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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible
Quick-Start Copywriting System 8
In this Chapter …
 ■ Why Gene Schwartz once said “One fully be-
lieved promise has ten times the sales power of 
ten partially-believed promises …” 
 ■ The invisible “A-B-C” process virtually every 
A-list copywriter uses to annihilate his pros-
pect’s objections. Makes buying your product 
seem like the most sensible thing he could ever 
do … 
 ■ How to create a perfectly organized, crystal 
clear advertisement – as easy as 1-2-3! 
 ■ And so much more!
The Simple “A-B-C” Process 
That Makes Your Copy 
Invincible
 
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Quick-Start Copywriting System
Copywriting legend Eugene 
Schwartz once said, “One 
fully believed promise has 
ten times the sales power of 
ten partially-believed promises.” 
That’s exactly what this chapter is 
all about: The formula we’re about to 
reveal shows you exactly how to cre-
ate “one fully believed promise” after 
another … so that selling becomes an 
absolute breeze! 
We both know that advertising isn’t 
getting any easier. Prospects are grow-
ing more skeptical by the minute, and 
it’s harder than ever to get them to be-
lieve what you say.
But the good news is that if you – 
like Clayton and other top copywriters 
– grasp this powerful skill, your copy 
will be filled with an almost magical 
power and clarity. You’ll then be lifted 
above competing products and writers. 
Perfect this secret, and your adver-
tising will take on an “invisible” force 
that gets prospects believing and buying 
more than ever before. Essentially, this 
process is about creating the underlying 
architecture for your ad – so that you say 
everything at the right time and place. 
What They Never Told 
You About “Reason Why” Copy
If you’ve read books by the masters 
– like Hopkins, Collier, Schwab, Ogilvy 
… or even the e-letters by modern mas-
ters like Bencivenga – you’ve heard the 
term “reason why” copy. 
It’s where you load up your sales mes-
sage with ALL the reasons why the pros-
pect should purchase. (When someone once 
asked David Ogilvy if he was a believer in 
“reason why” advertising, he replied, “Is 
there any other kind?”)
So you’ve heard about it. You’ve 
read about it. But do you really know 
how to DO it?
The hidden foundation of the “rea-
son why” process – what you’ll be hard 
pressed to find ANYBODY talking 
about – is that your copy MUST have a 
clear, logical progression. 
This means: 1) beginning with facts 
your prospect already knows, believes 
or can easily document using third party 
sources. 2) connecting new benefit 
promises and claims, step-by-step, to 
those facts you’ve already established 
in your prospect’s mind.
This way, your “reasons why” 
– those little guys that support your 
claims and make them believable – are 
constantly built into your copy’s pro-
gression. 
For example, say you’re selling 
investment properties in Florida. You 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
could begin by documenting several 
facts:
 1. Real estates prices in Florida 
have jumped by an average of 10% 
each year for the last 2 years.
 2. My client’s average gain over 
that period has been $100,000, approxi-
mately $50,000 each year.
3. Top analysts predict prices will 
shoot up another 10% in 2007.
CLAIM: Investing in the Florida 
properties I show you will make you at 
least $50,000 in 2007. 
Do you see how the first three facts 
make up “reasons why” the final claim 
is true? And do you see how each fact is 
related to each other, and how each sup-
ports the central claim? 
This element of your copy is essen-
tial because …
This Process Is 
the Real Secret to Persuasion 
Because It Builds BELIEF!
The reason your copy MUST have 
this logical foundation is because it’s 
the deepest, most effective way to build 
belief.
Your prospect MUST believe before 
he buys. It’s that simple. 
So your job is to build a bridge 
between facts your prospect already 
believes (or can be easily proven) right 
now – and the ultimate facts he must 
believe if he is to accept your benefits 
as true.
ONLY after your prospect accepts 
this first fact, is he ready to be taken to 
the second one.
This process determines the content 
and overall structure of your ad. It also 
affects arrangement of all your claims, 
benefits, proof, sidebars … EVERY-
THING you need to create as an ad 
writer. 
Think of the Florida real estate 
example above. If you were writing a 
full promotion claiming that your pros-
pects could make $50,000, you’d begin 
claiming and then proving each step 
in the sequence. After your headline 
and deck, you’d jump into explaining 
and proving how prices have jumped 
10% each year for the last 2 years … 
then you’d document and prove how 
your clients have gained an average of 
$100,000 in that period … and then you 
prove why nearly every top analyst be-
lieves prices will shoot up 10% in 2007. 
So when you sit down to work on a 
project, start by asking yourself, “What 
must my prospect believe in order to 
make this purchase?” Now jot it down.
Then proceed to ask, “What must 
my prospect believe first … second … 
 
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third … and so on, in order to conclude 
that this is the opportunity of a life-
time?” Take each of these points and 
begin arranging them clearly and logi-
cally.
This is one of the single most pow-
erful ways to enhance your clarity as a 
writer.
And Clarity is Always a 
Copywriter’s Best Friend!
One of the most agonizing mistakes 
we see in beginning writers – often 
writers of ALL levels – is lack of clar-
ity.
It’s almost like the writer’s trying 
to throw a bunch of random thoughts at 
the prospect until the prospect is willing 
to do anything – even buy the product 
– just to shut the writer up.
Just remember – when you address 
prospects, you are talking to people 
who are busy, distracted and over-
whelmed with competing advertising 
messages. So, it goes without saying 
that, to get and keep his attention, your 
message must be high impact, personal, 
and benefit-rich.
But to keep your prospect with you 
from beginning to end … something 
else is needed: He must never feel as 
though you’re wasting even a second 
of his time. And that means your sales 
copy must also unfold in the tight, ratio-
nal process we’ve just outlined for you.
This process prevents the follow-
ing deadly “deal-breakers” from ever 
finding their way into your copy. we’re 
talking about landmines like … 
… Allowing your prospect to get 
confused or disoriented at any point, 
wondering where you’re going… 
… Frustrating him with the feel-
ing that you’re moving too slowly or 
bouncing around without a purpose … 
… Maybe even leading him to sus-
pect that you’re going nowhere …
… Or worst of all, revealing a fatal 
flaw in your logic – creating the impres-
sion that your argument is flimsy and 
doesn’t hold water …
Each one of these weaknesses is a 
landmine that can instantly destroy all 
of the hard work you’ve done. Carefully 
thinking through this logical, step-by-
step process is a sure-fire way to make 
sure that these copy-killers never get a 
chance to rob you of readership. 
