A while back a friend of mine asked me to critique is sales letter for a diet book he wrote.

The book was good and his copy looked great.

And yet, his sales were dismal.

"I just can't seem to figure why this isn't pulling," he said. "The book gets rave reviews from customers, I spent months on the sales letter, and I'm directing quality traffic to my site. Just not sure what the problem is."

So I read his ad and looked at his book -- and he was right, they were both excellent.

Except for one thing:

His claims seemed like utter nonsense.

He was basically going against the tide of what everyone else is saying in his market -- even the other "alternative" health and weight loss authors.

And that was his problem.

You can't make absurd and outrageous claims (even if 100% true) that go against the mainstream (in any market)... unless you can back those claims up with strong authority.

For example:

Imagine some stranger coming up to you on the street and saying, "Hey, exercising is actually really bad for you, stop doing it!"

Would you believe him?

Probably not.

But... what if that same guy came up to you and said, "I'm a certified physician and ex-fitness trainer. I've done over 200 clinical studies on the effects of exercise. My findings conclude that exercising is actually really bad for you. I have since stopped being a fitness trainer and you should stop exercising -- now!"

Then what would you think?

Most people would say, "Gee, this guy is a doctor and ex-fitness trainer who's done a lot of research. I better at least hear what he as to say!"

And that's what it boils down to in the end.

There's nothing wrong with making crazy claims (as long as they are true).

But make sure they are being backed up by strong authority.

Doing so can make a night and day difference in your results.

About the Author

Ben Settle is a direct response copywriter and author of "The Copywriter's Cheat Sheet" -- which contains over 300 pages of advanced copywriting secrets and rare swipe file ads not easily found anywhere else. You can get a free copy of his book and read his latest copywriting ideas and tactics at http://bensettle.com