Hi everyone,
I know I'm a noob here, but I do have some concerns as someone who is weary of all the privacy issues we face as an open community on the "net".

In my pursuit of learning how to write effective copy, I noticed one of the tools often used on sales letters is the signature. However, isn't there an inherent risk of doing this given the ease to "right click" on it and use it for ulterior motives? If nobody has experienced any problems so far, this may be a moot issue. But why take the chance? I believe there is a way to maintain a personal touch yet still be safe.
No, let me rephrase that.
There is even a way you can improve the personal touch of your copy without compromising the safety of your personal signature.
How? [insert sales pitch and dollar figure here]-lol just kidding
Why not use just your first names?
It sets a more informal and relaxed tone. And, you don't have to show everyone your full payroll signature, unless of course you put a fake one on your site in the first place, than that's OK too, sneaky, but OK
Thanks for all who have shared on this website, I hope I contributed a little back to this forum with this input.

Many... if not most online signatures that I've seen on sales letters are not the real signatures. They're just special signature fonts. You can make yourself a sig here: vLetter Handwriting Fonts FREE Application, Downloads, Biz2Biz, Handwriting Chat Room, Partners

That said, I think for the end of a letter, a full signature as opposed to a first name only, makes it all more "real" for the reader.

Ah hah,
Not only is the "sneaky" method preferred, the link you included showed me how to do it for free-lol. And since they are fabricated, heck, throw in your middle initial too.
I should've known many of them out there aren't real, but they look that way. Oh well, it isn't the first time my good intentions got in the way of my common sense.
Thanks for the reality check.

John,
Something else you can do is simple "fake" your signature.

The one I use on my website is not my "real" signature. It's just something I cooked up using a felt tipped pen and a scanner.

Some people are also wary about giving their banking information for wire transfers but you write checks all the time. The point here is that each check has the same bank account and routing number. No secret there.

Also when I sign a check to have it cash I also use my signature. Someone could scan that signature and misuse it. If somebody really wants to mess with you I don't think that your "fake" signature would make much of a difference.

This issue has come up before and I've never heard anyone report a loss because their online sigs were misused.

-Ray L.,