I just picked up Guy Kawasaki’s newest book, Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition and the front cover had a compelling paragraph I just had to share.

The paragraph is why this mega-entrepreneur wrote this particular book — and it’s also why he has such a following.

Read on for a beautiful example of original, attention-getting copy in a unique voice that coaxes, entices and begs the reader to want to know more. It’s one for my swipe file, that’s for sure:

I wanted to provide hardcore information to hardcore people who want to kick ass, and I wanted it in something you can hold in your hand — a book. Why? Because a book boosts up faster than a blog and is not dependent on Internet connectivity, battery life, or the ineptness of HTML printing.

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I was reading something this morning in preparation for a presentation I’m doing next week and I came across the word “scrounge.”

According to Merriam-Webster, scrounge is “to get as needed by or as if by foraging, scavenging, or borrowing; to search about and turn up something needed from whatever source is available.”

Can you picture it? “Scrounge” is a much more visual word than, say, “look” or even “dig.”

So I’m starting a list of Great Copy Words and scrounge is at the top of that list. (I’m so using it in next week’s presentation, btw.) The next time I’m looking for a not-so-business-as-usual word, I’ll consult my Great Copy Words list.

Start your own and then post some of your favorite descriptives here.

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My husband rarely opens the mail. This is not a complaint; it’s just a fact.

But over the weekend we received a direct mail piece that enticed him enough to not just want to open it, but actually act on it.

The piece was an invitation (of all things) to an designer gala at a luxury jeweler in central Ohio where — mind you — my husband once bought a piece of jewelry some 20+ years ago.

My husband simply does not buy jewelry. Again, not a complaint, just fact.

So for him to open up the invitation was stunning to me. The copy on the outside wasn’t particularly appealing –  it simply says “Designers’ Gala.”

What, then, I inquired, made him grab it and open it?

“I dunno. It just looked very high-end,” he said.

Mmm. Interesting.

Here’s a scan of the front and back side (imagine it folded in half and addressed in the white space).

According to this oldie-but-goodie feature story from DM News, this type of high-end direct mail piece timed around the Thanksgiving season for this particular industry is well worth the $4-5 per-piece investment (and maybe even more $).

My take?

While my husband did, indeed, open the direct mail piece because of its high-end feel; and while he did, indeed, consider going to the event, at least momentarily …

… the piece could have been made even stronger with the addition of benefit-driven copy on the outside flap and relegating the “Designers’ Gala” to a watermark or graphic element.

Personally, I’m not a fan. Depending on the recipient, such luxe packaging with an invitation and a separate insert with a gift-card-looking thingy could be considered very UN-green, indeed.

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I just saw a compelling commercial for Build-A-Bear Workshop. It wasn’t a fancy, bells-and-whistle commercial. There wasn’t amazing production value. On the contrary. It even featured what most would consider a potential yawner: the company’s founder standing and talking.

It was the copy in the 30-second message that got me.

Here’s what I heard — and remembered:

• Family fun
• Unforgettable experience
• Simple things in life
• Everyone should hug a teddy bear
• Holiday season
• Priced at just $10

And that’s the formula for writing to catch your customer’s attention, particularly in a slower economy.

1. Identify your customer’s relevant and urgent challenge. In this case, it’s how to buy holiday gifts for the kids on a tight budget. But the challenge could be anything from how to increase your subscriber list to how to woo repeat customers.

2. Create an emotional connection to the problem. Choose words that resonate with your audience like “family fun,” “unforgettable” and “simple things in life.” To find these words, comb through your customer feedback and see what bloggers and online communities are saying about your brand.

3. Solve the problem and communicate the solution in unmistakable language. “Priced at just $10” is the zinger that will drive them in droves online and in store. Be sure to convey just your best offer; save the rest for when they call, visit or go online. That’s where you can give them other options or upsell.

Remember, desperation and scare tactics are total turn offs, so make sure your copy is confident, positive and empowering.

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