Copy Riddles Information

A secret (and slightly sneaky) copywriting trick for producing magic mechanisms

On this page, I’d like to show you a cool copywriting trick you’ve probably never seen before. And then I’d like to tell you how you can dig up dozens more such tricks, whenever you choose.

Let me set it up with a little riddle:

How can three men, one of whom has been mostly dead all day long, storm a castle gate guarded by 60 soldiers?

Inconceivable, right? Even if one of the three men happens to be a giant, and another a master swordsman… the enemies are too many. Success is inconceivable.

But what if you also throw in a wheelbarrow among your assets? And what if you even have a magical, fire-protective, “holocaust cloak”?

Suddenly, the inconceivable becomes easy. Because here’s what you do:

Just load one of the three men — preferably, the giant — into the wheelbarrow. Wrap the holocaust cloak around him. Then start rolling the wheelbarrow towards the gate… and just as fear and doubt start to creep into the hearts of the castle defenders… set the holocaust cloak on fire:

Presto. The soldiers scatter in a panic, and you have successfully stormed the castle.

Perhaps you recognize this as a scene from the 1987 movie The Princess Bride. I’m sharing it because it’s a great illustration of a critically important but often botched copywriting technique:

The mechanism.

The mechanism is the “how” that makes your solution work.

Without an intriguing, believable mechanism, your prospect crosses his arms, shakes his head at the claims you’re making, and says, “Inconceivable.”

But with the right mechanism, you can smile confidently at your prospect and say, “No, no. It’s really quite easy. All you need is a wheelbarrow and this magic cloak… and I’ll show you how to get both, for free!”

That’s when your prospect’s eyes get wide… he uncrosses his arms and leans in… and he nods to signal that you should go on with your message. That’s the power of a good mechanism.

About Author

My name is John Bejakovic. I’m a copywriter. I’ve been at it for the past 6 years.

My clients have included many 7-figure and several 8-figure businesses — among them supplement companies, real estate investment gurus, and direct response ecommerce brands.

I also write an email newsletter, which has been called the “most underrrated email list in copywriting.” Many of the most successful direct marketers and copywriters working right now (including some of the A-listers mentioned above) are signed up to get my emails every day.

But who I am doesn’t matter too much. All you might care to know about me is that I make a good living writing copy… that I work when I want (usually mornings) and where I want (all around the world)… and that last year, I myself did just what I am telling you to do.

I tracked down dozens of bullet-packed, million-dollar sales letters. Then, I started digging around on eBay, used book sites, and online repositories to find the books they were selling. And finally, I went bullet by bullet, comparing what the sales letters said to what was in the books.

The result was the best copywriting education I could have ever wished for. I discovered copywriting secrets I hadn’t discovered anywhere else, in spite of the tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours I had spent previously on sharpening my copy chops.

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