Creating Your Own Logical, 
Bullet-Proof Argument 
Let’s go into a deeper example 
taken from a promotion Clayton wrote 
in 2006. Everybody was especially frus-
trated about the skyrocketing gas prices 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
in 2006 and oil has been an incredibly 
hot topic. If you were attempting to 
sell a special report about how to build 
wealth with oil stocks, for example, you 
might employ a chain of logic that goes 
something like this …
Point #1: Oil stocks are soaring in 
value – up 112% since 2004.
Point #2: Certain oil company shares 
are positively skyrocketing in value – one 
company alone has jumped 1,000% in the 
last 6 months! Others are up as much as 
507% in the last three months! 
Point #3: MY oil stocks– the ones 
I’ve begged, pleaded, nagged and cajoled 
my readers into buying – have positively 
exploded in value: If you had followed ev-
ery recommendation I made since Novem-
ber 2004, your $10,000 investment would 
now be worth more than TWO MILLION 
DOLLARS. (You’d list winning stocks and 
growth for each one.)
Point #4: In the last six months alone, 
we’ve bagged profits of up to 800% on oil 
stocks (You’d romance the profitable rec-
ommendations the editor has made and how 
much richer his subscribers are as a result).
Point #5: It is NOT too late for you to 
profit from this great gas price explosion. 
(You’d insert bullets on the supply and de-
mand fundamentals that can’t help but drive 
gas prices higher in 2007 and beyond).
Point #6: PLUS – soaring demand 
means gas prices (and therefore oil/en-
ergy stock prices) will continue to explode 
higher (You’d describe the enormous new 
demand slamming the market from China, 
India, weaker U.S. dollar, terrorism, etc.).
Point #7: Dwindling supplies mean 
gas prices will continue to skyrocket 
(You’d dimensionalize how tight supplies 
are).
Point #8: Ordinarily, this kind of 
soaring demand alone would be enough 
to double oil/energy stock values. And 
tight supplies alone would normally be 
enough to drive prices sky-high. Now, 
with demand soaring and supplies tighten-
ing at the same time, it’s a no-brainer: 
Gas prices and oil stocks are going to soar 
whether YOU are ready to profit or not!
Point #9: All you need is the RIGHT 
oil stocks – and I’ve discovered exactly 
which ones they are. I’ve done extensive 
research finding exactly the right picks 
– based on the same methodology that’s giv-
en me such a powerful track record. These 
are stocks that Wall Street’s hype machine 
knows nothing about, but they won’t stay 
that way for long!
Point #10: To make sure you do 
NOT miss the boat this time, I want 
to send you my report with the hot-
test oil stocks to buy now – FREE 
with your no-risk trial subscription to 
my monthly newsletter.
 
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Wow. Now THAT’S a lean, mean, air-
tight chain of logic. It begins with two facts 
the reader already knows and/or that can be 
easily documented using third party sources: 
Gas prices and oil stocks are soaring.
Then, it documents a new fact (the suc-
cess of the editor’s past recommendations) 
and shows why there’s still plenty of time 
to get your share of the profits.
Can you see how each point builds 
logically upon the point made before? Do 
you get how the prospect feels as though 
each point brings him one step closer to the 
wealth he desires?
Finally, it leads the prospect to the 
inescapable conclusion that since the stock-
picker’s last recommendations would have 
made them millionaires, his NEXT ones 
could make him a not-so-small fortune!
Now, imagine how it would have been 
weakened if you had interrupted this clear, 
cold, irrefutable logic with a wild goose 
chase on the history of oil … or how it has 
revolutionized modern society for over 100 
years or some other soybean filler.
Plus, as an added benefit …
This Secret 
Makes Your Writing Process 
So Much EASIER!
One of the primary causes of 
writer’s block is not knowing exactly 
WHERE you’re going with each section 
of the copy. On the other hand – when 
the direction of key points is logically 
organized like the example above – the 
writing process becomes very clear 
and obvious. And your copy practically 
writes itself!
Now sit down for a second and 
imagine you are beginning a project 
(or forget imagining it, and actually 
DO it right now!). You’ve extensively 
researched your product, prospect and 
market … you’ve uncovered the best 
benefits available … you’ve matched 
proof elements to those benefits … 
you’ve discovered a Big Selling Idea, 
and a theme approach that matches it … 
NOW WHAT? 
Well, the process of writing an ad is 
very much like making a case for your 
product, via a personal conversation 
with your prospect. 
So give everything you’ve uncovered so 
far – what would you say?
Think about it and then simply make 
your first point. Support it with reasons 
why. Move onto your next point. Support 
it with reasons why. And so on! There’s 
really no room for writer’s block because 
everything is laid out in a crystal-clear, 
linear fashion.
Clayton’s dedication to this process 
is what’s made him one of the fastest 
copywriters in the business today. Once 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
he’s created a logical outline – using this 
process – (just like you saw in the earlier 
example about oil stocks), he’s able to im-
mediately ZOOM through the copy, point-
by-point until he’s got a draft done. 
It happens quickly, easily and with 
little or no hesitation. 
And, if you follow Clayton’s work over 
the years, you can see that it WORKS! It’s 
so much easier to write and write FAST 
– once you’re clear on the exact direction 
you’re going with each and every section 
of copy.
In fact, you should always have some-
thing like this in place before beginning 
your draft.
Plus, it’s given Clayton another incred-
ible advantage very few writers ever even 
consider. It’s something you MUST ask 
yourself before you present a single benefit. 
You see – before they begin – master 
copywriters ask themselves …
How Prepared Is 
My Prospect to Believe 
My Benefits?
Because the masters KNOW they 
can strengthen the impact of their ben-
efits by better preparing their prospect 
for those benefits.
Put differently, the effectiveness of 
your benefits depends on how well pre-
pared your prospect is to receive them.
For example, let’s say you’re selling 
a product that can help people cut their 
risk of heart attacks in half and it’s got 
nothing to do with reducing cholesterol. 
It’s actually a vitamin D product. (This 
is the scenario we saw in the “Choles-
terol’s Evil Twin!” example from last 
chapter. We’ll talk about it more in just 
a second.)
Now most people have heard of 
vitamin D and they believe that there’s 
some benefit. But they’re not prepared 
to believe that vitamin D – something 
that has no impact on cholesterol – can 
slash their risk of heart failure in half. 
Getting back to the idea of prepara-
tion: It’s counterintuitive – but just as 
Clayton did in his vitamin D promotion 
– you’ll often have to delay revealing 
your best benefits until your prospect is 
fully ready to accept them. Ultimately, 
his belief in what you’re offering de-
pends on the amount of logical prepara-
tion you’ve done. 
This Is Also Why 
Putting a Big Benefit In Your 
Headline Can Often Be 
DISASTROUS
One of the reasons big benefit head-
lines often bomb is this: Your prospect 
is simply NOT yet prepared for them!
