Quiz #7. Hot New Prize, Too…

Colleen The Crystal Dragon says:

o.k. here is what was probably my first thought and then I went with the other one. We need to believe that it was our idea that we we need this particular item. No that we have been sold too.
I really love the way this community comes together and the great ideas that are out there.
Love and Light
Colleen The Crystal Dragon

Michael Vanderdonk says:

“What is this Psychological Glitch in people’s thinking process that has made long copy so vital for the sales process?”

Emotion.

You grab the reader by their emotional brain, and lead them to the decision you want them to make.
If you could write one sentence that fired up the emotions of everyone that read it, then directed that emotion to your product – Profit! No need for long copy.
But because we’re all different, on different emotional seas, blown by the random winds of our lives, the long copy allows us to be sailed into a safe harbor.
Without that emotion, no sale would ever be made.

Scott Harvey says:

@Broc – actually, as soon as I posted #18 and saw your #20 a few seconds later, I instantly said “that’s it” and wished I could recall mine. I think you hit it on the head with the “story” angle.

In so many interactions in so many different parts of life – not just Internet Marketing and Sales Letters – a well-told story works when other things don’t.

It can be at once both disarming and emotion-tugging, whether you are trying to give somebody an indirect hint about something by telling a related “story” about a “friend”…or back to this topic…validating something by telling a story and coming at it through the back door, rather than hitting somebody square between the eyes with a pitch.

Bottom line? Stories sell.

Scott

Ken Donaldson says:

FEAR

Rich says:

Maybe long copy works best because people need to think that they have made the decision to buy themselves, rather than having been persuaded to do so.

Greg Johansson says:

Hi John, Could the glitch be something as simple as little old rationalisation? You know… the awful caveman basic instinct we all possess! (We resist being SOLD) That ancient instinct which can be circumvented, if you can get and hold a persons interest, and eventually, persuasively overcome all rational resistance ie they then convince themselves that this is the best/most desirable outcome/product! John one more point…YOU should be charging folks for access to this forum 🙂

Rob Mc says:

Wow – there really is some very cool ideas and discussions going on here. Here’s my stab.

While studying my MBA we did a huge amount of work on complexity and how people can (or rather can’t) handle it.

Decisions are usually made up of a huge amount of complex variables, but we don’t take all of these into account. We use our experience and then map this to the variables available which then helps us make the decision, but in this process we filter out alot of noise.

This goes back to cavemen days and is the basis of our fight / flight instinct. In order to survive our ancestors had to be able to make split second decisions and filter out things which weren’t relevant. This was based on their sum life experiences, and that which they had been taught by their peers and elders.

The problem this presents is that we are prone to ignore things we don’t have experience of, and even worse make assumptions that things we know about already will have the same result. This is one of the reasons people have ‘lucky socks’ (or other apparell). Because they acheived something great once when wearing this item, they believe it will happen again (and when it does this re-affirms the belief, but when it doesn’t we think “We’ll there’s always next time!”). It’s also the cause of many a bad management decision!

So how does this relate to Long Copy?

Long copy gives more of these ‘hooks’ for us to hinge prior experience on, and if written well it hooks in experience that is more positive to the reader. When the copy is read, and the complexity is filtered, the resultant outcome is more likely to created the desired response than short copy.

The testimonials used throughout long copy further add to the hooking, as this allows us to subsitute the experience of others for us, thus allowing in built complexity filter to better make an informed decision.

Bit heavy, but my first attempt anyway!

Imre says:

Hi John!
Is it that we tend to think that someone cant lie for an extended period of time?

Imre
Budapest

Ken says:

Hi John,

Long copy is essential…so copy can address the fundamental belief system of the individual reader. What are belief systems? (They are paradigms, the way the prospect sees the world.) You see, we don’t need more “How to” information(short copy), you need to have break through, motivation, action in the copy that produces a large amount of change in a short amount of time. The way to produce a large amount of change in a short amount of time is to address the reader’s fundamental belief systems.
Long copy gives (writers) the ability to discover the readers L.E.N.S. (Life’s Emotional Navigation Systems). Long copy is critical for discovering, removing and smashing the readers L.E.N.S. Once smashed – you ‘break though’ and produce the large amount of change in a short amount of time.
Personally, I do not see how short copy can ever secure all angles and remove all doubt. One ounce of doubt, erodes trust and hinders the highest possible sales level.

Tian Yan says:

Each of us have our own perception of how reality works. Hence, a lot of communication (including sales communication) is based on assumptions. Problem is, not everyone have the same assumptions.

This makes transferring enthusiam, emotional reasons, and logical arguments to make a purchase a lot harder. I could be saying the
right words according to what they mean to me, but in the prospect’s mind, it could mean something different. Depending on their assumptions of what I just said.

#1 Meaning cannot be transferred perfectly through language alone

Plus, people don’t like to be wrong. We believe we are right because there’s no end to the rationalization of what we do. Hence, we can be very stubborn in our beliefs even if it is flawed. We don’t see what others can see.

We believe what we want, and pick supporting evidence to reinforce it, and then ignore the rest of the opposing evidence.

#2 Beliefs are very difficult to change. We rationalize events to support the fact that we are right.

When you present your sales argument the first time, chances are the prospect will not agree to it. Even if the meaning gets through, the prospect might not make a purchase because he’s
supporting his own belief that the money is not worth the purchase.

Copywriter: You can live a longer and more fulfilled life when your smoking addiction is erased.

Prospect: What does that mean? I’m 89 and I’m rich. I don’t need a longer and more fulfilled life. (Meaning of the argument did not come through)

Copywriter: Plus, you get freedom and are no longer a victim of the urge and shame that smoking brings to you.

