Let's look at how you do each of those three techniques.

1. Make a promise. The letter about luxury vacations starts with these words:

"Imagine taking your winter vacation knowing you aren't spending a penny more than you have to - secure that you have a team of travel experts making sure every little detail of your vacation goes smoothly. "Here's how you can have that vacation right now: Take advantage of an unusual promotion our company is doing. Let me explain."

Pretty exciting, right? Even if you don't think so, the people who got the letter did - because the letter produced an amazing $5 million in sales for the travel agency.

2. Back it up with convincing proof. The personal coach's ad for stressed-out overachievers, the one that begins "How to stop overwhelm before it stops you," contains this proof:

* 3 case studies,

* 3 testimonials,

* detailed credentials of the coach

* and a money-back guarantee.

Despite its stunningly bold claims, the ad comes across as very believable and has generated a record-breaking parade of new clients.

3. Ask for action. The investigator's sales letter to divorce lawyers, beginning "Why almost every financial statement in family court may not disclose the full net worth of the opposing spouse," ends this way:

"I would like to meet with you at no charge to show you how I can be of service to you and your clients in future family law cases.

"Please call me at your convenience so we can set up a meeting to discuss further how I can assist your clients recover their fair share of assets. Call me directly at xxx - xxx-xxxx."

Killer copy always asks for action in the most powerful way possible. Notice how the above words spell out exactly what to do, and even make a big promise - that the lawyer reading the letter will recover more money in court for their clients (and, therefore, get more money themselves).

As you can see, a few words of killer copy can lead to massive amounts of money. In fact, many people say writing killer copy is the single most valuable money-making skill in the world.

And recently, writing copy was named as one of the top 10 emerging professions for the new century.

It doesn't surprise me. In the age of the Internet, the old style of advertising copy -- saying something clever, and hoping people remember - just doesn't cut it anymore.

Besides, these days, with business-to-business advertising growing so fast, the traditional advertising industry is feeling a lot of pressure for ads that really produce results. Why? Because, old-style advertising that entertains, but does not sell, is not cost-effective enough for many companies in today's hyper-competitive market.

Recently I heard from my former accountant. (A few years ago, he left accounting to start a new business.)

He asked me if I wouldn't mind sharing some ideas on how he could write killer copy for his own business.

I said sure. And now he's on his way to doing the same thing that I do, for himself.

Funny thing about the conversation we had the other day. Unlike the conversation we had back in 1995, he didn't kid me about drinking scotch, or anything else. Maybe he finally realized that when it comes to increasing your income, killer copy is serious business.

I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.

About The Author

David Bell is Manager, Online Marketing, at http://www.wspromotion.com/ , a leading Search Engine Optimization services firm and Advertising Agency.