Copywriting-101-secrets-for-launching-your-multi-million-dollar-career.pdf

Copywriting 101 Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career By Katie Yeakle

PLUS… Your Exclusiv 30-Day Laun e Protocol ch

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American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Avenue, Suite 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone: 561-278-5557 Fax: 561-278-5929 Website: www.awaionline.com

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Part 1

What Exactly Is Copywriting?

“On the road to wealth, developing a financially-valuable skill is the most important step. It’s the foundation upon which every other step is based.” — Mark Morgan Ford

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hen most people think of “writing careers,” they think they have two choices:

You can become an author and write books — fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and so on. Or, you can get yourself a journalism degree, and write articles and news stories for newspapers and magazines — either as a freelancer or staff writer. Both are noble professions that can be very rewarding and garner a lot of respect. Problem is, they’re hard work. They’re highly competitive. You need to spend a lot of time getting very good at what you do. And, unless you’re among the elite, the pay is typically pretty average at best. The kind of writing we do isn’t either of those two — although there is an element of storytelling and reporting in what we do. And, even though you see the writing we do every day — in the mail, on the Internet, in magazines and newspapers — few people stop to consider who’s writing it … and just how lucrative of a career it can be. Master Copywriter Mark Morgan Ford, the man who’s mentored hundreds of upand-coming copywriters and will be helping you, put it perfectly some years ago: Ÿ You’re a good writer if you can write a story that can make people cry … Ÿ You’re a better writer if your writing can make people laugh …

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Ÿ But, if your writing can persuade people to take action — that’s when you know you can be a very wealthy writer. That, in a nutshell, is what copywriters do. They persuade people to take action — whether it’s to support a cause, read a special report, buy a product, request some more information, and so on. It may just be some well-written copy on a website landing page … an email you send a potential customer … an ad in a publication … or a personal letter written to someone with an interest in the product you’re offering. But, it all boils down to good, conversational, persuasive writing. You may be wondering … how is this different from ordinary advertising — like the kind you see on TV and in magazines? Simple. The difference between “traditional” advertising and the kind of persuasive writing we do is, while they create awareness for a product — we get people to take immediate action. Click on a link … fill out a questionnaire … complete an order form … buy a product … Not a week from now. Not tomorrow. Right now. And, don’t worry if you haven’t a clue on how to do it.

We’ll Teach You The “Formula” There’s a basic formula to all the writing we do. It’s a secret structure that you’ll find in every piece of good, persuasive writing … one that’s been tested and proven to work millions of times in millions of ads. A structure anyone can know — and one you’ll learn here today. Once you learn it, understand it, and start using it — well, that’s when your life will change dramatically. Because the fact is, once you can write a letter, an ad, or a web page that persuades — you’ll have a financially-valuable skill that will reward you for life! If you can write “copy” that persuades, there isn’t a business in the world that won’t beat a path to your door to get you to work your magic for them. Think about it: If you’re able to sit down and in a week write an ad or a letter that results in $100,000 in additional sales — and the company you write for pays you

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$5,000 to write it — where is the downside? The business is happy. They just boosted sales by $100,000. And you — you got $5,000 for a week’s worth of work, writing a few hours a day. Now, multiply that by all the weeks in the year and you’re earning over $250,000 a year! But, it gets better. There’s an entire $2.3 trillion industry that relies on writers like us who know the secret to persuasive writing exclusively. It’s called “the direct-response industry.” And, because the words we write are the engine of this industry, they pay writers like us very well for our expertise. How well? Experienced writers can command between $5,000 and $10,000 (and more) per sales promotion. Plus, often you’ll get a percentage of the sales you generate — “royalties” they’re called — that can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for every ad or letter you write! Whether you’re helping someone land a better job more quickly as a resume writer … helping a worthy charity raise money … selling your own words and expertise as a self-publisher … helping drive new customers to a business’s website as an expert web writer … or a copywriter writing ads and “story-style” letters that sell directly to customers — persuasive writing can pay you millions over the course of your lifetime! All while affording you the kind of lifestyle most can only dream about — where you make your own hours, working when and where you want. So, the question is: Are you eager to get started right away? Great! Because in just a minute, I’m going to reveal the secret to writing ads and letters that persuade — knowledge that will form the foundation for your successful copywriting career from this day forward.

Five Financial And Lifestyle Options Copywriting Offers Have Complete Control Over Your Schedule For The First Time By the time you finish reading this report, you’ll have a pretty good idea if a freelance copywriting career fits both your financial and lifestyle needs. Which

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makes this the ideal time to take a look at some of the financial and lifestyle options copywriting offers: 1. You can do it in your spare time to supplement your current income — You can boost your current income by writing copy in your spare time — and then, should you so desire, transition it into a full-time career. 2. It’s a great full-time career — You can launch a full-time freelance copywriting career immediately. It’s financially satisfying and offers up a lifestyle of freedom and flexibility that few people get to experience these days. 3. It will enhance your present career — Depending upon where you work and what you do, your copywriting skills have the potential to increase your value to your current employer. 4. You can boost the effectiveness of a side business — If you have a parttime business, your copywriting expertise will help you increase your sales and profitability. 5. You’ll have a future filled with unlimited options and opportunities — You can really take your new set of skills and use them to branch off and pursue a wide range of lucrative opportunities (more about this a bit later). To give you an idea of the kind of money you could make, here are four typical “copywriting scenarios”: David works full-time, but wants to earn some extra money for vacations and for the family’s savings plan. He puts in a few hours during the evenings and on weekends and makes $25,000 a year. One day, he plans to transition to copywriting as a full-time career. Elaine is a stay-at-home single mom. She has two young children to care for, but still manages to find twenty to twenty-five hours per week for her freelance copywriting business. She makes over $75,000 a year. Paula is ambitious and works 40+ hours a week, not only on copywriting, but also on the growth and development of her freelance business. She makes $120,000 a year. Jack is a real go-getter. He not only found he has a real talent for copywriting, but also that he’s a terrific networker and business developer. He has negotiated some lucrative contracts with a number of big companies and will be making more than $300,000 this year.

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The Freedom And Flexibility Of The Copywriting Lifestyle Of course, money is important, we need it to survive, but the first reason many copywriters give for loving what they do is the freedom it offers. Because as a professional direct-marketing copywriter, you have complete control over your schedule. You no longer have to show up at a certain time and be restricted in what you do over the course of a typical workday. You decide how hard you work and when. If you’re a night owl, you can do your writing at night, leaving your days free for your favorite leisure activities. If you like to start your day early, you could start writing at say 6 a.m. and finish up by early afternoon. Then, you’ll have the rest of the day to do whatever you feel like doing. Go golfing, play tennis, play with the kids, shop — it’s entirely up to you. No boss is watching you. There’s no time clock to punch. Plus, you can do it from anywhere in the world. Maybe you’ve dreamed of living in a log cabin in the mountains — miles from anyone. Or, maybe you like the excitement of an apartment in downtown Manhattan, London, or Paris. The point is, you’re not forced by your job to live in any one spot. You can live wherever you choose — even travel the world if you like — and still make an excellent living. Plus, on top of offering a flexible lifestyle and a proven path to financial independence, copywriting is also very stimulating intellectually. It’s a chance to continually flex your creative muscle — to always be learning about new and interesting things.

You’ll Be In Big Demand Another thing that makes a career in copywriting so attractive is that your services will always be in big demand. According to the Direct Marketing Association, marketers spent an estimated

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$163 billion on direct marketing last year, which generated approximately $1.91 trillion in incremental sales. Not only that, the Internet has opened up a whole new world of opportunity for copywriters … and made it global! Ÿ 52.7% of all ad expenditures in the United States were made on direct marketing. Ÿ U.S. online advertising revenue in the first quarter this year hit $8.4 billion, the best quarter recorded to date and a jump of $1.1 billion over the same period last year, according to the numbers released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Ÿ Thousands of new products and services emerge through Internet marketing every day, creating a never-ending, always-increasing demand for high-powered web marketing copy and SEO techniques. Virtually every business that has a website has a need for someone who possesses copywriting skills!

If You Can Write A Simple Letter Or Email, You Can Do This What You Don’t Need To Be A Great Copywriter Will Surprise You One of the great things about copywriting is virtually anyone can do this. It matters little what education level you’ve reached or what you’ve done in the past. If you’ve ever written a letter to a friend or sent an email at work, you have the basic skills you need to succeed. To thrive and flourish as a copywriter, as with any worthwhile achievement, first and foremost you need to have within you a burning desire to succeed. And, while you definitely don’t have to be a good writer, you have to have some “speaking” ability. Because the key to writing a successful letter is your ability to connect emotionally with your reader. And, the best way to make that connection is by writing “conversationally.” If you can write like you talk, you are well on the way to becoming a great copywriter. Here are a few things you don’t need to be a copywriter … You don’t need a lot of money to get started. You don’t need extensive computer

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skills — or even an expensive computer. You don’t need to be a creative genius. Many of your ideas will come from your clients. As a copywriter, your job is to present those ideas based on a few basic techniques for writing hard-hitting, focused copy. You don’t need to be a “natural-born salesperson.” And, while we’re on the subject of sales, I’d like to say a few quick words on “sales” and “selling.” Because when a lot of people see these words, they get nervous and think to themselves “that’s not for me. I can’t sell anything.” The thought of doing any type of sales for a living paralyzes them with fear and literally stops them in their tracks. It’s important to remember that to varying degrees in life, everyone is a salesperson. We constantly sell our ideas to others every day of our lives. Have you ever encouraged a friend to see a movie you just saw or read a book you liked? Or, convinced somebody to hire you for a job… go out on a date with you… or do you a favor? If you’ve done any of those, you’re more than qualified for a career as a freelance copywriter. Because all a copywriter does is persuade people with words. It’s arguably the best, most relaxed, most fun type of selling there is. You’re not promoting products face-to-face with a prospective customer. You’re writing letters, emails, and so on from the comfort of home — they do the “selling” for you. And, you’ll be using proven techniques that can be easily learned by anyone, no matter what age you are or what you’ve done in the past. To help you understand the power of persuasion process, here are Mark Morgan Ford’s …

Three Fundamental Rules Of Selling 1. People don’t like the idea of being sold. While most people love to shop, they don’t want to be sold. They love to buy things — because buying implies control. Being sold, the opposite. Have you ever been shopping and encountered a salesperson that tried to pressure you into buying something? Maybe you were in an electronics

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store shopping for a new television or in a car dealership looking to buy a new car. While high-pressure tactics might work on some people, most of us retreat and vow never to do business with that person ever again. The most successful salespeople do not make you feel like you are being forced into doing something. They make you comfortable and give you the features and benefits you need in order for you to make a decision. So, if you’re concerned that you’re not a natural-born salesperson or you can’t see yourself writing high pressure, hyped-up copy, don’t be. That’s not what successful copywriting is all about. In a minute, we’ll take you through the various elements of a successful sales letter so you can see for yourself how easy (and logical) it is. 2. People buy things for emotional, not rational, reasons. People don’t buy Rolex watches because they keep track of time more accurately. They buy Rolex watches to show the world how successful they are. Buying a Rolex watch appeals to their sense of pride (or perhaps, in some cases, their vanity). Pride, vanity, lust, and envy are very important sales motivators. As are greed, the desire to be richer, more successful, happier, more secure, more independent. And, the fear of losing something — money, independence, friends, happiness — can be a very powerful tool in the direct-marketing world. As a successful copywriter, the copy you write will appeal to your prospect’s feelings and desires. In other words, you’ll sell to the heart first … not to the head. 3. O  nce sold, people need to satisfy their emotional decisions with logic. Once the prospect is emotionally sold, he needs to justify his irrational decision with rational reasons. He needs to justify his purchase in his mind. It’s very important that he be able to tell himself (and others), “I’ve made the right decision.” A good example of this is TV commercials for cars. First, you see a stirring image of the car itself — beautiful, stylish, new. There’s a mountainous landscape for the prospect who wants to see himself as rugged. A five-star hotel for the prospect who wants the car to enhance his status. A beautiful woman by his side … interior shots of the car … you get to listen to the state-of-the-art sound system … then there’s a shot of the car driving by the ocean. All designed to show how luxurious and great your life will be

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with this car. It’s designed entirely to appeal to emotion. But, car commercials don’t stop there. They usually give you numerous bits and pieces of information — the size of the engine, statistics on fuel economy, speed, weight, interior space, and so on. All the data is not meant to sell the car. Its purpose is to make the prospect feel good about his decision. This is almost as important as the emotional appeal as it justifies the sale in your prospect’s mind and makes him feel good about his choice. Those are the three basic rules of selling. When you become a full-fledged copywriter, you’ll be able to use them to sell a vast array of products and services … from jewelry to cars to weight-loss systems … to just about anything. Make sense, don’t they? Okay, now it’s time to get down to the nuts and bolts, so to speak — to look at what it really takes to build a successful direct-marketing package. As you continue further in this report, you’ll discover the extremely interesting and educational parts of the types of direct-marketing packages you see in the mail and online now. And my guess is, after reading through this, you’ll never look at a sales letter you receive in the mail or view a message online the same way ever again.

But first… more details about what you need and don’t need to become a successful copywriter in this excerpt from AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, created exclusively for Your 30-Day Launch Protocol.

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What Is A Copywriter – And Why Would Anyone Want To Be One?

by Paul Hollingshead

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ecently, our neighborhood had a small get-together to celebrate someone’s birthday. About midway through the evening, a few of my neighbors pulled me aside and asked me a question they’ve been longing to know… what do I do for a living? Apparently, they’ve been baffled for some time. No wonder … After all, for the past several years they’ve watched me not drive to work every morning, lounge around the yard while most people are just settling into their office desks, load my golf clubs into my car most every afternoon, and take off for week-long excursions whenever I please, instead of driving to work every morning or sitting in an office all day.

So, when I finally told my neighbors I write copy for a living, it’s no surprise I was greeted with disbelief.

But what really had them wondering was how I could do all these things while not appearing to work – and still have plenty of money left over for other things. For example, they see my wife and me constantly making improvements to our home, buying new furniture, and redecorating. They see 2 new cars sitting in our driveway. They watch us set out on at least three major trips a year.

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So, when I finally told my neighbors I write copy for a living, it’s no surprise I was greeted with disbelief. “But it looks like you make a lot of money,” they told me. “I do,” I said. “And you can do that … writing out of your house?” Their surprise is understandable.

Insider Tip: “Katie, I just got off the phone with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). They wanted to know if I could really make $160K a year writing sales letters. I said, ‘No, I can do it in a month.’ ;-)” – Carline Anglade-Cole, Master Copywriter

After all, working from home is only a dream for most people. And writing – unless you’re a best-selling author – isn’t a high-paying lucrative career … or is it? Obviously, most people wish they could stay home and make a lot of money. So they wonder – how do I do it? Before I answer that question, let me clarify exactly what it is I do.

What Is Copywriting? Copywriting, simply put, is any writing that offers a product or service for sale. That covers a very wide spectrum. For the purpose of this program, let’s divide copywriting into two categories. The first category is “advertising agency” copywriting. The second is “direct response” copywriting. You can listen to legendary ad man, David Ogilvy talk about the value of direct-response copywriting on YouTube by searching for “David Ogilvy direct response”. Most of the ads you see in newspapers, magazines and most television commercials are written by “agency” copywriters. The copy is short, clever – even humorous. But typically, those ads have no “call to action.” Let’s take a look at two ads for Hpnotiq liquor.

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Ad “A” for Hpnotiq doesn’t ask for a sale. It’s a “soft” sell. Its objective is to make you feel good about Hpnotiq in hopes that you’ll buy it the next time you want a refreshing drink. It’s up to the reader to find stores that sell Hpnotiq.

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Ad “B” for Hpnotiq, on the other hand, has a strong call to action – enter a contest to win $100,000 or other exciting cash prizes, but only for a limited time. This drives the reader to purchase Hpnotiq now in response to this offer.

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“Direct response” copywriting is the kind of advertising that makes people open their checkbooks and buy. Not next week. Not tomorrow. But right now. There’s a big difference – particularly if you’re a direct response writer. Because while “agency” writers may get all the fame and glory, direct response writers who can get people to open their checkbooks get the cash. Do that consistently and direct response marketers will be knocking down your door asking you to write ads, sales letters or online promotions for them – and they’ll be dangling some mighty big checks in front of your nose just to entice you. They might ask you to sell just about anything. Maybe a gadget like one of those new-fangled exercise machines. Maybe a book that will make you better in bed or more attractive to the opposite sex. Maybe a newsletter that will help you get rich … or be healthier … travel for less … or shed unwanted pounds. No matter what you’re asked to sell, the object of the kind of writing you’re going to learn here is to get the prospect excited enough about any product or service to buy it right then and there.

“Direct response” copywriting is the kind of advertising that makes people open their checkbooks and buy. Not next week. Not tomorrow. But right now.

This type of selling – direct-response selling – is done through radio, print, and TV ads. But by far, the most effective method of direct response selling is through the mail or the Internet. According to the Direct Marketing Association, companies spent an estimated $183.1 billion on direct marketing in 2008. Total U.S. direct-marketing sales were expected to surpass $2.158 trillion!

Key to Success “The volume of direct mail in the U.S. grew 5% annually through 2011, to $72.3 billion, despite the downturn in the economy.” This includes the costs for preparing (that means copywriting and designing), printing/binding production and postage for postcards, catalogs and letters. Source: Winterberry Group’s analysis of data from the Direct Marketing Association, http://www.winterberrygroup.com/research/wp/

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A good direct mail piece – the kind you’ll learn to write in this program – can be anything from a four-page letter… to a 32-page magalog… to a 100-page booklet … to a single online sales page… or a multi-page web site. Direct response marketing appeals to some very basic emotions. FEAR AND GREED are big sellers in the direct marketing world. So are … PRIDE, LUST, AND ENVY. The fear of losing something – money, independence, friends, happiness – can be a very powerful tool. So can greed, the desire to be richer, more successful, happier, more secure, more independent. (By the end of this program, you’ll know all the emotional “hot buttons” that can boost your chance of making a sale.)

Join The “Club” – And Rake In The Money Summed up, direct response copywriting is demonstrating, through a powerful emotional appeal, that your prospect’s life would be much more complete if only he or she owned what you’re selling. Convince one to two people out of 100 of that and you’ll be wealthier and better off than 99.9% of all writers on earth. How much better? Let’s look at the facts. It’s accepted that the average, successful, full-time freelancer writing for newspapers and magazines makes a mere $25,000 or so per year. Staff writers are paid about the same: $25,000 to $30,000 for entry level positions. If you survive, put in 10 to 20 years, and rise to the top of your profession, you’re looking at $40,000 to $50,000 tops. If you want to write books, short stories, poetry, or screenplays, better take it up as a hobby. Average fiction writers make a miserable $1,500 a year – if

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they can get published. Only one in a million writers ever hits the jackpot and makes enough to live well. Technical and business writers are pretty well paid by comparison ($45,000 to $55,000), but the work is painfully tedious. Let me ask you: Do you want to spend the rest of your life in a tiny cubicle somewhere translating long, detailed notes and specs into “user-friendly” manuals?

There’s no limit on what you can earn once you get established… and YOU control how, where and when you work.

Ad agencies seem glamorous – as long as you’re the one person in 10,000 that “makes it.” Even then, the brightest stars burn only so long in this very competitive, cut-throat business. And if your agency loses a major client, your job usually goes with it. But direct marketing is a whole different ball game. There’s really no limit on what you can earn once you get established … and YOU control how, where and when you work. But here’s what’s most ironic …

Less Talent – More Money This is the only business I know of where the less talent you need to be a success – the more you get paid! Here’s what I mean … Fiction writing is a painfully meticulous art form. At least it is for me. You have to know different literary techniques and understand how to work them into multi-layered stories. You have to be able to write convincing dialogue, create characters, be aware of simile, irony, and a whole barrel full of technical terms I can barely recall from high school, let alone college. In other words, writing good literature takes study, time, and a tremendous amount of talent.

