Scamming? Direct Response Copywriting Email Archive March 2019 3

March 2019

AM I A SCAMMER?

Last week, I received a curious email through my website.

The question: “How does it feel to be a scammer?”

I don’t know the person who sent this and I didn’t reply. I’m not a scammer and I’m careful to avoid clients who are eager to scam people and generally engage in malfeasance. I can spot these reprobates and blacguards a mile away.

But I understand why people think that direct marketing is a scam. There are lots of scammers in direct marketing and lots of scammers who use direct marketing techniques to sell their products and services.

Every single one of my clients offers a guarantee. And they stand behind it. Nobody forces my readers to try the products I’m selling. I never write hype and I never lie about a product or service. There’s no ‘bait and switch’ and nothing stupid or hidden. My style is clear and straightforward and I don't write the type of "hyperventilating" guff that some copywriters, some of them well respected, think is mandatory. I write golf copy and there's a famous, or infamous, golf ad from several years ago. Something about a golfer with one arm hitting the ball a million miles. No. I don't make absurd claims just to get someone's attention.

There’s no need to lie or obfuscate. The people who read the copy have a need for the product or service I’m writing about. The product or service helps the readers get where they want to get. Only amateurs and really bad copywriters rely on telling lies and/or absurd hyperbole.

Want scammers?

In banking, a large national bank opened up fake accounts for customers and charged them a fee.
Car dealers regularly show a car at one price and say “but that exact car isn’t available anymore.”
How many rock bands have had their “final final shows ever.”
I used to work for a newspaper and the editors regularly organized stories around the publisher’s agenda. Facts? Let’s not let them get in the way of someone's agenda.

Fact is, you’ll find scamming and scammers in every industry. Yes, you’ll find them in direct marketing. But if you’re a direct response copywriter, you can avoid the scammers.

I understand why people are skeptical about direct marketing. Just look at your email. And there are several copywriters who are happy to push well beyond the boundary. What’s worse is that several people in direct marketing put these copywriters on a pedestal. I find this to be inexcusable.

Now … I work hard to put the truth and the product or service in the best possible light. Why would I not? But that’s NOT lying and it’s not scamming.

And once again, I make it totally clear you’ll get your money back if you don’t like what you bought.

But if you want to see an example of scamming in direct response copywriting, look no further than copywriter groups on Facebook.

There are quite a few of them. I was in one for a few months and I just left. It’s a so-called “private” group with almost 20,000 people. Not exactly private.

Here’s the basic premise.

Join and you’ll get general advice about writing copy from other copywriters. Plus there are people who need copy who will post jobs.

Advice plus opportunities to meet people willing to pay copywriters for copy.

Sounds good, right? What could be wrong?

So … why did I leave?

The other day, I saw a post by someone who wanted a full-on AR series outlined for … FIFTY DOLLARS.

Writing that series would take about two days of work. I would charge a lot more than $50 for my time and expertise. So would you.

The moderator of the group said he had to delete over 50 “snarky” comments about the fee and the person who wanted the AR series.

Is that censorship? We could have a long debate about that. I’d tell you it is.

But here’s the point. The person who wants the AR series for $50 is a scammer. Or stupid. Or both.

And the person who organizes the “private” Facebook group is a scammer. He’s happy to organize, to help himself in some way, a group where really bad clients (and yes, they’re ALL really bad) can try to scam copywriters by offering really bad terms, really bad pay, and really bad products. Complaints? Don’t try to complain in that group … and all the similar groups.

And I’m a scammer?

But the organizer/moderator is only a scammer if you let him/her be.

If you’re relying on a Facebook group to find clients, then stop immediately.

And when it comes to finding clients, I’ve said it many times before.

The best way to find clients is to target who you want to work with/for and let them know you can help them … and prove it.

OK ... I fully admit to some venting here. There are so many great people in direct marketing and I hate it when a few genuinely awful people give direct marketing a bad name. Oh well ... I'll keep moving on, NOT being a scammer.

All the best,

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

P.S. Over the next few weeks, I'll write a series about direct marketers and direct response copywriters to follow, starting with David Ogilvy.

