Chunk Copy - Sales Converting Copywriting

John's sales letter have a unique style that I always admired. I noticed he uses a tried and true formula. While the graphics change, they are always crisp and alive, vital and energetic. The layout allows your eye to follow the copy easily and the fonts are different. Something says "I'm new, I have something you really need to hear and you better read every bit that follows".

A further glance at his copy reveals the chunks or blocks that it is built on. Smart large font headers, subheadlines that yell at you and transition into the message. You see this style often but don't consciously think about how it's done and why it works. Interestingly, most people couldn't write their own copy. They would sit staring at the page and just spin their wheels wasting time.

This seems to be the primary reason why, despite a bundle of good ideas, most folk can't write their own sales copy and engage professional writers, like John Hostler. Of course, the formula that John uses took him many years to develop and polish and he would be the first to agree that it is still a developing art.

I have often looked at effective copy and thought, "Why were the images placed in just that spot? How did he know how to link that text to the order button and when was the time right to close the copy and invite the reader to buy?"

Chunk Copy is your chance to learn at John's feet. Pull up a chair and view some 3 hours of personalized video tutoring, read his secret resource guide, use his templates and be really surprised at the sheer value of the content offered.

I've seen a lot of people rave about John's work and it's no secret he's highly sought after by leading internet marketers. Some glowing testimonials have been written about his copywriting and a few follow...without the authors' names I'm afraid, in case I'm transgressing someone's privacy or copyright.

"I can count on one hand who I'll give copywriting jobs to - and John's high on that list. I've created tons of best-selling products that make 5 figures in just hours, and one of the fundamental "secrets" to achieving such results is the sales copy.

Not only is John one of the best 'underground' copywriters around, but John truly cares how your copy performs for YOUR product. His salesletters even outpull copy written by some of the biggest names out there, which speaks a lot about his abilities. Whether you're looking for high converting sales copy, or a coach that will turn you into a copywriting master, John is your guy. I highly recommend him!"

And another...

"John, when I had heard about you as this 'below' the radar' copy guy I was intrigued because most copywriters simply don't suit my style. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much because I had been hunting for someone for weeks, and wasn't finding anyone that called to me.

Then I saw your page and I totally dug it. After we spoke on the phone and you said you'd have this page kicking ass for me I felt comfortable with you as my go-to guy. Although in the back of my mind I was thinking about what I would need to be doing with my testing to make sure conversions were where they needed to be.

When you sent me the sales letter, I was stoked. It really was a piece of art. And then imagine my surprise when that thing ran at 5% right out of the gate. I've been at this a very long time and have never seen anything convert across the board like that without testing. I've got to hand it to you, you know what you're doing my man. When I need copy done you're the guy I'm coming to from now on."

I have a confession and John Hostler found me out. I hate it when someone points out the very thing you know you're guilty of! You see, everyone knows that writing an ad, sales letter or copy starts with staring at a blank page and taking 5 minutes deliberating over the first few lines. A few lines through your work, a cup of coffee, some eraser marks and ten minutes later should see...well, in my case not very much! What? Yeah man...I'm a slow starter!!

You know what? Most people are the same. I worked this out years ago when at school I was almost blown away by a difficult exam question. I knew enough then to turn the page, complete the exam and come back to that question later. I didn't spin my wheels wasting time and energy. So why do I falter in business?

Today I listened to some of John Hostler's Chunk Copy video. He says he hardly ever starts at the top of the page and that this can be suicidal. Thank you mate! Like I should have known this? He splits his work into, well, chunks! He might even write the middle or last part of the page first and write his opening header later. Anyway, it makes good sense and I'll let you in on some other gems as I learn and kick myself in the head.

I am a health professional and frequently have to write a health column, a sales letter or ad, or promote my business on the net in some form or other. Next to public speaking and brushing a white pointer's teeth, writing sales copy sits somewhere on my 'hate to do' list ... right up near hanging out the washing or polishing shoes! I have learned something over the years though and that is that the better you get at something, the more you enjoy it. In fact, if you start kicking goals with it, you learn to relish it.

And so I set out to conquer my fears and improve my copywriting skills. Not that my command of the English language was so bad; it just wasn't really interesting to those reading it. You know when a public speaker seems to be the only one listening to himself? I think that often this happens with sales letters too. Who really wants to read the whole thing. Hell, my own wife looks the other way when I ask her to proof read one for me. Anyway, we all need a mentor and they say that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

Well maybe he got lost or was given the wrong address because he didn't ring my bell or email me or nothing. In fact, even when I went googling for the master blaster freakin guru Jedi master of them all, he wasn't listed where I looked for him. Maybe he couldn't rank for the search terms I used. Anyway, it plain didn't happen, except I signed up for a bunch of crap and got my chain jerked real well by some slick marketers who saw me coming a ways off.

