What's
Your Visitor's UPA?
By Mike
Fortin © Copyright 1999-2003
One of my students made me realize
something important.
In fact, his point was so well made because he drove it home using the very
idea he was illustrating. While his comment was general in nature, I realized
how beautifully it applies to copy ... Particularly web copy.
But before I explain it to you, let me put the story in context so you can
understand. In my Personal Selling class, we were discussing the natural
human inclination to illogically and unconsciously assume that there is a
parallel between a part and its whole -- even when the two are totally unrelated
or irrelevant to each other.
I dub this human propensity as a UPA (or an "unconscious paralleled assumption").
For example, if you visit a website whose design is poor or unprofessional,
or one hosted on a cheap or free server, people will naturally assume that
the business or products behind it are the same ...
... Poor ... Unprofessional ... Cheap ... And so on.
The psychology behind UPAs is simply this: it's based on the fear of making
bad decisions. Why? Because human nature dictates: we have a tendency to
seek out the negative in whatever it is we are considering so to ensure that
the decisions we are making are good ones.
For instance, when we are contemplating an offer on the web, we'll likely
skim the website and the copy entirely (or at least a good portion of them)
in order to make sure that the offer is legitimate. Is it telling us the
truth? Is it trustworthy? Is it devoid of any "fine print?"
Anything contradictory in the slightest will push us away.
If something appears to be out of place for any reason (even if it's just
a little thing like a typo, and goodness knows I'm guilty of making errors,
too), we'll tend to leave the site quickly or in the very least feel
uneasy.
I call this the "Ketchup Principle." It's the fact that you will remember
the ketchup stain on a salesperson's tie more than you will his impeccable
sales presentation or appearance. (For more on the "Ketchup Principle," see
my article at
http://successdoctor.com/articles/article27.htm
.)
But appearances aside, UPAs, and especially poor ones, can also be the result
of people not fully understanding the meaning of what is being communicated
to them on a website. We can certainly read the text, understand the message
and learn about the features of the products. But the question remains, do
we truly understand the meaning behind the message?
In other words, does the message mean anything to us? Are the benefits explained
in a way that relates specifically to the reader? Is there a bad "meta-message"
(i.e., a subtle nuance or indirect message that contradicts the sales
pitch)?
Too many sites describe the products they are selling or use a language that
only the sellers, business owners or webmasters understand. Buyers in these
cases probably do understand the content, but they do not fully grasp what
these products can do for them specifically.
Why? It's because the mind thinks in relative terms. Specifically, the brain
processes information by visualizing what it's being told and comparing the
given information to things it can relate to or understand.
Keep in mind, words are not messages. They are symbols.
OK, now that I've cleared that up, let's go back to the student's point mentioned
at the beginning. At the end of my lecture, he turns to me, and then pulls
out a chair and places it beside a class table. He asks, "Mike, what's the
difference between this chair and table?" I said, "One is to sit on and the
other is to write on." "No!" he shouted. "Not at all."
I was puzzled. "You're thinking in relative terms," he adds. "You are describing
each individual product and its respective function, and not the difference.
The difference *IS* their function. Get it?"
Noticing that I was still perplexed, he continues: "What's the difference
between a tennis ball and a soccer ball? Not that one is small and the other
is big, or that one is yellow and the other is black-and-white, which is
what most people will say. The difference is SIZE or COLOR."
I got it, now. Additionally, he made an excellent point. In this example,
we are not really specifying the difference, we are only relating (or at
best implying) the difference by describing or comparing the two.
As he explained so well, the mind thinks in relative terms.
That's why it's important to use picture words, comparisons, metaphors and
analogies with your copy so that the mind of your readers can easily interpret
and fully appreciate what is being communicated to them.
I call these UPWORDS (which stands for "Universal Picture Words or Relatable,
Descriptive Sentences"). With the use of UPWORDS, people will understand
and retain more. And of course, UPWORDS will also persuade visitors more
effectively. (For more on "Universal Picture Words," see my article at
http://www.successdoctor.com/articles/article59.htm
.)
So, use analogies to which your audience can relate. Say that you're selling
a computer backup device. To explain the main benefit of using a computer
backup device, you can say this:
"This backup system will save you a lot of frustration and time if your computer
ever malfunctions, which may lead to the loss of critical data you worked
so hard to create and compile. It's like watching your favorite movie you
waited for days to rent at your local video store, when suddenly your VCR
dies and destroys the videotape, especially when an important scene in the
movie was about to unfold. Now you have to return to the video store and
perhaps wait again for the next time the movie becomes available."
Above all, think of your visitors, readers or prospects. Does your copy truly
communicate in THEIR language? Does it explain the product you offer -- and
particularly its benefits -- in relative terms?
If not, then the UPA you will create for your prospects will likely be one
that will lead to disinterest, misunderstanding or frustration. They will
unconsciously assume that there is a parallel between the quality of your
message and the quality of your product let alone customer service!
Remember that the Internet lacks touch and feel. People cannot inspect products.
So, your copy has a greater responsibility -- to replace the feelings your
offer lacks and visitors want.
Ultimately, make sure the UPAs your visitors or prospects make are good ones.
If you want them to assume that your business has good customer service and
has a great product that's easy to use, make sure your copy indirectly
communicates the same.
(A follow-up article, "What's Up With That UPA," is available at
http://www.successdoctor.com/articles/article87.htm
.)
About the Author:
Mike Fortin is a direct response copywriter and consultant. His specialty
are email and web sales letters. Get a free copy of his ebook, "The 10
Commandments of Power Positioning," or subscribe to his free monthly email
newsletter, "The Profit Pill," by visiting
http://SuccessDoctor.com/
right now!
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