Well, it determines whether your prospect will buy... or not. Hold their interest and attention... they'll keep reading. And the more they read, the better chance you have to actually sell them.
What should it do?
1.Ask a provocative question that arouses enough curiosity so they read like a madman for the answer 2.Read smoothly. Use short words and sentences to entice the reader 3.Follow through on an angle or promise from the headline . 4.Carry out the promise and show the ultimate reward for reading the ad.
Most new copywriters can't get to the point. When they send it to me and ask for a critique, I usually have them dump a page or two from their lead.
Actually, at this point you're only on the A of AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). Your lead keeps that attention while moving the reader to interest.
When your conversion stinks, smoothing out your lead is one of the top 3 things to do. (Look at your headline and offer too!) So it really pays to get it right.
This is where your prospect knows what's at stake and why he (or she) should keep reading your salesletter. There is no set rule for how long your lead should be, it could be a page, it could be 3. Some move into the big idea right away, some ease into it. It's up to you... just as long as you're not boring your reader.
Here's 2 things your lead needs to do.
Deliver your Big Promise and introduce your big idea.
What is a big promise?
Basically, it's a claim about what your product will do FOR me.
Got it?
Your big promise is about what's in it for me.
It encapsulates all of the smaller promises and kicks them up a notch.
By tapping into your prospects psyche, you'll connect with what they want... and they will read because of that connection.
Now you're hitting thier dreams, wants and deepest desires... and get them wanting more.
So make sure you've researched your market and know thier "psychological triggers" that REALLY make them buy. That's what you need to craft a big promise.
The Big Idea deserves more attention, so I'll devote my next article on it.
