I’ll never forget this for as long as I live.

The real estate office manager marched to his secretary’s desk. He rubbed his face in frustration. I stopped making cold calls to spy on their conversation.

In muffled tones, he told her to write a “house ad” for a new listing. He wasn’t sure what to write. So he told her to come up with something. Anything.

Back then I sold real estate for a living. I just started learning how to write ads that work. But I couldn’t believe what just transpired.

The office manager abdicated his most important responsibility — writing ads to bring in new leads — to his… secretary.

Ever feel like this guy?

Most online and offline business people do. Faced with a blank page or computer screen they shut down. Otherwise articulate people cower in fear when it comes to creating ads.

They squirm in their seats. Guzzle down cups of coffee. Read the paper. And, worst of all, pawn the job off to someone… anyone… else.

Look, when it comes to crafting advertising winners, nothing is more important than…

Knowing What To Say

Yet, the biggest problem advertisers wrestle with is, well, knowing what to say in their promotions. You see, your prospects respond to what you write.

How you write takes the back seat. Because regardless of how eloquently you say it, you first must say the right things…

… Things proven to elicit response.

Here are a few secrets to discovering what to say. Once you know these secrets, your confidence levels will soar. You’ll never again stare in bewilderment at a blank page or computer screen. Nor will you ever guess what to write in your promotions.

Step One: Stop Guessing

First, you should know, nothing murders response rates more than guessing. And there’s no need to guess anyway.

What you do instead is this: Gather about you three or four ads targeting your market. Try to find ads that sell the same or similar products. Try to find ads specific to the media you’ll use. Try to find ads that keep running over and over again.

These are proven winners.

Step Two: Make A Benefit List

Armed with these proven promotions, it’s time to take the next step.

Make a list of all the benefits contained in each ad. If you find three relevant ads, then you’ll write three separate benefit lists. Then circle all the benefits appearing in each ad.

Guess what? These benefit lists you create reveal the market’s hot buttons. The benefits that show up in each ad over and over again are the benefits you highlight in your ad.

Step Three: Model Successful Ads

Take one of the ads you like and use it as a template. Insert the most pertinent benefits — based on the research you just did — into your ad.

Now, you’ll rely on a proven successful model to craft your own ad. Doing so puts the odds in your favor. In fact, by following this simple three-part formula, you can create ads that are up to three times more effective than anything you could dream up on your own.

In conclusion, once you know what to say in your ads, generating the type of response you want is easy. And the easiest way to know what to say in your ads is to model successful ones.

Otherwise, you’re guessing and hoping to find the right sales appeal. Follow the three steps above and you’ll be way ahead of most business owners who write their own advertising.

About the Author

John “Angel” Anghelache is a direct response copywriter and marketer. He has written for some of the biggest names in the business including: the late Gary Halbert, David Garfinkel, Michel Fortin, and Joe Vitale. To find out how you can create advertising that works, go to www.TheCopywritingCrashCourse.com.

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