Thoughts and feelings influence more decisions on purchasing than pure intellectual considerations.

This is why an appeal to a person's emotions and desires almost always outperforms straight factual headlines. That's just how it is – I didn't write the rules.

So save your facts for later. First, grab the reader's attention with a big, emotionally appealing benefit. Powerful sales letters begin with a sizzling self-interest headline.

It's a battle to briefly capture the attention of your reader's mind and to lead him or her to the desired action - placing that order immediately. Do you really think it's anything less than that? Check your premise.

What are you trying to do?

Answer: You are trying to stop a busy person dead in his or her tracks with a bold statement that you hope greatly appeals to their self-interest.
And you've got about TWO SECONDS to do it!

If you succeed, you hope to entice him or her with your subheads and opening paragraph to continue reading.

Once the entire sales letter is read, you hope you have pushed enough of his or her basic want and need buttons (success, greed, love, pleasure, survival, acknowledgement etc.) that he will get up off his backside and start hunting for his stamps and cheque book.

It takes powerful, compelling copy to achieve that response – and it starts with the headline.

The battle for the respondent's mind should not be interpreted in a negative light as one of ongoing control. You're not playing for the same stakes as some religious cults, the CIA, or KGB. You just want them to order. After that – they can have their mind back. (I'm being humorous, but you get what I am saying, I hope.)

To get temporary control however, you use an arsenal of direct response weaponry. When you think about it, it's rather amazing that mere words on a printed page can have any effect such as making someone reach for their wallet and send you money!

The Positive Approach Works Best

Appeals to the person's self-interest almost always work best in headlines. Make your headline shout to your readers, “Here are some big benefits for you!” This is NOT the time to keep your powder dry.

If you have real news to tell, get the news in the headline, along with the benefit.

With only a few exceptions, positive headlines work best. Telling people how they will prosper works better than telling them how to prevent losses.

Any negative appeal concerning possible loss by not responding to your offer can be mentioned somewhere in the body copy. Make the headline positive for maximum results.

Many years ago I tested several “negative headlines.” Results most often were not sensational. Instead, all my smashing successes have come from positive, benefit-rich headlines.

Examples Of Some Successful Headlines That Use This Technique

Wealth, Health, Love, And Happiness - Now You Can Have It All!

This was for the book How To Achieve Total Success. The result was 120,000 copies in print worldwide.

Stay Home And Make Money

For a book with the same title, 47,000 copies sold and counting. Sometimes the title of a book or the name of a product also makes for a super headline.

If You Love To Catch Fish, Get Your “Bass-Buster” While We Can Still Legally Sell Them!

This was the headline for a unique fishing lure which resulted in sales of over 200,000 units.

Learn The Amazing Secrets of a Sweepstakes Millionaire

This responsive headline was for Bruce Robbins' report that tells how to win sweepstakes and contests. It is a tremendously successful headline.

The Best New Book on Making Money by Mail is Yours Free!

This incredibly successful headline introduces the Profit Ideas books and tapes to buyers and to those who wish to go into business selling them.

Here's a longer one:

"I've Tried Every ‘Money-Making' Internet Scheme Going And I Never Made a Damn Penny From ANY Of Them – Until Now…"

I could go on and on, but I think you're getting the idea. Capture attention with a daring, beneficial headline. Do this, and you'll get the response and profits you seek. Don't try to be clever, cute, or funny.

Simply give your readers good news in the form of a big benefit. That's how to make your headlines sizzle and sell.