Comments on: How To Beef Up Your Proof - Part 1 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/ A discussion of modern and proven marketing techniques, copywriting, and strategies for all businesses. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:08:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: John Ritskowitz http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-6024 John Ritskowitz Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:51:43 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-6024 Ok, Virgil, you're in! You're the last one, though. Many thanks to everyone who participated and had fun with "fruit". And good luck to those who've stumbled across this site and tried to figure out what the heck is going on! We'll do this again real soon. John Ok, Virgil, you’re in! You’re the last one, though.

Many thanks to everyone who participated and had fun with “fruit”.

And good luck to those who’ve stumbled across this site and tried to figure out what the heck is going on!

We’ll do this again real soon.

John

]]> By: Virgil Stanphill http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-6023 Virgil Stanphill Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:44:49 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-6023 OK John, Today is my FIRST DAY as a new AWAI member and I came upon your post. I thought maybe, just maybe, you might be in one of those "funny moods" you mentioned - and I might be able to "sneak in" our your generous offer to those lucky 10. You're familiar with the "bakers dozen", aren't you? I'd be shocked if you weren't... What do you think? Will my effort bear any fruit? By the way, I love creative writing so I'm hoping my education in copywriting will keep bearing fruit for many years to come. Best wishes for your continued success. Virgil OK John,

Today is my FIRST DAY as a new AWAI member and I came upon your post.

I thought maybe, just maybe, you might be in one of those “funny moods” you mentioned - and I might be able to “sneak in” our your generous offer to those lucky 10.

You’re familiar with the “bakers dozen”, aren’t you? I’d be shocked if you weren’t…

What do you think? Will my effort bear any fruit?

By the way, I love creative writing so I’m hoping my education in copywriting will keep bearing fruit for many years to come.

Best wishes for your continued success.

Virgil

]]> By: valentina http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4436 valentina Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:47:13 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4436 great stuff ... the image of the lawyer lunging across the table had me laughing (anything that has to do with lawyers has that effect on me).... but what you are saying is that we should look at our copy as being a basket laden with fruit, and not just a basket of apples, or oranges, but a variety of FRUIT. Got It! best................valentina great stuff … the image of the lawyer lunging across the table had me laughing (anything that has to do with lawyers has that effect on me)…. but what you are saying is that we should look at our copy as being a basket laden with fruit, and not just a basket of apples, or oranges, but a variety of FRUIT. Got It!

best…………….valentina

]]> By: Al http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4430 Al Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:41:11 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4430 John - An excellant article. Great "ad"-vice! I incorporated much of it in writing a spot for a local produce market that claims to have the finest FRUIT in town. Thanks to your suggestions, I was able to dig down for the real pulp and write some juicy copy. (nyuk, nyuk - does the offer still stand?) Cheers, Champ! - Al Henderson John -

An excellant article. Great “ad”-vice! I incorporated much of it in writing a spot for a local produce market that claims to have the finest FRUIT in town. Thanks to your suggestions, I was able to dig down for the real pulp and write some juicy copy. (nyuk, nyuk - does the offer still stand?)

Cheers, Champ!

- Al Henderson

]]> By: Trease http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4347 Trease Sat, 08 Sep 2007 04:12:15 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4347 John, Do you think James could have been the lawyer in your example? I don't know if he'd ever lunge like that at anyone. But it's true, you need boatloads, or should I say fruit out the ying yang load of proof. If you're lacking on proof it will show and your credibility will go out the window. Is okay for a travel writer like me to get in on the "fruit" deal? There's a lot about copywriting that can apply to my genre of travel writing, especially the fruit portion. The attribution of flaws resonates with me. That makes sense and does make the product seem more credible and less hypey. And you really need to write the way your customers talk to get better results. If you speak my language I'm more likely to buy from you than from someone who doesn't talk my talk. John,
Do you think James could have been the lawyer in your example? I don’t know if he’d ever lunge like that at anyone. But it’s true, you need boatloads, or should I say fruit out the ying yang load of proof. If you’re lacking on proof it will show and your credibility will go out the window. Is okay for a travel writer like me to get in on the “fruit” deal? There’s a lot about copywriting that can apply to my genre of travel writing, especially the fruit portion.

The attribution of flaws resonates with me. That makes sense and does make the product seem more credible and less hypey.

And you really need to write the way your customers talk to get better results. If you speak my language I’m more likely to buy from you than from someone who doesn’t talk my talk.

]]> By: John Ritskowitz http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4342 John Ritskowitz Fri, 07 Sep 2007 22:40:48 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4342 I love what I'm hearing! Geoff, you raise a good point. I'm not a lawyer (and I don't even play one on TV!) But I'm obviously familiar with that story, and I even looked up the word "preponderance". ---------------------------------------------- pre·pon·der·ance (prÄ­-pŏn'dÉ™r-É™ns) also pre·pon·der·an·cy (-É™n-sÄ“) n. Superiority in weight, force, importance, or influence. ---------------------------------------------- But of course it could mean something different in lawyer-speak. I only meant that your proof should be overwhelming. Lack of proof should NEVER be a reason they don't buy. It should be that it's not the right offer for them at the right time. Or something else you don't necessarily have control over. Bottom line is that anything you DO have control over, you should take the time to make sure you do your homework, especially when it comes to credibility and believability of your claims. Cheers, John I love what I’m hearing!

