If the best way of communicating with prospects and existing customers was through sign language, we all must learn to sign. Or if the best method of communication proved to be mutually understandable code, we all must learn that code to say anything. Thankfully, our communication process is much simpler, or is it?

A salesperson has the benefit of meeting his prospect face to face and will be able gauge his pitch according to visible response signs displayed by his prospect. An experienced salesperson will instinctively know from the facial expressions and body language of his prospect, whether he is hitting the right buttons. This is usually indicated by the prospects head nodding up and down combined simultaneously with a beaming smile and wide-eyed appreciation.

A tele salesperson has much less to go on. They can only judge response to their sales pitch through the prospect’s answers to questions and the actual tone of their voice. Most tele salespeople find their job easier when they try to imagine the look on their prospects faces while they are talking to them. But the deciding factor will always come down to the tone of voice deployed by both parties.

The Internet and Direct Mail Marketer have no such advantages over their prospects. They cannot see them, and they cannot hear them. Their only weapon in their armory of sales pitches is their written word.

How we communicate through our written words holds the absolute key to successful selling online and offline. Whether it is a sales letter, an email or ad, the written words must convincingly convey the sales message directly into the prospects mind. But first, you must get your prospects to read your message, and usually this very first hurdle will claim many, many casualties.

Getting someone to read your sales pitch will certainly depend on your headline. Your headline is your introduction. Your hello, your hey you and your listen up. If your headline does not grab the attention of your prospect within two seconds, its goodbye and farewell.

Other important aspects of a killer sales message are sub-headings. Sub-headings are used to maintain interest throughout the copy. But they’re also included for the benefit of prospects that first scan your message before deciding to read it in full. To some degree, they’re almost as important as the headline itself.

Then there’s the body copy. It’s here that your copywriting talents and skills should really shine through. Here you can use any words in the English language to describe and explain in fine detail, the benefits and features of your product or service on offer. And the English language is positively rich in adjectives, so there can be no excuse.

But the real secret to creating captivating copy is to use sense words. That is, words that arouse the senses. Touch, see, smell, taste, and listen is what we instinctively do every day. They represent our human survival mechanisms and, we trust them. Other mammals rely on them totally.

When you use sense words in conjunction with emotionally fueled trigger words, you can elicit all kinds of responses, which can be carefully channeled into the heart of your message for maximum impact. Harnessing words for profit in this way is a skill, and it’s a skill that every online and offline marketer needs to fully comprehend.

Learning to write outstanding and emotionally charged sales copy is not an essential requirement for business success, but recognizing the effectiveness is.

Never underestimate the secret power of words.