By Peyman Aleagha
RISMEDIA, Nov. 22, 2008-Right off the bat, there are two books you must have if you’re planning to write copy. (Actually these books are must haves if you plan to do any writing at all.) One is Power Language by Jeffrey McQuain, and the other is Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale. I’ve got a pretty decent library of writing books, and I go to these a lot. But before we get down to business, let me tell you a story.
It’s about fishing. It’s the one where a little kid keeps reeling in good fish while a well-to-do, well-equipped sportsman get’s nothing.
The sportsman can’t figure it out, he has all the latest gear, is using the latest hi-tech lures and is using the best, most proven fishing techniques he knows. But the kid still is catching more fish. Why, because the kid knows what the fish are biting on and he’s giving it to them.
Here’s what that teaches you about writing killer copy…
But before I share the lesson, let’s talk a little bit about what’s going on with a typical personal real estate website. Now, up in the corner is a picture of the Realtor, maybe his or her partner, too. They’ve both got smiles on and look happy and pleasant enough.
Next to the picture is some sort of byline that says something like, “The Dream Team is here to Help You Find Your Next Dream Home.”
There are links to mortgage rates, maybe a MLS search tool, a couple of pictures of homes, a community action shot maybe, and then probably a section of the Realtor’s latest, hottest listings. Basically it has absolutely everything a surfer expects to find on a Realtor’s website. Yep, it’s just like every other Realtor’s site. But consider this: are you just like every other Realtor?
Isn’t it true that every time you’ve had a very successful transaction you were considered different than the other Realtors? Didn’t the customer or client feel that your services were far better than any others they had found? Isn’t it true that being the best and being different are far more lucrative than just blending in with the rest of the crowd? See my point? People stop for different; people pass on the same old thing. You need to be different.
Want to know how to stop ’em in their tracks on your site? It’s simple. Engage them.
First, be relevant in the market you’re working. In example, if you are working FSBOs then build a series of the most often encountered FSBO scenarios you’ve worked and capture them on a web page.
Keep it short, keep it simple. Don’t fall in love with your words. Simple wording, short sentences and short paragraphs are the key. You’re not writing literature here. You’re writing a commercial.
Use questions. Open-ended questions are the best. Do you know how many questions I have put in this article? Are questions a good way to engage a reader? I asked you a question, didn’t I? Can you see how questions can help your copy? Get it?
Keep it positive. Don’t go negative on anybody, ever. Positive selling works hundred fold’s better than trying to play on fears. You know the odds of a FSBO selling, so does he. Reinforce the benefits of the property actually selling, and then plant a positive seed about your selling experiences.
Use stories. Everybody likes a good story. And if you can weave a yarn that puts a prospect at ease and relates to their situation then you’ve gone a long way to earn their trust. Another great use of stories is to hold excitement over time. Holding up a resolution to a story is a great way to get someone to read what’s in between. Remember our fishermen?
See, the kid didn’t need all the fancy stuff that the well to do fisherman had. All he needed was to know what they were biting on. Once he figured that out he gave it to them. His results: a fine catch of fish.
A lot of people think that writing killer copy or using killer sales techniques will somehow sell someone against their will. That’s false. The well-to-do fisherman in our story had lures too, but the fish weren’t biting. The fish simply didn’t want the fancy lures. They knew what they wanted, and so did the kid.
That’s the lesson, give people what they want.
Peyman Aleagha is the founder and President of RealtySoft.com. RealtySoft provides Realtors with Real Estate Web Design (http://www.realtysoft.com), Real Estate Print Marketing and Free IDX (http://www.realtysoft.com/freeidx.php) solutions. Find out more about RealtySoft by visiting RealtySoft.com
