Review words that sell

by Karon Thackston © 2005

copywritingcourse. com/wordswork. html

It's the Golden Rule of copywriting. "Know your target audience." It is impossible to persuade someone you know nothing about to take any type of action. But the question remains: How - exactly - do you get to know your prospective customers?

For copywriters, this task is the most time-consuming. When you're faced with making a connection with someone you've never met, it can be frustrating. That's why I was excited when I found out about a series of reports entitled "Words That Sell" (see: copywritingcourse. com/wordswork. html.)

How would you like it if someone else did the hard part for you? Then take heart! The people at The Brooks Group (publishers of these reports) interviewed hundreds of professionals in a wide range of occupations to get the specific information included in the ebooks.

These reports target people in 38 different industries in detail including medical professionals, chief executives, entrepreneurs, human resources, dentists, doctors, hospital administrators, engineers, real estate managers and so many others. What do they deliver? Details. Exact details about what words work, what words don't and why.

What's Good About These Reports

A lot of research went into the making of these reports. It took years to interview countless professionals then compile and sort the data. Then the creators of the reports developed easy-to-read ebooks written in everyday language for each profession. Inside you get:

· background and personality profile

· psychological profile

· exact wording to use

· reasoning behind why some words work and some words don't

· exact wording NOT to use

· sample letters, headlines and copy to use

· and more

You get a lot of information in each report. These are not just 5- to 8-page lists of words to use. Each report is 20-25 pages long and has insightful, specific information that will make your job as a copywriter go much more smoothly and quickly.

I also liked that I could buy each report individually or in "combo" packages for a discount. That way, if I need just one, I only have to pay a small price.

These reports are quick to read, and for busy copywriters, that's a real blessing. I find myself going back to them over and over and - because of the simple layout - I can get the information I need quickly without having to reread the entire report again.

What's Not So Good About These Reports

They need more examples. Yes, you do get examples of how to use the information, but more would be nice. (Can we ever get enough examples?) The examples given are definitely suitable, but could be more "real world." They seem rather elementary to me.

Also, it would have been my preference to include a table of contents with clickable navigation links. A minor point? Maybe, but when you use the reports, as much as I do, it would save a great deal of time over the long run.

Overall, the Words That Sell reports ( copywritingcourse. com/wordswork. html) are a huge timesaving tool. They are interesting, accurate and very useful. The sales copy claims you'll double, triple or even quadruple your profits. I can't attest to the quadruple part, but I have seen the use of the information in these reports double and triple sales for some of my clients.

Are they worth the $28 (each) price? Absolutely! They'll save you way more than $28 in research and brainstorming time, and you'll have a powerful new tool for converting lookers into buyers for 38 different industries.