So enter some gal from the IM (thats internet marketing for you amateurs) world called Liz Tomey. Now Liz has been around and has some real measure of success of her own. She markets great private label rights products and sells big time with glossy, slick sales pitches that make my Mastercard hand real itchy. But one day, she pulls one out of left field and emails that she doesn't write all her own sales copy and that some cat called John Hostler does a fine job of it as a 'behind the scenes' professional.

Well, I liked the sales pitches so much I went off and quickly found this guy all over the net - he has a persona called the Internet Renegade, a bit like an internet Zorro I think. Well, I signed up for some of John's material and I got to tell you - he has the chops! I was more interested in the testimonials written about him by others than what he says about himself. In fact, he's kind of laid back and cool with an informal, causal style of writing with a nice element of humour about it...but he keeps freakin writing 'freakin' all the time and no one will explain me to what this exactly means!

This site is all about what I have learned with John in recent months in improving my own sales copy. He has some tricks and techniques that really do keep you a bit glued to the page and he has some nice closing techniques. That's always the hardest bit - the dreaded close! He released Chunk Copy in Feb 2009, a three hour video tutorial outlining his method and I do like it. Far easier than ploughing through a 120 page PDF and entertaining to boot while I research Australian Shiraz and its effects on writing effective copy!

Now this is a copywriting lens, not an affiliate, internet marketing, promotional hyped up anything goes lens. But since I am involved in Kenneth Kee's giveaway event launching March 27th - 12th April 2009 and am giving away some great PLR copywriting products, I had to let you know so you can grab them for free.


It is expected to get me about 5000 members in just a few days. Who knows, maybe up to 10,000 new members. The promotion will have over 200,000 visitors in just a few days. So the exposure will be great. Just click the image above to see more.

I went searching for content about John Hostler for sheer curiosity. I wanted to see what other internet marketers have to say about this dude and to read some testimonials. John has been a prolific publisher of material and, of course, it appears often not in his own name but in the name of professional marketers who paid (well) for his services. I love reading some of the headers he has used to introduce products such as "Does It Perform Like Clark Kent With A Kryptonite G-String?"

What's this guy on and why does it work so well in copy? Well I guess no one likes to be 'sold to' but they do like being 'entertained' and I think John has learned to talk to his readers, rather than sell to them. The style is laid back, personal and casual with some humour and jest thrown in. He tends to even laugh at himself and his style is never patronising.

Some excerpts from testimonials include...

"The guy I'm going to introduce you to is a seasoned marketer and probably one of the most kick-ass copywriters around. I've discovered and resourced for you a rather amazing video over one hour long."

"What makes him different is his tone. It has an edge to it that draws you in, slaps you in the face (and calls you Susan), and makes you take out your wallet and buy."

'As a "pitch guy" John understands that the tone of your sales copy has to be appropriate for your audience. So he offers you copy with and without "sass." '

"If you've never seen the genius copywriter John Hostler at work, then prepared to be awestruck."

Now these are out of context being used for differing products and from different marketers and it is simply to illustrate the guy's reputation. Check out Chunk Copy for yourself and see if John's reputation as the master copywriter is not deserved.

John and his partner Phil Craig have developed a distinctive stye to their sales site, helped with their vibrant graphic artist. Each new product is recognisable by their template and styling - and they are dammed attractive, not the guys - the templates!

I would go so far as to say that the products are more attractive because of their styling but if the copy fails, well it wouldn't matter how well they ranked either. In fact fellow Aussie Andrew Hansen, well known for Firepow just wrote an article today commenting on huge efforts for SEO being wasted because of poor copy once the site is browsed. It's like, what a let down!

Check out Phil's latest release and tell me if you wouldn't just want to read the whole story through and get down to the close, just to learn how good copy is written. Now I honestly have no idea if John had a hand in this or not and I will ask him but I LIKE THE STYLE and I bet others do too. You can learn from this page.

Domains Into Dollars, Quick Cash Domaining and MaximumPLR are more of their joint products and aside from it being an excellent value video tutorial product, the sales copy is really riveting. If you are a student of writing effective sales copy that converts, just check the sales page. By the way, the cool looking cat above is Phil Craig - gee he doesn't look like a lawyer!

