In the marketing world they say that "Copy is King". Copy is always the reason for a successful print campaign. Whether you're doing a postcard marketing campaign for new home warranty work or you're laying out your brochure, copy will be at the root of its success.

By using words that arouse curiosity and fit the emotional "wants" is the best way to get the attention of your home inspection prospect.

The copy must keep their interest long enough for you to explain how your home inspection service will help them, then it must cause them to act. Good copy can do this by telling a story with an ending that has them reaching for the phone.

If your copy doesn't clearly convey an understanding of your prospects wants, not needs - you won't be able to move the prospect through the copy to the act of contact. The aim of your copy should be to connect with your readers emotional "wants" and to elicit at least one of the following three responses.

• "Oh, that sounds like me and my situation -- I want to learn more".
• "That's exactly what I'm looking for".
• "Where's the phone number"?

Most home inspection ad copy fails to generate the level empathy, interest and response that it should, wasting money and effort in the process. Bad copy is costly not only in terms of wasted efforts, but also in lost opportunity costs. For instance lets say your marketing ad copy for your home inspection company isn't so great and you've been at it for a year without much success, that's a full year of lost opportunity. You can't get it back, the horse has left the barn, and we all know how important it is to make every appointment we can when starting out. It could just make ALL the difference.

Most home inspectors are not aware of the impact of good copy vs. bad copy on the bottom line and therefore don't spend any real dollars or effort on it. The words and images you use will convey for better or worse, your companies ability to emotionally connect with a prospect. Establishing the emotional fit or connection and the call to action, is what good copy is all about.

Some common mistakes frequently made in home inspection ad copy:

• It's all about the inspection company or its inspector
• No appeal to the self-interests of the prospect -- no emotional connection
• The copy is missing a call to action inducer -- a reason to call now

Use carefully crafted words - words that command attention, capture their interests, and compel them to call for the appointment. Look over your competitors print copy to see how and where they are connecting to the prospect with their copy. Take the good stuff/concepts and incorporate it into your home inspection marketing copy along with a great call to action.

Don't waste your opportunities and marketing budget on poor copy. Become more client attractive by learning how to emulate or write copy that sells, or hire someone to do it for your home inspection company. The improvement in your results will be well worth whatever investment you make towards creating great home inspection copy.