If your copywriting is not selling enough, maybe it's because you have failed to P.A.S.T.O.R. And I'm not talking about preaching…

If you can write effective sales copy, you can literally write your own paycheck.

There really should be no such thing as a “broke copywriter”.

By definition, good copywriters can create money out of thin air. So why does copy so often fail?

There are universal psychological triggers that help you sell more effectively. Certainly, there are universal principles to writing persuasive sales copy. After all, as John E. Kennedy taught us, copywriting is mere “salesmanship in print”

You can hardly “swing a cat” without hitting a copywriter who has a “formula” for writing copy. Most of these formulas are actually quite good. The one I'm going to share with you today, though, is intentionally based on these universal principles.

Most people associate the term “pastor” with the preacher at church. While this is certainly true in most cases, the original meaning of the word “pastor” was actually “to shepherd”. And what does the shepherd do? He or she cares for, feeds, and protects the flock.

Now, before we go any further, I should address the habit that some marketers have of referring to their customers as their “herd”. It seems to paint an unflattering picture. This kind of imagery is not what I am invoking here. The actual role of a shepherd is a loving, caring, and protective one. In fact, Jesus, who called himself the “Good Shepherd”, actually laid down his life for his flock.

I am certainly not suggesting any religious overtones for your copy: what I am suggesting is that you adopt the same loving, caring, and protective role as you write copy for your prospects and customers.

And, as you might've guessed, P.A.S.T.O.R. is also an acronym for pieces of your copy. Here is the explanation:

•“P” is for PROBLEM
•“A” is for AMPLIFY
•“S” is for STORY and SOLUTION
•“T” is for TRANSFORMATION and TESTIMONY
•“O” is for OFFER
•“R” is for RESPONSE

If you apply the mindset of being a shepherd to your readers, and you follow the sequence of the P.A.S.T.O.R formula, my prediction is you will experience more sales, more profits, and more happy customers… more often.

When we pray, something always happens. The key is to look for what's happening.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

I am very excited to be attending Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula Live event in Scottsdale, Arizona next week. The event is sold out. If you are attending, please make sure and contact me so we can connect at while we're there.

I will be speaking in Denver, Colorado, next month at the next JV Alert Live. I am very pleased to be sharing the stage with other great marketers including my friend Joel Comm and Rick Butts, Debbie Bermont, and others. This is a wonderful event at which to meet like-minded people, network, and find joint venture partners. You can register for the event using this link, and I would love to connect with you in Denver. If you do register using my link, please let me know. I am thinking about having a special get together just for people I have invited to the event. I would like to get a sense of how many people that may be.

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Question: How will you apply the PASTOR formula this week? You can leave a comment below.