I came across a sales letter styled by John Hostler and Liz Tomey for a Resell Rights Bootcamp with a great miltary styled theme and the copy was brilliant. They used colourful headers and grabs to slap you around and pull you up by the bootlaces like ...

"You're About To Launch A Resell Rights Attack So Deadly That Your Visitors Will Instantly Throw Up Their White Flag And Surrender To Your Will, Buying Anything You Want Them To And Stuffing Your Pockets Full Of Cash On Command..."

"To win this war and make more money than sin you'll need to report to special ops training immediately soldier."

The letter is mostly one or two liners which are really to the point, using lots of bold formatting and military imagery. As a good example of Chunk Copy check out the sales page here.

Now John Hostler has launched Chunk Copy around Feb 2009 in a low key fashion to his subscribers. Since it is a PLR product, it is up to each marketer to do with it as he/she chooses. Now I am going to share something with you (and John himself) along with the marvellous glass of French Cab Sav I am enjoying late on a Sunday evening down under here in Melbourne, Australia.

Ken Sar launched his March Madness Giveaway just a day ago and being my very first Giveaway campaign to listbuild, I have offered Chunk Copy as the OTO, famously known as an acronym for One Time Offer, once giveaway members subscribe to a gift.

Now there is a point to this, other than I really want to let you know how well the French Cab Sav went down with some lebanese takeaway food and John Hostler himself would advise me to describe in fascinating details how 'freaking wonderful' the food was and 'freakin delicious' the nectar of the gods went down with it. But honestly, I really wanted to share the succcess of the conversion rate of the OTO since it is realistically a potential measure of the desirability for this product and possibly a measure of John's reputation and ability to craft a great sales letter, since it his own copywriting selling the OTO!! How novel?

The more I think about it, I am promoting John's product but it is John's copy on the sales page so if after a week of the giveaway, I have X number of downloads of my gift, but Y numbers of conversions on the OTO, does it say much about the product? Or does it just prove I remember algebra from 1977?

Who am I kidding?? Giveaway members notoriously download everything, let it turn to cyberdust and do little with it, despite grandiose intentions! The fact that they may not recognise superior sales copy and product and refuse to pull out their wallets is not a fair test of anything...I just wanted to flag it with you and tell you I'm going to reveal the numbers at the end of the giveaway and tell you right up if the OTO sold.

Now John, you'll say it's the Cab Sav talking but here's the thing. Do folk who are serious about building their internet marketing potential even know what they should be buying, taking for nothing or spending their time learning? Probably not since the biggest market around is likely to be hard drives trying to keep up with the immense needs for storage of downloaded free products...and special vaccuum cleaners that suck up that cyberdust from inside PCs!

So to end this contribution, go check out Ken Sar's March Madness Giveaway, grab some freebies, be selective about it when you do and give a thought to which product might really help your efforts rather than deprive your much needed drive memory and grab my own gift in there, titled "How To Eliminate Stress & Anxiety From Your Life" with PLR rights - if you do, you'll see Chunk Copy offered as the OTO for your efforts. You decide!

Words on a computer screen that create income - a dream for many of us, but a dream that so few achieve. Looking back 100 years ago at some of our predecessor's form of marketing, I can only smile at how simple it was to create effective sales pitches back then.

It usually consisted of "Use Brand X" or "Eat Brand Y", there was a happy person illustrated and that was about the extent of the marketing copy. So what's changed? Competition for one thing - so many millions of products now available all screaming "buy me"! The major change in recent years is the web. Once upon a time, a successful marketing strategy took years to infiltrate the ranks of sales people - nowadays new killer strategies come and go every other day and often lose popularity among weary and wary, bleary eyed consumers at the same pace.

But some things remain constant, the basic psychology of humans that triggers them to pull out their credit cards for the "latest thing they just gotta have". In this article, we'll take a look at the basics of creating effective web marketing copy that will help increase your online sales - and keeping your nose clean while doing so.

WIIFM - What's in it for me? Before you set to typing your first word, you need to understand the product or service you are promoting - thoroughly. It's not enough to just state how good it is - puffery (a term explained later in this article) is simple and quite often frowned on by consumers.

Think of yourself as the person whom you are targeting. Not only would you want to know the features of the product or service, but just how it will benefit you. Create a list all the features of your product, then next to those features list the benefits; e.g

Feature - Fast
Benefit - Save time

This will work as a basis for your marketing copy.

