I just took this copywriting quiz developed by the late Gary Halbert; if you don’t know who he is you really need to check him out and his teachings – he was about as good as you can get when it comes to copywriting and direct response marketing.
I did okay, I got 16 out of 20 — a B back in my school days, but not as well as I had hoped (or, truthfully, expected). It was an interesting and humbling experience (made me remember that I don’t know as much as I thought 
and I really wanted to share the quiz with you so you could benefit from it also.
One thing I suggest is taking the test twice, once without thought and analysis, just your immediate gut reaction, and the second time use the rules of copywriting you know.
Compare the differences in results and find out where you are strong and where you are weak. Also, it will help you understand how well you can trust your instincts.
Some people are good representatives of their prospects and some aren’t and you need to know which you are, this is very important; you’ll be losing sales if you use the wrong viewpoint, that is, use instinct when you should use analysis and vice versa.
For example, my partner took the test both ways and got 40% more right when she analyzed. This suggests that she is atypical of the general public and things that attract them probably don’t attract her.
Post your answers to the blog and, who knows, there may be something nice for the person who scores the highest.
Beware, make sure you actually read each headline/question, I missed a few by thinking I knew it without properly reading it.
Here’s the quiz…
Which Headline Pulled the Best?
Headline 1
A) Push Button shave cream
B) Moisturized Shave Cream
Headline 2
A) How to get rid of an “inferiority complex”
B) The writings in these immortal books are as strong as the mightiest deeds of history
Headline 3
A) Thousands suffer from sick nerves and don’t know it
B) Have you these symptoms of nervous exhaustion?
Headline 4
A) Would you buy a $30 shirt on sale for $14.99
B) Half price sale on shirts!
Headline 5
A) The name of this jacket is Manana. But at $30 you better buy it today
B) It’s from Mexico. It’s handmade. And it’s only $30.
Headline 6
A)Save one gallon of gas in every ten
B) Car owners! Save one gallon of gas in every ten
Headline 7
A) Hay fever!
B) Dry up hay fever!
Headline 8
A) This is the ad we had to cancel three months ago because we sold them so fast
B) All leather handbags for only $28 (The last time we ran this ad we sold out in 48 hours!)
Headline 9
Which ad will be better read?
A) If the headline is above the picture?
B) If the headline is below the picture?
Headline 10
A) men’s thick terry robes, $65
B) We first saw these in the Carillon Hotel on the Place de la Concorde in Paris
Headline 11
A) Women’s sweater sale at below wholesale price $19.99
B) Would you buy a woman’s $65 sweater for $19.99
Headline 12
A) we go to Helsinki and back for our customers
B) “In our 38 years in business, we never sold so much of one item in so short a time – Milton Gordon
Headline 13
A)“My insurance company? New England life of course. Why?
B) The far sighted man from new England life can show you how you could get 30 years of life insurance – and then get back all the money you put in.
Headline 14
A) If you really want to impress someone with your car, tell him it’s paid for
B) “When we built the Volvo to last 11 years, we didn’t forget you’d be sitting in it for 11 years”
Headline 15
A) Here are two easy ways to build your sales of cooling system parts
B) New Gates charge announces tune-ups: $12 flat rte on cooling system
Headline 16
A) What is buffered aspirin?
B) how to stop a headache without upsetting your stomach
Headline 17
A) I never bought stocks before – how do I go about it?
B) What do I own when I own a share of stock?
Headline 18
A) use these eyedrops for bloodshot eyes
B) How to give quick rest to tired eyes
Headline 19
Rate these headlines in order of which converted the best and which was the worst for these advertisements in a trade magazine.
A) How to talk to a horse
B) Free way to start horsing around
C) How to adopt a horse
D) Free gift if you love horses
E) Free lessons in horse training
Headline 20
A) Now try this vitamin.
B) Now try the vitamin of champions.
Take the quiz and post your answers in a reply to this blog and we’ll see how well you tomorrow!
David
The “Shameless” (but “Ethical”) Marketer
Brought to you by Quote Adder
Alright … my gut feelings says this …
1. B) Moisturized Shave Cream
2. A) How to get rid of an “inferiority complex”
3. B) have you these symptoms of nervous exhaustion?
4. A) Would you buy a $30 shirt on sale for $14.99
5. B) It’s from Mexico. It’s handmade. And it’s only $30.
6. A)Save one gallon of gas in every ten
7. B) Dry up hay fever!
8. B) All leather handbags for only $28 (The last time we ran this ad we sold out in 48 hours!)
9. B) If the headline is below the picture?
10. A) men’s thick terry robes, $65
11. B) Would you buy a woman’s $65 sweater for $19.99
12. A) we go to Helsinki and back for our customers
13. B) The far sighted man from new England life can show you how you could get 30 years of life insurance – and then get back all the money you put in.
14. B) “When we built the Volvo to last 11 years, we didn’t forget you’d be sitting in it for 11 years”
15. B) New Gates charge announces tune-ups: $12 flat rte on cooling system
16. B) how to stop a headache without upsetting your stomach
17. A) I never bought stocks before – how do I go about it?
18. B) How to give quick rest to tired eyes
19. [3] How to talk to a horse
[4] How to adopt a horse
[1] Free lessons in horse training
[5] Free way to start horsing around
[2] free gift if you love horses
20. B) Now try the vitamin of champions.
Now, putting on my copywriting hat, this is what I got ….
1. A) Push Button shave cream
2. A) How to get rid of an “inferiority complex”
3. A) Thousands suffer from sick nerves and don’t know it
4. A) Would you buy a $30 shirt on sale for $14.99
5. B) It’s from Mexico. It’s handmade. And it’s only $30.
6. B) Car owners! Save one gallon of gas in every ten
7. B) Dry up hay fever!
8. A) This is the ad we had to cancel three months ago because we sold them so fast
9. A) If the headline is above the picture?
10. B) We first saw these in the Carillon Hotel on the Place de la Concorde in Paris
11. B) Would you buy a woman’s $65 sweater for $19.99
12. B) “In our 38 years in business, we never sold so much of one item in so short a time – Milton Gordon
13. A)“My insurance company? New England life of course. Why?
14. A) If you really want to impress someone with your car, tell him it’s paid for
15. A) Here are two easy ways to build your sales of cooling system parts
16. B) how to stop a headache without upsetting your stomach
17. A) I never bought stocks before – how do I go about it?
18. B) How to give quick rest to tired eyes
19.
[2] free gift if you love horses
[5] Free way to start horsing around
[3] How to talk to a horse
[4] How to adopt a horse
[1] Free lessons in horse training
20. B) Now try the vitamin of champions.
Fun quiz. Love to see how I do.… this was a good exercise for the noggin!
WY
1. A
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. B
11. B
12. B
13. B
14. B
15. A
16. B
17. B
18. B
19. A, E, C, D, B
20. B
Oops i forgot to do the gut reaction one. Here it is:
1. B
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. B
11. B
12. A
13. B
14. B
15. A
16. B
17. B
18. B
19. A, E, C, D, B
20. B