e want you to become an ISO with Cynergy Data because we really think it's a pretty good company. Our marketing staff, in particular, is totaly great. Anyway, we think you should call us. If you want to. We'd really appreciate the business, for one thing.

Sold? Then put down this magazine and call 866-ISO-HELP right now, before you come to your senses!

Not convinced? That's because the first paragraph of this article violates the five basic rules of advertising copywriting. The paragraph is weak, unfocused and wildly unconvincing, but enough about us. Following are five rules to master in order to create ad copy that sells:

1. The Product Is the Hero

It's time to learn a tough lesson: Consumers don't care how clever you are. They don't care how well you write or how innovative your design concepts are.

They do care about products and services you advertise. Keep these front and center in ad copy. Whenever an ad is primarily about clever gimmicks or delicately crafted prose, it ceases to serve as an effective sales tool.

That's not to say that copy should read like a classified ad; there's always room for good writing, funny headlines and eye-catching gimmicks. However, the copy should, above all, sell a product and clearly communicate the product's benefits. In order for the ad to be effective, cut anything that does not work directly toward the goal of selling a product, no matter how brilliant it is.

2. Specifics Beat Generalities

Different ads serve different purposes. Some ads launch products, sell services, or enhance corporate images. The Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo spend millions of dollars every year on advertising to convince people that their virtually identical products are radically different.

In our industry, most ads focus on selling services, specifically the services of one ISO or processor over another. When the majority of advertisers sell a very similar product, specifics are often a major factor in advertising effectiveness.

Think of the difference between an ad that says "Joe's ISO: We care about our reps" and an ad that includes details about the ISO's compensation plan, residual splits and equipment bonuses.

The first ad might catch your eye, but unless the company advertised is a large, established industry leader, the ad will probably read like an empty claim. The second ad makes the same point, but it also offers quantifiable, specific information of value to the reader.

The first ad may get attention, but the second communicates information and evidence that back up its claims. When selling something that's very similar to other products on the market, such as credit card processing, selling on specifics beats selling on generalities every time.

3. Get the Reader Involved

The next step in fine-tuning ad copy: Go through what's written with a red pen and cross out every instance of "we" and "us." The ad is not about you; it's about the reader. The strongest ads get the reader directly involved. Take out "We offer outstanding customer service," and replace it with "Your merchants will benefit from fully bilingual, highly trained customer service."

Instead of "We guarantee lifetime residuals," which is a statement about a company's actions, use something that provides the reader with a direct benefit, such as "You'll collect residual checks for the rest of your life,guaranteed."

These might seem like minor distinctions, but they make a big difference between an ad that promotes a company and an ad that gets readers to truly think about what the company can offer them.

4. Make Benefits Stand Out

When you receive each issue of The Green Sheet, what do you look at first? Do you read every word of every ad and article from page 1 to 128, or do you occasionally like to leave the office and make a sale or two?

To grab the attention of casual readers, the benefits described in your ad must stand out from the surrounding ads and editorial copy. Whether you bullet, list, bold or underline the benefits, make them prominent. Use a headline in a large-point font that grabs readers' attention, then direct their eyes to the text that you want to stand out.

If you include a dense paragraph detailing all the ways the company is superior to the competition and then stick it in the middle of the ad, you'll probably be talking to yourself. Ads that get read are ads that place benefits where even the most casual readers will easily spot them.

Remember, you can have too much of a good thing: An ad that lists 50 benefits is as confusing and unappealing as one that doesn't list any. Rather than over loading an ad with every single good thing about your business, consider dividing your message into several similar ads, each with a different focus. In saying too much with a single ad, you usually end up saying nothing at all.

5. Convince Readers to Take Action

All good ads end with a call to action, which is copy that encourages readers to do something. The call to action can include visiting a Web site, picking up the phone, going to the store to buy something, or a combination of all three, but it must be present for the ad to be effective.

You don't want readers to review the ad and think "That was a nice ad" and then turn the page. Rather, you want them to act, whether they do so right away or tear out the page to respond to later.

A good way to ensure that readers follow through on a call to action is to make it worth their while by offering a benefit for acting. For example, tease them with information they can only obtain by taking action: "Call today to find out about our revolutionary merchant retention plan that will double the profitability of your portfolio."

Or, tease them with an incentive offer: "Visit our Web site to learn more about our products and services, and we'll automatically enter you into our drawing for a new flat screen TV."

People often say that a great company sells itself, but the truth is that a powerful ad never hurt anyone's business. In a market like ours, where competition is fierce, an effectively written ad will make all the difference between success and failure. Do you copy?

Nancy Drexler is the Marketing Director and Sam Neuman is the Communications Specialist of Cynergy Data, a merchant acquirer that distinguishes itself by relying on creativity and technology to maximize service. Cynergy offers its ISOs: VIMAS, a cutting edge back-office management software; TrackIt, a ticketing system that makes responses to customers fast, accurate and efficient; Brand Central Station, a Web site of free marketing tools; plus state-of-the-art training, products, services and value-added programs, all designed to take its ISO partners from where they are to where they want to be. For more information on Cynergy e-mail Nancy Drexler at nancyd@cynergydata.com .