This article is based on an excerpt from the book Life's a Pitch: Understanding the Secrets to Selling From Television's Billion Dollar Man.

Words. They can be powerful, passionate, and—when used correctly in marketing and sales communications and presentations—extremely profitable.

Have you ever wondered why some of the same "power words" keep showing up in advertising messages year after year?

• "Act Now!"
• "Limited Time Only!"
• "Money Back Guarantee!"
• "Time's Running Out!"
• "Six Brand New Features!"
• And so on...

The fact is, words are a powerful part of marketing and selling.

Selling Is a Process... and Words Are a Powerful Part of That Process

It doesn't matter whether it's taking place on TV or in person, selling is a process composed of several layers, each designed to increase the connection between you and the customer.

For instance, when I'm pitching something on radio or television, every time I do something effective, people in the audience get a little closer to the telephone. And after each effective step of the process, they get closer and closer to that phone until they pick it up and respond. And that's natural. It's all part of a process.

I wish I could tell you that there's one magic word that will make somebody buy something. There isn't. But there are certain words that will enhance the process.

Seven of them, to be exact. Here, we present five of those word magnets.

Marketing Magnets

George Carlin gained instant notoriety back in the 70s with his "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" bit. But there are seven words you CAN say to create an indelible connection with a potential customer? I call them my "Seven Marketing Magnets" because, as I explained a few moments ago, every time you use one of them—for the right reasons, at the right time—you draw people a little closer to you, like a magnet.

The connection becomes stronger, and the temptation to buy from you greater. Which is not to say that more is more in this case. In other words, don't just arbitrarily string these words together, piling them on or (for heaven's sake) using them randomly—or even interchangeably.

Each word is calculated to highlight the benefits of the particular product, service, or idea you're presenting. That is their power: Each means something very specific to whoever hears them.

Remember, the ultimate goal is a response. Hopefully, the response of a sale, but short of that the response might be in the form of interest, curiosity, enthusiasm, a personal connection with you, a renewed interest in what you're presenting, etc.

That's why these words are so effective: They evoke strong responses in your listeners, each in its own way.

The First Marketing Magnet: 'New' or 'Exclusive'

The first marketing magnet is "new," or "exclusive." Those are great words; I get excited just typing them... they're filled with so much potential. Now, either word could describe any of the following:

• A price you're offering: "Enjoy our new, reduced price for a limited time..."
• A special ingredient you're using: "Try our new combination of lime and pomegranate seed."
• A part of a service you're offering: "Enjoy our exclusive steam-cleaning solution..."
• A special online offer: "Download an extra chapter of this NEW bestseller exclusively on Amazon.com..."
• And so on...

That's a pretty impressive list, and you can of course personalize it for whatever "new" or "exclusive" features and benefits you're offering. But even powerful, profitable, magnetic words can become less effective when used nonstop. So don't just say, "New," "New," "Exclusive," "New," all the time. Spice your sales pitch up with the following other ways to say the same thing:

• Innovative
• The latest
• State of the art
• Revolutionary (use only when referring to a patented or patent-pending product)
• High-tech
• Designed for today's ________________
• Adds a whole new dimension to _______________
• Here's an exciting way to ____________________
• And so on...