Joseph Sugarman built a multimillion-dollar empire from a basement office armed with nothing more than a typewriter and an extraordinary understanding of human psychology. His company, JS&A Group Inc., became America’s leading print media mail-order business, selling everything from calculators to burglar alarms through the sheer power of written words.
What made Sugarman different? He didn’t just write ads. He created experiences that pulled readers through every sentence, building trust and desire until the sale became inevitable.
Learn the proven techniques that transformed Sugarman from someone who wrote “horrible” first ads into one of the most successful direct marketing copywriters of the last century.
Background: The Philosophy Behind Sugarman’s Success
Joseph Sugarman’s approach to copywriting broke from traditional advertising conventions. While others focused on flashy slogans and hard sells, Sugarman pioneered a method rooted in psychological triggers, storytelling, and relentless honesty.
His advertisements read less like sales pitches and more like fascinating articles you couldn’t stop reading. He famously described good copy as feeling like “slipping down something slippery”—once you start, momentum carries you all the way through.
Sugarman spent days studying each product he sold, examining components, testing features, and understanding exactly what would trigger a purchase. He wrote prolifically, learning from failures and refining his craft through constant practice. His catalogue ads for JS&A became legendary, with some customers cutting them out and saving them for future reference.
The foundation of his success rested on a simple truth: people buy on emotion but justify with logic. Every element of his copy worked to engage both the primal and rational parts of the brain.
Step 1: Craft Your Opening to Create Unstoppable Momentum
Your first sentence has exactly one job: get the reader to read the second sentence. The second sentence? Get them to read the third.
Sugarman insisted on forgetting features and benefits in your opening. Instead, grab attention with something short, simple, and curiosity-inducing.
Look at how he opened his ad for the Bone Fone: “A new concept in sound technology may revolutionize the way we listen to stereo music.”
No product specs. No price. Just an intriguing promise that makes you want to know more.
Here’s how to execute this:
a) Start with a statement that disrupts expectations or introduces mystery b) Keep your opening sentence under 15 words when possible c) Use active voice and simple vocabulary d) Create a curiosity gap that demands resolution
Consider these Sugarman-style openers:
- “Picture this.”
- “This is the truth.”
- “I was shocked.”
- “It’s a fact.”
Each one is brief, conversational, and impossible to ignore. They invite you into a story rather than pushing you toward a sale.
Pro tip: Write your opening last. Once you’ve crafted the full piece, you’ll have clarity on the most compelling hook.
Step 2: Build Harmony With Your Reader From the First Paragraph
Sugarman compared good copywriting to a band playing in perfect harmony. When one instrument hits the wrong key, everything falls apart. Your prospect must feel aligned with every word you write.
This means demonstrating deep understanding of their world, their problems, and their desires. Sugarman warned against manipulation and scare tactics. While fear can be a psychological trigger, dishonesty destroys trust instantly.
In his burglar alarm ad, Sugarman included this under the header “YOU JUDGE THE QUALITY”:
“Will the Midex system ever fail? No product is perfect, but judge for yourself. All components used in the Midex system are of aerospace quality and of such high reliability that they pass the military standard…”
Notice what he did there. He made no outlandish promises about perfection. Instead, he invited the reader to judge for themselves while providing the evidence they needed. He trusted their intelligence rather than trying to bulldoze their skepticism.
To create this harmony:
- Research your audience until you can predict their objections
- Use language that mirrors how they talk about their problems
- Acknowledge limitations honestly before highlighting strengths
- Show respect for their decision-making process
When readers feel understood rather than targeted, they relax into your message. That’s when persuasion becomes possible.
Step 3: Make Every Sentence Slip Into the Next
Sugarman’s “slippery slide” concept is about creating frictionless reading. Each sentence should pull the reader forward through both style and substance.
He achieved this through rhythm, varied sentence length, and strategic information revelation. Look at this example from his digital scale ad:
“Losing weight is not easy. Ask anyone. One of the few pleasures of losing weight is stepping on your bathroom scale and seeing positive results. Your bathroom scale is like a report card–a feedback mechanism that tells you how well you’ve done.”
See the flow? Short sentence. Shorter sentence. Longer explanation. Metaphor that crystallizes the concept.
Create this effect by:
Varying your sentence structure. Follow a long, complex sentence with a punchy short one. Create rhythm through contrast.
Choosing simple words over complex ones. When readers stumble over unfamiliar vocabulary, the slide stops. Use language that disappears into comprehension.
Connecting to desires and pain points throughout. Don’t just describe features—tie every detail back to what the reader wants or wants to avoid.
Leaving strategic gaps. Don’t explain everything. Let readers fill in blanks with their imagination, which is always more powerful than your description.
Painting the outcome. Show them experiencing the benefit, not just owning the product.
Read your copy aloud. If you stumble, your reader will too. Smooth it out until the words flow like water.
Step 4: Address Objections Early and Directly
Sugarman organized his copy to tackle the biggest obstacles first. He knew that unaddressed objections create mental blocks that prevent readers from moving forward.
The key is confronting these concerns head-on, then reframing them as benefits or neutralizing them with logic.
Stella Artois executed this brilliantly with their “Reassuringly expensive” campaign. They took the objection—”this beer costs too much”—and transformed it into proof of quality. Two words turned a weakness into a strength.
Sugarman used this technique constantly. When selling the Micro TV, he opened with: “Remember the $400 Sinclair Micro TV? Here’s the story of the greatest TV value ever.” He immediately acknowledged the price objection by referencing an even more expensive option, then positioned his product as the smart alternative.
