Does the idea of selling make you choke?
Does selling remind you of cheap aftershave, an ill-fitting suit, and a cigar?
If you’d believe in reincarnation, then salesmen would return as slimy, slippery worms. The lowest of the lowest of the animal kingdom. Right?
Well, time to wake up.
You’ve been selling all your life.
Yes. You, too.
As a baby you cried and persuaded your mother to pick you up, cuddle you, and nurse you.
As a youngster you justified your opinions with passionate arguments. And later you persuaded your first boss to hire you.
Your social media profiles announce who you are and what you do. You sell your ideas. You persuade people to listen to you, to believe in you, to trust you, and to follow your advice.
That’s all sales.
And today, you can learn a writing technique to boost your persuasive powers. This trick is not creepy. The opposite is more true: this trick makes you feel more human, natural and humble.
And the craziest thing?
This trick is as simple as using more questions in your sales material.
Bizarre? Yes. Effective? Certainly.
Let’s see…
What does science tell us about the persuasiveness of questions?
In his book To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink describes how questions outperform statements when trying to persuade others. For instance:
Robert Burnkrant and Daniel Howard of Ohio State University tested the potency of a series of short pitches to a group of undergraduates. At issue was whether universities should require seniors to pass a comprehensive exam as a condition of graduation. When the researchers presented strong arguments for the policy as questions (e.g., “Will passing a comprehensive exam be an aid to those who seek admission to graduate and professional schools?”), the participants were much likelier to support the policy than (…) when presented with equivalent argument as a statements.
A question makes your reader or listener think and process your message more intensely. You make them feel independent. They can make up their own mind and endorse your message with more conviction.
Questions, however, don’t always work better. Here’s Dan Pink again:
[W]hen the underlying arguments were weak, presenting them in the interrogative form had a negative effect.
A question is more persuasive than a statement—only if the listener or reader agrees with you, so choose your questions carefully.
Joseph Sugarman already advocated the idea of answering your reader’s questions as they come up in their minds. Here’s an example of an advert written by his 8-year old daughter April:
Headline: The Best Pet
Subheadline: Do you want a pet that doesn’t shed?
Copy: Think about it. You can get a pet that doesn’t shed, doesn’t run around the house, and is easy to take care of.
You have probably guessed it’s a rabbit, bird, fish or a turtle. Well, you’re wrong. It’s a guinea pig.
You probably want to know how do you take care of the guinea pig? Where should you keep it? What does it eat?
It’s all simple. If you don’t have a guinea pig cage, then get a box high enough so it won’t get out and large enough so it can run around.
Feed it guinea pig pellets and feed it a couple of fresh greens. Put plastic at the bottom and newspaper on top then at least an inch high of shavings. Put a bowl in for food and a water bottle for water.
That’s all you need to know. To order, call [phone number] and order today.
Isn’t that an easy format for writing sales copy? Ask a question. Give an answer. Even an 8-year old can do this!
Asking questions makes your reader part of the conversation
Don’t you do the same in face-to-face situations? When I don’t know what to say in a social setting, I ask a question.
Social Media Examiner starts all their blog posts with two questions. Here’s an example from a post by Andrea Vahl:
Want to make your Facebook marketing more mobile?
Curious about what you can and can’t do from your phone with Facebook apps?
Facebook has a variety of mobile apps, from pages, to groups, to ads, that keep you connected while marketing on the go.
In this article you’ll learn about the different capabilities of each of the mobile Facebook apps that are available today.
Readers don’t want to be sold to. They want to be engaged. And they want to make up their own mind.
Questions are your super-tool to draw people into your copy, and to find the right people for your services. Buffer entices us to sign up with a question, too:
Can we give you a hand with social media?
Our simple social media tools can save you up to an hour a day and grow your traffic, too!
Once readers have answered your question with a yes, they’re more likely to read on and sign up to your service or join your newsletter. Psychologists call this the consistency principle—we don’t like to be inconsistent with ourselves, so once we say yes, we’re more likely to say yes to a follow-up question.
Appsumo uses a question in their subhead to empathize with the readers, who would find their course useful:
Have you failed at starting a business or failed at trying?
