B2B copywriting: how to sell more thanks to copywriting? How to sell better with copywriting? What techniques and methods to use to convince and seduce your customers through copywriting? In this guide, you will find good practices and advice to improve your content, your sales pitch, and your marketing strategy in general.

Note from Rudy: This article was written by Nil Siam. Copywriter specializing in the field of real estate investment, nil helps consultants, trainers and to develop their sales of training and coaching. This is his 1st article on Web marketing Conceal and I am delighted to welcome it. If you are an expert in marketing, you can submit your articles by contacting me on the dedicated page.

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Sell ​​through copywriting

Do you believe in magic?

I do! No question here of spawning cards in your hand or breathing fire.

I’m talking to you about the magic of words. These words have the power to capture the attention and seduce your prospects, even the most skeptical.

Words that SELL.

Copywriting is the art of capturing attention and persuading with words.

If you sell support, advice, coaching, training, or any other B2B service, you would be wrong not to worry about your copywriting.

I don’t know your business, but if your success requires convincing your clients to engage with you then copywriting is VITAL.

Have you ever felt that sense of frustration when you launch a new offer and your prospects are not as receptive as you would like when you put your guts into this project and know your service would help them so much?

Unlike many of your competitors, you have solid know-how and expertise, your offer is calibrated to meet the needs of your customers and give them the impact they expect.

But the sales are not there.

If your offer is aimed at companies and professionals, knowing how to write in a language suitable for B2B but which is not soporific either (unlike what we see everywhere) is essential.

Want to know how to have a powerful message that will turn even your most skeptical prospects into loyal customers?

In this case, read everything that follows.

But before I go any further, let me tell you (quickly) what happened to Marc.

Marc is the manager of an eWorldTrade company that recently launched a support offer for entrepreneurs who wish to outsource all their administrative procedures, from accounting to secretarial work.

To attract prospects to his site, Marc:

– Publishes content on his blog

– Uses social networks

– Writes his Facebook and LinkedIn advertisements …

But its results are catastrophic.

Each visit from his paid campaigns costs him 2 to 3 $.

Only 2 people contacted him.

Only 1 paid for his services.

At this rate, his dream of expanding his business may quickly fall back to earth.

Or take a few years.

The concern is that Marc is doing the same thing as the others.

Basically, his post reads:

“Hey, your attention please. Look at my offer, it’s great. It allows you to do this and that, all within your budget. Do you want to discuss to assess together how much I could take your money? ”.

Fortunately, Marc does not give up and perseveres.

He decides to train in copywriting and learns to capture attention and convince by writing.

It rewrites all of its contents.

Marc completely questions his approach to selling.

Now he has a compelling message that catches the attention of the RIGHT prospects and is focused on the needs of his customers.

He highlights the expected benefits of his offer.

Unblocking: he signs 5 new customers in one month and the acquisition costs of each visitor are reduced to 0.55 cents.

No matter what communication medium (sales pages, social media posts, emailing, videos, etc.) you use to spread your message, copywriting is always your best ally.

Because NO product, NO service sells itself.

Even if your offer is innovative and has all the qualities to seduce.

Now let’s see how to adapt your message in a B2B context.

Visit: Marketnow, its the Pakistan online wholesale marketplace.

Are you making this classic mistake in your B2B copywriting?

Here is the number 1 reason why most content written by companies that cater to professionals is boring (and why it penalizes their sales so hard).

We can get the impression that written content (online advertising, newsletter, website, etc.) targeting a business has nothing to do with more B2C content (therefore intended for individuals).

This is not entirely true.

And this is where you can stand out from the crowd by standing out from the crowd.

There is a myth that the only way to appear professional is to use a formal tone.

As if a stilted message would impress the gallery.

With boring technical jargon, overdone. If possible with photos of tie experts and dynamic, smiling teams.

Except that human beings only connect with companies whose values ​​and the message they share and understand.

B2B or B2C, behind each potential customer company, there is a decision-maker and this leader buys when he feels he is understood.

So 1st rule: do not give the migraine to those who read you, let go and decent yourself to finally talk to your customers.

It is true that a B2B product is often technical and boring in nature.

But if your job is to convince notaries to buy accounting software, don’t you think your message would benefit from being as simple, understandable and engaging as possible?

