So Why Does My Sales Copy Get Such Phenomenal Results?

1) On p4 of Scientific Advertising, Claude Hopkins writes: The best (advertising /copywriting people) we know have been house-to-house canvassers. They may know little of grammar, nothing of rhetoric, but they know how to use words that convince. There is one simple way to answer many advertising questions. Ask yourself, "Would it help a salesman sell the goods?" "Would it help me sell them if I met a buyer in person?" A fair answer to those questions avoids the countless mistakes. But when one tries to show off, or does things merely to please himself, he is little likely to strike a chord which leads people to spend money.

For a time I was just that: a house to house canvasser. The CEO of Roofshield, [the leading roofing company at the time] wrote in a reference: “Whilst in our employ, Bill was found to be an excellent [house to house] canvasser and would have been one of the best ever employed by our Company.” They also employed the best, so I was arguably the absolute top house to house canvasser in the whole of Australia at the time. And if house to house canvassers make the best advertising/sales copy writers, you can expect my sales writing to get better results than any other for the price.

2) In p257 of Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples, he writes: "People [including buyers and advertising industry peer group] tend to vote for so called “clever” ads in an opinion test. However simple ads usually beat “clever” ads in a sales test. The ads. that win awards in the advertising industry are not the ones that generate the most sales!"

3) Let me tell you a story. When I was 13, My father and mother had a friend in their social set, a large and gregarious man, a solicitor names Angus. One day I remarked, not out of any hurt or bitterness, but just as an observation: Angus is false Mom! She objected strongly. Three years later, she worked as Office Manager to Angus. She came home from work one day, most annoyed and disappointed. “You know, you were right. Angus is definitely false!”
I do not know why, but for some reason since I was young, I had insight into people’s innermost motivations. I have since honed the skill to razor sharp so my copywriting taps deep emotions, unearths secret fears, highlights hopes and ultimately … gets people to respond to your offers!

4) For 35 years I have been in business for myself, either self employed or as a coach-sales writer. You see, I DON’T THINK LIKE A WRITER, I THINK LIKE A BUSINESS OWNER LIKE YOU. Consequently, when I write copy for you, I am ever mindful of your customers and clients as if they were my own.

5) Don Hauptman, author of the famous mail-order ad, Speak Spanish Like a Diplomat! says that when he writes a direct-mail package, more than 50% of the work involved is in the reading, research and preparation. Less than half his time is spent writing, rewriting, editing and revising. Recently a client hired me [Don Haupman] to write an ad on a software package. After reading the background material and typing it into my word processor, I had 19 single-spaced pages of notes. How much research is enough? Follow Bly’s Rule, which says you should collect at least twice as much information as you need - preferably three times as much. Then you have the luxury of selecting only the best facts, instead of trying desperately to find enough information to fill up the page.

6) I have a library of:
a) hundreds of the most successful headlines ever written,
b) over a hundred of the most successful sales letters ever written; probably over 200.
c) thousands of Case Studies in every industry imaginable so I can apply the Methods of the Multi Millionaire Marketing Masters.

When I work for you, I don’t try to be “creative”. I apply TRIED, TRUE and TESTED principles. Do you want “creativity” or “results”?

Bill Oliver B.Bus
Sales Writer/Coach