It’s Not Enough To Just Think About It …

To say I’m a little frustrated at the moment is an understatement. I’m finally free of the confines of my day job, at least for the next couple of months, and you’d think I’d be zooming right along with my AWAI assignments. But that isn’t what’s happening.

Instead, I’m knee deep in clutter and bogged down by what seems like a never-ending stream of tasks. Some are legitimate (trying to get the house cleaned and organized so it will be ready to put on the market, dealing with the paperwork for my mother’s nursing home recertification and a horrible mix-up with health insurance that stems back over a year, playing wedding planner and caterer for my son’s wedding that is in less than two weeks and getting ready for the trip there, trying to pull together all the loose ends for a business launch that I’m planning as soon as I return from the wedding … need I go on?) Did I mention I have yet to shop for something to wear to the wedding?

And all the while I am so wanting to dive in and totally get myself soaked in my copywriting training. I want to read the control letters over 30 times like the course instructions say. I want to spend two or three hours uninterrupted and with nothing else on my mind as I read through the coursework and give the assignments a try. I want to have the time to write the salesletters out by hand over and over again, because I know that these are the tasks that will get me where I want to go.

I think about what I wish I was doing all the time. But yet, I’m not doing it. Something always seems to take priority. And of course, I realize it’s not enough to just THINK about it … I have to DO it.

At some point I need to make this course a priority and stop letting all of life’s time-sucking obligations and details have the best of my attention and time.

I’m well aware that when it becomes important enough to me I will do what it takes to make the time. Either that or I’ll find a way to squeeze another 3 hours into each day. I’d gladly give up sleeping if I thought I could actually stay awake long enough to be productive.

I keep telling myself that as soon as the wedding is over, I’ll make the course my top priority. I hope I can hold myself to it. I know that the third installment is going to arrive any day and I’m still working through the first one. Arghhh!

Ok, enough of my rant. Back to organizing the office … fun, fun, fun.

Telling a Story to Sell Your Product

I received a great solo ad email from James Roche (www.infoproductguy.com) this morning and wow, did it suck me in! First the subject line read, “How to Tell Stories That Sell.” Since I’m learning all I can about copywriting and I know that storytelling is one technique writers often use, it caught my eye.

As I opened the email, expecting to find a hyped up ad for a new product or teleclass, I was immediately drawn into a story that James started telling right from the get go. It had all the elements of a good story — interesting characters, suspense and secrets, and a happy ending. What a great example and lead in to his new article — “How to Tell a Story that Sells Your Product and Service.’ 

After a great article that shared “three essential elements that make up stories that persuade, captivate, and sell,” James ended his note with just a brief one line note mentioning a teleclass that Lorrie Morgan-Ferraro of www.red-hot-copy.com will be holding next week. I’m sure James is an affiliate for Lorrie and the whole reason for the article and opening story was to have you see the power of telling stories in your copy and then to offer you a way to learn more about it. But the way James presented the information was masterful and smooth. I was certainly impressed. This was a great example of how to send out an effective solo email ad.

As I mentioned in an earlier post about Adam Urbanski’s direct mail package (which included the worry doll) I would love to contact James and find out what kind of response he gets from this campaign. I bet he had a huge conversion rate.

I’d love to post the entire email just to keep a record of it that I can refer back to. I may email James about that!

Until next time … 

Fear, Greed, and Lust … oh my!

Even though I’m still in the opening pages of the AWAI copywriting course, I’m already discovering that emotion is what motivates a person to buy — especially if you are addressing the reader’s fears, greed, and (gasp) lust, among other things. To be honest, I already knew this. It’s been drilled into my head by internet marketing gurus for the past couple of years but still, it was good to see it confirmed by copywriting experts. 

So while I am pouring over my junk mail, I’m going to be trying to figure out what emotion the writer was trying to tap into in the various pieces of mail I’ve collected.

Speaking of which, I got a great swipe file sample today from Adam Urbanski, a direct marketing biggie and internet extraordinaire (www.themarketingmentors.com). It came in a large red mailer that looked like a FedEx rush mail delivery and inside he had a little worry doll attached to the opening page. I haven’t read it all but he mentioned right off the bat that he had two reasons for attaching the little worry doll — one to grab my attention (it did) and two to let me know that he was “worried” about me and wondering why I hadn’t responded to his incredible offer. 