 
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Think about it. In many cases, our 
direct mail or online prospect doesn’t 
yet know us. He doesn’t care about who 
we are. Yet here we come barging into 
his life with this big, complex and over-
whelming promise. 
There’s been no establishing of a 
relationship; and no sequential build-
ing of any kind of logical or emotional 
agreement. You can see why so many 
ads fail with this approach.
But this also reveals why dominant 
resident emotion headlines work so 
powerfully. Rather than ask your pros-
pect to believe some big, questionable 
promise upfront, these headlines say, 
“Hey – I FEEL what you FEEL. Let’s 
talk.” And if you’ve done your job 
and targeted the right emotion, you’ll 
get him nodding his head and saying, 
“Yes!”
Plus, as human beings, we naturally 
tend to respect and favor those who 
sympathize with how we feel. This 
causes your headline – and the entire 
argument you connect to it – to strike 
a deeper chord in your prospect. We 
love, seek out and remember the things 
that impact us most emotionally – just 
think of how often this works on the big 
screen.
And once you’ve gotten this first 
emotional acceptance, you use it to 
logicallybuild a bridge to your benefits, 
leading him through each promise and 
proof, step-by-step. 
This is exactly what Clayton does 
in his Dominant Emotion packages. 
He leads with a strong, attention-grab-
bing emotional headline, explains and 
expands on it in his deck copy, and 
then quickly builds a bridge to his main 
benefits. You’ll see some fantastic ex-
amples of this in just a moment. 
In fact, this is similar to the ap-
proach used by master salespeople in all 
areas of business. You see …
Master Salespeople Know 
How to Get Him Saying, 
“Yes, Yes … YES!”
The hallmark of a great sales person 
is the ability to earn one “Yes” after an-
other until the prospect is ready to say 
“Yes” to a final purchase decision.
As a copywriter or marketer you can 
create the exact same thing by using this 
logical process. Done right, you initiate a 
series of “Yes” responses in your prospect, 
getting him to nod his head in agreement 
… slowly building momentum in the direc-
tion of accepting your bigger, more power-
ful benefit promises. 
Doesn’t that make sense? If you start 
with a fact that’s already known or easy 
to prove, your prospect’s initial response 
is “yes.” Then if you move logically from 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
that agreement to the next point or fact, the 
response will most likely be “yes” again. 
And so on and so on.
By exploiting this pattern, you’re get-
ting your prospect in the unconscious habit 
of saying “Yes” and almost automatically 
agreeing with what you say. This is a BIG 
added benefit! Because even when your 
claims are not irrefutably connected, by us-
ing this process they’ll feel like they are. 
Remember that advertising is a game of 
impressions. If you can give your prospect 
the impression that your claims are backed by 
an iron-clad chain of reasoning, it’s as good 
as if they actually are!
You’ll become like the cagey veteran 
athlete who knows how to win whether 
he’s “on” that day or not. Because there’ll 
be times when your copy isn’t all that it 
could be, for a wide variety of reasons. But 
having this structure in place will make 
even your weakest pieces of copy feel 
much more credible and proven, and they’ll 
pull more as a result.
Of course, we’re not saying to be dis-
honest or manipulative. All we’re saying 
is that in instances where you’re making 
the same claims as competitors – where 
you have no distinct advantage – using this 
structure will often give you one. Your copy 
will make more sense, and it’ll feel more 
believable.
Trigger Words for 
Extra Ammo in this Process
There are a variety of expressions 
that boost the persuasive power of logi-
cally constructed arguments. These logical 
“trigger” words should be laced into every 
single presentation of benefit/claim you 
make, indicating that each new benefit you 
present follows from something already 
established and agreed upon. 
These are phrases like:
”Do you …?” followed by 
“Then ” 
“If …” followed by “Then …” 
“The reason for this …” 
“The reason why …” 
“Because …” 
“Thus …” 
“Therefore …” 
“Consequently …” 
“Here’s why …” 
“As a result …” 
“In fact …” 
“Due to the fact that …”
Pepper these powerful words through-
out your copy, especially in the areas where 
you’re transitioning from one benefit to the 
next.
For example, let’s say you claim that 
“This new time management program will 
shave hours off of your daily tasks.” 
 
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Quick-Start Copywriting System
There are a couple of ways you could 
follow that claim using the words and 
phrases above. You could say, “And con-
sequently, you’ll have more time to do the 
things you love.” Or you could say, “The 
reason why this program saves you hours 
is because it systematically weeds out the 
nine most common time wasters from your 
day.” 
Putting these 
Powerful Persuasion Tools 
Together
In general, each benefit claim you 
make needs to be immediately followed 
with proof and documentation or the chain 
will be broken. The proof must be submit-
ted at exactly the right moment in the logi-
cal sequence. 
Here are some additional ways to 
boost the effectiveness of this process that 
are explained very excellently in Eugene 
Schwartz’s, Breakthrough Advertising. 
(We’ll be diving deeper into your copy’s 
momentum in chapter 15.)
… Parallel paragraphs – An example 
of this would be if you began several criti-
cal paragraphs with the line, “It’s a fact 
that …” Or you could create a series of “If 
… Then” paragraphs that start with an es-
tablished point and then take advantage of 
the structure to make the new point more 
believable. Doing this creates a bridge in 
your prospect’s mind that connects his 
agreement with a previous claim to your 
newest one.
… Words of causality – connecting 
sentences and paragraphs with the logi-
cal “trigger” words (the ones listed ear-
lier) to give the copy the feel that each 
point comes logically from the previous 
one.
… Tie-in phrases – starting sentences 
with phrases that tie it into the previous 
one, like “and” … “but” … “there’s more” 
and so on.
You can also repeat the same form 
and wording of your proof. This creates 
the feeling that you’ve got more and more 
evidence proving what you say, beyond a 
shadow of a doubt. (Clayton did this in a 
recent health package. He continually re-
peated the statement, “What these research-
ers found … What these researchers found 
… What these researchers found …”)
Copy constructed logically and us-
ing these tools develops a feeling of IN-
EVITABILITY – like there’s no chance 
that your product or service won’t 
deliver. Your prospect will feel like he’d 
have to be completely insane not to ac-
cept your offer. 
Deeper Analysis 
That’ll Remove ANY Guesswork 
From this point on, we’re going into 
a series of in-depth examples that reveal 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
how Clayton’s used this process in win-
ning promotions. A word of warning 
– this process is not as sexy as headline 
or bullet writing. Nobody’s going to be 
shouting your name across the Internet 
because of the killer logic found in your 
copy! 
