To be a successful marketer, you must acquire – or build upon – the following attributes:

1. You must have the ability to write and recognize good copy.

2. You must know what makes people buy.

To know what makes people buy, you must understand one key aspect of human nature – self-interest. People are not as much interested in your product or service, as they are in what that product or service will do for them. They want to know if it will entertain them, save them time, ease their pain, or enhance their quality of life.

Most people realize this to some degree. What they don't realize is how many of their decisions are governed by forces they are barely aware of, if at all. As George French wrote many years ago in his book, The Art and Science of Advertising, “Our minds are more automatic, more mechanical than we are willing to admit. That which we loosely call mind is largely the automatic expression of tendencies controlled by physical conditions wholly apart from conscious intellectual or moral motives or qualities.”

In other words, to be a top-notch marketer, you need to be something of a psychologist. You must make it your business to observe and learn from human behavior. An article from the early 20th century put it this way: “Whether a man buys or not depends on his state of mind, and his state of mind depends upon the effect the advertisements or the salesman's arguments have upon him. This being true, you can see the wisdom of gaining some knowledge of the mind and how it operates.”

Pay attention to the effect of your words and images on your prospects. Have you ever noticed that the most effective advertising is one that delivers an order? “Buy Now!” “Use Acme Brand!” “Go Greyhound!” That's because most people have very little sense of what they really want. They're actually relieved to have someone tell them what to do.

Because you're an entrepreneur who lives your life on your own terms, you may find it hard to believe this. You may even feel it shouldn't be this way. But the fact is that 90% of people, maybe more, act on the direction of others. If you've got something that you're convinced is a great value, you can direct people to buy it, and they will. The benefits you tell them about just help them justify the “decision” that you've already made for them.

Of course, your advertising must create pleasant associations in people's minds for this to work. If you're selling infant teething rings, images of screaming babies won't help you make the sale, unless they stop screaming when handed a ring! Avoid making negative associations in people's minds about your product or service.

One more thing to know about human nature is that most people will put off until tomorrow what they could do today. You want them to act today, before something else catches their attention. Your marketing must work for quick action. There are a number of ways to accomplish this – the low price for a limited time, limited quantities at a lower price, and many others.

Advertising is only good if it makes people buy. Appeal to their self-interest by focusing on the benefits of your offer. Give clear directives to be carried out promptly. You'll be able to see results quickly, because people will buy.