Sagacity About Conferences and Events. Direct Response Copywriter Email Archive. September 2019.

MAKING THE MOST OF CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

PLUS MY THOUGHTS ABOUT A GREAT DIRECT RESPONSE AD

In this email, I'm going to provide some thoughts about how to make the most of conferences and events ... from a client finding perspective.

And then I'm beginning a series where I provide a critique of the best direct marketing ads I know.

Fall is a busy time for marketing and copywriting events. AWAI might have moved their Boot Camp to the spring but there are plenty of events out there. I'm going to "dreary old Manhattan" next week for a marketing conference.

My goal?

Meet about 20 potential clients and gain 2-3 new clients who regularly need copy AND ... here's the important part ... VALUE the work of a direct response copywriter.

The Promise

Closely read the copy for events and seminars, like I do, and you will usually see a promise similar to: "meet new clients and connections at our really amazing networking events ... you'll leave with a TON of new business."

In fact, I've attended events specifically for this reason.

But it's not so easy.

In 2011, I was at the Dan Kennedy Info-Marketing summit in Atlanta and I was looking at a sea of potential clients. About 2,000 people attended that shin-dig. I never met one potential client because the event was simply too big. I asked GKIC for the list of attendees and said I would pay for it and they sternly said, "no."

Ditto the Titans of Marketing event five years ago in Connecticut. I met some current clients. And I met a new client. But there were 300 potential clients there, maybe more. It's just not easy meeting perfect potential clients when there are so many and just about everyone is in the meeting room paying close attention to the presentations.

On the Friday of the AWAI Boot Camp, there's a party with booths. In the booths? People looking for copywriters. One afternoon, I walked out with deals for two promotions worth a lot of money. Can't complain about that.

Actually, I can complain because they turned out to be rotten clients.

So for this upcoming event, I'm taking a different approach.

I'm a sponsor and this gives me access to the list of people attending. It's a good list and I've already been working it.
I gain access to the sponsor party and this means I'll be in a small group where my chances of meeting great potential clients are much higher.
I'll enter that sponsor party with a list of people I want to meet.
The event managers are organizing meetings with potential clients based on a list I gave them.
And being a sponsor has generated traffic to my website.

It's not a whopping event. So I'm guessing there will be more opportunities to meet quality clients. We'll see. It's a chunk of money being a sponsor, going to the event, hotel, etc.

My advice, from a client finding standpoint, if you're going to an event.

Prepare as much as possible BEFORE you go to the event. Find out who will be there and contact them and set up meetings.
Conferences have speakers. Maybe the speakers are excellent prospects.
Hit the bar. At many events, the hotel bar is where you'll meet prospects in a more relaxed setting.
If there are scheduled networking events/booths, try to find out who will be there. Get the layout sheet and take it home.
Follow up with leads after events and add them to your database.
Connect with your leads on LinkedIn and see who they know.

Just wandering around aimlessly at events will not help your cause.

I'll let you know how things go at the event in Manhattan.

*

I'm beginning an occasional series where I dissect a really great direct response ad.

The first is from David Ogilvy, most likely, and it's an ad for his agency. Click here to watch the video.

This video is from a series of 150 copywriting training videos I offer through The Aspen School of Copywriting.

Should You Attend AWAI Bootcamp? Direct Response Copywriter Archive March 2019 2.

March 2019

AWAI BOOTCAMP MUSINGS

If you’re in the AWAI database, or even if you’re not, you’re probably getting some information about the AWAI bootcamp.

The official name of the event is …

AWAI’s 2019 FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair

And it takes place this May from the 14th to the 17th in Delray Beach, Florida.

This email is not a promotion for AWAI or the bootcamp. You might be thinking about going. Or you might be booked to go. Or perhaps you have never heard of the event.

My goal in this email is to provide some insight into bootcamp based on my experiences. I think I went 6 years in a row but I didn’t go last fall.

There’s no affiliate link or anything like that. I have no connection with AWAI other than writing a few emails for them a couple of years ago. I don’t currently write for AWAI.

I don't have a dog in the fight.

Here you go …

It’s the biggest copywriting event I know … with about 500 people attending.

It usually takes place in October but it’s happening in May this year. Maybe it will take place in October too.

The content is mostly geared toward newcomers and relative newcomers.

I love Delray Beach. You'll find me in The Blue Anchor.

It’s fun to hang out with other copywriters and talk shop. I rarely get to spend any time with other copywriters.

There are some big names at the event … as speakers and panelists. And yes, you can meet them in person.

The event is superbly organized and presented.

The official price is $2,495 but discounts are usually available and you can make payments. Still … that’s a pretty hefty price tag. And that’s before the travel, lodging, and pints at The Blue Anchor.

I know (almost) all the speakers at the upcoming bootcamp. Some of them are excellent. I wonder about some of the others. But, in reality, it’s impossible to put together an event with speakers that every attendee is going to love.

I know what the speakers are likely to say because I've heard them at previous bootcamps or elsewhere.

I could provide a lot more salient and valuable information than 80% of the speakers. I was on a panel one year.