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Even to write for newspapers and magazines, you have to know quite a bit about a lot of things and you need to be able to write in a very distinct style. In fact, just to get a job on a major daily these days, you have to have the right degree, lots of working experience, and the willingness to work like a dog at all hours for a few hundred dollars a week.

Success Clue “As I listen to myself explain what copy-writing is, how my hours work, and how good the pay is; I realize I really am living the writer’s life.”

Writing direct response copy, on the other hand, takes considerably less talent. All you need is an understanding of a few simple secrets, the ability to write in the same conversational style most people speak in, and the drive to practice these skills. As you put these together, you stand a good chance of succeeding.

Once you’re good – and you can consistently convince people to buy what you’re selling – AWAI Wall of Famer (something you do everyday of your life … Joanne Sullivan, AWAI every time you try to “sell” an idea you have Member since 2004 to your wife, friend, or co-worker) – you’ll make more in one year than most “real” writers will make in a lifetime. No fancy degree needed. No “slugging it out” in the trenches. No years of paying your dues. No hoping some publisher will discover you as the next great writer of this generation. Your success is based entirely on how many people respond to your copy. Even if you write a “literary monstrosity”… if you make enough people open their checkbooks or pull out their credit cards – you’re a success.

What’s More, Good Writers Are Forever In Demand People will always be calling you and begging you to write a letter that sells what they’re selling. That’s because you’re money in the bank for them. In the movie industry, it’s called “bankable.” You’ll be the “Will Smith” of the direct marketing industry – a star they can count on to bring in the money. And you know how much he can command per film…

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Key to Success How big is the demand for copywriters? On a single day recently, on one web site alone, Poe War.com, there were 816 copywriting projects available for good writers.

As a successful copywriter, you will be able to name your price. How much? Michael himself will tell you about that in the next section. But let me tell you this: One letter I wrote made me over $60,000. That’s twice the amount of money I’d ever made in one year working for someone else. And you know what? I wrote that letter in a mere three days – in my first year of copywriting. And these may be the truest words ever spoken: If I can do it, so can you. To sum up, if you can write a letter that sells, you’ll never be out of work.

Enjoy Complete Financial And Personal Freedom But, here’s what I consider to be the best reason for becoming a copywriter: freedom. As a professional direct marketing copywriter, not only can you make a great deal of money – you can do it from anywhere in the world, whenever the mood strikes you. If you’re a night owl, you do your writing at night, leaving your days free for your favorite leisure activities. Or, if you’re like me and you like to get an early start on the day, you write from 6 a.m. to early afternoon. The rest of the day’s your own. Go golfing, play tennis, play with the kids, shop – it’s entirely up to you. No boss is watching you. There’s no time clock to punch. You are in complete control of every minute of every hour of the day. There’s no one to tell you what you can and can’t do. If leisure time is not as important to you, you can work “regular” hours and make double the money someone like me makes. That’s what my friend (and fellow American Writers & Artists Inc. board member) Don Mahoney does. He takes on enough work to keep him busy all day long. And for his effort, Don’s on target to make well over $400,000 this year.

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As a professional direct marketing copywriter, not only can you make a great deal of money – you can do it from anywhere in the world, whenever the mood strikes you.

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A few good hits, and he’ll make considerably more. (By good “hits” I mean letters that sell big. Keep in mind, not every letter you write will be a winner. If half do well, you’ll be in the big leagues. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. There’ll be a lot more on how much you can expect to make and how to increase your chances of success in the sections ahead.)

A Word from AWAI’s Executive Director… “AWAI is built on a big promise … that we can teach you a new skill that can lead to increased income … independence from the 9-to-5 grind … and the freedom to live and work where you choose. All of us at AWAI stand behind that promise. In fact, that’s how we measure our success – by how many people we help reinvent their lives. I look forward to counting you among the many successes we’re so proud of …”

Why Do Copywriters Make So Much Money?

by Mark Morgan Ford

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o answer this question, I’m going to speak to you not as a copywriter, but as a direct marketer. In other words, I’m going to tell you why my clients – your prospective employers – are glad to pay copywriters the big bucks after completing this program. First, some background. Sales letters written by copywriters I’ve trained have generated sales of well over a billion dollars. Conservatively speaking, these writers have been paid in excess of $30 million.

Now I ask you, would I let my clients spend that kind of money if they didn’t have to? You’re damn straight I wouldn’t.

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Those checks were paid because I believed that for every dollar spent, my clients made 20 back. And more often than not, that’s exactly what happened. To understand why direct response copywriters make so much money – why they make more moolah than other writers (except the most successful novelist or screen writers) – you have to understand a little about how the direct marketing business works. Let me give you a revealing illustration.

DIRECT MARKETING: The Idiot’s Guide You think of something to sell. Maybe it’s the story of how you lost 30 pounds eating peanuts. You write a book and have it printed (cost $8,400). Then you write a letter (“Dear Dieter, If you like peanuts, I’ve got good news for you …”) and send it to 30,000 people who, in the past, have bought diet books through the mail. The mailing – including printing, postage, and lettershop Direct marketing is a services – costs $18,600. You are now sub-discipline and type out of pocket $27,000. of marketing. There are two main definitional characteristics which distinguish it from other types of marketing. The first is that it attempts to send its messages directly to consumers, without the use of intervening media. This involves commercial communication (direct mail, e-mail, telemarketing) with consumers or businesses, usually unsolicited.

The second characteristic is that it is focused on driving purchases that can be attributed to a specific “call-toaction.” This aspect of direct marketing involves an emphasis on trackable, measurable positive (but not negative) responses from consumers (known simply as “response” in the industry) regardless of medium.

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Your letter tells the prospect: Guess what! I’ve found a great new way to lose weight, and it doesn’t require you to diet. All you’ve got to do is stuff your craw with peanuts. I did it and it worked. So did my sister Sarah. And, my cousin Billy. Even my physician, Dr. Blahblah, likes it. He says it’s the best way to lose pounds since amputation! You end the letter with the news that you’ve got a “limited” number of books available for $19 each, and a promise to refund the prospect’s money if he or she isn’t happy. You send the letter to your list of 30,000 names … and wait.

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

Waiting Is the Hardest Part Nothing happens for days … many days. You stare mournfully at your depleted bank account balance and think about what it will be like to live on ketchup sandwiches for the rest of your life. Then suddenly, two orders come in. “Great,” you think, “$38 bucks. I’m only down $26,962.” You wait some more … and then one day, you go out to your mailbox and there’s a single piece of mail. “Damn,” you think, “I’m all washed up.” But you read the note. It’s from your mailman. Please come down to the central office to claim your mail. There’s too much to fit in your box. Hooray! You hit it big! In the end, you’ve deposited $58,342 in your bank account. After fulfillment of the books and all upfront expenses, you’ve made a profit of more than $20,000.

… next month you can send out the same letter. But this time you won’t send it to 30,000 names – you’ll send it to 300,000!

But that’s not even the best part. The thought that’s keeping a smile on your face is the realization that next month you can send out the same letter. But this time you won’t send it to 30,000 names – you’ll send it to 300,000! Your profit will grow from 20 Gs to 200 Gs! And you’ve just begun. Now imagine that it’s an eBook (electronic book available via download from the Internet) with no printing or shipping costs. Suddenly your profits skyrocket that much faster… especially if you’re selling it through a sales letter email or web page. Now don’t go running off to write a book on the peanut diet. In fact, don’t go running off at all. There’s a lot more to the direct marketing business than that. Direct marketing is a tough, sophisticated enterprise. It requires good judgment, an instinct for what sells, and a lot of hard work. Most direct marketing efforts don’t do as well as the example I just gave you.

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But that doesn’t matter. I’m not trying to convince you to become a direct marketer. I’m just showing you how the business works – when it works well.

A Single Sales Letter Can Launch Your Career The peanut diet example illustrates the potential power of a single sales letter. In this case, a simple, straightforward letter about a peanut diet made hundreds of thousands of dollars. If the letter hadn’t worked, it could not have been mailed again. But since it did, it can be sent again and again to new lists of similar prospects, and we know they’ll continue to respond to the same sales letter. Mailing out a successful letter to increasingly larger groups is called “rolling out” a winner. In the direct marketing business, a successful letter can frequently be rolled out to millions of prospects, generating millions of dollars in sales.

Roll out – To follow-up a successful test mailing of a package or mailing list with a larger quantity of that same package or list.

That’s the great thing about the direct marketing industry. You can cut your losses short (by NOT rolling out letters that don’t work) and let your winners run (by rolling out). Very few businesses allow you to leverage your success this way.

The Point What does this mean to you, the potential copywriter? Simply this. If you write one of these letters, you can make a lot of money. And if you get a piece of the action (a royalty on rollouts, which some companies pay), you can make even more. And people will be happy to pay you because your letter will be making them rich. I know it’s true from personal experience. The first sales letter I ever wrote was a big success. So big, it shocked the guy I wrote it for. So successful, it’s still mailing today – more than 25 years later. That one letter, with minor revisions, has been mailed to more than 100 million people and has generated tens of millions of dollars in profit.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

It didn’t make me rich (the guy I wrote it for sure got rich, though), but I did okay. Most importantly for me, it jump-started my copywriting career. Before long, a whole lot of people wanted me to write for them – for a lot of money. Now let me stop here and make a point. I don’t have a natural talent for writing. I’ve always liked to write, but I was never good at it. In high school, I barely got by. Later, I did better, but I’ve never felt comfortable stringing words together. I’ve always felt like a sculptor working without thumbs. So how did I become such a successful copywriter?

I Really Wanted To Succeed Honestly, I think it was half because of my desire – I really wanted to succeed – and half because of the secrets I learned along the way. By investing in this program, you’ve proven your desire. My job is to teach you my secrets. And that’s what you’re going to learn. Secrets about how to write powerful sales letters. Simple secrets that have worked for me, Paul, Don and other members of our Advisory Board, over and over again. Secrets you can learn and use to launch your own six-figure freelance copywriting career.

Success Clue “I became a copywriter because I needed a copywriter. Some 30 years ago – my first book was published. It was called Zen and the Art of Writing. It was published by a small publisher, who like most publishers, knew nothing about marketing. I quickly learned that if anybody is going to sell this book it’s going to have to be me or somebody I hire.” – Joe Vitale, featured in AWAI’S Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection Joe Vitale invented hypnotic writing, using his hypnotist training to put the reader of his sales letters into a buying trance. His web-based sales letter for Hypnotic Marketing, Inc. earned him $25,000 in 24 hours!

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Let’s Get Back to the Main Question Well, I’ve told you how the direct marketing business works and I’ve revealed something about myself, but I haven’t answered the question I started out with: Why do copywriters make so much money? The answer lies in our little peanut story. Let’s say that, instead of being the guy who writes the letter, you are a direct marketing publisher – and you’ve decided to sell a book about losing weight by eating peanuts. You hire two copywriters, Mutt and Jeff. Each writes a different letter. You mail both of them, at a cost of $10,000 each. Mutt’s letter results in $5,000 in sales. Jeff’s brings home the bacon – to the tune of $25,000. What do you do? Well you thank Mutt and toss his sales letter in the waste basket. Then you congratulate Jeff and mail his letter again. You mail it to 250,000 names this time and it brings in $100,000 in profits! Then you mail it again – to a million names – and bring in another $300,000. Now you want to start the marshmallow diet. Mutt gives you a call. Can he write for you again? “Sorry,” you say, “Not interested.” But Jeff has made you over $400,000 from his letter, so naturally you ask him. He tells you, “Thanks but my price has gone up, I want $10,000 to write another sales letter.” What do you do? Tell him to shove off? Argue with him? Of course not. You pat him on the back and pay him what he’s asking, because you really, really want him to write this next letter for you.

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Key to Success Copywriter Salary Survey Proves It Chris Marlow, an expert on the business of copywriting, publishes the results of her national copywriting salary survey every couple of years. This survey confirms that copywriters can indeed earn a 6-figure income.

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

Direct Mail Marketers Are Happy To Pay Top Dollar for Winning Copy Money. That’s the basic motivation on both sides. Copywriters are not paid well because they are smart or talented or cooperative or because they type clearly or bring their copy in on time. They are paid well because their copy makes money. Later on, after we’ve taught you the secrets of writing great direct response sales letters, we’ll show you how to get top dollar for your writing. Here’s the main point. Once you know the secrets of writing powerfully, you can charge an awful lot for your time and direct marketers will be more than happy to pay you. I’ve personally shown dozens of ordinary people how to become copywriters. Almost all of them have succeeded. That’s why you’re in this program today. You’re taking your first steps toward that goal. It can happen. And faster than you think. And if anyone can help you, we can. Stick with us and you’ll see.

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Copywriters are not paid well because they are smart or talented or cooperative or because they type clearly or bring their copy in on time. They are paid well because their copy makes money.

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So far, we’ve told you a little about how exciting, rewarding, and creative a copywriter’s life can be. Now, here’s Kieran Doherty to help you figure out if you’ve got what it takes to be a part of our world.

What Do You Need To Be A Copywriter?

by Kieran Doherty

W

e’ve told you how you can earn a great living as a copywriter. And we’ve told you that we do this while working at home or anywhere – without having to worry about bosses, time clocks, commuting hassles, and all the other things that go with working for someone else. Sounds great, doesn’t it? (Well it is.) Now, you may wonder: Do I have what it takes to be a good copywriter? What strengths and abilities do I need to be successful?

A group of us at American Writers & Artists Inc. were sitting around one day discussing this very topic. We came up with a brief list of what we know – from experience – is needed by anyone who wants to make it in this business. Kieran Doherty was a professional writer for nearly 40 years. He maintained a successful copywriting career, while authoring hundreds of articles for magazines and newspapers. Kieran also has 15 children’s titles to his credit, including William Bradford: Rock of Plymouth and William Penn: Quaker Colonist. His last publication, his first adult book for St. Martin’s Press – Sea Venture: Shipwreck, Survival, and the Salvation of Jamestown – was released in 2008. Kieran Doherty died in early 2010.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

1. First and most importantly, you have to have the desire to succeed. Almost everyone has it. One sticking point people face in copywriting is that in order to succeed they have to sell. Now, I have to be honest here. When I hear the word “sell,” I have horrible flashbacks to when I was in college and thought I could make tuition by going door to door “pitching” encyclopedias. I tried – and failed miserably. I decided then that I never wanted to “sell” again. And, for much of my working life, I didn’t. Instead, I became a “serious” writer. In fact, I’ve written about a dozen non-fiction books and thousands of articles. I thought of myself as an educator or maybe an entertainer, but never a salesman. Then the copywriting bug bit me. Before I could make any serious money as a copywriter, I had to stop thinking of myself as a writer and start thinking of myself as a salesman. And that was tough for me to do until I started to look at it this way:

• I like to convince people that my point of view is right. (Don’t you?) • I like to get my own way. (Doesn’t everyone?) • More often than not, I do get my own way. (How about you?) You know what? That makes me a salesman. If you’re like me … if you like to get your way and use words to persuade others that your point of view is right … you already possess what is probably the main skill necessary for success as a copywriter. We are salesmen who use our abilities as writers to sell products, services or ideas. We use the written word to convince our readers to take action.

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If you’re like me … if you like to get your way and use words to persuade others that your point of view is right … you already possess what is probably the main skill necessary for success as a copywriter.

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Have you ever done any of the following?

• Persuaded your spouse to go to the movie you wanted to see?

Success Clue

• Convinced a friend to go shopping

“Even a love letter is sales copy – you’re trying to sell yourself to another person.”

• Cajoled an acquaintance into trying

– AWAI Wall of Famer Suzy Sharpe, AWAI Member since 2002

with you when he or she really didn’t want to? your favorite pasta dish, buying your favorite brand of shampoo, or going to your dentist?

• Gotten anyone to do you a favor?

If you have, you’re enough of a salesperson to learn how to sell with copy – and enough of a salesperson to make a great living doing it.

2. You have to have some “speaking” ability – but you definitely DON’T have to be a good writer. Being a successful copywriter has nothing to do with “good” writing. And most good writers – men and women who publish novels, nonfiction articles, books, and poetry – don’t know the first thing about writing a successful sales letter. The direct marketing business is crowded with copywriters who don’t know the difference between a compound sentence and a compound fracture – but they earn top dollar (six figures, year after year) writing sales letters. In fact, most of the very successful copywriters I know don’t consider themselves to be great writers. Many of us don’t even think of what we do as writing, per se. We certainly don’t write to entertain or to make our readers gasp with wonder at our creativity. We don’t want them to laugh or cry. We want to create a desire. We want them to act. We write to sell. That’s why we write “conversationally.” In other words, we write as we talk. If you can write as you talk – simply, directly – you can write well enough to be a copywriter. To be a great copywriter – to make the big bucks - you’ll need to know certain secrets. And explaining those secrets is our job.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

3. You need to be willing to read. To talk to somebody into something, you need to seem like you know what you’re talking about. That can’t be done without some basic reading – nothing painful.

Success Clue “Being a writer is one of the most wonderful jobs in the world, because you’re never bored. If you’re a writer, you’re also a reader. And if you’re near a book, you’re not bored. If there is no book but you have a pencil and paper, you’re not bored because you can write.” – John Carlton, featured in AWAI’S Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection Rodale hired John to write a promotion for “Sex: A Man’s Guide” because their writers couldn’t write “edgy” enough pieces to sell a lot of books. John did the trick. His letter knocked off their top writer and continued mailing for 5 years to 30 million names (not counting Rodale’s house list).

Before you ever write a word about whatever it is you’re trying to sell – whether it’s a peanut diet or an imported watch – you have to know something about your product. You want to know what’s good about it, how it helps your prospect. You want to know why this car runs faster, why this plane flies higher, or why this newsletter is better than any other on the market. And you want to share this information with emotion – from your heart – just as if you were talking directly to that person. So you need to do research to know how your product is made, how it works, how it helps your prospect, what makes it superior or unique. And to do all that, you’ll need to do some reading. But that’s not all. Especially when you’re a beginning copywriter – and to a lesser degree later – you need to read the work of other successful copywriters. The AWAI “Hall of Fame: Great Selling Ideas from 50 Super-Successful Direct Mail Letters and Direct Response Ads” is an excellent place to start.

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Reading great sales letters gives you good ideas you can use for your own work. You’ll also pick up phrases you can borrow. Most importantly, you’ll learn the rhythms and structures of selling that can’t be explained or even understood any other way. That’s why your first two exercises are to read and copy classic direct response sales letters – and why you’ll be seeing many more of these treasures before you’re through.

In direct marketing, there are proven formulas that have worked over and over again. That’s just one of the things you’ll learn in this program.

Creativity – at least in the world of copywriting – is NOT making something out of nothing. It IS the art of taking two or three or four things that have been done successfully in the past and juxtaposing them in a new and powerful way. In fact, one of the most successful marketing pieces I ever wrote was a one-page letter that used elements from two other successful mail pieces I’d studied. One of those elements was visual: the other was a headline. Nobody else had ever melded those two elements together in quite the way I did. And when that letter mailed, it had a response rate of about 8 percent! I was hailed (for a few days, at least) as a creative genius. All I’d done was “steal” somebody else’s ideas and make them mine.

Quick Tip: Average Response Rates in Direct-Marketing The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA’s) 2009 Response Rate Trends Report includes a study of more than 1,175 campaigns that revealed the following direct mail figures and response rate information:

• 35% of marketing budgets are allocated to direct mail • The forecast for the coming years is for digital media to take an increasing share of marketing spending.

• Response rates were higher than in previous years, perhaps as a result of better list management and more sophisticated targeting.

• The Catalog and Retail segment outperform other industries in direct mail response rates.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

In other words, there’s huge opportunity for writing sales letters and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each and every time you sit down to write a letter, a direct response display ad or Web page. But you do have to know what has worked in the past – and why. In direct marketing, there are proven formulas that have worked over and over again. That’s just one of the things you’ll learn in this program.

