Marketers have a useful concept:

The golden thread.

I learned this from the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI), which teaches and talks about the golden thread often.

It is a common idea found in a copy (like a sales letter). The title, the proof, the rhetoric, the testimonials, even things like the “order now” button and the terms and conditions all refer to it.

The result?

By constantly playing this string, the note builds and builds as the prospect reads it.

For instance …

Let’s say you are a sports psychologist and you offer a program that greatly increases someone’s strength through the power of the mind.

It covers everything from correcting common technical mistakes to harnessing the power of positive psychology.

Its theme, its golden thread, could help unlock someone’s potential. It takes them to a level of performance that they would never achieve on their own, no matter how many weights they lift or kettlebells they swing.

The title refers to it.

So does the opening story.

And so does every bullet, subtitle, image, testimonial …

Write this way and your sales letter works on two levels:

Someone can look at it and immediately see what it is about. If they weren’t interested, they would never have bought from you anyway. If they are interested, any of these elements absorbs them and forces them to read on.

And that’s where the other level comes in.

Each part they read is based on the thread, making the idea clearer in their mind.

Clarity around a solution creates powerful persuasion. If you get it right, some of your readers might keep thinking about your offer, even if they are interrupted before buying.

No promises given how distracted people are, but I can’t think of a better way to make your offer stick in their minds than this one.

What golden thread is not
The goal of this unique theme is to generate clarity.

You can’t do that by copying and pasting the phrase “unlock (s) your physical potential” every few lines.

The theme is repeated, not the wording.

Outdated wording does not create clarity. It obscures it behind a veil of friction and boredom.

A theme repeats ideas, concepts, moods, and elements, not a handful of phrases.

So discover new ways to talk about your golden thread.

Fortunately, that is not too difficult.

There is a deep well of novel verbiage at hand …

How to repeat yourself without repeating yourself
I guess your offer didn’t come out of nowhere.

You probably did market research to find the need. Maybe you took a deep dive into online forums, maybe your customers just asked you to create this product.

Then you probably tested it with a small group to see what works and what needs tweaking.

Listen to these people when they speak, because they have all the answers.

Each person with the problem you can solve is different.

They will have their own experiences, perspectives, expectations, and language.

They will tell you how to talk about unlocking someone’s physical potential, without using those words every time.

For some, they will focus on the problem: how they got stuck, or how they went to great lengths to get little results.

Others will talk about the transformation, like the first time they lifted a barbell, cleanly and easily, that they had struggled with before.

Others will still focus on how euphoric and empowered they feel right now.

And each of them will say it differently.

Use their language. Not only will it sound fresh, authentic and enjoyable, but it will allow you to touch the common idea found in your marketing.

Pretending to “work smarter, not harder” is not an embarrassing cliche, because this is it. Your market will write parts of your copy for you … and they will do it better than you.