But that’s all the more reason to 
power through these examples. This skill 
is something very few writers have mas-
tered, and it’s something that can instantly 
put you ahead of those who don’t under-
stand or use it. 
Once you get this secret under your 
belt, every other tactic you learn or know 
as a copywriter becomes that much more 
powerful. That’s because when you har-
ness the strong momentum and clarity this 
process gives you, your package’s other 
elements shine in their full glory. On the 
other hand, when you lack clarity and 
strong progression from section to section 
of your copy, almost nothing – including 
the world’s greatest headline – will save 
you.
So again we highly recommend you 
work through each example and see the 
power of the reasoning process. Clayton’s 
own results in using this secret (and those 
of the writers he’s mentored) speak for 
themselves. 
Also, PLEASE NOTE: Many of these 
logical points were extracted from the 
FULL promotions – and you’re seeing 
only a small fraction of the promotion in 
this Chapter. Don’t let this confuse you. 
It’s the only way we could do it, given 
our format. 
Just follow the points and notice 
how logically they flow together. This 
will give you the ability to study exam-
ples on your own, figure out the exact 
argument … and eventually create pow-
erful arguments like this on your own!
Okay, on to the analysis! The first ex-
ample you see on Figure 8-1 is one with 
Nancy Zambell as the editor. In it, Clayton 
takes the topical trend of the “old” Inter-
net dying and the emergence of the new 
Supernet. (It was a successful knockoff of 
the other Supernet promotion, covered in 
our last Chapter.)
From that initial premise, he then 
builds an A-B-C argument that leads 
his prospect all the way to the doorstep 
of making a fortune in thenew Internet 
boom. IF he acts fast!
Here’re the steps in the argument:
1. Getting in early on the old Internet 
boom would have made you a for-
tune. DOCUMENTATION: Yahoo 
jumped 2512% … AOL jumped 
1538% … Microsoft jumped 1538% 
… EMC jumped 1302% … the list 
is endless! Turning $20,000 into 
$200,000 or more was very possible.
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Figure 8-1
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
2. But now the “old” Internet is 
quickly dying. DOCUMENTATION: 
The 12.4 billion spam messages each 
day have overloaded it, millions of 
new visitors from around the world 
are jumping on, and credible sources 
are reporting that access has continu-
ally become slower and more prob-
lematic. Already many e-mail ac-
counts are shutting down, downloads 
are failing and delays are becoming 
commonplace.
3. This is because the “old” Internet 
is based on an antiquated system 
of frayed copper telephone lines. 
DOCUMENTATION: Even DSL and 
cable have limited “technology,” with 
a total capacity that slows down each 
time a new visitor jumps online.
4. To keep the web alive, a new 
system WILL be needed. DOCU-
MENTATION: In fact, it’s already 
taking place. It’s based on fiber 
optic cables, connected to Wi-Fi 
transmitters. Engineers claim that 
soon this technology will enable us 
to be online at speeds 3 BILLION 
times faster than today’s fastest 
modems.
5. With this new trend guaranteed, 
we’ll experience a new Internet 
boom that will make at least 6 
companies and their investors very 
rich. DOCUMENTATION: Just 
look at the original Internet boom. 
Together these six companies hold a 
virtual monopoly on the technology 
that MUST be put into place for the 
Wireless Supernet to take effect.
6. Gains of up to 500% are very 
possible. DOCUMENTATION: 
I’ve scrupulously researched 
each of these stocks and they’re 
available now for as low as $12 
a share. Since lesser stocks have 
shot up to over $100 or even $200 
in times like these, I’m convinced 
that stocks like this one will easily 
jump up to at least $60 a share, a 
500% gain.
7. It’s NOT too late to get in on 
these six companies. DOCUMEN-
TATION: All are still trading at a 
price well below what they will be 
as the Wireless Supernet takes off 
and millions of miles in fiber optic 
cables and wireless systems have 
to be put into place.
8. For more reasons to believe me, 
just look at my track record. 
DOCUMENTATION: I helped my 
readers profit up to 147.65% – with 
an overall average of 16.2% in the 
worst bear market since the Great 
Depression. I’ve also recently 
helped my readers to gains of up 
to 521% on stocks just like the six 
 
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Quick-Start Copywriting System
companies I reveal in my new Gi-
ants of the Supernet Portfolio.
9. To get all the information you need 
to invest profitably in these six 
companies, you just need to send 
for your FREE copy of the Giants 
of the Supernet Portfolio. It’s yours 
FREE for trying out my Undiscov-
ered Stocks service.
Do you see how much sense this 
argument makes? If you’re inter-
ested in investing and get all the way 
through the copy arguments, chances 
are HIGH you’ll be sending in for the 
FREE report and becoming a sub-
scriber.
This is the real architecture of per-
suasion! Few gurus ever impress the 
importance of this process upon their 
students, which is a total shame. 
Just imagine two writers going up 
against each other: One with a focused, 
undeniable argument guiding their 
prospect from headline to close … and 
the other with a bunch of random sales 
points, hopefully strong enough to get 
the job done. It’s obvious who the win-
ner’s going to be.
A Step-By-Step Template 
for Success in the 
Financial Market
Once you understand the way this 
logical process works, you can pretty 
much apply it to any market and ramp 
up the power of your response. Here’s a 
logical template we pulled out of winning 
financial promotions, after repeatedly see-
ing it work. 
It’s a very similar pattern to the pro-
motion we just analyzed and if you write 
for the investment market, then strongly 
consider using it for your own packages. 
It can be easily adapted to any investment 
product or service you’re promoting. All 
you do is: 
1. Identify the trend that will change 
your industry … 
2. You document how profitable a 
similar trend was for investors … 
3. You give all the reasons why/proof 
of how this new trend is INEVI-
TABLE …
4. You explain and prove why the 
companies you’ve discovered are 
all but guaranteed to explode in 
value as the trend fully emerges …
5. You document the editor’s track 
record in making money during 
similar trends or periods, with 
stocks just like these …
6. Then you close by offering the 
prospect ALL of this profitable info 
on these stocks – plus a whole slew 
of additional bonuses – simply by 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
accepting a risk-free trial of your 
main product or service!
Demonstrate each of these steps in 
thrilling, credibility-filled copy and you 
can’t help but write bigger winners in the 
investment market. 
Creating Irresistible Momentum 
with Each Successive Step
On Figure 8-2 and 8-3, you’ll find 
an example from a promotion with 
the headline, “QUADRUPLE YOUR 
MONEY In The Coming … DE-
FENSE SPENDING GOLD RUSH!” 
It was part of a test panel Weiss Re-
search did shortly after the 9/11 crisis 
– an alternate version to the Sharon 
Parker Undiscovered Stocks promotion 
we analyzed last Chapter. It went out 
at a time when almost everyone in the 
government was pushing for war. In-
creased military spending was an iron-
clad certainty.