Did he grab my attention? I’d say that’s a big yes. I’m definitely going to read that one from cover to cover. I am tempted to contact Adam and see if he’d be willing to share his response stats with me on the effectiveness of this particular mailing. I have received something similar from him in the past (and I still have it so I’m going to compare the two mailings for content and formula) so obviously it must have worked fairly well last time for him to repeat this kind of mailing. It can’t be cheap.

I’m still in the first section of the program, the introduction really. I plan on reading a little more before I hit the sack tonight. I also spent some time this afternoon reading a special report by Donna Doyle (AWAI Copywriter of the Year and one of the 3Chix at www.3Chix.com) called “10 Success Tips for Freelance Writers.” I don’t claim to know an awful lot about copywriting or freelance writing for that matter, but it made me feel good that almost all of the information Donna put forth in her report was information I was already aware of and/or I would have done instinctively. That was encouraging to me. It made me feel as though I might have a greater affinity for this profession than I realized or perhaps it is one that just might come more easily to me than I had anticipated. Let’s hope.

So that’s my progress for today. Nothing earth shattering but still, it’s progress.

Until next time …

It’s a Start …

There isn’t really anything extraordinary to report at this point. I’m more interested in getting into a routine of working on the AWAI program and trying to become familiar with the WordPress blogging software than anything else at this point.

Still, I sat down with the materials last night and started at the beginning. I had started to read through the first couple chapters last week when they arrived but with going to Valley Cottage for an EFT workshop and trying to get my office organized I really haven’t been able to devote the time I wanted to it. I figured I’d better get going on it though before the next installment arrives and Ifind myself already behind on my goal of completing one installment before the next arrives.

So — introductory letters meant to inspire were successful in doing so. The opening pages by Michael Masterson had me pumped up and ready to dive in. So far my assignment is to start collecting and reviewing the junk mail that arrives in my mailbox everyday. There certainly is enough of that to keep me busy! I’m to keep the stuff that grabs my attention. I’m wondering if I should also print out a copy of salesletters I see on the internet that entice me to buy. Since one of my interests is internet web copy and salesletters that seems like it might be a good idea.

I’m hoping to get more into the course material today after I get home from work. For now at least I can say that it’s a start. There’s nothing quite like being at the beginning.

Until next time …

Hello world!

Well, it seems this is the beginning. For better or worse, I’ve decided to follow an interest I’ve had for many years — to become a writer. To be more specific, a copywriter. In truth, I’ve just always loved to write — to record thoughts and memories, events and goals. And lists. I love lists!

But journaling and listmaking are personal in nature, not something I generally would share with the world. Copywriting is a whole other story. It’s salesmanship in print (or so I’m told.) And with my keen interest in internet marketing and online business, copywriting just seems like a great fit.

So — I’ve enrolled in AWAI’s (American Writers & Artists, Inc.) Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting Course to see what I can learn. At this point I don’t have a clue where this will take me or whether it’s something I have a talent for. The introductory paragraphs say you don’t really need to have any formal writing skills, that copywriting can be learned. We’ll see about that!

I thought that since I’m at the very beginning of this journey and because I expect I’ll need to practice writing on a regular basis, starting a journal to chronicle my progress would be a good idea. I don’t honestly expect that anyone will read this but me, but who knows, maybe someone will find their way here while on their way to somewhere else and stop by to see what I’m doing.  It would be nice to have something interesting to take a look at. Gosh, I hope it will be interesting!

And so — this is my first post to this blog. I always think you should state your intention when starting something new and so my intention is to have this blog not only keep me accountable to the tasks of the AWAI program , but to provide me with a place where I can record my adventures along the way. I’d love to think I’ll be working on the program every day, but that might be a bit too big of a bite at this point. Since I will be receiving a new packet of information once a month I think my goal will be to complete each packet before the next one arrives, to give it my best effort, and to keep a record of what I accomplish along the way.

That seems fair enough.

Until the next post …