On Copywriting

Advice for an Aspiring Copywriter

This is going to be a long post, but I think you'll enjoy it. It's a real question a real person asked of me, along with my response. We went back and forth a couple times, which is why it gets long.

But I promise you'll find it valuable if you take the time to read it. There are a couple book recommendations I offer without affiliate links included--and I believe you should absolutely get these two books.

So read and enjoy.

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Hi Ryan,

I know you're busy so I'll try to be as brief as I can.

A little background first before I ask your opinion...

I started the [AWAI] copywriting course last year, but had to stop because of a financial hardship that forced me to spend the $39 monthly payment somewhere else. I have re-started the course. Actually, I'm starting at the beginning again.

When I started the course early last year I began reading your posts and even when I had to stop the course I signed up for your newsletter and began reading your blog posts when I could.

Over that time I have come to believe that you know much more than I do about many things, including copywriting. I also believe that I can trust you to give an honest opinion.

Since becoming interested in copywriting I have seen many, many ways to spend money on a copywriting education and 'Launching' a copywriting career. However, during that time I didn't have two nickels to rub together.

Now, however, I am in a position to spend a little bit of money on my copywriting career and would like your opinion on where to invest it.

I don't have enough to afford a good mentor, at least from the people I've seen offering a mentor program, like ______, ______, among others.

Among the pile of offers I have received from AWAI, the one that caught my eye is the "Bootcamp In Your Home" program.

I would like to ask your opinion of that program, if you're familiar with it.

I would also like to know what you would recommend, or what you would do in my situation, ie; currently in the process of completing AWAI's Six Figure course and looking for the best way to continue my education/career after the course.

With 2-3K to invest what direction would you suggest a new copywriter take?

I'd really appreciate your help on this Ryan, I respect your opinion and I absolutely cannot be one of those people I read about all the time who say they've spent thousands and thousands on the wrong education. In other words, this is a one shot deal for me to get started. Once I am a 'working' copywriter I will continue my education, but this money I have now must get me to that 'working copywriter' stage.

I hope I haven't confused things with such a long message.

I look forward to hearing from you!!

Ray W.

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Hey Ray,

Thanks for sharing your situation.

I've had experience working with ______ and ______. But the best value for your money is John Angel's course on how to get clients. I think it's just under $500 now.

In fact, I'll be promoting John's course the next two weeks. Today, he and I scheduled a free teleseminar for next Friday night, which I'll be announcing to my list early next week.

I will get an affiliate commission if you decide to buy, but my recommendation would still be the same, regardless of that.

John's course, which I've read and use, delivers a ton of strategies for getting clients. I have a lot of respect for John.

Anyway, please write back with questions. And make sure to get on next week's teleconference call.

Thanks, and have a great weekend, Ray.

Ryan

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Hey Ryan,

Thanks for getting back to me.

I was a little surprised that the only recommendation you gave was one that you are promoting, but that's cool, you wouldn't promote it if it wasn't a great product. I trust that, and you'll probably get an order from me.

What about a possible next step in continuing my copywriting education after the 'six figure' course? For instance, their 'Boot Camp in Your Home' deal they have? Or any other suggestions you may have?

What about other copywriter's products? Are you familiar with any of Clayton Makepeace's stuff? or Bob Bly, or John Carlton, or?????

Is it more important to pick someone whose writing style I like or would I be better off buying someone's product because they really know their stuff?

After asking you these questions I'm getting the feeling that I could pick any one of these names I've mentioned and not go wrong by buying any of their products to further my education. :-)

I guess I wanted to ask your opinion because you took the 'Six Figure' course, you have your first year under your belt and are seeing some success. So, in my eyes, whatever path you took works! And I think you are a truthful guy who wouldn't steer a person wrong just to make a buck.

So, this is the last time you'll hear from me on this subject :-)

My next question will be about something different... really :-)

Thanks again Ryan, for your help...

Ray W.

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Hey Ray,

Some clarifications...

I would recommend John's stuff whether I got the commission or not. You can go to him directly if you'd like. www.copywriterprofits.com

Also, seminars are great for getting clients. I'd spend some money to get to Big Seminar or System Seminar. Face-to-face meetings tend to produce clients faster because of the built-in trust factor.

Now, my original response was based on your desire to get clients...

But if you also want to get better at writing copy, then Clayton's newsletter is excellent. It's packed with nitty-gritty how-to copywriting stuff.

