| When we're rooting for our product or service | | | | business is to contrast the success I can promise |
| and beginning to write copy for our sales page, | | | | as I help people with the risk of failure if they |
| we likely don't think we're going to scare people. | | | | don't buy my service. I simply list all the benefits |
| Our product or service is supposed to make | | | | and add the words "or run the risk of failure". It's |
| people better, or feel better, not add to their | | | | my honest opinion based on years of experience |
| problems by making them feel worse, isn't it? | | | | that the people I'm serving do run that risk if |
| That's right. Our product does offer positive | | | | they don't do certain things. And it's a testified |
| benefits and our messages are overwhelmingly | | | | fact that I have helped people who run that risk |
| positive. After all, to call someone scary is to | | | | avoid the results they dreaded. Oftentimes the |
| warn others to stay away from them. So we | | | | students tell me that fear of failure is their prime |
| don't want or need to make ourselves sound | | | | motivator for seeking my expert help. An |
| scary. If that's the main impression people get | | | | international student once confessed she'd delayed |
| from our copy, we're not going to make many | | | | working on an essay she needed a passing grade |
| sales, unless perhaps we're pitching to the thrills | | | | for because she didn't enjoy the course and didn't |
| market. Even then our pitch will eventually turn | | | | like the teacher. |
| out to be positive. So where does fear come into | | | | Sometimes our buyers' fears are tangible and |
| copywriting? | | | | quantifiable, like failing a test, missing a deadline, |
| Warning people about what might happen if they | | | | running into expense, being banned by a search |
| don't buy our product is another way of tuning in | | | | engine, buying the wrong product, or losing sales. |
| to the fears they already have and promising that | | | | At other times, people's fears may be intangible |
| our product will allay them by removing their | | | | but nonetheless real for that, like being |
| cause and in the process making their lives better. | | | | embarrassed, looking foolish, lacking confidence, |
| Seeing our warnings as friendly advice from an | | | | feeling powerless, or failing to assert themselves |
| expert should make us feel better about pressing | | | | appropriately. These personal and social fears can |
| the fear button when we write copy. | | | | limit people's achievements and even wreck their |
| Of course, because fear is one of the more | | | | lives. Who wouldn't want to be free of them? |
| difficult emotions to handle, we need to be careful | | | | Who wouldn't want to know how to be? |
| and ethical (as we always should be) when we | | | | So the fears we talk about in copy are those |
| use it. We need to talk about realistic possibilities, | | | | that are all-too-real to our readers. They're |
| risks that the reader has probably considered, | | | | seeking our help to solve their problem. They |
| downsides that she wants to avoid. The fear we | | | | already know that if they solve their problem |
| talk about must be related to what we're selling | | | | their fear will go away. If what we're selling really |
| or we'll end up sounding silly or alarmist and bring | | | | can solve the problem and do away with the |
| on ourselves accusations of fear-mongering. Also, | | | | fear, then why not say so? Only don't |
| whether and how we use fear as a motivator will | | | | exaggerate the fear. Just let it play along in the |
| depend on our beliefs and the beliefs and culture | | | | reader's mind. Their fear may tip the balance as |
| of our clients. | | | | they make up their minds. |
| One use I make of fear in my one-to-one tuition | | | | |