How to Write Effective Sales Copy

No matter how great your product or service is, how wonderful your customer experience might be, or the processes you have in place to deliver it, without effective sales copy, you won’t close many deals.

Good sales copy is at the heart of every sales outreach, whether it’s a landing page, a sales prospecting email, a sales video or a cold calling script.

In this article, I will cover the basics of sales copy and some tips for writing sales copy for your outbound email sequence. 

What do we mean by sales copy?

Sales copy or copywriting is putting together words in such a way that they will persuade your target audience to buy from you.

Sales copywriting uses psychological triggers to communicate the benefits of a product in a compelling way. That’s why there are many copywriting formulas out there.

For example, copywriter Ray Edwards says that your sales copy starts with writing your big idea or thesis statement. And this is the formula he offers:

Any [YOUR AUDIENCE] can [SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM] by using [YOUR PRODUCT], because [HOW IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM].

However, this is just one piece of your sales copy. Depending on the medium you are using or the type of copy you are writing, there are many different elements that you have to include. 

Common copywriting elements are:

• Person – identify your target audience in your message
• Problem – describe their current situation
• Pain – relate to the pain their problem is causing
• Consequences – mention what will happen if they don’t solve the problem
• Future – show them what their life could be like if they solved the problem (with your solution, of course)
• Solution – tell them a story that illustrates how their problem can be solved
• Testimonials – share a real transformation case study or testimonial
• Offer – tell them what you are selling, focusing on benefits more than features
• Call to action – ask the reader to buy

Here I will cover how to write sales copy for emails.

How to Write Sales Copy for Emails

Second only to writing powerful email subject lines, knowing the one action you want readers to take is the most important element in creating email copy.

Before you write anything, decide what is the purpose of your email: click on a calendar link, download a resource, reply back, buy something? Effective email copy has only one call to action, otherwise it would be confusing for the readers. 

And confused readers won’t buy anything.

Here are two copywriting techniques you can use to write compelling sales copy.

The PVC Method

The PVC methodology is a Stevie Award winning sales methodology developed by Vengreso. PVC stands for Personalization, Value, and Call-to-action. 

Personalization: go beyond the name, title and company and include relevant details that show you did your research, like mentioning recent things they shared on social media or important news from their company. It’s all about customer centric writing.

PRO TIP: With Apollo you have 200+ data points to personalize your messaging, plus you can customize a feed to see relevant news that mention your prospects.

Value: Always include value in your email copy. It can be a video, a blog post, podcast episode, or guide that will help solve one of the pain points of your potential customer. 

Call-to-action: This doesn’t necessarily mean a sales pitch asking them to buy something. It all depends on what stage you are with your prospect in the sales process. Early on you can have low commitment CTAs like:

• Ask them to download a gift
• Ask a simple question so they can reply and initiate a conversation
• Invite them to an event 
• Ask a question that validates their problem

Here’s an example of this method in action:

Hey, Susan!

I recently saw your LinkedIn post where your company won an innovation award! It must feel great to be part of the team that has received such recognition.

I’m reaching out because as a Sales Manager, I know you are trying to generate more leads, improve the quality of those leads, and decrease the time it takes to create SQLs. 

That’s exactly how we helped ACME Inc. In fact, they were able to increase SQL’s by over 300% and create a 200% increase in revenue within a 6-month period. 

In this video, the VP of Sales at ACME Inc. tells you how they did it – INSERT LINK.

The PAS Formula

This copywriting formula is a great way to persuade prospects to give your product a try.

PAS stands for Problem, Agitate, Solution. Basically, you start by describing a problem, agitate that problem pointing to the emotions it causes, and then offer your solution.

Here’s an example:

Hi, John!

The majority of sales managers we speak to have a common problem they are trying to solve: their reps spend too much time jumping from one tool to another and manually inputting data in the CRM, instead of actually selling.

I know how frustrating this is, as reps should be focusing on what they do best: selling and hitting quota.

I believe we have the solution you need.

Apollo is an all-in-one sales technology tool that includes intelligence data, engagement features, and as well as analytics and sales metrics that seamlessly integrates with your CRM. 

I’d like to invite you to attend a live demo to see how we can help you increase your team’s productivity. Click here for more information.

Tips for Writing Better Sales Copy

• Write as if you were having a conversation with a friend.
• Avoid jargon and technical language. Write with clarity and use simple words.
• Don’t be boring trying to sound smart – just be yourself.
• Write in short sentences. 
• Break up paragraphs to have more white space.
• Tell a story when appropriate (but keep it short).
• Use analogies to explain what you offer. 
• Address objections when necessary.
• Provide proof with testimonials or product reviews.

Effective copy will help you close the sale. So, work on your copywriting skills to become a better salesperson.

Did you know that Apollo allows you to create sales sequences (custom or with our email templates). Try our sales prospecting and sales automation features for yourself.