Prospect: Excuse me! I enjoy smoking. It’s bliss in every puff. (Personal beliefs are difficult to change)

That’s where long copy comes in.

When the first argument fails, you get a second chance at attacking it again as long as the prospect continues reading. A good copywriter
can dimensionalize the benefits and use different ways of explaining the same point. And if the prospect agrees with one of the points, it
keeps them open enough to question their own beliefs and come to agreement
with the copywriter.

Copywriter: You can live a longer and more fulfilled life when your smoking addiction is erased.

Prospect: What does that mean? I’m 89 and I’m rich. I don’t need a longer and more fulfilled life.

Copywriter: How many times have you been unable to engage in physical activity because you’re too ill and you lack the stamina?

Prospect: Hey, I can’t play with my grandkids, but that has nothing to do with cigarettes. I’m just too old.

Copywriter: In fact, studies from Harvard Med has shown that smokers have 89% less stamina than the non-smokers 10 years older than them.

Prospect: That’s a lie. You just cook up that piece of information to sell me stuff. I know smokers who are 100 years old and practice karate
everyday.

Copywriter: After all the evidence I explained that smoking is detrimental to your health, could it be possible, even remotely possible, that it’s
harming your health. Even if it’s just a bit?

Prospect: Maybe. I guess it’s fair to say that.

Copywriter: How long have you been smoking? Do you know smokers of 5 years or more have trouble getting out of bed because they are tired all the time? That’s because their body is not pumping enough oxygen to the brain anymore.

Prospect: Hmm… I do feel tired. You might have a point there…

Can you see how longer copy helps in facilitating the persuasion now? I would never use short copy to try to persuade a smoker he’s in a lot
of trouble. They will just say “yeah” and ignore it. But with long copy, the prospect’s belief can be altered somewhat. Just enough to make a sale.

“Ain’t it hard when you discover that he wasn’t really where it’s at… after he took from you everything he could steal?” (Bob Dylan, “Like A Rollin’ Stone”)

It’s because we rationalize everything to believe we are right all the time. “He couldn’t be with me for my money, he still treats me well.” <– rationalization

Why do people debate in the Halls of Congress?
Because we cannot see the same map due to the limits of communication that stops the entire meaning of the message from being conveyed. And we will argue to our death beds that our own beliefs are right. For all we know, they could be arguing about the same thing and disagreeing
over the semantics.

Why do we think obvious myths are true?
Because we’re stuck in our own head about our perceived reality. Based on that reality, we only look for affirmations evidence and
ignore the opposing evidence.

That’s why persuasion in long copy works better than short copy.

Bruce says:

The “Glitch”?

We have a need to be led.

Sales copy can be thought leadership of the highest order, satisfying and justifying our decision making by leading the reader to the only fulfilling conclusion: “Get my stuff”

(By the way, I’ve always thought of Billy Mays as ultra-long sales copy. He spent years establishing a trusted persona, a recognized voice, a valuable friend with a cool new gadget. So I listened…and bought some stuff)

“We need you to lead us” is basic, primal truth – Thanks, Seth.

Long copy gives more time to lead.

Thanks for your lead, John

DARLENE says:

John,
First, your are addressing their most pressing need or pain that your can fix, cure or alleviate. And, as Gerbles said it best, If you tell it long enough and loud enough, they’ll believe anything. And they will need what you have to sell them. By satisfying their need, you will be making the sale; but you must convince them first.

Dr. Ben Mack says:

John, glitches often happen when we switch between brains, of which we have 3+.

Long Copy gets the reader into their Reptillian Brain.

It’s as simple as that.

They Live is a documentary and when presented in Scientific America they discuss like this… http://NeuroEconomics.tv

Lisa says:

I think long copy is needed to rouse people from their boring slumber enough to act. We resist anything that requires action because it introduces a new problem. I think the psychological glitch is that we are all asleep, and it takes effort to wake up. Short copy often isn’t enough to identify a problem. We don’t want to know there is a problem.

We look for any excuse to discount what we’re told if it requires us to do something. Long copy needs to identify a problem. We don’t like problems. Urban myths are easily believed because disbelief would require active consciousness and effort to find proof to disprove. We don’t want to wake up. We just want to be entertained and left in our routine lives of quiet desperation.

It’s my birthday. Would love to win! Hope I’m at least on the right track.

Lisa

Chad Perry says:

Logic. People buy on emotion, and justify with logic.

While short copy may be able to amp the “emotional” side of the sale – only good, long copy can pile on enough logic to justify the purchase.

Think about it: how many times have you predetermined to buy something – but didn’t pull the trigger until you found the person or medium that packed on enough “logic” to confirm your decision?

Did the person/medium really convince you… or did it/they arm you with the ammunition you need to justify the decision you had already made?

It was logic. And logic ain’t easy to pull off in short copy.

Michael says:

Q: “What is this Psychological Glitch in people’s thinking process that has made long copy so vital for the sales process?”
A: Greed.

Maggy says:

Long sales copy is like an obstacle course the prospects have to get through in order to actually buy the product. If you withhold the opportunity to purchase long enough, their impatience will turn into an urgency to buy.

Glenn Y says:

The Glitch (IMHO) is the need to be “RIGHT” in the decisions we make. Long copy gives me the opportunity to make sure I am “RIGHT” in my decision.

Brij says:

Sorry – forgot the glitch: So the psychological glitch is the strong tendency to believe ones own voice (invented here) over those from the outside. To the entent good long copy allows the writer to trigger and strengthen this internal ‘reality’ in the reader, the reader tends to buy a cleaner, nicer copy of his own ‘creation’ from the marketer.

