As you probably already know, there are two ways to cause people to take action. One is pain and the other is pleasure. These have been known throughout history as the two primary human activators. In short, you can get people to move either with a board smacked across their butt or with a juicy carrot dangling in front of their face.

Most people in marketing and psychology agree that the fi rst motivator — pain — is more powerful than the second. While we agree, we think that is a disservice to mankind. Why add to the misery in the world? Instead, let ’ s make a difference and focus on pleasure. Let ’ s make people happy. We think that is a sounder way to help people, as well as help yourself. Can you imagine how wonderful life would be for all of us if we focused on our wants — our desires, our pleasures, our goals — and not our pains?

But let’ s start with the basic formula for persuading people, which traditionally includes the pain motivator. Starting here will give you a better sense of how to use Joe ’ s revised system later on your own web site, which we ’ ll explain in a moment. This four - step strategy is probably 2,500 years old, and goes back to Aristotle and the ancient Greeks. In short, and in a very simplifi ed version, here it is:

1. Problem

2. Promise

3. Proof

4. Price

Not much to it, is there? Let ’ s look at each step and see.

Problem

Begin your web site with a headline that calls out the audience you want by focusing on their problem. For example, if you sell something to cure, say, heel spurs, than use a headline such as “Got heel spurs?” Or say you are selling a weight - loss product of some sort. You might use a headline such as “ Want to lose weight? ”

What you are doing is rounding up the people who will want to buy from you by focusing on their problem or issue. In other words, you created a web site and you ’re getting traffi c there, but unless you use hypnotic writing to grab attention, hold it, and lead it to action, then forget it — your site is a loser.

Again, say you are a massage therapist with your own site. Your headline at the top of your web site might be “Stressed? Want to release your tension in 30 minutes or less? ”

By now you should grasp what we ’ re doing here. We ’re simply suggesting you ask yourself, “ What is the problem my visitors are having? ” Whatever it is, you create a lead headline at the top of your web site that speaks to it.

Promise

You got their attention with step one. Now mention your promise. Using the “ heel spurs ” headline from earlier, a follow - through might be “ New herbs reduce or remove heel spurs in 30 days. ” The second example, on losing weight, might read “ New nondiet approach relies on your mind, not your food, to lose weight fast. ” And the massage therapist example might read “ My hands have eased 3,500 bodies just like yours. I can help you, too. ”

As you can probably gather, what you are doing in this second step is explaining how you solve the problem mentioned in the fi rst step. This will keep people reading. If you truly focus on their problem, you will be putting them into a waking trance with hypnotic writing.

Proof

Next, you need proof. We live in the age of skepticism. People are used to going to web sites and hearing wild or unsubstantiated claims. Their guard is up. Not only that, but in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is watching you. They want proof, too, that you can deliver.

So step three in this formula is to focus on your proof, or your evidence. This can be in the form of a guarantee, testimonials, or anything else you can think of to convince people you are being honest with them. Some examples might be “ Your heel spurs will disappear in 30 days or you can have all your money back ”; “Over 11,500 people healed of heel spurs so far ” ; “ Research shows people lose an average of 33 pounds with this new plan ” ; “ You will feel so relaxed from my massage that you will fall asleep on my table. ”

And so it goes. Again, what you are doing is proving your promise. This is where you bring in your evidence that your promise will work.

Price

Finally, you need to ask for what you want. If you want people to sign up for your newsletter, say so. If you want them to buy your product, say so. If you want them to call you, say so. People want to be led. But they won ’ t take action unless you spell it out for them and tell them the price for doing so. Examples might be “If you don’t take care of those heel spurs today, where will you be tomorrow? ” “Order our special herbs right now for only $19.95.”