What we (and other successful copywriters) do is not arcane or mystical. It’s a skill that can be learned by virtually anyone who’s willing to work and practice – like playing the piano, only easier.

Obviously, you’re not going to plagiarize another writer’s work word for word. That’s a crime and it will get you in trouble. But you will borrow ideas and phrases … and, “readapt” them. When you get good at what you do, other writers will reinvent your ideas. In fact, that’s one of the ways you’ll know you’ve arrived.

4. You need to know your value. No matter how good the product is … no matter how good the company is … without the sales letter, money can’t be made. The sales letter you write starts the business going. It generates the cash flow. That makes you the most important person in the direct marketing world … and that’s why you can and will make a six figure income – even working freelance from home.

5. Finally, you need the drive and dedication to learn your craft – and the understanding that there’s nothing magical about writing powerful, money making copy. What we (and other successful copywriters) do is not arcane or mystical. It’s a skill that can be learned by virtually anyone who’s willing to work and practice – like playing the piano, only easier. We’ll show you exactly how to do it, step by step. Ready to work some more? Here you go …

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We just talked about what you need to be a successful copywriter. Here’s what you don’t need …

5 Things You Don’t Need To Be A Copywriter

by Kieran Doherty

B

y now, you should be pretty confident that you can become a top copywriter, and that you can do this simply by combining your own natural abilities and your desire to succeed with the skills we’re going to teach you in this program. Now, let’s look at the things you don’t need.

1. You don’t need a lot of money. Unlike other businesses that require deep pockets, you can start your own copywriting service with little more than a basic computer. Your main investment is your time and effort. You don’t even need a lot of money to market yourself once you learn the copywriter’s craft. Good copywriters – those who can consistently make money for their clients and themselves – are in such demand that you’ll be able to write your own ticket. Once you’re known at all, you won’t need to worry about finding work. They’ll be looking for you.

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Unlike other businesses that require deep pockets, you can start your own copywriting service with little more than a basic computer.

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

2. While you do need training – specifically the kind of training you’ll get with this program – you don’t need a college degree or a license or any kind of certification. Clients, the people who will pay you big bucks to write winning copy for them, couldn’t care less about certificates or training. You write strong copy, they love you. It’s as simple as that.

Key to Success Choose from a wide range of clients There are hundreds of different types of clients that need good copywriters. You’ll find them in different industries from financial, health and fundraising to self-help and B2B (Business-to-Business). Our own AWAI jobs directory, Direct Response Jobs.com, lists projects from dozens of different kinds of clients.

3. You don’t need to be a master of the English language. You don’t need the vocabulary of an English professor and you don’t need to be able to rattle off the rules of grammar. In fact, one guy I know, Steve K. (also a friend and protégé of Michael Masterson), never got beyond the 6th grade. Yet he has been writing successful direct mail copy for 25 years – and he’s never made less than $100,000 annually during this time.

4. You don’t need extensive computer skills – or an expensive computer. While you can write your copy in longhand or print it in pencil, you’ll ultimately need to draft it on a computer because that’s what your clients expect.

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But it doesn’t have to be a high-end computer. All you need is a good standard model with Word processing, Internet access and email capabilities. Think of a computer as a down payment on your copywriting success… as well as your best friend. Today, you can buy a new desktop or laptop computer for well under $1,000…and you’ll easily make that back once you start writing for clients. A simple word processing program (the most commonly used is Microsoft® Word®) will help you write and format copy very easily and will likely be pre-loaded onto your computer. Then you can email it anywhere for review and feedback from your clients. Plus, you can conduct extensive research online. Read on for details about the advantages of online research.

5. You don’t need to be a creative genius. You don’t have to come up with one original idea after another to sell unique products or services. The ideas come from your clients. They’re the ones who develop the concepts for selling their own products. As a copywriter, your job is to write mail pieces, display ads or online sales letters that work within those concepts. And you’ll learn exactly how to do that in this program. You just need to know a few basic techniques for writing hard-hitting, focused copy. And a couple of tricks for structuring your argument. You’ll learn those

Success Clue “I look at copywriting as a formula. You need to find that formula. You’ve got to be unique and you’ve got to get to that close and you’ve got to ask them for the business at the end. There is the formula. If you keep to that, and you keep practicing that formula, it’ll become easy.” – Al Serin, featured in AWAI’s Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection In “Don’t Let Age Steal Your Life Away ...”, Al was very frank with readers. He let them know the product was going to cost more but it was going to work. “Spend a few extra dollars. See the difference.” This approach worked, generating responses over 3%.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

simple secrets in this program, from professionals who use them day after day to write one control after another. Michael Masterson has a history of taking untrained novices (just like you) and turning them into copywriting pros. One of his protégés – who’d never put a money-making word on paper before meeting Michael – earned $50,000 in his second year as a marketing copywriter – working less than 20 hours a week. Another Michael Masterson protégé earned more than $150,000 last year, just three years after writing his first sales letter. Monica Day transformed her career as a result of AWAI. “(I went from a) little of everything: Sales, Trainer, Organizational Development and Fundraiser to an 18-month contract to write a bi-weekly health e-letter for an Agora franchise – through an ad in The Golden Thread. I made $2,000 a month – which really launched my career because it helped with cash flow issues while I looked for other clients, learned more about copywriting, etc. It goes to show you that editorial writing can pay the bills and be a good way “in” while you’re working on getting promotional clients.” From: http://www.awaionline.com/wall-of-fame/monica-day

Joshua Boswell knew he was living the copywriters’ life the day he submitted his first proposal for over $30,000 and the company came back and simply said, “This looks fine.” He said, “The assignment only took me 6 weeks to complete, and I worked on it while concurrently working on two other projects – one worth over $20,000 and another worth over $8,000. That’s when I knew this was going to be good!” From: http://www.awaionline.com/wall-of-fame/joshua-boswell The bottom line is that virtually anybody can join us and become a successful copywriter – once they learn the ropes. You can, too.

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Now, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite subject – how much money you can expect to make as a copywriter. We’re going to let Don Mahoney tell you about that, because he’s living proof of how quickly you can possibly get well into six figures. Here’s Don …

How Much Can I Make?

by Don Mahoney

O

kay. You’ve heard lots of good stuff so far. You’ve heard Paul talk about all the reasons copywriting is such a great profession. You’ve heard Michael explain how the direct mail industry works and you’ve heard Kieran tell you what you do and don’t need to be a successful copywriter. This is all great stuff, but … Enough already!

At this point, you want to know only two things: How do I do it? And …

How Much Can I Make? We’ve said this before, but I’m going to say it again right now. You can easily – easily – make many times what the average writer makes. Not only that, you can earn more money than most people make after 40 years on a job. Even more money than the average doctor or lawyer – with a lot less stress. But let’s talk about writers first.

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You can easily – easily – make many times what the average writer makes.

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

As we’ve said, the average writer starts at about $25,000-$30,000 a year according to salary.com. (Many well under even that shockingly low figure.) You can make 10 times that. In 2007, the average household income in the United States was around $50,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A good direct marketing copywriter can make between $50,000 and $100,000 a year. A very good direct marketing copywriter has the potential to make between $200,000 and $500,000. And the best – well, I’ll tell you what they make in just a minute. Basically, I can sum up your opportunity in just a few words … With direct response copywriting, you can write your own ticket. But, before I explain exactly how the business works, let me show you a little bit about how most writers get by …

The Life And Times Of An Average Freelance Writer Let’s look at a recent sample ad for freelance writers:

Freelance Lifestyle

Articles on moonlighting and night jobs or second careers, 500 to 1,000 words in length. Offer to pay: $50 to $150 Fillers (anecdotes, facts, gags to be illustrated by cartoons, news briefs or short humor), 35 to 250 words in length. Offer to pay: $25 to $100.

Well, as a direct mail copywriter, I know I can easily get $2,500 for a 5,000 word letter. So how does that compare to the top pay offered in the above ad? Let’s see … $150 for a 1,000 word article. Multiply that $150 times five (to make it the equivalent of my 5,000 word letter) and we’re at $750. Right off the bat, I’m getting over three times what that magazine is willing to pay a

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freelancer. Plus, in order to make that lousy $750, the freelancer has to submit, negotiate, edit (and probably re-edit) five pieces. In other words, he’s looking at much more than five times the work – for less than three times the pay.

The Simple Secret to Getting Royalties

But here’s the kicker … it’s possible to 1% to 2% in royalties on gross sales, which often average $100,000 on the first mailing. That translates into an extra $1,000 bonus for me. And many of my letters have grossed over $300,000, bringing my total income on a single piece to over $5,000 – almost seven times the top pay in the above ad.

Simply say to a potential client, “What’s your budget for this project? Can we negotiate a royalty if you re-send it after the initial test?

Key to Success

By Krista Jones, Master Copywriter

And I can easily write a 5,000 word letter in four or five days. In fact, one friend of mine wrote a piece like that in about 16 hours. (He had a mailing deadline, and he simply had to get it done.) See what I mean? Let’s look at another recent posting:

Articles Pay! Get Paid to Post Articles “You can get paid for submiting articles that are aproved, each article that is aproved will pay you $0.05 and the more popular this site becomes the amount per article will rise. To be aproved for payment you must place a link to this site on your web site homepage.”

Just 5 cents for an article? Really? In this scenario, not only do you need to write the article for practically nothing, you also need to link to their site, which is filled with spelling errors, as above. And here’s another one ….

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

Writers wanted! Stories wanted for a magazine on science fiction and fantasy, approximately 2,500 words. Pay: $25.00 on acceptance.

Wow. I can’t even buy an ink cartridge for my laser printer with that. I mean, really – if you worked like a maniac and managed to dash off a story in a day, you’d be lucky to make $25 to $125 a week … $6,250 a year. And that’s not counting time wasted by rejections, negotiations, rewrites, and all that jazz. Or the taxes you’d pay on that measly $25. Unfortunately, that is about what the average writer earns. Here are just a few more “exciting” ads for writers … A ski and snowboarding journal offers $50 to $100 for 800 to 1,200 word articles.

Large, multi-channel publisher seeks articles on health, business, travel, high-end home decorating and design, sports, and pop culture. Stories must be “timeless, written for a national audience, and upbeat.”

That should be easy, eh? Pay? 15 cents per word – final editorial count! A petroleum industry publication in business for 40 years is looking for two freelance writers to do articles with “serious pizzazz.” Long-term relationships: 7 to 8 assignments a year.

Of course, they only pay $4 to $6 per column inch, or $250 to $350 for the average article … get out your calculator … we’re back at the $750 mark for 5,000 words.

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Let’s see … at $350 (top pay), times eight assignments per year (top range) … that totals $2,800 a year. Humph! If I don’t make that much in a week, I figure something’s wrong. Don’t forget – in every one of these cases, you’re writing on spec. You don’t have a clue whether or not your article will be accepted – and rejection rates are very high. On the other hand, every piece I write is SOLD. I’ve never had a project killed (though even if one is killed, you would be paid for it – usually at a rate of 50% of the fee). Every one I’ve ever done has gone to mail or appeared online. Let’s see you factor that difference into the price structures I quoted above.

So Let’s Compare Notes Here’s the way your typical freelance article writing assignment might go … A Typical Freelance Writing Assignment 1. You outline your idea. 2. You submit it. 3. It gets rejected. 4. You submit it again, somewhere else. 5. It gets rejected again. 6. You submit it, yet again. 7. You get an offer! 8. You negotiate. 9. You strike a deal. 10. You write the piece. 11. It comes back with comments. 12. You rewrite it and submit it again. 13. It comes back with more comments. 14. You do your final rewrite. 15. It’s accepted! 16. You finally get paid (maybe $750 if you’re lucky).

Time elapsed? A bare minimum of one week to two weeks – probably longer. Now let’s look at how a direct mail copywriter’s average project goes …

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Typical Direct Response Copywriting Project 1. You get a phone call from a client with an offer, quote your rate, and make a deal on the spot. 2. You receive an advance to start the job (usually half your total fee). 3. You write the copy. 4. You submit the copy. 5. It comes back with comments. 6. You rewrite it and submit it again. 7. You receive the balance of your fee! 8. Time elapsed? No more than one week, total. 9. Bonus! Royalty checks from time to time.

Here, I’m comparing direct mail freelance copywriting with ordinary freelance article writing.

Bonus! Royalty checks from time to time.

But, of course, you do have other options as a writer. You could take a financial step up and enter the world of advertising. The pay is better but the quality of life is much worse, and …

Most People Start At The Bottom Let’s say you’ve decided to be a writer. It’s creative and you don’t have to dig ditches, unclog toilets, or ladle out soup … Eventually, you hope to be able to work from home. Then, even if you don’t make a lot of money, at least you’ll be able to be your own boss, take vacations when you want, and take naps. So you set out to make a career in writing. You scout around and you’re lucky enough to get hired as a junior copywriter at an ad agency. You start out writing copy for brochures, magazine ads, and “non-direct-response” mail promotions (ads that are mailed out but not directly responded to by the people who receive them – for example, flyers for furniture, cars, or appliances that are purchased from a store or dealer).

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Your starting pay? Around $25,000 to $30,000 a year. And you learn very quickly that you are in a cutthroat business. To advance at all, you have to battle your way up the company ladder, stomping over bodies every step of the way. And what is that like? Here’s a quote from a 34-year-old copywriter at a New England agency, quoted in ADWEEK Magazine: “I’ve worked at three agencies – it’s always been stress city. I’ve seen women cry, guys melt down. I’ll give it another chance with another agency, but after that I think I’ll find a new line of work!” Sound like fun? Well, that’s …

Life in the Ad Lane! Let’s face it – it’s a bummer. There’s no real challenge and you write crap. Everybody beats up on you, because writing is the easiest thing to criticize (even easier than movies or music), and everybody tries to get into the act. Even the mail clerk will be telling you how you should have tackled the subject. Then people climb all over each other for awards that don’t mean anything. Oh sure, you might work on an ad that looks good (in which case everybody involved pats himself on the back and takes credit for this “winner”). But did the ad sell even one item? Who knows? That means you have no direct way to prove your value. And that makes your position subject to the whims of the idiot over you. Maybe you get lucky. You fight your way up the ladder. But you still wind up working far too hard, eating tons of crow – and not making nearly enough money to make it worthwhile. I know, I know – you’ve heard enough about what other people make or don’t make. You want the nitty gritty … the bottom line … you want to know …

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Success Clue “I realized I could earn a healthy living writing DM instead of pennies per line of a fictional writer and poet. Wow, did I find a treasure.” – AWAI Wall of Famer Patricia Ogilvie, AWAI Member since 2003

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 1

How Much Can I Make? Well, I told you that you’d be able to write your own ticket. Now let me tell you exactly how that works … First of all, like any freelance writer (meaning anyone who writes for a living who isn’t employed full time by a company), as a direct response copywriter, you will get paid a fee for each piece you write. That could be as simple as a postcard with a reply form on it. It could be a one-page letter asking somebody to renew a subscription or take advantage of a tremendous sale. It could be a four-page promotion that’s mailed with a regular issue of a magazine or newsletter (which is known as an “insert,” because it’s inserted in the envelope with the primary material). It could be a 6-, 8-, 16-, or even 100-page piece. Or it could be an online sales letter, email promotion or web page.

But How Much Can I Make? Alright, alright! Sheesh! I’m getting there. Here’s the bottom line. The most money – per project – is in a full sales promotion. It might be anywhere from a 16-page letter to a 100-page booklet, or even an extensive web sales page. And here’s what you’ve been waiting for: You can make anywhere from $2,500 to $250,000 per piece! Some people charge only $2,500 to write a “package,” as it’s called. But a seasoned writer will charge from $5,000 to $10,000. Big names charge anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000 to write a package. And many of them get royalties from the mailings, once they’ve established their ability to write sales letters that work. The average royalty range is $.01 to $.05 for each name mailed, or 1% - 2% of gross from online sales.

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I’ve had pieces mail six times over the course of a year. The same can happen on the Internet.

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Since a big mailing may run 500,000 to a million pieces, you’re talking about some serious money. At $.01 a name, that’s $5,000 for 500,000 pieces. At $.02 a name, that’s a $10,000 bonus. And a good piece may mail several times. I’ve had pieces mail six times over the course of a year. The same can happen on the Internet. Occasionally, there’s a timeless classic that mails for years. For instance, Bill Bonner, who’s on our board of advisors, wrote a promotional letter for International Living (a newsletter) that’s been mailing for more than 20 years.

A well-known pro wrote a financial piece called Plague of the Black Debt. It mailed about 10 million pieces in a year, and he got a royalty of $.04 a piece. Get your calculator and do the math. (If that doesn’t motivate you to finish this program, I don’t know what will.) In fact, everyone on the AWAI Advisory Board has written single packages that brought them six figures.

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Now do you see where all the big money I’ve been talking about comes from? It’s quite possible to become wealthy from writing direct response copy. Henry Cowan made $900,000 from a Publisher’s Clearing House mailing in one year alone. And he reportedly commands a hefty $40,000 fee up front to write one.

Where else can you make more money than the most successful doctors and lawyers, without even a high school diploma?

Not too shabby, is it? Where else can you make more money than the most successful doctors and lawyers, without even a high school diploma?

Why Do Direct Marketing Writers Command So Much Money? The answer to that question is simple, really. In direct marketing, the response can be precisely measured. You see, if somebody writes a clever or catchy TV ad for a car or a beer, nobody knows how many people actually buy the product because of that ad. All they can do is guess. Remember the “A” ad for Hpnotiq earlier in the program? There is no way to identify the reader of that ad with a purchase of Hpnotiq. But when somebody buys something as a result of a direct mail ad, like Ad “B” for Hpnotiq, the purchase can be measured. In the case of Hpnotiq, the customer follows the ad instructions for entering a contest to win $100,000 or other exciting cash prizes. The ad has a code on it, and the person need to enter the code on a contest entry form or web site.

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That code tells the Hpnotiq company exactly which promotion the sale came from. The code is entered into a computer along with the order, and that makes it possible for the company to calculate – to the penny – the effectiveness of that direct marketing effort. And that’s your ticket to opportunity. This is the first thing I learned about direct marketing. As soon as you’re good, not only can you prove it, but everybody knows it. (Actually, the marketing people know it before you do, because they see the sales report first.) You’ll know you have a winner when they call you on the phone. All of a sudden, you’re king of the heap. It’s all smiles and sweetness and “Hi! How are you?” Sit back and relax. They’re about to ask you when you can do another project. Now you’re in the driver’s seat. The better your piece did, the more they’re going to be willing to pay you to do the next one. Get a “hot hand,” and you can name your price. It’s worth it to them. Best of all, you don’t have to sell yourself. The black and white print of the marketing reports does it for you. You may not even need business cards. (I don’t have them.)

Learn the secrets of direct response copywriting and it’s like you hold the key to Solomon’s mine. The people who write the checks find you.

Every day, I see people hustling for work, handing out business cards every time they bump into someone on the street. Not necessary. Learn the secrets of direct response copywriting and it’s like you hold the key to Solomon’s mine. The people who write the checks find you. After a while in the business, you’ll see this scenario more than once:

Someone will boast and brag about how good he is, and how he can double

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response rates, and so on and so forth. You can be quiet as a church mouse … never say a word … When the numbers come in, there’s no doubt about who’s best. Whoever writes the better piece brings home the bacon and gets more assignments. And in fact, that’s how companies decide what to mail. They take their strongest promotion (called a “control”) and test it against a new piece (cleverly called a “test”). The winner takes all. When these results come in, it doesn’t matter who likes you, or who thinks what about your piece, who dresses better, or who has better skin and teeth – the winner is the package that brings in the most cash. And it becomes the new “control.”

