The Myth of Never Talking About Yourself

You may have heard you should never talk about yourself in your copy. Many books have written about it. In fact, if there ever was a "copywriting bible," it'd be listed as one of the biggest "sins." It makes sense too. After all, prospects don't care about you and are more concerned with their own life and problems. You also don't want to come across as an egomaniac by talking about yourself too much.

And yet, I'm here to say that it's all wrong! Well, all of it is partially correct, but let me explain...

While you want to avoid talking about yourself too much, it's a mistake to talk too little about yourself. True, if you talk too much about yourself, you'll bore your prospects and they'll head for the hills. But talking a bit about yourself can be beneficial. Why? Because by revealing a little about yourself, it builds trust and rapport with your prospects. And your prospects like you more.

You may already know that we like to buy from those we like and trust. When your prospects like and trust you, they'll buy from you more. And they'll come back and buy again, giving you repeat business.

Compare that with someone who never talks about himself. Would you buy from him? Sure you would, if he made a convincing case for his product or service.

But let's say there are two equally good products you could choose from. Both products are sold by two salespeople, "Salesperson A" and "Salesperson B." "Salesperson A" never talks about herself. But "Salesperson B" reveals some personal details. She talks about her own experiences and relates herself to you.

You'd probably feel a connection with "Salesperson B." Unlike "Salesperson A," "Salesperson B" is no longer a stranger. She's someone you like and trust.

Who would you buy from? I'm guessing you'll more likely buy from "Salesperson B."

Revealing some details about yourself can give you an edge over your competition. And you'll win the hearts of your prospects and increase sales.

Now you may be thinking, "Great! I can talk about myself and win sales!" It's true that we love to talk about ourselves, but you have to be careful here. You have to make sure you don't overdo it.

What you want to do is sprinkle in just a few details here and there about yourself. Don't overdo it otherwise you'll turn off your prospects or bore them. Just a few personal details or anecdotes injected into your copy can give you a winning edge.

So don't be afraid to talk a bit about yourself in your copy. It'll help build relationships with your prospects and increase your sales.

Francis Lui is a freelance web copywriter with web technical skills. To get FREE web copywriting and Internet marketing tips, sign up for his FREE newsletter, The Web Copy Letter, at http://www.francislui.com/.