Perfect Phrases for Sales and Marketing Copy: Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases to Capture Your Customer's Attention and Increases Your Sales »

Barry Callen is a marketing and advertising consultant, lecturer, and teacher with more than 30 years experience in all forms of media, from TV to direct mail to the Internet.

The Right Phrase for Every Situation…Every Time

Whether you're trying to come up with a terrific headline for a newspaper ad, a snappy brochure for sales reps, or a slick radio script, every word counts. That's why you need Perfect Phrases for Marketing and Sales Copy. Filled with specific methods for writing the kind of headlines, body copy, taglines, and calls to action that will capture customer attention and move people to buy, this book gives you the how-tos and examples you need to make every ad or marketing piece succeed.

Find out the

• 23 creative approaches to naming a product, service, or business
• 18 ways to write a great headline
• 6 steps to creating memorable radio and TV ads

A must for writers, sales pros, and marketing people, this user-friendly guide tackles every style and format, providing winning phrases for powerful print ads, press releases, radio and television scripts, and much more. It's your ultimate resource and one-stop reference for phrases that provoke, phrases that inspire, phrases that sell.

Barry Callen is a marketing and advertising consultant, lecturer, and teacher with more than 30 years experience in all forms of media, from TV to direct mail to the Internet.

Preface     xi
Acknowledgments     xix
Basic Principles for Writing Better Sales and Marketing Copy     1
Eight Principles for More Effective Communication     1
Look Through Your Customers' Eyes, Not Your Own     1
Follow the Path of Least Resistance     2
Don't Be Logical, Be Psychological     2
Organize Information Around a Single Power Idea or Theme     2
Be Conversational: Write to Express, Not to Impress     3
Shorter Is Better     3
Concrete, Specific, and Visual Language Is Always Better     3
Don't Brag About It-Prove It     4
Fundamental Components of Effective Sales and Marketing Copy     5
Business and Product or Service Names: Who Are You?     6
23 Creative Approaches to Naming a Business, a Product, or a Service     7
Slogans, Theme Lines, and Taglines: What's Your Hook?     12
23 Creative Approaches to Writing a Theme Line, a Tagline, or a Slogan     13
Headline: What's Your Most Important Point?     20
18 Creative Approaches to Writing a Headline     21
Subheads: What Point Comes Second?     28
Call to Action: What Do You Want Them to Do?     29
Three Creative Approaches to Writing a Call toAction     30
Tactics for Print and Display Media     32
Magazine and Newspaper Ads     32
Dos and Don'ts     33
Nine Steps to Creating a Print Ad     34
11 Creative Approaches to Writing a First Paragraph of a Print Ad     37
Four Creative Approaches to Writing Body Copy for a Print Ad     43
Brochures     45
Dos and Don'ts     46
Ten Steps to Creating a Brochure     47
11 Creative Approaches to Writing a First Paragraph for a Brochure     52
Four Creative Approaches to Writing Body Copy for Brochures     58
Posters and Flyers     61
Dos and Don'ts     62
Nine Steps to Creating a Poster or Flyer     63
Billboards     66
Dos and Don'ts     66
Five Steps to Creating a Billboard     68
Yellow Pages Ads     71
Dos and Don'ts     71
Eight Steps to Creating a Yellow Pages Ad     73
17 Creative Approaches to Writing a Yellow Pages Headline     77
Classified Ads     83
Dos and Don'ts     83
Classified Ad Examples     86
Tactics for Radio and Television Sales and Marketing Copy      88
Live-Read Announcer Radio Ad     88
Six Steps to Creating a Live-Read Radio Announcer Ad     89
Dos and Don'ts     90
Get Attention: 16 Ways to Create a Provocative Live-Read Opening     93
Increase Involvement: Eight Ways to Emotionally Hook Listeners     97
Prove Belief: 13 Ways to Prove That Listeners Can Believe You     104
Call to Action: 19 Ways to Ask Listeners to Do Something     112
Remember the Name: Eight Ways to Help Listeners Remember Your Name     116
Write the Final Script     118
Station-Produced Television Ad     119
The Five Steps in a Station-Produced TV Ad     120
Dos and Don'ts     121
Get Attention: 16 Ways to Create a Provocative Opening     124
Increase Involvement: Eight Ways to Emotionally Hook Viewers     128
Prove Belief: 13 Ways to Prove That Viewers Can Believe You     132
Call to Action: 18 Ways to Ask Viewers to Do Something     138
Remember the Name: Five Ways to Help Viewers Remember Your Name     141
Write the Script     142
Tactics for Postcards, Letters, and Sell Sheets     146
Postcards     146
Dos and Don'ts     147
Nine Steps to Creating a Postcard      149
Three Creative Approaches to Writing Postcard Body Copy     153
Letter     155
Dos and Don'ts     157
Three Steps to Creating an Envelope     158
Four Creative Approaches to Writing an Envelope Headline     160
Seven Steps to Creating a Letter     161
Four Creative Approaches to Writing Letter Body Copy     164
Seven Creative Approaches to Writing a Postscript     166
Sell Sheet/Product Sheet/Specification Sheet     170
Dos and Don'ts     171
11 Steps to Creating a Sell Sheet     172
Four Creative Approaches to Writing the Product Name and Code     177
Two Creative Approaches to Writing a Highlights Paragraph     180
Seven Creative Approaches to Writing Key Features and Benefits     181
Tactics for Catalog Copy, Invitations, Coupons, and Promotions     184
Catalog Product Description     184
Catalog Cover     185
Dos and Don'ts     187
Six Steps to Creating a Catalog Product Description     189
Three Creative Approaches to Highlighting Special Promotional Offers     192
Three Examples of Catalog Elements Put into a Single Paragraph     194
Invitations     196
Dos and Don'ts      199
Six Steps to Creating an Invitation     199
Request Attendance     200
Name/Describe the Event     201
Highlight a Key Feature     203
Briefly List the Date, Time, and Place of the Event     204
Call the Potential Guests to Action     205
Combine the Five Steps into an Invitation on a Single Page     206
Coupons     208
Dos and Don'ts     210
Six Steps to Creating a Coupon     211
Write a Promotional Headline     212
Seven Creative Approaches to Writing a Promotional Headline for a Coupon     213
Write Description or Selling Line     218
Show Where or How the Customers Can Redeem the Coupon     219
Limit Your Offer to Encourage Immediate Action     220
Make Sure to Include Legal Disclaimers     221
Assemble the Parts into a Single Coupon     223
Promotional Offer     226
17 Creative Approaches to Writing a Promotional Offer     228
Tactics for Web Site Advertising     234
Dos and Don'ts     236
Home Page     237
Name     237
Tagline or Summary     238
Category Buttons     239
Six Creative Approaches to Writing Category Buttons     241
What's New/Features: Three Creative Approaches to Writing a What's New/Features Section     244
Promotions: Use the 17 Creative Approaches to Promotion to Encourage Action     247
Seven Creative Approaches to Writing a Summary of What You Can Do Here     248
Tactics for Press Releases     253
Dos and Don'ts     254
The Six Parts of a Press Release     255
Five Creative Approaches to Writing Press Release Headlines     258
Useful Guides to Better Writing and Marketing     261
About the Author     265