If you have failed at business, you feel the Appsumo course is created for you.
In the past, selling was almost one-way communication. Salesmen knew more than consumers and bullied them into buying.
But consumers have grown up. We google questions to look for answers. We read reviews. We compare products. We can make purchase decisions ourselves.
Questions increase email open rates
Many marketers use exclamation marks to attract attention to their emails.
Is that effective?
It appears not. This is what Retention found when researching subject lines:
[S]ubject lines with question marks have open rates 44 percent greater than those with exclamation points
AppSumo, who are masters in email marketing, know how to use question marks in subject lines. A few examples:
Are you still there?
You still haven’t written your book?
If Isaac Newton used mindmaps, why aren’t you?
Is Spotify making you less productive?
Use WordPress? You need this
Questions can also increase your social media traffic
Roger Dooley describes how Norwegian researchers investigated the impact of questions on clicks on Twitter. They researched three types of tweets:
- Statements such as: The hunt for status in the advertising business
- Questions without “you” such as: Why are advertisers so obsessed with winning prices?
- Questions with the word “you” such as: Is your boss intoxicated by power?
Across different topics, questions outperformed statements every time. In some cases, clicks more than tripled. Also, questions with “you” tended to outperform questions without “you.”
Psychology Today often uses questions in their headlines. A few examples:
- Does the Doctor Always Know Best?
- Does Wealth Equate to Satisfaction?
- Could This Be the One Real Secret to Self Motivation?
And a few examples of Psychology Today headlines including “you”:
- How Do You Make Up Your Mind?
- Can Watching a Film Character Sniff Make You Sniff?
- When It Comes to Love, Do You Really Know What You Want?
Do these headlines make you itch to find out the answers to the questions, too?
These are the three most shared posts on Enchanting Marketing this year so far:
- 4 Types of Weak Words: How to Spice Up Bland Content
- Crazy Workload? This One Simple Question Calmed Me Down and Eased My Stress
- No Time to Write? These 4 Routines Cut My Writing Time By 50%
Notice how two of the three include questions, too?
They follow my favorite headline template. But beware: Use a headline template too often and it loses its appeal. Readers start thinking they’ve read your article already.
Like with everything in life, use question marks in moderation.
The ‘secret’ to engaging your readers with question marks
Asking questions is one of the most important conversational tools. When talking. And when writing.
But be clear about who you’re having a conversation with.
What question would he like to ask? And get you to answer?
Which questions make him so curious he feels compelled to read your post?
Don’t ask too many questions or the inappropriate ones. Don’t be condescending and don’t sound like an old-fashioned school master testing your reader’s knowledge.
The best conversations are with people who empathize with you, who challenge you, and who know what questions to ask.
PS This blog post was inspired by Daniel Pink’s book To Sell Is Human, a blog post by Roger Dooley, and a post by Kitty Kilian (in Dutch).
Recommended reading on writing honest, yet persuasive copy
Lovable sales techniques: How to sell without feeling pushy
How to teach yourself copywriting (on a shoestring budget)
How punctuation influences your voice
It took me several years to realize that I wasn’t asking enough questions! For some people it comes naturally, I suppose they’re more curious. I think my hesitation to ask questions stemmed from thinking it was impolite and the insecurity of looking like I didn’t have all the answers, both of which are untrue.
Henneke, I would love to see a blog post on how to ask better questions because you are spot on that this is a needed sales, and people skill!
Hi Tamira, I wrote a little more about asking questions here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/blog-content-strategy/ That’s not so much from a sales perspective but from a content marketing perspective.
I also highly recommend the book “A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas” by Warren Berger.
I hope that helps!
Your headlines and subject lines are always irresistible.
Can this humble copywriting technique triple your persuasive powers, too?
I don’t know, but your question made me click and read 🙂
Thank you, Jack. Are you going to try this technique?
You’ve done it again, Henneke! An attention-grabbing title and a genuinely helpful post that really delivers on its promise and speaks to the salesyphobes amongst us.
I get a lot of newsletters that I frequently archive (for a later that never comes) or delete unread. I doubt that I’m alone in that.
