Web Marketing Series

The art of getting skeptical prospects to believe the claims you make in your web site promotions, to agree with what youre saying, is one of the most difficult challenges facing advertisers and copywriters. And bottomline if the prospect doesnt believe you, hes not going to buy from you.

One of the most effective writing methods for getting prospects to believe your claims and turning them into customers is a technique known as Pacing and Leading. Let me define these terms.

Pacing statements are statements of fact. They are easily proven as true or are commonly accepted as true. Some examples;

"No effective solution is possible unless one understands the problem"

"Doctor visits are increasing across Americawith more heart disease and obesity than ever before"

Seethe prospect is consciously aware of the veracity of these statements.

Leading statements are the statements, the claims, you want your prospect to believe, but have not been proven true, or are not commonly accepted as true. Some examples:

"The use of commonly available vitamins and minerals is insufficient for improving our health."

"We would all be healthier and less disease-prone if our doctors and nutritionists understood the root problem."

"Our product will revive your energy and protect you against age-related disease."

Notice the difference? The truth of our pacing statements are obvious. The leading statements are the selling statements we want our prospect to believe, to buy into.

Sohow do we turn these statements into powerful and compelling copy? Its all in the rhythm. Example:

Pace- Most middle-aged men would love to feel like 20 again, to have more energyto be free of worry from those age-related diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, alzheimers.

Pace- However, we have all either read about, seen or experienced the fatigue and disease which strikes a large proportion of men as they age.

Lead- Product Xs unique blend of vitamins, herbs and minerals, used for centuries in Eastern medicine, specifically address male related aging maladies.

Now eliminate the two pacing statements and allow your lead sentence to stand alone as a selling statement. Not very credible, is it?

However, when these statements are strung together, notice the powerful effect as the lead grows naturally out of the pacing statements. For your prospect, its another yes.

And as any experienced marketer knows, each prospects unconscious yes is a suble, yet powerful, means for comfortably moving that person to your desired end.

A good rhythm to use in your copy is to write two or three pacing statements, or questions, where yes is the only answer. Follow with your lead statement. The writing style should be conversational, with a logical flow between pacing and leading statements. Throughout your copy, gradually reduce the number of pacing statements between leads. For example; three pacing statements followed by a leadtwo pacing statements followed by two lead statementsthen one pacing statement and three leads.

Try it. List the truths, the pacing statements that apply to your product or service. Now list your leads, those statements which you want your prospect to believe. Experiment with the pace and lead rhythm mentioned above. As subsequent paces follow naturally from the previous lead, you will experience the power of this technique.

Copyright Alan Richardson