Plus, it wasn’t just the Middle East 
– our enemies from all over the world 
now seemed to have growing access 
to weapons. And each is threatening 
to unleash a variety of assaults on US 
homeland security.
Here’s the argument that Clayton 
used: 
1. Our President believes that 
the solution to protecting US 
homeland security is to drasti-
cally increase military spending. 
DOCUMENTATION: That’s why, 
on January 10th 2002, President 
Bush signed the biggest defense 
spending bill in 13 years, guar-
anteeing US defense firms nearly 
$1.2 TRILLION dollars over the 
next 36 months.
2. This spending spree is absolutely 
IRREVERSIBLE. DOCUMENTA-
TION: President Bush increased 
spending even before the war on 
terrorism WITHOUT the backing 
of Congress. Now that Congress is 
100% behind him, this new bill he just 
signed is only the tip of the iceberg!
3. But buying the mainstream “de-
fense” stocks will NOT get you rich! 
DOCUMENTATION: The “big boys” 
like General Dynamic, Lockheed and 
Northrup Grumman are all gigantic 
defense players. But the problem is 
that even billion-dollar windfalls have 
limited effect on their profits. Plus, ev-
erybody knows about them and began 
buying the second the defense spend-
ing news hit the headlines. They’ve 
seen all the growth they’re gonna get 
from this trend.
4. On the other hand, I’ve hand-
picked 7 “undiscovered” defense 
firms, which are all dirt cheap 
right now but set to soar as our 
government’s record-breaking 
spending kicks in. DOCUMEN-
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Figure 8-2
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible
Figure 8-3
 
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TATION: My research and analysis 
shows that they’re each hugely un-
dervalued and have contracts being 
finalized that could easily double, 
triple or quadruple each company’s 
value as the Pentagon goes on its 
shopping spree. And the best part is 
– nobody knows about them yet! 
5. It’s a fact that I have a proven 
track record of finding market-
specific stocks that the rest of 
Wall Street doesn’t know about 
– stocks just like these you’re 
about to discover. DOCUMENTA-
TION: We did it successfully with 
wireless and biotech two years 
ago and then last year on health 
care. We piled up profits of 79.3% 
… 67.6%… 64.1% and more on 
stocks during these periods. 
6. I also guided subscribers to 
profits of up to 86.1% in the 
tech wreck – a time when 95% 
of investors lost nearly everything 
they had. DOCUMENTATION: 
Here are examples of 13 picks that 
profited dramatically during that 
painful crash.
7. From the Mercury Computers 
that control airport security … 
to a leading missile manufacturer 
… to a company who makes mili-
tary-specific microchips … each 
of these 7 companies is perfectly 
positioned to explode in size as 
the spending takes place. (Docu-
mentation on this claim is too long 
for this section. This is the entire 
middle of the promotion – where 
each stock is romanced, and a sub-
argument is made for why each one 
will be incredibly profitable.) 
8. To get in on these 7 incredible 
opportunities, you simply need to 
send for your FREE copy of my 
Undiscovered Defense Diamonds 
Portfolio. You get it FREE simply, 
by accepting a risk-free trial to my 
Undiscovered Stocks service.
As you can see, this is such a clear and 
factual sounding argument! It starts with 
the easily verified and true claims about 
conflicts that threaten the US. These are 
facts anybody watching or reading the 
news would agree on.
Then it moves to the factual inevitabil-
ity of increased military spending. 
By the time it gets to the idea that the 
editor has undiscovered stocks that could 
be very profitable, the prospect has a TRE-
MENDOUS amount of momentum to agree.
From that point on, Clayton simply 
bolsters Sharon’s credibility by presenting 
her excellent track record … then explains 
and proves the potential of these individual 
stocks … adds testimonials, bonuses and 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible
Figure 8-4
294
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Figure 8-5
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
the guarantee – and finally moves on to 
closing the sale.
Mastering this Process 
Helps You See Deeper Benefits 
that Others Don’t
Figure 8-4 and Figure 8-5 illustrate 
how Clayton used this process in a promo-
tion for a Boardroom book called, Mind 
Boosting Secrets. It’s about the recent nu-
tritional discoveries that powerfully impact 
brain health and features a very credible 
authority on the subject – Dr. Ray Sahelian.
It’s also noteworthy because it’s a 
package where Clayton went up against 
Arthur Johnson – and their copy couldn’t 
be any more different. Arthur chose to 
focus on a series of wilder, exciting and a 
bit over-the-top brain benefits. But Clayton 
decided to create a much more logically 
grounded argument that tied in brain per-
formance with healing the many ailments 
his prospects likely had and wanted solu-
tions for. 
What’s most important for you to see 
here is how this process – once you’re able 
to apply it – can open up new and powerful 
selling angles in your promotions. Clayton 
carefully looked at the research and the book 
by Dr. Sahelian and felt that a more logical, 
step-by-step approach was worth a shot. Es-
pecially with how skeptical health prospects 
have become regarding fantastic “miracle” 
claims.
Here’s the sequence he used: 
1. It’s been known by scientists and 
doctors for many decades: Your 
brain is the overall master of 
your body; it controls and man-
ages every single thing that hap-
pens inside of you.
2. But doctors have had it all wrong 
and they’ve been ignoring the 
most powerful healer your body 
has ever had … your BRAIN! 
DOCUMENTATION: Every time 
you set foot into a doctor’s office, 
he offers drugs to treat symptoms. 
His approach is to medicate spe-
cific, “malfunctioning” organs. He 
never even thinks to consider that 
your brain may be the root cause of 
the problem.
3. In fact, EVERYTHING that goes 
on in your body is dependent on 
the performance of your brain. 
DOCUMENTATION: Decades of 
research from the most respected 
institutions on the planet prove 
that your brain regulates digestion, 
sexual health, immune function, 
joint repair and much more. 
4. The HEALTHIER your brain, 
the HEALTHIER your body. 
DOCUMENTATION: It’s just 
common sense, if science has 
proven that your brain performance 
directly impacts every part of 
 
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your body, you can get your body 
healthier by healing your brain. 
5. Consequently, improving brain 
health and performance can 
literally wipe away chronic 
conditions like arthritis, chronic 
fatigue, indigestion, sexual dys-
function and much more. DOCU-
MENTATION: Clinical research, 
case studies and success stories all 
prove that people who boost the 
power of their brain experience 
fewer ailments than those who do 
nothing.
6. Your brain has the capacity to 
not only replace dying cells – it 
can also grow new ones if you 
give it the right building blocks. 