Geoff, you raise a good point. I’m not a lawyer (and I don’t even play one on TV!)

But I’m obviously familiar with that story, and I even looked up the word “preponderance”.

———————————————-
pre·pon·der·ance (prÄ­-pŏn’dÉ™r-É™ns) also pre·pon·der·an·cy (-É™n-sÄ“)
n.
Superiority in weight, force, importance, or influence.
———————————————-

But of course it could mean something different in lawyer-speak. I only meant that your proof should be overwhelming. Lack of proof should NEVER be a reason they don’t buy.

It should be that it’s not the right offer for them at the right time. Or something else you don’t necessarily have control over.

Bottom line is that anything you DO have control over, you should take the time to make sure you do your homework, especially when it comes to credibility and believability of your claims.

Cheers,

John

]]> By: Geoff Bryan http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4339 Geoff Bryan Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:52:45 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4339 Always good to see the latest fruit of your fertile mind. As a lawyer, I have always found it amusing that the senior lawyer in that story demands "a preponderance" of proof. Technically, a "preponderance" translates to "barely enough" -- it is the weakest standard of proof in litigation. It is also phrased as "more likely than not." Lawyers will make closing arguments where they trot out a little set of metal scales and talk about the jury "weighing the evidence" on both sides, and noting that for the plaintiff to win, the balance has to tip only the very slightest amount in the plaintiff's favor. A feather would be enough to tip it in that direction. Stronger standards of proof in the law are such things as "clear and convincing evidence," which is needed for some kinds of intentional torts, and "beyond a reasonable doubt," the strictest standard, generally applied in criminal prosecutions. So, in the lawyer story, it would be more fruitful for the lawyer to have demanded "clear and convincing" evidence, because that standard is not just "more likely than not" but "substantially more likely than not." GLB Always good to see the latest fruit of your fertile mind.

As a lawyer, I have always found it amusing that the senior lawyer in that story demands “a preponderance” of proof. Technically, a “preponderance” translates to “barely enough” — it is the weakest standard of proof in litigation. It is also phrased as “more likely than not.” Lawyers will make closing arguments where they trot out a little set of metal scales and talk about the jury “weighing the evidence” on both sides, and noting that for the plaintiff to win, the balance has to tip only the very slightest amount in the plaintiff’s favor. A feather would be enough to tip it in that direction.

Stronger standards of proof in the law are such things as “clear and convincing evidence,” which is needed for some kinds of intentional torts, and “beyond a reasonable doubt,” the strictest standard, generally applied in criminal prosecutions.

So, in the lawyer story, it would be more fruitful for the lawyer to have demanded “clear and convincing” evidence, because that standard is not just “more likely than not” but “substantially more likely than not.”

GLB

]]> By: Rich Leonard http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4325 Rich Leonard Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:18:04 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4325 John, Good information is always a valuable asset to have. My friend think I'm a bit of a FRUIT cake for persuing a career change in copywriting but that's ok by me - no FRUIT off my tree ! Rich John,

Good information is always a valuable asset to have. My friend think I’m a bit of a FRUIT cake for persuing a career change in copywriting but that’s ok by me - no FRUIT off my tree !

Rich

]]> By: Conrad http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4319 Conrad Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:28:59 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4319 Greetings John, Thank you for this timely advice. I am about halfway through AWAI's Basic Copywriting Course and had the good fortune to recently encounter three new clients in one day. Each has a locally successful product and they are looking to obtain the fruit of expanded distribution. The good timing of my arrival has given me exclusive, ground-floor access. The information you have provided is SO relevant, I have already printed it to PDF for storage and a copy is coming out of my printer as I type. It is certain this information will help me craft advertising that will bear fruit for my new clients. Sincerely Conrad Hall cdncopywriter@gmail.com Greetings John,

Thank you for this timely advice. I am about halfway through AWAI’s Basic Copywriting Course and had the good fortune to recently encounter three new clients in one day.

Each has a locally successful product and they are looking to obtain the fruit of expanded distribution. The good timing of my arrival has given me exclusive, ground-floor access.

The information you have provided is SO relevant, I have already printed it to PDF for storage and a copy is coming out of my printer as I type. It is certain this information will help me craft advertising that will bear fruit for my new clients.

Sincerely
Conrad Hall
cdncopywriter@gmail.com

]]> By: John Ritskowitz http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4310 John Ritskowitz Thu, 06 Sep 2007 02:43:22 +0000 http://www.JohnRitz.com/blog/how-to-beef-up-your-proof-part-1/#comment-4310 Thanks for your feedback, folks. I guess some people might be wondering about all the "fruit" references, lol. Well, we'll keep them guessing for now, but I'll fess up soon. Cheers, John Thanks for your feedback, folks. I guess some people might be wondering about all the “fruit” references, lol.

Well, we’ll keep them guessing for now, but I’ll fess up soon.

Cheers,

John

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