How to Research
Those You Hope to Persuade
Dear Marketing Maven,
Quick review.
By this point in your research, you’ve learned all you can about your product or service.
Now you must dovetail that knowledge with the wants and needs of your target market. For that I rely on…
Maxim #11:
Know your market or
you’ll have no market.
Before you write a word of copy, here are the questions you must answer about those you hope to persuade:
- In both your media plan and copy platform, follow this advice from David Ogilvy: “Don't count the people you reach; reach the people who count.”
- Your primary goal is to reach and persuade the “heavy users” of this product, the core market, the 20% of customers who generate 80% of initial and long-term repeat sales. You must learn all you can about these heavy users, choose the best media to reach them, and craft your copy to their desires.
- What are your key prospects’ greatest wants, fears, feelings, prejudices, beliefs, and biggest “hot buttons,” i.e., emotional issues surrounding this product and the problems it solves or desires it satisfies? Let it all hang out—money, sex, greed, longer life, recognition, status, FOMO (fear of missing out), whatever.
- Who in the prospect’s business or family is the primary buying influence?
- What are the demographics of your core market—age, gender, income, educational level, home ownership, geographic location, and anything else relevant?
- What might be your best prospects’ biggest objections or reasons to hesitate about using your product or service? What are your best answers for addressing these objections?
- Do these prospects have any great “enemies” you can rail against because your product or service can conquer them?
- What are the biggest mistakes these prospects are making and how can your product help?
- Which niches within this market have not yet been tapped?
- What news stories, trends, or other current events have a bearing on your market?
- What buzzwords, nicknames, and colorful phrases does this market most like to use? (Knowing them will add color and authenticity to your copy.)
- What are the most relevant books, and who are the most esteemed experts, your core audience respects and follows?
- What are the most informative articles from a Google or AI search of your market that you can find?
The 12 “Rs” of Powerful Motivation
To help you be thorough, harness your imagination as you explore the following list. Consider every possibility of these highly motivating 12 “Rs” and how each could be connected to your product’s most important users in any way:
- Recognition: fame, honor, exclusivity, popularity, status, etc.
- Refreshment or relaxation: leisure, fun, having more time, freedom from worry, etc.
- Regrets to be avoided by acting now.
- Rejuvenation: looking or feeling younger, fitness, longevity, health, having lots of energy.
- Relief: from pain, shame, guilt, resentment, annoyance, or difficulty of any kind.
- Religion: or any passionately held set of beliefs in any area of life, whether spiritual, professional, personal, political, financial, etc. One of the most often overlooked benefits is how a product or service reinforces someone’s most cherished values and beliefs.
- Remuneration: the making or saving of money, advancing one’s career, increasing success, gaining financial independence, etc.
- Respect: enhancing someone’s image in their family, social circle, community, organization, career, professional standing, etc.
- Results: specific, measurable improvements in any area of life.
- Revenge: this is another often-overlooked emotional benefit, yet is the powerful psychology behind such famous headlines as “They laughed when I sat down at the piano … (subhead) but when I started to play … ”
Another John Caples classic, for a French language course, featured the headline “They grinned when the waiter spoke to me in French … (subhead) but their laughter changed to amazement at my reply.”
The raw emotion in both cases is “You doubted me. Do you see how wrong you were? Look at what I can do!” - Role performance: this is another powerful motivator frequently overlooked. We all want to perform better in our roles in life—spouse, parent, friend, boss, marketer, etc.
- Romance: this includes attraction, beauty, sex, adventure, flirtation, curiosity, travel, stimulation of any kind. We all fancy ourselves as romantic souls. If you can help your prospects imagine the newness, charm, and stimulation of romance in some way, you’ll strongly tempt them to escape the humdrum of their ordinary daily routines.
By now, you’re probably thinking, “Please, Gary, enough research already! I gotta get started on my ad!”
To which I cheerfully reply with those famous words of late-night pitchmen…
But wait, there’s more!
If you want to win consistently, you must prepare better than your competition. There’s no other way. Alexander the Great, who never lost a battle, loved this maxim: “Before all else, preparation is the key to success." Benjamin Franklin expressed the same idea this way: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
In any case, we’re almost done. But not before you must…
Research the Previous Advertising
- What is the primary objective of the advertising: make a sale, win a subscriber, generate qualified leads, build repeat business, support distributors, lower the selling cost, etc.?
- Which former campaigns worked best, which failed, and why?
- Over time, what is the average cost per inquiry and cost per sale?
- Does the advertising present a unified image and stand for a single promise to prospects? If you had to summarize that image or promise in a single sentence, what would that be?
- Measured in traceable sales, what is the strongest ad for this product now and why has it been so strong?
- How might you improve it?
- What were the most successful ads from previous years? Why did they stop working? Could they be revived or updated with a new twist?
