Persuasive Words Expert Copywriters Use In Sales Copy (Words that Sell)

Persuasive: intend or have the power to induce action or belief.

Copywriting is the art and science of changing the meaning, mood, and motivation to take action with some powerful persuasive words. 

There are many intoxicatingly persuasive words that copywriters use to close more sales with ease. These words are one of the most powerful persuasion secrets in the English language that every copywriter uses to control readers' minds. 

I am not talking about power words here.

Power words strengthen your copy to pique interest. These words are used to hook people to click. 

Persuasive words convince people to buy. These words are used to sell. 

How often do you read a marketing copy that convinces you to buy or download something? 

As a copywriter, I often read adverts, marketing copies, eBooks, and everything that helps me brush up my copywriting skills. 

And most of the time, I download ebooks, templates, a free trial, open emails, and take action from the newsletters. 

Why? Because those copies were good enough to inspire me to take action.

That's how marketing psychology works. 

And guess what?

I steal those persuasion secrets and use them in my writing to effectively communicate with my readers. 

Every copywriter has their unique way of influencing with integrity. All you need is to learn and steal the tactic and use the theft to your benefit. 

In this article, I will discuss some powerful persuasive words that sell and help you close the deals with perfection. 

So, steal these words and use them to your benefit. 

1. You

The very first word is You. It uncovers how selfish we are.

Almost all the writers use this word in their write-ups because it's so powerful and creates a one-on-one connection. 

Why is 'you' so powerful? 

Let me give you an example.

Understand human beings; we tune in to the radio frequency called WIIFM (What's in it for me). 

We are sometimes very selfish, unfortunately. 

We always think, What's in it for me? Why should I even spend my time on this? Why does it even matter? 

So, when you use the word 'You,' it automatically communicates:

'Hey, this is something for you to pay attention to.'

Imagine you are walking down the street or jogging in the park and hear someone yell, 'Hey You!' and you suddenly stop and ask, 'Oh, is that me?'

That's the power of 'YOU.' It stops readers for a while from reading your message. 

Many copywriters or bloggers use this word in creating sales pitches, adverts, blogs, or any type of content.

Shopify raised its revenue by 184.1 million in just 365 days, making them the perfect model of good copywriting. It's a great resource for copywriters to steal. 

2. Free

The word 'FREE' delights everyone on the planet. 

Yes, that's correct; we all love to get free stuff. 

When you walk into a supermarket or a store, and you see it written somewhere, 

'Hey, try some, try it, take a bite, try this. That's Free.'

And you are like, 'Oh, it's free, I must try it.'

Now, you got to be very careful while using the word 'free' because you might devalue the product/service/offer if you overdo it. 

Use it wisely. 

Maybe it's a free sample, a free trial, free templates, or free ebooks.

As human beings, we are always curious to try new things. But also, we don't like risk.

You have to eliminate the risk for the prospects and put it on your own shoulders. 

How? 

One of the most powerful ways to do this is:

'Hey, you know what? This is free. Try it out, see if you like it. 

It's risk-free. '

If you do this, people will respond to this like, 

'Oh, this is pretty good, I guess I'll buy it, if I like the free sample or trial.'

Now consider the second scenario, when you directly sell your product without any free trial or sample. 

'Hey, no, there's no free, I want you to buy this right now.'

People will like, 'Oh, that's something new that I've never tried before. I'm not going to take that risk.'

That's how you can play with human psychology.

3. New

It's a novel word that sells. People always want to know what is new. When you talk to your buddy, you always ask what's new, what's happening. Right?

We want to know the news. Why do we tune in to the news every damn day? We open social accounts to see what's happening? What's new today?

We like what's new because new means it's exciting, it's different. 

It's not mundane; it's not the typical norm.

We always want to know. We're nosy as hell.

So, in your marketing copy, introduce a new feature, a new benefit, a new update. 

In your blog, share new insights on the industry, new tips on writing, coding, new movies, new songs, new videos on YouTube, etc. 

4. Now

Nothing kills sales more than delay. 

Procrastination equals poverty.

You do not want your prospects to procrastinate. So, instil a sense of urgency in your copy because urgency sells.

How do you create urgency? How do you make sure that they take action?

Use the word NOW in your CTAs.

Not tomorrow, not the next day, not to get back to you. 

Even though if you are trying to test something on your website, write, 'Just click here,' or 'Click here now,' 

It will bump conversion.

You can use 'now' in your sales copy, website, email, or social media posts.

When you use your CTAs like:

• Take action now
• Buy now
• Download sample now
• Take advantage of this offer now
• Start free trial Now

The reader/customer will be like, 'Okay, wow, I need to take some action.'

And then you get clicks, clicks, clicks. 

5. Example

'If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But I do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see.' - Henry David Thoreau

Explaining something with examples builds trust and allows the readers to learn quickly. If you are explaining something or sharing features of your products, show them the successful examples of the customers who benefit from your product. Using the word example in your sentences adds weight to your claims. 

6. Secret

That's right, come a little closer. Let me share a secret with you. I can't tell you; it's a secret.

People want to know what the secrets are, what's going on.

It's like the fear of missing out, FOMO, right?

People want to know secrets, and it's a very, very powerful word.

It's within our DNA. We want to know the things other people don't know.

We want access to knowledge that other people don't have access to.

7. Because

Why this word?

'Because it will help you quietly and senselessly persuades. 

Did you agree with my answer that I use the word 'because'? You bet.

See how that word does wonders. 

We all want to know the reasons: the outcomes, the benefits of undertaking some action.

A study was conducted at Harvard University to test different wording. In the study, the researcher asked the students standing in a line for a copy machine if she could cut the line. 

She tried three variations in her question.

'Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine?'

'Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I have to make copies?'

'Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I'm in a rush?'

After the experiment, she found that 60% of people cut the line with question 1. While question 3 elicited a 94% compliance rate.

The takeaway? 

It's the reason that matters.

She gave a lame reason in the second question that I have to make copies. Everybody in the line was there to make copies.

But when she said, 'I'm in a rush,' people were convinced with her reason. 

So, always use the word 'because' with a solid and convincing reason in your copy that shows why you are saying something works.

8. Imagine

'Imagine you are buying a new car on a low budget? Yes, dreams do come true. Buy a car on rent and experience the joy of owning a vehicle with ABC renting.'

It can be a deal closing statement of a car rental company that sells cars on a monthly rent. See how creatively the company makes a person daydream who always wanted to buy his own car but can't make it because of the hefty price tag.

This is just one example, you might have heard or read many stories that made your toes curl, and you feel the same pain as the victim.

You must be thinking it's empathy. But these feelings are 'mirror neurons' that fire when a person observes the same action performed by another. 

Authors and copywriters play with mirror neurons by using the Word Imagine. 

They make people feel things and act.

If you are a life coach or consultant and want to offer your services, you must know your customer's psychology. Trigger their feelings of guilt and their struggles by painting a picture in their minds of how their life will transform with your services.

Use the Word Imagine to trigger the mirror neurons by picturing their lives with the solutions you sell, such as:

Imagine leaving work at work

Imagine spending time with your children, being able to eat a proper diet, meeting deadlines, setting goals, and achieving them.

Use the word 'imagine' finely in your marketing copies. Be simple and effective.

9. Limited

It's one of the powerful, persuasive words that indicate prestige. If you want to make a product or service stand out, use the word Limited in your sales copies.

Even if your product is expensive, like Tesla Model S, the chart-topping luxury sedan in North America. 

People still buy it because of prestige.

The word Limited will help you communicate prestige in your copies. 

For example:

Make the inventory or accessibility of your high-priced products limited. 

Nike only releases limited editions of its sneakers priced for hundreds of dollars. And you know what? All the sneakers sell out almost instantly because they are Nike sneakers- prestige and exclusive. People love to buy prestige products.

10. Instantly

We, humans, are always in a hurry. If we land on a website and it takes longer than a few seconds to load, we will switch to another one. 

That's because we are used to instant gratification.

Above 80% of people abandon a video if it takes more than 30 seconds to load. 

So, when you use the word 'instantly,' it will boost conversions. 

Here, one thing you must keep in mind while using this powerful persuasive word is not to lie. If you use the word instantly to sell a physical product, it would be a lie because it takes time to ship. 

You can use the word for your digital products, freebies, opt-ins, etc., to increase conversions.

11. Easy

Life is complicated, and when we see something that says 'Easy,' we're drawn to it. When customers want to buy a piece of software or a tool, easy-to-use counts among the top three purchasing factors. So, if you are writing an ad copy for a SAAS company or selling your own tool, make sure that the features do not sacrifice simplicity. Don't stretch the complexity muscle; let's make it EASY.

12. Best

Which sounds better? 'How to Change a Flat Tire' or 'The Best Way to Change a Flat Tire.'

It's a no-brainer, really. Think about how many times you've Googled something, only to get frustrated during the search, so you go back and add the word 'best' in front of your search. Maybe it's just me, but I have a feeling I'm not the only one.

It's as if 'best' is a sacred word that's only awarded to the truly great so that you can count on anything labeled as the best. We all know that's not true, but to call something the best implies that there was a comparison at some point, and this one came out on top.

But please, don't be deceptive with this. If you're not truly the best, or you can't get people to call you the best without coercion, keep working actually to be the best at what you do. Don't just slap that label on yourself without validation.

Other Persuasive Copywriting Words To Use In Sales Copy

Neurologically, we have an instinctual reaction to words and language. The old brain is the part that controls decisions, the words you use to market to the old brain will often be the most direct, simple, arresting, visual words you have.

Here's the list of  'old brain' words.

13. Discover

14. Increase

15. Improve

16. Exclusive

17. Guaranteed

18. Save

19. Proven

20. Results

21. Compare

22. Introducing

23. Amazing

24. Sensational

25. Remarkable

26. Revolutionary

27. Miracle

28. Magic

29. Offer

30. Quick

31. Wanted

32. Challenge

33. Hurry

34. Sale 

35. Authentic

36. Backed

37. Best-selling

38. Certified

39. Endorsed

40. Secure

41. Tested

42. Take

43. Help

44. Promote

45. Discover

46. Win

47. Popular

48. Please

49. Pledge

50. Promise

51. Thank You

52. Unconditional

53. Risk-free

54. Soon

55. Simple

56. No-fuss

57. Bargain

58. Painless

59. Protected

60. Money-back

61. Authentic

62. Premium

63. Deal

64. No-obligation

65. Limited

66. Unparalleled

67. Exceptional

68. Approved

69. Third-party-tested

70. Backed by science

71. Pure

72. Unleash

73. Transform

74. Boost

75. Hurry

76. Today

77. Tomorrow

78. Immediately

79. Surprising

80. Unbelievable

81. Startling

82. Expiring

83. Grab

84. Moneyback

85. Profit

86. Bonus

87. Extra

Final Note

Persuasive words increase the pulling power and believability of ad copy. Use more powerful persuasive verbs instead of adjectives in your sales copy.

Keep this 'CHEAT-SHEET' close by whenever you begin to draft your next ad, sales letter, Website, or email campaign.

Do you have some more words in your dictionary that you often use to persuade your readers? Share them in the comments.

And don't forget to share this list with your copywriting mates.