Copywriter almost spills coffee...or (the) beans

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Periodically I like to spend an afternoon writing in the coffee shop. Today, it was crowded and I was sitting next to a couple of guys around my age (24.5).

Well...you know how it is...you overhear the conversation...they were producing a web page for a seminar and were writing the copy. Some of the conversation...

"Let's give it some punch."

"Cute but not too cute."

"Let's make it just like the names of the softball teams when I was in law school."

"I want to make it appealing."

"It has to jump out at people."

As a direct response copywriter, I was tempted to join the conversation. I might have earned a cup of coffee. I would have said, "use the type of headline that's worked before."

Better still, they should have hired a professional copywriter.

The clinical execution of direct response copywriting techniques is what they needed.

They were running a seminar for lawyers. I imagine the seminar cost around $500. Let's say they hired a copywriter for the landing page and it helped them get two more people to attend...great copywriting is ALWAYS a great investment.

For my copywriting site, go here. For my portfolio, go here.

Two new copywriting projects

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A couple of recent direct response copywriting projects came out well. A squeeze page for a company in Worcester, England. And a local roofing company.

Direct response copy for a local roofing company; click for larger version.

[caption id="attachment_193" align="alignleft" width="231" caption="You should have seen what this squeeze page looked like before the total makeover."]
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For my copywriting site, go here. For my portfolio, go here. To see me on YouTube, go here.

Charlotte copywriter loves going to the dentist

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One of the highlights of my summer has been my frequent visits to the dentist. That's right, I LOVE going to the dentist. Have I gone crazy?

One of my clients is Ballantyne Center for Dentistry and I work closely with one of the founders, Dr. Christian Yaste, DDS. Ballantyne Center for Dentistry specializes in cosmetic dentistry...when you want to replace your teeth for a better smile or simply get basic teeth whitening, they are among the best in the country.

I like going to see Dr. Christian Yaste, one of the top cosmetic dentists in the country. It's great to work with someone who understands direct response.

Dr. Yaste is a HUGE believer in direct response marketing and when you say "Dan Kennedy" his face lights up; there aren't many dentists who have read several Dan Kennedy books. I wrote the copy for the new Ballantyne Center for Dentistry website which is about to go live. I've seen a "draft" and it's a superb site. I'll blog again when it's live.

As a direct response copywriter, working with a client who understands the power of direct response copywriting and how it's so much better than "fluff" copywriting is vital. It's also a lot of fun. Yes, going to see the dentist is fun. I never thought I'd write these words!

I wrote the copy for their site in three days. This was a huge help because they badly needed the copy to get the site in development.

For my copywriting site, go here. For my portfolio, go here.

The first step for the successful copywriter

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A lot of copywriting is technique...especially direct response copywriting. However, the first step, and perhaps the most important step, is getting into the shoes of the person I want to motivate. As Andrew Wood says, people buy for emotional reasons backed by logic. So I have to get to the prospect's emotional core and then discover how they logically process information that will lead to a sale. It's a fascinating part of the "work" that's never really work to me.

People also buy to solve problems...again, I have to learn about their problem(s).

To get into the shoes of the prospective purchaser, I use a series of techniques. It starts with my "pre-copywriting checklist." When you want to see this, go to my direct response copywriting contact page.

For my direct response copywriting site, go here. For my direct response copywriter video, go here.