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Nothing Is More Unprofessional...

by BloggingPro
37 replies
Than this,
PS:
PSS:

Oh and how I could forget,
PSSS:

What does that last one even mean? In my opinion if your running a BUSINESS its highly unprofessional to put this on your damn sales letters or even your emails.

When I see that I feel like a third grader wrote your sales letter or email.
#unprofessional
  • Profile picture of the author Brad Gosse
    Unprofessional works.

    I do things that make some people angry like swear in my emails. If you don't like it, you don't belong on my list.

    I have seen the PS, PPS routine done often, some of my writers have done it for me and it seems to work.

    If it sells who cares if it's pro.
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  • Profile picture of the author KunTaoM
    Yeah it's a little unnecessary. One PS is enough. You're only supposed to use PS in case of one more added tidbit. Add whatever else needed to the one PS line. Wouldn't make any sense to keep adding more. Annoying I know.
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  • Profile picture of the author myob
    One PS really does work quite well, and is acceptable or even expected in some cases. For example in a sales letter use it as a clincher. But agreed, any more than that appears to be an amateur or desperate, silly attempts to make the sale.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bradley J Anderson
    PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. .. I don't like them, either.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      "PSS" means "I'm too dumb to know I should use PPS"

      PS = postscript

      PPS = post postscript

      Marketers use as it as "wait, before you go"
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
    P.S. stands for Post Script.

    P.P.S. would stand for Post Post Script.

    And so on...

    P.S.S. would stand for Post Script Script, which would make no sense.

    So, yes, P.S.S. would be unprofessional. P.P.S., on the other hand, not so much.
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  • Profile picture of the author David Jackson
    Originally Posted by BloggingPro View Post

    Than this,
    PS:
    PSS:

    Oh and how I could forget,
    PSSS:

    What does that last one even mean? In my opinion if your running a BUSINESS its highly unprofessional to put this on your damn sales letters or even your emails.
    More importantly, using multiple postscripts actually dilutes the effectiveness of your first P.S. It's the same thing as marketers overdoing it with highlighting...

    When you emphasize everything, you emphasize nothing!

    David Jackson
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    • Profile picture of the author MikeHumphreys
      Originally Posted by David Jackson View Post

      More importantly, using multiple postscripts actually dilutes the effectiveness of your first P.S. It's the same thing as marketers overdoing it with highlighting...

      When you emphasize everything, you emphasize nothing!

      David Jackson
      It depends.

      It depends on what you're saying in your P.S. points. If you're sharing a new benefit in each P.S., then it's not redundant. If you're sharing a product feature or benefit that wasn't mentioned in the salesletter, for whatever reason, then doing it in a P.S. is a good idea.

      The P.S.'s are also the second most read part of a salesletter, so I make it a point to use at least one P.S. every time.

      Mike

      P.S. It's easy to say what we like or don't like in a salesletter's format or structure. But our personal opinion doesn't matter on a salesletter.

      It's what tactics and formulas work and have been proven to work to ethically make the sale.
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  • Profile picture of the author DeadRooster
    I think having a P.S at the bottom of a sales letter is a good tactic since more people tend to scroll to the bottom than read the whole letter. Sometimes the P.S and P.P.S are the only things that get read... Just make sure you put some good stuff there.
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    • Profile picture of the author timpears
      Originally Posted by DeadRooster View Post

      I think having a P.S at the bottom of a sales letter is a good tactic since more people tend to scroll to the bottom than read the whole letter. Sometimes the P.S and P.P.S are the only things that get read... Just make sure you put some good stuff there.
      I do that a lot when reading sales pitches. And that basically means that your sales pitch is BORING and/or too long.

      Tell me what you are going to do for me, and how much you want. I don't need to know your life story etc.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jamie Drew
        Originally Posted by timpears View Post

        I do that a lot when reading sales pitches. And that basically means that your sales pitch is BORING and/or too long.

        Tell me what you are going to do for me, and how much you want. I don't need to know your life story etc.
        Yeah, sometimes I feel like that too!

