe Valente, as an introduction to one of mine — which I linked on this blog entry further down. But Joe’s article is so good, I decided to reprint it here.

Essentially, it’s about appealing to different buyer personalities with your copy. Some people are driver types. Others are more analytical. Some are expressive and colorful. Others prefer the warm-fuzzy type of copy. Either way, your copy should chiefly appeal to the predominant personality of your market.

So before I go any further, you better read this article. (There are also many great lessons about copywriting used — and some hidden in the article itself. About storytelling, about the power of metaphor, and about human behavior. I suggest you read it, then read it again. Look for them. It’s that powerful.) Take it away, Joe!

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This is another article was written by one of my junior copywriters, Joe Valente, as an introduction to one of mine — which I published on this blog already (the link is further down). But Joe’s article is so good, I decided to reprint it here. Take it away, Joe!

Life’s too hectic. Go on, tell me I’m wrong. Well, maybe that’s not so for you, but for me, there’s just so much going on, such as:

Writing and editing web sites, technical manuals, tutorials… Car repairs, some done in my driveway, and some done by others, but always under my watchful eye (remind me one day to tell you about my Talon and the plans I have to get back into Autocross with it)… Household maintenance (thankfully the lawnmower died, buying me an extra hour!)… Hockey season (I coach and referee)… And of course, the band in which I’m the bass player and lead singer.

So it was quite a surprise when…

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