Generate sales through effective text formatting. People have a tendency to skim over printed matter, looking for what they want to read. In order to attract the attention of the prospective customer, its important to use headings, bold text to
ensure important aspects of your offer stand out. Try to write short paragraphs and use dot points to assist in summarizing a feature or benefit.

================================
Begin Example:

(Note: this example is italicized for separation purposes - I'm not suggesting that you should italicize everything) Increase your sales with our proven marketing strategies!

Are you finding that increasing your online sales is becoming more challenging? Here's a proven solution!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ulliam corper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Easy to learn
Rapid implementation
Economical solution
Flexible and simple to customize
blah

Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ulliam corper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Our Special Offer to You!
Get an amazing 25% off if you order during November only! Purchase your copy today!

Satisfaction Guaranteed!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ulliam corper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Buy it now!

End Example
================================

Personalize your sales message, ask questions. You'll notice in the above sample that the term "you" and "your" is used often, to make things a little more personal. It's not so much about "us" as it is about them - the potential customer.

Also, a question is asked to assist prospective customers in identifying the challenges they may be facing - an answer to the question is immediately given afterwards, then the direct benefit to the customer. Asking a question is a good way to introduce a product or service before going into the details. It may not be a
question they've asked themselves before, and that's ok - it can then sow the seeds. "No, I've never wondered about that, but now that you ask, I'm curious"

Resist negative words
This isn't something I've done a lot of research on; but an issue that many Internet marketers observe religiously - resisting the use of negative words. Here's an example:

"Don't delay!"

It's a short but powerful statement - and has 2 negative words. The thinking is that by suggesting something negative, a course of action that a person may not have taken - delaying; it can actually cause them to take that action. So another way of putting this is...

"Hurry, limited offer!"

While "limited" may sound a little negative, it's an action on the merchant's side rather than perhaps suggesting a negative course of action that could be taken by the potential customer.

A call to action
It's also important that after every benefit/offer statement that a call to action, such as 'purchase now', 'learn more' or 'enquire today' follows soon after. Believe it or not, such a simple thing.

It really does work - regardless of how independent we believe ourselves to be; on a subconscious level we like to be told what to do as long as it doesn't interfere with our own set of morals. The "buy now" blurbs are often just affirming something we'd like to do; telling us it's ok to do so and creating a sense of urgency.

You may find that you will need to create many calls to action on one page as different triggers will work on different customers. In many cases, the customer will not be able to see, hear or touch the product, so it's important that wherever possible that you are able to offer a money back guarantee.

Often merchants are nervous of offering 100% money back guarantees, but the research I've carried out over the years indicates that, *generally* speaking, people don't take up on the offer - they just want to know it's there. You will get tyre kickers, but you're better off without those sorts of folks as customers anyway.

Risk minimization - the refund guarantee
Many top Internet marketing gurus would testify that the refund offer is the "clincher" regarding whether a customer purchases or not. However, I would advise you to research your industry before offering this - I have witnessed abuse by customers of these offers in certain industries, especially in Internet based services and information products whereby they can get the full benefit of the
product, then want their money back.

It's also important not to fudge a refund statement. If there are conditions, be clear. By burying conditions and gotcha's in your terms of service, it will make wary customers turn tail and those who haven't reviewed them very angry if they do request a refund. Slimy refund policies can do a lot of damage to your online reputation.

Testimonials and reviews
Being a social animal, humans succumb to peer pressure in its many forms. A testimonial is a very subtle form of peer pressure. Think about it, if a leader in your industry recommends a certain product, does that give it more credibility in your mind?

Gathering testimonials can be a very simple task. Contact customers who have purchased from you previously and ask them a few simple questions plus permission to publish their comments. Remember that people are generally very busy, so it may mean having to respond to their WIIFM (what's in it for me) factor. This could be offering your clients one of your products for free if they complete a survey.

If your product or business is new, then you won't have any customers to gain testimonials from. In this case, before going into a full scale launch of your product/service, offer free or demo versions to people on the provision that they complete a survey after a trial period - and that they allow their comments to be published.

A word of warning - don't use testimonials that make it sound as though your product/service is a cure for all the world's ills (unless it is). Customers will soon see through the hype, or worse still, fall for the hype and be chasing you when the product doesn't perform to the level that your marketing implies. Learn more about using testimonials and reviews as part of your marketing.

