I flew halfway around the world for a copywriting lesson.

We’d spent the afternoon wandering through Hoi An — a Vietnamese  town near the coast that’s known for its clothing stores. It was brutally hot, and I’d already crashed back at the hotel.

My wife and sons had tired of wandering into a series of shops that all seemed to have the same merchandise, and they were ready to call it a day. They were heading for the hotel when a woman walked out of the Lucky Star Tailor Shop, poĩnted at my son Tyler, and said,

Suit for you, forty dollars!

Less than an hour later, my family walked out having ordered two suits and a dress.

At a copywriting class I attended, the instructor had us pick a client and try to summarize their value proposition in a maximum of six words. The object ot the exercise was to force us to use only words that matter.

Lucky Star did it in five — a benefit, an offer, and that’s it. No mention of the friendly, knowledgeable staff, or the fact that they also can make pants, shorts, and dresses, or that they’ve been serving the community since 1997.

Can you make your pitch in five words?

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