Tom Scourfield
Posts
How To Use Words To Get People To Take Action

How To Use Words To Get People To Take Action

Tom Scourfield
November 17, 2024

Ever notice how the people trying hardest to sound intelligent are usually the ones you stop reading mid-sentence?

You know what I mean:

Those LinkedIn posts that read like a PhD thesis
Those websites that make you reach for a dictionary
That copy that screams "I'm very smart!" (but gets zero engagement)

The harder you try to sound clever, the faster people scroll past.

The best-performing copy often looks... too simple.

Don't believe me?

I just spent 30 minutes studying some of the highest-converting copy I've seen this year, and what I found might make your inner English teacher cry...

The Peter Rahal My First Million podcast was my favorite this year.

And whoever wrote the copy for his latest company David Protein is a genius.

What looks like "clean minimalism" is actually Gary Halbert meets Apple-level sophistication.

Here’s a breakdown of how to use words to get people to do what you want them to:

1. The Rhythm Game

Short sentence. Short sentence. Long explanation that draws you in and creates a natural rhythm your brain can't help but follow.
Example: "Humans aren't perfect. But David is. Where taste and nutrition are uncompromising."
Halbert's Note: Varying sentence length keeps readers hooked

2. AIDA in Disguise

Attention: "Humans aren't perfect, but David is"
Interest: "28g protein, 0g sugar"
Desire: "The optimal protein for your optimal form"
Action: Clear buy button Classic framework, modern execution

3. The 'You' Focus

Notice how they flip between:

"Your protein bar, idealized"
"We design tools"
"Your optimal form" Strategic shifts between you/we create intimacy

4. Objection Crushing

They kill the big 3 protein bar objections:

Taste ("uncompromising")
Nutrition (stats upfront)
Authenticity ("evidence-based")

5. The Power of Threes

Look at their structure:

Statement
Promise
Proof our brains love threes - it's hardwired

6. Pattern Interrupts

Most lines: 3-7 words
Suddenly: "We tested every other bar. Then we designed the ideal bar with a maniacal focus..."

7. Future Pacing

"Some of our products are edible. Some in the future will not be."

Classic Dan Kennedy move - plant the seed of future involvement.

This isn't just "minimal copy." It's actually using every classic sales technique - just stripped down to its purest form.

The lesson? Great copy isn't about adding complex words. It's about removing everything that isn't necessary.

David Protein

If you’re strapped for time and need some help from a ghostwriter, then let’s talk 👻