Writing a "ne me quite PAS" ad

Ne me quitte pas is French for “don’t leave me.”

In today’s edition, I’m writing a Facebook ad for my Persuasive Speaker newsletter. To make it work, I’ll be using one of the most powerful frameworks in copywriting: the PAS structure: Problem, Agitation, Solution.

This formula lets you speak directly to your reader’s pain points, amplify the urgency to act, and deliver a clear, actionable solution.

But before writing any ad, the first question you must ask yourself is always:

Step 1: Who’s the Target?

For The Persuasive Speaker newsletter, I focus on executives and founders who want to sharpen their public speaking and communication skills for reasons like:

• Raising more money during investor rounds.

• Selling their business and growing their network through speaking engagements like podcasts, seminars, and keynotes.

• Giving persuasive presentations that inspire clients and teams to act, selling their vision more effectively.

• Turning dry financial analyses into compelling stories that captivate and convert.

Of course, it’s important not to overwhelm the reader with too many problems.

That’s why, in this ad, I’ll focus on one key issue—a problem I solve in my lead magnet “The 14 Commandments of Persuasive Public Speaking for Executives” FREE guide.

Okay, let’s start writing…

Step 2: Identify the Problem

One common struggle for executives and founders is feeling misunderstood during presentations, whether it’s by clients or their team.

To highlight this pain point, the opening line of the ad will be:

“Ever feel like your clients or team just don’t get your point? Even when you’ve nailed your presentation?”

Step 3: Agitate the Problem

Now comes the agitation. This is where we highlight the emotional and practical consequences of the problem.

Here’s how it might read:

You hear things like:
“I don’t get it.”
“Something’s off.”
Or worse: “What if we tried this instead…”

Imagine spending hours, weeks, and sometimes months perfecting your project, only for your client to suggest another solution—all because they misunderstood your point.

It’s frustrating, right? And it can cost you more than just time.

It can cost you trust, buy-in, and results.

Now that we agitated the problem, it’s time to…

Step 4: Present the Solution

Finally, we provide the reader with an instant, easy-to-implement fix:

"But there’s a quick fix. A presidential technique that was handed down from one great politician to another. A technique YOU can use today to never fall into this problem again."

Now that we provided a solution and planted the seeds of curiosity in the reader’s mind, it’s time for the most critical part of the ad…

Step 5: A Call to Action

Every ad needs a clear and compelling call to action. For this ad, it’s going to be:

"Download my free guide, ‘The 14 Commandments of Persuasive Public Speaking for Executives,’ to unlock that technique now."

Do you see how, if you were an executive and this ad popped up, you’d want to keep reading?

Start by hooking the reader with a problem they can relate to, stir their emotions so they’re eager to solve it, and then offer a quick-fix solution.

Now, here’s a question for you:

Does your business need an ad like this?

Let me know!