Writing sales copy that connects to the head, heart, and hands of your audience 

For the past 25 years, I have been serving as a pastor. If you're familiar with the weekly responsibilities of a pastor, you're probably aware that the most visible thing he has to do each week is prepare and preach a sermon. Some pastors preach short sermons. Some preach long sermons. Most weeks, I speak for about 45 minutes, and preparing a sermon each week for a quarter century has taught me a few things about communication that can be applied to other spheres of life as well.

There's a common mistake I often see repeated among people who are new to public speaking. Many speakers fail to communicate to the whole person. Instead, they speak in a way that leans heavily on their own personality and learning style, but may, unfortunately, miss the mark of reaching those they're trying to teach.

What do I mean when I say a speaker should speak to the whole person?

If you look at how God designed us, you'll see that He gave people intellect, emotions, and a will. We think, we feel, and we do. We have a head, a heart, and a pair of hands. It's all by design, and I think the best communicators take all three areas of our design seriously when they craft their teaching.

When I'm speaking, I don't just want to communicate to the head because that can get boring and technical if it drags on too long. I also don't want to exclusively speak to the heart of a listener because that can be a bit shallow if it isn't balanced by information and action. Likewise, I don't think speaking to the hands would make much sense without speaking to the head and heart first.

Every time I speak, I try to reach the head, heart, and hands in a balanced way. I want to teach important information, help the listener feel what I'm talking about by using personal examples and stories, and then inspire them to take action on what they've just heard.

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That balanced philosophy also helps when you're attempting to market a product or a service to your audience. If you're writing sales copy, you want to make sure there's something in it to think about, feel, and act upon. Let me give you an example of how I put this into practice earlier today.

I'm in the process of releasing my latest book. The book is called, "Build, Grow, and Monetize your Online Platform." It's a good-sized book that gives readers my proven formula for sharing your message, expanding your audience, and earning your income online. If you've been reading my blog posts or listening to the Platform Launchers podcast for any length of time, you know this is a subject I'm quite passionate about, so I'm excited to share this book with others.

The book is being promoted on Amazon, and readers can download a free digital copy from February 22-26, 2023, so here's what I posted on my social media earlier today. See if you can pick up the head, heart, and hands of this post.

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NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT:

Back in 2014, I sat down and attempted to figure out how to earn an income online. I knew if I could crack that code, it would be a blessing to my family and the ministries I care about, like our church.

It took a few years, but I figured it out.

If you want to know how, I’ll tell you. I wrote it all down in my latest book, and starting tomorrow, I’m giving the book away for free. I’ll let you know how to get a free paperback copy and ebook in about 24 hours.

It’s 222 pages of specifics, but I broke it down into 44 actionable and easy-to-read chapters.

If you’re still trying to crack the code, just read it.

See you tomorrow!

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What did that announcement accomplish? Is that the type of announcement that would have piqued your curiosity? After hearing or reading that, do you think you might consider downloading a copy of my book?

Let's break that post down a little further and identify where it speaks to the head, heart, and hands of the reader.

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HEAD

There are several places where that announcement speaks to the head. Right away, I was trying to turn heads with the statement that I was releasing a new book. A little further down, I explain that I plan to teach readers that they can do exactly what I did when I share all the specifics of online platform development in the book. I also stressed that there are 44 easy-to-read chapters that are filled with information.

HEART

I often find it helpful to lead with the heart. I do that when I'm speaking and I often do that when creating sales copy as well. In my post, I shared something that was genuine and meaningful to me related to the process I went through in 2014 to see if there was a way I could improve my household finances and bless both my family and my church. I also think it's emotionally appealing to relate to the fact that others might have the desire to earn an online income as well.

HANDS

The action I want readers to take is expressed in multiple ways. I want them to get a free copy of the book, read it, and put the teaching it contains into practice. Eventually, I'm hopeful they'll leave a review which will help others discover the book as well.

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I have received encouraging feedback all day since sharing that post, and even though I'm about to spend the next five days giving the book away for free, one friend already blessed me by purchasing it. Shout out to Jimmy Akers, the host of the "Keep Breathing" podcast for being the first official sale of my new book. He even sent me a screenshot of his purchase, and it looks like he's going to have a physical copy of my book in his hands almost a week before my copies arrive in the mail.

If you're looking for a helpful way to communicate something you're excited to share with others, consider using this metric. Speak to the intellect, emotions, and will of your audience. Or, if it's easier to remember, communicate to their head, heart, and hands.

-John