Overcoming Skepticism. Professional Copywriter Email Archive February 2019 2.

February 2019

Perhaps Your Biggest Copywriting Challenge

Yes, as direct response copywriters, we have plenty of challenges. You could name 12 right now. So could I.

But here’s the biggest enemy. Skepticism.

I’m not the first person to identify this ogre. Many a copywriter has written about skepticism. The late Herschell Gordon Lewis wrote extensively about overcoming skepticism.

Haven’t read much from HGL? You MUST read everything he wrote about writing copy. Some copywriters find him a tad “too precise” but HGL knew how to write. He also knew how to frighten the living daylights out of people through his horror movies. He called them “splatter flicks” and he was known, I’m told, as “The Godfather of Gore.”

But I digress.

I come across skepticism when I teach skiing. I won’t get technical here but my students are skeptical, at first.

The problem? 96% of ski students are not properly balanced over their skis. Their balance is back instead of right over the middle of the skis. My first goal is to help students stand correctly on their skis. To achieve this, I usually take away their poles.

This tactic only increases the level of skepticism. But within a few minutes, the skiers are right on top of their skis and they feel more in control. It works every time. Once they’re balanced correctly, it’s easier to turn and students are so much happier.

I work with some of the world’s top golf teachers. One of them told me, “I have to have something good happen in the first 20 minutes of the lesson or I’ve totally lost the student.”

Sometimes, my skiing students remain skeptical and that’s fine. I can’t get through to every skier I teach.

I have potential copywriting clients who are skeptical.

Just today, I was on the phone with a potential client and they clearly don’t fully believe I can help them. I’m not sure I want to work with them. It was our 4th conversation. My website, which you can see here, provides TONS of proof I can motivate people to try products and services.

I’ve helped my clients generate over $400 million in revenue over the last 5 years. They believed in me and they trusted me. They still trust me. I don't always get it right. But these clients know that direct marketing is a blood sport. There will be failure along with the successes.

You can overcome skepticism with proof.

Some people will respond positively. Some won’t.

I know I can write copy that transforms businesses and builds fortunes. Yes … the client must have other elements in place, and I’m not the only variable, but my clients have enjoyed success. Yours do/will as well.

Some people understand the power of direct response copy. Some never will. I focus on the people who “get it” and politely ignore everyone else.

All the best,

Scott Martin

Holiday Copywriting Thoughts. Direct Response Copywriting Email Archive December 2018.

DECEMBER 2018

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

Holiday Thoughts

It’s the holiday season, in case you’ve been hiding under a rock, and it’s the time of year when I have a few days NOT writing copy and not getting any communication from current or potential clients.

I’m fortunate to have many great clients and I’m fortunate to have communication from them. But it's pleasant to have a bit of a break, even though I love my work.

I know that many of you want/need more clients, more often.

This time of the year, I’m actually really busy, regularly waking up around 5 to catch a bus at 6:45 a.m. to be ready to teach skiing all day beginning at 9. It’s wonderful to have a ‘bonus’ career that complements and augments my ‘regular’ work.

I don’t know how or where you’re spending the next couple of weeks. I hope it’s a fun time and mostly peaceful.

But even though I’m busy and active, I’m thinking about what’s next for me in this upcoming year when it comes to copywriting.

Who do I want to work with? Which categories? What type of clients? Do I want to start selling my own stuff instead of helping clients? I've helped a lot of people generate a massive amount of revenue.

If there’s ONE thing I really want YOU to focus on in the upcoming months, it’s being more proactive instead of reactive when it comes to building and expanding your copywriting business.

In fact, and here’s something that might seem really controversial, if you’re getting going and you’re frustrated with stupid clients and bad work, I’d rather see you have some type of side job that keeps you solvent while you do two things …

One. Improve your portfolio with spec pieces. Create a product or service and write copy for that product or service.

Two. Make a point to start contacting great potential clients. This requires persistence, intelligence, and patience.

End the insanity of Upwork and Facebook groups and other platforms where grim potential clients offer nothing but slow payment, bad pay, and constant headaches.

