By having a specific desire, you can transmit a specific image of your desire to the “Formless Substance” (i.e., God or Universe), which will then turn your image into tangible form, like clockwork.
For this reason, specificity in marketing is important — think “razor sharp” clarity about the message you’re communicating. When spreading your brand’s message, specificity and clarity are the two keys that will set you apart from the sea of vague wishers and dreamers.
It’s like the difference between a clouded mirror and one that’s crystal clear.
“It is not enough that you should have a wish to travel, see things, live more, etc. Everybody has those desires also,” says Wattles. “If you were going to send a wireless message to a friend, you would not send the letters of the alphabet in their order, and let him construct the message for himself; nor would you take words at random from the dictionary. You would send a coherent sentence; one which meant something. When you try to impress your wants upon Substance, remember that it must be done by a coherent statements; you must know what you want, and be definite. You can never get rich, or start the creative power into action, by sending out unformed longings and vague desires.”
In the same vein, don’t send emails that require people to figure out for themselves what the hell you’re saying, or offering.
You have to spell it out for them.
Spell it out so clearly, that they SEE exactly what you see. This kind of writing gets a huge response…in the form of sales, and people talking about your brand to their friends.
By contrast, marketing crafted as “unformed longings and vague desires” gets little to no attention or response.
Take the time to spell out clearly, in vivid detail, what you want each email to achieve.
It goes without saying that your website and other sales copy should be equally coherent.
A good focusing question to ask when you sit down to write an email is: “What’s the ONE BIG IDEA I’m trying to communicate in this email?”
This will help you gain clarity and coherency.
Once you’ve answered that question, move on to asking: “How can I communicate this idea in the greatest way possible, so that the maximum number of lives are impacted for the better?”
This question will align you with the very drive of the universe: “More life to all.” AND it will communicate a coherent desire that the Formless Substance will then begin working to bring you, in tangible form.
“You must have it before you can give it,” says Wattles, “and many people fail to impress Thinking Substance because they have themselves only a vague and misty concept of the things they want to do, to have, or become.”
Being vague and misty is probably the #1 thing that will prevent your sales copy from really selling and clicking for readers.
My editing skills are like non-toxic Windex for your brand’s message.
Spray some on…and everything’s clear. LOL.
Michelle
P.S. I’ve got a great new interview coming up soon…Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake are producing a documentary called “Sweetening the Pill” to educate women about the toxicity of hormonal birth control. They launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised $119K in 30 days. To find out how they did it, I interviewed Abby (the director), and she told me, “Direct email is the best way to attract backers.” This confirms what I’ve been saying forever: Forget building up your social media profiles — focus on building a targeted email list of people who support your message 100%. That’s where the real money and success is.
Michelle Lopez Boggs is a copywriter, copywriting mentor, and author of "The Anti-Marketing Manifesto: How to Sell Without Being a Sellout." She's helped her clients sell millions of dollars' worth of products and services online by using the MEI(S) principle — motivate, educate, and inspire, and sell. 