Remember, your customer (whatever their responsibilities and whatever the price of their tie) remains a human whose final decision will depend on your ability to connect with their problems and imagine your solution in their business.

Reading 30-page business proposals tires him as much as you do.

The objective of copywriting is therefore to make you want to listen to your message without sounding like a puppet.

How to capture the attention and seduce your professional customers (without being boring)

We will discuss the ingredients you need to put together your copywriting a little later.

In the meantime, here are some first tips to make your message more attractive:

1. Write like you speak: Using complex, technical jargon doesn’t make you more professional. At best, it helps attract competitors who speak the same language, but generally, it makes your communication boring.

Before posting your posts, re-read yourself and ask yourself, “If I was pitched this way, would I want to know more?”

2. Even better, write like your customers speak: listen to the way your customers express their problems and their needs. Sometimes, in fact, they will use less expert terms which will indicate a lower level of knowledge in your subject. But after all, your customers come to you because they don’t have your level.

A prospect from an SEO agency may want to “be visible on Google” when the agency talks about being “positioned in search results”. Get on their level, adopt their language and integrate it into your messages (without losing credibility of course).

3. Your message doesn’t have to be crazy, it needs to be clear.

4. Use logical AND emotional arguments. B2B decisions are often (at least on the surface) motivated by a form of rationality: “How much does it cost? How much do I earn? ”

You need logical arguments and hard evidence to back up your claims.

However, even in B2B, the act of buying is also an emotional decision (the desire to buy, to equip oneself, to invest, to protect oneself and/or to suppress frustration, the impression of not move forward).

5. Know your EXACT target. Who will read your message? Who should read your post?

The manager? Purchasing Manager? Head of Marketing? This is a very important point because you want the message to match the concerns, bee venom buyer’s aspirations and difficulties that the person who is going to read you is having.

The daily difficulties encountered by a CEO of an SME of 50 people are completely different from the auto-entrepreneur to take a basic example.

If there are multiple decision-makers, consider writing multiple versions of your post.

The biggest risk in copywriting is “aiming” aside: addressing the issues of a persona who is not exactly the one targeted by your offer. You will be able to write the best ad in the world with stunning visuals, you won’t hit the mark if you target the wrong people.

6. Address both the personal and professional “problems” and “needs” of your target audience. A good B2B message will address 2 dimensions:

– Professional purchasing motivations: business growth, return on investment, increased productivity, cost reduction, business projection towards new markets, etc.
– Personal motivations for purchasing: financial security, recognition, potential promotion, easier life, better work-life balance, reduced stress, etc.

7. Eliminate the superfluous: your prospects are always busy so get straight to the point in your message. Your “copy” should always remain focused on the main benefit of your offer (what you actually bring as an improvement for the customer).

So let’s get started, let’s talk about these famous keys to convincing and selling through copywriting.

1. Understand the expected benefits of your product or service

No, this is not boat advice. I was going to tell you, “not so fast”.

You are, a priori, a specialist in your offer.

But to make yourself a good salesperson, you have to know how to argue around the main benefit of your offer.

One of the keys to successful copywriting is talking to the customer in terms of expected benefits, not telling the technical characteristics of your product.

The customer does not care about the characteristics of your product.

Want another scoop? He doesn’t care about your product.

What interests him is the solution.

The product is just a shortcut to the solution.

What he expects from you: that you solve HIS problem.

Look at the difference between “characteristics” and “benefits”:

What touches you the most about these 2 messages concerning the sale of an iPod?
– A storage space of more than 1 GB of mp3 files
– 1000 songs in your pocket

There is often confusion between the technical characteristics of the offer you are selling and the advantages sought (benefits) by the end customer in order to solve their problem (and therefore achieve their objective).

Here are other examples:
– A 4-wheel drive vehicle (characteristic)
– Giving the driver confidence and control in all weather conditions and on any type of road (benefit)

One last:
– Careful investment portfolio service (characteristic)
– Enjoy a comfortable and serene retirement (profit)

If you want to touch your persona:
1. Speak to him in his words.
2. Talk to him about the benefits he will derive from using the solution you offer him.
3. Bet above all on the main benefit of the offer:

Define in one sentence the essential offer or proposition of the product or service you are seeking to place.

And always keep it in mind.

Because this sentence is your most attractive benefit in the eyes of your prospect.

It will always be the backbone of your sales pitch.

