I dunno about you, but I’m a sucker for a good courtroom drama. One of my favorite books growing up was To Kill a Mockingbird, and I’ve had my fair share of Law & Order and How to Get Away With Murder binges. 

But you know what’s even more jaw-dropping than one of their season finales? Realizing that sales copy isn’t all that different from a courtroom soap. 

Think about it — you’ve got to defend your offer and make sure you’ve got all the evidence to support saying it’s “proven” or “game-changing.” 

Once I figured this out, it changed the way I thought about sales copy. It has also helped me write better sales pages.

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Why you need to ‘lawyer up’

Just like in those juicy courtroom dramas, when you write your copy, you need to be able to defend it. 

I don’t mean that tons of people are going to come out of the woodwork and test the validity of what you’re saying — but you also can’t make claims without backing it up if you want to make a sale, either. 

And just like those lawyers in said dramas come into the courtroom prepared with a briefcase full of evidence, you need to present your copy with truth to show it’s more than just your opinion. 

That’s what we call ‘lawyering up’ your copy, and here’s why it’s important. 

Think about your ideal outcome 

How can you argue for your copy well if you don’t have an end goal in mind? What’s the outcome you’re fighting for? 

Having an ideal outcome or end goal in mind keeps you from throwing punches at the air. And no matter what your niche or industry is, you can have one — trust me, I used to be a wedding calligrapher, and I had to do my fair share of duking it out over copy to show people the value of investing in my services. 

Can you articulate what helps you stand out from the competition? Can you tell people clearly why your services are beneficial or worthwhile? 

Keep it simple

Confused shoppers don’t buy. That’s why you need to keep your copy as simple as possible. Stick to what you find works for you, and be meticulous about tossing what doesn’t work.

I see a lot of business owners overthink copy because they assume it has to be intricate and innovative, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

Good copy isn’t always the most eloquent. As long as you get the main idea across clearly and leave some room to throw in your favorite exclamatory phrase or two (that’s what we in the biz call brand voice), then you’ll be golden. 

Acknowledge the reader

Time to turn on prosecutor mode. Up until now, you’ve been playing defense attorney for your copy, but now I want you to put on your thinking cap — State vs. The Accused style. 

Any time you watch a good crime soap, you’ll notice the prosecuting attorney always appeals to the emotions of the jury — especially in infamous cases with big charges, usually in the closing argument. 

That’s what you need to do with your copy. You need to weave together a compelling story that acknowledges your reader’s feelings and problems, as well as what they want to change in the situation. 

For example, this could look like, “I know what it’s like to be overwhelmed with your schedule and ready to get some of those tasks off your plate that are wearing you thin.”

The reader needs to know you get them. End of story.

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How to put it all together

And now, dear reader, you’re probably wondering how the heck to do this. Let me tell ya — going to bat for your copy isn’t as hard as you’d think. Thankfully, it’s not nearly as weighted as battling it out in the courtroom. 

In fact, there are just six simple steps you can take to lawyer up your copy to get better results (aka conversion, baby!).

Bring in some logic

Good storytelling doesn’t just appeal to emotion. It also proves itself with logic. Consumers today buy with emotion and they rationalize their decisions. You can easily marry the two by adding testimonials or statistics to your copy. 

Use key phrases

I’m all for using branded copy, but there are some times when having specific power words can strike the right cord with your reader and clue them into your sales funnel. Phrases like because, if…then, which begs the question, etc. can help lead the horse to water. 

Sell the outcome, not the offer

The truth is, you’re not just selling them the thing — your product or service — you’re selling what it can do for them. Your offer is just the magic carpet way a la Aladdin of getting there. 

Your product, digital or not, only exists to fill a need. It’s only valuable because it helps someone do something or feel a certain way. Don’t harp so much on features that you forget to hype up the benefits too. At the end of the day those features exist to serve the benefit. 

Use the Starbucks Test

Or as it’s formally, and less amusingly, known as the Socratic Methodology. Basically, this is a method of price anchoring that helps people put into terms and start associating how you spend your money versus how you could be spending your money (aka spending it on your offer). 

For example, this could be something like, “You already spend $5 a day at Starbucks for your morning latte. Why not spend it on something that has the power to propel your business forward instead?”

You’re telling people that their money is going to go somewhere, but will it be to this (Starbucks coffee or whatever you want to compare with) or that (what you offer)?

Be opinionated

Addressing the elephant in the room shows your audience you can think critically and allows you to add some personality to your copy. Think about those old commercials from Apple that were basically a diss track for PCs. They had no problems showcasing all the ways that they were better (last time I checked, I think there are over 66 of those commercials) — and it worked for them. 

You don’t have to drag other businesses down, but you can tell people that you know why they’d be hesitant to buy (like templates are cheaper than custom work) and why it may or may not be a load of bologna. 

Stack in that social proof

You need evidence to back up your claim. A criminal can’t get tried without evidence. Don’t just tell people your methods are proven, show them how. Use screenshots, case studies, social posts, etc. Social proof is the best salesman there is. 

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If you’re ready to check your sales page off that to-do list…

Then buckle up and get ready to do it without shelling out thousands of dollars on a copywriter. With the strategies, I’ve shown you today, and my *proven* 😉 Sweet-16 Sales Page Template + Workbook, you’ll be cranking out sales page copy that’ll make Annalise Keating sweat. 

Now, because I was such a stickler about showing the proof behind the “proven,” here’s what a couple of my peeps inside the Copy Bar Shop had to say about the Sweet-16 Sales Page Template + Workbook. 

I’ll let the evidence speak for itself. Defense rests, Your Honor.

 

Grab your copy of the Sweet-16 Sales Page Template + Workbook here!