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- Apr 03 2009
- 19 Comments
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“Just like me…they long to be…close to you…”
Okay, okay, I know you probably think ol’ Rich has fallen off his rocker this time, but hear me out…
Because there’s a whole lot of wisdom in that one line from the Carpenter’s 1970 smash hit. And it has absolutely nothing to do with birds suddenly appearing every time you are near.Let me explain…
Ask anyone here at Strategic Profits and they’ll tell you I’m a pretty private person. I like to come in, focus on my work, and keep my personal business…well, personal.
But over the last year or so, I’ve been slowly cracking the door open and letting everyone have a peek at my life outside the office. And there’s a reason for that.
Back when I was first dipping my toes into the internet marketing waters, I attended a copywriting seminar hosted by none other than the great John Carlton.
John’s legendary in this business, generating multiple millions of dollars with his masterfully crafted sales pieces. In fact, many consider him one of the greatest copywriters living today.
And during this seminar, I was completely enraptured by John’s teachings. His breakthrough ideas on writing copy were very instrumental in my initial success online, and from time to time I still I refer to the notes I took from that seminar whenever I need a copywriting boost.
I remember that one of these instances was about a year ago. I was in the office working on some copy, so I quickly glanced at those notes to get a kick start.
But what I got was a kick all right–a kick in the HEAD!
These were the exact words that popped out at me in all caps and yellow highlighting:
YOU ARE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE IF YOU ARE NOT PERSONALIZING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
Ever had an epiphany? Because I did right then.
I suddenly realized how closed and impersonal I had become in my copy, and how I had alienated much of my audience because of it.
I realized that, no matter how I may feel or think, in order to become a trusted advisor to my prospects and customers I needed to open up more about me, about my family, and about my life outside of Strategic Profits. And if I opened the curtain a little, they would most likely respond very positively.
In other words, John reached out from that sheet of paper, slapped me upside the head and said: “Yo Schefren…take a lesson from Karen Carpenter. They long to be ‘closer to you’. So LET ‘EM!”
I made a vow right then and there–I was going to create a stronger bond with my audience.
So I started focusing more on empathizing with them, understanding their situations, feelings, and motives. I dug deep to find out what kept them up at night…what gnawed at their very core…and how my products could help solve that.
Then I immersed myself into their conversations. I studied the forums and social networking sites they frequented. I made note of the buzzwords they tossed out. I wanted to learn the language they spoke, so I could talk to them more effectively on their level.
Finally, I just tried to be myself. I know that sounds overly simplistic, but it’s so crucial. Because we all know of people who have tried to be someone else in their business. And they’ve failed miserably because there’s no truth or integrity in anything they say. So I let my personality shine through a lot more, making a point to tell my audience about the little things–not just the big things–that affected how I live, work, and play.
And guess what? The response was AMAZING! Our subscriber rates went through the roof, we saw significant increases in sales, and my “likeability” factor was suddenly off the charts–all because of this shift in my copy.
But what about you? Is your copy stiff, stale, and lacking in personality? Are you pulling your prospects and customers “close to you” with your emails, sales letters, and blog posts? Or are you pushing them further away?
Because in the words of John Carlton himself, “Good copywriting is like sitting down, cracking a beer, and shooting the shit.” I don’t know how to put it any better.
If you can integrate this mindset into your copy, you’ll create a stronger bond with your prospects, customers, and subscribers And you’ll make LOTS more money (as well as enjoy writing your copy more) in the long run.
But to be honest, that’s only scratching the surface of what John teaches about writing sizzling hot copy that builds a bridge of trust between you and your readers and puts chunks of cash into your bank account. There’s more–LOTS more.
Because John is the undisputed heavyweight champ of copywriting. And he can help you turn your lackluster sales copy into massive profit centers…over and over again.
Right now, John’s got some free lessons that reveal the insider secrets to his simple writing system, including a video on storytelling from Frank Kern’s event that’s PHENOMENAL.
You gotta see this.
Go there right now and get registered. And when you’re finished, dig up that old Carpenter’s album (you know you got one), dust off the turntable, and let the silky smooth pipes of Karen Carpenter take your copy to the next level.
Yep, it might be corny. But it’s also EXTREMELY effective.
To Higher Profits,
Rich
P.S. Did those tips help you get a clearer picture of how to get “closer” to your audience?
Have you seen a difference in my copy? And if so, what do you think of it? Better? Worse? The same?
Let me know in the comments below. And don’t be shy–if you like it, give a shout out. And if you don’t, let me know why. I’m always open to your feedback.
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- Apr 09 2008
- 19 Comments
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For as long as I’ve been in this business, I’ve heard one thing over and over again:
“When it comes to making sales, copy is king.”
So do I agree with it? Yes…and no. Let me explain…
I think that copy is still the most important cog in the sales and marketing machine. Whether we write it or speak it, copy gets inside the head of your prospect and finds those hot buttons that get them stirred up and reaching for a credit card.
But there’s more to writing great copy than just the occasional penning of a sales letter or email that elicits response.
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- Mar 31 2008
- 52 Comments
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Listen friend, I’ve got a gift for you.
Q: Why am I giving you a gift?
Because it’s my way of saying thank you.
You see, at last count there were over 15 billion web pages online. And the simple fact that you are here reading this post means you consider my point of view valuable.