But the moment my eye fell on your tantalising title, I opened your email. You have a way of putting a unique spin on your topics that stands out from all the blah blah, over-hyped, emails that tsunami into my inbox.
At risk of gushing, I really do think you’re the leading copywriting coach to follow. One reason is that you respect people’s time. I am increasingly intolerant of ramblers and over-senders. Once a fortnight is perfect for me.
Another reason is that you understand the more modest, yes humble even, nature of your audience. We are not like our brasher cousins over the pond. We Europeans, Brits in particular, are by nature less pushy and more sceptical, and our audiences like to think they make their own minds up.
Many thanks!
Such lovely feedback. Thank you, Sue. You’re making me blush!
I also used to think that the brash style of marketing was particularly American. But a lot of Americans are reading my blog and buying my courses, so my style of writing and marketing resonates at least with some people across the big pond.
This is valuable. Thank you.
Thank you, Ronke. I’m glad you found this blog post valuable.
You are a wonderful teacher. I feel excited when I see your name in my emails because I know I am about to learn something that will bring me clarity and knowledge.
Thank you, Bruce. That’s a lovely compliment.
Great tip, Henneke! Thank you for all your advice 🙂
Thank you, Mel. Happy writing! 🙂
I could spend all day every day reading your posts, but I spend most of my time applying your advice to my writing.
I’m buying your books next, then taking your course.
Even though I’ve already taken Jon’s wonderful content marketing course and have more work than I need!
I just love your work and devour everything you so generously give to us.
Thank you.
What a lovely compliment! Thank you so much, Terry.
How much did your article help me?
Lots.
Thanks.
Thank you, Michael. Happy writing! 🙂
Another winner! Love this.
Thank you, Pat. I’m glad you enjoyed this 🙂
Henneke, as usual, good one. Thanks.
Thank you, Marsha.
So good and rich. Persuasion is the life of marketing and coaxing people subtly like you’ve pointed is good too. Thanks for the tips.
Thank you, Emaido. I like a non-pushy way of persuading people.
Hi Henneke,
Your timing with this article is great. I was trying to rewrite the ‘above the fold’ message for my website and got stuck, really bogged down. You are my angel from heaven. I now have reasonable copy to place on my Landing Page and pass on to my web designer. Thanks a million.
James
You’re most welcome 🙂 It makes me happy to read I’ve inspired you to finish writing your copy. That’s fab!
Thank you for stopping by, James, to let me know. I appreciate that.
Love it, so insightful. Thank you 🙂
Thank you, Robert. This is such an underappreciated technique 🙂
I must commend you for this post. Yes, people don’t like to be sold to, but rather prefer to be engaged in the conversation and make decision.
I agree 🙂
Henneke, this was just the inspiration i needed at this very moment, working on a important sales pitch. Excellent info, thank you! (Are exclamation marks still okay here? ?
Ha, yes! I also break my own rules regularly, especially in comments or on Twitter. As writing rebels, we allowed to break our rules—as long as we decide to do so rather than break rules by accident 🙂
Thank you for stopping by, Pieter. I appreciate it 🙂
Excellent, Henneke. Many thanks. Again. My business partner and I now use your name as a verb. We Henneke our copy, or it has been Henneked. Or still needs to be. Ha!
We appreciate you Henneking your tips and tricks! 🙂
Wow, what a compliment! Thank you, Shelly. You made me smile, then blush 🙂
I’m working on writing my first blog and this has helped me a lot in understanding how to keep a reader’s attention. Thank you!
Thank you, Naomi. Happy blogging!
As always Henneke, our post is made easy, but I cannot even imagine the research it took and takes every time. I’m truly grateful, to be able to connect with you, having taken your course seemingly in another lifetime. So much has happened since that time. I’m always grateful for the time you put into that, and how it really pushed me into wanting to learn more and more about good writing. Thankyou Henneke, 🙂 <3 🙂 A.
Yes, it does feel like an eternity since we worked together in the course. I am happy we’re still connected. It is always a pleasure to hear from you! ?