Brij

Carl says:

The glitch: A psychological state of desiring to be someone else. Long copy is vital to bring this desire to a state of immersion -the(potential buyer) person progressively views/associates themselves with the product/service being sold….that’s my take.

Some great comments, cheers John.

Michael Sheward says:

One of the basic aspects of human behavior is that we want reinforcement for the things we believe and we tend to discard or ignore thoughts, ideas or actions that conflict with those beliefs or behaviors. We want to be told we are right and are uncomfortable in being told otherwise.
So our perception of an issue, topic or idea becomes our reality.
As a result, it takes a bit of persuasion to convince us that what we believe, and the beliefs on which we base our actions, may not be accurate.
At the risk of getting too technical here, this gets into a theory of psychological phenomenon described in the 1950s by Leon Festinger, the theory of cognitive dissonance–We are resistant to change because what we believe is what we believe to be true and we are uncomfortable with anything that questions or challenges our views.
Whether it’s politics or a critical review of a movie we want to see, for example, we are uncomfortable with the conflict resulting from these divergent opinons and ideas that cast doubts on our beliefs and actions.
When it comes to urban myths, we often fall victim to the belief that enough people are saying it so it must be true. We get into a group think where it’s safer to follow the reinforcement of how the pack thinks than to become the deviant and disagree. We want our beliefs and opinions to be reinforced, not challenged. And there’s safety in numbers in wanting to believe what everyone else believes or at least what our core group of friends and associates believe.
In a sales situation, whether it’s a new car or an online product, we want information that will tell us how we will benefit from making the purchase. In these cases, we often are more open to conflicting information because while we are looking to be convinced that we are right, we are more willing to consider that some other choice may provide a better benefit for us. Why? Because we want our final decision, the actual purchase, to be right for us. So we are willing to be shown a better alternative.
Hence long sales copy provides the repetition and reasoning to first give an individual a reason to question present purchase ideas and then move to reinforce the consideration of those questions. This leads to altering an individual’s perception and reinforcing a change in belief that the product at hand offers the best benefit for the purchaser. Long copy become the persuasive tool that makes the case for the purchase through repetition of benefits and reinforcement that the decision to buy this particular product is the right one. We become comfortable in being persuaded to make the decision, thus removing any cognitive dissonance that could delay or block the product promoter’s desired result, our hitting the “order here” or “add to cart” button.
OK John, have I made the sale?

Philip says:

It’s already been said, but I want to sound off… it’s to harmonize with the reader and get their head shaking “yes” so that by the time you make the pitch they are greased to say “yes” to the sale.

Jim at Toronto SEO says:

I think Jeff (post 115) comes closest so far but perhaps I can get a little closer. I think people are hardwired to believe and trust people they like, after all successful con men are pretty much universally described as having “charm” and “charisma”. Very rarely does a victim of a scam describe the perpetrator as a “snarly bastard who was rude to me”.

I think successful long copy establishes a “friendship” between the seller and reader that can have the effect of making the reader trust the seller and cough up his dough.

Matt D says:

Here is my crack at this nut…

The Glitch: People believe the FIRST thing they hear and long copy is needed to overcome that FIRST belief.

How long did it take for you to fall for your 1st love? Not long I am sure. But how long did it take for you to get OVER your first love and fall in love with #2? Oh a heck of a lot longer…

Thanks John for another great contest!

Juliefyre says:

At their core, people are devoted to looking good and being right about whatever they believe at any given moment. The length of the copy gives them a chance — literal TIME — to shift their beliefs. That’s only going to happen if the copy appeals to them, of course. But the actual TIME it takes — not the repetition alone — is what’s needed for excavation of their old beliefs and building of new ones based on what you share with them.

LOVING this, btw, John. Tks a bunch for helping wake up MY brain!

ROCK ON!

Suresh says:

Hi John,
It’s very instructive to go through all the responses to your blog posts 🙂
Let’s see if I can add something useful…
Someone on here said we all have a rational and an emotional side to our brains. In my opinion the psychological glitch is that our rational side (also known as skepticism when overdone) is usually stronger and is what keeps the potential buyer in us in check, while our emotional side (which we don’t trust as much) is eager to fill in that credit card number and go “click!”

Long copy provides just enough appeal to our emotions via all that information, benefits, testimonials, etc. to overcome our rational “brake” and push our emotional “gas pedal” to the metal, greatly increasing the chances of clinching the sale. Short copy is too short to raise our emotions to the point that we can overcome our rational side; similarly, breaks in the long copy usuch as using emails, successive web pages etc. allows our rational side to regain control of our emotions.
How did I do?

Cheers
Suresh

David A. Bailey, Jr says:

RATIONAL REASONS VS. EMOTIONAL APE-BRAIN REASONS
He knows he wants wants your product…he really Really REALLY wants it…he just to reads your long copy looking for reasons to justify the purchase and explain it to his wife and friends.

Ross Bowring says:

Length implies strength.

Thanks.

Ross

Geo. McCalip says:

Everyone is basically insecure. We need sufficient assurance/reassurance that the decision to purchase is correct or we will not buy.

