Two in the Heart, One in the Head

Writer Eric Graham describes a military training course that taught him how to kill someone with a gun. The routine was this: Two shots to the heart, then one to the head. The heart shots were meant to provide the easiest target. The head is a harder shot, but is a useful form of insurance if the target is wearing body armor.

Graham extends this rather gruesome description to describe how effective ad copy works. This time you're not trying to end someone's life, just get the sale (or accomplish whatever other goal has been set for your piece).

Appealing to the "heart" -- using emotions to spark interest and desire for your product -- is far easier than using "head" appeals that logically differentiate your product from the competition.

Most people use both emotions and logic to justify a buying decision. But let's be honest with ourselves. A lot of times, logic is used to justify the emotional decisions we've already made. Use your writing to build up to that emotional decision, then weave in the logical justifications -- and you've got a sale.