Review the Media
- What have been the best-performing media for this product? Be very specific—best Google ads, YouTube podcasts, social media websites, affiliates, direct mail, magazines, newspapers, radio or TV, etc. What does this tell you about your market?
- What’s working best for others in the marketplace now—hottest headlines, media, formats, copy themes?
- What are the best months for response and why?
- What media seem to work best for the competition?
- What unsuccessful media would you love to crack because of the huge potential?
Know the Winningest Offers
- What are the price and terms?
- What are the most successful offers that have worked for this product and for others in the industry? What have been the least successful offers?
- How many ways can the order be taken—credit card, PayPal, bill-me, phone, etc.?
- What alternate offers can be tested—higher price, lower price, longer commitment, shorter trial, free trial, bill-me, time payments, first one free, bogo (buy-one-get-one-free), automatic renewal, “We’ll wait for 30 days to charge your card while you try it risk-free,” etc.?
- Should you try both a basic and a deluxe version of the offer? This usually pays off handsomely for two reasons. First, some people always want the deluxe version of anything, and this raises your average revenue per sale. Second, the psychology of an “A” or “B” choice usually pulls more total orders than a stark “yes” or “no” choice.
- What creative guarantees might make your product incredibly easy and risk-free to try?
- Why does this purchase represent such a smart investment—cost savings, opportunities gained, summary of all benefits the prospect will enjoy?
- What are the disadvantages of living without this product? What will be lost or less efficient, safe, convenient, enjoyable, etc., in the prospect’s life? (Before you point these out, be sure they’re totally believable and not exaggerations.)
- Why should someone act now?
- What premiums would be irresistible? Ponder this one deeply and creatively. It’s one of the most reliable avenues to a breakthrough. With a super-attractive premium, people will often convince themselves to buy the product just to get the free bonus!
- Can you structure a “puppy dog” close? (“Mr. or Ms. Prospect, please don’t decide now. Just take this puppy home and let him play with your kids. If they don’t love him tomorrow, just bring him back and you won’t pay a cent. Fair enough?”) Puppy dogs are almost never returned after the kids play with them!
Keep an Eye on the Back End
- What is a customer worth? This helps you determine how much you can afford to spend on acquiring new customers.
- What is the largest cause of returns and cancellations? How could you minimize them?
- Which customers generate the most repeat business? Where can you find lots more of them?
- What other products, services, and continuity programs would you eventually like to sell to your customers? How should your ultimate back-end strategy help shape your initial copy—i.e., what topics and hot buttons should you talk about early on that will attract the best candidates for your most profitable back-end businesses?
- Do you have a strong, ongoing welcome program that makes your new customers feel great about their purchase and how to make the best use of your product or service?
But Don’t Get Stuck in Quicksand
As you can see, thorough research is time-consuming.
Nevertheless, don’t be put off by these long lists. You can get through most of the questions reasonably quickly. You’re not looking to assemble a massive encyclopedia about your market—just a reliable map of where your treasure will be found.
But don’t skimp on your research. Use the Master Research Checklists I’ve provided. This research will help you find the surest path to a winning ad. Assuming all other factors are equal, who do you think will win a marketing competition—the copywriter whose research has provided sure-footed guidance from these research questions … or a lazybones copywriter who tries to wing it?
The answer resides in all the right questions you ask.
And Don’t Be Afraid to Custom-Tailor This List
As I wrap up my advice on research, remember that any of these questions can lead to additional valuable questions. Let your curiosity lead you wherever it wants.
For example…
Early in my career I was asked to write about magnificently produced fine art prints.
One simple question—“How are these prints made?”—led to many others. I soon learned a great deal about fine art production, including why the paper must be “imported rag,” why special inks were used to ensure proper absorption and color fidelity, and why only a handful of printers in the world were capable of the highest production values demanded by my client.
These discoveries led to other questions that unearthed yet more reasons why these art prints were among the finest in the world and were even acquired by famous museums and well-known collectors, many of whom I named in my ad.
With the copy packed with so many interesting facts and impressive proof elements, all born of thorough research, my client’s prints sold out. The owners of this small, well-run firm were thrilled.
How do you know when your research is complete? When almost everything you find starts to be redundant. But as long as you keep finding new treasure, keep digging.
Remember, too, that no pilot of a major airline, not even a veteran pilot with 20 years’ experience, would dream of taking off without going through a preflight checklist. These research questions are your preflight checklist. Use them to soar high above mediocrity.
Next, you’ll be ready for what I call “The Ultimate Breakthrough Strategy.” You’ll find it in your next Maxim.
Until then, always remember…
Maxim #11:
Know your market or
you’ll have no market.
Sincere wishes for a good life and (always!) higher response,

Gary Bencivenga
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