And this... is to go... even further beyond...

There's a famous ad from the 1920s you should know about.

The headline was this:

"They laughed when I sat down at the piano...
But when I started to play!"

It was selling a music course, as you can probably guess. And with a single line, the copywriter (John Caples) instantly draws you into a gripping story. A story of triumph over the doubters and naysayers.

Small wonder that it's probably one of the most ripped-off headlines of all time.

I talk a lot about the importance of stories. But today I want to "zoom in" on one aspect of Caples's story. Because let’s think for a second about how a lesser copywriter might have sold the same music course…

They might've told a simple story about how someone with no musical talent became an accomplished concert pianist, or something like that.

i.e. The benefit of this piano course is that you learn to play the piano well. (Duh.)

But Caples went even further beyond that. He thought about what the benefit of that benefit would be.

i.e. What is the benefit of learning to play the piano well?

There’s more than one answer to this, but one benefit is that you can impress other people with your new musical ability. After all, everybody wants to feel accepted and admired by their social group. It's a basic human need.

And what is the benefit of impressing people with your musical ability?

You can also shut up the people in your social group who doubted you and looked down on you. You can get revenge on them for dismissing you.

So the emotions Caples is tapping into are two-fold - admiration, and revenge.

These are two incredibly powerful human desires. And they were a big part of why the ad made so much money.

So when you next write an email promoting your pet product or service, ask yourself - what is the main benefit of what I’m selling? And what's a benefit of that benefit? And what’s the benefit of that benefit?

Go on and on until you’ve exhausted every possibility.

I do this thought exercise all the time. And I often discover a powerful new sales angle that I never would have thought of before. It's almost like magic.

For example - as an email copywriter, I take care of my clients' email marketing for them.

What are the benefits to my client?

Many. One is that they no longer have to take time out of their busy day writing marketing emails themselves.

The benefits of that?

Again, many. One is that they will have more free time to spend with their loved ones.

The benefits of that?

Closer relationships with their loved ones. My client will have a happier, more fulfilling life. My client's loved ones will also have happier, more fulfilling lives.

The benefits of that?

My client's children will love them more, and won't abandon them to rot in an old folks' home when they're old and infirm...

Ok, alright. That's enough. Sometimes it's possible to go too deep and get lost in the sauce…

But if you want to learn more about how to make your pet business’s emails stand out, hit the button below…