Most of the speakers have been superb. But I can remember a few that had me wondering, "why is that person speaking?"

Job fair … the Friday afternoon scrum. Job fair remains a bit of a mystery to me. One year I got almost $20,000 worth of work directly from job fair. But other times it’s been weird. There are 50 companies who need/want copywriters and I’m a copywriter and my copy motivates people to try products and services … all based on actual results.

There's a "rah rah" element to bootcamp, complete with a motivational speaker/organizational guru. It might work for you but it's not my cup of tea.

When I approach people and the companies and I tell them about my results and my background, they are nonplussed. I guess I smell. One year I even handed out a zip drive with a presentation. I have followed up with the people I met and, again, nothing happens.

There’s quite a bit of churn. It seems that a lot of people only attend once. But there were plenty of familiar faces, too.

The entire AWAI staff is there and they’re extremely helpful and welcoming.

The event sells out so don’t dilly dally if you want to go.

Should you go?

If you’ve never been and you’re keen to learn and you’re still relatively nascent, and you’ve got the time and money, then go. Maybe we’ll meet in person.

All the best,

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

Additional questions about bootcamp? Feel free to ask.

Effective Ways to Find Copywriting Clients Part 6. AWAI Bootcamp Review. Direct Response Copywriter Email Archive October 2018 2

October 2018 2

From the desk of Scott Martin, direct response copywriter, Aspen, Colorado.

The Most Effective Ways to Find Great Clients. Part 6.

AWAI Bootcamp This Week

Quite a few writers and marketers have joined the list of people who receive these emails. Welcome!

I’m not in Colorado right now. I’m in Delray Beach, which is one of my favorite places to visit.

But I’m not here for the AWAI Bootcamp which starts on Wednesday, tomorrow.

A client needed me to be in Palm Beach last week and the timing/travel didn’t work out for Bootcamp this year. But I’ve been to Bootcamp at least 6 times.

It’s a fun event and I love being in Delray. The main reason I used to attend Bootcamp was the opportunity to meet potential clients. Bootcamp includes a 3-hour meet and greet known as Job Fair. I also liked many of the speakers and I had the opportunity to have lunch with Herschell Gordon Lewis before he passed away. What an amazing guy and I'm a big fan of HGL. I really enjoy Bootcamp and part of me is sad I won't be there.

Job fair is a scrum at first but once things calm down, it’s a chance to meet over 40 potential clients. I’ve actually secured over $20,000 worth of work from the Job Fair over the years and met some potential clients.

At least 1/3 of the potential clients are part of the Agora empire. They’re not typically looking for freelancers. But they are quite often eager to find and hire apprentices. Here’s the deal with them. You move to Delray Beach or Baltimore and you earn about $40,000 a year with the potential for bonuses and big royalties. You get training from some of the world’s top copywriters. It’s a GREAT way to get started.

Not all the clients at Job Fair are great potential clients. Two of the companies I started working with turned out to be difficult and disorganized. One client told me I was terrible and my name is mud there ... I did everything I was asked to do. This same client told an assembled group he didn’t care about a copywriter’s website. That’s sheer lunacy. With another client, I had to fight to get paid after they decided not to run my promotion. And the owner of the company is a friend of mine.

And then I’ve had companies at Bootcamp be rude. It’s rare but it happens.

I saw some of the same faces year after year. They all need copywriters and they know I write copy and that I’ve had plenty of success. But they never return emails. Makes no sense. You’d think they would want to chat. But maybe they don’t like me. Whatever.

These are just part of the frustrations of the client-finding journey. I enjoy these frustrations because it means I’m making the effort to find great clients.

If you’re going to Bootcamp then I’m sorry I’m going to miss you. I really enjoy meeting fellow copywriters, with two notable exceptions. Let’s not go there. But I enjoy meeting other people in the trade … even when they are competitors.

A lot of copywriters find some great work at the job fair. I’m told the bar at the host hotel is a great place to meet clients. Is hanging out at a bar the greatest way to meet clients? I’m not sold on that one.

Are you going to find tens of thousands of dollars worth of work at Bootcamp? Maybe. I recommend you complete all of the spec assignments and follow up with potential clients you meet if you’re going. Definitely speak with the Agora people if you want to get into an apprentice program.

But the job fair at Bootcamp is, ultimately, a passive event. I want you to be active and aggressive. I want you to change your mindset and start contacting the clients you really want.

This means looking around at the landscape and starting to identify the companies who are advertising … the companies with great products … the companies who want to be successful.

When a company is advertising a lot, what does this mean? It means they need copy and people to write that copy and feed that testing beast. Just saying …

All the best,

Scott Martin

P.S. Speaking of mindset, have you seen the book about the growth mindset? You can read my review of this fascinating and inspirational book here. You'll also see reviews of books by HGL. 

AWAI Bootcamp Review. Direct Response Copywriter Email Archive October 2017 3

From the desk of Scott Martin, direct response copywriter, Aspen, Colorado.

AWAI Bootcamp Notes

So I'm (almost) back home in Colorado after a few days in Florida attending the AWAI Bootcamp and Job Fair.

