Every single element in an advertisement - headline, subhead, photo, and copy - must be put there not because it looks good, not because it sounds good, but because testing has shown that it works best!

Even today you can look through almost any consumer or professional publication and find headlines that possess not a single one of the necessary qualities, such as self-interest, news, or curiosity.

You can write a 1st paragraph that continues the same thought you expressed in your headline. If you stop a reader with a headline about house paint, you can be sure of at least one thing about that reader: He wants more info about house paint. You will not lose him as long as you continue to give him what he wants.

Avoid the "hard-to-grasp" headline - the headline that requires thought and is not clear at first glance.

A long headline that really says something is more effective than a brief heading that says nothing.

The best headlines are those that appeal to the reader's self-interest, that is, headlines based on reader benefits. They offer readers something they want - and get from you.

An advertisement will be a good one - that is if the headline is really a "stopper."