Sharon says:

Hi John,
Long time fan. Love you’re style and quizes. Here is another idea that flew by my mind.
some how it works with how we procrastinate

Suresh says:

Hi again John,

Having read Garry’s comment (# 24) and your response to it, I’d like to add another theory if that’s allowed 🙂 If not, just go with my first one…
Garry said, “there’s no reality, just our perception of it.”
So then, does long copy pile on enough evidence to move the average person’s perception of reality from their point of view to that of the seller? This kind of ties in with what I said earlier, so maybe a shift in reality perception plus an increase in emotional reaction reaches a critical threshold while reading long copy. And short copy, breaks etc. are too short to do this.
I’ll stop now ‘cos the more I think about this, the more new & conflicting theories seem to pop into my head 🙂

Cheers & regards,
Suresh

Bill Reyes says:

Great long copy, tells the reader that they are not the only person on the planet suffering from being broke, clueless in bed, or having a face that reads like a walking billboard for Dominoes Pizza. Like a good novel it begs to be finished. It appeals to the psychological need to belong… belong to the group of people who have what they want… selfish relief from whatever they suffer from.

Jared B says:

Our brains need new juice to massage our emotions. W/o it, we shrivel up and die inside. Challenges will always be accepted if they occur on a level of importance. Be it the preacher at the pulpit, mom with the family, or salesmanship in print. We need to connect. The more emotional entertaining, the more it drives our brain & the body follows. The glitch in our selves is no man is an island. The void needs to be filled. We use spoken talk, written words, and touch; these are the three NLP’ers where A-V-K operate the psyche. Does not matter which medium one uses, the glitch in our brain has gotta connect and thereby get fed. Our brain has to have something running around in it; that is the glitch of our brain – the VOID that has to be filled. That’s also why you talk to your self or let someone else do it for you. It’s a vacuum that needs filling much like an empty car gotta run on gas, diesel, electricity, etc – something to make IT GO! The more we are sucked in, the more we like it!!! Heck, if it’s a good story, we don’t care if it’s valid. Double heck, our psyche has got it’s radar going 24/7 and latches on to attraction. So, make it so and I will follow or lead sayeth the glitch.

Rebecca says:

Long copy works because it provides the opportunity for the prospect to validate you are indeed focusing on one single thing you do well. Long copy allows the prospect to position you so he can associate that one focused aspect of your service or product and automatically links you (thanks to your long copy) to other “good” he wants.

Paul Johnson says:

Wow! There are so many brains out there driven by some very high horse-powered engines. Excellent! This response may pale in comparison but I will take a stab at it.
I think that is has to do with “human connection”. The long copy provides the writer the space to to provide the reader with enough content/narrative for the reader to establish in their own mind if they “know” the writer well enough, if they “like” the writer well enough, and if they “trust” the writer well enough to make a financial commitment in this relationship(albeit in their own mind) the reader feels has been established. Once we feel like we “know” someone we then come to a decision as to our “like” for them, (are we like them, sharing many similarities in analytics, emotion, personal challenges, life circumstances etc. and do we like them) and then it is a matter of do I “trust” them. Once we have that “human connection” then we settle in and listen to learn rather than spending energy continually having to discern motives etc. I am sure that there are many elements previously discussed that come into play, but I think that is centers around this HUMAN CONNECTION of KNOWING, LIKING AND TRUSTING. That seems to be the common thread that is attributable to the success of Social Marketing and the high frequency of interactions with one another, which I interpret as long-content (several installments of short content conversations and such.
I will stop now. Fascinating theories and thoughts. Anxious to hear the answer. Regards to all.

Larry says:

You need to express that you an authority on the subject you are selling. You have the answers they are looking for. Trust is also important but unless they believe you to be the “go to person”, you lose

“Authority” is the answer.
awaiting my prize!!!
Larry

Valerie Knotts is an Online Marketing Entrepreneur says:

Technology has advanced faster than our capacity to process information and we are unable to thoroughly process it in making decisions. As a result we are seeking shortcuts by looking for one single reliable feature upon which to make that decision. The most frequently used shortcut is based on the principle of Social Proof. Therefore in writing sales copy you want to create an image of popularity based on reliable, quality information that solves a problem for the customer and allows the customer to make a decision immediately.

Niels says:

Our brains are like the proverbial frog in the pot of water. Bring the water up to a boil slowly and the frog will stay not realizing soon enough what danger he is in. (I know, that is a myth too, but the analogy works). Our brains are adapted to suffering a situation and remain in our problem state, contend not to find a solution to our problem. The Long Copy is necessary to wack us out of our conservative mode and start acting on what we know we need to act on.
Politicians tend to need a lot of reactions from their constituents before they take action. Look at the yokels running California right now. The state is in a mess, but they are not taking action. Rather than making a decision they know they have to make, they are contend to stay in the boiling water because they have adapted to the misery and no longer perceive the problem as an urgent problem. We need to talk to them a lot, to get them to move forward and take action for the good of the state of California.

Dwain says:

I think the “glitch” you are tempting us with is the fact that we all like to hear stories. With long copy, a skilled writer can weave a story in between the features and benefits, bullet points and analogies. Copy with a story should be long enough to tell the tale and give interested prospects a complete picture of whatever it is you’re selling

Jay says:

Based on the idea of a “story” principle and the thread about people remaining “committed” to something the longer they are involved, I’d say that “suspension of disbelief” is the glitch you’re referring to. When you go to a movie in order for you to engage in the story you must first suspend your disbelief about what you’re actually seeing. You must, in effect, tell yourself “Yes, that man in a tight red and blue unitard is climbing up the side of that skyscraper in broad daylight… and I believe he is actually doing it because I can see him doing it”. Your conscious mind accepts this as true or “reality”, even though you have never seen this happen in your “real” life outside the movie theater. You suspend your disbelief about Spider Man’s feats (short circuit your logic) so you can sit back and enjoy the flick. Long copy functions the same way — it allows us to suspend our disbelief in order to buy into what’s being pitched…

Maybe..

Leslie says:

People want to feel that you know them, that you understand their needs, that you have their best interests in mind. Long copy allows a writer to establish this claim. Humans want to be known and liked.