Perhaps your next step is to find a full-time gig with an agency or with a company. This will provide you with some stability plus some valuable experience. Then, if you want the freedom that comes with freelancing, you have a sprinboard.

Then there’s one more thing. Make a point to read more about direct response copywriting and direct marketing next year. Want to know what I read? Click here.

Have a great holiday season.

And think about this thought from one of the world’s top direct response copywriters.

“There’s an ocean of work out there. And you’re a thimble.”

All the best,

Scott Martin

Proof Elements. Direct Response Copywriting Archive April 2018 3

April 2018 3

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

Proof Elements

I’m a big fan of Gary Bencivenga. Brian Kurtz calls him “America’s greatest living copywriter” and that’s based on results … not hype. Bencivenga routinely smashed controls and he generated tens of millions for his clients.

You can read a great deal about Bencivenga online and I’ll provide some links to resources toward the end of this email.

Proof is a huge deal to Bencivenga ... as it should be to every copywriter.

If fact, Bencivenga had an ‘equation’ he used when writing copy.

Problem + Promise + Proof + Proposition = Persuasion

I prefer to use the word “motivation” instead of persuasion but that’s fodder for another time.

For the next several emails, I want to focus on the “proof” part.

When it comes to copywriting, you’ll read a great deal about headlines, bullets, guarantees, and other technical parts of our trade but you rarely read much about proof.

As Bencivenga writes, the biggest obstacle you face as a copywriter is the “yeah, right” skepticism that everyone has today ... including me ... including you.

You might be writing copy for a client who has genuinely found the cure for type 2 diabetes but the initial reaction from everyone is always going to be “yeah, right.”

Herschell Gordon Lewis wrote a great deal about overcoming skepticism. You haven’t read anything by the great HGL?

Fix that problem right now. HGL was one of the greatest copywriters … plus he was also the producer of what he called “splatter” movies … horror movies with tons of serious gore.

But I digress.

An advertising agency in Brisbane created a wonderful poster of proof elements. You can find it here and it’s free.

I’ll go through parts of this list in the next several emails.

But let’s start with …

Test data Charts and graphs Specificity

Test data is especially important with health-related products. But I have also used test data in golf-related copy. Sometimes you can use test data from extensive tests and trials. But you don’t always have to use data that super-deep. Sometimes I’m a big fan of surveys but sometimes I’m not.

Charts and graphs are always valuable but with these caveats. • A chart or graph must be super-clear. • There should be a copy doodle and caption saying “here’s what this graph proves” along with some type of benefit. • The chart or graph should be relevant. You might be thinking, “I’m a copywriter so why should I have to get involved with charts and graphs?” Dan Kennedy says, and I agree, that a copywriter must be totally involved with the graphical presentation of the copy. I’m not a developer and I’m not a graphic designer but I always want to provide graphical direction.

Specificity

It’s pretty simple … instead of writing, “you’ll hit the ball further with the Max Cannon” … I write … “Gain an Extra 14-25 Yards Off The Tee With The All-New Max Cannon.”

Specificity is so important, you’ll find a chapter about it in Scientific Advertising.

But you have to be extremely careful with this weapon … and specificity is about more than just numbers. Specificity can be about individual success stories, geographic examples, relevant studies, testimonials from experts, and more.

Let’s focus on numbers.

Choose the numbers extremely carefully and find the ones that have the most impact plus are most relevant to the most important benefits of the product or service.

You can quickly and easily overwhelm the reader/viewer/listener with too many numbers. The prospect’s head can be spinning and there won’t be a sale.

Specificity is obviously vital and must replace vagueness wherever and whenever vagueness appears in copy. But be careful … especially with numbers.

In the next email, I’ll go through these proof elements.

Comparisons Scientific findings Research findings Unique mechanism

OK … here, as promised, are the Bencivenga links.

The Bencivenga Bullets are here.

An interview with Clayton Makepeace is here.

And if you have $5,000 lying around, you can get the video of Bencivenga’s retirement seminar. It's all here along with over 30,000 words of copy.