        It's like "Just hurry up and get to the point, man!"
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  • Profile picture of the author petelta
    There are many buyers who like to skim the sales letter. The P.S. and P.P.S is valuable to these type of viewers to give that quick what and why they should buy. Like Kay King said, "wait, before you go..."

    Travis
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  • Profile picture of the author esk
    PS: I dont understand why people always take them so serious.

    PPS: I ran out of ideas. But seriously, why so serious?
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  • Profile picture of the author richgrad
    The P's S's are there as a last call to action WHY they need to buy and WHY they need to buy RIGHT NOW... You summarize the best parts of your offer and make it irresistible for your prospects to refuse
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    • Profile picture of the author Karen Blundell
      everyone's perception is different - that's what makes the world so darn interesting, but for the record I'm with the OP and Kay on this topic.

      I think there's too much copy-cat stuff going around. When you see stuff that gets over-used, it's no longer effective, imho.

      So I think the trick is to write a sales letter that is unique but still contains the basic marketing principles. What a concept: orginality
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  • Profile picture of the author BloggingPro
    I'm speaking specifically more towards seeing the

    PS,
    PSS,
    PSSS,

    all on the same page. I understand what one could technically be used for, but really all three and sometimes four or five? Come on now. You've past the point of being effective and just look childish in my opinion.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    A sales letter is unprofessional. But "professional"
    letters normally get ignored. If you are ignored
    then you can't sell anything.

    Most people don't realize that you have to upset
    95% of the people to sell to the next 5%.

    If you please 100% of the people you sell to none
    of them.

    Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!
    -Luke 6:26
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  • Profile picture of the author Jamie Drew
    I know not everybody lives and dies by Frank Kerns way's in IM, but he uses excessive P.S's and he seems to be doing pretty "unprofessionally" well!

    $0.02 and all that jazz!

    Jamie D
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    • Profile picture of the author Kecia
      I have actually saw this on 2-3 salesletters...just in the past week. I agree that one PS is a good marketing tactic. It can be used as a clincher/reminder to get the sale. However, some take it a little to far with the PPS, PPPs, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author NicoleBeckett
    Originally Posted by BloggingPro View Post

    Than this,
    PS:
    PSS:

    Oh and how I could forget,
    PSSS:

    What does that last one even mean? In my opinion if your running a BUSINESS its highly unprofessional to put this on your damn sales letters or even your emails.

    When I see that I feel like a third grader wrote your sales letter or email.
    Looks like letters I used to send from summer camp back in the day :rolleyes:

    I'm OK with one PS. After that, I become convinced that you don't know how to properly structure a letter. Tell me what I need to know in the body of what you're sending me, or prepare for me to think you're just silly
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  • Profile picture of the author musicaltouch
    This is just typical sales 101 stuff. I use the pss area to make sure the message get thru to the lead-- the message- READ THE SALES PAGE...

    Otherwise you may be leaving money on the table... Did you know that over 50% of traffic the busy scrolls to the bottom first?

    That is the only reason I suggest using them annoying little boogers!
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    • Profile picture of the author CopyAcolyte
      Originally Posted by musicaltouch View Post

      This is just typical sales 101 stuff. I use the pss area to make sure the message get thru to the lead-- the message- READ THE SALES PAGE...

      Otherwise you may be leaving money on the table... Did you know that over 50% of traffic the busy scrolls to the bottom first?

      That is the only reason I suggest using them annoying little boogers!
      People will scroll to the bottom even when they're reading the interesting story contained in your body copy?
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      • Profile picture of the author Hugh Thyer
        Can all the people who hate PSs please edit your posts and let us know how much money you make from writing copy.

        The world's top copywriters use them. Copywriters who make Billions (yes Billions with a 'B') use them strategically, along with many other techniques and strategies.

        Have a look at the bottom of letters written by Halbert, Carlton, Bencivenga, Kennedy and Makepeace. You will see PSs used regularly.

        People often look at the start of a sales letter, then skip to the bottom. A PS is used to give people a reason to go back and read. It also assists closing by summarising the offer, improving the offer, reminding users of the scarcity factor or several other reasons.

        So for all you PS haters, ignore them when you write.

