Key Takeaways
- Understand your prospect before writing your copy.
- Identify the problem or desire behind the purchase.
- Connect product features to outcomes the reader values.
- Recognize emotional motivations in B2B buying, too.
- Use customer conversations and research to test your assumptions.
- Address the doubts that hold prospects back.
- Write to one person in clear, conversational language.
Your prospect can read every word of your copy—and still feel you don’t understand what matters to them.
That’s a costly disconnect.
You may have explained your product perfectly. But have you addressed the worry, frustration or desire that would motivate someone to buy it?
One of the most important direct response copy principles is to get into the mind of your prospect.
I faced this challenge while writing six different emails for a client, each with two subject lines to test.
Before I could write persuasively, I had to understand how the prospect felt, thought and behaved.
What did they want? What kept them up at night? And what held them back from embracing the offer?
Understand the Person Behind the Purchase
Whether you write online or offline copy, understanding human psychology is essential.
Customers and prospects—B2B or consumer—bring emotions to their buying decisions.
They have needs, wants, goals, fears, compassion, hopes and dreams.
Your copy should connect your offer to the ones that matter most.
A business owner considering a new service may want more than efficiency. They may want fewer mistakes, less employee frustration and the confidence that things will run smoothly when they’re away.
A homeowner considering a security system may want more than cameras and sensors. They may want to feel more secure when their family is home alone.
The feature tells them what you offer. Understanding their motivation helps you explain why they should care.
Put Yourself in Your Prospect’s Shoes
Consider these illustrative approaches for a bookkeeping service:
Product-focused: “Our service includes monthly bookkeeping and financial reports.”
Prospect-focused: “Still spending your evenings sorting receipts? Get your books organized—and know where your business stands.”
The second version connects the service to a recognizable frustration and a desired outcome.
For a B2B software offer:
Product-focused: “Our platform centralizes project information.”
Prospect-focused: “Tired of chasing updates before every client meeting? See project status in one place so you can answer with confidence.”
The details must accurately describe what your product delivers. But the starting point is the person who needs it.
Listen Before You Write
Don’t rely only on what you think your prospects feel.
Read customer reviews. Talk with your sales team. Examine customer questions, complaints and reasons for delaying a purchase.
Listen for the words people use to describe their problems. Those words can help you write copy that feels relevant and personal.
Then look at your headline, opening and offer.
Do they speak to your prospect’s needs and emotions? Do they answer the doubts that could prevent a response?
Before asking your prospect to understand your product, show that you understand your prospect.
Action:
Get a free critique of your copy.
Does your copy connect with what your prospects care about most?
Contact Michael at CDMG for a free copy critique. Our team can help identify missed benefits, unanswered objections and opportunities to make your message more persuasive.
Call Michael at 615-933-4647 or email him at [email protected].
FAQs:
Q: What does “get into your prospect’s mind” mean?
A: Understand what the prospect wants, worries about and needs to believe before responding. Use that understanding to make your message relevant.
Q: Does emotional copy work for B2B marketing?
A: Business buyers have personal concerns as well as business objectives. They may want to reduce risk, avoid mistakes or feel confident in a decision. Connect those concerns to practical benefits and proof.
Q: How can I learn what motivates my prospects?
A: Review customer questions, sales conversations, reviews, complaints and reasons for not buying. Look for recurring needs, objections and the language customers use.
Q: Should emotional copy replace facts and features?
A: No. Use emotional understanding to explain why the offer matters, then support your message with relevant features, facts and credible evidence.
Q: How can I tell whether my copy connects with prospects?
A: Ask whether it addresses a recognizable need, explains a meaningful benefit and answers an important objection. Then test different approaches and measure qualified leads or sales.
About Craig Huey
Craig Huey is one of America’s leading direct response marketing and advertising experts. He is the founder and president of Creative Direct Marketing Group (CDMG), a direct response advertising and marketing agency specializing in direct mail, digital, and multichannel campaigns. CDMG has worked with hundreds of companies, helping them generate leads, sales, and measurable results through targeted, data-driven marketing. Craig is also the publisher of the Direct Marketing Update, a newsletter read by marketing professionals, business owners, and executives who want to stay ahead of the latest trends in direct response marketing.
Let CDMG Be Your Partner in Driving Growth
Media Help, Copy Help, Testing Help, D2C, and e-Commerce Help
CDMG is more than an ad agency.
Let us be your second opinion.
CDMG’s award-winning team, run by marketing veterans Craig and Caleb Huey, is dedicated to improving your advertising, marketing, branding, and bottom line with a proven approach that maximizes response rates and ROI.
With expertise in media, data, digital, and creative strategy, we’ve earned over 128 prestigious awards, in 2024 alone.
Why CDMG?
- Proven Success: Over 128 prestigious awards.
- Data-Driven Strategy: We don’t guess. We know what works. Our campaigns are crafted with precision to deliver maximum ROI.
- Expertise Across the Board: From media buying to digital copywriting, testing, and direct-to-consumer strategies—we’ve got it all covered.
- Real Results: We’ve helped launch new products, reposition brands, and turn small businesses into multimillion-dollar success stories.
Let us help with your video needs!
We produce:
• Pre-roll videos
• Video sales letters (VSLs)
• TV commercials
• Infomercials
• Addressable TV
• Videologs
…and much more!
Our team has launched new products… and helped reposition companies to a higher level. Our strategies and tactics have generated leads, and built powerhouse e-commerce programs that have helped turn small businesses into multimillion dollar success stories and grown large companies.
Our formula is data driven, accountable advertising that supercharges your growth. Every campaign is crafted precisely, focusing on what matters most to drive your success.
Let’s discuss your marketing challenges and give you a second opinion.
Contact Michael Oppenheimer at 615-933-4647 or email him at [email protected].
Start transforming your marketing results today with CDMG, Inc.