Great Leads

1. The Rule of One: Focus on a single, powerful idea

"One good idea, clearly and convincingly presented, is better than a dozen so-so ideas strung together."

Simplicity is key. The Rule of One emphasizes the importance of focusing on a single, powerful idea in your sales copy. This approach ensures clarity and impact, making it easier for readers to grasp and remember your message. By concentrating on one core concept, you avoid diluting your message with unnecessary details or competing ideas.

Examples of successful application:

• Apple's "Think Different" campaign
• Avis' "We try harder" slogan
• Coca-Cola's "The pause that refreshes"

These iconic campaigns demonstrate the power of a single, well-articulated idea in capturing audience attention and driving brand recognition.

2. Customer awareness dictates lead approach

"Everything your prospect knows before you begin your sales pitch will determine not just what you'll say, but how you'll say it, when you open the conversation between seller and buyer."

Tailor your approach. Understanding your customer's level of awareness is crucial in determining the most effective lead type for your sales copy. Gene Schwartz's "Five Levels of Awareness" provides a framework for assessing your audience:

1. Most aware
2. Product-aware
3. Solution-aware
4. Problem-aware
5. Completely unaware

By identifying where your prospect falls on this scale, you can craft a lead that resonates with their current state of mind and knowledge. This tailored approach increases the likelihood of engagement and ultimately, conversion.

3. Offer Leads: Direct and effective for aware customers

"If this first lead type we'll look at isn't the easiest you'll ever write, with the most return per ounce of effort ... we'll see to it you get back every penny you paid for this book."

Cut to the chase. Offer Leads are most effective when targeting highly aware customers who are already familiar with your product or service. These leads work best when:

• Your product is easy to understand
• You have an exceptionally good deal or guarantee
• Your customer knows and trusts you

Key elements of an effective Offer Lead:

• Focus on the most emotionally-compelling detail of your offer
• Underscore the most valuable benefit
• Elaborate on the deal-benefit in the lead
• Include a compelling "reason why" for the offer

Remember to test different offer details, such as discounts, free trials, or premium gifts, to find the most compelling combination for your audience.

4. Promise Leads: Compelling benefits for interested prospects

"The only reason any rational human being ever purchases anything is to derive a benefit from it!"

Tap into desires. Promise Leads work best with "mostly aware" prospects who are almost ready to buy. They focus on the core benefit or outcome that your product or service delivers, tapping into the reader's desires and aspirations.

Effective Promise Leads:

• Address a specific, desirable outcome
• Highlight unique or competitive benefits
• Ensure the product can deliver on the promise
• Connect with the prospect's core desires

When crafting Promise Leads, remember that the most effective promises often relate to how the product will make the customer feel or how they'll be perceived by others. Balance the size of your promise with credibility – overblown claims can trigger skepticism, while modest promises may fail to capture attention.

5. Problem-Solution Leads: Empathize before offering hope

"To strike the responsive chord with the reader ... is to multiply the selling power of every reason-why given."

Feel their pain. Problem-Solution Leads are particularly effective when targeting "solution-aware" and "problem-aware" prospects. This approach allows you to connect with your audience by acknowledging their struggles before presenting your product or service as the solution.

Key elements of successful Problem-Solution Leads:

• Identify the most emotionally-charged problem
• Demonstrate empathy and understanding
• Stir emotions related to the problem
• Offer hope of a relevant solution

Techniques for Problem-Solution Leads:

• "If-then" approach
• "Inversion" or "Solution-Problem" leads
• "Identification" leads
• Question-based leads
• Instructional leads

Remember to balance the focus on the problem with the promise of a solution. Lingering too long on negative emotions can be off-putting, while moving too quickly to the solution may seem insensitive.

6. Secret Leads: Create intrigue and anticipation

"Part of us wants to know. We don't believe these things are random. We don't believe the world works in a random way; it's just by accident that people get that way. We believe there must be a secret."

Harness curiosity. Secret Leads tap into the human desire for insider knowledge and exclusive information. This approach is particularly effective for products or services that offer unique solutions or innovative approaches.

Key elements of effective Secret Leads:

• Introduce an intriguing concept in the headline
• Delay revealing the full secret
• Provide teasing details throughout the copy
• Connect the secret to a significant benefit

Techniques for crafting Secret Leads:

• Neologizing: Create a new term for your product or concept
• Transubstantiation: Transform something ordinary into something special
• Use specific details to build credibility
• Create a sense of exclusivity

Remember to maintain the balance between intrigue and relevance. The secret should ultimately connect to a meaningful benefit for the reader, not just serve as a gimmick to capture attention.

7. Proclamation Leads: Bold statements that demand attention

"To be effective, Proclamation Leads must be big and bold. They must not only grab attention, but also stir up thoughts and excite emotions."

Make a bold claim. Proclamation Leads use strong, attention-grabbing statements to capture the reader's interest. They work particularly well for products or ideas that challenge conventional wisdom or offer groundbreaking solutions.

Key elements of effective Proclamation Leads:

• Make the proclamation bold, not reasonable
• Ensure the subject is relevant to the audience
• Imply or state a clear promise
• Support the proclamation with compelling evidence

Types of Proclamation Leads:

• Declarative statements
• Predictions
• Warnings

When crafting Proclamation Leads, focus on efficiency. The power often lies in a single, impactful sentence. Support your bold statement with research and specific details to build credibility and maintain the reader's interest.

8. Story Leads: Engage emotions and bypass sales resistance

"If you are looking for a definition for a Proclamation Lead, here is one that will do: A well-constructed Proclamation Lead begins with an emotionally-compelling statement, usually in the form of the headline. And then, in the copy that follows, the reader is given information that demonstrates the validity of the implicit promise made."

Tell a compelling tale. Story Leads are among the most powerful and versatile lead types, capable of engaging readers on an emotional level while bypassing their natural resistance to being sold.

Key elements of effective Story Leads:

• Begin with a captivating narrative
• Create emotional connection and identification
• Embed the product or service naturally within the story
• Link the story to a clear benefit or promise

Famous examples of Story Leads:

• "They laughed when I sat down at the piano..." (John Caples)
• "The Man in the Hathaway Shirt" (David Ogilvy)
• "On a beautiful late spring afternoon..." (The Wall Street Journal)

When crafting Story Leads, focus on creating a narrative that resonates with your target audience's experiences and aspirations. Use vivid details and relatable characters to draw the reader in, and ensure that the story naturally leads to your product or service as the solution or key element in the narrative.

Last updated: January 22, 2025