OK, so I’m a multi-tasker. I admit it, ain’t no shame in my game!
BUT I do realize that multitasking is NOT always beneficial to me, and sometimes it is even downright detrimental! When you have too many irons in the fire, one of them is bound to get dropped, and fling a burning arc of ashes all over your best efforts at accomplishing your goals.
It’s the same thing you need to think about when you’re selling something. Especially when you’re trying to sell something through copy, and not face to face. You don’t have the added benefit of non-verbal communication in written copy that you have in a face to face pitch, so you have to use every weapon at your disposal to get your message across.
In general, you should realize that multitasking splits your focus and downgrades your effectiveness. In your copy, it’s the same thing. You should only be doing ONE thing at a time.
Line by line, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, each should be dealing with one issue only. When you ask your prospects to make a decision, that decision should only center around one issue.
What’s the reasoning behind this? Well for one thing, your prospects are only going to know what you tell them about your product or service. Invariably, you will ALWAYS know more than them and if you bounce around topics in your copy, they are only going to be left wondering what the heck it is you’re trying to sell them exactly. It’s great to be excited about your product or service, but a little can go a long way. Make sure your prospects are able to keep up with you.
Besides that, people want clarity when considering a purchase. They want to know exactly what it is they are paying for, not some vague idea. I know we’ve all read that sales page where at the end of it you’re sitting there thinking ‘Ok… well it sounds really cool but I still am not really sure what the heck it is!’.
When trying to get a strong benefit across to your customer, if you aren’t focusing on one point at a time it’s way too easy for it to get lost and your prospect to be left confused. You are asking their brains to process more than one idea at a time, and unfortunately the message becomes ineffective in translation. It’s kind of like asking your prospect to rub their belly and pat their head at the same time. Go on… try it! It’s not the easiest thing to manage, and most people will not even bother trying once they realize it takes a little effort on their part.
So stop patting yourself on the back for being a multi-tasker all the time, and realize there are some instances where it can harm you. Narrow your focus in your copy and in your life and reap the rewards of both!
