Listen to a few conversations during the course of your day and you’ll likely make a few interesting observations. When telling a story, some people give you just the facts. Others provide intimate details. When you offer information to them, some will stop you and say, “Oh, let me write this down,” a few will look at you intently – hanging on every word, and still others will appear anxious for you to get right to the point. This is because there are a variety of communication styles. People have preferences in the way they give and receive information.

The challenge, as a copywriter, is to provide your sales information in the way that your target customer will most willingly accept it. If you have a target group that consists of one behavioral/communication style, your copy will be easy to write. However, if your target audience is made up of a variety of styles, your job will take a little more effort.

Keep reading: What’s the key to effective communication?

As I explained in last week’s post, people don’t buy what they need, they buy what they WANT. And these “wants” can be triggered in the prospect’s mind by summoning common emotional buying states in your copywriting. The most common buying emotions you can use are: greed, fear, flattery, guilt, exclusivity, anger and redemption.

As a matter of fact, this strategy is being used on you a lot more than you’d imagine. All you need to do is flip through a magazine or watch some television. As you do, try to identify the emotion being used on each ad. Go ahead and do it now before reading this information. When you’re done, come back because we’re about to go over the bases for these emotions and how to gear your copy toward at least one of them.

Keep reading: How to make people WANT your products

There are many different factors that make up the buying process of a consumer; and the most important one of them is the fact that people buy what they WANT, not what they NEED. This crucial fact is probably the most overlooked factor in the buying process and it is ignored by advertisers, marketers and copywriters alike.

Think about it from your own perspective. When you need a new car… what do you “mentally” go through from the time you decide you might need to start shopping around until the time you actually buy?

Keep reading: You WANT it. But, do you NEED it?

Learning how to tell a good story is one of the most persuasive skills you can have as a copywriter. Great copywriters have proven once and again that knowing how to tell a good story can make the difference between a complete money-losing dud and a multi-million dollar success. But how exactly do you come up with a story that is good for sales?

When it comes to stories that boost sales, substance matters more than style. In other words, what you say matters more than how you say it. So instead of focusing on telling the story elegantly, you should be taking the time to plan your story and strategically selecting the points it will drive home.

Keep reading: 5 Persuasive story formulas you can use

John was awestruck, he had joyful tears in his eyes, but he was still in total disbelief. Without trying – or even wanting it - he had stumbled upon the single most persuasive weapon he could wish for as a copywriter. John immediately knew that with his newly discovered powers, his financial woes were over for good… and then some!

Did the last paragraph catch your attention? I’m sure it did. Most experts agree that one of the most powerful and hypnotic tools in your copywriting skill set is storytelling. In fact, knowing how to tell a good story is in many cases, that mysterious x-factor that sets amateurs apart from legendary copywriters.

Keep reading: Great copywriters are great storytellers

What books have been the most helpful to you in copywriting? This question was recently asked by Stephanie (aka circusmama) in the copywriting forums. And holy guacamole Batman! - it’s one of those questions that just crazy-glues itself to my mind and sticks there until properly answered.

And while I know fully well that a skimpy list like this one doesn’t do justice to these great books, and I’ll probably end up making for it by reviewing each one in a separate blog post sometime later this year. So without further ado here’s the list of my top 10 favorite copywriting books (Click the title to learn more about each book):

Keep reading: Top 10 favorite copywriting books

Women: One of life’s biggest mysteries (to men at least). In this final part of the “understanding human nature” series, we’ll try to unveil some of the secrets and similarities that make Venusians such wonderful and intriguing beings.

Let’s start out by making a list of attributes that round women as a group, and then we’ll dig deeper and dissect the female psyche in age groups that you, as a copywriter, can target as your market.

Keep reading: Understanding human nature (Part 4)