If you’re a copywriter or thinking about becoming a copywriter, here’s a great formula from the late Gary Halbert. If you want a way to write compelling copy and be able to get in touch with your customers and sell more stuff, this is it. Keep reading to know more.

Too many beginning copywriters make the mistake of using too many flashy, exaggerated headlines to build buzz about their product. The customer, on the other hand, just wants a solution to his problem. They are not sitting at home, waiting by their mailbox just hoping to be marketed to. They just want to know how your business is going to help them.

Copywriter Gary Halbert created a simple formula for this problem-solving approach to writing sales letters. He called it a star, a story, a solution. He will start by inserting the star in the title of his product. For example, he might say “45-year-old man with one leg runs 5 miles a day thanks to a new medical device.”

Your headline creates interest and introduces the character. Then, in the body of the copy, he will quickly explain the story of the main character, how he lost his leg in an accident and how he was completely broke and couldn’t work because of it.

Then you go to the solution. You explain how your product allows him to walk again, is very inexpensive compared to surgery or a prosthesis, and now allows the man to work full time and enjoy a great salary. So you have given the star, the story and the solution. This method of storytelling is much better than simply listing facts about your product or creating a catchy song. The stories fit into real life. We can relate to underdogs who are struggling and everyone likes a rags to riches story because it makes their own life look better.

Stories will stay in the customer’s mind much longer than a list of benefits, and you can put them in a relatable context. Once you’ve told the story, you can move on to product benefits, bonuses, etc. If the reader is done with his initial copy, he knows that he has at least enough interest to find out how the story ends. Then all you have to do is gently guide them to the order page and close the sale.