All Bottled Up Inside
Dear Friend,
Terri, from somewhere down under (Australia) wrote me in asking some most excellent questions, so let's see if we can help her out. Here's what she had to say:
"Dear Craig,
Ever been so desperate to change just one thing in your life, so desperate in fact that you're becoming almost gullible to all the sales hype and BS that hits your inbox?
The promises of riches beyond compare and a lifestyle even Oprah might envy...
...if only you order this, read that, sign up for something here, or attend some near priceless seminar/conference there, or even plug in for the latest teleconference that's supposedly free (except that the cost of an hour long international call is NOT free!)...
Well, for the last 2 years I've been seeing my inbox fill with 'fixes' and my credit card fill even quicker, and I've been studying and learning and TRYING my BUTT off...
And yeh, I'm smarter now about copywriting than I probably ever have been or could have imagined.
BUT I'm still "only a student" - and I mean an UNPAID one at that... and sure, that's valuable. I'm learning more and filling my head with all sorts of stuff.
My bank account isn't filling at all - the costs are eating into my budget and my confidence.
But a question I have for you is "what one skill can I practice that will let me write with true emotional conviction and not feel I'm BS'ing just like all those other phoneys out there?"
I'm struggling to tap into my rawest emotions when I write copy - because I can't help but feel I'm filled with BS like a sales con...
And I'm no con...
MY GREATEST yearning is to leave the world of "employee" behind... and operate as my own business, independent, from home, or anywhere, knowing I'm tapping into that amazing psychology of human need and desire...
Help!
That's all I can say. With utmost passion!
Thanks. Warmest regards. Terri"
O.K. Terri, first off, thanks for being so candid. I bet a LOT of my subscribers probably feel the same way you do.
In fact, with respect to the "emotional" aspect of writing sales copy, that seems to be what I spend the lion's share of my time on, whenever I'm doing sales copy reviews -- http://www.kingofcopy.com/salescopyreview -- getting the emotions "out of" my consulting clients and "in to" their sales copy.
So don't fret, apparently you're not alone when it comes to feeling all "bottled up inside".
Now for some mixed messages here, including a little dose of harsh reality along with the promises of some good stuff to look forward to:
1. Regarding "promises of riches beyond compare"...
C'mon Terri, if you're reading this in an e-mail and gleefully going along thinking the e-mail itself is going to get you there, then you really shouldn't be too surprised when it doesn't happen.
No different than how simply "sticking the treadmill in your living room" WON'T melt that fat right off you... buying makeup alone WON'T make you look hot... and just wearing cologne WON'T make you a babe magnet.
If your ultimate goal is to own a business, than having realistic expectations up-front is critical for your long-term manage-ability of the ups and downs that come along with running your own show.
2. If you genuinely think the cost of a phone call to another country is too expensive, and in return you're going to get let's say, 60 minutes of good information for free, then stop right now.
Most people I know use calling cards so it winds up costing them no more than a penny or two per minute of phone time. But even if it was 10 times that amount -- how can you possibly get bent out of shape paying $12.00 for good information.
Remember, cost is only an issue in the absence of value.
That's why most sharp and successful entrepreneurs spend literally SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS a year to stay on top of their game, myself included.
That's why we're getting a number of sign-ups for our Information Marketing Expo -- http://www.informationmarketingexpo.com -- at only $997 a pop, the most common comment I'm hearing is "what a deal" it is.
How much do you think professional athletes pay trainers... doctors... and nutritionists, to be the best?
And how about (good) doctors -- any idea what their continuing education costs?
It's HUGE!
If you're NOT spending at least a thousand or more dollars a year, then you're not doing anywhere NEAR enough for yourself.
Which leads me to my third comment about your "bank account not filling up at all."
3. Your bank account won't fill up on it's own any more than the gast tank of your car will!
You've got to get information... digest it... and then really start using it!
Don't be afraid -- make those mistakes -- how else will you learn?
How will you know what to tweak and where to adjust if everything's running perfectly from the get-go?
The only downside to failure is if you fail and then quit.
Otherwise, as far as failing goes...
Join The Club!
Again, every good entrepreneur I know has "failed their way to success".
Don't be afraid -- fear leads to inaction -- and that's the surest way of NEVER getting anywhere.
4. And lastly, as far as "raw emotions" making you feel like your lying, I'm not sure I'm following you.
"Raw" emotions are simply reflections of how you feel, so unless you're feeling like a thief or a liar, how could your emotions be duplicitous (Gee, that's a rarely-used S.A.T. word, isn't it?).
Anyway, with regard to your emotions, I'm thinking that you're mixing up what you think you should be saying with what your prospects want to hear. Don't worry though, because on "22 Ways To Completely Eliminate ALL Your Marketing Problems Right Now!" -- http://www.kingofcopy.com/22ways -- I cover this in great detail, in a variety of situations.
So the bottom line here is, take action... don't be afraid of failure -- in fact, welcome it as a "free" teacher -- and then go out and kick some butt.
Do this and pretty soon you'll be ready to...
Go sell something,
Craig Garber
Any comments?
Send them to me by scooting over to the contact form on my "Here's How To Contact Craig" page, and maybe I'll publish them -- I appreciate your feedback!
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| “Craig Garber is America's top direct-response copywriter. Join the ranks of Garber's swelling list of global VIP's who subscribe to his unconventional weekly marketing moments, and discover how to dramatically boost your sales and improve the response to your sales copy, on his website at http://www.kingofcopy.com. Copyright © Craig Garber. All rights reserved.” |