I love John Carlton's work, but it's a bit pricier... and his newsletter is broader in nature... how to live and enjoy life, copywriting tips, rants, etc. You won't find as much how-to stuff in his letter.

Also, for getting clients, you'll want to get two books: Dan Kennedy's No B.S. Wealth Attraction and T. Harv Eker's Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. If you don't have your mind "tuned up," you'll have a hard time getting clients. I found these two books to be critical to my success in raising my fees so quickly. Cost: about $25 for both of them.

Hope this helps, Ray.

Ryan

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Ryan,

I want to begin with a Huge Heartfelt Thank You!!

As for clarification, it is my message that needs more explanation, not yours. I understood your recommending John Angel's product. The fact that you'd receive a commission doesn't bother me at all. I did not think that you were recommending it because you would get the commission. I trust you as well as your opinion... that's why I looked to you for a little guidance with my education and career.

I haven't emailed any other copywriter for their opinion because there are so many who I believe would recommend products just to get the commission.

I was just surprised that your message only included the one recommendation, I guess I was hoping for more info. After reading some of the posts on your blog I just thought you'd have more to say. (Like with this last message where you 'Overdelivered' with more info than I expected.)

I do understand that you are very busy and I do apologize for being a bit demanding of your time, but like my old history teacher used to preach, "How ya gonna know if ya don't ask?" :-)

Now, back to my 'Huge Heartfelt Thank You' at the beginning of this message... I am truly grateful for your ideas and insights and for taking the time out of your busy day to help me find my way through some of the clutter out there.

I really do appreciate your help. :-)

Now, I'm gonna go order a couple of books and get back to work. (Are they available on your site? I'll check there first.)

Have a wonderful day, Ryan.

Ray W.

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So there you have it. Real correspondence with a person who has a real desire to succeed as a freelance copywriter.

Perhaps my suggestion to get John Angel's Copywriter Profits course will be right for you. Perhaps not. And perhaps you will want to start by getting the two books I mentioned above.

You should know that I'm the only person promoting John's course right now, so if you buy I will automatically receive a commission. That's the way John has set it up. If that bothers you, please ask him not to pay me... or wait until another person promotes it.

I'm flying out on Thursday morning for San Francisco. Before I leave, I'll be sending an email that tells you how to get John's course. Only 50 copies will be released. They may sell out quickly. They may not sell out at all. And that's the truth. ;-)

Have a great Tuesday!

948 Words... Rejected!

Just finished a 3-page mini-sales letter for a client today.

It's 948 words.

He says nobody will read it.

Here's the ironic thing...

My client says his customers resist the Internet even though it could substantially streamline their lives. To him, using the Internet is a no-brainer. But to his customers, it's not. He's frustrated by this.

To me, using a sales letter is a no-brainer. But to my client, it's not. I'm frustrated by this.

(See the connection?)

Now, I believe a sales letter on my client's site could substantially increase his revenue. I have strong reason to believe this, especially since I was able to recently boost one client's revenue by a very large amount. (See the brand new testimonial from Marquetta for yourself. It's the first one of the testmonials on my copywriting website.)

Yet my client claims, "My customers would never read that. It's too long."

I asked him, "Why wouldn't your customers read it?"

He responded, "Well, I would never read that."

Such is life as a copywriter. :-)

Just so you know, my client is happy. He loves the autoresponder I wrote for him. And I've worked out a compromise to get him to use the copy. It's not how I would have liked him to use the copy, but at least he's going to use it (I think).

And I've been paid, so I'm happy.

Why do I share all of this? I don't know. Probably because I just wanted to get it down on paper. But also because I know you enjoy getting an "insider's view" on what life is like as a copywriter.

It's not always as easy as it may seem. But it's always challenging, rewarding, gratifying. I love it.

Two Clients, Two Reactions

I love copywriting, but it certainly has its ups and downs. In fact, two weeks ago I received feedback from two separate clients on the same day (April 29). One was thrilled; the other one... not so much.

So what did these two clients say?

Client #1:

By the way, I just started quickly reading the emails.

My jaw dropped with number 8. Hot!

There is some work to do, but these emails just might create a big ole buzz!

Client #2:

The work you did for me last year was awesome, and I was really excited to be working with you again, especially since you work with the big guys which speaks for itself.

However, I think this is why I definitely don't feel like this is your best. I've seen you do much better. Perhaps I'm not big enough.