Better yet, it turns out you’re not alone in your opinion. At our recent conference, New Beginnings, a bunch of the speakers (Maryellen Tribby, Jeff Walker, John Carlton, Frank Kern, etc…) were hanging out in the green room when Gary Vaynerchuck asked “who are the most influential bloggers in the internet marketing community?”
Continue reading Join The Conversation Or Watch Your Business Wither Away And Die
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- Feb 26 2008
- 18 Comments
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In this clip, Copywriting Legend John Carlton offers up 3 essential elements your testimonials must have to give you maximum credibility and instant maven status.
Take a look…
Continue reading Conference Update: John Carlton On Killer Testimonials
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- Feb 24 2008
- 74 Comments
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Gotta make this quick, because Strategic Profits Live! is getting set to kick off. But I wanted to let you in on a special surprise I’ve been keeping under my hat for a while…
We’ve decided that, if you couldn’t make it to Strategic Profits Live!, you’ll have a daily ringside seat.
You read that right–for the next several days, the Strategic Profits Blog will be transformed into Conference Central, complete with daily updates on the latest happenings, smokin’ hot video clips from the speakers and behind-the-scenes interviews you won’t want to miss.
We’re talkin’ no-holds barred (and completely pitch free) nuggets of wisdom from the world’s greatest marketing and business building minds, including Frank Kern, Jeff Walker, Mike Filsaime, John Carlton, Jay Abraham, Janet Switzer and many more.
There’s never been anything of this magnitude ever attempted in the internet marketing world, and I’m giving the cameras an All-Access pass into every nook and cranny.
Here’s a few clips from today’s opening day activities – some workshop attendees and the crew getting up for the main event that I kick off tomorrow … looking good …
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- Feb 12 2008
- 33 Comments
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- New Beginnings Conference - February 23rd - 29th 2008, Disney World, Orlando Florida
If you know anything about me at all, it’s probably that I’m known for delivering tons of valuable help on this blog completely free of charge.
… But I’ve never, EVER done anything like this before.
Continue reading Five Weapons Of Mass Persuasion -
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- Jan 12 2008
- 28 Comments
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…because HE just won a free copy of our Business Acceleration Program and all the goodies that go with it.
What a hot comment–you gotta see this!
Continue reading Carlos Is Jumping For Joy
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- Nov 13 2007
- 136 Comments
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In the Attention Age, getting your prospect’s attention is harder than ever.
But it gets worse – because once you get attention, your job has just started.
You see, the real trick is holding onto your reader’s attention long enough to get your message across.
My good friend and world-class copywriter John Carlton says:
"The most common blunder rookie copywriters make is to assume the reader will ‘hang in there’… Your reader will not hang in there. At the very moment you bore him, confuse him, or ask him to ‘bear with you’…he’s out of there."
Think about it: Doesn’t your own experience confirm it?
Continue reading Phrases That Keep Your Reader’s Attention – Download
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- Jun 29 2006
- 214 Comments
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My office has been under siege for the past two days and it looks like a horde of English World Cup soccer fans were parked here.
Ever since I released my Internet Business Manifesto, the phone has been ringing non-stop, Sheila my assistant has walked off the job three times because people insist on talking to me about the contents of the manifesto, and Debbie the secretary has told us we’re getting more calls coming in than the call center up stairs.
And to really top things off, my wife and daughters saw what was going on and high tailed it over to the other side of Florida for a "girl vacation."
Our Alexa ranking is a cool 492 today and over 16,612 people have downloaded the manifesto.
It’s been one of the hottest topics on the Warrior Forum and I’ve been getting rave reviews from people like John Reese, John Carlton, Jim Edwards, and many more.
Here’s what Jim Edward’s told his list:
"Most people don’t know this, but 18 months ago I was so stressed out… strung out… and just plain tired, I was ready to quit the Internet at the "height" of my career…
All I did was work, sometimes 16-18 hours a day for days on end… and there was absolutely no end in sight. Yeah, I was making a good living, but my organization sucked and I was trying to do everything myself…
Then I met a guy who helped me understand that I was in charge of a *business* — not the "one-man band" that was getting ready to put me into an early grave. He is one of the main reasons I stayed online and now have a REAL organization that is growing by leaps and bounds with each passing month!"
Then, my server crashed briefly under the number of people trying to get their hands on the report. Let’s just say my bandwidth bill isn’t going to be cheap.
Plus, Dan my right hand man has found hundreds of bloggers from all corners of the web, discussing the manifesto and declaring it "the most important report to be released in years."
Another one of my assistants, Kate, tells me there are thousands of people emailing me asking questions about the manifesto.
People are asking me what I’m going to be presenting at the Dan Kennedy Infomarketing Summit, and my new partners at the 300 million dollar company I’m working with are wondering why they can’t get through to me.
At one point, 17 people were opting in every second.
No wonder it’s so crazy around here.
But I’m not done. People have been begging me for more details about my strategies.
So I’m going to actually let you create the content for the follow up to the Internet Business Manifesto.
Here’s what I’d like you to do…
Answer the following question…
Q: After reading the manifesto, what is the one thing that you think will prevent you from achieving success similiar to that of my clients?
I’m preparing a video you should expect to see in your email box in the next few days. In it, I’ll try and answer some of
your questions.I feel like Noah trying to hold back the flood…
Rich
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