by Copywriters:
Go Watch A Movie…
Specifically, go watch a movie that’ll help you with your sales writing…
One that’s generally recognized as having one of THE great screenplays…
I’m talking about The Godfather.
Written by director Francis Ford Coppola and the original book’s author Mario Puzo, it’s constantly held up as an ass-kicking ‘How-To’ example of the screenwriter’s art.
(Along with Bob Towne’s Chinatown and Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot).
These are all classic movies, sure – and rightly appreciated for their scripts.
But it’s not just about whip-smart dialogue…
Great Scripts Aren’t Simply About What’s Said…
What The Godfather screenplay does brilliantly – and why copywriters should give it a viewing every year or so – is move its story along constantly…
Explain without getting caught ‘explaining’ (no need for clunky ‘Basil Exposition’ here)…
Present its characters clearly and memorably… showing them growing, developing.
As award-winning screenwriter and playwright Jacob Krueger says in his screenwriter’s course blurb, Coppola juggles:
“The stories of half a dozen members of an entire crime family… the fall of a father and rise of a son… four brothers… two hitmen… a sister’s failed marriage… the historical roots of the drug trade… two love stories… a family drama… an all-out turf war… cops, politics, subterfuge… the rise of Frank Sinatra and more plot twists than you can shake a tommy gun at… without ever once confusing his audience or losing sight of his main character’s journey.”
See how this ties in with copywriting?
Simply put, it’s about:
Getting A Message Across In A Way Your Audience Can Understand And Be Captivated By…
(Yes, sales copy goes further and asks for action, while movies don’t. But you still want your sales copy to be captivating, in order to get that reader to a point where they’re ready to buy.)
Think of the famous opening scenes set around ‘Don’ Vito Corleone’s daughter’s wedding.
We learn so much -quickly – through the interaction of some of the main characters…
About Vito (Marlon Brando)’s standing in the community, reputation and the extent of his influence.
We learn about Michael (Al Pacino)’s unique situation: he’s “a civilian” (actually a soldier, a WWII vet) – an outsider, really, having chosen not to join the family business… for now.
We’re introduced to several important secondary characters:
Nazorine the baker…
Hitman Luca Brasi…
Famous singer Johnny Fontane…
Tessio and Clemenza, the Corleone’s trusted ‘capos’…
And the obnoxious groom, Carlo.
What We Learn About Them In These Wedding Scenes Is Crucial To How We Understand Their Roles In The Story Later…
The writers’ job is to give us a full tank of information we need, presented in an entertaining, lively scene that also does the important job of establishing location, time and atmosphere.
Why is this important to sales copy?
Because your opening is crucial.
Make sure your first few paragraphs deliver on any intrigue suggested in your headline.
If you’re telling a story – and stories sell, so you should be – be sure to set the scene by introducing your character clearly.
Get your hooks in here too…
If there’s something unusual or interesting about the product you’re selling, make early reference to it like Coppola/Puzo do – but don’t give everything away.
Set the scene, but also give the reader a good reason to read on…
The Main Purpose Of Your Opening Is To Keep ‘Em Reading…
…all the way through to the call to action.
The Godfather screenplay is also great at showing a problem solved by an unlikely hero.
This is a classic copywriting tactic…
It makes good sense to cast your prospect as that hero. Why?
You can paint a picture for them of how they’ll overcome the problem they have with the aid of your product (the solution) – to really make that idea of success more visible.
In The Godfather, we see Michael Corleone go from disinterested ‘outsider’ to all-powerful head of the family in a couple of crucial scenes.
The problem: ‘Don’ Vito is ageing and unwell. The Corleone clan needs strong leadership to help them fight off the aggression of rival families and break new business
The solution: Michael Corleone steps up, ‘removes’ the competition and establishes new business for the future.
We watch this happen gradually – remember, you need to be realistic in sales copy, too…
So there’s no ‘overnight transformation’.
In a few key scenes we see Michael take charge of the security at his father’s hospital bed…
…he makes important decisions about how to solve their problem with crooked cop McCluskey and vicious gangster Sollozzo…
…then takes that action himself.
Only in the very last scene of the movie – the resolution complete – do we see him make the full transformation into ‘Don’ Michael.
You Can Tell A Good Story In Sales Copy, With A Beginning, Middle And End…
The aim is to keep your prospect reading… keep them asking questions which only you can answer…
…and have them fully understand how your offer will help them.
Plus: make it enlightening, entertaining and above all, clear.
Get your message across in a way that makes the prospect want to know more at every step…
Like ‘The Godfather Of Persuasion’ himself, copywriter Vin Montello says:
“If you’re taking up even a few minutes of a prospect’s time, at the very least make it enjoyable for them.”
In Corleone shorthand:
- Tell a story…
- Create a problem and explain the solution…
- Make your prospect the hero…
- Then make ‘em an offer they can’t refuse.
So. The Godfather: a great movie…
And a great copy tool.
You can get the full pdf transcript of Coppola & Puzo’s awesome screenplay free, here.
