Page 206 - Hypnotic Writing - How to Seduce and Persuade Customers with Only Your Words

Questions are a powerful way to involve readers. But your question has to be an open-ended one that hints of a benefit. If you ask a question that can be easily answered with a yes or no, you run the risk that your readers will not look beyond the question. But if your question is intriguing, it will pull readers into your copy to learn the answer. This is my favorite method for inducing a trance state.
7. Lead with a testimonial.
“This is the most powerful weapon I’ve ever seen!” (Clint Eastwood)
“These two books made me the wealthiest man alive.” (Mal- colm Forbes)
“Here’s why my race cars beat all others.” (Mark Weisser)
There is something about quotation marks that captures peo- ple’s eyes. If your quote is intriguing (as are these fictional ones), they will force readers to read your copy. (Always use real testimonials from real people and always get their per- mission first.) Anyone who has ever used your product or service can give you a testimonial. And headlines put in quotes will get more attention—dialogue has life, and that at- tracts people.
8. Create a “how to” headline.
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Because people want information, they are easily drawn to “how to” headlines that promise a benefit they are interested in. If you are selling washing machines, you might conjure up the headline, How to Pick the Right Washing Machine for Your Needs. You can add sparkle to virtually any headline by adding the word how. For example, I Cut Hair is a weak headline, but How I Cut Hair is more interesting. The “how to” is like a hypnotic command that brings people into your writing.
30 Ways to Write a Hypnoti
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