Why Your Articles Need Some Bread

Eaten a sandwich recently? Notice how the contents don't seem to spill all over your clothes? You know why there's almost no spillage? Sure you do. It's called bread. Bread holds the sandwich together and prevents you from looking like a two year old that can't handle their food.

If you want your client to walk away with one dominant idea, you've got to use the sandwich for your communication.

Um...stop saying huh, and click on this link and all will be revealed!

So what's this sandwich technique and how can I use it?

Good question. Your article/salesletter/sales pitch requires something to hold it together. So there's two ways I can do this. I can ramble on forever, or I can show you.

I guess I'll show you...eh?

Look at the opening paragraph of this article:

?Say cheese,? says the person behind the camera.

And you say cheese. Your facial muscles are frozen. You have a dumb, goofy look. And under your breath you're muttering, ?C?mon Take the picture, take the picture, c?monnnn!?

Click! You blink. The picture's been taken.

And then the photographer runs across to you, all excited to show the nice digital photo. You take a look, you roll your eyes. You cringe. Because you just detest the photo.

It looks artificial. It looks posed. It's not you. It looks like all those ?cheesy? pictures you've seen before.

It's not unique.

And look at how I close the article

If you've been frozen so far, un-freeze that cheesy slogan. Be who you want to be. You're different. You know it. Now let the world know about your point of difference too.

Invent it!

See the bread?

Okie, dokie, let's see the next example (the first slice of bread).:

Look at the feedback forms right after a workshop.

Invariably, you'll find comments such as the ones below:

* The food wasn't quite up to the mark.
* Can we have more variety with the dessert?
* Can we have more vegetarian meals?
* Do we have to have all these carbohydrate-based meals?
* You could have different types of cookies instead of just one type.

And the other slice of bread:

At the end of the event read the feedback forms. You'll see a marked change in the quality of the comments. And you'll get real feedback for a change.

Ok so let's mosey on to a bit of website copy

Did you know that between 75% to 90% of all visits to the doctor don't require any drugs at all?

And what's at the end of the webpage?

Click here to find out more about how acupuncture can help you cut down on drugs and use your body's natural ability to fix itself.

The sandwich concept ain't new

Nope it's old as them darn hills. Ask any public speaker on the circuit. They?ll tell you solemnly, ?Tell?em, Tell?em Again, Tell?em What You Told Them.? And then when it comes to writing an article or salesletter, they'll forget what they told you.

There's a big reason why you should use this sandwich system

Do you know why you started reading this article You wanted some information. And through a series of connectors and content, you were led down the path to the inevitable finale.

When the article ends where it started, it gives you, the reader, a sense of closure. And your brain goes...Hmmm...Yeah that makes a lot of sense. The idea that you're trying to get across in the article comes across nice and strong, when you close with the same thought that you started out.

If you want your article to be held together...

Remember the sandwich. Put the contents of your article smack, bang in the middle of the ?bread.?

And look Ma, no spillage!