Mastering Copywriting: Tone and Trust

A friend with a dog problem – biting. Found a training way to completely eliminate the problem. Product. Lead-genAd was very powerful: Biting dog? First thing they do is try to put your pooch down. Get a much happier solution!
He was getting a lot of clicks on the ad. But very few conversions.
Turned out the reason was his copy struck a very different tone. While the ad was scary and energetic (Tone 4), his copy was depressed and low-energy (Tone 5). Once he matched the copy to his ad, conversions picked right up.
It’s all a matter of tone – in your lead generation, in your copy, and in staying consistent throughout your funnel. We’ll talk about that today.
And before we do, get a load of this tone:
Copy is powerful. You’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims… and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity… you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time.
The Importance of Tone
- a mismatch will break trust (lead gen and sales page)
- a match will keep trust (lead gen and sales page)
- everything works better when you pick the right tone
How to find the right Tone for your copy
- who you are to your clients (persona)
- how they want to be talked to
- within all that, what works best
Why your whole funnel should keep the same Tone
- builds trust
- does not distract readers into thinking they are being sold
- helps set you apart from others
The Five Tones
Each is valid, but some will work a lot better than others. Again, to choose the right one, you need to think about who you are to your clients, how they want to be talked to, and within all that, which one converts the best.
Example: Selling Copy Critiques. A lot of people do it. Their approach is often different. I’m one of those people, but I wouldn’t use all five of these tones. However, I can think of at least one person who would use each one. I’ll let you guess as to who they are. But let’s go through them one by one, because you can use at least one of these tones all the way through a funnel in just about any business.
1. Crazy Energy
This is high-octane copywriting. It needs to make sense. But you can rave like a maniac with every word. How would we do this selling copy critiques?
Lead gen ad: Get your copy hitting grand slam after grand slam!
Headline: Your copy’s like a timid little kitten. Let’s turn it into a ROARING LION!
Tip: Keep the energy high and mounting all the way through. And be the kind of person who delivers mile-a-minute, testosterone-drenched critiques.
2. Steady Driving
This is steady-as-she goes copywriting. It does have a forward momentum, but it’s calm, friendly, and level-headed. What would it look like with an ad and in a headline to sell a copy critique?
Lead gen ad: Step by step to greater results with your copy
Headline: Our closely-guarded system for cranking up the response in your copy
Tip: You need to have a very systematic, somewhat rational work style and way of interacting with others for this to fully work.
3. Up Close and Personal
I would say this is more me than any of the other four. It’s very customized. A combination of systematic and intuitive. Very focused on results but not all that locked-in on how to get them.
To use this approach, you need to think about how to describe what’s not a predictable experience. Here’s how I would do it:
Lead gen ad: Only ONE approach will make your copy convert better. Let me show you what it is.
Headline: You’re not a cookie, right? So why use a cookie-cutter approach with your copy, when a customized approach will work so much better?
Tip: You really need to know yourself, and listen closely to what your customers/clients say about you, to use this approach effectively. I’ve collected enough testimonials from already successful clients who say “I don’t know how he does that” to realize that promoting my custom approach will appeal to the right prospect.
4. Serious Danger
If you are harsh, paranoid or simply very critical, this is a good approach. It’s completely valid and it works with a sizeable section of the market. The point here is to NOT pull your punches.
You’ll really piss some people off, but you’ll endear others to you. You only care about the ones who like your kind of approach.
Lead-gen ad: Yes, your copy really does suck. DON’T let it tank your business.
Headline: If you’re copy’s not working, you might as well throw in the towel now. But if you can handle the truth about what you need to do, we need to talk.
5. Sad and Gentle
This can work with a sensitive subject, especially around health and death. But it’s very hard to pull off effectively. I’m going to give it my best shot in showing you how you would use this to market copywriting critiques.
Lead-gen ad: You know how bad you feel when copy doesn’t work? Let’s change that.
Headline: I remember the dark days of never being able to make my copy work. Fortunately I discovered something that changed all that, and I’d like to share it with you.
Recap: Why tone is important, and consistency is just as important
1. People are attracted to different styles. Make yours very clear, right from the get-go.
2. Consistency of tone builds trust. Inconsistency of tone reduces trust. Go for building trust.
3. It’s easier to write more effectively in a tone that matches how you actually interact with people in the marketplace.

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