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Here's a cheat sheet for bullets...

by max5ty
11 replies
Every business owner should know they need a USP (unique selling proposition) -

- just as everyone that writes a sales letter should also know that people buy based on one thing, their emotions.

Your sales letter must have an ESP (emotional selling proposition).

If your sales piece doesn't cause your reader to get emotionally involved, then it does little good...

...and bullets are one of the best ways to build emotion.

I was brushing up on bullets and thought I'd share a list of the different types I've found.

I can't recall where I originally came up with this list - hope it helps.

You can really get creative and combine some of these into one bullet.

1. "how to" bullet - How to use these secrets...
2. "secret to" bullet - Little known secrets that...
3. "why" bullet - Why you can't trust...
4. "what" bullet - What the government won't tell you...
5. "what never" bullet - What never to wear in public...
6. "plus" bullet - Plus, my complete list of...
7. "number" bullet - 7 ways to increase your...
8. "right...wrong" bullet - Money leads to happiness, right? Wrong...
9. "warning" bullet - Warning! Avoid these mistakes...
10. "are you" bullet - Are you making these mistakes?
11. "gimmick" bullet - The simple test that instantly tells you...
12. "sneaky" bullet - Sneaky little tricks that could be costing you...
13. "statement plus interest" bullet - Gold up 430%, here's how to profit...
14. "direct benefit" bullet - Build a muscle body in 10 minutes...
15. "specific question" bullet - Do you know how to...
16. "if...then" bullet - If you have 5 minutes, then...
17. "when" bullet - When it's ok to ignore the IRS...
18. "quickest...easiest" bullet - The quickest, easiest ways to...
19. "truth" bullet - The truth about...
20. "better" bullet - Better than sex! This guide...
21. "single" bullet - The single most important thing...

I think I've covered most of them - you can use this list the next time you're "stuck" trying to come up with ideas.

Many times, after testing a piece, the writer has found that their best headline actually turned out to be one of their bullets.

You're only one sales letter away from being a millionaire - happy selling.
#bullets #cheat #sheet
  • Profile picture of the author AdwordsMogul
    Good stuff, here is what I would add.

    Selling based on emotion also means playing to hidden, but powerful desires.

    So things like greed, superiority, hatred, fear of consequences, etc. are very important.

    Now, you need to sell a positive message, with a "negative" undertone. For example: "You will get that promotion" - with a subtext somewhere that says "Prove your brother in law wrong, finally attract that hot secretary"

    Another example:

    "Your skin will look younger"

    Subtexts in the copy: "You will get better sex with a young man, you will steal your girlfriends boyfriend, you will not look like that bitch from work".

    Obviously, you will calibrate how explicit you are according to the target market. Nevertheless, it's important to use them, and not be squeamish about it.

    The truth is, people feel that way anyway, and those things often push them to buy.

    You might as well use them!
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  • Profile picture of the author Kieran Gracie
    Thank you, max5ty, for a really useful and inspiring list of ESP bullets. One you omitted, thankfully, is the "Is ..... a scam?" bullet. It works but I think that it is an ugly trick and should not be used in "proper" sales letters.
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  • Profile picture of the author adamlantelme
    I might add this as well.

    While bullets are a great way to hit emotional hot buttons, a lot of people abuse them.

    Bullets should be fast. (short enough to easily scannable.)

    They should be powerful.( Lose Weight, Gain Sexual Stamina, etc.)

    And they need to quickly provide a transition into the next piece of the copy so that the paragraph or sentence after the bullets really nails down what you were trying to say in the bullets.

    Too many times people will try and use bullets in an ineffective manner by offering crowded and wordy bullets that slow down the copy.

    My .02 cents
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  • Profile picture of the author CopyMonster
    Originally Posted by max5ty View Post


    I can't recall where I originally came up with this list - hope it helps.
    This is the exact same list from Clayton Makepeace's Ultimate Desktop Copy Coach.
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    Scary good...
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    @ copy monster -

    Actually, you prompted me to do some research and that's not where I originally got the list from.

    I got the list from the newsletter clayton use to do called the Screming Eagle Vol I - you're probably right though, it was probably also in the UDCC, it was also in the OPM package.

    The original piece was actually written by Tony Flores.
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  • Profile picture of the author dabao
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Ceskavich
    Formulas like this, to me, weaken the real goal of a bullet. Which is to generate intrigue by featuring a benefit in an interesting, unusual way.

    Usually in an unusual action. For example: Back pain caused by sitting on your wallet. Bullet: How a pick pocket can ease your back pain.

    I remember reading Eugene Schwartz talking about how he mined and featured claims... and his print ads were basically hundreds of bullets, one after another. His process was simply find a claim and put it to work in a new, interesting, unusual way. So the reader can see himself reaping the benefit.

    Formulas will not help you do this.

    My 2 cents.

    - Alex
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    • Profile picture of the author max5ty
      Originally Posted by Alex Ceskavich View Post

      How a pick pocket can ease your back pain.
      - Alex
      Sounds like when Parris Lampropoulos wrote that bullet, he could have used a couple of the bullet points as guides - he did study under Makepeace.
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      • Profile picture of the author ThomasOMalley
        You can definitely write powerful bullets by modelling bullet points written by great copywriters, such as Halbert and Carlton.
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