Claire McCarthy says:

Most people crave the satisfaction of being better than everyone else. When we buy something, we want to know exactly how it will make us better looking, richer, more intelligent, stronger and more powerful than everyone else.
Long copy allows the salesman to drive home exactly how we will achieve this when we buy the product.
The reason that we believe urban myths is because they are often about something unfortunate happening to someone, making us feel better about ourselves.

Gwen says:

People subconciously believe that the more you say, the more you must know. It’s the same glitch that makes people believe you’re an authority if you’ve published a book (whether or not it was a good or useful one).

Kristopher says:

John,
As a copywriter, I have found that when it comes to long copy – its advantage over short copy stems from the “glitch” that people buy based on EMOTION, then justify their purchase with LOGIC. Neurologically speaking, emotions and logic originate in different parts of the brain. Long copy affords you the opportunity to press a greater number of people’s “emotional hot buttons” – with hopes that you will hit more than just one. Then, you can justify your claims with varying forms of proof to validate and justify the buyer’s purchase.

David Lawrence says:

The Glitch – “Yea, but…”

While we read a sales letter or endure any pitch, we can’t help but respond with a, “Yea, but… (insert excuse here – it’s too expensive, my business is different, it’s too complicated, etc). Long copy answers all the “Yea, but…” our prospects might have while they read the letter. Good long copy leaves the prospect with only one response, “Yea, that’s for me.”

Craig Blair says:

People WANT to belong. We NEED to be a part of “it”. That want, that need compels us to act in a way that gets us accepted. This can extend to buying habits too.

Mike says:

I haven’t read all the comments, may be the right answer has been given. But, I’l try to give my own.

So, I think the answer is selective attention.

I give you an example. You have 10 arguments in your sales letter. First
customer will choose arguments 2 and 3 and ignore all others, the second
one will choose 4 and 5, the third one 6 and 9 etc. If there are enough
arguments every customer will compose his own sales letter in his mind
using arguments from your list.

steve says:

Fear of not knowing the whole story.

John Thomas says:

John,

I’m gonna post and then go back and read over the comments to see if my answer was already posted.

I believe the answer is context. People exist in their day-to-day lives thinking in a certain context, an environmental trance, if you will.

What long copy does is it takes people from one point, transports them to a different mental context in which your offer can make sense, and then based on that new context, leads them to make a buying decision in your favor (which should also truly be beneficial to them).

So, my answer is context / frame of reference.

Thanks,

– John

Ruth Deutsch says:

I believe that if you anticipate the target market’s hot buttons plus all their various kinds of potential objections then build your message to allay those concerns through devices which build trust and credibility so that those issues would not even surface as a “problem” (and of course throw in a time urgency to buy so they won’t think too much) then they’ll believe they must buy from you, now. It takes long copy to establish all of that.

Hal Hoadley says:

John,
Here is what I believe to be true and evident in my testing of this theory over years of writing content.

Copy should be long enough to do its job effectively, and not a word longer. Long copy for the sake of long copy is not to your benefit. Always keep in mind the primary goal of your website’s copy (to sell your product or service, to solicit subscriptions, etc.).

Utilize bullets and/or numbered lists where appropriate. These make it easier for visitors to digest your information and prevent your pages from becoming one long block of gray.

Utilize testimonials. Praise from your satisfied customers is much more effective than self-praise.
In general, long copy offers the following advantages:

1. Your visitors will have most of their questions answered and will have less anxiety about ordering from you.

2. Long copy can reduce customer service by qualifying your customers to a greater degree.

3. Long copy with bolded or emphasized points can allow some of your visitors to skim, while others more interested in specifics can find all the information they want. In this sense, long copy gives visitors more options.

4. Long (and interesting) keyword-rich copy often performs well in natural search engines.

If I’m missing some points I’m sure you’ll clue us in on Monday.
Regards,
Hal Hoadley

Chris says:

The long copy tells a story or weaves a story throughout the presentation.

The reader/buyer wants to have fun or read a titillating story.

Chris

Fritz says:

I’m no expert but it would seem to me that people make up their minds to do something at different time rates. Some people will make a quick decision others take awhile, while others need to know every little thing before they will make a decision. By having long copy you get a chance to close these consumers anywhere during the sales pitch.

Steve Topper says:

Perhaps it has to do with the mental shortcuts we use to make quick decisions based on very little information. Over time we’ve developed these mental shortcuts to help us deal with the massive amount of information coming our way daily. The only problem in using our mental shortcuts is that they don’t always lead to the right or best decision. An example would be to make a quick decision to take some new prescription medicine because it was being promoted by Sally Fields in a magazine ad. The flying nun wouldn’t lie to us. We use our mental shortcut of an authority figure to make a decision without reading all the copy accompanying the ad. Yet, great copywriters are able to get us beyond our mental shortcut and into long copy so we get the information we need to make the right decision.

Gil Nelson says:

Hey John,
What’s the psychological glitch, you ask? It’s not psychological at all… it’s emotional. People buy when their needs are addressed emotionally. The psycho-logical part simply justifies their decision to quell the yearning.

Longer copy allows us (copywriters) to 1) stick our thumb deep into the wound, like a battlefield doctor who’s also lost his eyes, asking over and over again, “Is this where it hurts?” and 2) then to use logic to get the consensus, “Yes, please proceed” from the patient (prospect). Like – when my doc told me, “This is going to hurt like hell, but then it will be over and your leg bone will be set… ready?” I wasn’t ready emotionally at all, until my mind justified the value of the pain I was about to experience (but then heal), compared to the pain I would never lose without it.

