One area that every smart marketer should be looking to increase his or her game and set the bar a little bit higher is 'copy writing.' I write about it from time to time in my online newsletter for one very specific reason - 'copy writing is salesmanship in print' and we're all in sales. Period.

Having the ability to be able to write words that get people to take action and buy from you is a multimillion dollar skill. I call it the 'Money Skill of the 21st Century.' It's often overlooked, misunderstood by many, and greatly underestimated by most.

This timeless formula can be applied to any and every marketing piece you ever write for maximum effectiveness. Guaranteed. If you simply write (or even communicate on video) with these three principals in mind every time you will be extremely well received.

Here they are:

1) What's this all about?

This cuts through the clutter and gets straight to the point. Most people like to tap dance around the subject and use filler words (I call it verbal graffiti). Remember, people's attention spans are pretty short today. Get to the point.

2) What's in it for me?

Its human nature for people to simply want to know "What can I gain here?" or "How can this solve my current problem." We are all 'self-centered' by nature. Don't misconstrue this though. Self-centered does not mean the same thing as 'selfish.' Big difference.

3) What do I do next?

We've been led since we we're born. People must have clear instructions nowadays. Most times they won't just figure it out.

The objective is to build your content around these 3 steps. Come right out right away in writing or on video and tell your prospect what this is all about. Get to the point. Tell them why you are here because you don't have much time to keep their attention in this "attention deficit" era we're now in.

As soon as possible tell them what's in it for them. Give your prospect the one big benefit early on. And when you're done, tell them exactly how to buy, opt-in to your web site, request your free report, or whatever you want them to do.

I'm telling you right now that if you keep this formula in hand at all times when you're writing or shooting a video you will get and keep your prospects attention almost every time. And, this will give you a great framework for developing your marketing pieces or videos from now on. Don't take it lightly. It's stood the test of time for decades.