6.2Recurring problems (playbook)
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Reflex: one symptom = likely causes = a sequence of actions — diagnose before rewriting.
- Root: a failing text almost always comes back to the same fundamentals (audience, benefit, structure, rewrite).
- Order: start from the table's most frequent cause, then verify on the text before applying the rest.
Mehdi thread — 1 year on: the playbook on the wall
One year on, Mehdi keeps this playbook near his screen. Verdict: three lines served him most — the headline nobody read, the reader hesitating on price, and the email nobody opened. For each, he ended up fixing the root (avatar and benefit, value before price, reworked subject) instead of repeating the incident.
Observed symptom, verified causes, actions in order: the reflex holds in three steps.
One reflex per symptom
Most texts that do not convert fail for classic reasons. Linking each symptom to its probable causes and a sequence of actions saves precious time.
| Symptom | Likely causes | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| No one clicks / reads | weak headline, wrong audience, no benefit | rewrite 10 headlines (L1); re-specify the avatar (L0); benefit up front |
| They read but don't buy | failing desire or CTA (L2.1 AIDA) | strengthen benefits/proof; clear single CTA (L1.4) |
| "Pretty" text that doesn't sell | brand-oriented, not customer-oriented | switch from "we" to "you"; the result for the reader |
| The reader hesitates at the price | price stated too early, not reframed | value first; reframe (per day, ROI); guarantee (L2.5) |
| Email not opened | bland subject (L3.3) | rewrite the subject: curiosity/benefit/specificity; A/B test |
| Confusing text, readers drop off | long sentences, jargon, wall of text | short sentences, concrete words, one idea/paragraph (L1.1, L1.3) |
| It rings false / manipulative | false urgency, over-promise (L5.5) | use only the true; keep the promise; transparency |
| Landing that doesn't convert | menu, several CTAs, long form | single goal, message match, short form (L4.2) |
| Blank-page block | trying to write perfectly first time | get out an imperfect first draft, then rewrite (L3.5) |
Ready-to-say script — name the symptom before rewriting (1 min)
"My text has the symptom [nobody reads / they read without buying / email unopened]. My hypothesis #1: [the playbook's most frequent cause]. I check on the text then I apply the sequence. I retest in two weeks."
Copy-paste template — express diagnostic sheet
Observed SYMPTOM (facts): ...
Since when / frequency: ...
Likely CAUSES (playbook 6.2): ...
Verification (re-read the text, avatar, benefit, CTA): ...
ACTIONS (in order): 1) ... 2) ... 3) ...
Targeted FUNDAMENTAL (audience, benefit, structure, rewrite): ...
REVIEW in 2 weeks: improved? stable? worse?...Small business / tight budget
No formal table: one symptom, one cause verified on the text, one noted fix.
Algeria SME
Include real channels and activity peaks in the causes before concluding there is a text problem.
Remote / hybrid
Add the channel to the likely causes: at a distance, a badly routed message looks like a failing text.
Cross-cultural
Check local words and codes before acting: a benefit obvious elsewhere may not speak here.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Spot 1 current symptom on one of your texts, fill the express diagnostic sheet and test the 1st action.
- I can link a symptom to its likely causes.
- I have filled (or scheduled) an express diagnostic sheet.
- I know the referral to the level worth deepening for my case.
Mehdi's email is almost never opened. Which reflex does the playbook apply?
A recurring failure is not ten incidents: it is a missing reflex to fix at the root (audience, benefit, structure, rewrite).