Feel free to think of even grosser examples, but the point is – if there ain’t a need, why would I buy into it.

Let’s say that I want to see the newest action flick and my girlfriend would rather stay home and watch “Gandi” again. I can bribe her with the prospect of my future pouting or the promise of a nice dinner at her favorite food spot – the long copy is our history. All I have to do is remind her of the benefits of choosing to agree with me vs. the horror of my behavior when she hasn’t in the past. (Oh man, am I really like that?)

OK – enough of this sillyness. Thanks for the great mind-stretch. peace

Stewart says:

Hi John,

Here goes…
When first two people meet, (and this applies to, person meets offer, as well)
An infinite number of probable outcomes are possible. Let’s take a close look at the component parts of the communication at play here, moment by moment.

First, we spy one another. We make note of our relative positions in space. (Note that time could be a part in this equation as well. The person may not have the funds to take advantage of your offer at this time. Or they may be suffering from
some fixation on one or more past or possibly some future events. Such as, the last 3 times
I pulled my wallet out on one of these excursions, I GOT RIPPED OFF! Or, they may have
decided at some point in the past that they would never succumb to possibility of being
taken advantage of again in the future. And of course we must not forget those who feel
their lives have been defined by their unfortunate past and are therefore incapable of making any kind of rational decision in any case.)

Next, we look for similarities and differences. Who is he (or what is this). Where is he (or it) from. What similarities do we share, what do we have in common. Our willingness to communicate is largely determined by our affinity for that person or thing. I mean let’s face it, If you don’t like them (or it), you’re willingness to carry on a line of communication with them isn’t going to last long. Therefore, the more opportunity you have to demonstrate that you do in fact share in a common reality, that you do believe in same things and or possibilities, the more their willingness to communicate will grow.

Imagine access to a person’s mind, like an old safe with the dial and tumbler mechanism. Every time you make a statement, you spin the dial. Now the way this mechanism works. If your statement proves to be something that your prospect believes in and or would be advantageous to their person or situation, then one of the tumblers drop and you find yourself one step closer to gaining that person’s trust. Strike enough positive cords (drop enough tumblers) and the safe will open and he will drop his defenses. As his affinity grows, so will his willingness to accept new ideas and possible future opportunities.

This is why understanding the demographics of you audience is so important. If you’re able to incorporate what your greater audience shares in common with one another, then your chances of success will improve.

Sorry, I have to go. I could talk about this forever. There is so much more to this equation.
I had hoped to make this dissertation longer, in keeping with the subject at hand.

Thank you for this opportunity John. I’ve always enjoyed your commentary.

Best wishes to everyone.
Stewart

Comedian-turned-copywriter says:

thought, my second guess would be showing “authority.” People are drawn to, respect and automatically trust Leaders and teachers

Erick says:

If left unchecked some peoples brains can misfire, leading them to wash their hands 200 times a day. Or close a door 20 times. It shows up in each of us… Did I leave the garage door open, better check. Is the iron on?

Most of the time we operate normally and automatically go through our day doing the same things we have always done over and over. We keep a routine, which becomes automatic.

But… if something upsets that routine like an unexpected phone call, a kids bike being in the way, we become unsettled and unbalanced. Maybe we woke up on the “wrong side of the bed” or we are having a bad day. Our perception becomes heightened and we hit every red light.

Long copy works the same way a good story does. But the story is irrelevant. It upsets the order of the routine, then resolves it.

It’s the same way this quiz works and why we are all writing what we consider to be the correct answer. When we get an idea in our heads we are compelled to solve it.

People who don’t read the copy, bounce from headline to headline back and forth looking for the point. So they can move on with their lives. They are adamant about their opinion and the copy has upset that, so they go searching for a conclusion, resolution or closure. So they can move on.

Good copy will take someone who says “I know better then this guy” to someone who says “I need to be this guy”

Jeff Green says:

Hey John,
As a novice copywriter in study mode, I don’t have much experience with real world results yet.

However, I remember something I came across that said that people need to rationalize the emotional “need” to buy. Long copy does two basic things.
1) It builds up the emotional “gotta have it!” feelings, then-
2) It provides the logical reasons why it’s ok to buy the product. (Justifying the emotional decision.)

I spent all day trying to figure this out, and this is the only thing I can see as a glitch.

Thanks for the brain workout John,
Jeff

C. Frogeur says:

WORRY!

Jeff Mesina says:

WAKE UP! <— The answer is right here…

Whoa…you’ve got me thinking John…and that’s not something I normally do first thing in the morning.

But…it may lead to solving this ‘killer’ question.

The psychological “glitch” that switches on so that we can switch off during most of our day are “schemata” – our mental patterns and structures of the world that allow us to function…with very little effortful thought.

Our schemata help us navigate both the noise of our Times Square information overload and the mundane daily activities associated with commuting and working. Unfortunately…some zombies are so used to being on automatic pilot this type of “thinking” bleeds into activities they should be enjoying…like savouring a peaking Shiraz…or a night of rollicking sex.

Since most people are in a coma – comfortably trapped in this automatic thinking state, short copy barely registers a blip their “usefulness” radar…or their ECG heart monitor.

So what does long copy do…

nothing…

But…GOOD LONG copy…now that’s a different story.

Any GOOD long copy first hooks the reader, slaps them in the face with a cold fish and calmly whispers “wake up…I’ve got something you need to see”. After that, it’s all about painting a pleasing picture…something they haven’t experienced all day. With GOOD long copy you can paint a stream of pleasing images that captures readers in the flow of your writing…and this is where you can start to use “schematas” and automatic thinking to your advantage.

