To Know Them is To Sell Them
To Know Them is To Sell Them
See the essential questions that will revolutionize your email writing
Okay, okay! Based on comments and emails it seems my work here is wanted. Thank you for telling me! And a special thank you to the one who said "I always enjoy your perspective on everything. You’re talented and professional, and a little quirky which I love!" You know who you are - sending hugs.
So for today I thought I'd dive a bit into answering the 2 most common questions and frustrations email copywriters and marketers have:
What do I write about in the emails? aka how to find content to write about in a daily email
How do I write an email my subscriber will enjoy or want to read?
Most of what I write about is the psychology of persuasion in email. That psychology is based on the demographics and psychographics of your target audience...your ideal buyer. You must be able to sit in their seat...feel their angst and pain and frustration...understand what's happening in their world...and speak their language. That is, if you want your emails to be effective.
Email copy is more than writing. It's a conversation. And you must know the questions and responses your ideal reader has in order to write good or great copy.
So, how do get to know your ideal buyer so well you know what drives them, what motivates them, what disgusts them, what thrills them, what frightens them?
Research.
And if you do the research correctly, you will have so much information about your ideal buyer/reader that you can write a daily email for at least a year and not rinse and repeat a single one.
I say this from my own experience.
Back in 2008, my business began as a business research and competitive intelligence firm. I lived to find all the information I could about a business. I used the internet, the library, the telephone, my car. I noted details and seemingly irrelevant data. All of it was used in some way by my client and by me. And yes, my clients increased sales, impressed their clients, proceeded with acquisitions, and moved forward with lawsuits.
Now for the research and understanding your market.
Here are some powerful questions to guide your research:
1. What keeps them awake at night?
- What has them tossing and turning in bed? Is it the high cost of groceries? Or that interest rates are going up? Is it the slowdown of sales and that means they may not make payroll?
2. What are their top of mind fears?
- Are the overweight women afraid of being asked if they're pregnant? Are the executives afraid of being asked a question they can't answer? You'll find these answers inside groups where questions and comments about what they’re really feeling … flow freely.
3. What causes them pain?
- This can be physical, emotional, psychological, and even spiritual pain. What is causing them pain right now? Is it relationship=based? Finance-based? Do they fear the loss of their status in their community?
4. What are their insecurities?
- Do they feel weak? Are they embarrassed because their hair is thinning? Do they feel awkward in a bathing suit? Do they wish they knew more about … something? Are they ashamed of past actions?
5. What makes them angry?
- Everyone gets angry about something. Are they angry about the media constantly lying? Are they furious about an injustice? Do they get enraged about being ignored by their boss?
6. Who are they angry at?
- Many, many people are angry. It isn’t always expressed as anger - especially in women where it’s expressed as anxiety, depression, fear. Is it their spouse? their boss? their neighbor? their city officials? are they angry at someone who lied to them? or is it their banker or accountant?
7. Who are they blaming for their problems?
- Today's victim culture means most adults will not take responsibility for their own feelings or actions. It's always someone else's fault. They lost their job? It's the President's fault. They can't get a job? It's the college's fault. They can't lose weight? It's the GMO's or Big Pharma's fault. They can’t buy a house? It’s the greedy company’s fault.
8. What do they worry about most?
- This goes one step deeper than their fears. It’s something that stops them in their tracks with worry. Are they worried about their parents dying before they can fix the relationship? Are they worried the stock market will crash before they have a chance to enjoy retiring on their investments? Are they worried that terrorists will pick their city to attack? Are they worried they won’t have enough food stored up for the next economic shutdown?
9. What are their values?
- This isn't your values - it's their values. Do they believe climate change is manmade? Do they believe in the 'eye for an eye' form of justice? Do they believe in 'personal truth' and multiple truths? Doesn't matter if you agree or disagree. What matters is that you understand what they believe and value.
10. What religion are they?
- Christian? Muslim? Jewish? Buddhist? Mormon? Or are they atheist? If you're writing to Christians you'll approach it differently than if you were writing to Atheists.
11. What’s their most urgent problem right now?
- Most people are in the midst of an urgent problem...right now. What is it for your market? Hurricanes forecasted for an area relied on for citrus foods? That could effect the stock market and financial industries. War in a country that supplies raw food ingredients like rice, wheat, corn? That could effect mass food production.
12. Who are their enemies?
- Their enemy is the one who is stopping them from doing what they want to do. Politicians, ex-husband, new boss, old equipment, the doctor who refuses to prescribe a medication.
13. What income bracket are they in?
- You really want to know if they can afford your offer. And people who can afford luxury are looking for different things than people who have scrimped and saved for 10 years for that same luxury.
14. What are their political views?
- When you know this you understand what shapes their beliefs and their world view.
15. What frustrates them the most each day?
- We all have more than a few things that frustrate us every day. Impossible traffic during a morning commute. The price of coffee means having to drink the cheap, bitter stuff every day. The neighbor is always banging the garbage cans in the morning. They’ve recently started to battle memory issues and find it difficult to remember people's names.
