The Golden Thread – The Week in Review
June 1–7, 2008
Welcome to The Golden Thread Online, your free e-letter from American Writers & Artists Inc. Every Saturday, you will receive this recap of all the strategies, insights and opportunities we send to you and your fellow AWAIers each week. Whether it’s a message from a fellow writer about how he landed a new client … a technique from a Master copywriter for writing a control … an insight into how to succeed in a new market … news of a brand new writing job or business opportunity for you … you’ll find it here in this easy-to-access and always available “Week in Review.”
In This Issue:
- Master Copywriter John Forde and “the Full Monty” … Plus, 4 Questions That Will Improve Your Copy Instantly!
The more techniques, strategies, and secrets you learn, the easier it is to get further away from one of the most important keys to becoming a great copywriter – the basics. - Industry Spotlight: Finance
There is a huge audience of people looking for sound investing advice, and there is no shortage of products available to assist them. - Top 20 Mailers in the Financial Market
List of the top 20 mailers in the financial sector. - Become a Best-Selling Author
Here is a way to join other best-selling authors, speakers, trainers, mentors and world-class business leaders in a book project that will give you instant credibility, not to mention bragging rights.
Master Copywriter John Forde and
“the Full Monty” …
Plus, 4 Questions That Will Improve Your Copy Instantly!
Everyone in the room grew silent as John Forde got ready to give us “the full monty.”
Was he really going to reveal it all?
Before I tell you what John did next, here’s one of the biggest lessons I learned at the AWAI Writer’s Retreat last week …
Most copywriters (including me) are too busy looking for the next big copywriting “secret” or technique that will make their copy powerful. But the truth is, the more techniques, strategies, and secrets you learn, the easier it is to get further away from one of the most important keys to becoming a great copywriter – the basics.
The basics are the things you’ve heard a million times before (e.g., know your prospect, the big idea, be specific, focus on benefits). When you hear them, you think, “Oh, I already know that … tell me something new.” I often think this way, and it’s a mistake.
In fact, the only difference between a master copywriter and everyone else is this: a master copywriter has a better grasp and deeper understanding of the basics.
This proved to be true at the Writer’s Retreat, time and time again … especially during the peer reviews.
As I listened to the masters give powerful copy suggestions, I realized their suggestions were the direct result of knowing the basics inside and out.
To keep you focused on the basics, here are four questions to ask yourself before you write a single word of copy. (John Forde and Jennifer Stevens shared these with us on Thursday morning. They credit learning them from one of their mentors, Michael Masterson.):
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Where will your prospect come from? To answer this question, think about who your prospect is. How old is he? What is his income? Where does he live? What are his desires, fears and dreams?
In short, you want to know everything there is to know about your prospect. If you have trouble answering this, talk to past customers. Visit online forums and check out what your prospect is talking about. Read magazines you think he would read. Do whatever it takes to get good insight into your prospect, as this will make it infinitely easier to write your sales letter and/or improve it.
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What product are you selling to your prospect, and why? This question bridges the gap between what you’re selling and your prospect. It’s also where you come up with your product’s USP. Figure out the product’s benefits. What emotional need does your product satisfy?
For example, if you’re selling your prospect a new diet aid, you’re not just selling him a pill. You’re selling him a new lifestyle. Why? Because your prospect wants to feel good, confident, respected, and attractive to the opposite sex. He’s tried and failed in the past to lose weight, but your pill offers the quick, easy solution he’s been looking for to finally fulfill his dreams.
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What is the offer? (This includes the price, the guarantee, premiums and any discounts or deadlines.) This one is pretty self-explanatory. Figure out your product’s price point. Think about different guarantees, and which one might get a better response (e.g., 30-day, 60-day, double your money back).
For example, is there any way you might offer a discount if your prospect buys within three days? Maybe you’d like to add a special report you think might improve response.
Think about what will get your prospect most excited.
