Two weeks ago, my wife and I flew to Miami.
This is my first time being on a plane since the world locked down last year.
And flying reminded me of a simple way you can make your emails (or blog posts, sales letters, non-fiction -- any writing, really) more persuasive and engaging.
To explain, consider this headline:
“What NEVER to Eat on an Airplane”
^^^ That headline was written by the late Mel Martin, one of the greatest copywriters of all time.
Mel Martin is credited with inventing bullets (sometimes called “fascinations”.) In fact, the copy Mel wrote was so persuasive, it helped turn Boardroom (one of the biggest info publishers of the 80s and 90s, and one of Mel’s clients) into a $100 million a year operation.
(Legend has it, Mel was so critical to Boardroom’s success that they kept his name a secret for fear the competition would make him a better offer!)
And you should put Mel Martin’s copywriting prowess to work in your own writing. How?
By speaking in absolutes.
Recall the headline from earlier:
“What NEVER to Eat on an Airplane”
How much more powerful is that headline than something like:
“What You Should Probably Avoid Eating on an Airplane”
No comparison, right?
Mel’s headline speaks in absolutes. He’s promising to reveal what you should NEVER eat on an airplane. That’s useful information!
But the second example?
Probably avoid? Ugh. That’s ambiguous. And generally speaking, people dislike ambiguity.
There’s a cognitive bias known as -- wait for it -- The Ambiguity Effect that helps explain our aversion to ambiguity.
Basically, the more primitive part of your brain interprets ambiguity as a potential threat. In the face of ambiguity, the primitive part of your brain says (and I’m paraphrasing here), “I’m not sure what’s behind that tree,
but ohmigosh it’s probably a tiger that’s going to eat me!”
On the other hand, we crave absolutes because they afford us a sense of safety and security.
That’s why you should ALWAYS speak in absolutes in your copy (assuming you’re being truthful, of course.)
A few words you can use to speak in absolutes:Always
Never
All
None
Must
Anyone
Every
Only
And here are a few examples of absolutes at work in copy:- What you should never bring to an IRS audit.
- The one exercise that can help anyone build muscle.
- What every writer needs to know about self-publishing.
- Dating secrets you won’t hear anywhere else.
- Most dangerous time of year to be in a hospital.
BTW, all this talk about absolutes ain’t just me whistlin’ Dixie.
I’m fortunate to be mentored by a true living legend copywriter. And he told me his copy went from good to GREAT when he started working in more absolutes.
So. Go, and do thou likewise.
Stay hungry and keep hustling,
-Paul
P.S. Here I am maxin’ and relaxin’ in Miami. Yes, the beard is real.
