It’s always a great idea to throw lots of testimonials into your copy. Except when it isn’t. Here are some times when you might not want to run a testimonial past your audience… When it’s emotionally unsatisfying and vague: “I found… Continue Reading
I joked in an issue of my e-letter about writing “good,” and got a note from a reader soon after that said… “So there I was reading my favorite newsletter writer and I come across, ‘For career success: lather, rinse,… Continue Reading
The unflinching principle of all successfuladvertising… all marketing… all business… and all relationships… is also one of the oldest success secrets in the world. What is it? Quite simply… “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You”… Continue Reading
Dumping a gut full of “want to tell” copy onto the page can feel cathartic. It can make you feel smart. It can make you sound funny or witty or clever. But it’s no way to sell… Continue Reading
“That’s right – it filets, it chops, it dices and slices. It never stops. It lasts a lifetime, mows your lawn, and it picks up the kids from school. It plays a mean rhythm. It makes excuses for lipstick on… Continue Reading
Somebody once asked David Ogilvy for a list of traits that matter most when hiring copywriters. Above all, he said, they have to have an unwavering, overpowering, enormous sense of curiosity. I can’t help but think that has to be right. Why? Continue Reading
Every one of your customers is an untrustworthy, fraudulent, false-hearted, cheating, calculating, double-dealing… (deep breath)… crafty, duplicitous, disingenuous, untruthful, scheming… stinker. Well maybe not a stinker. But liars they are. It’s true. How so? Continue Reading
Over the years, have I written my share of crotchety emails to product managers, traffic managers, legal assistants, publishers, and graphic designers? I confess — I have. A tiny handful have even made it past the “send” button… most, after sitting in my… Continue Reading
I’m not unveiling any big secret by telling you that a lot of what you’ll do when selling is all about emotion. And it has to be that way. Why? Because we humans — the thinking animal — are perversely… Continue Reading
When writing a Promise-Driven Lead, where should you start? The default for most marketers is to study the product and just figure out what it can do best. We’ve all heard, after all, the lesson about “features” versus “benefits.” First… Continue Reading