Follow this approach:
- List every possible objection your prospect might have (price, quality, need, timing, trust)
- Rank them by importance
- Address the top concerns within the first third of your copy
- Turn objections into opportunities when possible
- Provide specific evidence rather than empty reassurances
When you bring up objections first, you control the narrative. When readers bring them up in their own minds, you’ve lost control.
Step 5: Sell the Concept, Not the Product
Products are commodities. Concepts create movements.
Sugarman insisted that the concept behind a product mattered far more than its specifications. What unique idea does this product represent? What transformation does it enable? What identity does it confer?
Bumble doesn’t sell a dating app—they sell equality in relationships. Their entire brand revolves around this concept, differentiating them in a crowded market where features are largely identical.
When Sugarman sold the Jogging Computer, he didn’t lead with specs about the exercise equipment. He opened with: “It’s a fact. You reach your physical peak at age 25 and your mental peak at age 40. From then on it’s downhill. But it needn’t be.”
The concept? Reclaiming your vitality. Fighting inevitable decline. The equipment was merely the vehicle for that transformation.
To uncover your concept:
- Ask what emotional need the product fulfills
- Identify the larger movement or trend it represents
- Consider what belief or value it embodies
- Think about the identity shift it enables
Your concept should be simple enough to express in a single sentence but powerful enough to carry an entire campaign.
Step 6: Balance Emotion and Logic Throughout Your Copy
Sugarman’s famous maxim: “You sell on emotion, but you justify a purchase with logic.”
The emotional brain makes the decision. The rational brain provides the permission.
Your copy must engage both. Trigger the feelings that make someone want the product, then supply the rational justification they need to feel smart about buying it.
Consider someone eyeing an expensive Aston Martin. The emotional appeal is clear—status, success, the thrill of driving a beautiful machine. But the rational brain screams about the £100,000 price tag.
Smart copy would acknowledge the investment while highlighting resale value, leasing options, or cost-per-year of ownership. It gives the rational brain enough ammunition to stop blocking what the emotional brain wants.
Sugarman demonstrated this balance throughout his work. In his Vision Breakthrough ad for glasses, he opened with emotional intrigue: “When I put on the pair of glasses what I saw I could not believe. Nor will you.”
Then he provided technical details, comparisons, and logical proof points to support the emotional promise.
Structure your copy to:
- Lead with emotional hooks that tap into desires or fears
- Follow with specific features that logically support those emotions
- Alternate between “feel” and “think” throughout
- End with a combination of emotional motivation and logical reassurance
When both parts of the brain are satisfied, buying becomes easy.
Step 7: Study Your Product Until You Understand Its True Nature
Sugarman spent days examining products before writing a single word. He didn’t just learn features—he discovered the product’s personality, its unique character, and the specific circumstances that would trigger a purchase.
He understood that a burglar alarm wasn’t an emergency purchase driven by fear tactics. Instead, people would experience a moment—a news story, a neighbor’s break-in, a near-miss—that would make them ready to buy. His job was to position the product as the obvious choice when that moment arrived.
This insight led him to write ads that customers literally cut out and saved for later. They weren’t ready to buy yet, but they knew they would be.
To understand your product’s nature:
Spend time with the physical product. Touch it. Use it. Break it down into components. Understand how it works at a granular level.
Interview customers who bought it. What moment triggered their purchase? What almost stopped them? What sealed the deal?
Map the customer journey. When do people start looking? What research do they do? What questions do they ask?
Identify the psychological triggers. Is this an impulse buy or a considered purchase? Does it require trust-building or just desire activation?
Find the unique angle. What does this product do or represent that nothing else does?
Sugarman’s deep product knowledge allowed him to write with authority and find angles his competitors missed. He could highlight the specific detail that would resonate with his audience because he understood both the product and the buyer at a profound level.
Perfect Your Craft Through Relentless Practice
Sugarman had more failures than successes. He described his early ads as horrible. But he never stopped writing.
He wrote prolifically, tested constantly, and learned from every failure. Each catastrophic attempt taught him something that informed his next piece of copy.
There’s no shortcut to Sugarman-level copywriting. You must write, analyze what worked and what didn’t, then write again.
Here’s your practice framework:
- Write daily, even when you don’t have client work
- Study successful ads and break down why they work
- Test different approaches to the same product
- Track results obsessively
- Analyze your failures as thoroughly as your successes
- Read broadly outside of marketing to expand your vocabulary and reference points
- Collect examples of copy that moves you
Sugarman earned $58,397.69 per hour for his copywriting. But that rate reflected decades of practice, thousands of words written, and countless lessons learned through failure.
Turn These Principles Into Your Next Breakthrough
Joseph Sugarman transformed direct response copywriting by understanding a simple truth: people are smart, skeptical, and emotionally driven. Respect their intelligence, address their concerns honestly, engage their emotions, and give them logical justification.
Your first attempts won’t match Sugarman’s legendary ads. His didn’t either. But each piece you write using these principles will sharpen your skills and deepen your understanding.
Start with your next project. Study the product. Understand your audience. Craft an opening that pulls readers in. Build harmony. Create your slippery slide. Address objections early. Sell the concept. Balance emotion and logic. Then write, refine, and write again.
The path from horrible first ads to million-dollar copy is paved with practice, persistence, and the willingness to learn from every word you write.
If You Need Help to Market and Grow Your Business Call Paul (602) 849-0662