Because you are talented and I know firsthand that you can really write at a high level, I just don't see a future if this is ultimately what I will receive.

If you received both of these reactions on the same day, how would you feel? How would you respond?

Because this is the reality a copywriter experiences when he writes for clients. Most are happy, grateful, and excited. Occasionally one feels differently. ;-)

To his credit, client #2 said he would test the copy since that is the ultimate test of its value.

Rather than reply to client #2's email, I called him to talk things through. I discovered what it was that was bothering him. And we also discovered that he, in his haste, had neglected to give me a key piece of information that needed to be included in the copy.

So everything worked out in the end.

A couple take-aways for you:

1. When a client is upset and sends you an email, do not reply to the email... at least not at first. Try to call the client. It's always easier to work things out over the phone. Email leaves too much room for misunderstanding.

2. Do not automatically assume that you've done something wrong OR that your client has done something wrong. Most of the time, both of you are partly to blame. You need to get your client on the phone to figure out where the miscommunication occurred.

Oh, and just so you know these take-aways work: since I spoke with client #2, he has sent me additional work.

Who Else Wants to Learn How to Close Clients?

Did you know that you'll almost never close a copywriting client on the strength of your sales letter alone?

You've got to get potential clients on the phone. That's where the business of copywriting really happens.

It's kind of ironic, isn't it? That as a copywriter you'd have to close business over the phone?

Nevertheless, it's a skill you simply have to learn if you want to succeed as a freelance copywriter.

That's why I'm excited to invite you to a teleseminar about "How to Close Copywriting Clients" on Monday night at 7 PM EST.

Shaune Clarke will be interviewing Susan Adams, a woman who's been in sales for 21 years. Not only that, her most recent sales work was selling fractional ownership of Lear Jets to rich and famous people!

If there's a person who knows how to close a deal, it's Susan.

Now, you should know two things about this call.

1. Susan is being paid for her time, so in one sense, this is not a free call. And yet Shaune has given me permission to invite you onto the call for free.

2. Although I expect Shaune will record the call, I doubt it will be made available for download after the call is over. That means if you miss the call, there will be no opportunity to get the information.

I did not want to force you through a separate opt-in page to get the call-in details. So I'm doing something different...

I've listed the call-in details below. If you intend to be on the call, please leave a comment expressing your commitment.

Day: Monday, April 24
Time: 7pm Eastern, 6pm Central, 5pm Mountain, 4pm Pacific
Call-In Number: 512-225-3246

See you on the call!

PS - There IS a PIN code for this call. When you post your comment, I will send you a private email with the code. (Which means, use your real name when you leave your comment. Otherwise, I won't be able to look you up. :-)

What Clients Really Want...

If you're like me, you may think most clients are interested purely in results.

But it's not true.

What I've discovered is that clients are only interested in results if you can achieve them within their "unspoken rules."

I'll give you 2 examples.

1. One client told me that his "bottom line" was results. In fact, he said, "I only care about results" during an instant message converstion.

I said, "OK. If that's true, then you'll test this, this, and this."

He wouldn't do it.

I drilled deeper and discovered he was interested in results insofar as I could accomplish them without altering his brand image or changing certain parts of his site navigation.

So, results were really not the bottom line, as he had at first suggested.

And that's fine... so long as he and I both know that.

2. Another client, who has not specifically stated that results are his bottom line, hired me to improve conversions.

In fact, I'm making final changes to his project as we speak.

After some discussion, it turns out he is only interested in results if the sales copy doesn't sound too much like a typical direct response letter. He doesn't want hype... or even words that smack of hype.

He also doesn't like the use of a promise in a headline that is too big or unbelievable.

I relate these stories not to criticize my clients, but to inform you of the realities of copywriting.

Dealing with clients is never simple, never "one size fits all."

That's why good communcication—clear communication—is one of your best weapons in dealing with clients.

Find out what your clients want. Then find out what they really want.

Armand Morin Big Seminar

Another great way to drum up new clients is by attending seminars... especially Internet marketing seminars like Armand Morin's Big Seminar. Here is a place where 400 savvy Internet marketers will gather to learn the latest cutting edge marketing techniques they can apply to their online businesses. Even better, many of them need and hire copywriters all the time.

