When your prospects see your marketing materials, your
brochure, your web site or your ads you want them to
read them. You want prospects to read not just the first
sentence but the majority of your copy. Once they've read
it, you want them to decide that they need your product
or service and either make a purchase or contact you for
more information.

When prospective clients and customers see your web site,
ads or brochures, you want them to be captivated and
impressed. You hope they'll read not just the headlines,
but all the way through the copy. And you want this
scintillating copy to motivate them to take the next step,
and make a purchase or contact you for more information.

Is it working?

Do prospects read your marketing materials? Does the copy
convince them that they need your products and services?
Do they understand the value you provide?

Do they contact you?

What's the key to writing marketing copy that grabs your
prospects' attention, overcomes common objections and leads
to a sale or an inquiry?

When you finally call a plumber to fix that leak under the
sink, does he spend ten or fifteen minutes talking about how
long he has been in business, the wrenches he uses or the
process he uses to solder a joint together? Of course not.

You have a problem and, in most cases, you need it solved
immediately. You don't necessarily care how he does it you
just want your leaky plumbing fixed. Of course you want to
spend as little as possible, but you see the plumber's fees
relative to the damage you're incurring from the leak.

Likewise, prospects' own problems and concerns precede their
interest in your products and services. To capture their
attention and get them to read your marketing copy; focus
on what they want; don't begin your marketing copy with
descriptions of the solution you provide or your credentials
or processes.

Prospects' problems come first, then your solution. Problem;
solution. Prospects want to see themselves and their
concerns clearly identified in order to feel confident that
you understand their needs.  By addressing this, you create
the context so that when you do describe your products and
services, they are the obvious solution to your prospectsÕ
needs.

Take a look at your marketing materials, including
everything from your business card to your web site. Who
and what are your marketing materials about; you or
your prospectsÕ concerns?

Make a list of five to fifteen things that your prospects
want. Turn these into questi0ns or statements about your
prospects' problems. Asking questi0ns is particularly
effective in getting prospects to think about solving their
problems.

If you're a financial advisor you might ask, "Do you want
to learn how to make more in both up and down markets?" If
you help people with marketing their businesses you might
ask, "Do you want to learn how to attract more clients and
increase s.ales?" If you sell golf clubs you might ask,
"Do you want to hit further and more accurately with less
effort?"

To attract new clients you need to get their attention,
demonstrate that you understand their concerns and clarify
the value your products and services provide. Focus your
marketing copy on your prospects' problems, ask them
questi0ns and couch your solutions in terms of their
objectives. You'll start more conversations, sell more
products and sign up more clients.