DOCUMENTATION: These same 
leading scientists have discovered 
that the “right building blocks” 
are certain brain specific nutrients 
– which MUST come from what 
you eat, drink and take in the form 
of supplements.
7. And now Dr. Ray Sahelian, 
America’s leading authority on 
brain health, will give you all 
the information you ever need 
to quickly, safely and specifically 
support your brain with proper 
nutrition. DOCUMENTATION: 
He has compiled the most powerful 
brain health discoveries from over 
thirty of the world’s top research 
institutions. He’s put them together 
in a powerful, easy-to-use book 
called Mind Boosting Secrets.
8. This book contains all the 
PROVEN information you’ll 
ever need to grow a bigger, 
healthier, superior functioning 
brain. DOCUMENTATION: It 
tells you exactly what foods, drinks 
and supplements to take and when. 
It’s all arranged very easily and 
conveniently and these secrets 
have already worked for thousands 
of others. 
9. If you follow the simple but 
powerful guidelines in this book, 
you’ll grow a more powerful 
brain and eliminate many if not 
all of your current ailments. And 
you’ll experience health like nev-
er before! DOCUMENTATION: 
Again, this is all backed by the 
research from thirty institutions, 
by the country’s leading doctor on 
brain health, and by a long list of 
successful case studies.
10. I want to send you this book 
FREE for 30 days, so you can 
put these secrets to work and 
experience the enhanced brain 
power, improved overall health 
and freedom from chronic con-
ditions – secrets that are turning 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
the medical establishment upside 
down. You’ve got nothing to risk 
and everything to gain.
Notice how Clayton started with some-
thing he absolutely KNEW his prospect 
would agree with: That his brain controls 
and regulates everything that goes on in 
his body. Anybody that’s gone through 
grade school has been told this a hundred 
times – it’s something just about everybody 
believes.
Do you see how each time you work 
through one of these examples you under-
stand the sales and persuasion process so 
much more clearly. You see how to begin 
with facts the reader believes or can easily 
prove – just like Clayton did with the idea 
that “the brain is the master of the body.”
You see how to connect that agreement 
to the next step in the argument; then how 
to weave the credibility and proof elements 
into the process – just like Clayton did 
with the distinguished medical journals and 
research institutions – so that the chain be-
comes seamless and impossible to question.
You can also see how Clayton’s 
sequence lead the prospect to this conclu-
sion: That his BEST opportunity to build a 
better brain, improve his health and quickly 
eliminate many of his health worries for-
ever, is simply to send for his risk-free trial 
of the product.
When Your Argument Is Complex, 
this Process Will Be a Lifesaver!
On Figure 8-6, you’ll see the Weiss 
promotion with the headline, “FIVE Elec-
tion Year SHOCKS that Could Make You 
up to SIX TIMES RICHER in 2004-2005!” 
It’s a morecomplex promotion about a se-
ries of economic movements that will cre-
ate a variety of windfall profit opportunities 
and disasters.
As you’ll soon see, this is a very chal-
lenging example. But hey – we know 
you’re up for it. Once you get through and 
understand a sequence like this, applying 
the process to normal copywriting situa-
tions will be a breeze!
It was this complex because Clayton 
had to show exactly how each economic 
trend would be caused by the previous 
one. And then, more importantly, how 
each trend would create a powerful set of 
specific profit opportunities. Once he had 
established and documented each trend and 
opportunity, he tied them all in at the close. 
Here’s the chain of logic:
1. Over the past three years, 
federal spending has surged 
at the fastest pace in history. 
DOCUMENTATION: Each 
year it has risen, and the White 
House estimates the deficit will 
be a record-smashing $521 bil-
lion this year.
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Quick-Start Copywriting System
Figure 8-6
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
2. Government spending will 
increase even more than nor-
mal this year. DOCUMENTA-
TION: This is because it’s an 
election year and it’ll be almost 
impossible to keep politicians 
from both parties to send even 
more money to their districts. 
This has historically lifted 
spending substantially. Plus, 
the President himself just made 
eight specific calls for spend-
ing increases and zero calls for 
spending cuts.
3. The REAL deficit – judged by 
the amount of money the gov-
ernment had to use to pay its 
bills – is over $1 TRILLION! 
DOCUMENTATION: Wash-
ington’s accounting estimate 
($521 billion) is WAY off and 
the US comptroller refused to 
certify the government’s book-
keeping for the sixth straight 
year! (This is from table F4 of 
the Federal Reserve’s Flow of 
Funds.)
4. This means that interest rates 
will EXPLODE! DOCUMEN-
TATION: This is according to 
the law of supply and demand 
– the demand for loans is far 
exceeding the amount of mon-
ey available.
5. This also means that bond 
prices will crash! DOCU-
MENTATION: Because histori-
cally and economically bonds 
crash whenever interest rates 
skyrocket like this.
6. You can make 20-30% on 
conservative investments as 
this unfolds and as much as 
456% on more aggressive 
picks. DOCUMENTATION: 
This is because there are 
certain types of mutual funds 
(which I’ve got all the informa-
tion about) that always rise 
powerfully when bonds crash, 
and 20-30% has been common 
for my subscribers. Also when 
bonds crash there are other 
more explosive investments 
that can shoot up as much as 
456%. Therefore a $250 invest-
ment could soar to $1,390 in 
just a month. 
7. Rising spending and crash-
ing bonds will only push the 
dollar down. DOCUMEN-
TATION: The dollar is AL-
READY in one of its greatest 
all time declines – and this 
trend is only going to push the 
dollar down further. Plus, the 
dollar will plummet further for 
four other reasons as well:
 
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a. There’s already an overflow 
from cutting tax rates and 
wild federal spending, and 
the more dollars we have 
in circulation, the lower the 
value of the dollar.
b. Foreign investors are 
dumping their unwanted 
dollars and converting their 
money into other forms of 
currency.
c. The nations of G7 have 
declared that they WANT 
the dollar to decline, and 
the last time this happened 
– the dollar plunged 20.2%.
d. President Bush needs a 
cheaper dollar to protect US 
jobs and make our products 
more competitive overseas.
8. This dollar decline will ignite 
inflation. DOCUMENTA-
TION: It’s already happening 
in many industries with double-
digit increases – and the PPI 
(Producer Price Index) proves 
this to be true.
9. With the decline of the dol-
lar and rising inflation, there 
are certain “contra-dollar” 
mutual funds that shoot up 
as much as 629% in precisely 
this type of situation. DOCU-
MENTATION: I’ve discovered 
two that perfectly fit the bill, 
both from very well-respected 
companies. Or if you’re will-
ing to risk a bit more on some 
“dollar-disaster options”, you 
make 413% if the dollar falls 
20% and 629% if the dollar 
falls 30%.
