The 16 Word Sales Letter Checklist
We’re always on the lookout for simpler approaches to writing high-converting copy.
Evaldo Albuqurque’s The 16 Word Sales Letter is a framework you can run your landing pages through to find quick opportunities for improvement.
Since we know you’re DYING to know what those 16 words are, here you go:
“The secret to converting copy is to define the one belief, then answer these ten questions.”
Let’s break it down:
The One Belief
The One Belief is made up of three parts:
- The New Opportunity → Humans are hard-wired to look for novelty. New things signal to our lizard brain that something is either dangerous or could be highly rewarding.
- The Key Desire → What is the ONE thing they really want from your product?
- The New Mechanism → Once your prospect believes that the new opportunity is key to their desire, it’s time to show them that your New Mechanism (the product) is the ONLY way to go.
Here’s one of many examples of the One Belief provided by Evaldo for Febreeze:
“Adding a pleasant smell at the end of your cleaning routine (new opportunity) is the key to keeping your home looking fresh and clean (desire) and it’s attainable only through Febreze’s OdorClear
technology (new mechanism.)”
The 10 Questions
With the One Belief established, use Evaldo’s 10 Questions as a checklist:
- How is this different from anything else I’ve seen?
- What’s in it for me? (Big promise)
- How do I know this is real?
- What’s holding me back? (Reveal the REAL problem)
- Who / what is to blame? (Enemy = an existing belief)
- Why now?
- Why should I trust you?
- How does it work?
- How can I get started? (Superior, irresistible, and no-brainer offer)
- What do I have to lose?
The better you answer these questions, the more persuasive your copy will be.
And if you’d like to get inside the mind of an Agora Financial copywriter, dive into Evaldo’s process in The 16 Word Sales Letter here.
