Drew Eric Whitman

P.S. I knew you’d read this P.S. How? Because the P.S. is one of the most important parts of any sales letter, and it’s often read first, before the body copy. Always use the P.S. to restate your offer here. Repeat your contact information, and push your prospect to take action! Now, turn the page and start reading!

Trash, trash, trash!
That’s how I describe 99 percent of today’s advertising. It’s dumb. Boring. Weak. Not worth the paper it’s printed on.
Am I angry? No. Realistic? Yes. But don’t just take my word for it. Look in your trash can. How much of the nonsense you get in the mail winds up there before you open it? How much of what you do open ends up in the same place before you finish reading the first few lines? How many TV commercials have convinced you to buy? How many e-mails have persuaded you to spend money? How many Websites have bored you to tears?
I rest my case.

When you write advertising, on the other hand, you want people to do more than just read. You want them to do more than simply say, “Wow...great ad!” and then toss it into the kitchen trash on top of the grapefruit skins. No. You want people to act now, to place an order or request information that’s designed to persuade them to order. Let’s not kid each other, we advertise for one reason: to make money. Period.
Do you know why most advertising today is so lousy? It’s because most people in advertising today don’t know a damned thing about what makes people buy. Believe it or not, it’s true.

Advertising is only evil when it advertises evil things.

You see, advertising is a subset of communication.
Sales is a subset of advertising.
Persuasion is a subset of sales.
And psychology is a subset of persuasion.
Each is a form of the other, and it all leads back to psychology: the study of the human mind.

Instead, Starch’s research showed that people care mostly about is (get ready for this earth-shaking revelation)...themselves!

And they don’t give a flying flounder how fancy your equipment is, or your—gasp!—’unusual camera angles,’ or any of that other self-serving junk!”

Human beings are biologically programmed with the following eight desires:
1. Survival, enjoyment of life, life extension.
2. Enjoyment of food and beverages.
3. Freedom from fear, pain, and danger.
4. Sexual companionship.
5. Comfortable living conditions.
6. To be superior, winning, keeping up with the Joneses.
7. Care and protection of loved ones.
8. Social approval.

These are called secondary, or learned wants, and nine have been identified:
1. To be informed.
2. Curiosity.
3. Cleanliness of body and surroundings.
4. Efficiency.
5. Convenience.
6. Dependability/quality.
7. Expression of beauty and style.
8. Economy/profit.
9. Bargains.

Imagining the use of something that appeals to you increases your desire for it.