Why Your Customers Should Be Writing Your Copy

“Those who are closest to the customer win”

Bernadette Jiwa

Some businesses struggle with this.

Not because they don’t care about the customer. Just because they’re in a certain type of business.

For example: if you sell underwear over the internet… it’s probably tough to get a customer to dive deep into the psychology behind that purchase.

• Why did you really choose polka-dot over polar bears?
• Why boxers and not briefs?
• Urgent need or retail therapy?

But on the other hand, if you’re a coach, course creator or expert…

It’s a lot easier to know your customers on a deep level.

It’s pretty much just a natural consequence of being in a “teacher” role.

You talk with people all the time on discovery calls, free sessions, coaching sessions, etc…

And I hope you’re using this opportunity not only to be helpful…

But also to be strategic.

Not just listening…

But saving what you hear (anonymously).

Create a document to save what copywriters call, “Voice of Customer Data”.

Which is a fancy way of saying…

Copy verbatim what your actual customers say so you can later use it in your copy.

Here’s why:

One of the old adages of copywriting is:

“Enter the conversation already going on in their head”

That’s why these days so many businesses are starting with something coronavirus-related.

(Obviously some do this terribly)

But the idea is that you’re acknowledging their current internal conversation and then taking it from there.

So that’s why using Voice of Customer Data is so important.

It allows you to enter the conversation… in the exact words of that conversation.

Not just taking a guess and hoping you’re saying the right thing.

A lot of times I see this done wrong.

The business takes a guess as to what that conversation sounds like.

But it ends up sounding hollow…

Here’s an example of customer language from my own library:

“how to create and deliver an online course while having other work to do. I don’t want too many deadlines while creating the course. I fully understand it’s a good idea to sell a course before creating it, but I am a bit worried about the deadlines and pressure to deliver the content after people have bought the course.”

But here’s where I see it go wrong…

Without knowing the words my customers are using, I might get fancy and write something I thought sounded “authoritative”…

“Optimized Course Creation: How to efficiently go from idea to full course”

Which is just vague and boring.

Instead, you want to incorporate their own words. For example…

“How to create and deliver an online course – even if you have other work to do.”

See how simple it can be?

I encourage you to really hear what your customers are saying and write it down. 

What are the specific words and phrases they’re using to describe their challenges and dreams?

You want to be aware of how that conversation sounds so you can enter it as naturally and effortlessly as possible.