This is your “value proposition”, your “elevator pitch”.

For example:
– For Volvo vehicles: safety on board
– For the Hertz car rental service: a quick check-in
– For PowerAde drinks: hydration for sports performance

Then play on the secondary benefits: they will “support” your promise (the main expected benefit).

The risk is to get lost in superfluous sales arguments that are only unconvincing.

Once you have properly analyzed your offer and its benefits, you can move on to the next step!

2. Validate the ideal client who matches your offer

If only you could find out… what your ideal client is thinking of.

You can’t lay the foundation for good communication if you don’t know the person you’re talking to.

I hope I don’t tell you anything new here.

Yes, I know, you’ve heard this advice everywhere a thousand times.

This is the story of the famous study of persona marketing.

I often tend to think that the majority is always wrong.

But for once, the in-depth study of your ideal client (client avatar) is an essential step.

It never hurts to (be) reminded: the customer is the center of your concerns.

Especially in copywriting.

By that I mean understanding the deep problems of your prospects.

The more you know about your ideal prospects, the better you can talk to them:

– What are the things they really want (and no, this is never the result we promise them with our product)
– What frustrates them, prevents them from sleeping at night, what blocks them, what ‘they feel…
– What they see, hear, what they think…
– Their deep aspirations, their beliefs, their vision of work…
– What they would be willing to move mountains for, as much as the stuff that is drunk or has already seen too much …

You have to turn yourself into a private investigator.

3. What is the goal of your copywriting?

Now that you know who you are talking to, and more importantly why, you need to define what you want to get from your ideal client.

The objectives in copywriting are multiple and you must know what you want to achieve before writing your message:
– Your prospect’s email
– A subscription to your newsletter
– Downloading a white paper
– Ordering your product
– You contact for a discovery interview, a demo, or a quote request
– Register for a webinar
– Share your content on social networks…

Limit yourself to ONE conversion goal per text.

It is often complicated or even completely counterproductive to request several actions from the same person through a single copywriting.

It is crucial to do this preparatory work in copywriting well.

Namely to define:
– The benefits of your offer (including the main benefit)
– The ideal customer who matches the offer
– Your conversion objective

If these elements are not defined, or too vague, you might as well be telling you that the case is very badly done.

Your message would then pass like a boat in the night.

4. Develop your pitch

Only now will you be able to start writing your sales pitch.

Not before.

At this stage, you have in your head:
– Your target customer
– Your promise
– Your conversion goal (what you want your customer to accomplish by the end of the reading)

You will then be able to seduce your target thanks to the lethal weapon of the copywriter: words.

For the length of your text, keep in mind this principle:
– Simple and uninviting objective = direct and short copywriting, focused only on the promise of your offer.
– Complex and engaging objective = worked and deeper copywriting.

If you ask your prospect to take out 1000 $ for the purchase of a product (very high level of engagement) then your copywriting will have to be deep and worked.

It will probably require a long format such as a sales page or email.

At that point, you will surely need to pull out the big ammunition to convince: customer testimonials, solid arguments, guarantees, FAQs…

Conversely, if the level of engagement is relatively low (the transmission of an email address or personal data for example), your copywriting will be much shorter and focused on the essentials.

Basically, the more you ask for, the more it will take to convince you to get what you want and the more your copywriting will have to be worked on.

Your copywriting will contain the following 3 elements:
1. A title (the hook)
2. The body of the text
3. A call to action at the end of the text

The first impression is often the right one.

All good copywriters know this. The title is the most sensitive part of your post.

You have 3 seconds to make a good impression on your target.

This is why the greatest copywriters spend hours trying to find the perfect title.

The main function of the title is to grab attention and generate interest.

Depending on the publication format (Facebook ad, email, offer page, etc.), you can rely on elements such as visuals to grab the reader’s attention.

It’s not shocking that a simple title change can increase your click-through rates by 5.

Tell yourself one thing: if your title is missed, your prospect will not go further in reading your message.

Even if the following is exceptional. That would be a shame…

To find out if a headline is a winner, you will often need to experiment with different headline formulations and see the results.