If you can afford to attend an event like this, you could make your money back with just one or two new clients. And the opportunity you have to network is amazing. Maybe you come away with a new copywriting client... but maybe you come away with a new business partner or something you can't even imagine right now.

I've already registered for the event, including the Friday night VIP dinner. This dinner will get you into an exclusive room with some of the top Internet marketers in the world today. It's an extra $150 for the VIP dinner, but it's well worth it.

Also, if you're a copywriter, you should know that Michel Fortin will be speaking. He's one of the top copywriters in the industry today, even though he has "semi-retired." He's widely known for a promotion that generated over a million dollars in 18 hours. The opportunity to hear from Michel will definitely worth the price of admission since he'll help you substantially improve the sales copy you're writing today.

Oh, and another thing I forgot. If you've never attended a big Internet marketing seminar like Armand Morin's, then it will really open your eyes to the huge opportunity you have to earn money online--today. If you've been trying to go it alone, wondering how you can run an Internet-based business from home, then you most of all need to get yourself to an event like the Big Seminar. It'll propel you light years beyond where you're at now... and make your dream of running an Internet-based business from home a reality... a very profitable reality.

Click here to get more details about Armand Morin's Big Seminar.

Joint Ventures for Copywriters

If you're having trouble attracting clients, and you really need a couple of copywriting jobs to start building your portfolio, you might want to consider joint ventures. They're easy to set up, and could be worth a substantial amount of money to you.

For instance, partner with somebody on a project where you write the sales copy for a discounted rate plus 5% ongoing commission on gross revenue. There are all kinds of entrepreneurs and business owners with great ideas who just need a talented copywriter to come alongside them to help launch whatever product or service they've developed.

Granted, this strategy can be risky. So another approach to take is this... Come up with your own business idea. You write the sales copy for your product or service and find someone to joint venture with you on the development of the product.

I'm involved in an agreement like this right now. I've partnered with a programmer who is developing a piece of software I envisioned. I wrote down all the specs for him. Now he's developing the software for a piece of the action. I'll write all the sales copy and will retain ownership of everything: the domain, the software, the revenue, etc.

The split my programmer and I have agreed to is this: 35/35/30. That means 35% of gross revenue will go to my programmer; 35% will go to me; and the remaining 30% will go toward operational and promotional costs. My programmer is entitled to his cut for 2 years after he ceases to have any active role in the project.

This might sound crazy, but I know my programmer well. And he's launching a product that we're also going to joint venture on. Except this time I'll be the one getting a piece of the action. The splits will be the same and I, too, will get my cut for two years beyond the time I have an active role in his project.

You can get creative with joint ventures and strategic alliances. They often won't provide you with instant cash (like the kind you receive for a big copywriting fee), but it's a good plan to work one or two solid joint ventures into your schedule.

If you don't know of anyone off-hand whom you could partner with, then you might consider finding your joint venture partner through an online joint venture network. One I highly recommend is JV Gold. Some of the top marketers belong to this network, so if you have a particularly strong idea or offer to make, you may catch the attention of some very influential people. And, for the next 117 people, you can get 30 days of access to the network for just $1. That means you can submit or respond to as many proposals as you like. And you even get access to all the bonuses (over $600 worth) for just a buck. Check out the joint venture network here.

Maria Called Last Night...

About two months ago I called on Maria because she left a flyer on my door. And it was very poorly written. So I called her up, explained how I could help her, and got her to pay me $250 to rewrite the flyer.

You can see the original flyer here.

I rewrote the flyer and gave it to Maria, but she didn't distribute it until a week ago. And the response has been so positive that she called me last night to tell me how happy she was. She said, "You bring me good luck!"

Actually, it's got nothing to do with luck. It has everything to do with knowing how to write powerful direct sales copy that gets people to pick up the phone and buy what you're selling.

One of the things Maria mentioned is that she now has no trouble closing the sale when she goes to a house to prepare a quote. She tells them how much it will cost for her house cleaning service and they sign up right on the spot. (I guess it didn't used to be that way...)

Now Maria wants to hire me again to do a holiday promotion for her. And I told her I'd be glad to help.

PS - If you'd like to see the flyer I wrote for Maria, click here.

PPS - On Monday, August 29, I spoke with Maria again and asked her for specific numbers. She said she distributed 800 flyers and got eight new clients the first day. That's a solid 1% response rate to cold, unqualified prospects. By the way, that's more than quadruple Maria's normal response, which is why she was so happy.