As promised, here’s a report.

It was wonderful to be in Delray Beach, which is one of my favorite places to visit, not just in Florida, but pretty much anywhere.

There was quite a variety of content. Clayton Makepeace spoke about mistakes he sees in direct response copy. Another speaker, who specializes in B2B copy, talked about … you guessed it … B2B copy.

Programs started at 7:15 in the morning and some of them finished at 9 p.m. It’s a long day but AWAI packs in the content.

I see many of the same faces, but there’s definitely some ‘churn’ with many people arriving one year, then not returning.

On Wednesday afternoon, I had a drink with Bob Bly, who was in excellent form. He’s still writing copy, pounding it out 10 hours a day, at least five days a week. He gave a presentation about marketing.

On Friday at lunch, I met one of the copy chiefs from Agora. He seemed to know me and my work. He told me the copywriters in his division were earning well over $500,000 a year … “if you’re interested,” he said.

The Agora “model” for hiring copywriters is quite well known. They want you to move, usually to Delray Beach or Baltimore. The initial pay is around $40,000 a year. They provide training … some of the best copywriting training in the world. They expect you to earn significant royalties in the first 2 years or they show you the door.

The allure of half a million dollars is quite strong, for sure, but if you’re actually serious about me moving and working with you and you’re implying I can make big money, here’s my number one thought … WRITE ME A CHECK.

There’s a line from a somewhat famous movie … SHOW ME THE MONEY … or something like that. Be careful about the promises potential clients make.

At Job Fair, the usual suspects were present. I saw some current clients. I saw some people I’d like to work with. I saw some people who have fired me from projects.

I also briefly met with a copywriting agency. I met the owner. I’m not normally aggressive … but you have to be at job fair. I’m not elbowing fellow copywriters out of the way but, when I meet someone, I quickly let them know about my track record. Why? Because 95% of the attendees are new to copywriting. I have experience. Nothing wrong with being a newcomer but I want to differentiate myself.

Every company at job fair is looking for copywriters, otherwise they would not be there. They’re usually especially eager to meet experienced copywriters. So I told the owner of the agency I was experienced and had some results and he REFUSED to take my business card and the attached thumb drive which included a short VSL about my work plus a word doc with links to my portfolio.

He said, “just do the spec challenge” and was generally extremely rude. I was tempted to jettison the rattle out of the pram and tell him to speak with everyone … especially if he’s looking for copywriters.

Aside from my semi-angst, what’s the biggest lesson here?

An event like job fair can lead to some work and it’s always good to see some current clients … BUT … ultimately, you have to go and find the clients you really want to work with. You might find a couple at the job fair … you might not.

This year’s bootcamp, for some reason I don’t fully understand, moved me to think about my business in a totally different way. More on that in the next few weeks.

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

AWAI Bootcamp. Direct Response Copywriter Email Archive October 2017 2

From the desk of Scott Martin, direct response copywriter, Aspen, Colorado.

Bootcamp ... Here I Come ...

This week, I’m heading to Florida, specifically Delray Beach, to the annual copywriting ‘bootcamp’ organized by AWAI. I’m sure you’re mostly familiar with the event. Maybe you’re attending. Maybe you’ve attended in the past. Maybe you have thought about attending.

It will be my 5th visit to the bootcamp (I think) and I’ll have a full report when I return.

Why do I go? I'm not always sure!

It’s an expensive trip … around $4,000 including the price of admission, flights, a place to stay, and sundry expenses. Plus it’s difficult to write copy and produce income during the event. So I lose income.

What’s the ROI? I have picked up some work directly from the job fair, where direct marketing companies are looking for direct response copywriters. One company turned out to be disorganized and a poor client.

Another company was, weirdly, more interested in branding, even though their revenue comes from direct response copywriting; I had to fight to get paid for a promotion that never ran because my contact left the company.

So the ROI has been negative overall. I've spent about $25,000 over the years and I once won a spec challenge which brought me $1,000 but the fees have not covered the cost of being there.

Some of the speakers have provided some really great ideas and techniques. Other speakers have been vacuous and ill-prepared. Some of the presentations are “repeats” from previous events.

I certainly enjoy a few days in Delray Beach in mid-October. It’s a beautiful spot.

There’s a certain sadness to the event, despite the cheerleading from the AWAI staff. There must be at least 400 people who have bought into the dream. I won’t see them again.

But it’s fun to meet new copywriters and some of the bigger names in the business.

Maybe this year, I’ll meet a strong potential client. But my gut tells me I’ll see the same faces, including the approximately 30 Agora subsidiaries who are all looking for full-time copywriters, and I’ll get the same business cards and the same emails will not be returned. Maybe I’m being pessimistic when that’s not my nature.

No worries … I’ll repair to one of the many restaurants there on Atlantic Avenue if I don’t get any traction.

So how will I find clients? Through my website but, more importantly, by identifying strong potential clients and contacting them ... it's called direct marketing.

I’ll write a complete review of bootcamp and send it next week.

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter