Dramatic Sales Writing

The more I study copywriting (and I'm
far from learning everything I need and
want to learn about it), the more I'm
convinced that the essence of effective
copywriting can be summed up in the
words of Elmer Wheeler:

"Sell the sizzle, not the steak."

It's basic that people buy on emotion,
not rationality (although rationality
must be placated by being given good
reasons for buying -- at least for
prospects who even try to think
rationally (I do believe that there're
many prospects who don't give 2 hoots in
H*ll about whether any purchase is
even remotely rational or not -- light
up their desire and they want it. Look
at how big the recreational drug and
alcohol industries are. There're no
rational reasons for them, it's all
to feel good.

There may be some areas where the product
is so good and the prospect needs it
so badly, that they talk themselves
into it, but that's got to be rare.

To leave out the emotional element of
products would be to send us to a
communist heaven where everybody wears
the same gray Mao jacket and never has
any fun.

various copywriting resources