How many questions do you think a toddler asks daily? A quick search suggests nearly 300. That’s 300 “whys” a day!

Why is the sky blue?

Why do people die?

Why is water wet?

I can just about remember this stage with my own (not so) little one. Tiring, yes. Necessary, yes. They’re curious. And they’re learning there’s a deeper reason behind many things.

You tell them they need a bath. “Why?” Because they’re covered in mud. “Why?” Because they were having fun in the park with their friends.

Asking ‘Why?’ deepens understanding

You see, to write good copy, we need to understand. And the best way to understand better is to ask “why?” a little more.

Let me give you an example:

I might ask a new client why they think their customers choose them.

They might tell me it’s because their service is better than competitors.

“Why?”

“Because we’ll go the extra mile.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“We appreciate the value to them of looking at the bigger picture. So, we’ll first work with them to clarify what service they actually need, focusing their budget in the right area. And after the work is done, we’ll offer a free review every six months to iron out any problems they have.”

Now, doesn’t that last sentence mean so much more than “We offer great service”?

And that’s the point. The more your copywriter can understand, the better the copy they’ll write for you.

Try asking your customers ‘Why?’

When you’re able to, ‘why?’ is also a great question to ask your customers.

My point?

The more you can understand your customers, the better you can help them.

Let’s assume you sell packing equipment. In a conversation with your customer, they mention they don’t like a competitor machine.

“Why?”

“Because it takes longer to clean down between runs.”

“Why is that?”

“Because its design is not flat like yours. So, we have to take it apart to clean properly.”

You now know the value of faster cleaning. It saves time and costs less. It also helps drive productivity. The importance of communicating the speed and ease of cleaning in your copy is clear. And the message will be valued by your audience.

You’re one step ahead of your competitor, simply by asking ‘why?’

Curiosity might kill the cat (never did know where that saying came from), it also builds business. And it enables great copy that gets to the most important points. Not business clichés that are so easy to type, but meaningful and practical value.

It’ll stand you apart.

So, the next time your copywriter asks ‘why?’ many times, understand that they’re doing a great job for you and your copy will be better for it.

First published on www.cantaloupemarketing.co.uk