Writing good long copy builds your value as a trusted expert…and the longer that they read…the more time, energy and emotion that they’ve invested…the closer you are at hearing that oh so sweet sound of…

Click…whirrrr…cha-ching!

I guess the part that nobody ever talks about is how the automatic thinking of scematas can actually be used to get zombified suspects to transform themselves into wide-eyed salivating customers…

But who knows…I just woke up.

Kara says:

“What is this Psychological Glitch in people’s thinking process that has made long copy so vital for the sales process?”

The mind likes to fill in empty spaces. Sx yxx cxn stxll rxxd thxs mxssxgx xvxn thxxgh xll thx vxwxls xrx rxplxcxd wxth x’s. That’s why the best horror movies don’t show the monster, just hint at it because your imagination is worse than what they could show.

Melanie Yeoh says:

Hiya
Amazing comp and v stimulating – Cheers for that John.
It’s a question that I’ve been struggling with myself so great timing.
I’ll have a quick stab if I may. Not sure if I’m on the right track however… here goes.
The long and the short of it is that people will read long copy in topics/subjects that they are interested in and they will stop at nothing to find something that will solve their problem or the ONE THING that will help THEM be/do/have what everyone else cannot be/do/have or if others already have it, they want to know how they can achieve it too. Eg. the Potato Bug Killer courtesy of http://www.snopes.com – that’s selling hope to people who were struggling to live and wanted a sure, simple quick-fire solution to their problems.
Long copy is able to help them rationalise the purchase and this means that they don’t have to feel guilty about making such a decision and they have a plethora of reasons of why they bought that one thing when they have to explain it to someone else.
Thanks.
-Cheers from Down Under,
Mel.

Muzzy says:

John,

I must say I am impressed. You write a blog post with a interesting question for a contest, makes me want to compete, I end up reading other comments to see if they are right, this creates curiousity in me to answer right, and by the time its all said and done I want to buy or see whatever your selling. Now that is a great way to use a community generated long copy sales letter……well done!

as for the glitch—- the emotion of fright and fear.

Headline starts the fear by being attention grabbing and then continues through the long copy by reinforcing the fear. then, you have what they need to “comfort” that fear, for purchase.

the word glitch merely implies a lack of consistency between the purposes and functions of certain cognitive areas within our psyche. so I would think that the glitch happens at the reading of the headline which then invokes the fear of “whatever” and is vital to the long copy, in order to hold attention.

Frank Kern, I think recently, is using pattern interrupts for his videos.

so, 1st answer……emotion of fright and/or fear

2nd answer…….pattern interrupts

instead of commenting twice
Thanks for the opportunity,
Muzzy

Mickey Mixon says:

I think it is resistance and buyers remorse. The long ad copy wears down the resistance to making a purchase, and the the long ad copy seems to help convince your mind that you did the right thing.

Christopher Tomasulo says:

Jeez. There are a LOT of “glitches” in the way that the human mind works…. and many are exploitable. Here’s just a partial list of decision making and behavioral biases listed on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases

On that note and as a possible answer to your quiz…

I’ll go with the human glitch of making decisions using incomplete data based on cues.

Christoffer says:

Since I would really like to win. I’ll start this saturday with a fourth attempt… 🙂

Since the customer scans the message, there needs to be something to scan… And some oppurtunity to dig deep. With short copy scanning is harder. You’ll probably have to read it in detail from start to finish. Then the only “scan option” is the headline.

Long copy, however, have several oppurtunities to tell a complete story spread over to allow scanning mode so that the person will fell he’s just scanning. The copywriter counts on this though, and therefore have written at least two versions of copy. The one to be scanned, and the one to be read.

And since the message is longer, it will feel more important to the prospect than a shorter one. Because we all “know” that big is better than small, expensive better than cheap and a long text is more important than a short one.

This will take care of sceptisism as well. Since the message is longer, and therefore more important… and contains a lot of testimonials… It’s probably true.

Am I getting closer?

SpeedStream says:

This Psychological Glitch affects most of the decisions you make each and every day, all day
long…

… on both mundane topics and issues that will decide the rest of you’re lives.

You see it in effect in the halls of Congress.

You see it in the pages of every newspaper and magazine on earth.

You hear it in every bar, and at every family gathering.

And — most of all — you encounter it every time you try to complete a simple capitalistic exercise in
selling stuff.

So for today’s Quiz Question:

The Psychological Glitch in your’s and mine’s thinking process that has made long copy so vital for the sales process is…

Your passions.

Everyone has one … passion that is.

And when you target your message directly at their passions they are rabid fans that can’t get enough. It’s a psychological glitch, no one immune.

The internet is the best example of this. You and your prospects come to the internet in search of information, solutions. Just something else that they can add to their storehouse on any particular topic. Golf for example. Or for you my dear reader, marketing and copywriting.

So, if you share in your target’s passion, focus your message on the things that excites them, meet their wants, answers their objections, offers up a smorgasborg to satisfy their interests, then their ‘Passion’ will have them reading every dripping word of your copy.

JUNIOR D. says:

Popularity — people want to become part of the latest fad.

or insecurity

slick rick says:

eye appeal

Michel Hage says:

LENGHT=EXCITEMENT

Long legs. Ask Tina.

Long stretched cars, otherwise known as limousines.

Long applause, as in much appreciated.

A single sentence looks like a one man show. Two, already start a conversation.

Three, seems like you could inspire a crowd. Slipping in the question ‘are there benefits I might be missing out on?’

Suddenly your prospect is open to confirmation that there is future loss to be mourned. This is where the glitch appears; the viewer becomes a reader and scans for bits and pieces that arouse excitement because that has become the desired experience they like to repeat.

