No matter what you do you have to know how to write. More than that, there will come a time when you have to write something that causes people to take action. Whether you are in sales, marketing, teaching, or ministry, you are a salesperson. You may have to sell an item, a concept, a course, or an idea.

Today I heard a master copy writer speak about how to write things that move people to take action. He narrowed the whole process down to four steps. When you are writing copy that converts, it’s important to do these four things:

1. Here’s who I am. Your reader needs to know who you are. It’s important to make a personal connection. Start by sharing something about yourself with which your targeted reader will identify.
2. Here’s what I have for you. Once you have introduced yourself, show your reader what you have for her. Whether it’s an item, a concept, a course, or an idea, explain it with colorful and creative language.
3. Here’s why it matters to you. If any of these four steps would be the key, this is the one. Your reader won’t buy or take action unless what you are “selling” matters to her. Speak into the heart and mind of your reader as best you can.
4. Here’s what I want you to do next. Create a call to action. Be specific. Don’t be afraid to ask. Refuse to back down.

This structure would work for:

• a sales email
• a sermon (with proper distinction between Law and Gospel)
• a newsletter article
• a lesson plan
• a Facebook post

Here’s what I want you to do next: Try writing something according to this structure. 

How do you get people to take action?

Yesterday I did a happy little experiment on Facebook. I posted a simple sentence: “Tell me about something that made you happy today.” I didn’t know whether anyone would respond. 122 comments later it seems as though I struck a chord. Ask people what makes them happy and they are more than……happy to share it with you.

Here’s what I found in my admittedly unscientific analysis of the results of my little experiment…

Happiness is a powerful and infectious thing.

Once people started posting answers, others couldn’t help but join in. I had people post on my page who had never ever done so before. Others commented that they simply enjoyed scrolling through and reading all of the responses. It was so much fun to bring a little happiness into people’s lives.

Here are the things that brought joy into people’s lives at this little snapshot in time:

1. People. Far and away it is people, and interaction with them, that brings happiness and joy into lives. People posts were by far and away the majority of the posts. Simple things like lunch with a friend, time with a grandchild, and talking to someone special on the phone made the list.
2. Events. It was events that came in second. Baseball games, plays, or going to a museum injected some joy. It reminds me that it is far more important to spend resources on making memories than it is on stuff.
3. Work. Believe it or not, there were quite a few people who posted things that brought them happiness at work. Work is often a good thing. It brings meaningfulness, purpose, and, yes, happiness into our lives.
4. Health. Exercise, recovery, and appreciation for illness-free bodies were appreciated by quite a few.
5. Spiritual Life. We are spiritual creatures. As St. Augustine said: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” When we recognize the joy our God delivers, it also brings happiness (And, no, joy and happiness aren’t the same thing. Ask me about that some time.)
6. Creation and Nature. Sunrises, beaches, and “beautiful views” made the list for some people. It’s a reminder that beauty brings joy. Thank God that He is creative. His creativity can be seen everyday if you just look for it.
7. Affirmation. There were some who simply found happiness in being affirmed for something they had done or accomplished. Why don’t you go ahead and affirm someone today?

Do you notice what’s missing from this list?

Money. There was only one post out of more than 100 that only indirectly talked about money. It seems that happiness in life isn’t derived from money. It is derived more from the people who walk with us on this journey, the events we share, the work we get to do, the health with which we are blessed, a God who gives it all, His beautiful creation, and being affirmed for a job well done.

What’s making you happy today?

Don’t look now, but January is over. Remember how excited you were when the month began? There were all those resolutions, goals, and projects you were going to complete. Now the month is over and very few of them, if any, have been accomplished.

I don’t know if the weather has anything to do with it. But when we lived in Wisconsin, January was the coldest, darkest, longest month of the year. I thought it would never end. But ever since we’ve lived in Florida the month flies by.

It certainly happened to me. There are still things sitting on my desk and lurking in my computer that I wanted to have finished by now (Check this one out! It’s going to be so cool when I finally start using it). The saddest part of it is that there are some organizational things I wanted to accomplish. January is over and I’m still trying to get myself organized.

But here’s what I want to tell you if you’ve fallen behind (and remind myself at the same time):

• It’s OK. Life isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. There’s still time.
• Calendars are arbitrary. Even though we use January 1st as a time of new beginnings, that’s really a human invention. If you didn’t start what you wanted to on that day, do so on February 1st.
• Don’t feel guilty. There were most certainly things you accomplished this past month, even if they weren’t all the things on your list. Sometimes life happens and other things take priority.

But now:

• Consider February a new beginning. There’s no time like the present to start. Do it today.
• Sometimes the first step is all it takes. Write down that goal. Organize that desk. Complete a small task. Write the first page. Just watch how that makes you consistently move forward.
• Remember that there are still eleven whole months in this year. Even though calendars are arbitrary, they can be helpful when keeping track of things. You can accomplish a great deal in 11/12’s of a year. So get going.

January is over. But the year is still young. Stop beating yourself up and get started. There are wonderful accomplishments in front of you.

What are you going to accomplish this year?

This weekend I will be reminding people that they are creative. I am providing the keynote address for a meeting of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund Congregational Advocates for the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in Florida and Georgia. That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? It’s a group of people who actively engage their congregations to do some investing that will build church buildings and further the spread of the Gospel.

These are dedicated people. They serve their church and community. This group of people is investing an entire weekend toward learning better how to invest in others. In fact, the theme of the weekend is: Creatively Investing in the Future.

So here’s a little sneak peak at what I’m going to tell them. I will remind them that they (like you!) were created to be creative. They are artists in the sense that Seth Godin has defined it: “Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.” And I would add that art changes the one creating it, as well.

So I am encouraging them to ask themselves three questions:

1. Am I creative? The answer I’m going for is: “Yes! I’m creative” The Creator of the universe has created human beings with creativity in their DNA. He spoke all other creatures into existence. But when it came to human beings He molded us out of the clay. Go look at Genesis 2. You are precious. You are unique. You are distinct. You have a mix of gifts and abilities no one else on this earth has.
2. Am I making the right investments? Some of the best investments we make are the investments we make in people. It’s part of who we are as human beings to interact with and bring value to other people. Loving people and helping people is an investment we make to improve our families, communities, and the world. How can you more intentionally do that?
3. Am I looking toward the future? We’re always looking forward. Moving ahead. Taking steps into the great unknown. What that means is sometimes we have to make adjustments as we go. One of the things that the best entrepreneurs do is what they call “pivot.” When something just doesn’t seem to be working, they pivot in another direction. As you look to the future, where can you pivot to be more effective in your vocation or in your family? Don’t ever consider an “end” a “dead end.” There are always different ways of doing things. There are always other opportunities.

How are you creatively investing in the future?