Questions are also magical in conversation. Have you ever had a friend who up-dated you with every infinitesimal detail of their life but never ask you a single question regarding your life? After reading your post, I can see the value of questions in persuasive writing too. Thanks
I find such conversations (when people never ask me a question) very odd, and it always makes me wonder whether I am supposed to volunteer some information about myself or whether to leave the conversation one-sided (me asking questions, the other person talking about themselves)
Good one as always, Henneke.
Having been in the life insurance industry alone for 25 years+, selling has been part of my life for even longer than that. It isn’t as scary as many people think but you do have to be on your mettle.
The hard-sell is now a part of history – clients are simply too savvy for that. It now about being a facilitator.
Of all the things I’ve learned in selling one thing stands out as an absolute must: you must take on board STP. What’s STP? See The People. There is no substitute for seeing enough prospects/potential clients.
I like that idea “See The People.” Perhaps in copywriting this is even more challenging than in face-to-face as we can’t really see the person reading our content—we have to first research how they formulate their problems, what questions they’d ask us and what objections they might raise, and then we can condense that conversation into our copy.
Copywriting is basically the same as selling, but on paper (or rather: online).
Thank you for adding your thoughts, Paul. I appreciate it, as always.
Found this post in my Twitter feed today and can’t believe I haven’t read it earlier!
Mind-blowing, how well researched it is. I must admit, I was underestimating the effect of questions. Probably because the questions I see in the copy these days are shallow and are clearly aiming to sell and not engage in a meaningful way.
Also love the headline you chose for this post. Very fitting. It’s indeed a humble but apparently very powerful technique.
Can’t wait to pass this advice along 🙂
P.S. “You want a pet that doesn’t shed?” This is gold! 😀
I also can’t believe you hadn’t read this article already. I thought you had read my whole blog from start to finish and back again 😉
The sales copy for “the pet that doesn’t shed” is fabulous, isn’t it? Imagine a 8-year writing such good sales copy!
Thank you for your lovely comment, Gill. 🙂
You are so right. I started my career in outside sales, and our sales manager made us practice asking the right types questions for the right stage of the sales process at every single sales meeting. Years later, I have been so thankful for that training as a copywriter. Thanks, great piece!
Yes, I agree with you – being good at sales helps heaps with copywriting.
Just put this into practice on my latest post!
Yay! I like the word “jiffy” 🙂
Yeah, it looks like one of those words you’d use. 🙂
Oh, I’m late. So glad my email waits in my inbox until I get to it.
This was once again a great post. Who would have guessed? Interesting thing is, I see it all the time, just didn’t notice that the most popular people I follow always start with a question. Awesome.
Most of those sales letters I see (with the many ! marks) – honestly, I don’t read them. I just think yea yea, bla bla bla – and I love to read.
Keep well, I see your next post is already in my inbox as well, quickly going to read it too.
Yep, an abundance of exclamation marks feels repulsive, doesn’t it? It might still work in certain industries, but I associate it with untrustworthiness, too.
Thank you for stopping by again, Linda 🙂
Hey Henneke,
Excellent post. As I was reading this, I was thinking of Joe Sugarman and the slippery slope.
Asking questions that would generate a yes response and make readers want to continue reading. You’re absolutely right, though. It’s not something that you want to continuously do with your headline too often. It gets stale and predictable … and readers will think they already read it before.
Nonetheless, the proof is in your results … especially with 2 of the 3 posts that were shared the most were question based.
I’ll look into incorporating that more often … but still be cautious about it.
– Andrew
Yessss – the slippery slope!
I don’t know why so few bloggers use questions as headlines. It certainly works (at least in moderation!).
Good to see you again, Andrew.
I’m having an Aha moment here, Henneke as I am gaining a deeper understanding of my own engagement with the questions I see on social media posts and blogs. Information without application does not equal knowledge, so I’m going to practice the different options myself this coming week. Thanks for sharing this technique.
Yes, isn’t it amazing how often questions entice us to click and read? It’s powerful technique. Have fun practicing!
With so much to read, we skim through articles and emails looking for the good stuff. Questions keep me from skimming past important points as I stop to ponder my answer to a question. The next thing I know, I’m engaged and want to read a little more…and a little more.
