Words That Sell [Paperback]

Richard Bayan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1987

"A thesaurus that works as hard as you do . . . you'll wonder how you ever managed without it." -- Advertising Age Listing more than 2,500 high-powered words, phrases, and slogans, Words That Sell is the ultimate reference for anyone who needs instant access to the key words that make the difference in selling. Arranged by category for handy reference, it covers everything from "snappy transitions" to "knocking the competition," from "grabbers" to "clinchers." There are 62 ways to say "exciting" alone; 57 variations on "reliable"! Whether you are selling ideas or widgets, Words That Sell guarantees the expert sales professional an expanded, rejuvenated repertoire and the novice a feeling of confidence. Features:

• Cross-referencing of word categories to stimulate creative thinking
• Advice on targeting words to your specific market
• Tips on word usage
• A thorough index
• A concise copywriting primer
• A special section on selling yourself

The first real improvement to the thesaurus since Roget, Words That Sell is an indispensable guide to helping you find great words fast.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (April 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809247992
• ISBN-13: 978-0809247998
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #248,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

You can contact me directly via my professional website, richardbayan.com.

I was born in New Brunswick, NJ, and raised there during the idyllic 1950s and '60s. After graduating from Rutgers with a degree in history, I picked up a master's in journalism from the University of Illinois. I worked briefly for a couple of trade magazines and Time-Life Books, then found my professional calling as an advertising copywriter -- first at Barron's and later at Day-Timers, where I served as copy chief from 1985 through 1999.

While at Barron's I wrote my first book, Words That Sell, a copywriter's thesaurus that quickly became a standard marketing reference. The Cynic's Dictionary followed ten years later. In 2003 I was asked to write a sequel to Words That Sell, and the result was (surprise!) More Words That Sell -- actually a very different book with a more targeted approach to selling. In 2006 I completed a major revision and expansion of the original Words That Sell.

I quit my day-job in 1999 and have been busy since then establishing myself as a freelance writer-consultant. My clients have ranged from Louis Borders (co-founder of Borders Books) to a small art cinema in Allentown, PA. I've also launched a political blog called The New Moderate (http://newmoderate.com) to help fill the gap between the battling "red" and "blue" camps that dominate the political and cultural debate in the U.S.

I live in a quaint, tree-shaded, 115-year-old former livery stable in Philadelphia with my young son and a geriatric cat. I'm always available for freelance projects or contract work. Wish me luck (and buy my books!).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Copy Writing Thought Stimulator, October 3, 2000

By 

Dan Poynter "Author-Publisher-Speaker" (Santa Barbara, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Words That Sell (Paperback)

This is one of my favorite references. Whenever I have to draft copy, I page through it for ideas. To sell your product (in my case books), you have to describe it in (glowing) terms that relate to the needs of the potential buyer.

Bayan describes Grabbers (heads, salutations, invitations, openings, transitions), Descriptions and Benefits, Clinchers (persuasion and decision), Terms & Offers (discounts, freebies, trials, guarantees), and Special Strategies (company image, justifying a high price, knocking the competition, using demographics, flattering the reader, and appealing for contributions). Each section has pages of suggested phrasing. The appendix contains puffspeak-and its alternatives, wordy expressions, commonly confused words and more. This is not a book you read; it is a quick reference.

Richard Bayan is a full-time copywriter who shares his collection of WORDS THAT SELL in these pages.

As the author of 113 books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles, I highly recommend this volume to book publishers. [e-mail].

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasury Of Gripping Words That Grab Attention!, November 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Words That Sell (Paperback)

     The Internet has presented opportunities for many people to market their products, services, and other information. Because many desire to generate an income or provide essential services online, it is imperative that Web developers, online business owners, and others present themselves in the best possible light.      Richard Bayan has produced Words That Sell to provide us with a treasury of gripping words we need to effectively promote ourselves in whatever marketing circumstances we find ourselves in. This book lists over 2,500 high-powered words, phrases, and slogans that will grab the attention of our audiences. After a brief primer on writing in which the author lays down basic writing principles, readers are free to comb through the book to find the words they need to make a big difference in the way they communicate with others.      The range of categories includes topics relating to message crafting and the fulfillment of our basic felt needs, expectations, and sensory qualities. Categories include headers, slogans, salutations, appeals, challenges, clinchers, grabbers, invitations, persuasion, questions, services, statements, transitions, convenience, discounts, improvements, money-making, money-saving, peace of mind, pleasure, reliability, satisfaction, excitement, experience, and more. There are words in this book for every need!      Although this book was written a number of years ago (1984), it is still available and is an essential tool for meeting a variety of marketing needs. It is extremely easy to put to use and will result in a dynamic improvement in the way we present ourselves to others. You have my new selection of words on it!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "You'll wonder how you ever got along without it"., November 7, 2003

By 

Harinath Thummalapalli (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Words That Sell (Paperback)

When I was looking for a title for this review, the word that came to mind was 'Indispensable' but I felt it was too cliche to use for this purpose. So I opened up the index of this book, looked up 'indispensable', went to page 38 and looked down the list of expressions till I found the title I felt comfortable with!

That's how this book is meant to be used. If you are writing copy for any type of advertising or promotional purposes, you will find this 'Thesaurus' style book very handy. This isn't strictly a thesaurus since the words in each section aren't necessarily synonyms but more like related words. If you are new to the world of copy writing, 'copy' generally refers to any type of writing associated with sales material. For example, when you read an advertisement for a soft drink, the art of writing the ad is called 'copy writing'.

You can find other uses for the content in this book as I did above with the title for this review. But in general, most people use this book to come up with writing that is compelling enough for the reader to perform the intended action whatever that action happens to be.

The book is split into 6 sections - Grabbers, Descriptions and Benefits, Clinchers, Terms & Offers, Special Strategies, and an Appendix containing miscellaneous sections. There is a 2 page copywriting primer included that has 8 tips to learn before you start writing copy. The Appendix has several miscellaneous topics like 'Categories of Copy', 'Puffspeak - And Its Alternative', 'Wordy Expressions', 'Commonly Misspelled Words', 'Commonly Confused Words', 'Selling Yourself', 'Sample Order Forms', and 'Further Reading'.

The book is filled with pages and pages of words and in some cases expressions that are categorized into different headings under each chapter. The largest chapter is Part 2: Descriptions and Benefits, taking up more than half the book. You can go through the table of contents and find the section with the relevant words. You could also go through the index and find a word that seems to fit approximately and then go to that page to read through the related words and expressions till you find the perfect fit.

Recently, a follow on book by the same author 'More Words That Sell' has been released. The fundamental difference between the two books is that this book is intended to be used for general purpose copy writing like your basic services and the new book is intended to be used for more specific and detailed copy writing. That's the best way I can describe the differences and this is also corroborated by the author at the beginning of the second book.

Overall, I believe this is a valuable resource to have if you are even remotely involved in coming up with 'sales copy' for your company. The low price of the book is well worth the value you get by using this book. Before buying this and other books on copy writing, I used to do a decent job in coming up with the sales copy for my company's services. After reading this book and others like it, I have decided to completely revise the sales copy of my services! I do believe that good copy writing takes practice and these kinds of books are helpful guides in that process. I wish you the best of luck!