Introducing the One Sentence Product Description

Have you heard of Dave Bailey before? He's the one sentence product description inventor. It's his ideas we're going to discuss today. After all, if you can get away with less writing for product descriptions, it's a win right?

What is the One Sentence Product Description?

If an image can speak a thousand words, surely more than one sentence is necessary to sell a product? Not according to Dave Bailey, the 'inventor' of the one sentence product description. He advocates that it's the first sentence which sells your product. A potential customer will make up their mind about your product almost instantly upon reaching your website. Sure, there's a bunch of factors which they use to help them decide - but the one we're talking about is the first sentence.

It's about distilling needs and emotions down into one convincing sentence, which is a darn hard thing to do. But it helps if you use this formula:

"If you do X, then Y will happen."

Tell the customer about your product X and how it solves their problem Y. In other words for your product description, you 'lead with the need!'

What's 'Lead with the Need' All About?

The aim of a product description is to sell a product. Unless you have the only type of that product in the entire world, a customer has a choice about where to buy it from. If your product description (plus website, price & reputation) isn't up to the mark, they're going to go buy it somewhere else. But it's the first sentence which is the most important.

It makes sense, when you think about it. Visitors to your website are not going to spend a long time reading all of the information you've included in the product description. They're only going to read what's applicable to them. That's why you've got to 'lead with the need.'

In order to buy your product, your customer has to have a need for it. It doesn't matter how much they need it, just that they do. The truth is, they may not have a need for it when they see it on your website. It's your job to show them how they need it!

Dave says that you need to show them this in the first sentence. It's here that a potential customer will decide:

• if they want to learn more about your product
• if they really need your product
• what benefit they'll get from buying your product

If they're still interested, they'll then read further on through your product description and that's where all the finer details go.

How to Write a One Sentence Product Description

Okay, so now we know that your first sentence has to do all the hard work and sell your product. It's then the job of your product description to get them to click the buy now button. But how exactly do you write a one sentence product description, one which 'leads with the need?'

You do X and Y happens.

Here's some examples:

• a green ceramic mug which has a thicker rim - "Drinking your coffee is more enjoyable when your mug has a decent rim!"
• a purple biro pen - "When using a purple inked pen, your writing will never go unnoticed."
• a bag of chocolate fudge - "Chocolate fudge you'll love, because it's darn delicious!"

Mastering your introductory sentence will be tough, but keep trying! For more help with writing the rest of your product description, get yourself some free advice direct from Spotty at Club Spotty Lizard!