Lesson 4

In this lesson, I want to show you my “horizon storm” copywriting technique.

I came up with it when I was up in the high desert of Oregon.

There I am, sitting on the banks of a river after a quick, frigid dip in the icy water.

The sun is out. People are laughing across the channel.

Soaking up the sun of the holiday weekend.

But I’m focused on the horizon now, an immeasurable distance beyond the sparse desert greenery.

And I’m thinking about the furious thunderstorm clouds that are quickly swelling into a huge, white-blue-gray storm on that horizon line.

A storm that will, with all certainty, throw water and lightning and thunder from the sky just a few short hours from now.

Precisely at the moment my friends are getting married.

At an outdoor location.

Just a few short miles from where I am sitting now.

It’s not just a possibility. At this point, it’s all but inevitable.

A wedding day ruined by a freak thunderstorm. Nowhere where to run or hide. Nothing to protect the gown or the suit or the flowers or the guests.

No vows. No dinner. No cake. A crying bride.

Every guest leaves early.

Presents soaked.

A perfect day, completely ruined.

Okay, okay.

I think you see what I’m doing here.

If you don’t, here’s the idea.

I’m painting a very vivid picture of how terrible things could get if the thunderstorm isn’t addressed and precautions aren’t taken for this wedding.

I call this the “horizon storm” technique.

And you can use it to potentially sell a lot more preventative products and services with your copy.

All it takes is painting a picture of that storm in your prospect’s mind.

Talk about it swelling to an uncontrollable degree … and how it could rain problems upon them if they don’t address it very, very soon.

A subtle urgency is key here.

And a vivid mental image — relevant to your market — is essential.

Then, when you’ve built up just enough of a static charge that your audience is all but CERTAIN this fate will soon be theirs …

You introduce your product as a solution.

For example, after building the scenario above, I could introduce a new waterproof tent:

“The TENT-in-ator B7X

A brand new, easy-to-set up tent that you can use for YOUR wedding day.

Don’t get rained on! Don’t stop the show!

It’s waterproof … windproof … and when you’re done, it packs down in seconds so you don’t have to deal with the hassle on your wedding night.”

Anyways, I think you get the idea.

Build the problem. Swell it up like a storm. Then introduce your solution and go for the sale.

David Patrick