If you’ve ever been stuck hunting for the perfect words to use when you’re trying to convince someone to do something, then you simply must read on.

Here’s what this is all about:

You might be familiar with the “Five Ws” — a technique used by journalists.  It’s an easy formula used to convey the “full” story on something.

You know them as the famous Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. And if your message is going to make any sense, it usually must answer all these questions.

Here’s who else should use this technique: Marketers and copywriters. You must, in every message you send out, give your prospect the “full story”if you expect them to take any sort of action in response.

In fact, you should even include the words in the 5Ws in your headlines and body copy.  (Think of how many legendary headlines start with the words “How to” and “Why.”)

Now if you’ve been around the block in marketing, especially direct response marketing, this is an old hat.

But here’s how to really turbo-charge your message, using a “secret ingredient” to double, or even triple, the effectiveness of the 5Ws…

The secret:

Slip the word “Here’s” (or “Here is”) before a 5W…and you’ve got a winning combination.

Here’s why this formula works:  It helps conduct the power of “Reason Why” copy.

If you’ve studied any of the direct response masters, you’ll know the power of simply telling your readers the reasons why they should be reading your copy. The reasons why they should be buying from you and not someone else. The reasons why your product will make their lives better.

“Reason Why” copy has worked since the days of Claude Hopkins, and it continues to work today.

But jumping back to our simple formula, here it is again: The word Here’s plus a Who, What, Where, When, Why or How…

So here’s how you can use this formula: When you are fishing around for the right words to tell someone the “Reason Why” — such as a reason why to buy your product — grab one of the 5Ws and a “Here’s” and…

Inject it into a sentence like a hypodermic needle!

Here’s why people are choosing our product.  Here’s why you need our product.  Here’s what this message is all about.  Here’s who else is using these powerful techniques. Here’s when this information will be useful. Here’s where to purchase. Here’s what else you need to know.  Here’s why you need to know this. And here’s why this is so important.  Here’s how to order.  Here’s why you need to order right now.

The result will be your prospect eating out of your hand like an enthusiastic puppy.

Make sense?  You’ll also notice I packed this post “chock full” of this formula, to give you further illustrations of how to use it.

So next time you are stuck trying to find the right words to persuade your reader, remember this “magic formula” and you’ll instantly know what to say.

PS:  Rudyard Kipling gives you an easy way to remember the 5Ws in one of his “Just So Stories.“  Ready for it? Brace yourself for bit of poetry…

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

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