        But ignore them at your peril.
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        • Profile picture of the author David Jackson
          Originally Posted by Hugh Thyer View Post

          Can all the people who hate PSs please edit your posts and let us know how much money you make from writing copy.
          Perhaps you should edit your own post and actually read the OP. No one is hating on postscripts. We were disagreeing with the use of multiple postscripts - one right after the other. I stand by what I wrote.

          David Jackson
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Awesome! - something new to add to the list:

    "Proven Direct Response Tactics We Hate" by the Warrior Forum

    01) Long Copy
    02) Videos with no controls
    03) Videos that autoplay
    04) Videos in general
    05) Upsells
    06) Downsells
    07) Crosssells
    08) Affiliate links
    09) Exit Pops
    10) Squeezing for Emails
    11) More than one Postscript

    It just gets better with time, like any fine whine.

    ; )

    Brian
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Scott
      These types of posts are precisely why I want you to bear my children.

      -Daniel

      P.S. Or I can bear your children... whatever.

      P.P.S. That soul patch makes you look so suave and sophisticated.

      P.P.P.S. Okay, not really. But it does make you look "hip", like a beatnik.

      P.P.P.P.S. I meant that last one as a compliment, by the way.

      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      Awesome! - something new to add to the list:

      "Proven Direct Response Tactics We Hate" by the Warrior Forum

      01) Long Copy
      02) Videos with no controls
      03) Videos that autoplay
      04) Videos in general
      05) Upsells
      06) Downsells
      07) Crosssells
      08) Affiliate links
      09) Exit Pops
      10) Squeezing for Emails
      11) More than one Postscript

      It just gets better with time, like any fine whine.

      ; )

      Brian
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    • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      Awesome! - something new to add to the list:

      "Proven Direct Response Tactics We Hate" by the Warrior Forum

      01) Long Copy
      02) Videos with no controls
      03) Videos that autoplay
      04) Videos in general
      05) Upsells
      06) Downsells
      07) Crosssells
      08) Affiliate links
      09) Exit Pops
      10) Squeezing for Emails
      11) More than one Postscript

      It just gets better with time, like any fine whine.

      ; )

      Brian
      Countdown timers should be added to the list.

      Worked for Harold Camping last weekend. Imagine how much publicity that was worth if you had to pay for it?

      - Rick Duris
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  • Profile picture of the author Rezbi
    This thread is a good example of people who:
    1. are copywriters
    2. think they're copywriters
    3. are wannabe's
    4. have no idea what copywriting is
    All of them are here.
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  • Profile picture of the author ephame
    I think the reason you hate it so much is you see it so often, but i agree it will work. My eyes generally do check hyperlinks without much fail and more often than not they're sitting in P.S/ P.S.S etc... sections and i still read them.

    If a customer isn't already on a million mailing lists this could be new to them and just might be enough to make them click.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lilwarrior
    So many "unprofessional" things are sold by "unprofessional" people
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  • Profile picture of the author amo992
    My sales letters beg to differ.

    Here's the technique:
    That's Not All (TNA)

    In the end, it's a numbers game.

    Even though you might feel it's appropriate, others do, and it sells.

    -amo

    P.S. *a noise that cats make*


    Edit: Re-read the thread. A whole lot of circlejerking. :p
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  • Profile picture of the author Affiguy
    PSSSSS look too spammy as for me, and furthermore, non-intelligent.

    By the way from Latin it means 'post scriptum' if there is a reason to make another P.S., it should actually go P.P.S. meaning post post scriptum, 'AFTER THE WRITTEN ABOVE'
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  • Profile picture of the author Marc Rodill
    P. S. Can I revive this thread?

    No but seriously. I enjoyed this. I was just looking up "how long is too long for a PS" and stumbled upon this post. It was high-larious.

    Does anyone have any examples of exceptionally long PS's I could look at that worked like crazy?

    Marc

    P. C. P. I feel like my recent one is overkill and will test it against blank.

    P. Q. R. S. It's 646 words long >.>;
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  • Profile picture of the author Easy Marketer
    PS or Post Script is much older than us and I think still has a place in writing today. After all don't you still say 'by the way', which really is what it means?
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