Pitch vs. Proof

At its simplest, a sales letter has two components: a pitch and proof.

Sales copy fails when you spend too much "real estate" on your pitch and not enough on proof.

Example: My sister-in-law is involved in a multi-level marketing company called Arbonne. She's been building her business for close to three years.

At one point, she hit a plateau. Couldn't find any good prospects.

Then she quit her job.

Now, she's got prospects coming to her. Why? Proof.

Quitting her job spoke far more than any pitch she could have come up with.

Proof comes in many varieties:

• Testimonials
• Bank statements
• Screen captures
• Case studies
• Endorsements
• Credentials (Dr., Ph.D., etc.)
• Before & After pictures
• Product Samples
• Demonstrations
• Photos
• Comparisons
• Metaphors
• Guarantees

The list goes on. Whatever your pitch is, figure out how you can offer more proof. People will only read so much pitch; they'll devour proof, especially if they're targeted prospects.

Comments

[John A. Manley]

This is copywriting basics. So basic it took me years to really get it.

I think people spend so much time on pitch because they are trying to sell their product to "anyone"--forgetting that they are speaking to (or should be at least) to a targeted audience.

People already with a desire or need your product can fulfill.

You just want to prove to them that your product can fulfill that desire/need/want.

John
http://www.RealityCopywriting.com/true_stories

[Ryan Healy]

John - Great observation about this being basic, yet difficult to fully grasp.

After all, why would Gary Bencivenga spend the better part of a $5,000 seminar hammering on the importance of proof?

I wasn't there, but people who went said the event could be summed up in a single word: proof.

[Joseph Ratliff]

Ryan,

Nicely done...I think this needs to be revisited in future posts on copywriting.

But one you left off the list for Proof...well, guess it kinda falls under "product samples", but not really.

It is the main reason people surf the net.

Information.

I have tested, that if you provide a little useful information in your sales copy, it works wonders.

Not crud. But something the audience may not have known before reading your sales letter, direct mail, etc...

Information adds to the proof.

Joseph Ratliff