16. What do they want so strongly they’re willing to do anything to get it?
- Is it peace and quiet? Is it financial security? Is it a job they can retire from? Is it to be cured of an illness?
17. Who are the main buyers for this product?
- Understand who the buyer really is. For instance, if you're a tutor for high school students your buyer is the parent. Who do you have to convince to buy your offer? Know this because if they're not convinced, you'll never sell anything.
18. Who makes the buying decisions in their household?
- If you're selling to married men, it's often the wife who makes the buying decisions.
19. How old is your customer?
- You will talk differently to each generation. Because their experiences, beliefs, and biases are different. You won't talk to a woman who is 65 years old like you would to a woman who is 23.
20. What gender is your customer?
- Sometimes you need to choose which one you're going to market to. This is similar to staying on one topic...sell to men and yes, some women will purchase. Sell to women and yes, some men will purchase. Currently I have an offer that is only for women in business. Would men buy it? Maybe. Do I want men to buy it? No. So all of my copy is focused on women - and as I’ve said in an previous newsletter, you must write differently for women than you would for men.
21. What is their occupation?
- Whether they're white collar, blue collar, a janitor or the CEO...you want to know what they do, want to do, wish they could do.
22. What’s their education level?
- Choose the ten dollar word and it just might go over their heads. That same ten dollar word might be perceived as 'talking down' to them.
23. Are they in debt?
- Are they debt free? Have they maxed out their credit cards? Are they looking at bankruptcy? Are they comfortable with debt?
24. What do they feel guilty about?
- Do they work too many hours and miss time with the kids? Do they sneak eat junk food? Do they feel like they're not using their 'privilege' enough? Or they using it too much?
25. Where are they located?
- Do they live in a city, suburb, or rural area? What are their friends like? Are they in a gated community or low income neighborhood?
26. Do they own a home or rent?
- Is it a luxury space or bare minimum?
27. What mistakes are they making that your product can help them stop making?
- This is at the core of your business - what problem do you solve? You know the problem...now list all the mistakes your market makes that lead to them having this problem.
28. What’s the number one problem they’re trying to solve right now?
- Yes, your market has a lot of problems. Yes, your offer solves those problems. Which problem is the biggest and most urgent? The one problem they think about most often? The one problem they think about as they're reading your email? The one problem they wish they could a solution for?
29. What feelings are they experiencing when searching for your product?
- What are they feeling when they Google their problem in search of solutions? What do they feel when they find the solution?
30. How do you want them to feel when they find your offer?
- Remember this ... all decisions - especially buying decisions - are made from emotion, not logic.
31. What do they secretly fantasize about?
- Do they dream of fame and fortune? Of having the perfect body? Of having zero product failures?
32. What kind of slang do they use in conversation?
- What figures of speech do they use? What jargon do they use? If you sound like them you're going to look like an insider ... like one of them ... and they'll be more likely to trust what you say and buy.
33. Who else is successfully selling something similar to them and how?
- Analyze competitors’ marketing strategies and customer reviews. Check out your competitor’s sales copy and marketing collateral.
34. What books are they reading?
- Interestingly enough, if your market as a whole reads something in particular - whether it's fiction or non-fiction - you can refer to it in your emails. It’s something they’re familiar with and enjoy.
35. What movies and tv shows are they watching?
- Those who only watch chick flicks or romance/comedies will respond differently than those who love horror and thriller movies. It's not that you're going to write about the movies in your email (though you might). It's more about the fact that you know them so well you know their entertainment choices.
36. What related products are they buying?
- Analyze sales data for cross-purchasing trends and ask about related products in surveys. Look for, and read, regular reviewers on review sites.
37. How aware are they of the problem your product solves?
- Gene Schwartz wrote an incredible book Breakthrough Advertising. He goes into great detail about market awareness. Here they are and I recommend you look them up to get a solid understanding:
Stage 1: Unaware
Stage 2: Problem Aware
Stage 3: Solution Aware
Stage 4: Product Aware
Stage 5: Most Aware
But Where To Find These Delightful Tidbits Of Info?
First, get out your paper and pen, turn on your phone/voice recorder, open a blank Google doc. Be prepared to make notes. Lots of notes. Because you are going exploring…
Personal interviews.
Online forums.
Product reviews.
Competitor customer testimonials.
Competitor sales copy.
Conversations with existing customers.
Discussions with prospects at gatherings.
Reports from market research firms.
Observing your market in action at a gathering.
Google Trends.
Old advertisements.
Surveys.
Ask the questions. Note the answers. Gain a comprehensive understanding of your market. This knowledge is invaluable for writing email copy that speaks directly to your audience's needs and desires. And you'll find that you have enough data to write copy for at least a year's worth of emails.
Remember, the key to writing engaging and persuasive emails is understanding your audience deeply. The more you know the more you can say. And the fewer words you need to say it.
Okay, that’s it for the moment. Have something you’d like to say or share? I’d love to hear it. Have a question? Leave a comment.
Talk soon -
Charlene Burke
Let's Connect