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What do you need to do to convince your prospect to buy? Get creative when answering this one. Will adding a picture of a doctor with a stethoscope help convince your prospect? Is it showing before and after pictures? Maybe it’s telling the story of how your product was made … or perhaps showing the product’s track record.
Sometimes it’s the little things you don’t think matter that can be the reason the prospect buys.
For instance, million-dollar copywriter Carline Anglade-Cole, discovered that her prospects for a health supplement she was writing about complained about most pills being too big and uncomfortable to swallow. This insight led her to showcasing how her supplement’s capsules were almost half the size of her competitor’s … and Carline gained a new control.
Don’t let the simplicity of these questions fool you. Answering them before you write your copy will add clarity, power, and persuasiveness.
And, even while you’re writing your copy, go back to these questions throughout the process to make sure you’re on track …
- Have you correctly identified your prospect?
- Have you positioned your product so that it appeals to your prospect?
- Have you thought about how to word the offer to make it a “no brainer”?
- Have you done everything you possibly can to convince your prospect?
Doing this keeps you on your toes, and prevents lazy thinking. Plus, you’ll be amazed at how much you learn each time you think about and answer these questions.
After all, this is how the masters got to where they are today.
Now to answer the question I’m sure you’re eager to find out … did John reveal everything in his version of “the full monty”?
He did.
And, it’s possibly the greatest copywriting secret known in the world. It’s a secret so powerful, every copywriter – whether new or experienced – needs to live by this to ensure a long, profitable career. Copywriters who fail to use it don’t get very far.
It’s “The Golden Rule” … Treat others – in your sales letter and in your business – as you would like to be treated.
John told us that whenever he sits down to write a sales letter, he imagines he’s writing to his mom. This prevents him from ever selling a product he doesn’t believe in, using hype, or telling bold-faced “untruths” to convince his prospect. Because after all, what would his mom say if she were to read his promo?
Industry Spotlight: Finance
Most people know that the way to create wealth is through investing. They also know that if they are going to retire in comfort, they can’t rely solely on government programs like Social Security—they have to save their money and t invest it wisely. There is a huge audience of folks looking for sound investing advice, and there is no shortage of products available to assist them. Take a look …
- Amazon.com returns 2,718 results on the topic of “finance.” That’s up 12.5% from last year.
- Hulbert Digest states that there are thousands of online and print financial newsletters. (Hulbert tracks the top 160.)
- The available financial products don’t stop with newsletters. Financial seminars, credit cards and mortgage companies, financial advisors, and financial magazines all use direct response to connect with prospects.
- Retiring well is a big concern for most of the people surveyed by New York Life. 69% said they had plans to supplement their Social Security when they retire. And 70% of retired respondents said that managing their investments was as hard as saving the money in the first place. The vast majority are eager for more information about investing. They said they often turn to investment newsletters and other financial services.
- According to Who’s Mailing What! Archive, the number of financial mailers is down to 340, falling from 559 last year. However, the number of mailings has increased significantly––up 23% to 24,020 last year.
Top 20 Mailers in the Financial Market
- American Express Company
Credit card issuer and major marketer of financial services
www.americanexpress.com - Fidelity Investments
Mutual fund company
www.fidelity.com - Washington Mutual Finance
Personal, home equity, and debt consolidation loans
www.wamufinance.com - Advanta
Small-business credit card provider
www.advanta.com - ING Direct USA
Online banking
www.ing-usa.com - The Economist
Weekly news magazine
www.economist.com - Value Line Inc.
Publisher of financial advisory publications
www.valueline.com - Fisher Investments
Investment management services
www.fi.com - Forbes
Business magazine
www.forbes.com - Citibank
Financial services and credit cards
www.citibank.com - TD Ameritrade
Online securities brokerage services
www.ameritrade.com - Charles Schwab & Co.