Key to Success In October, 2008, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) released an annual forecast of direct marketing’s economic impact on the US economy, including advertising expenditures and sales. “…in 2009, DM will capture 53 percent of total advertising expenditures, continuing the long-term movement in advertising dollars to direct marketing from general advertising. Direct marketers will likely see sales growth of 4.5% next year.”

Time for Your Piece of the Pie Now, in the beginning, you’re not going to get the big fees. I mean, get real! You’re probably going to have to take some assignments on the lower end of the scale and you may not even get royalties at first. Not until you prove yourself, anyway. But you can easily make twice what the average freelance writer makes, right off the bat. Don’t worry. One “hit” and your name will be golden.

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Then again, success may not take long, either. One of our American Writers & Artists Inc. board members started at less than $30,000 a year, but his first piece brought in a couple of million dollars. Within a few months, he was getting royalties – and by the end of his second year, he was earning over $100,000 a year … That’s the opportunity, in a nutshell. Keep in mind that mail order sales are growing at twice the rate of retail and almost half of the adults in this country buy products through the mail. Plus, online retail sales grew by 22% last year on average, with 30% for online catalogs, according to www.internetretailer.com. The popularity of direct response is growing in other countries too, and a lot of those mailings and online promotions are done in English. Your potential market is getting wider and wider. So roll up your sleeves and sharpen your computer skills. You’re on the path to an income and lifestyle that most people only dream of.

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Part 2

The Secret Structure Of Direct-Marketing Sales Letters Discover The Difference Between Run-Of-The-Mill Copy And Great Copy

The following is an excerpt from the AWAI program Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. It’s included in this report because it’s one of the most effective ways to quickly and easily understand the “secret structure” behind a persuasive letter. It’s written by AWAI Co-founder Don Mahoney:

T

he funny thing about direct-marketing copy is that it looks so simple. I remember when I first started out in the business. Someone handed me one of the classic direct-mail promotions. I looked at it and thought, “If I can’t write like this, there’s something wrong with me.” Shortly after that, I sat down to write my first assignment … Surprise! It wasn’t that easy. Not because the writing itself was hard … but because great copywriting has an invisible structure that supports it. A secret structure that holds it up and makes it work. If you look at a piece of furniture built by a master craftsman, most of the techniques he uses are fairly simple. You could learn them from any basic book about woodworking. So, why is it that when the average Joe tries to build a table, the result is so crude? Because the master knows hundreds of little secrets about how to put things together — how to make each little piece work just right as part of the whole. That’s the invisible structure that holds together a chair … or a hundred-story building … or a sales letter. This hidden structure is what really makes the difference between a run-ofthe-mill sales letter and a masterful one. This structure is the way you lead your prospect through the piece and build his interest in your product — get him so excited about it that he’s willing to spend cold hard cash to get it.

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Now, Let’s Build A Sales Letter I’m going to show you how this hidden structure works in an effective sales letter. Let’s say you’ve been asked to write a sales letter to sell the peanut diet book for $19.95. First, you have to know exactly who you are writing your sales letter to. Obviously, it’s going to be mailed or emailed to people who want to lose weight. And, let’s say your client has actually found a mailing list of people who not only want to lose weight, but also happen to love peanuts. Does that mean you can simply write a letter saying, “Hey Fatso! You want to lose weight? Here you go … ”? Of course not. And, this brings us to one of the first and biggest secrets of direct marketing. You have to hook your prospect with an idea and bring him into your letter. You do this by identifying a desire or fear he has, and hitting a “magic” button to activate that feeling. Then, you lead him by the hand through a series of ideas and images. Create a picture in his mind — and a desire in his soul. Here’s another secret: You don’t want to spend too much time telling him about the diet. What you want is for him to actually “see himself” slim and trim, eating his beloved peanuts by the bushel, and getting skinnier and skinnier. You’re going to make him want this reality with every fiber of his being … more than anything else in the world … long enough for him to take out his checkbook and order your book … So, who is your prospect? Why, he’s a dieter. You say that right up front: Dear Dieter …

That wasn’t hard, was it? But, this is where most writers get lost. I’ve seen the brightest people, with degrees from the best colleges, stare at a blank computer screen or a piece of paper for hours at this point. What do you actually say? It isn’t so easy, is it? Well, in reality, it is easy — once you understand the secret structure of directmarketing copy. You see, each part of the letter is there to accomplish a specific purpose, to provide another piece of the overall sales pitch. But, most writers think the first thing they need to do is convince the prospect how wonderful the peanut diet is. So, they say:

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Let me tell you about a diet you’re really going to love. It’s got fewer calories than the average diet and more nutrients. Surveys have shown that 9 out of 10 dieters actually prefer this diet to any other diet they’ve ever tried … (blah, blah, blah) …

Wrong. This is one of those magical moments when, if you know what to do, the job is simple. But, if you don’t know what to do, the task before you is an insurmountable hurdle. The ordinary copywriter writes and writes, piling long-winded explanation on top of long-winded explanation. Every so often, he stops, and reads what he’s written. But, he knows it sounds flat and uninteresting. What is he doing wrong? Simple. He’s telling people why the peanut diet is so great. There are almost no calories in a peanut. The shells slow you down so you don’t eat as much. They’re chewy so you feel satisfied. (Blah, blah, blah.) He’s trying to argue the prospect into a decision with facts and figures. He’s appealing to his prospect’s sense of reason. Remember, people don’t like the idea of being sold … they buy things for emotional, not rational, reasons … and once sold, people need to satisfy their emotional decisions with logic. So, you already know what’s wrong with the “ordinary” approach. It sells first to the head, not the heart. A copywriter who starts his letter with reasons risks failure because he’s not pushing the “magic” button. He’s not hitting his prospect’s primary fear or desire. Here’s how you do it. Ready? Listen closely … You tell your prospect what the peanut diet is going to do for him. Make him a PROMISE. That’s what it’s all about. The promise of what the peanut diet is going to do for him. Tell him, specifically, what the benefit of the peanut diet is — show him exactly how he’s going to achieve those benefits. (To make my point here, I’m going to use some very exaggerated examples.) You begin:

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Dear Dieter,

I’ve got some exciting news for you. You can eat all the peanuts you want and you’re going to lose 50 pounds in a month. In a little while, you’ll weigh less than you have since you were 12 years old. You won’t have to count calories and you won’t have to deprive yourself of your favorite food. It’s easier than paddling downstream. Your life is about to get better beyond anything you’ve ever imagined. But, wait — I have to tell you something honestly … there is a downside. You’re going to have to buy all new clothes to fit your skinny new body. But, I don’t think you’ll mind one bit …

The Secret Of The Promise You’ve just learned the first and most profound secret about structuring a directmarketing promotion: Make your prospect a promise. Identify a fear or desire … what keeps him awake at night or what he daydreams about while driving to work. Then, tell him what you’re going to do for him — what benefit you have for him — that will eliminate this fear or fulfill this desire. Now you have his attention. So, you’ve told him his life is going to get better beyond his wildest dreams with the peanut diet. What do you tell him now? How cheap it is? That’s what most writers would do — say something like: Guess what? This peanut diet book is only going to cost you $19.95, an incredible bargain. Wrong again. That writer is well on his way to writing a one-page letter that will simply not be strong enough to make the sale. Mention the offer or the sales price too soon, and the prospect won’t even continue reading it. It’s already headed for the trash. (Please note: This rule, like all rules, is breakable. You may see examples of great direct-marketing copy that mention the offer early on. Don’t be confused. These are exceptions that work for other reasons. Reasons you’ll learn about later. For now, just remember the rule as is.) Now, let’s get back to your letter. You’ve made a promise to your prospect, but it’s only a promise at this point. To cement the desire for this promise in his heart, you want him to actually PICTURE this promise in his mind’s eye.

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The Secret Of The Picture Your letter continues … You’re going to have more energy than you’ve ever had in your life. You’re going to be slim, attractive, and you’ll have the best sex you’ve ever had in your life. And, the most sex you’ve ever had in your life. Just picture yourself out on the town for a night — to celebrate your new image. There’s a new spring in your step and a lively gleam in your eye. People stop to stare as you saunter by … admiring your powerful, lean body … you exude the essence of animal magnetism … In fact, you’re going to feel so good even your work will prosper. Don’t be surprised to see your income double or triple in the next few months! (Imagine buying that Rolls Royce you always dreamed about.) Can you see yourself driving down the road with the top down, munching on your peanuts …

Do you see what I mean? First, you told your prospect what you were going to do for him. Then you made him “see” himself reaping the benefits of your promise. Now what? Well, you have to give him PROOF. You have to prove to your prospect that what you say is true. And, you have to prove it to his satisfaction.

The Secret Of Proof But, how can you prove to your prospect that the peanut diet will deliver your promise? Well, this is where you can finally use that mumbo-jumbo you were going to start out with, telling him about the calories and nutrients, why peanuts give you more energy, how they produce sex-related hormones, and how peanut oil smoothes the skin, takes wrinkles out of your face, and makes you look 10 to 20 years younger. Now, there’s a clever little twist in that last sentence. Notice that instead of just telling your prospect how and why the peanut diet works, you remind him of the promise you made — you remind him of the benefit. In other words, you keep reminding your prospect at every opportunity, what you’re going to do for him. Even when you’re proving that the peanut diet really works.

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This might be a good place in your letter to throw in a few “bullets” to draw attention to your proof. Let me show you what I mean. Your letter continues … Here are a few amazing facts that you may not know …

Ÿ A  peanut has only 0.10 calories. That’s right … just one-tenth of a calorie! That means you can eat 12,000 peanuts a day and still be getting only 1,200 calories a day … few enough to let you lose eight pounds a week!

Ÿ P eanuts contain micronutrients A, B, and C. A littleknown study from Harvard Medical School has recently proven that these are the three most important nutrients for human beings. Ÿ P eanuts also contain glandular extracts that stimulate testosterone production, which has been proven to boost sexual performance in both men and women.

Ÿ A nd, according to the American Dermatologist Association, peanut oil is the single best source of moisture for the skin. In fact, when my Aunt Rosie went on this diet, it made her crow’s feet disappear and she looked 25 years younger.

But, how will your prospect know that you are a reliable source of information? You see, you want your peanut lover to believe every word you say, so you have to establish CREDIBILITY. Let me show you a couple of ways to do that …

Two Secret Methods For Establishing Credibility First of all, you use reliable and believable sources. Back to your letter: Now, when I first saw how quickly I was losing weight, I became concerned. Could this be good for me? So, I asked my doctor, Dr. Goodbones, who’s been a successful medical practitioner for over 50 years …

“Doc,” I said, “this peanut diet seems too good to be

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true. Look at me. I’ve lost forty pounds since I was last here, and I feel great!” He smiled at me.

“Do you realize,” he said, “that the peanut diet is really one of the oldest diets known? Why, they discovered it in ancient Egypt, but they kept it secret just for the nobility. “In fact, no less than a hundred societies have used it and it worked so well, they all kept it secret for the elite ruling classes. It was only recently rediscovered in an ancient buried manuscript, and Harvard Medical School has been doing a study on it.” That was good to know, but I wanted to be sure. So, I contacted Harvard Medical School for myself. Here’s a copy of what they wrote back to me:

Harvard Medical School From the desk of: Dean Plato, MD, Ph.D., DDS Dear Mr. Smith, You’re absolutely right about the peanut diet. It’s probably the single greatest weight loss and overall health diet ever known to man. In fact, we were just getting ready to publish the results of a special new research project we recently completed on the benefits of peanuts on productivity and brain power. According to a 7-year study, people who eat at least a pound of peanuts a day experience a 42% increase in energy. These are very effective ways to build credibility. And, here’s another one: Use testimonials from real people. For instance … 33 “It’s a miracle! I thought my sex drive was gone, but I feel like a bull in a herd of cows!” — Freddy Jones, construction worker, Camden, New Jersey 33 “This is your Aunt Rosie. Honey, your peanut diet is fabulous! I’ve lost 38 pounds and I look younger than ever. Yesterday, my banker asked for my

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phone number! That hasn’t happened to me in 15 years.” — Rosie O’Grady, Boulder, Colorado 33 “Last January, I weighed 420 pounds and have weighed at least 300 pounds since I was 12. I tried the peanut diet and lost 50 pounds in seven weeks. Unbelievable!” — Joe Blow, baker, Santa Monica, California 33 “Thanks so much. I feel better than I have in years … my waist is 8 inches smaller and I can work straight through the day without tiring. And my wife says I’ve never been ‘better.’ All that just from eating peanuts!” — Edward Pearson, bank teller, Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Core Of The Core Now you are at the heart and soul of your offer. (You are, after all, offering something for sale … ) It’s time to tell your prospect why your product is the best and only answer to his needs. In other words, to tell him why it’s unique. This is known as the USP or the Unique Selling Proposition. No sense beating around the bush. This is one of the most important elements of your letter. So, you continue: This is truly the most revolutionary diet ever to bless 50 million overweight Americans. It works better than any diet that’s ever been found. There are no powders to mix, no schedules to remember, no portions to weigh or measure, no calories to count, and no combinations to keep track of. It’s simple, healthy, and works like a charm. And, everything you need to know about the peanut diet has now been put together in one place. In fact, my “Health Through Peanuts” book is the only place in the world you can find this information.

Now you’ve made your reader drool over this promise: That he’s going to be reborn into a healthier, happier body through the peanut diet. You’ve made him literally see himself as skinny, rich, and successful — all by eating peanuts. You’ve proven that everything you’ve said is true and you’ve proven it to his satisfaction. You’ve quoted experts and research, and established the credentials for your USP.

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You’ve convinced him that this is the only place in the world he can find the secret to this glamorous new being he will become. What now? Simple. It’s time to CLOSE the sale. And, you do that by making your specific OFFER. Here’s your short, but sweet, close and offer. Right now, for a limited time, I’m making a special promotional offer. I want to get this book out to the public, so people can see for themselves the remarkable results of the peanut diet. Specialized books of this nature, produced in limited quantities, usually sell for $50 to $75. But, you’re not going to pay $75 for “Health Through Peanuts.” In fact, you won’t even pay $50 for this rare and powerful information. If you act today, you can take advantage of my limited time, introductory offer and get my revolutionary book, “Health Through Peanuts” for only $19.95. But please, you’ll have to take me up on it immediately. I cannot promise to hold this price for long. When the first printing has run out, this offer will be over and the next one will be at the full price of $49.99. So, if you act today, you can save an amazing 60% off the regular price.

You close the letter, sign it, and it’s ready to go. Wasn’t that eye-opening? You just learned the basic structure of a successful sales letter starting with the promise you make to your reader. Then, you paint a picture for your reader — showing him or her enjoying the benefits of your product. You back up everything you say with proof, guarantee what you’re promoting, and then ask for the order. Are you starting to understand how this works?

Why Copywriters Make So Much Money The One Reason Marketers Will Pay You Top Dollar Okay, now that you know the secret structure, let’s take a look why writing sales letters is such a profitable way to make a living.

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Let’s say you wrote the peanut diet sales letter to promote the book your client wrote that contains everything you need to know about losing weight by eating peanuts. Your client has the book printed up at a cost of $8,400. They decide to send your peanut diet sales letter to 30,000 people who, in the past, have bought diet books through the mail. The mailing — including printing, postage, and lettershop services — costs $18,600. With the $8,400 spent printing the book, they’re now out of pocket $27,000. The end of your letter explains to your reader that there are a “limited” number of books available for $19 each. You promise to refund the prospect’s money if he or she isn’t happy. So, your client sends the letter to the list of 30,000 names … and waits.

Waiting Is The Hardest Part Nothing happens for days … many days. Your client stares mournfully at their depleted bank account balance. Then suddenly, two orders come in. $38 bucks. Your client is only down $26,962. Another day or two go by until one day, your client goes out to their mailbox and there’s a single piece of mail. It’s from the mailman: “Please come down to the central office to claim your mail. There’s too much to fit in your box.” In the end, your client deposits $58,342 in their bank account. After fulfillment of the books and all up-front expenses, they’ve made a profit of more than $20,000. But, that’s not even the best part. The thought that’s keeping a smile on your client’s face is the realization that next month they can send out the same letter. But, this time they won’t send it to 30,000 names — they’ll send it to 300,000! Their profit will grow from $20,000 to $200,000! And, they’ve just begun. Now, imagine they’re selling a peanut diet e-book (electronic book available via download from the Internet) with no printing or shipping costs. Suddenly their profits skyrocket that much faster … especially if they’re selling it through a sales letter email or web page. So, why do copywriters make so much money? Let’s say that, instead of being the guy who writes the letter, you are a direct-

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

marketing publisher — and you’ve decided to sell a book about losing weight by eating peanuts. You hire two copywriters, Mutt and Jeff, and pay each of them $5,000 a piece to write a letter for you. Mutt’s letter results in $5,000 in sales. Jeff’s brings home the bacon — to the tune of $25,000. What do you do? Well, you thank Mutt and toss his sales letter in the wastebasket. Then, you congratulate Jeff and mail his letter again. You mail it to 250,000 names this time and it brings in $100,000 in profits! Then, you mail it again — to a million names — and bring in another $300,000. Now, you want to start the marshmallow diet. Mutt gives you a call. Can he write for you again? “Sorry,” you say, “Not interested.” But, Jeff has made you over $400,000 from his letter, so naturally you ask him. He tells you, “Thanks but my price has gone up, I want $10,000 to write another sales letter.” What do you do? Tell him to shove off? Argue with him? Of course not. You pat him on the back and pay him what he’s asking, because you really, really want him to write this next letter for you as he’s already made a lot of money for you.

Direct-Mail Marketers Are Happy To Pay Top Dollar For Winning Copy Money. That’s the basic motivation on both sides. Copywriters are not paid well because they are smart or talented or cooperative or because they type clearly or bring their copy in on time. They are paid well because their copy makes money. This means once you know the secrets of writing powerfully, you can charge an awful lot for your time and direct marketers will be more than happy to pay you. And, if you can convince one to two people out of 100, you’ll be wealthier and better off than 99.9% of all writers on earth. So, exactly how much money can you make?

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To answer that question, I thought the best way would be to give you real-life examples of people I know who are currently making their living as freelance work-at-home copywriters.

Full-time Pay, Part-time Hours Starting with Eileen Coale from Annapolis, Maryland. Eileen started writing copy for the Internet on a part-time basis in 2002. She works an average of 25 hours a week. Last year, she brought in close to sixfigures. “You can make a lot of money. I earn a full-time income doing part-time work and it’s really wonderful,” Eileen says. Her income has allowed her and her husband to pay down their mortgage. It’s helped them purchase a gorgeous piece of land near a state park where they plan to one day build their dream home. This past year, they remodeled their kitchen — something Eileen has wanted to do for over 20 years. Plus, they’re currently putting two of their four children through college. “We have four kids, and family comes first. So, it was important that if I were going to bring in a second income to our household, it had to mesh well with family life, as well as be satisfying and well-paying. I knew right away that freelance copywriting was the perfect fit,” she says.

$100,593 In 2010! Mindy McHorse from Albuquerque, New Mexico, had a new baby at home and a mountain of debt in student loans and expenses when she decided to become a copywriter. In 2010, this stay-at-home mom (who recently had a second child) made $100,593. Since she started copywriting, Mindy has erased $80,510.43 in debt she’d built up! Besides the money, Mindy loves the flexibility the copywriting lifestyle offers. Her husband, an air traffic controller, works “crazy hours.” Mindy schedules her writing when her husband is home so that someone is always available to look after the kids. Something she couldn’t do when she worked at her old 9-to-5 job. Mindy’s advice to aspiring writers?

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

“You’ve just got to go for it — and remember that the world won’t collapse if it takes you a couple of tries to find your copywriting groove. At first, it may feel a lot like driving with your eyes closed — it certainly did for me! Just remember, AWAI can give you all the directions you need to get to where you want to be.”

