Sales & Marketing Authority, Bestselling Author & Business Motivational Speaker

5 Sales Copy Mistakes to Avoid

When I started out in sales I thought writing sales copy would be the easiest part of my job. I loved the products I was selling and truly believed in them, so I thought telling people about them in writing would be a piece of cake.

I quickly learned that writing sales copy isn’t as simple as I wanted it to be. Simply formatting errors or mistakes in wording can easily turn what would have been an incredibly powerful piece into a complete failure. Today I’m going to share my top 5 copy mistakes which every salesperson should avoid.

1. USING CAPITAL LETTERS. In short, don’t do it. Words and sentences written in capital letters are difficult to read. They also make it seem as though you are yelling at someone or telling them what to do. If you really want to make a point, experiment with italics, bold letters, or underlining certain words or phrases. Even changing the color of your text will prove more effective.

2. Forgetting to check for spelling and grammar. Check your work, put it aside for a day, and then check it again. Make sure that everything is spelled correctly and that you used proper grammar. Avoid using common slang terms within your sales copy as well. A perfectly written piece of sales copy will make you look like a pro, and people will be more likely to buy what you have to sell.

3. Making false claims. Don’t make false claims in your sales copy. Sadly, many copy writers don’t even realise that what they are saying is untrue. Stating that your product is the cheapest or the best might sound great, but is it really true? Has it been proven? If so, provide proof or make a real life-comparison. Your readers will trust what you have to say if you can back it up with fact instead of speculation.

4. Making false promises. Let’s say, for example, you are selling a product that users can put in their fuel tanks to increase mileage per gallon. Don’t write a statement that promises your buyers will automatically get an extra 10 miles per gallon of fuel when driving. Varying circumstances, such as vehicle type or driving style, make it very difficult to know what results each person will achieve. You can, however, use examples and testimonials that state what other people have experienced as long as you note that not everyone will achieve the same type of result.

5. Lying about the price. I know that people love the word “FREE” but don’t tell people that a product is free if it really isn’t. Something that is free does not involve a huge shipping fee. Something that is advertised as free should not have a paragraph of small print that describes the product as free for the first 30 days only. Catching my drift here? Free is free. If what you are selling is not free, outline it clearly – not in fine print.

Avoiding these common copywriting mistakes will enable you to produce powerful and effective sales copy. I urge you to go back and check some of the copy you’ve written previously and check for these mistakes. Can your work be edited for success?

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant - Internet Marketing Consultant - Sales Expert