Stock, bond, mutual fund management
www.schwab.com - Wachovia
Financial services
www.wachovia.com - Business Week
Business magazine
www.businessweek.com - Money Magazine
Magazine focusing on family finance
www.money.com - Home Depot Credit Services
Home improvement retailer
www.homedepot.com - Commerce Bank
Full-service bank
www.commerceonline.com - American Century Investments
Investment management firm
www.americancentury.com - American Association of Individual Investors
Non-profit investment education association
www.aaii.com - Vanguard Group
Brokerage house
www.vanguard.com
[Ed. Note: Top mailers are determined by the number of mailing offers received by the Who’s Mailing What! Archive – the world’s largest swipe file, with access to over 10,000 controls in nearly 200 categories. To learn more about the Archive, and exclusive AWAI member access, click here: http://www.awaionline.com/whosmailing/]
Become a Best-Selling Author
Each week we give you a new way to live your best life now.
Well, tell me how this one strikes you …
You and I are going to become best-selling authors!
Together we’ll join other best-selling authors, speakers, trainers, mentors and world-class business leaders in an amazing book project that will give you instant credibility, not to mention bragging rights.
This is your invitation to be a co-author with me … along with Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracy, and other world-class leaders … for the next book in the best-selling “Wake Up … Live the Life You Love” series. This series includes over 20 books with more than 12 million stories in print around the world.
A few months ago I was introduced to Steven E and Lee Beard, the creators of this series, by the Marketing Director at Brian Tracy International. After doing some research, I realized this was a perfect opportunity for AWAI members, and was pleased to learn that they still had a few openings in their next book. They are looking for AWAI members who would like to write their own story about “living the life you love,” and be a co-author in this book.
The whole idea is really pretty fascinating. All you need to do is submit a 1,200-word story that’s ready to print about something positive in your life, and they’ll do the rest! They have professional editors who will give you guidelines and some tips to help you get started writing your story.
And then you can just sit back and enjoy the title of “best-selling author” for the rest of your life.
The first book in this series became an instant bestseller through BarnesandNoble.com the day it was released. It actually out-sold The Automatic Millionaire, The Da Vinci Code, The South Beach Diet, George Bush’s book, and Dr. Phil’s newest book at that time! You would be a co-author in this best-selling book series, and be able to use that title for the remainder of your career.
Steven and Lee know how to get a book on the bestseller list, and they know that this next book will be a bestseller, too.
As all successful business owners will tell you, promotion is essential to growing any business. And being a co-author in this book is a great (and easy!) way to do just that – especially if you’re looking to grow your copywriting business.
Being an author can be a real door-opener for promoting your business, not to mention get you a lot of free publicity. I’ve seen it firsthand … once people find out that you are a best-selling author, it really changes their perception of you. The book gives you tremendous credibility, which as you already know is a powerful secret to success in becoming a successful copywriter or business owner.
Imagine what it would be like to attract new clients instead of pursuing them.
And Steven, Lee and the “Wake Up … Live the Life You Love” team will actually show you how to use the book as a promotion tool to bring you a lifetime of credibility and success.
It took me about two months of research before I was confident that this was the “real deal” – and good enough to bring to AWAI members.
But today I’m able to tell you without hesitation: I’m sold. And I’ll be one of your co-authors if you decide to join me in this experience. I can already see the press release AWAI will send out that announces our new best-selling book!
So now you’re probably thinking, “OK, what’s next?”
For more information about how you can be a co-author in this book, go to:
http://www.awaionline.com/wakeuplive/
It will take you to a website where you can learn more and hear from past co-authors.
Clearly this opportunity isn’t for everyone. But if you want to be a best-selling author, and learn how to use this book to dramatically benefit your business, this is a great opportunity for you.
I hope to see your name soon on your new best-selling book!
Warm regards,
Rebecca McEldowney Matter
Vice President, AWAI
P.S. If you have a challenge accessing the website or wish to contact “Wake Up … Live the Life You Love” directly, you can call Steven E direct at: 562-884-0062 or the editorial office at: 270-753-5225. They’ll be able to answer all of your personal questions, so that you can decide if it’s something you want to do.