Attention-grabbing headlines can take many different forms:
– Intriguing question that engages the prospect: “Are you ready to retire today?”
– “Comment” type headlines: “How to find customers on LinkedIn in 30 minutes a day”
– Customer testimonial: “My site loads much faster, the number of daily visits has tripled and I see the results on my sales!”
– Competitive: “86% faster than traditional WordPress sites = more traffic and better SEO”
– How {benefit} without {pain}: “How to find the job of your dreams without spending your days sending CVs”
– What {target audience} really want: “What your readers really want”
– We analyzed {X objects} (here is what we learned): “We analyzed 5,837 article titles (here is what we learned) ”
– Stop {order} at all costs (do this instead):“ Stop wanting to fill your email list at all costs (do this instead) ”
– Direct title: “New one-piece swimsuit: – 20%”
– Storytelling: “When I told them about this solution, at the beginning, nobody believed me”
– Focused on a profit: “ Increase your turnover thanks to Facebook advertising is now available to everyone ”
– Targeting the persona:“ Entrepreneur, I developed this solution especially for you ”
– Time limit: “In 3 days it will be too late to register for…”
– Focused on the issue: “1 in 2 business leaders admit that they work too much”
– Polarizing/controversial title: “Marketing is dead. Long live the commitment. ”

We could devote an entire book to titles because there is so much to say on the subject.

What is certain is that to become a good copywriter, you will have to raise your level in titling. 

Spend enough time on crafting the headline when embarking on new copywriting.

Each copywriter has his method for writing a title:
– Either you start with your title then you write the rest of the copywriting afterward.
– Either you write your text and then look for the perfect title.

Do not hesitate to put 10 or 15 title ideas on paper and then go on to write the body of the text to give yourself the time to choose the appropriate title and optimize it.

Some also rely on a visual to create the title.

Everyone has their own recipe. It’s up to you to find yours.

Keeping your promises will be one of the main missions of the body of the text.

It’s up to you to keep the promise made in your title.

Have you announced the ultimate solution to automate a company’s human resources management?

It’s time to prove your point.

Your title is eye-catching but will not in itself make the sale.

You must continue your persuasion efforts until the end of your post to achieve your goal.

Your body text should tie your headline to the call to action (the action you expect from your target reader and customer).

And you have many copywriting tools to fulfill this mission:
– Storytelling
– Sales
pitch
– Objection processing – Proof by demonstration
– Testimonials
– Social proof
– Emergency effects…

There is no magic formula to writing a compelling pitch.

But simple formulas to apply to allow you to be persuasive (even if a copywriter is not your job).

Here are 2 very basic and useful to know if you are new to copywriting.

The PAS formula (Problem. Shake. Solution)

1. Description of the problem: You know your target customer’s problem. You have isolated a problem in your persona for which your offer provides a solution. This phase is therefore devoted to the detailed description of this problem.

2. Agitate the problem: you take the time to agitate the problem of your target client in order to make him understand the discomfort of his situation. A more positive approach is to project the reader towards the benefits that he will derive by taking action by projecting him to a new situation where the problem is solved. Favoring the carrot or the stick depends on your sector of activity, your product, and your customers.

3. Present the solution to him: your prospect now has your full attention to find out how you are going to enable him to resolve his concerns. You must present him with your solution to obtaining the expected result.

A concrete example:
[Problem]: Freelancers, freelancers, coaches… Is setting the right prices for your services a real headache for you?

[Shake]: If:
– You can’t fix your prices
– You are fed up with your customers negotiating all the time
– You fear that your loyal customers will let you go by announcing higher prices
– You feel to work at a discount

[Solution]: Rest assured. You are not alone. I hear these messages every day from the entrepreneurs I support. I wrote a PDF guide that takes all the key steps to set your rates and be paid what you deserve. Download your free guide now.

You see, it’s a very simple approach.

This type of formula will do the job on short post formats like Facebook. But for other formats, such as a sales page, you will need to use more complex and “sophisticated” copywriting tools and formulas.

The AIDA formula (Attention. Interest. Desire. Action)

1. Watch out: Your title is your best weapon for this. You need to start by making yourself visible and audible.

2. I for Interest: At this stage, you want your target customer to be tempted to go further in your explanation because it could be addressed to him (and be useful to him). You make the prospect understand that you are talking about their problems, that you understand them.

3. D for Desire: We go from a somewhat logical and intellectual level to a more emotional and irrational level. We go from “They talk about me” to “It would be really useful to me”. You project your audience into its ideal future, thanks to your solution.

