Direct Response Copywriter on Gary Bencivenga and What It Really Takes

I've been listening to an interview with Gary Bencivenga. Brian Kurtz calls Bencivenga the greatest living copywriter. I just spent two days with Brian and other direct marketers at a mastermind group run by Brian.

One of the guest speakers used to hire Gary Bencivenga. The speaker revealed the amount of just one of the royalty checks he signed for Bencivenga. I can't 'print' the exact amount here but it was jaw-dropping. A ton of money today. A ton of money 20 years ago. It's no wonder that Bencivenga had a house in The Hamptons among the titans of Wall Street.

I wonder what those Wall Street types thought about Bencivenga, especially when he said, "I'm a direct response copywriter." Did they give Bencivenga the "blank stare" I get 495 times out of 500? Or did they instantly know about the work and potential power of a copywriter like Gary Bencivenga? Maybe one day I'll find the answer.

But I digress.

The interview with Gary Bencivenga reveals the following.

He learned from the best of the best, including John Caples and David Ogilvy. He spent almost two decades around direct marketers who tested the actual results of his copy ... before heading out on his own. He initially struggled to find clients when he began his life as a freelancer. He stayed mostly quiet about his techniques and kept his secrets, secret. He was fiercely competitive, despite being very soft spoken and having a kind and welcoming disposition.

In essence, Gary Bencivenga spent at least 20 years working at being a direct response copywriter before getting out there and working for the big mailers and competing against the world's top copywriters.

I see a lot of copy today saying, "you can be a successful and practicing copywriter in just 6 months, even if you've been repairing motorcycles for the last 23 years."

Nothing against people who repair motorcycles, just so you know.

If you're considering a career in direct response copywriting, that's great. It's a fabulous career. But you have to understand you won't be a top copywriter in 6 months. You won't be a top copywriter in 6 years.

It helps if you've spent a chunk of your career in writing, publishing, sales, advertising, communications, or some type of related field. But anyone who says, "you'll be on top in 6 months" is not telling the truth.

You can get started and get some basic work in 6 months but to come anywhere near mastery takes many, many years and a ton of failure, hard work, reading, researching, and sales work. You can accelerate the process a little but it takes time.

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I'm a direct response copywriter working for clients around the world. Enter your information to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or [contact me here][1] when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.