Let’s imagine you want to go on a hike…

And you’ve a friend you want to invite along with you.

They could really do with a break from their hectic life and you’ve not spent quality time together in years.

So you get in touch with them to persuade them.

Now, in your email you could be 100% factual with them.

You could say the following:

“Would you like to come on a day-long hike with me? You’ll need to get up at 6am. Your taxi to the station will cost about £8. Then it’s a two hour train journey, so we won’t get there until 10am.

After that we’re walking 8 kilometres up a hill with a 1:20 gradient. Lunch will be somewhere between £30 and £40 each with drinks.

Then it’s another climb, this time on a 10% incline, before we reach a trig point at the top of Eccles Pike.”

All of this is completely true.

These are the accurate details, in the right order, with all the specifications required.

But you’ve just given your friend a lot of reasons to find an excuse to say “no”.

Immediately, they’re thinking about the alarm going off at an ungodly hour… how much the whole thing is going to cost… all the different transportation they need to take…

It just seems difficult and a lot of hassle.

But of course, you probably wouldn’t phrase it like that, would you?

If it were me, for example, I’d say something like this….

“Fancy a scenic train ride through the dales, followed by a walk through some beautiful countryside?

There’s this incredible hidden gem of a 16th century pub along the way that brews its own ale.

We can grab lunch there, then we finish up at the top of Eccles Pike for some amazing photos.

It would be great to spend some time together, and have a proper catch up.

You could do with a break, and we’ve been saying we’ll do it for ages.”

This is the same physical journey…

But you’ve not focussed on the specific tasks, costs, times and physical demands.

You’ve got them to think about the benefits…

The inspirational views… the exciting pub… the taste of the beer… the photos they can show off on social media…

And you’ve given them a deep emotional reason to come – the opportunity to get a break from life’s hassles and reconnect with an old friend for some gossip and laughs.

This is not unethical.

And you’re not lying,

You’re just making sure that your friend understands the true value of what you’re offering.

It would be a shame for them not to experience these benefits just because they’ve panicked about costs, timings and a bit of discomfort in the process.

Of course, once they agree and you’re making final arrangements, they’ll get all this info.

But the initial ‘sale’ required you to keep those details hidden for now.

In marketing, this is known as “Blind Copy” (not to be confused with ‘BCC’ on an email.)

It means deliberately keeping certain true, but unhelpful, details out of the spotlight… until your customer has bought into the more emotionally compelling promise.

You’re not hiding anything dishonestly. You’re just refusing to let irrelevant details get in the way of a genuine benefit that could improve someone’s life.

How to Use the Blind Copy Technique

Every product has some friction involved.

Cost-based friction might include:

• Upfront price
• Ongoing subscription fees
• The cost of tools or apps that they might need

Effort-based friction might include:

• Assembly required
• Learning a skill
• Setup steps
• Understanding a new platform
• Ongoing maintenance

Time-based friction might include…

• How long it takes to see earnings
• Time commitment per day/week
• Delivery/waiting time
• Length of course/programme

Risk and uncertainty friction might include:

• Results may vary
• No guarantee of outcome
• Technical requirements
• Suitability caveats

Behaviour-change friction could include:

• Needing to give something up (a habit, a routine, comfort eating)
• Needing discipline or consistency
• Appearing in public (online or offline)

These aren’t things you hide completely – or they’ll come back to bite you in the form of refunds or bad reviews.

It could be that you address these at the backend of a sales letter, in the welcome materials or on the order page.

But the key is to hide them until AFTER you’ve made a convincing pitch that focuses on the real life benefits and big emotional payoffs.

By the time they’ve mentally said “yes, I want that”… a price factor, time delay, or a bit of assembly will seem worth it.

For instance, if your friend is sold on the 16th century pub, stunning views and a chance to reconnect with you…

Then they’ll accept that there will be a journey time… a meal cost… and a level of difficulty going up the hill.

Think about how holidays sell their products online.

The homepage is full of infinity pools, sunsets and happy smiling people with tans.

But the flight details, taxes, transfer times, terms and conditions are three or four clicks deep, or found when you scroll down.

There are some other things you can do…

Translate Features Into ‘Felt Outcomes’

Take any feature of your product and ask “so what does that actually mean for them, in real life?”

For example, “Drag and drop interface” could become “you’ll have your first webpage designed in seconds without any skills.”

Or “Recipe planner with 200 meals” becomes “you’ll never again be stuck wondering what on earth to cook.”

Or “12-month course access” becomes ” you can do this in your own time, at your own pace around work and family commitments.”

Paint a Picture of the Maths

It’s good to put specifics into sales copy – like “save £132 a month on your food costs” or “breathe away stress in 5 minutes”.

These figures help you sell a product because they make it tangible – they can instantly see how much they save, how much they might make, or how quick something is.

But try not to let your customer do the maths themselves.

For example, if you tell someone it’s “6km at a 1:20 gradient” they’ll have to pause and think about what those figures mean.

“Hmmm…. 6km sounds a lot, how long will that take….. and is the 1:20 gradient really hilly?”

Not only does it make them pause, it also becomes scary or intimidating.

So show them how those abstract figures will translate into reality.

For instance, you might say, “It’s a proper leg-stretching walk… the length of a long lunchtime stroll… through stunning countryside.”

You’ve effectively painted a picture of what the maths will look like!

Encourage Curiosity

You don’t need to explain everything in detail when you create a subject line, headline or lead.

“A little-known trick that…” or “The one fundamental mistake most people make…” creates a gap the reader will want to fill by reading on or clicking through.

This is known as an open loop, and it works because you hide specific details until later.

So if you title an email newsletter, “5 Ways to Save Money on Your Weekly Food Shop” that’s fine, but doesn’t inspire much intrigue.

However, if you title it “The Grocery Mistake That’s Costing You £40 a Month” then the reader will have questions like, “Which mistake? And am I making it?”

So this is another great example of using ‘blind copy’.

Reveal The Costs At The End

By the time someone has pictured the outcome and genuinely wants it, they will be able to understand the value of what you offer….

That is when you can bring in elements like the cost.

So always put your price after you’ve closed the sale.

Same goes for details like the length of a course, number of modules, delivery time (and cost) of a physical product, or the terms and conditions.

By this time, they’re thinking mainly of the payoff, and not the process!

Your potential customer should be picturing themselves at the top of Eccles Pike… rather than paying for a taxi to the train station.

Get the balance right, and you’ll find that the ‘boring’ or challenging aspects of your offer will barely register as objections at all.