It’s not about you. It’s about them.
Picture a geisha.
She’s lovely. She’s charming. She knows how to tell stories and dance and play an instrument. Her wit is disarming. She makes you laugh and can speak artfully. She asks you questions, and she is genuinely interested in what you have to say.
It would make you feel like the world revolves around you. Wouldn’t it?
But then the conversation takes a turn. She starts talking about how it took her several hours to do her hair and makeup. She tells you that she’s been taking fan dancing lessons in a little town outside the city every week for 4 hours. She tells you that she’s been a geisha for the last 11 years, and has entertained a bunch of people before you. 6 days a week. 365 days a year.
How would that make you feel? Kind of like “uh, yeah, but what does this have to do with me?”
Writing hot copy is not unlike being a geisha. (Well, to a point).
Because when you are writing your marketing materials, you want them to be about your reader, not about you. You want to put them at ease. And you want them to relax and trust you.
But the problem is, business owners tend to be the world’s worst geishas. Because instead of tending to the cares, desires, and aspirations of their prospects, they make their copy all about them.
So we get copy like: “For the past 15 years, I have been a financial planner.”
Or: “As a certified master life coach, I ask you questions that will transform your life.”
If you put too much focus on your credibility, your competence, and your expertise… your marketing message ends up being all about you. You want to show you are great at what you do, so you end up telling your reader all about it. It’s often because you want to “prove” that you are an expert. At best, this comes off as trying too hard. At worst, it turns your prospects off because they can’t see themselves in your copy.
Okay, stop thinking about geishas. Let’s talk about your copy.
The quick and dirty test for your copy is: “what’s in it for me?”
This is the question your readers are asking themselves. And it’s what you have to answer again and again in your marketing. If you want people to care and take action.
In the case of our earlier examples, it might be:
“When you could use some help to figure out how to save for big investments like a house, college for the kids, and retirement… without sacrificing your quality of life now, you want someone with experience to guide you.” [financial planner]
Or: “Maybe the kids are grown (and having kids of their own). Maybe your partner is about to retire (and it’s got you both thinking about your “second acts”). One thing is for certain, you don’t feel like your life is over. But you want to make sure that however you spend your time, it’s doing what really matters to you. That’s where I come in.” [life coach for women empty-nesters].
This is the Geisha Principle. Being good at what you do, by making it all about them in your copy.
So the next time you need to write your marketing, ask yourself: what’s in it for them? When you focus your attention on their needs, challenges and desires, your competence and credibility will shine through naturally. Because it’s clear that you know who you are talking to, and what’s important to them. And it’s about them, not about you.
Want more Stella? Stella’s next production lab starts the end of June, and is designed for up-and-coming service professionals who want to get clear on who they are writing to and how to write so those people want what they have. It’s a 6 month program, and we’ll be writing your homepage, free report, and 3 newsletter articles together. You’ll also get trained in basic yet powerful copywriting skills, and smart marketing strategy. Learn more here.
Mighty thanks to electrobabe flickr photostream for the geisha