4. A for Action: Finally, you ask your target to take an action.

Here’s a copywriting (pretty stupid, you’ll see) following the AIDA model to convince a wealthy friend to buy a helicopter.

[Warning]: “Tired of being in traffic jams to get to work? Drive above! You know how so brutal this drive from your house to the office is. Well if you had a helicopter that wouldn’t be a problem. ”

[Interest]: With a helicopter, you could:
– Be in the office in just 7 minutes
– No longer feel that daily frustration of going to work
– Enjoy a FUN ride anywhere in town in a few minutes
– Live according to other rules than those which “normal” people obey

[Desire]: Your time is worth 200 $ an hour. You spend 300 hours stuck in traffic each year, or $ 60,000 in potential income soared. Not to mention that after the frustration of traffic jams, working is the last thing you want to do. That’s why having a helicopter would make your life so much more enjoyable (and even help you increase your income). ”

[Action]: “I have 3 people selling their chopper right now. When can I send you the info? Call me whenever you want at XXX so I can give you more information. ”

Did you get the idea? Perfect, that was the goal.

The IPATO framework (Introduction, Problem, Authority, Transition, Offer)

Note from Rudy: IPATO is the detailed framework that I use for all of my copywriting (sales pages, advertisements, social media posts, pitches, email sequences…).

You can find IPATO in my support program.

We resume: so the formulas are good. But that’s not all.

A piece of advice that I would like to share with you so that you can write an effective argument.

Usually, copywriting will highlight only one element: your main proposition.

Each product or service certainly has several characteristics and benefits, but as a copywriter (at least if you want to implement these techniques), you must isolate the predominant benefit and focus your pitch on it.

Jumping from one argument to another confuses the reader.

By focusing your pitch, your message becomes more direct, impactful, and powerful.

Don’t forget the last step: the call to action.

Let your target know what you expect from them before you leave.

Make it clear to him.

On the Internet, the CTA (“Call-to-action” in English) can take several forms but most often it will be a question of clicking on a button or a link.

If you want your prospect to click on a link or button, you have to tell them.

Don’t just show your link or button.

If you want him to fill out a form, let him know.

Ideally, what will happen when performing the requested action should be self-explanatory?

If you don’t do this job, you lose between 25-75% of the expected results from your text, video, email, or page.

The clearer and more transparent you are, the more you prevent some of your visitors and prospects from delaying their action or not understanding what is expected of them.

Depending on the depth of your copywriting, the complexity of the engagement requested and the medium used, your CTA may be more or less direct.

But without clear instructions, all the work of writing the message is wasted.

Here are some examples of call-to-action types:
– To take advantage of the special offer, simply fill out the form at the bottom of this page and click the “Send” button.
– I would like to register for traffic training and benefit from my -20% offer (followed by a button entitled “Registration”)
– Visit our workshop to discover the new winter collection this Thursday, November 12 at the address XY. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
– Test it free for a month or call 01xxxxxxx today to speak directly with an expert.
– Start today (followed by an “Open an online account” button)
– Did you like this article? Leave your review in the comment section at the bottom.

And above all, don’t forget…

The classic mistake in copywriting is to come up with a solution from the seller’s point of view and to balance the characteristics of the product one by one.

Worse still, speak without really knowing the target to which we are addressing:

The combination of these errors often results in a speech of the type:

“Hey! I present to you my brand new product A. It’s revolutionary. It allows you to do X thanks to its characteristics A, B, C and D. So your business will be better. Do you want to buy it? ”

You’ll never woo your prospect this way (or at least you’ll need a lot more prospecting, ad budget, effort, and time to get results similar to a profit-oriented approach).

You need to send a message focused on his goal to him.

And focus on it.

I’m repeating myself, but it’s crucial. Tell your future client what result they will have achieved if they use your solution.

Show yourself caring. Be empathetic.

Support your prospects in reaching their goals and help them achieve them.

The basics of copywriting remain the same in B2B as in B2C because, in both cases, you are talking to humans.

While communication channels, technologies, and algorithms evolve, the fundamentals of print sales do not change.

Having mastered copywriting is vital for the success of your business.

Especially in the world of the web where you can’t see your prospect.

He is alone behind his screen.

No one is physically present to guide him.

You only have your words to capture his attention and convince him to take action.

It’s up to you to make good use of it.