How to Stimulate People's Demons
In Order To Sell
Article by Christian Godefroy
SalesLettersThatSell.com
Let's be honest: a copywriter who is trying to be an effective
salesperson is certain to stimulate one, or a number, of these demons,
hidden in the minds of all consumers, and always ready to show their ugly
heads. If no one has talked about the seven deadly sins in a book about
copywriting before, it certainly isn't because the authors weren't aware of
them. We are all very well aware of the following.
Gluttony forms the basis of the billions of pounds spent each year on
industries that produce things like sweets, cakes, desserts, preserves and
so on, as well as the billions spent, paradoxically enough, on diet products
and all kinds of methods purporting to help people lose weight.
Avarice has made a fortune for banks, stockbrokers, investment
consultants etc.
Envy of what the neighbors own is the single, greatest motivating factor
of our consumer-oriented society.
Pride sells Cartier watches, flashy and expensive cars, perfumes,
clothes, dream homes and thousands of other items that people don't really
'need'.
Laziness is the driving force behind mail order sales, and also makes
people buy all those gadgets, instant foods, handy tools etc. that are
supposed to make life so much easier.
Lust sells X-rated movies, videos, magazines and books, and almost
anything else you can imagine. 'Pretty girls make sales' as the saying goes,
and this is often quite true! Just look at the ads on TV and in magazines -
they're full of pretty girls wearing less and less clothing. If they didn't
sell, they wouldn't be there!
Anger works best in the area of politics, and can even result in
revolutions and social upheavals on a mass scale.
Are we, then, the instruments of Satan because we write sales letters?
It is up to you to answer this question for yourself. The only advice I can
offer is that if the product you're trying to sell is a good one and can
really help people, then don't hesitate to rely on the motivating factors
which deeply affect the people you're trying to reach.
We live in a material world (as the song says), in a consumer-oriented
society, at the dawn of the 21st century, and even if you want to change the
world, you still have to accept the rules that apply and play the cards
you're dealt.
One thing is for certain, the more you know about human nature, the more
enthusiastic you'll become. You'll quickly realize, as you progress in this
field, that people are basically honest, sensitive, enthusiastic, kind,
fairly intelligent - and idealistic!
In conclusion, keep the seven deadly sins in mind when trying to sell
something, and see if there's some way you can make them work for you. You
can also make use of the host of less deadly sins that all people succumb to
at one time or another, but that would take another book to explain!
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