Between $10,000 To $20,000 Consistently Each Month Sean McCool, from Knoxville, Tennessee, previously owned his own handyman business. Only four-and-a-half months from the time he made a promise to himself to become a full-time copywriter, he landed a job with a $60-million-per-year marketing company. Pretty amazing when you considering Sean is a college drop-out who failed his 10th grade English class! A success tip Sean offers up is to make a commitment to yourself. “Nothing happens until you’re willing to truly commit to being a great copywriter,” he says. He now works from home as a freelance writer and consistently cashes checks totaling between $10,000 and $20,000 each month!

First Full Year = $163,481! Prior to become a freelance copywriter, Ed Gandia from Marietta, Georgia, was earning an excellent wage as a salesperson for an Information Technology company. But, as a new dad, the weekly travel the job required was getting him down. Plus, he was tired of continually-rising sales quotas. His life changed forever for the better when he discovered copywriting. In his first full year as a freelance copywriter, he made $163,481! Ed’s advice to anyone thinking of becoming a copywriter is to “take action immediately.” “Don’t wait for inspiration or motivation to strike. If you do, you’ll never get going. More people fail in this business due to lack of consistent action than for any other reason. I can’t stress this enough!”

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$10,000+ A Month Pam Foster lives in a beautiful three-story country home located in a valley between the Cascades and the Coastal Mountain range near Eugene, Oregon. She works from her snug sun porch, surrounded by towering pine trees and a glorious landscape, but is free to travel and work from other locations throughout the year. Pam is at the point now where, on average, she brings in more than $10,000 a month. She loves that web writing affords her the opportunity “to work wherever you want, with whomever you want. It’s just great. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Last year, Pam spent the winter in Florida … Which she couldn’t have done if she had a regular 9-to-5 job. “Work is fun. Work is exciting. Work is rewarding and interesting. It’s ever-changing and never dull. There’s none of that ‘Dang, I have to work today’ anymore. That’s completely gone,” Pam says.

Start Living The Life You’ve Always Pictured For Yourself Of course, we can’t guarantee how much money you’ll make. That’s entirely up to you. But, as you can see, the potential is very real. And, if you have the desire and the dedication to stick with it, the writer’s life and all the freedom, flexibility, and money that come with it are easily within your grasp. If you’re sick of the status quo, copywriting is your ticket to finally start living the way life was meant to be lived. Now, here’s more from AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting for Your Exclusive 30-Day Launch Protocol…

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

What are the fundamentals of selling? There are just a few. And when you learn them, you will be much more powerful – not only in your writing but in your ability to get everything you want in life.

How to Sell Anything

by Mark Morgan Ford

I

remember my first sales job. I was 16. A man who looked too much like Joe Pesci hired me to sell aluminum siding. My job was simple: Knock on doors until I found a housewife willing to “receive a free gift just for learning about how to make her house prettier.” At nine a.m., “Mr. Pesci” would drop me off in a strange neighborhood. Armed with a stack of sales brochures, my job was to go from house to house, ask that one question, give out the brochures and write down the name of anyone who said “okay.” It was as easy as selling gets, but I did a bad job of it. I hemmed and hawed, stuttered and mumbled. I couldn’t deliver that one line. The truth is, I was just too damn scared to face those women. After a few weeks, I was dumping the brochures in sewers and hiding in the woods until old Sour Face showed up to get me. That was a long time ago. Since learning some basic secrets of salesmanship, I’ve sold those same housewives

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Since learning some basic secrets of salesmanship, I’ve sold those same housewives hundreds of millions of dollars worth of goods, and I’ve done so without conquering my fear of facing them.

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hundreds of millions of dollars worth of goods, and I’ve done so without conquering my fear of facing them. For me, and maybe for you, it’s much easier to say something on paper than to say it in person. You can take your time and think about what you’re going to say. And you don’t have to look anyone in the eye.

You Don’t Have To Be a “Natural” to Master the Basics There is such a thing as a natural born salesman, but you don’t have to be one to write successful direct response copy. A natural salesman has a peculiar brain that is insensitive to rejection, eternally optimistic, and capable of intuiting what his prospects want. But you don’t need those skills to be a copywriter. All you need is the ability to write a simple letter – the kind of letter you’d write to a friend – and you need some secrets. Secrets you can learn quickly and easily by following the exercises in this program. Let’s start you off by introducing you to …

The Three Fundamental Rules of Selling

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1

People don’t like the idea of being sold.

2

People buy things for emotional, not rational, reasons.

3

Once sold, people need to satisfy their emotional decisions with logic.

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

The First Rule of Selling: Be Gentle, Be Kind Let’s look at Rule #1: People don’t like to be sold. On the face of it, this doesn’t make sense. Every year, trillions of dollars worth of goods and services are bought and sold. Billions through the mail and online. Think about your friends. Many of them, no doubt, love to shop. Does that mean they like to be sold? No. Definitely NOT. People want to buy, but they don’t want to be sold. Buying implies control. Being sold, the opposite.

People want to buy, but they don’t want to be sold.

Imagine this. You walk into an auto dealership and are confronted by a pizza-chomping slob asking you what kind of car you want. If you’re like me, you excuse yourself and hightail it out of there.

Now imagine this scenario: You come into the same dealership and the same man approaches, but he’s neatly dressed, smiles, and kindly offers you a cup of coffee. That’s better, isn’t it? While you browse, he pours you a cup, gets you sugar and cream and refills your cup, without saying a word. Pretty soon, you’re feeling comfortable with him, so you ask him some questions about the car you’re interested in. He answers you politely, explaining

Insider Tip: “Start with the prospect (their needs, concerns, fears, problems) and not with the product. Follow the copywriting formula: 1. Get attention 2. Identify the reader’s problems 3. Position the product as a solution 4. Prove the value of your solution versus others 5. Call for action” – Bob Bly, featured in AWAI’s Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection Bob’s clients are big-name players, including IBM, AT&T, Sony, Brooklyn Union Gas and Agora Publishing. He’s constantly sharing secrets with AWAI members – including hundreds of techniques that are proven to boost response.

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all the benefits of that particular model. Then he shows you another car that’s similar – but it’s a newer model or it has more features. Before long, you’ve bought a new car and you’re happy to have done so. What happened here? Simple. The second salesperson understood the first rule of selling: It’s not a good idea to make someone feel like they are being sold. As a copywriter, your job is to help your prospect. Help him solve a problem or achieve a goal.

In other words, you’d create a verbal picture that teases his desires – his hunger, his craving for chocolate. You’d tempt him by appealing to his emotions.

People like to buy things. But they don’t like to be sold. Remember this. Whether you’re writing a sales letter or trying to convince your friend to go to a concert, don’t apply pressure. Offer to give something. Don’t force. Tempt. But how, exactly, do you tempt someone? Let’s say you want to get your friend to buy a piece of chocolate cake. You wouldn’t start off by listing 10 reasons why cake is good for him, would you? Of course not. In real life, if you really wanted to get a friend to buy a piece of cake, you’d probably start by describing how great the cake smells, how gooey it is, how thick the icing is, and how it will just melt in his mouth ... In other words, you’d create a verbal picture that teases his desires – his hunger, his craving for chocolate. You’d tempt him by appealing to his emotions. You would not bore him with reasons or bully him with force. Understand this first principle and you’ll have people eating that cake out of your hands!

The Second Rule of Selling: Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts Now we’re already talking about Rule #2: People buy things for emotional, not rational, reasons. If people acted rationally, you couldn’t sell chocolate cake. There’s no logical reason to buy it. It’s not nutritious. It makes you fat. It screws up your metabolism. And it’s expensive.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

So why is chocolate cake a multi-million-dollar industry? Because it makes you feel good! To be a successful copywriter, you have to appeal to your prospect’s feelings and desires. Here are seven very important ones:

Greed!

Fear!

Pride!

Lust!

Vanity!

Envy!

Laziness!

Do you recognize where these came from? If you are Catholic, you probably do. Think of the Seven Deadly Sins. These are age-old emotional triggers, proven to work in direct response, year after year.   These are powerful emotions. And, although they are, by and large, “negative,” they are very much part of the game. But they’re not the only emotions to consider when you’re writing to your prospect. There are other emotions – better, more noble ones – that you will appeal to as well. And as an AWAI member, you’ll learn to tap into many emotions – “good” and “bad” – in different ways and for differFor now, though, ent purposes. Later in this program, we’ll discuss each of these emotions in detail and we’ll show you how to use them to sell. For now, though, it’s important that you understand the basic concept: Sell to the heart first … not to the head.

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it’s important that you understand the basic concept: Sell to the heart first … not to the head.

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The Third Rule of Selling: The Rationale Now let’s talk about Rule #3: Once the prospect is emotionally sold, he needs to justify his irrational decision with rational reasons. Think about TV commercials for cars. How do they work? First, you see a stirring image of the car itself – beautiful, stylish, new. The background says something too: There’s a mountainous landscape for the prospect who wants to see himself as rugged. A five-star hotel for the prospect who wants the car to enhance his status. A beautiful woman for – well, you get the idea. Next, you see an interior shot to show how luxurious your life will be with this car. You get to listen to the state-of-the-art sound system. (The music depends on the feeling required). Then, there’s a shot of the car driving by the ocean. Put it all together and you have an effective 20-second movie that’s designed entirely to appeal to emotion. But car commercials don’t stop there. They usually give you numerous bits and pieces of information – the size of the engine, statistics on fuel economy, speed, weight, interior space, and so on. All this data is not meant to sell the car. In fact, it has little to do with the prospect’s decision to buy. The data’s purpose is to make the prospect feel good about the decision he’s already made. And in Insider Tip: the final analysis, this is almost as “The number one secret is to know important as the emotional appeal. your audience, find out what they Though the information doesn’t want, and make what it is you’re sell the car, it does justify the sale. selling match up with what they want.” The prospect can tell himself (and others), “I’ve made the right deci– Doug D’Anna, featured in AWAI’s sion. The ABS braking system will Copywriting Genius: The Master keep my family safe. The hybrid Collection engine is environmentally responDoug’s control for Personal Finance genersible. The all-wheel drive ensures ated a 2.4% response rate. And the pubI won’t get stuck in the snow. I lisher mailed at least four million pieces. made a great decision.” Doug’s successful because he spends less time researching the actual product than he does researching what it is people want.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

Let’s look at another example: Computers. Times have changed since the first techno-geeks tried to sell computers solely by listing processor speed, memory size, bus speed, and other gobbledygook. And you can trace that change back to the sales strategies of two different computer systems. Back in the mid-nineties, IBM compatible computers started touting “Intel© Inside.” For most of the computer using public, that meant almost nothing technically. But a certain sexiness surrounded it, so much so that I remember one friend excitedly announcing to me that his computer had “Intel inside!” Fast forward to the new century, and Apple© mounted a successful advertising campaign comparing Apple computers as young, hip and ultra-easy to use while PCs are stodgy old-school systems that can’t get out of their own way. So what did Microsoft© do? Fight back with a gutsy campaign of its own: The “I am a PC” campaign. For example, a young child is shown sharing photos with her friends online and saying, “I am a PC and I’m 4 ½ years old.” Well, those are the basic rules of selling. We’ll be revisiting and building on them throughout this program. When you become a full-fledged copywriter, you’ll be able to use them to sell a vast array of products and services … from jewelry to cars to weight loss systems … to just about anything. All good selling appeals to emotion, but how you create that emotion can vary. In my opinion, there are basically two ways to stir your prospect’s emotions. You can do so visibly or invisibly. Let me explain …

The Classical Sales Style Most of the sales letters you’ve encountered up until this point (and probably most of the salespeople you’ve met) adopt a classical selling approach. Simply put, the classical approach is where a seller stimulates a prospect’s desire to buy a product without saying much about himself.

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Insider Tip: “I like to sit back and imagine the audience, or people I know who fit the audience. I imagine their life, their struggles, why they might or might not be inclined to buy. I love to fill my head with conversations I can use when I write.” – Stephen Kimball, featured in AWAI’S Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection Stephen has written controls for everything from business opportunity products and health, to steaks and ladders, to banks and hearing aids. He turned One Capsule Glucosagen One into the hottest-selling product for Health Freedom Nutrition.

So if a salesman were using the classical approach, he’d paint a picture of all the benefits his particular “widget” would bring you. He’d show you how it’s going to make your life easier. How it’ll let you spend more time with your children. Leave work on time for once. And even get to kick back and watch a sunset. In doing so, he inflames your desire for the product. Soon, you start to equate an “easier life” with the widget. In fact, everything he does brings you closer to that widget. And that’s important to note. Because at no point during the sale do you move closer to the salesperson. Your complete focus is on the product he’s selling. And the same holds true for most sales letters. In the classical mode, the copywriter stimulates the prospect’s desire for the product without drawing attention to himself. I call this “the invisible approach.” Think about it. When you last signed up for a credit card, was it because you felt a certain closeness to the vice president of the bank? Of course not. It was probably because you imagined all the benefits the card would bring you – the discounts on air travel, complimentary life insurance, and other goodies. In fact, you have probably bought all kinds of things without even remembering who sold them to you. That’s the classical approach. But there’s an entirely different approach to selling that’s just as effective. And often times more so because it’s less common. I call it selling with …

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

A Charismatic Flair Have you ever bought a product you didn’t really need only because the salesman was so darn charming or personable? Come on, admit it … We all have. I’ve paid for gym memberships and new running shoes I’ve never used, and I’ve got a pantry full of Girl Scout cookies to last me a lifetime. I obviously didn’t need the products … So why did I buy them? Because, in a very real sense, I wasn’t buying the product, I was buying the person. “But wait a second,” you may be thinking, “isn’t the purpose of a sales letter to sell the product?” The truth is, one of the most effective ways to sell a product is to “sell” the salesman along with it. This is what I call “the charismatic selling approach.” If our first salesman shifted from a classical to a charismatic approach, he’d draw attention to himself in addition to the product’s benefits. He’d share some of his personal experiences. Tell you about his family. He’d let you know he had two kids in college. He’d find out your hobbies and say he did them too. He’d listen to your problems. Offer some helpful advice. The more he talked to you, the more you’d like him. And after, a while you’d want to be liked by him. So instead of seeing him as a “salesperson,” you’d start to view him as a person like yourself, with hopes and dreams and successes and failures. And in this way, he would have forged a powerful connection with you. Take Richard Simmons. Wouldn’t you agree that he’s a charismatic salesman? He laughs and cries with overweight women. He reveals his own struggles with weight gain. His eyes sparkle. He “oohs” and “ahhs.” He makes a connection. Women can’t help but like Richard Simmons. And they want him to like them. Believe this: Richard sold millions of Deal-A-Meals in the 1980’s and 90’s because he is a charismatic salesman.

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Charisma – A spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.

And, Richard Simmons has parlayed his early successes into a marketing empire! That’s because charismatic sellers, unlike their classical counterparts, are extremely visible during the selling process. You can’t help but notice them … and that’s exactly what they want.

Let’s Recap What You’ve Learned About Selling Before you can sell anything, you must first recognize and understand the three fundamental rules of selling …

The Three Fundamental Rules of Selling

1

People don’t like the idea of being sold.

2

People buy things for emotional, not rational, reasons.

3

Once sold, people need to satisfy their emotional decisions with logic.

Once you learn the rules, you can use them to create your sales approach. There’s two basic ways to approach your prospect … classically and charismatically. Classical sellers focus mainly on the product. Every benefit painted has the goal of stimulating the prospect’s desire for their particular widget. Charismatic sellers focus on themselves as well as the product. Over time, they become part of the product that is bought by the prospect.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

In this section, Mark introduces you to the most important person you’ll meet as a copywriter … your prospect.

Know Thy Prospect

by Mark Morgan Ford

N

ow that you understand the fundamentals of selling, let’s examine the specific person you’ll be selling your goods and services to … your prospect.

In the world of direct response copywriting, there is no more important person. Prove to him that your product will make him richer, smarter, or sexier and he’ll reward you with his purchase. Continue to be considerate of his feelings, beliefs, and desires and he’ll become a loyal customer. Disappoint or insult him and your copy will end up in the trash. When you look at it this way, you soon discover how powerful your prospect really is. He is, in fact, the person who ultimately determines your paycheck, your level of career success, and whether you’ll be regarded as a “genius” in our industry or just as “some guy who writes copy.” But here’s the tricky part … you may not have the slightest idea who he is …

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He is, in fact, the person who ultimately determines your paycheck, your level of career success, and whether you’ll be regarded as a “genius” in our industry or just as “some guy who writes copy.”

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The Mystery Man When you’re selling a product door to door, your prospect is standing before you in the flesh. So you know a few things about him right away. A quick glance reveals his age and gender. A closer look at his surroundings gives you a rough estimate of his income level and social status. Speak to him a bit and you gain insights into his personality … what he likes, what he doesn’t like, and what he craves.

Insider Tip: “Learn all you can about people and what makes them tick. You are not in the business of writing words… you are in the business of motivating human beings to take action.”

But knowing your prospect in the direct marketing business is a whole different process. After all, you won’t have the advantage of seeing him face to face, talking with him, or observing the fine lines on his forehead. You’ll be meeting him through the mail or online.

Nonetheless, there is a way to come to know your prospect in direct mail like a door-to-door salesman. Throughout this section, you’ll learn Mark’s Mayo Clinic Health Letter specific techniques and strategies promotion was so powerful, it sold 2 that’ll let you gather all kinds of million subscriptions. And his Prevention magazine package beat the control clues about him – from his age and by 60% to 100%, depending on list. social status to his complex array of feelings, beliefs, and desires. In fact, because of the nature of direct mail, you’ll end up knowing your prospect better than any door-to-door salesman. – Mark Everett Johnson, featured in AWAI’s Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection

Keep reading and I’ll show you how you really can:

• Unmask your prospect’s innermost feelings, desires, and beliefs • Understand what ideas, facts, and phrases are likely to encourage, frighten, and excite him

• Make him want to be your customer forever

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

Becoming a Direct Marketing Detective The process of knowing your prospect in direct marketing is private eye work. Although you don’t know your prospect, you must track him down by digging up as many facts and clues about him as possible. Some will be easy to find … some will require a little extra legwork. But they will all enable you to get a much stronger, more directed reaction from your prospect. First, we’ll get the basic facts about him … such as his age, gender, and income. Then we’ll dig a little deeper … We’ll find out what interests him, what keeps him up at night, and what keeps him running back for more. Next, we’ll try to uncover his core beliefs, feelings and desires – the deep stuff that allows you to get very close to him. After we’ve gathered all these bits of raw data, we’ll fit them together like jigsaw puzzle pieces to form a living, breathing representation of our mystery man. Are you ready? Let’s go …

Digging Through the Mailing List Data Card The very first clues you’ll get about your prospect come from mailing list data. As you’ve discovered, mailing lists are a very important part of the direct marketing business. In order to sell anything through the mail or online, individuals and companies need mailing lists of potential buyers’ names or email addresses. The easiest way to get these names is through a list broker who “rents” lists for a fee. So if you were selling baseball caps through a direct mail campaign, you’d ask a broker for lists of people who had previously purchased caps or similar sports apparel through the mail. (Because people generally buy the same types of things they’ve bought before.) The broker would come back to you with data cards that help describe – and, most importantly, sell – the lists. Among other information, these cards would provide vital data about your baseball

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cap prospects … such as their age, gender, and the type of products they’ve purchased. It goes without saying that this type of information is very important for people and firms that sell products or services through the mail, both snail mail and electronic. Data cards are also extremely important for another person … the direct response copywriter. Specifically, they provide him with some good starting information about his prospect. Direct marketing products or services have targeted mailing lists … and every mailing list that’s rented out has an informationpacked data card. So, before you write copy for any goods or service sold through the mail or online, be sure to ask your client for its data card.

Data cards are also extremely important for another person … the direct response copywriter. Specifically, they provide him with some good starting information about his prospect.

