Principle#4: Good copywriting is honest. No hype.

This seems in opposition to all the ads that you see all around you. Hype must sell if there is so much of it, you may think.

However, look back to one of the best salespersons you've ever talked with, and even bought a product from. Maybe you were buying a computer at Future Shop.

Typically, salespersons will be able to recite all kinds of facts about their products.

But the good ones would dig deeper with questions first, and find out exactly what you are looking for, what your needs are, before they even consider which specific product to recommend to you.

So that salesperson you were chatting with at Future Shop would likely have found out from you that it's a family computer you wanted. And that you wanted to use it for that occasional report for work, on weekends. And that your teenaged children frequently play computer games after school - programs that eat up a huge amount of memory and speed. And that your spouse was planning to use it for a new part-time business on the side. And that you're really hoping to not have to buy a brand-new computer three years later.

So, in other words, you want a fast computer that can tolerate a certain amount of abuse - and you don't mind spending more for a top-of-the-line computer if it'll help you avoid having to buy another one so soon.

That person will be more able to suggest a computer that meet most if not all of your needs and wants - and keep you coming back. You trust that next time, you'll get what you need or want.

It's the same with copywriting. Good copywriters know that honesty sells - it keeps your customers coming back to you. They know how to be honest - and still sell effectively to the largest possible number of prospects. Once they've learnt what your audience really cares about, they'll collect all the evidence needed to make their case. They'll use concrete evidence, indisputable facts, statements from recognized experts, case studies (stories from actual customers) and an array of other strategies to tell your story for you. In an entertaining way, of course.

So if you have a product or service that must be communicated to a naturally cynical world, your best bet is to stay honest and ethical, so that you can cultivate trust and loyalty. Good copywriters will help you do this.

NEXT.....Principle#5: Good copywriting will speak personally to your audience.