10. Rising interest rates and 
inflation will crush the hous-
ing/real estate sectors, the 
airlines, US manufacturers, 
carmakers and more – many 
places where investors have a 
good sum of their money. But 
they will cause other industries 
to explode – including indus-
trial metals, minerals and food. 
DOCUMENTATION: Specific 
examples of each are given 
and more can be found in your 
FREE reports.
11. The decline of the dollar and 
rising inflation will also trig-
ger a Gold Bull Market un-
like anything we’ve ever seen. 
DOCUMENTATION: It’s an 
inevitable consequence of the 
massive financial uncertainty 
going on now and getting much 
worse in the near future. Gold 
always shoots up as currency 
value loses its stability. 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
12. Now I have three gold com-
panies all but guaranteed to 
soar as the dollar plummets. 
And since almost nobody 
knows about them, each can 
be purchased dirt cheap. 
DOCUMENTATION: I have 
a track record picking winning 
gold stocks – buying low and 
selling high – with recent gains 
of 144% … 413% and 562%. 
13. The declining dollar will also 
trigger a huge increase in oil 
prices. DOCUMENTATION: 
This is because the Middle East 
wants to avoid losing money 
on this lower-valued dollar. 
They’ll raise prices to match 
the declining dollar value.
14. As a result, I’ve found three 
oil/energy stocks with little 
or no debt, increasing rev-
enues and these little-known 
companies are ALREADY 
starting to see nice gains. 
DOCUMENTATION: Because 
the dollar decline is just be-
ginning, much of Wall Street 
hasn’t heard of these stocks 
and they’re all still low priced. 
That’s what makes the profit 
potential so large.
15. Every trend I’ve told you 
about – the increasing spend-
ing, rising interest rates, the 
crashing bond market, the 
rising inflation, the declining 
dollar, the destruction of cer-
tain investment sectors, the 
gold bull market, the energy 
boom – IS ALREADY hap-
pening. DOCUMENTATION: 
These are NOT mere forecasts. 
The fluctuations we’ve seen in 
the market coupled with infor-
mation we saw from the comp-
troller have locked these in and 
they’re set to unfold consider-
ably over the next year. 
16. With these movements in the 
economy already happening 
now and all but guaranteed 
to continue into the future, 
you can make a BUNDLE of 
money! DOCUMENTATION: 
I’ve had my award-winning 
research team craft five urgent 
reports that detail EXACTLY 
how to pile up the kind of 
profits that inevitably come in 
times like these. All you need 
to do is send for your FREE 
reports by simply accepting 
a risk-free trial to my Safe 
Money Investor service.
WOW! Isn’t it amazing how five 
different trends and sets of benefits 
were united so seamlessly? Each new 
 
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section detailed a trend that would have 
dire consequences, but could also make 
savvy investors a fortune. So this is 
a first-rate example of how to keep a 
variety of benefits tightly connected to a 
central theme.
That’s the key when you have more 
benefits than you know what to do with 
– you make SURE that each one is con-
nected to a clear, undeniable point in 
your logical chain.
A Sneaky Way to Build 
an Unshakable Case
On Figure 8-7 and 8-8, you’ll find 
the example we promised to discuss 
earlier. It’s the vitamin D (“Cholester-
ol’s Evil Twin!”) promotion Clayton did 
for Health Resources, and it’s a perfect 
example of leading in with emotion and 
slowly preparing your prospect to ac-
cept the central benefit.
Clayton knew that if he came right 
out and told his prospects that reversing 
a vitamin D deficiency would cut his risk 
of a deadly heart or brain complication 
in HALF, very few wouldbelieve him. 
They simply weren’t ready for that idea.
But by leading in with and ac-
knowledging their fear over these heart 
problems and then explaining how 50% 
of people that die from them DO NOT 
do so from cholesterol (as is commonly 
thought), that’s something intriguing. 
Something the reader can quickly agree 
to with a little proof and explanation.
Here’s the sequence:
1. Scientists have discovered cho-
lesterol has an evil twin – HALF 
of all heart victims (438,000 each 
year) die with HEALTHY arter-
ies. DOCUMENTATION: Year 
after year, doctors and medical ex-
perts have been baffled by the fact 
50% of heart deaths occur in those 
with ideal cholesterol and perfect 
blood pressure.
2. For years scientists have 
struggled with this problem, but 
just recently The New England 
Journal of Medicine just dis-
covered the surprising answer. 
DOCUMENTATION: The medical 
explanation is that these complica-
tions happen when a small piece 
of plaque bursts and breaks off 
… forms a clot … got lodged in a 
smaller or slightly narrower artery 
downstream … and then starved 
the heart or brain for blood. 
3. These same scientists discovered 
that the real cause is INFLAM-
MATION. DOCUMENTATION: 
Top research institutions have dis-
covered that inflammation causes 
this breaking off of plaque. In fact, 
they found that chronic inflamma-
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible
Figure 8-7
304
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Figure 8-8
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
tion is also the culprit in a variety 
of other ailments (including certain 
forms of diabetes, joint problems, 
immune system problems and 
more).
4. Vitamin D is one of the world’s 
most powerful inflammation 
fighters. DOCUMENTATION: 
Clinical research from top univer-
sities and peer-reviewed medical 
journals has revealed that vitamin 
D is one of nature’s strongest in-
flammation fighters. 
5. Americans are dangerously defi-
cient in nature’s most powerful 
inflammation fighter: Vitamin 
D. DOCUMENTATION: Studies 
by these same leading research in-
stitutions, the surgeon general and 
the world’s most respected, peer-
reviewed medical journals have 
also discovered that Americans are 
consistently deficient in vitamin D.
6. The greater the vitamin D defi-
ciency, the greater the risk for 
heart, brain and other dangerous 
ailments. DOCUMENTATION: 
That was discovered by these insti-
tutions as well as the opposite – if 
you reverse a vitamin D deficiency, 
you cure and prevent these deadly 
problems.
7. Unfortunately, vitamin D is 
VERY difficult to get from foods 
alone. DOCUMENTATION: you 
need to eat tons of certain kinds 
of fish, eel and other not-so-easy 
to swallow foods. And “fortified” 
foods like milk and breakfast cere-
als contain a synthetic form of vi-
tamin D, called D2 – that’s almost 
impossible to absorb. Just look at 
the facts: nearly every American 
consumes these foods, and nearly 
every American (85%) is still defi-
cient in vitamin D.
