But what if showed you a photo of the fish I caught (with my brother and best friend). See photo below. Now that’s proof.
Don’t just take my word we caught a slew of fish. See the photo. Yes, that’s me on the right with the Nike hat.
Even better, the photo shows us with our catch, so you can see how big the fish really were. They ranged from 8 to 14 pounds, and that day, we caught 30!
My point is that, in marketing we can make a statement trying to prove a point, but when we back it up with proof, we make a much stronger argument—and ultimately, more people buy. And when you can add layers of proof, you sell more.
This is why the great copywriter Gary Bencivenga says “Unquestionable Proof” is a key part of this Persuasion Equation. The more proof, the more sales.
I once had an assignment to sell a stock newsletter called Ground Floor Stocks.
Fortunately for me, the client had an outstanding track record picking stocks, ranking No. 1 by the independent Hulbert Financial Digest which tracked stock picking newsletters.
As you can see in the envelope below, I trumpeted this proof element right out of the gate, and drew even more attention to it by putting the layout on the side, not in the typical fashion.
Note the copy was flipped on its side to draw even more attention to the key proof element.
But I laid on the proof even further, showing the actual rankings of the top five stock picking newsletters.
Anytime you can show the proof in a chart or illustration or drawing, all the better. It’s another layer of proof.
The results? The promotion was so successful it won The Newsletter on Newsletter Gold Award in 1998!
Find proof elements to sell your products or services, then find more and add the proof on thick. Your sales will likely soar.
