Monday, September 18, 2006
Copywriting Tips: It's Bragging Time
“Prospective clients don’t care about you. They want to know what you offer.” True. But when you’re delivering a service, what you’re offering is you. Let’s face it. Clients these days are getting more sophisticated. They’ve heard all those promises to “triple your sales in six months” and “take your life to the next level.” Now they’re wondering, “What can I believe? And will I enjoy working with this resource?” So on a hard-working website, an About Page becomes a selling page. Yet surprisingly I’ve seen few guidelines for creating this very important part of a website, brochure or speaking one-sheet. Based on my experience, here are three essential ingredients to include in your own recipe for self-promotion. (a) A compelling rags-to-riches story. Example: “Three years ago, I lost my job and had to feed my kids. I had no skills and no passport to the executive suite. Now I have two summer homes and a private yacht.” This ingredient works best if you can legitimately claim excellent, measurable, demonstrable success following a painful, slow beginning. Rags without the riches comes across as, “Hey, why hire someone to model failure?” Riches without rags can seem arrogant. We want to believe we’re dealing with a real human being. (b) Credentials. Often my clients don’t recognize their own credentials. Sure, we all count degrees and certifications. But if you survived ten years of corporate life, gaining promotions along the way, you have something to bring to the table. Or maybe you helped a hundred (or a thousand) clients. Your book was published by a “real” publisher. A radio show interviewed you as a Guest Expert. When I created my first About page, I felt self-conscious listing myself as a Ph.D. and published author. But I found clients wanted to hire my credentials. “I saw your book in the library and I was so proud to know you!” said one client. (c) Hobbies and Interests. Tell us what you do when you’re not tapping away on the keyboard or presenting brilliant speeches to spellbound audiences. Choose examples that will help you bond with your own target market and get specific. “I enjoy music” is a ho-hum. “I play cello for an amateur chamber music group” gives you a talking point. So does “I am a jazz enthusiast, and my favorite artists are...” “Giving parties” lets your readers conjure up all sorts of things. “I cook gourmet dinners for my friends” suggests you’re smart, creative, likeable and organized. No talents you’d like to share? Tell us your favorite movies, music, television programs and sports. And most readers will respond positively to stories about family, dogs, cats and travel. Can you tell a joke on yourself? I’d be careful with True Confessions but clients like to believe you’re human, especially if you have strong credentials. I like to say, “My favorite recipe is take-out.” Bottom Line: Whatever you write, don’t worry about bragging. Your readers want to believe you’re smart, wonderful, funny, creative and special. And if you think about it, you probably are. So...what’s your favorite About page story or challenge? Please share and perhaps we’ll feature your question in a future ezine article. Feel free to share amazing examples and/or present alternative viewpoints. And if you’d like me to help with your own About page, visit my Services page: http://www.makewritingpay.com/services.html |
# posted by Cathy Goodwin @ 11:36 AM 
