Capturing your reader’s attention isn’t an easy feat.

Even though you know your clients’ and prospects’ pain points, wants, and needs, there’s still a chance they could skip EVERYTHING you’ve written for them, your newsletters, your website copy, your outreach emails, all of it.

You see, it’s not enough to know your audience. You also need to make them care about what you’ve written.

One of the best ways to do this is by making your target audience feel like they’re having a conversation with you. Nothing grabs attention more than when a person feels like they’re being spoken to directly, not marketed at.

So, as a financial advisor writing your own copy, how can you pull this off?

The answer lies in a concept your past English teachers taught you over and over again:

The 3 points of view (POVs).

For a refresher, the POVs discussed in your English classes are as follows:

• 1st person POV (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours, myself, ourselves)

• 2nd person POV (You, your, yours, yourself)

• 3rd person POV (She, her, he, him, they, them, herself, hers, himself, his, themselves, their, theirs)

In writing fiction or nonfiction, a story changes depending on who is telling it… and these points of view help writers make what they’ve written come to life.

Point of view isn’t just an element in creative writing, as it also serves as a foundation for any written output, be it a report, an analysis, or a sales pitch.

Today, we’re going to talk about the 2nd person POV, and how it can help you stand out in the eyes of your prospects.

The 2nd Person POV

In fiction, the 2nd person POV is a seldom-used technique where the reader becomes part of the story as he or she is directly addressed by the writer using the word “you.”

In this point of view, the reader is immersed into the story as a character that’s directly involved in it.

While seldom used in creative circles, the 2nd person POV is actually one of the best tools copywriters—or anyone writing copies—have at their disposal.

Why?

It’s because this POV allows them to interact with their readers directly and help them experience a product or service through words!

In copywriting, this is actually called the “You” rule!

Photo from Unsplash

By using this rule, you’ll be able to capture the attention of your prospects by using your copies to directly interact with them.

… and as a result, readers will see themselves in the services you’re pitching through your copy.

According to conversion copywriter Joanna Wiebe, your readers only care about your copy insofar as they see themselves in you or the service you’re writing about.

So, now that you know the basics of the “You” rule, what are the things you need to remember to effectively integrate it into your copy, analysis, or pitches?

• Once you’ve finished writing your copy, reread it and whenever possible, rewrite every sentence so it begins with the word “you,” “your,” or a variation of those terms.

• When writing about your product or advisory practice, make sure to use the 2nd person POV to distinguish to your reader the benefits or advantages of whatever it is you’re promoting.

• Don’t hesitate to use 3rd person POV words like “he,” “she,” and “they” or other variations of those terms. When placed right in your copy, these can help you emphasize your usage of the “You” rule.

There you have it—all you need to know about the “You” rule!

Hooking prospects is challenging these days, so whenever you can, make use of the “You” rule to ensure you get their attention!

Best regards,

Joel Litman & Rob Spivey
Chief Investment Officer &
Director of Research
at Valens Research

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