First ImpressionsAn intriguing introduction keeps potential customers from skipping your ad.

Too many entrepreneurs miss the chance to make a sale bystarting an ad with introductory thoughts that lose theprospect's interest. As late copywriting Hall of Famer JohnCaples put it in his bookTested Advertising Methods: "Millionsof pages have been turned and millions of ads have been left unreadbecause of [boring] first paragraphs."

Perhaps you, too, have high-fived yourself in the bathroommirror for coming up with a great headline, only to produce an adthat fails because of a lackluster lead-in. Caples says you canovercome the first-paragraph scourge by putting your completed adaside for 24 hours and then looking at it with fresh eyes.That's when a weak opening will leap out at you.