Kristina Mills

Have you ever noticed that some people are great at remembering people’s names and phone numbers, while others seem to be hopeless at it?

That’s because everyone learns things in a different way. In fact, when it comes to learning new things, everyone perceives information in different ways.

Everyone processes information in different ways.

Everyone applies information in different ways.

And everyone integrates information in different ways.

When you understand the secrets of how the human brain works … when you communicate in a style that “wakes up” people’s brains, they take more notice … they remember what they read … they store it in their long-term memory.

AND, here’s what’s even more significant for you as a copywriter …

… the prospect who reads your copy understands and remembers the message more easily too!

After all, it stands to reason that if people process and apply information in one of four ways your copywriting message will have much more impact if it appeals to each of these four types of people.

Make sense?

Can you see the importance of this?

These learning secrets are a product of the 4Mat System which is revolutionizing the education profession.

The 4Mat System groups people into four different learning styles. It then reveals the secrets of communicating and teaching to each of these groups in a way that actively engages their minds.

In any kind of learning situation, some people want to know the “What?” … “What is it?” and “What does it do?”

Other people like to know the “Why?” … “Why is it important that I learn this?” or “What will it do for me?”

Others like to know “How does it work?” or “How can I apply this technique in the real world?”

Then there’s the final group of people … the “What if’s?”.

These people are possibility thinkers.

They wonder …“What if I changed this and did it this way -  what would happen then?”

As you can see, each of these people learns in a different way. No particular learning style is better than any other. Each has its place, and each plays a very important role in society.

Are you starting to get a sense of how you could use this in your copy?

We’ll work through an exercise a little later on but for now let’s dig a little deeper into the 4 types and look at how they apply in communicating with words.

It all began in the 1980’s when Social Studies teacher, Bernice McCarthy, noticed that some of her students grasped information much more quickly than others.

She also found that other students who were equally as bright didn’t thrive in a traditional learning environment.

That prompted her to ask the question, "Why do some students succeed in school and others fail?"

Bernice then went on to study how the mind works and researched the works of Carl Jung, Isabel Myers and David Kiersey. With that, the 4Mat System was born. Today, it is revolutionizing the way children and adults learn. It’s also revolutionizing the seminar industry.

Not only that, the copywriters who apply this information to their writing get great results too.

Here’s how the 4Mat System works and here’s how it applies to your copywriting studies …

Let’s look at each type of learner in more detail so you can see which one you are.

Type One – “Why”

“Why” people take time to reflect and ponder what they have learned. They are big on meaning and clarity. They aren’t interested in learning anything unless they know …

… “what’s in it for them”. Why is this information relevant?

“Why’s” can often be heard saying “get to the point”. If you don’t tell them what the point is early in a conversation, you lose them.

They also need to be able to picture how this information would benefit their lives. To help “Why” learners fast track their education we tell them why a specific technique is important. We mention the benefits of each technique and how it will improve their copywriting.

When “Why” consumers read copy they are more taken in by the “how to” statements. They love hearing the benefits of the product or service.
“Why” consumers ask themselves …

“Why is it important that I read this letter or ad?”

“What will the product do for me?”

Because “Why” consumers like to picture what the benefits are, they are likely to respond well to copy that says …

“Picture this …”

Type Two – “What”

“Whats”, on the other hand, like to think through experiences.

They like specifics and they like to know the accuracy of everything they learn.

They look for structure. They want facts, not subjective judgments. Give them proof.

If you are a “What” person chances are you will appreciate the studies, the statistics and the proof that we feature throughout this course. We will give you the cold, hard facts.

“What” consumers love to read copy that is filled with statistics and scientific proof that the product works.

Type 3 – “How”
 
“Hows” are the “adventurers”. They love rolling up their sleeves and jumping into the thick of things.

They learn by doing … by putting what they learn into action and seeing how it works. They are great problem-solvers and great at analysis.

To keep “How” students interested we include a bunch of exercises to help them see how it works.

“How” consumers love to participate in surveys. They respond to copy that gets them involved and asks them to do something, such as …
“How to tell if you are making these common investment mistakes
Take this 30 second quiz to find out.”

Type 4 – “What If”

 “What ifs” are open to taking in information using any of the above formats but what fascinates them most are possibilities.

These are the dreamers (and I am happy to say that because I am one of them).

They learn through self-discovery … through seeing what would happen if they tweaked this here or tweaked that there.

They are always looking for a better way or a new application.

They are very flexible and thrive on challenges. They are often highly creative, intuitive and love putting new spins on things.

We open “What if” learners to a world of possibility, to show them what would happen in various situations. … what happens when the learner applies a technique in various ways.

Can you sense the possibilities here?

“What if” consumers respond to all of the above techniques. What they also respond to is copy that encourages them to think about other possibilities or applications for the product.

They respond to the words …

“Imagine the possibilities.”

“Imagine this …”

Is it starting to come together for you?

This is an excerpt from Kristina’s Copy Writing Fast Track Course which is perfect for aspiring copywriters or small-to-medium business professionals who want to write great sales copy for their own businesses. More details at http://www.collegeofcopywriting.com