This book is a specialized thesaurus with a marketing focus. The suggestions will jump start your pursuit of the perfect description next time you are writing a sales letter, catalog copy, brochure or web copy, ads--in short, anytime you need just the right word to convince customers to buy. It's one of the items I keep in my "creativity kit," the place I turn to overcome writer's block and get my brain popping.
If you ever have the need to write marketing copy, "Words That Sell" deserves a place on your bookshelf.
I really don't need to defend Words That Sell after its trashing by the previous reviewer. After all, the book has earned more than enough glowing reviews on Amazon.com and elsewhere. But I have to take issue with a "professional marketer" who claims that honesty and sincerity are the only tools you need to write effective copy. If that were the case, my dog would be an ace copywriter.
I'm adamant about honesty and sincerity in marketing, too -- but there's so much more to crafting a persuasive message. How about a knowledge of the words and phrases that repeatedly get results (or don't)? How about an emphasis on benefits (as opposed to boasts or mere descriptions)? How about key phrases for grabbing the reader and wrapping up your argument with an effective call to action?
The language of persuasion hasn't changed appreciably since the book was written back in the '80s. (If you haven't guessed by now... yes, I'm the author!) Human beings will always be motivated by the same needs, wants and fears, which is why a book like Words That Sell won't be outdated anytime soon. We might use fewer exclamation points these days, but the vast majority of these words and phrases still work.
Thanks for hearing me out. Now I'll let you decide for yourself.