Part 2 below...
Copyright information.... This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety & this copyright statement must be included. Visit http://www.tamingthebeast.net for free Internet marketing and web development articles, tutorials and tools! Subscribe for free to our popular ecommerce/web design ezine!

Keep your nose clean - deceptive advertising
While on the topic, as mentioned, puffery is easy; but sometimes puffery can cross the line into deceptive advertising - and that's where you may run into problems with the feds or a disgruntled customer's lawyer. There's a simple acid test for gauging where marketing copy crosses the line. Just ask yourself "Is this blurb
false *and* a conscious attempt to mislead the client?

Ignorance of the law won't help you if the FTC or equivalent agency comes knocking - or if someone files a law suit against you. Aside from ethical issues, whether you win or lose is irrelevant as the cost, time and stress from a law suit may be enough in itself to put you out of business - and really, who wants that sort of hassle in the first place?

Most US and international laws related to truth in advertising are based on a combination of *average* consumer perception and merchant *intention* as I understand it

The Commission states that a representation, omission or practice is deceptive (excluding puffery) if it is likely to: "mislead consumers and affect consumers' behavior or decisions about the product or service"

Read more about the Rules of The Road of online advertising and online marketing lies. By the way, many merchants are under the impression that by burying fine print in their terms of service will protect them 100% against law suits - don't bet on it. Learn more about terms of service traps.

What is puffery?
I've made mention of this term a couple of times, so in case you're not sure what it means, The Federal Trade Commission defines it as a "term frequently used to denote the exaggerations reasonably to be expected of a seller as to the degree of quality of his product, the truth or falsity of which cannot be precisely determined."

Here's a few examples

"The best flombles in town!"
"Craziest sale ever!"
"We can't be beaten!"

Basically puffery is a statement that is so over the top that the average person wouldn't believe it and it wouldn't factor into their purchase decision.

That being the case, while a bit of puffery might grab a potential customer's attention initially, overkill will drive them away pretty quickly too as it's just fluff without substance.

Concluding your sales copy...
Chances are if the customer has read all the way through the page that they aren't an impulse buyer, but quite discerning. Your last paragraph is make or break time and your final chance on that particular occasion to secure a sale, so it may be at that point you need to offer an extra bonus of some sort - but bear in mind you won't always make a sale the first time a customer is exposed to your product/service.

It is often said in the world of marketing that a discerning customer needs to see an offer seven times before they will buy, so this is where you need to turn a hesitant buyer into a follow up lead.

Turning hesitant buyers into leads
In these instances, you'll need to be able to find a way to stay in touch with the customer - converting a lead into a sale through using slightly different strategies.

The most effective way to do this is to offer a free subscription to a special report or series of reports on the product/service subject; basically it's just follow up email marketing which can be easily automated. When offering the free subscription/report, ensure that you guarantee to protect the privacy of the customer.

These types of offers can be effectively made using popups or a page peel script.

Further sales copy tips
Do respect the customers intelligence. Talking down to people will get you nowhere.

Remember to use positive and to-the-point language that a prospective customer will understand. Use simple fonts to get your message across - decorative fonts can be very hard to read.

Don't be too concerned by the length of your spiel. As long as you have observed the previously mentioned points, it can be as long as you like - different customers will respond to different triggers.

A basic guideline of effective marketing is to try and keep sales copy focused on the one product or service rather than distracting the customer with other offers - I admit it, I'm guilty of doing this. Works for some, not for others - experiment.

Further learning resources:
Creating effective landing pages

Email subject line tips

Press release format tips

Michael Bloch, Taming the Beast
http://www.tamingthebeast.net
Tutorials, web content, tools and software. Web Marketing, Internet Development & Ecommerce Resources.
___________________________

Copyright information.... This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety & this copyright statement must be included. Visit http://www.tamingthebeast.net for free Internet marketing and web development articles, tutorials and tools! Subscribe for free to our popular ecommerce/web design ezine!

This lens is all about copywriting and it is only fair to let you know where some free copywriting gifts abound, some of which I am giving away. The two giveaway events seen below are worth signing up for just for the material related ot this topic. Some good authors are represented and most of it has PLR or Master Resell Rights as well.





You know that giveaways are great places to find excellent PLR material and for list-building, well, they just rock. Now if you want to see a giveaway with a twist, you can get into something where your OTO is your own, hosted on your own server, with all the links you want to other sites and offers! Get in quick to Powerdynamtics by Fred Koster. It runs for about 6 weeks, much longer than most and the upgrade is very powerful.