That’s why it’s important to include questions in your opening paragraph.
Yep, we’re always skimming. For a while I was skimming so much that I barely read anything at all. I now consciously make an effort to read good stuff. I don’t want to lose the ability to read 🙂
Henneke, great post. I have signed up for your email list just now.
Great! Nice to meet, Zoran 🙂
Are you using enough questions in your blog posts?
I’ve been using this technique for a long time on my website and on social media. Not always for the title, often for the first sentence of the post. It seems to work pretty well. Thanks for the reminder, Henneke.
Daniel.
Yes, questions are a great for first sentences. A good way to engage potential readers. 🙂
Hello Henneke–I continue to be impressed by your posts; thank you! As a 20+ year sales professional, I am keenly aware of the power of questions. Even still, it is easy to fall into the trap of “assuming vs. asking” because of that knowledge and experience.
This post is a great reminder for me. Thank you!
I find it’s quite important to keep thinking like a “beginner” to avoid the trap of assuming too much. Thank you for your nice compliment 🙂
Hi Henneke! Awesome post as usual. 🙂 I learned so much. 🙂
Ah, you’re tickling my curiosity with your cinnabon’s mixed berry minibon 🙂
Awesome post Henneke, saving it for when I start my blog
Thanks
Great!
This is an inspirational post Henneke. Very enjoyable with some excellent take aways. Hope you’re well.
Cheers
Mark
Thank you, Mark. I hope you’re keeping well, too!
Hi Henneke,
Awesome post. I am surely going to use questions to let people hear the answers I want them to. You are amazing as I always tell.
And yes, I ended up subscribing to Daniel. (I am already in your list!)
I can highly recommend both “Drive” and “To Sell is Human” (both are by Dan Pink). I probably think “Drive” (about what motivates people) was even more fascinating. A real eye-opener for me.
Thank you for stopping by, Swadhin.
Hearty thanks for your recommendation. I will surely tell you once I read those (very soon probably!).
Have a good day. 🙂
I enjoyed reading this post so much. And I think the enjoyment itself is proof of concept. Each next question, despite the fact that it’s off topic still excites your brain and makes you keep reading.
And, as you mentioned, it is easy. I can think of lots of ways I can use it already.
Yes, it’s amazing how that works, isn’t it? The questions seem to keep you reading on because they prevent your mind from wandering off. You want to know what’s next.
Nice to “meet”, Vernon.
Never thought about how we’re always selling. Its so true. Thanks for all the headline help. I’m beginning to see in the blogging business, you can never learn too much!
Yep, that’s so true. That’s why I enjoy it so much. I never get tired of learning more!
Great article, wise words, as always.
Thank you Henneke!
Thank you, Joseph 🙂
Thanks Henneke for sharing. This is Sales 101.
Yep, good copywriting IS good sales 🙂
Thanks, Henneke! Yes, I do feel somehow slimy about sales and this does help.
A question: (for my information, not for luring you in!!! Ha!) What do you know about the effectiveness of using the implied “you” in a question, a sort of clipped and less formal way of speaking, such as this: Thinking of Buying a Horse? (Instead of: Are You Thinking of Buying a Horse?) It seems less inquisitive and less interrogating, I think, but wonder if that’s been tested.
Also I wonder, if I use two questions at the very beginning, such as: Thinking of Buying a Horse? Wondering if You’ll Wish You Hadn’t?
Then is it better to place the second question in the title, making a long title, or to use it as a subtitle at the top of the article and hope folks can read it before they decide to whether click?
Or would two questions, back-to-back that way, be excessive?
Thanks!
If you feel sales is slimy, then I can highly recommend the book “To Sell is Human” by Daniel Pink. 🙂
I’m not sure whether anyone has tested Thinking of Buying a Horse? vs Are You Thinking of Buying a Horse?. Some people would argue having the version with “you” might be better. And others will say the shorter version is better. Are you thinking about this for a blog post? I wouldn’t use this as the headline, but rather as the opening sentence. As a headline, I’m not sure it arouses enough curiosity.
You can start with two questions, but I wouldn’t make them contradict each other. So perhaps: Thinking of buying a horse? Worried that you might regret it?
