One of the most powerful copy techniques you can employ in your marketing is to tell your reader why you are doing something.

• I’m having this sale because we overbought.
• I need to ask your forgiveness because I made a mistake
• I need your address so I can send you a free gift
• We package our products this way because it saves on shipping

Don’t assume that your readers and prospects will understand the benefits of what you have to offer or the logical steps they should take to receive those benefits.

Here’s an example of a form that tells the participant why they are collecting each piece of information.

I don’t mind filling in all of the blank, even the birthday question, on a form like this. It’s funny, but people are much more likely to take a step in the marketing process if you tell them why you want them to. There’s just something disarming about the honest feel of it all.