Today we’re talking about objections. Specifically, how you can use them to write great copy, but first, we need to address a common mistake businesses tend to make.

Instead of discussing client objections, many businesses of one avoid objections out of fear a prospect might choose a competitor over them.

This mistake is costing you opportunities. Objections help make an instant connection with your audience by leading the conversion with their objections to buying your product or service.

The good news is you can write great copy using objections by following these three steps.

Step 1: Find their Known Spoken problems

Many people are aware of the obstacles they face. They are known to them, and quite often, they are spoken. These Known Spoken problems are the things stopping people from moving forward. Usually, they are “visual, ” meaning you can physically see the problem, or it’s easy to paint a mental picture.

Discovering these Known Spoken problems is easy; ask questions, and they will surface quickly.

• “Not enough time.”
• “I don’t know how to…”
• “I know I need to do something, but…”

Once you understand the Known Spoken problems, it’s time to dig deeper.

Step 2: Uncover the Known Unspoken problems 

Known Spoken problems drive Known Unspoken problems because they not only make your audience feel a certain way, but they also drive assumptions about your product or service. These assumptions are the objections.

• “The price is too high.”
• “The program is too long.”
• “The learning curve is too steep.”

You can uncover Known Unspoken problems – objections – by asking, “why is that?”

This question is like magic for surfacing objections. Objections tell you what stops prospects from buying, and the more detailed you can get about the objections your target customers have, the more relevant you become because of this simple fact about objections. 

Objections are mental comparisons your prospects are making to other similar products and services.

In other words, objections aren’t really objections; they’re comparisons, which brings us to the final step in writing great copy.

Step 3: Use comparisons to make immediate connections

The tagline for Sally Hogshead’s Fascination Advantage assessment is:

Different is better than better.

While her tagline is specific to her assessment, I think it is also relevant to brand building and copywriting. 

Too often, we want to talk about why we are better than our competitors, which comes across as “preachy.” Comparisons, however, highlight how your product or service is different. 

Your difference may be better, but don’t dwell on the better yourself; let your prospects see or feel how much better you are on their own.  

When written correctly, comparisons surface and address objections in a way that helps prospects feel understood by emphasizing how your solution differs from what they are used to seeing or doing today.

By comparing and contrasting your method vs. the “standard or typical” way, you demonstrate your relevance instantly while at the same time addressing the Known Unspoken objections prospects have in a way that makes an immediate connection with them.

So, when using comparisons in your copy, don’t try to be better; be different and let your prospects feel how much better your product or service is from your competitor.