8. Historically, to get true vitamin 
D (which is vitamin D3, calcifer-
ol) you’ve needed to spend time 
directly in the sun. DOCUMEN-
TATION: Research from Harvard 
and other institutions shows that 
vitamin D is most reliably obtained 
from the sun. 
9. But certain people require much 
more time than others (up to 2 
hours daily) and this is NOT con-
venient since most people work 
inside during peak sun hours. 
DOCUMENTATION: The research 
also revealed that your skin color 
and ethnic heritage impacts your 
need for sunlight. The darker your 
skin, the more sun exposure you 
require to get proper levels of vita-
min D. 
10. Fortunately – whatever your 
needs are – you can get all the vi-
 
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tamin D benefits of real sunlight 
simply by consuming a single 
dropper of delicious liquid, called 
INSTANT SUNSHINE. DOCU-
MENTATION: A research-based 
health company has found a way to 
extract and make absorbable Vita-
min D3/Calciferol – the same exact 
form you’d normally get from the 
sun. The same form used in studies 
to achieve the miraculous benefits. 
Thus you can get ALL the vitamin 
D you need each day (1000mg) 
from one dropper of INSTANT 
SUNSHINE. 
11. This means you can banish 
deadly heart and brain worries, 
heal aching and inflamed joints, 
enhance your immune system 
and much more – simply by con-
suming one dropper of INSTANT 
SUNSHINE each day. DOCU-
MENTATION: The research we’ve 
cited, coupled with the long list of 
success stories and testimonials 
bear this out. 
12. To get these incredible benefits, 
plus a variety of free gifts and 
reports, all you need to do is call 
NOW and accept a risk-free trial 
of this product. 
Notice how, because he leads off 
with an emotional agreement – rather 
than the benefit his prospect was un-
likely to immediately accept – he began 
with MUCH LESS resistance and 
MUCH MORE momentum. The initial 
points in this chain are both emotionally 
stimulating and easy to agree with. 
Not only was his prospect nodding 
his head, he very urgently wanted to 
find out the REAL cause of these heart 
problems, therefore moving through the 
copy more quickly and passionately. 
Notice how he positioned the prob-
lem and discovery as something made 
independently by these top scientists 
and research institutions – it’s all very 
objective and factual sounding. So 
that by the time he introduced the idea 
that there’s a product that SOLVES all 
of these problems and worries, it car-
ried that very same tone and feeling of 
proven reasoning and credibility. 
Once he finished, his prospect was 
convinced that if he wanted these bene-
fits and protection, he simply needed to 
send for his risk-free trial of INSTANT 
SUNSHINE. It’s a no-brainer.
Isn’t It Time You Made This 
a Consistent Part 
of YOUR Writing Process?
You should begin to see now how 
powerful this logical chain is. And why 
it MUST run through your entire sales 
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The Simple “A-B-C” Process That Makes Your Copy Invincible 8
message if you want to achieve maxi-
mum response.
Just to quickly summarize every-
thing it does for you:
… It gets your prospects to BE-
LIEVE what you tell them, which you 
must do for them to buy…
… It keeps your copy tightly 
focused, never giving your prospect 
breathing room to question or doubt the 
benefits you present …
… It destroys writer’s block, be-
cause it gives you a crystal-clear, step-
by-step blueprint for getting your sales 
message down onto the page …
… It gets your prospect saying 
“Yes” right away and then slowly pre-
pares him to accept your bigger, deeper 
benefits that will ultimately help close 
the sale …
… And it makes the “reason why” 
process simple and easy – allowing you 
to quickly and clearly document each 
new benefit promise with proof and 
conviction…
Review this Chapter often and keep 
it on your desk where you write. When 
it comes time to write, check the argu-
ment you’re making against one of the 
examples we’ve presented here. See if 
you can make it as clear and compelling 
as Clayton does.
It’s a simple “A-B-C” series of steps 
that’ll put you light years ahead of your 
competition.
Notes Notes Notes Notes Notes
Logical Sales Argument 8
309
Chapter 8 Action Steps
1. Review this basic A-B-C Formula and then 
modify it for the project you’re working. 
This is a matter of taking everything that 
we’ve covered up to this point – your 
research, offer, benefits, proof, big selling 
idea, and theme – and then making an argu-
ment for your product. In other words … 
a. Identify the key points you MUST 
make to convince your prospect that 
his life will change when he orders 
your product.
b. You arrange the points in logical 
sequence – present them just as you 
would tell him if you were sitting and 
talking face to face.
c. You give all the reasons why/proof of 
each point.
d. Integrate your offer into the end of 
the argument, just as you saw in theexamples.
e. Make sure your argument and 
documentation lead the prospect to one 
inevitable conclusion: That he’d have 
to be certifiably crazy not to order your 
product!
Quick-Start Copywriting System
310
Notes Notes Notes Notes NotesTogether, this series of points will 
function as a powerful outline for your 
overall copy. 
2. With your basic, “raw” argument in place 
– it’s time to further organize and refine 
it …
a. Remember to continually elicit “Yes” 
responses.
b. Use trigger words like:
i. “Do you …?” followed by 
“Then” 
ii. “If …” followed by “Then …” 
iii. “The reason for this …”
iv. “The reason why …”
v. “Because …”
vi. “Thus …”
vii. “Therefore …”
viii. “Consequently …”
ix. “Here’s why …”
x. “As a result …”
xi. “In fact …”
xii. “Due to the fact that …”
c. Make sure each benefit claim you 
make is immediately followed with 
proof and documentation or the chain 
will be broken. You can use:
i. Parallel paragraphs
ii. Words of causality 
iii. Tie-in phrases
311
Chapter 8 Action Steps
Notes Notes Notes Notes Notesd. Create irresistible momentum with 
each successive step.
Include this argument in your running 
document and think of it as the outline for your 
entire promotion. This will be the basis of your 
rough draft. This is why it’s essential that your 
argument be well-organized.
With this outline in place, begin to cut and 
paste other things you’ve worked on in previ-
ous chapters into the appropriate place in the 
outline. Let me explain this a bit better. 
For example, let’s say that you’re selling a 
nutritional supplement that gives your prospect 
150% more energy. That benefit – 150% more 
energy – will often be a key point in your 
overall argument/outline. 
But don’t forget, you also (or at least you 
should have!) expanded and dimensionalized 
this benefit (Chapter 4) and also proved this 
benefit (Chapter 5). So take what you gathered 
while working through those chapters and then 
cut and paste them right beneath that point (the 
150% more energy claim) in your outline. 
Do this for all your key points and you’ll 
begin to see a well-organized, highly powerful 
and detailed argument beginning to emerge. You 
might not call it a “draft” yet, but it’s getting 
close … close enough for you to start thinking 
about your headlines, which we’ll address in our 
next chapter.