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Create A Sense of Urgency
Creating a Sense of Urgency
A while back I had this girlfriend. We had a lot of fun, but she was hesitant to commit to me. No matter what I tried, she just wouldn’t become “official.”
Then, there was another time—with another girlfriend—and I was the one having a hard time committing to her. I just couldn’t help but wonder what else was out there…
Both relationships eventually led to committment. But something needed to happen first. He’s what tipped the scales…
A breakup…
And both times the dumper came crawling back for more.
Humans are funny. We sometimes don’t appreciate what we have in the moment, but man, oh man, when there’s a threat of it being taken away, we sure can hold on tight. The time to shit or get off the pot is over, and with no bathroom in sight, suddenly we’ve got to shit real bad.
As a kickass copywriter, you must use this to your advantage. Because even after the perfect pitch, the most incredible offer (like getting to be my girlfriend) people might not take the bait…
They’ll want to think over their options. They’ll hem and haw. They’ll move on. They’ll probably find themselves another boyfriend or girlfriend. Unless you do one thing.
Stoke the fire with the fear of loss. Motivate your prospects with a feeling of scarcity. Do it in every piece of kickass copy you write.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Swipes
- Deadlines
- Limited supplies/product shortages
- Limited time price opportunity
- Closeout sales
- Limited editions
- Special add-ons for buying now
- Items are selling FAST
- Current customers getting first dibs before the rest of the masses
- “Properties like these sell pretty fast. I wanted to show you guys first.”
(The above example is almost certainly a lie (which means it fails the first rule of kickass copy LINK) but it worked on me. I persuaded the department LINK to buy it for my personal library for $200. It’s a great book.)
The company Brooklinin—a linen manufacturer based out of Brooklyn—really drives the scarcity home. Here are a handful of their email subject lines. I guess selling sheets is scary business.
- THIS WILL ONLY HAPPEN ONCE—TAKE ADVANTAGE NOW
- WE DON’T WANT YOU TO MISS OUT ON THESE SAVINGS
- SHOP NOW BEFORE OUR BEST SELLERS RUN OUT
- LIMITED EDITION: NEW SILK SELLING FAST
- [SOMETHING] BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
- [SOMETIMES] IS ALMOST GONE
- SELLING FAST: [SOMETHING]
- DON’T LET THESE SAVINGS SLIP AWAY
- LAST CALL: [SOMETHING]
Obviously, [SOMETHING] was usually cozy flannels or high threadcount pillow cases or… Use at your discretion.
Action Items
What legitimate reason do you have for urging your customers to act now? What incentives can you offer? There’s always something—Be creative!