Let’s say you’re going to write a sales letter for a new herbal supplement called Megaman. You ask for the Megaman data card and you get this information about its buyers …

MEGAMAN BUYERS 20,400 Buyers

@ US $50/ M

SEX:

100% male

AGE:

40 (average)

PROFILE: Megaman buyers are independent, active men who want to gain control of their health and vitality. They purchase a variety of herbal supplements, products, and publications on a regular basis. SOURCE:

100% direct mail

RESTRICTIONS:

Sample mailing piece must be submitted for approval Minimum order: $5,000 No free offers or positioning available. List rental Agreement must be signed by mailer.

MAINTENANCE: List is updated quarterly.

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

So, now what do you do with this information? Before we start digging through it, I’d like to make one point: Anytime you get a data card, you’re going to find a good deal of information you don’t need (e.g., mailing restrictions, list maintenance). Remember, the chief function of the data card is to rent a product’s mailing list to prospective buyers of similar products, not to provide the copywriter with helpful information. (In fact, most copywriters never even think to ask for a data card before they start writing their sales letters. Just think how this one step will put you leaps and bounds ahead of them!) So if I were looking at this card, I would zero in on three sections only … the sex, age, and profile. Let’s read them again for good measure. Our prospect is …

• Male • 40 years old (on average) • Independent • Active • Health conscious • Concerned about control and vitality • Frequent buyer of supplements, health products, and publications

That’s a lot of good information already, isn’t it? Try picturing him with these very first clues. What do you see? Although my image is hazy, I see a man who feels he’s lost control (in what way, I’m not sure yet) and wants desperately to regain it. Hmm … Let’s see what else we can uncover about him …

Examining the Buyer Profile Before you forget about your client, you’re going to need another piece of information from him … his buyer profile. A buyer profile is simply data that

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your client has compiled about his customers – mainly from customer service surveys and questionnaires. At the very least, buyer profiles will provide you with basic demographic data (e.g., gender, age, income). But they will usually give you a few more clues … such as your prospect’s political affiliation, net worth and maybe even some of his beliefs and views. If you’re really lucky, you’ll even get data about his spending habits … what he buys, how often he buys and what he spends. Okay, so now you ask for the Megaman buyer profile sheet … MEGAMAN BUYER PROFILE Megaman buyers are independent, active men who want to gain control of their health and vitality. They purchase a variety of health supplements, products and publications on a regular basis. Sex 100% are men. Education 85% have at least a Bachelor’s degree. 15% have a Master’s degree. Age 73% are 35 - 45 years of age. 19% are 45 - 55 years of age. 8% are 55 - 65 years of age. Income 70% earn more than $60,000 a year. 50% earn more than $70,000 a year. 31% earn more than $80,000 a year. 14% earn more than $100,000 a year. Hobbies 70% are boaters or fisherman. 30% are hunters. Common Beliefs Every man has a right to live a healthy, vibrant life – regardless of his age. The government is not necessarily looking out for men’s rights.

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Are you starting to get a clearer picture of your prospect? Let’s try summing him up a bit. He is …

• 40 years old (give or take a few years)

• college educated • earning $60,000 or more a year

• a water aficionado • concerned about his rights • distrustful of the government

Insider Tip: “Keep in mind that direct marketing is a reading experience… a very private experience. You can propose benefits or talk about problems that people wouldn’t necessarily talk about in conversation with them. You can talk very intimately and address their deep needs in a direct mail letter in a way you can’t in any other sales medium.” – Katie Yeakle, Executive Director, AWAI

and the control it has on his life

Now that’s more specific, isn’t it? Again, stop for a moment and try to see this man in your mind’s eye. What does he look like? What does he want? What does he fear? Now that we have a good idea of our prospect, let’s start zeroing in on him with these last two pieces of information …

Inspecting the Product or Service One of the best (yet commonly overlooked) places to find clues about our prospect is within the product or service we’re selling.

One of the best (yet commonly overlooked) places to find clues about our prospect is within the product or service we’re selling.

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If we were selling a book or a newsletter, we could peruse it and note any hints about our prospect embedded in the text. For example, if we came across a phrase that said, “This is an invitation for no-nonsense everyday people,” we would know that our prospect is probably not college educated and may be in a lower socioeconomic group.

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But since we’re selling a physical product (Megaman) instead of an information product, we’ll have to work with more subtle clues. So we read our Megaman label and discover that it’s a preservative-free, one-a-day, herbal supplement. What does this reveal about our prospect? For one thing, it indicates that he may be interested only in pure, all-natural products. It may also illustrate that he’s a busy person who would rather get all the nutrients he needs in one shot than having to take individual tablets. We continue reading the label and find something else … “Megaman contains saw palmetto extracts to strengthen the prostate gland.” Now we know that our prospect may be concerned about his sexual potency. But before we can use these clues, we need to check them against our next and last source …

Dissecting Past Promotions What better way to delve into your prospect’s mind than to examine past sales letters that have “sold” him? Think about it … Whatever emotional phrases and images tugged at him before might rouse his interest again. Of course, the best letter to start examining would be your client’s most recent control. Remember, the control is your client’s strongest sales letter that you’re seeking to replace with your copy. Usually, you need to study only the first two pages and the headlines that follow to get the basic thrust of the control. And while you’re at it, ask your client for sales letters that weren’t successful. This way, you can double-check all your prior assumptions about the prospect. Plus, you can ensure that your ideas for the sales letter aren’t ideas that another copywriter has already tried – without success.

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And while you’re at it, ask your client for sales letters that weren’t successful. This way, you can double-check all your prior assumptions about the prospect. Plus, you can ensure that your ideas for the sales letter aren’t ideas that another copywriter has already tried – without success.

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

Let’s look at a portion of the current Megaman control and see what evidence we can gather … WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW COULD BE KILLING YOU … Dear Health-Conscious Friend: What would you say if I told you that … Two very common FDA-approved prescription drugs killed more than 3,000 Americans last year. Better yet, what would you say if I told you IT WAS A FACT. A fact that your friendly government doesn’t want to share with you. The truth is, our government keeps plenty of dirty little secrets that help it get bigger and richer every year. And guess who ends up holding the bag?

Again, the prospect’s distrust and disenchantment with the government (and particularly the FDA) have been enunciated. This letter also appeals largely to fear … that what our prospect doesn’t know could be endangering his health. What other emotions are being evoked? How about pride … the government keeps getting bigger and richer while he’s left “holding the bag.” The prospect is essentially positioned as the “little guy” fighting some evil bureaucratic behemoth. Now, let’s examine a past sales letter that flopped … SUPERCHARGE YOUR HEALTH … THE ALL-NATURAL WAY Dear Health-Conscious Friend: Eat an apple a day? If you do, you’re consuming about four different kinds of chemical pesticides every single day. Putting them right in your mouth. It’s true. Every year, pounds and pounds of dangerous pesticides are dumped on our food. Makes that shiny red apple look a little bit different now, doesn’t it? But what if there was a way to get back to the natural things in life …

This letter provides us with an extremely important development … Contrary to what we previously thought, our prospect is not concerned with the “naturalness” of Megaman. He’s not buying it because it’s a pure, preservative-free Learn more about copywriting

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Insider Tip: Use Don Hauptman’s “New Product Discussion Agenda” checklist to obtain all the background information – data and materials – you need for every project.

supplement, but rather because he doesn’t trust the FDA and the control it has over his health. Had we not read this letter, we might have made an incorrect assumption about him and carried it through to our copy.

And that completes our detective work! Now, let’s put it all together …

“Seeing” Your Prospect As If He Were Standing Right Beside You First, we need to take out all the clues we’ve collected and put them on the table. Then, we have to piece them together until we can actually “see” our prospect. Okay, let’s sum him up in a few lines … He’s a fairly affluent, 40-year-old educated man who lives a healthy and active life. He’s generally distrustful of the control the government may exert on his life and may be concerned about his own sexual potency. He has previously responded to fear- and pride-based promotions. That’s some pretty detailed information, isn’t it? And certainly more than you’d get meeting your prospect on his front porch. (I told you direct marketing was more powerful than face-to-face sales!) Now, I want you to start visualizing your prospect. One of the best ways to do this is to think of someone you know who fits this mold. Is it you? If it is, you’re in luck. Because you’ll be writing to yourself. You’ll instantly know what kind of promises to make, what words to use, and so on. But more than likely, your prospect is not going to be you. He may be your uncle, your next-door neighbor or your best friend. Maybe he’s the guy you talk

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to every Friday at the gym. But you must pick one specific person and stick with him. Now think about how you would (and have) talked to this person. What would you say if you were sitting down on a barstool next to him? What would you say if you were trying to change his mind or persuade him to do something he might not otherwise do? What words would you select, what tone would you use, and how much evidence would you need to convince him? Once you can answer these questions, you’re ready to start building your sales letter.

Insider Tip: 6 surefire ways to know your prospect (and product) better – By Bob Bly and John Forde, Master Copywriters 1. Ask your client for customer support letters. 2. Ask to see customer surveys. 3. Ask for samples of the product so you and other people can try it. 4. Get testimonials. If the product is new and there aren’t any, DO NOT make them up or get friends to give them. if, for example, you’re selling a new, arthritis remedy endorsed by Dr. Munchkin, you can use real testimonials about Dr. Munchkin and about the product’s components instead of about the product itself. 5. Ask for old promotions, the ones that worked as well as the ones that bombed. Your client may be reluctant to give them to you, but try. It doesn’t make sense for you to take an approach that already failed. And while you won’t copy them directly, winning promos can jumpstart your creative process. 6. Talk to the “champion” of the product: the editor, founder, developer, or whomever. This person can probably tell you more in 15 minutes than you can get from five hours of Internet research.

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The right information – good information – can make your package a winner. That’s why research is the copywriter’s “secret weapon.” Ignore it, and you will be doomed to mediocrity. Here’s Don, our resident expert on the subject, to tell you how to do it and how to use it …

How to Plant Nuggets of Gold In Your Copy

by Don Mahoney

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sing clear and powerful writing, cleverly structured arguments, persuasive language … mastering these techniques gives you the ability to write strong, winning copy. This is what separates the professional from the hack and makes a good copywriter great. We’re going to teach you all these things and much more. But first, let me tell you how to incorporate a magic touch into your work. How to mesmerize your reader and guarantee that he keeps turning the pages. And how do you do that? By embedding your copy with fascinating bits of information that stimulate the prospect’s imagination and entice him to read more. Finding these gold nuggets may seem like hard work – especially if you don’t know too much about what you’re selling. But the truth is, researching is fun…easy… and it pays off every time. I’ll show you exactly what I mean in a minute. But first, let me tell you why it’s so important …

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Have Fun, Impress People – And Get Paid Handsomely While You Do It For one thing (on a personal level), the knowledge you gain while researching has great entertainment value. You’re constantly finding out things that can make you “the life of the party.” At any given moment, you can sound off and amaze people with what you know about all kinds of fascinating subjects. And since you’re going to be focusing on facts that trigger people’s deepest desires and fears (that’s what we do in direct marketing copy), they’re going to hang on your every word. One day, you might be writing about why the stock market will keep going up. Another day you might be writing about why it’s going to crash. You might be researching why gold is the best investment in the world – or why the price of gold is going to drop like a stone … You might be researching the latest breakthroughs in alternative health – discovering radical, highly controversial therapies for cancer. Information the American Medical Association might not want the general public to know about … You might be researching exotic foreign vacation spots … little known paradises where you can lie around on the beach, sleep in a thatched hut, and eat like a king for $10 a day … You might be writing about the best real estate bargains in the world … places where you can buy a remote mountain cabin for $10,000 (that’ll probably be worth half a million bucks when you’re ready to retire)…

Insider Tip: “A lot of research is reading through things I find on the Internet, plus reading the news. Every day, I spend my first half-hour just reading the news.” – Donna Doyle, featured in AWAI’s Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection Donna is mainly an alternative health copywriter. Her Flexanol promotion doubled the response rate by tapping into an emotional benefit backed by scientific benefits for credibility.

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Or you might be reading up on the way the government seizes property from citizens from major crimes (even when they are merely suspected or falsely accused of a crime) … stories that outrage the average person … Do you see what I mean?

How Do You Think You Could Use These Interesting Tidbits? Now, let me give you some examples of facts I’ve found (and used) while doing my own research. When you study the classic pieces we’ve included in the AWAI Hall of Fame: Great Selling Ideas from 50 Super-Successful Direct Mail Letters and Direct Response Ads, you’ll see how effectively you could use items like these in a sales letter… Two-time Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling, who was still actively researching, writing, and speaking at colleges at the age of 93, took and recommended mega-doses of Vitamin C to maintain health and beat disease. China’s first Disneyland theme park is slated to open in Shanghai in 2014. Who says you can’t find money in unexpected places? A US investor noticed that a mining company in Cameroon was sitting on an estimated $10 billion worth of valuable cobalt that could be extracted from scrap metal. His company has exclusive rights to develop this cobalt mine, with cobalt selling for $30 per pound or more. As of 2007, the company is capitalized at roughly $100 million. The Russian economy is moving so fast that an entrepreneur named Vladimir Gruzdev, who started a grocery company in 1993, had grown his company and his personal wealth to an estimated $820 million, according to Forbes magazine. This supermarket chain and real estate tycoon became Russia’s first space tourist in 2009. There are 326 million trillion gallons of water on our planet, but 98% of it is undrinkable, salty, seawater. About 2% of the Earth’s water is fresh, but 1.6% of it is locked up in polar ice cap glaciers. That leaves less than

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1% for approximately five billion human beings to survive on. Not only us – every living creature – from mosquitoes to elephants is eyeballing that 1%, too. Plus microbes and human and animal waste contaminate the water in many rivers, lakes, and streams. The result? Over one billion people do not get enough clean drinking water – and more people die of dehydration every year than from cancer and AIDS. Did you know you can buy a luxury Costa Rican home with a lake and volcano view for just $300,000? It sits on a private setting with broad vistas of Lake Arenal and the famed Arenal Volcano, which erupted in 2006.

You plant these little nuggets in your copy and they act like invisible hooks that grab onto your reader – hidden magnets that keep him turning the page.

Wouldn’t you like to find something like this lying in a drawer? A collection of Hawaiian stamps has been appraised for $8 million and includes a letter bearing two of Hawaii’s rarest stamps valued at more than $1.5 million. And there’s the sheet of 1918 24-cent airmail stamps (known as the “Inverted Jenny”), originally purchased by William T. Robey for $24. Today, each stamp is valued at over $200,000. If a single sheet of those stamps were intact, it would be worth even more than the total of the individual stamps, which is $20 million. Maybe you’ve got one of these rolling around in a forgotten cigar box somewhere … a 1913 “V” nickel, which recently fetched a record price of nearly $3 million … or an 1873-CC Liberty Seated dime, which last sold in July 2004 for $891,250 at public auction. Did you know that you can become a felon merely by making a banking mistake? You might not know this, but a CTR, (Currency Transaction Report) must be filed with the IRS for any cash transaction involving $10,000 or more, or by anyone purchasing more than $3,000 in money orders or making transfer among bank accounts in a series totaling $10,000 or more. Failure to file a CTR in these instances is a criminal felony. The money doesn’t have to be involved in any criminal activity – it is a crime to simply not report the transaction. The penalty? Up to a five-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.

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Credit card lenders sent out 2.6 billion solicitations for accounts in the first quarter of 2008 – or 53 offers per household in just 3 months! Less than 20 years ago, you could have bought one share of each stock in the Dow Jones Industrial Average for about the price of one ounce of gold. Today, the bull market in stocks has taken stock prices so high that it would take roughly 20 ounces of gold to buy the same shares. A simple dietary supplement called glucosamine sulfate helps arthritis sufferers by smoothing joint surfaces – and actually helping to rebuild damaged cartilage. Yes, it’s a lot of fun to know stuff like this. But there are serious benefits to what you’ll find out by doing a little research. You plant these little nuggets in your copy and they act like invisible hooks that grab onto your reader – hidden magnets that keep him turning the page.

You Make Your Prospect Feel Indebted To You – Without Realizing It This is a real slick technique. You see, when you tell somebody something he doesn’t know – give him some useful information – you’re actually giving him something for free. When you get your prospect to think, “Gee, I didn’t know that,” you’re actually sinking in the hook. On a subconscious level, he feels he’s been given something for free – and he Quick Tip: feels gratitude. That makes him more likely to respond 4 Tips for Mining Golden Copy to your offer, or at least to Nuggets with a Good Interview keep reading. By Heather Robson 1. Be prepared 2. Be flexible 3. Be a good listener 4. Be appreciative

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Also you’re building credibility. And that’s a critical element of copywriting. When the prospect sees that you’re informed about the subject, he gains con-

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 2

fidence in what you’re telling him. He begins to trust you. Credibility is an especially important part of a direct mail promotion. In fact, it’s crucial for any type of sales at all. And here’s another benefit:

Your Client Will Be Delighted When You Find Those Golden Nuggets Quite often during research, you’ll find a fascinating nugget that your client may not even have considered for use in a sales promotion. By uncovering insightful benefits that relate to your product and audience, you’ll become a valued member of your client’s team. Clients are impressed by copywriters who do thorough research and find those gems. In an interview found in the Who’s Mailing What online article archives, Master Copywriter Gene Schwartz was asked what he considered to be the most important characteristics of a copywriter. Schwartz said “Indefatigability, clarity, craziness, and humanity…when I talk about indefatigability, I mean that copywriting is research; it has something I call ‘claim density.’ It’s packed with facts, with information, with ideas. You can’t get that without doing research.”

Insider Tip: A few ways to build credibility into your copy By Don Hauptman, Master Copywriter • Use specifics • Incorporate real names and numbers: people, companies, dollar amounts, dates, percentages, statistics • Cite proof, evidence, documentation, such as research studies • Relate a real success story or case study • Use authentic, narrative testimonials with vivid details • Include a strong guarantee

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And when asked if he had any special techniques he uses to get ideas he replied, “Yes, research. When I write copy for a book, I generally know more about the book than the editor.”

I mean that copywriting is research; it has something I call ‘claim density.’ It’s packed with facts, with information, with ideas. You can’t get that without doing research.

As an AWAI member you already understand the importance of good research and with the abundance of information readily available on the Internet today there’s no excuse for not doing your homework. Nearly everything you want to know is already known and available online. The problem is finding it and making sure it’s accurate. Here are 20 websites every copywriter should have for their research library. Simply click on the logo to visit each website. For general research (on just about anything), use …

Google is the largest search engine out there. In fact, Google reaches 66% of all Internet users. If you know what you’re looking for, simply go to it, type in your keywords (words related to your research topic such as “rare stamps”), and filter through the responses Google provides. Google also has a directory with listings to all the major news and government sites such as The New York Times, CNN, and the Supreme Court. Simply click on the “News and Resources” link at the bottom of their homepage for a complete listing. If you don’t know exactly which keywords or phrases to search in order to get the information you need, go to Ask.com and ask for what you’re looking for in the form of a question (e.g., “Why is the sky blue?”). You can also find out what other people are searching for on ask.com by clicking on the “Ask Q&A” button pertaining to a particular topic.

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Wikipedia is a “free-content encyclopedia project” loaded with articles and links to information on just about any topic you can imagine. It’s one of the largest reference Web sites available, with more than 10,000,000 articles in more than 260 languages. The articles are written collaboratively by volunteers who are knowledgeable about specific subjects. Anyone can edit it and in fact, site visitors often verify the content’s integrity and correct any inaccurate facts. Fellow copywriter Don Pagan turned us on to this site. It features information on (you guessed it!) how stuff works – everything from boomerangs to aspirin to 401k plans. For a variety of facts and figures, try these … This site is great for researching Federal/State laws and statistics. It has a link to the U.S. Census reports, the Constitution, and even contact information for government agencies and directories. You can search this site (the CIA World Fact Book) for specific countries to find out everything from current environmental issues to how the government is set up to communication and transportation information. This is the website for the famous Nielsen Ratings reports. To access many of the reports, you have to buy them online – but you can view Nielsen’s News Reports free under the “news” button on the left navigation bar. That’s where you’ll

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find answers to questions like “How many people watched the World Cup this year?” or “What are this year’s advertising rates as compared with last year?” To find financial information, financial writers/master copywriters Porter Stansberry and Addison Wiggin recommend these sites … This is one of the best places to pick up information about basic investing concepts and learn about individual companies from other investors. This is the best financial website on the Internet. All the basic information you need on stocks plus screening tools to help you find the diamonds in the rough. And, if you’re careful, the message boards here can lead to very interesting tips. (Just don’t believe all that you read.) This is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website. You can look up ALL corporate disclosure information for any stock listed in the United States. You should also check out the following financial sites …

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And if you’re researching health products, master copywriter Arthur Johnson recommends: This site is not for the faint of heart, but invaluable if you’re seeking backup for health-related material. Also check out… This Harvard Medical School site not only includes health news and solutions but also tools for researching health problems by symptoms as well as by name.