Wonderful post and great timing. I have a lot of writing to do this week for various things (blog, newsletter, and presentation) and I’m going to try out a few more questions. Thanks so much for dealing with this topic! I look forward to your posts. You are so refreshing Henneke!
I’m so happy to hear that, Marlene. I sometimes get worried that I might start boring long-time readers. So, thank you.
Happy writing!
Hello Henneke!
As much as I love to write, whenever I feel like I need a little tune-up, your blog is one of the best resources for me. (I’m so glad I signed up for your email list!)
Thanks for the reminders in this post. And, I’m going to be more mindful and use the “you” practice when crafting headlines and subject lines.
Have a beautiful day!
That’s a wonderful compliment. Thank you, Tracy.
Happy writing!
Thanks Henneke!
The information about Twitter posts with question marks and “you”s was particularly interesting. I like the way that you often include a number of examples in your writing, it really gives your posts so much extra authority and makes them very understandable.
Greetings from cold and rainy Cape Town 🙂
Finding the right examples can be time consuming, but I think it’s worth the extra effort.
I hope you’re keeping warm and dry!
This information provides good service. Thank you.
Are you sure? 😉
This made me laugh! I have a client who doesn’t like questions in sales copy – but I keep sneaking them in. Well, you would, wouldn’t you? Now, I have scientific proof for my gut instinct….. Many thanks for the excellent post.
Yes, send them here when they question your use of questions again 😉
Well crafted questions in your copy stimulate the imagination of your prospects in a way that allows them to vividly imagine (their own version of) the best case scenario + they take their focus away from the potentially questionable “facts” you’re stating.
For example:
Can you imagine how your life will improve after you try my weight loss diet that already helped more than 380 million Americans get that lean body we all deserve? Will you have more energy? Will you look more attractive to the opposite sex? Will something else improve for you?
I don’t think a lot of people will bother checking the actual US population numbers once they start daydreaming about their new life. 🙂
Using the power of imagination is a strong persuasion tool – even if you don’t use questions.
Be careful that you don’t make your questions too long. The first one works better when you shorten it: Can you imagine your life when reaching your ideal weight?
PS I’d still want to use the correct figures, whether people check them or not. Honesty gets us farther in life and in sales.
Sure, maybe we can split-test that some day. 🙂 And I do agree with you that we should always stay within the limits of the old “marketing is truth well told” adage, those fake statistics were just an example.
David,
Unfortuantly, not everyone lapses into a suspension of disbelief while day dreaming of their perfect life through the magic of a $29.00 and change download.
Some actually start clicking the links. In the vast landscape of the internet all things get connected. Google is really amazing. Know what I mean?
If you see Nastja Pungracic please tell her her photogrpahic work is excellent.
Curtis, please don’t take my intentionally exaggerated example too literally. I only wrote it this way to demonstrate how attention could be diverted even from completely deceiving/unrealistic facts. And regardless of the actual effectiveness of my example, I certainly agree with you and Henneke that one can’t build a successful long-term business with cheap psychological trickery.
Having said that, I do feel that there is a place for ETHICAL USE of this technique, both in “direct response” and “lead-generation” copywriting (or I wouldn’t have shared it here in the first place), so take my crude example for what it’s worth.
P.S.: I’ll say hi to Nastja as soon as I get the chance.
Nice post, Henneke.
I once helped a client with a major sales presentation built almost entirely around intriguing questions. Want to know the book that inspired me to take that approach? A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger
Now you’ve re-inspired me.
I’ve come across that book before, but have not read it yet.
Thank you for the nudge, Jon. I’m going to read it!
Question marks in moderation. Everything in moderation. Including moderation 😉
Ha yes, let’s quit this moderation stuff, and go wild, shall we? 😉
I see you just did that with your homepage 😉
Very nice post. I find that I respond better to questions, don’t you? And you’re right, it doesn’t feel quite so slimy. I wonder why that is?
Yep, I respond better to questions, too. My rebellious mind likes to draw its own conclusions rather than be told what to think. 😉
Great post,
Many thanks,
Jim
Glad you enjoyed it!