Long copy is the visual representative of an causal argument. Meaning length causes our brain to sense the appreciation.

Like a lengthy hose would make one (lucky?) guy the ultimate reproduction machine.

True length is rare in our planets nature. Name an animal anything like a giraffe?

Claire McCarthy says:

My second attempt:

The psychological glitch is FORGETFULNESS. We forget most things just seconds after we experience them. We are simply faced with too much stimuli every day. Our brain is in ‘defensive’ mode, refusing to take in most messages, unless it strikes a chord with our deep-seated beliefs, fears, desires or insecurities (‘hot buttons’). We therefore have no choice but to forget nearly everything we experience.

Within a short sales message there is little room to hit one of those ‘hot buttons’, and hit it powerfully enough to encourage our brain to commit the message to long term memory. Usually just a few seconds after reading or seeing a sales message, we have forgotten it, as we focus on the next thing that attracts our attention. Or, we say to ourselves ‘I’ll buy that another time’ and then we promptly forget about it.

Long copy holds our attention for longer. It has more time to hit one of those deep seated beliefs, fears, desires or insecurities. It has more room to explore a variety of these ‘hot buttons’ and will therefore appeal to a wider group of people. It uses repetition to force our brain to remember the message. There is more opportunity to encourage us to buy right now rather than go away ‘to have a think’ and forget about it.

What has this got to do with the reason we believe urban legends? It’s simple – we have committed them to long term memory. This is usually because we have heard them more than once from more than one person. Also, they often appeal to our deep seated beliefs, fears, desires or insecurities.

All of the above is probably a load of rubbish, but I thought I’d have a try!

Lucija says:

Hi John,

The prevalent glitch in people’s thinking is the Victim Mentality. They are being fed unhappy news and horror stories (business, politics, crime, medical, etc) 24/7/365 by all the media (TV, print, web) and have been “programmed” to expect bad things to happen. Anything new is perceived as potentially “corrupt” unless proven otherwise. And the more bad stuff they read about, see on TV, find on the web (like urban legends), the more it reinforces the victim mentality and the need to brace themselves against another attack from the “rotten world” and it’s corrupt salespeople, corporations, politicians, you name it.

So the sales copy has to be long enough (and powerful enough) to prove it otherwise.

A sales copy has to be long enough to overcome that victim mentality and… make the sale. The copy has to be long enough to build trust and value — and allow the reader to reach for his credit card knowing you are a “good guy/gal” offering a super desirable product that is actually not too good to be true.

This is why in our long copy we use our personal “Victim story” and how we overcame the challenge (lost 100 lbs, found a date after 10 years, made a million online etc), we use testimonials from other “victims” and how our product helped them, too. And present as many benefits to arouse desire to buy on the basis of that trust.

Anyway, that’s my 2 cents.

Lucija

Carrie says:

procrastination

ju ju says:

focus

jake says:

mental retardation

frank Tenea says:

Ha ha! It’s curiousity!

Ferdinand says:

It takes longer to lower a conditioned boxer’s guard. Likewise, we are so conditioned to guard ourselves from another person’s attempts to show that he/she knows better. It takes longer copy with an engaging delivery of the right words to lower that guard.

Thanks for the invitation.

RandallT says:

Addition to my original post at #304: The glitch in our brain is that we have no idea what may, or may not, trigger a response in our subconscious. A smell, an image, a word or even a color can fire synapses in our brains that nearly force us to take notice. “I want a cookie;” “I want whatever is making them laugh like that;” etc. etc. etc. (apparently one of my triggers is repeating words(or abbreviations)).
Anyway, since we rarely know ourselves what triggers a response in our brains, how can we pinpoint with any certainty what will trigger a response in someone reading our copy?
Short copy is a rifle approach and is inaccurate at best unless you are targeting merely a blanket response by getting someone to “click” on your CPC Ad. Is that selling or just goading someone into taking a peak into something they are probably not interested in.
Long copy on the other hand can cast a broad net in a specific lake, inlet or lagoon where there are significant similarities of interest but remarkable differences in our demeanor, social status and background. Triggers of gossip, lore and facts can cut through to our subconscious and will pull us in because all of a sudden, “someone gets us!” Long copy can touch us, but the outrageous headline or a single word or a font or color (which is why we test — remember the last quiz) can rouse us from our stupor and trigger a reaction. The reaction is to suck us in with riveting storytelling and unbelievable statistics and yes gossip or urban myths. These are the things that keep us reading and tells us why we should keep reading and what we will gain, or what we won’t lose out on if…
Oh, and by the way “just click the ‘Add to Cart’ button and you will belong.” We know these things and have been talking about them throughout these past few days.
The glitch in our brains, that elusive flaw, is that we we have no idea what can consistently fire our synapses into focused consciousness, to take notice and ultimately action.
Thanks again John, what a wonderful debate.

Tom says:

People hang on to what has been familiar (real) to them. . .to what has always been true for them. They hold on to these beliefs with unconscious tenacity. They operate in this fog, which may not even be true. These beliefs are not easily changed or questioned. The long sales letter (like the lighthouse) brings them carefully through and out of the fog. It challenges the core of their beliefs. It hurts & rescues. It leads them to see what might be false about their beliefs. It causes them to question their sacred beliefs. And then it leads them to the solution. And it offers evidence and proof of the solution, and why they need to buy it from us. They are persuaded ,finally, & they see, “whats in it for me”. And of course, they have to buy it in that moment.

Patrick says:

We are trained to believe stories told by authorities, and long copy is usually structured as a story told by an authority (who establish their authority / credibility in the copy)