This site offers “trustworthy and timely health and medical news and information.”

This site contains a huge listing for the latest news, resources, and updates from leading alternative health experts. A great “real health news” site for alternative health research, based on the opinions of Dr. Douglass (a vocal opponent of “business-asusual” medicine).

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Once you find a site you like, “bookmark” it to create a shortcut back to it for future reference. Kinda like inserting a piece of paper into a printed book to mark a specific page. If you use the Internet Explorer browser for viewing the Internet, you’ll be able to bookmark sites by clicking on “Favorites” on the menu bar at the top of the screen. Other browsers may be slightly different, so you might need to use the “Help” function to find out how your browser works. IMPORTANT: Web site content isn’t the only place to research topics. Information can also be found via chat lines, online forums, and discussion groups … although they Quick Tip: should be taken with a 3 Internet Resources for Getting grain of salt. These are Inside Your Prospect’s Head good places to get ideas By Heather Robson and leads but always double-check what you 1. User forums read there against a cred2. Review sites (product reviews, travel ible source. Same goes for reviews, book reviews) anything you find through 3. Relevant blogs a search engine. There’s a huge amount of information out there that is updated and added daily – with no source to regulate it. Your best bet is to use caution. You should also understand that a big part of becoming a good researcher is just experience. You’ve simply got to get in there and do it. The more you do it, the better you’ll be. And if you’re really serious about succeeding as a copywriter, you’ve got to research every single assignment you get as if your life literally depends on it – as if you’re going to face a firing squad if you don’t come up with some piece of information that nobody else knows. I can tell you right now, if you’re not willing to do the research, you still might be successful – but you’d better be an incredible writer. Much better than me. ‘Cause that’s what it’s going to take. There’s no reason not to do your homework. It’s easy and quick. We’ll show you how. Now let me give you one critical tip …

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How to Get the Competitive Edge on Everyone Else: Start With the Basics – Then, Go the Extra Yard First of all, when you get a copywriting assignment, the client usually starts you out with a package of material – background information, past promotions, samples of what the competition is doing, etc. If the client doesn’t offer, ask for it. He’s bound to have stacks and stacks of useful stuff. This is your starting point. Once you’ve gone through everything the client gave you, you’re ready to go out and find that extra something – because you know what you already have. As I said before, you’ve got to get out there and do it. Dig in. Poke around everywhere online that you can think of and see what you find. If you’re writing financial material, you might start with the latest online postings from the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s. If you’re writing about travel, browse through some travel websites. You may also want to talk to travel agents. If you’re writing about health, visit health sites online. Plus, pick up a copy of Prevention. Then head for the health food store and hit the magazine/book rack there. Ask the salespeople questions (about vitamins, cancer prevention, diet, and weight control … whatever), and ask them what their customers are buying.

To get the real edge, you’ve got to dig deep. Find stuff not everybody knows. Then you’ve got to figure out a way to work that into your promotion. Tease with it. Inform. Give your prospect something he didn’t know before.

If you’re writing about income opportunities, visit financial websites and pick up magazines on franchising and home businesses. But don’t stop there. Let each source lead you to the next source.

Next Step: Targeted Research And don’t forget about obvious, but often overlooked, resources – like interviewing experts. You just might get cutting-edge information that hasn’t yet

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been published anywhere. Contact the authors of the articles you’ve read… the experts interviewed in the articles… the specialists on the subject in your community… anyone who might lead you to a “nugget.” To get the real edge, you’ve got to dig deep. Find stuff not everybody knows. Then you’ve got to figure out a way to work that into your promotion. Tease with it. Inform. Give your prospect something he didn’t know before. And guess what? He may not realize it, but he’ll be grateful to you for it. And you’ll have moved him a little bit further through your piece.

Meanwhile, Back at the Computer On earlier pages, I touched on the subject of entering “keywords” in search engines such as Google. Let me explain a little further how this works … Recently, I needed information on offshore (overseas) mutual funds. So, I did a search in Google using the words “mutual funds.” The computer then looks for any web site, online article or other document that has either one of those two words in it. Problem is, I get 23,800,000 results – waaay too many (and increasing every day)! So I narrowed the search. I tell the computer to give me only listings that include both keywords. This time I get 24,200 results – still too many to read. So I narrow the search even farther. I add the words “offshore” and “investments” to “mutual funds,” and ask the computer to match all four keywords. Bingo! 9 results. (Any serious researcher will scan them all.) Here’s another example: I want information on Latin American stocks. So I key in “Latin American stocks.” The computer tells me there Quick Tip: are 35,300 items availKeep a list of keywords that gave able. To narrow the you the best information. You may search, I change it to be able to use them throughout your copy for “Latin American stock relevance and credibility – especially if your returns.” It returns 80 sales letter ends up on the web. items this time, much better. Then I enter “Latin

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American stocks” and ask the computer to match all three keywords. Viola! Four results – and I’ve got my information. Once you get the hang of it, a keyword search can save hours … especially if you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary (which is what you should be doing). CAUTION! The best information for your promotion is not necessarily on the first page of your search results. Scan several pages to discover your hidden nuggets.

It Gets Easier and Easier You know, in many ways, copywriting gets easier and easier. You polish your skills and you work faster. You build a file of successful packages you’ve gotten in the mail or email that you can “lift” from and you build a formidable store of material from your own research. Then, your assignments go smoother. They take less and less time to do – and you make more and more money. It’s absolutely true. You’re gonna love it. I know.

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Part 3

The Secret To Good Writing The “Trick” That Will Strengthen Your Copy A Hundredfold

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kay, let’s get back to writing. Are you ready to go a little deeper? Good, because you’re about to learn one of the most important rules to follow to ensure you consistently come up with good, effective, compelling writing — writing that keeps the reader’s eyes riveted to the page (or computer screen) from start to finish. It comes from Mark Morgan Ford and it’s called “The Power of One.” You see, to be a good writer, you need to be able to present good ideas clearly. And, the best way to do that is limit yourself to a single idea. By restricting each sales letter or article or chapter to a single idea, you are forced to make sure it is a good one. The underling rule of The Power of One is that every piece of copy you write must be built on: • One good idea • One core emotion • One captivating story • One single, desirable benefit • One inevitable response To help you understand the The Power of One, please read the following article written by Mark:

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The Power Of One — One Big Idea One of the biggest lessons I have ever learned about writing came very late — in fact, more than twenty years after I wrote my first piece of copy. It happened about a year after I began writing Early To Rise (ETR), the e-newsletter. I was looking over issues I’d written that year and noting which ones readers rated the highest. Without exception, those achieving the highest scores presented a single idea. It struck me that readers didn’t want to hear everything I had to say about a topic every time I wrote. They were looking for a single, useful suggestion or idea that could make them more successful. That was one of those “a-ha!” experiences for me. As a reader, I had always most enjoyed stories and essays that tackled one subject effectively and deeply. As a writer, I sensed my readers felt this way, too. But, it wasn’t until I looked at the ETR results that I recognized the power of a narrow focus in writing. I checked to see if this same phenomenon applied to advertising copy. I pulled out my box of “best promotions of all time.” While not all of them were on a single topic, most of the very best hit just one idea strongly. It seemed I was on to something. I presented this idea as one “powerful secret to publishing success” when Agora had our first company-wide meeting for publishers in France. Bill Bonner reminded me he’d learned about The Power of One from the great advertising guru David Ogilvy. Ogilvy’s concept was that every great promotion has, at its core, a single, powerful idea that he called “the Big Idea.” At about that same time, John Forde was rereading the classic 1941 book, “How to Write a Good Advertisement” by Victor Schwab — the man Advertising Age called the “greatest mail-order copywriter of all time.” In that book, Schwab listed his choice for the “Top 100 Headlines.” John found that of those 100 Top Headlines, 90 were driven by single, Big Ideas. Note how instantly clear and engaging these “Big Ideas” are … • “The Secret of Making People Like You” • “Is the Life of a Child Worth $1 to You?” • “To Men Who Want to Quit Work Someday”

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• “Are You Ever Tongue-Tied at a Party?” • “How a New Discovery Made a Plain Girl Beautiful” • “Who Else Wants a Screen Star Figure?” • “You Can Laugh at Money Worries — If You Follow This Simple Plan” • “When Doctors Feel Rotten This is What They Do” • “How I Improved My Memory in One Evening” • “Discover the Fortune That Lies Hidden In Your Salary” • “How I Made a Fortune with a ‘Fool Idea’” • “Have You a ‘Worry’ Stock?” At ETR, we made this concept a “rule” for writing. The mandate was clear. Write about one thing at a time. One good idea, clearly and convincingly presented, was better than a dozen so-so ideas strung together. When we obeyed that rule, our essays were stronger. When we ignored it, they were not as powerful as they could have been. Like a river, your copy must flow in one clearly-defined channel. Every diversion and unnecessary thought added will dilute its power. Like a train, your copy must get on one single, straight set of “rails” and stay on it. When it does, it will generate momentum and speed. You can lead your reader straight to your destination. It’s a natural impulse to throw in everything you can, thinking it will help your copy. It seems logical that more ideas will strengthen your argument. They won’t. You must think counter-intuitively and stick to your one main idea. The Power of One also means every paragraph you write will contain one single idea. If you need three sentences to express that one idea, use three sentences. If it can be done in one sentence, fine. There is a reason for paragraphs: If done properly, they help the reader read more efficiently. Be absolutely disciplined about The Power of One. In every piece you write. Every time. Find Your Big Idea — one great, dominant idea your reader can grasp immediately. Then commit to it. Stick with it. Make sure that every single sentence directly relates to and supports it. Here’s an example of “The Power of One” as applied to an advertorial taken from Bob Bly:

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 3

Subject Line: The Easiest Product to Sell Online Dear Friend,

There’s no product easier to create or sell online …

… than a simple, straightforward instructional or howto e-book.

Why are e-books the perfect information product to sell on the Internet? Ÿ 100% profit margin. Ÿ No printing costs.

Ÿ No inventory to store.

Ÿ Quick and easy to update.

Ÿ No shipping costs or delays.

Ÿ Higher perceived value than regular books. Ÿ Quick, simple, and inexpensive to produce.

My very first e-book has generated $20,727 in sales (so far). My total investment in producing it: just $175.

Now, I want to show you how to make huge profits creating and selling simple e-books — in my new e-book “Writing E-Books for Fun & Profit.”

Normally my e-books sell for anywhere from $29 to $79, and later this year, “Writing E-Books for Fun & Profit” will sell for $59. However, to make it affordable for you to get started in e-book publishing, I’m letting you have “Writing E-Books for Fun & Profit” for only $19 today — a savings of $40 off the cover price! For more information … or to order on a risk-free 90-day trial basis … just click here now. Sincerely, Bob Bly

P.S. But, I urge you to hurry. This special $40 discount is for a limited time only. And once it expires, it may never be repeated again.

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Let me explain how The Power of One operates here. In the lift letter, Bob asks a question and then tells a single sentence story. The question is an inverted promise. The story validates the promise. The sales letter follows. This, too, is a beautifully-simple piece of copy. It leads with a statement that expresses one clear idea: “The easiest way to make money on the Internet it to market e-books.” That statement is supported by a number of bulleted “facts.” Then, Bob validates the statement by mentioning his own experience. The reader is already sold. Bob makes the sale irresistible with a strong, one-timeonly offer. Short, sweet, and simple. The Power of One is not only one big, central idea. It’s a fully-engaging piece of copy with five necessary elements. Using Bob’s example: • One good idea: “There’s no product easier to create or sell online than a simple, straightforward instructional or how-to e-book.” • One core emotion: “It is simple! I bet I can do it!” • One captivating story: Told brilliantly in 11 words: “My very first e-book has generated $20,727 in sales (so far).” • One single, desirable benefit: “Now, I want to show you how to make huge profits creating and selling simple e-books.” • One inevitable response: The only way to get this book for $19 is “click here now.” To create blockbuster promotions time after time, you must understand the difference between good copy and great copy. The Power of One is the driving force behind great copy. Veteran advertising consultant James Loftus, who’s worked with Anheuser-Busch, Holiday Inn, McDonald’s, and many other clients, agrees: “Also keep in mind that the more points you try to cover, the less effective each point, and therefore your ad, will be. An effective ad will actually have only one central focus, even if you discuss it from two or three perspectives. If your points are too diverse, they compete with each other, and end up pulling the reader’s attention in separate directions.”

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When challenged with an advertising assignment, most writers conjure lists of features and benefits, then mention as many as possible. Their thinking goes, “I wonder which of these benefits will really push the buttons I want? I’ll throw them all in. That way, if one doesn’t work, another one will.” This is B-level copywriting. It’s not the way to create breakthrough advertising. The Power of One is commonplace now at Agora … it’s taught by AWAI … and you’ll see that most top copywriters follow it. You can use The Power of One to create your own blockbuster copy. Ask yourself: “What is the Big Idea here?” “Is this idea strong enough to capture the hearts of my customers?” Or “Are my ideas all over the place?” The challenge is to find that one good idea the reader can grasp immediately. And stick to it. So, the idea has to be strong, easy to understand … and easy to believe. Put The Power of One to work for you in all your communications. You’ll be amazed at how much stronger — and successful — your copy will be.

More from Mark on Power Writing! in this excerpt from AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting for Your Exclusive 30-Day Launch Protocol…

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Power Writing!

by Mark Morgan Ford

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kay. By now you’re probably thinking, “There’s got to be a catch. This copywriting business can’t possibly be as much of a snap as these guys say it is.” But… The fact of the matter is, the ability to write direct response copy is not a Godgiven gift. It’s not a genetic trait. And it’s not something mysterious and magical that can be grasped only by a fortunate few.

You’ve got to speak to him in an informal, “conversational” way, as if you were talking to a good friend. In other words, you must write like you talk.

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The ability to create high-impact copy is a skill that can be learned. And it’s one YOU will master when you complete American Writers & Artists Inc.’s Accelerated Program for SixFigure Copywriting. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to two powerful secrets that’ll put you on the path to earning the six-figure salary we’ve been talking about…

Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 3

The Secret of Writing Like You Talk Earlier, you learned the importance of knowing your prospect. Once you can “see” him, you immediately know how to talk to him…what tone to employ, what phrases to use, and what promises to make. But to really command his attention, you have to go a step further. You’ve got to speak to him in an informal, “conversational” way, as if you were talking to a good friend. In other words, you must write like you talk. Of course, “writing like you talk” is easier said than done. Most people (including myself) have had difficulty putting actual spoken English down on paper. And it’s no wonder. No one’s ever taught us how. (In fact, we’ve been discouraged from writing conversationally all throughout school and probably even in our careers.)

Keep the writing right at your prospect’s level. Never higher. Never lower. Most importantly, try to get as close to spoken English as you possibly can.

And there’s very little of it on the market today. In fact, you can find it only in two places… 1) In copywriting or 2) In fiction (almost always as dialogue). That’s it. And even then, copywriting is still the closest you can get to the way people really talk. You never have to use fancy, highfalutin language. Or worry about being grammatically correct. Or make sure you’ve included some complicated literary device.

Insider Tip: “You have to convince the reader that you are one of them … you have to become your prospect and speak like you really understand him.” – Jeff Laurie, featured in AWAI’s Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection Jeff’s Easton Press promotion for 100 Greatest Books Ever Written turned books into works of art. It has remained the control for several years … mailing well over 1 million pieces.

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Good, effective copywriting is, in fact, the furthest thing from formal or “proper” English… So never make your copy sound stuffy or academic. Keep the writing right at your prospect’s level. Never higher. Never lower. Most importantly, try to get as close to spoken English as you possibly can. Since you lack physical intimacy and the ability to use body language, it’s impossible to write exactly as you talk. But you can come very close to it. You can do certain things in your writing that are the equivalent of raising your voice, pacing yourself, raising an eyebrow, inflecting on a word, and so on. If you wanted to emphasize a particular point to your prospect, for example, you could put it in italics, underline it, or CAPITALIZE it. You could also pause for a moment… Or skip a line. Here’s an example: According to ZenithOptiMedia, “Global online ad spending will overtake total radio ad spending … and surpass magazines in ad dollars this year.” What does this mean to you? Your opportunity to make six figures as a copywriter … to write your own paychecks … and to live life on your terms … are greater than they’ve ever been before … Because whether it’s for a landing page, e-newsletter, email campaign, blog, sales page, or home page, somebody has to write the content these companies are paying BIG money for.

As you progress through this program, you’ll know just when and how to use these techniques for maximum impact. But for right now, know that there are many ways to establish a “physical” connection with your prospect. Of course, it isn’t enough to write like you talk. If you want to “sell” your prospect, you’ve got to get fired up about your product or service. Then you’ve got to put that passion down on paper…

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The Secret of Writing with Passion Let’s face facts… The best things in life are those created with passion. Passion built the Statue of Liberty, painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and put a man on the moon. Without passion, everything loses its momentum and vibrancy… And the same holds true for copywriting. When you write with passion, your copy will have a certain exuberance to it. Your words will carry more meaning. Your ideas will be more clear and compelling. And your voice will be stronger, richer, and more convincing. Better yet, your energy will carry over to your prospect. Not only will he get pumped up about your product, he’ll want to send YOU his hard-earned money. Fail to write with passion, and you’ll put your reader to sleep. Worse yet, you’ll lose the sale. There’s just no two ways about it…passion rules. But here’s the catch…You can’t “make up” passion. You have to actually feel it towards whatever it is you’re selling. The best way to do that is to study your product and list all its good qualities. How it helps people stay healthy. Or how it saves them time and money. Or why it really is the best product on the market for X, Y, and Z.

Insider Tip: “Make your copy emotional. It’s got to be one human being talking to another human being.” – Donna Baier Stein, featured in AWAI’s Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection Donna’s copywriting focus includes environmental groups and other types of associations. Her promotion for the National Parks and Conservation Association has been mailed to over 1 million names … remaining the control for 15 years.

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Get excited about it! Start telling your spouse, your friends, and your co-workers how it will make them richer, smarter, sexier, or more powerful. You’ll know when you’re passionate about a product, because you’ll automatically want to tell everyone about it. You’ll want to use it yourself

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if it’s appropriate for you. And you’ll start naturally “selling” it to people you meet in casual conversation. You must really develop your own internal passion for your product. Even if it’s only a temporary passion that dissipates after you’ve finished writing the sales letter. Because if you can write passionately, you’ll be a much stronger copywriter. When you can write informally and passionately, you’ll be well on your way to developing…

Your Own Voice Throughout the course of your copywriting career, you must move towards your own voice – the natural way you talk to someone when you’re trying to persuade them. Some writers tend to have exaggerated voices. They make audacious promises, frequently raise their voices and have a certain charismatic flair. Others are more reasonable. They convince with facts and figures, charts and graphs, and tend to be more low key.

Quick Tip: Try the Product “The first thing I do is get as knowledgeable and comfortable with the product as possible. If it’s a book or magazine, I read it twice. If it’s a consumer product, I’ll use it myself.”

And both of these voices work. Because (no matter what it is) your natural voice will ultimately be your strongest. It’s your true personality on paper. You’ve got to trust it and stay with it.

– Jonathan Peace, featured in AWAI’s Copywriting Genius: The Master Collection

Eventually, this voice will get better and better. And when it does, you’ll be in a powerful position.

Jon is used to his packages mailing in the millions because he’s developed a special methodology for getting familiar with the target audience. His Prevention for Pets promotion defeated the competing package by over 25%.

You’ll be able to create winning copy two to four times faster than before. Projects that took you a month to complete will

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take you only seven or eight days. And that means you can double, triple, or even quadruple your income. But be patient. Your voice will come. Just like it came to me, Don, Paul, and many others. In the meantime, know that you’ll still be able to create very strong, moneymaking copy.

Insider Tip: 3 Ways to Give Your Letter the Proper “Voice” By Paul Hollingshead The voice of a letter touches a whole different set of buttons in your reader. Something deep down inside. Something that makes him feel at ease, comfortable, and, most importantly, makes him want to trust you. Here are three very simple tricks I use to naturally eliminate “adspeak” from my letters. 1. Imagine the person you’re writing to. Picture him or her as a friend. 2. Believe that the product you’re selling will improve your friend’s life. 3. Figure out what it would take to convince you to buy the product.

Ingredients for a Successful Sales Letter Imagine writing a letter to a friend to persuade him to visit your favorite restaurant. Follow these tips, and you will have the framework for a successful SALES LETTER.

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Your USP Before you even begin writing, determine your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). The USP is that unique feature that sets your product or service apart from the rest – and provides your prospect with a benefit they can’t get from the competition. Disney’s Garden Grill restaurant features food grown in Disney’s experimental gardens at the Epcot Land pavilion… which the restaurant overlooks.

Emeril’s restaurants have popular TV chef Emeril Lagasse as their USP.

Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans created Oysters Rockefeller back in 1899 – and the original recipe remains a secret known only to Antoine’s staff.

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Your Headline Create an arresting headline. Two of the strongest ways to approach headlines are to promise a benefit or arouse curiosity. The easiest way to ensure your headline is effective is to include at least three of the “Four U’s©”:

USEFUL

Does the headline offer information the prospect can use? Example: IRS Secrets That Could Cut Your Tax Bill in Half

URGENT

Does the headline make the reader feel it’s important to read the letter right now? Example: We’ve Reserved a Brand-new Lexus for You at Half-price… But Only if You Respond in the Next 7 Days

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UNIQUE

Is the information itself unique, or is it presented in a unique way? Example: Lose 5 Pounds a Week Eating Chocolate Cake!

UltraSpecific

Is the information in the headline presented in very specific terms? Example: Join the 18,653 People Who’ve Already Won FREE Disney World Vacations 111

Your Lead A strong lead does two things. First, it builds desire for the product/service you’re offering. And, second, it makes a big…

One of the most effective ways to build desire is to paint a picture. And a picture showing the prospect enjoying the benefits of your product/service is often the most effective type of picture. Once you’ve built the desire, promise that the prospect can have what he/she now desires. A well-executed promise propels the reader right into the proof section of your letter.

The 4 P’s© One basic formula for creating a successful sales letter is called “the 4 P’s©.” The 4 P’s© are Picture, Promise, Proof and Push. We’ve looked briefly at the Picture and Promise above. Now let’s discuss the other two P’s. Because the average prospect is skeptical, proof is an important part of any letter. People won’t believe our claims just because we say so. Unless we’re established experts, our claims are just opinions. There are many kinds of proof. Where restaurants are concerned, there are four that are most effective:  wards – The AAA 5-Diamond rating is terrific proof that a A restaurant is exceptional. “Best of” wins… honors from magazines… top-rankings from diner’s organizations… These are all strong proof items.

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Reviews – Local and national newspapers and magazines often print reviews of restaurants. A rave review makes excellent proof. Testimonials – Praise from satisfied customers is good proof. Be careful to avoid using testimonials from people who could be seen as connected to either the writer or the restaurant. Endorsements – People love celebrities… and to do the things that celebrities do. People line up for blocks to buy cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, just because the ladies on Sex and the City bought cupcakes there. The fourth P – “Push” – is your call to action. A good call to action is clear and specific. For example, “So let’s go to my favorite restaurant some time,” is too vague. As you’ve probably noticed, a well intentioned “some time” usually translates to “never.” You can’t get a clear commitment to a vague push. Instead, be specific. “Let’s go to Outback this Friday at 7:00 pm… I’ll pick you up,” is strong. That’s because it forces a commitment. But how do we get them to agree? Adding urgency is one excellent method. A limited-time incentive creates a real sense of urgency. For example, “Outback is offering two-for-one entrée specials this month only. So, let’s go to Outback this Friday, before their special offer expires. I’ll pick you up at 7:00 pm.” Do you see how easily the limited-time offer provided a logical – and compelling – reason to make a date for Friday? Okay, now it’s your turn. Take your favorite restaurant and figure out your USP. Write an arresting headline and a compelling lead. Make a big promise. Then prove your claims in the body, winding up with a clear and specific push. And don’t forget to create a sense of urgency to get agreement from your prospect. That’s all there is to it!

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Part 4

A Variety Of Opportunities Await You The Internet Has Exploded The Demand For Copy And That Means Thousands Of Potential Employers For You

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ne of the reasons for the HUGE DEMAND for copywriters is because of all the ways you can use your “persuasive writing” skills … especially when it comes to the Internet. Here’s just a partial list of some of the web-based projects you can take on as a copywriter: ØØ Website Copywriting — There’s a huge demand for copywriters who know how to make websites sell, instead of just look pretty. ØØ Email Marketing — Use these email sales techniques to market products to your existing customers (or your client’s). ØØ Autoresponders — Short emails that pay extraordinarily well. ØØ Pay-Per-Click Ad Writing — The fast-emerging writer’s market that can pay up to $50 per word. ØØ Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist — Companies pay very well for a copywriter who can get their website to the top of the searchengine rankings. ØØ Landing Page Writer — The web page your client’s customer first sees is crucial to the browsing (and buying) process. That’s why this expertise is in very high demand. ØØ Site Audit Specialist — Get paid to write a report on a company website’s strengths and weaknesses (and then get paid more to fix them!). ØØ Advertorials — News-style articles that also sell. ØØ Banner Ads — Short, fun, and challenging ads that get customers to click to your customer’s website.

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ØØ Press Releases — Done right, they can be free advertising for your client — and persuasive writing talents are mandatory. ØØ Researchers — While you’re learning the copywriting ropes, why not make good money helping writers with their research? ØØ Webinars — Online presentations used in Business-to-Business to educate customers and sell to prospects. ØØ Social Media Specialist — One of the fastest-growing sectors of the copywriting world, learn how to market through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. ØØ Blogging — Companies, experts, personalities, and celebrities don’t have the time to write their own blogs, so they hire copywriters to learn their voice and write blog posts for them. And, in most cases, they want a writer who can persuade, too. You can also choose to specialize in a writing field that interests you most … ØØ Writing for the health market — Thanks to the tens of millions of Baby Boomers, this market has THRIVED in recent years: health newsletter subscriptions, supplements, natural cure products, and more. ØØ Catalog writing — It’s a billion-dollar industry (how many show up in your mailbox?) … and guess who writes all those product descriptions? Copywriters! ØØ Writing for the financial market — Sales promotions that market financial newsletters and financial advisory services for the financial publishing industry. ØØ Travel writing — Earn extra income and travel free writing articles about your global travel adventures (make money from your travel photos as well). ØØ Resume writing — Using your persuasive skills to help people find jobs in this difficult economy. ØØ Writing for nonprofits — Make good money helping your favorite cause raise money. Many people particularly enjoy this aspect of life — making a living while helping organizations you believe in passionately. ØØ Grant writing — Billions of dollars await worthy causes … your persuasive skills can help them get it. And then, there’s what I consider to be the biggest market of them all — Business-to-Business, or B2B.

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This area is SO BIG it deserves special attention …

Just What Is B2B Marketing Anyway? Simply put, “Business-to-Business” refers to companies that sell things to other companies. For example, you buy a toaster from your local Walmart store. That’s a “Businessto-Consumer” (B2C) sale … But, there were perhaps a dozen Business-to-Business transactions that went on before that toaster could ever make it to the store shelf. There was the metal fabrication company that supplied the machine to the toaster-maker that enabled it to stamp out and shape the material used to make the product … The printing machine company that sold the pad print product that enabled the company to print its name on the finished toaster … The paper company that made the box the toaster came in … The artist who designed the art for the packaging … And, chances are, there was a consulting firm who convinced the toaster company that they could help them get their toasters into Walmart stores nationwide in the first place. All these are Business-to-Business companies. And, there are more than 8 million of them in dozens of industries just in North America alone — all of which need to reach prospective customers by advertising their products and services using copywriters like you. But, B2B advertising is a little different than traditional advertising … This prospect doesn’t need to be sold “emotionally” like when you’re selling to consumers … You don’t have to appeal to the “core” emotions like fear and greed … And, you don’t need the kind of “Big Ideas” that drive a lot of copywriting success … or clever headlines to capture their attention. Why? Because businesses know they need what you’re selling. It’s just a matter of educating him or her on your product or service … showing why yours is better than the competition from a cost and performance standpoint.

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Often, you don’t even have to do that much … One of the most common tasks for a Business-to-Business copywriter is to generate a “lead.” In other words, get the prospective company to agree to simply learn more about your product! Don’t get me wrong though … It’s not that there’s no selling going on here. There is. It’s just much more subtle. In fact, in just a moment’s time, I’ll show you some of the ways businesses market to other businesses — and share with you one of the most powerful secrets for getting results in any form of B2B marketing. (You’ll have this secret within minutes — and once you have it, you’ll be well on your way … more knowledgeable than half the B2B copywriters working today!) But, before I get to all that, here’s a fascinating fact … one that no copywriter thinking about the B2B market should ignore.

Breaking News: The Pie Is Getting Bigger! With all the doom and gloom out there, businesses are cutting back on spending like never before. Bad news for copywriters, yes? Absolutely not … Because, while it’s true businesses are cutting back on “cost-based” spending (things that aren’t tied to generating revenues, like new artwork for the office or sales meetings in Vegas) — they’re spending more on things that make and save money. According to the Direct Marketing Association, Business-to-Business companies spend over $55 billion per year on B2B marketing — everything from advertisements, brochures, direct mail, white papers, case studies, sell sheets, and so on. According to the market research firm AMR Research (a part of Gartner, Inc.), B2B companies will spend more than $3 billion alone on online marketing this year … and that number is expected to grow by 12% a year through at least 2013. In addition, according to a story published in B-to-B, The Magazine for Marketing Strategists, AMR predicts B2B social media spending will grow at an annual average rate of 21% through 2013 … and that B2B spending on lead-generation sites is anticipated to grow at 17% in the same time frame.

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But, that’s not the most interesting part of AMR’s findings. According to AMR CEO Denzil Rankin, B2B publishers are not doing enough to take advantage of this projected growth in spending … “There is not enough innovation in lead-generation products. Multi-media services are weak, and measurement capabilities are frequently lacking,” he said. And then, there’s this … Over the past couple of years, many B2B firms have cut their in-house marketing departments to the bone, in order to weather the recent recession. Now, they’re scrambling to source talent for critical marketing projects. And, rather than reverting to the typical “hire and fire” cycle, many are turning to freelance B2B writers. Add it all up and what does it mean? It means a huge opportunity for B2B writers like you who can deliver innovative and effective lead-generation campaigns … master the relatively new field of social media marketing … and offer comprehensive, multi-media solutions to any business that has something to offer another business, no matter what the size. And, in addition to all of the projects I showed you earlier, the B2B market also has a few specialty projects of its own … ØØ Case Studies — Mini “essays” demonstrating how a business product has worked or solved a problem for another business. ØØ Sell Sheets — Feature and benefit sheets, “leave-behinds” for salespeople to distribute on sales calls. ØØ Lead Generators — The heart and soul of Business-to-Business marketing; ads, emails, sales letters, and more. ØØ Marketing Scripts — For telemarketers to use on sales calls. ØØ Video Scripts — The newest and biggest opportunity in both the B2B and B2C markets, the use of video in marketing is growing phenomenally — mini product overviews and “commercials” prospects can watch on their phone or computer. ØØ Company Newsletters — How companies keep and nurture relationships with existing customers. ØØ White Paper Reports — Big in the B2B world, they’re how-to manuals on getting the most out of your company’s products.

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And the best part is, many of these projects can be completed in less than a day! With so many projects, you can see why the B2B market is such a hot opportunity for copywriters right now.

Start Collecting Your (Free) Million-Dollar Secrets Today Your Guide To Ethically “Borrowing” From The World’s Best Copywriters Once you understand some basic “power of persuasion” techniques and strategies, you can forge a career for yourself in whatever area or niche that interests you. If you’re eager to get started, here is something you can do immediately. It’s called “seeding.” Seeding is when you “plant your name” with clients, and in exchange, they send you some of their best direct-response secrets — free of charge. You are basically acting like one of their prospects, and by doing so, you get to see what marketing materials and strategies they use to sell you on their product or service. You see, your goal as a direct-response copywriter is not to reinvent the wheel every time. Your goal is to make the wheel run more smoothly. Many top copywriters get their best ideas from somebody else. They don’t steal ideas outright, of course — that would be wrong. They adapt, massage, and combine ideas from other copywriters in a way that not only strengthens their own copy, but makes it easier and faster to write. The quickest way to start your seed file is to go to a company’s website and sign up for their e-newsletter. And, to get on a company’s “snail mail” mailing list, you have two options: phone them up and ask them to add you to their list; or buy something from them, and they’ll automatically add you to their mailing list. Remember, you can always unsubscribe to a company’s email or mailing list if, for whatever reason, you no longer want to receive marketing materials from them. What companies should you target? If you’re interested in becoming a financial copywriter, obviously it makes sense to sign up for sites that offer financial newsletters and information. Likewise, if you want you want to write for the

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health, self-help, Business-to-Business (B2B), Christian, fund-raising, and/or Internet marketing niche. If you haven’t picked a niche yet, not to worry. The following are some companies who will immediately provide you with some stellar examples of good copywriting: 33 AWAI — If you’re not yet signed up for The Writer’s Life, do so now. You’ll receive a lot of great emails and links to sales letters written by some of the top copywriters working today. 33 Early To Rise — If you’re looking to increase your wealth and improve your health, you won’t find a more comprehensive newsletter anywhere else on the web than Early to Rise. 33 Agora Inc. — A powerhouse financial newsletter company. You can sign up for their various newsletters at this link. 33 Nightingale-Conant — Nightingale-Conant is the world’s leader in personal development. 33 AskDrSears.com — Dr. Sears is a leading alternative medicine website. These names are really only a starting point. There are literally hundreds of thousands of companies you could seed your name with. Studying your seed file (also known as your “swipe file”) is a great way to learn how the pros write. And, even when you’re an experienced copywriter, you’ll find that these sales promotions will be one of your most productive resources — a source of inspiration right there in your file cabinet or computer, whenever you need them. You’re now ready to take the next important step toward learning how to write hard-hitting copy that really sells.

The Fast And Easy Path To Copywriting Success Make An Investment In Yourself And Get Access To All The Secrets Of Copywriting Masters What you’ve just learned are the basic principles behind every successful advertisement ever written. You’ve learned about the secret of the PROMISE,

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the secret of the PICTURE, the secret of PROOF, and how to close your letter with an enticing offer and guarantee. You’ve learned about Mark Morgan Ford’s Three Fundamental Rules of Selling, and “The Power of One” — an important rule that separates great writers from average ones. You now know more than 99% of the people on the planet about how to persuade people using the written word. Plus, you’ve learned about the lifestyle that’s possible through copywriting. The freedom, flexibility, and the six-figureincome potential it offers. More importantly, you now possess a “financially-valuable skill.” A skill that has the potential to bring you in hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next few years. Right now, you could sit down and write up a sales letter for a client and get paid for it … … but if you want to succeed faster and make more money, you’ll want to get access to the deeper secrets for becoming a successful six-figure copywriter. You’ll find everything you need to know to launch a successful six-figure copywriting career in AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. Here is just a small sample of what you’ll learn that will put you on the fast track to profits in this lucrative business: • The 4 U’s® — Use the four U’s as a checklist for every headline you write and you’ll never write a dull, ineffective headline. • The Golden Thread — Knowing how to weave “the golden thread” throughout sales copy separates the great copywriters from the average ones. • The Four-Legged Stool — Use the four-legged stool to quadruple the strength and stability of your copy. • AWAI’s 3-Step Copy Cleaning System — This simple three-step system will ensure your copy always has the “just right” conversational tone. • Four things you need to do before you start writing — Do these four tasks before you start writing and you’ll never write a bad sales letter. • The difference between a Direct Lead and an Indirect Lead — Which one you choose to use is determined by who will be reading your letter and what you’re promoting.

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• Five ways to create a powerful P.S. — Next to the headline, the most read part of a sales letter is the P.S. … so it’s important it be as strong as possible. Follow these five steps and every P.S. you write will increase your letter’s conversion rate. • Six ways to create intimacy with your reader — Creating a connection and bond of trust with your reader are the keys to a good sales letter. Here are six ways to ensure that your letter always hits the right emotional notes with your reader. • And much, much, much more …

A Rich Man’s Best Advice Warren Buffett, one of the smartest and most successful men of our time — and recent Medal of Freedom winner — was asked not too long ago what he considered to be the best investment anyone could make in these challenging times. His answer was quick and simple … “The most important investment you can make is in yourself.” That could very well be the best advice Mr. Buffett has ever offered. There has never been a better time to put your future squarely in your own hands — and master a financially-valuable skill that will forever be in-demand … now and right through your retirement years. And, not just because of this rare opportunity to learn a fun and life-transforming skill — one that can free up your lifestyle enough that you’re able to live like “carefree millionaires” do … and turn every day from here on out into an exciting adventure. Imagine having time to travel like you’ve always wanted … to finally take up that hobby you’ve always wanted to do … master that sport … or get into the best physical shape of your life. As a copywriter, you can have the time and the money to do it. But, here’s why now is the ideal time to see if the writer’s life is the life for you:

Get Started for Just $197 — a 60% Savings! Through this special offer for Your 30-Day Launch Protocol — you can actually access the entire program, and give it a try risk-free. You’ll get complete access

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Secrets for Launching Your Million-Dollar Writing Career — Part 4

to everything you need to live the writer’s life — yours for a full year. Take that time to look through the program … start the learning process … learn about the direct-response business … what the life of a work-from-anywhere, in-demand, highly paid, barefoot copywriter is all about. If it’s not for you, let us know, and we’ll simply (and immediately) deactivate your access code and refund your money — no questions asked. So, if you’re ready to put the “workaday life” behind you — and choose a lifestyle that’s richer, freer, and infinitely more rewarding … get AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting today. And, remember, as part of Your 30-Day Launch Protocol, you’ll be saving a full 60%! To get started on your career as a copywriter immediately, click here. Or for even more details about if copywriting is right for you, click here. You can also call AWAI’s Member Services Team toll-free at 866-879-2924, or at 561-278-5557. Remember, there’s no risk. And, if you love it — and decide the writer’s life is for you — your very first letter could be the next one to rock the direct-response world … and lead to, among other things, a $10,000 writing contract from AWAI with your name on it. About The Author KATIE YEAKLE has spent over 25 years in the world of direct marketing and publishing in the roles of copy editor, editorial coordinator, product manager, fulfillment supervisor, marketing manager, and publisher. Recognizing the industry-wide need for talented copywriters who can deliver copy that sells, she helped establish American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI) with co-founders Paul Hollingshead and Don Mahoney in 1997. Today, as Executive Director, Katie oversees AWAI’s 100+ programs designed to help people turn their passions into careers. American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Avenue, Suite 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone: 561-278-5557 • Fax: 561-278-5929 Website: www.awaionline.com

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