"So, what do YOU do?" As biz-owners we’re free to give pretty much any response when someone asks us that. We’re not restricted by the labels of the past: “accountant”, “teacher”, “copywriter” etc. Partly it’s because there are even more labels than ever… (For instance, when you go …
What Are You Running From?
FREEDOM! What a beautiful word. One of my favourites, in fact. You’re probably a fan, too. As both biz-owners and consumers, we enjoy the freedom to make our own choices, to decide our own fates, to follow our own unique paths… And as marketers we often leverage our customers’ desire for …
How To Not Bring The Cheese: Sales Letter Tactics You Can STILL Use
I had an interesting conversation about sales copy with a couple of biz-owners the other day. Specifically, about whether enlightened, 21st century businesses like ours should still use old-skool direct response sales letter tactics. You know: Long headlines, “Dear savvy entrepreneur” …
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“Don’t Act Surprised”
When were you last surprised by something a client or customer said to you? What did they say, and what did you learn from it? Did you just dismiss it out of hand, or did it spark something useful? Sometimes when we work our lil butts off to research what our audience thinks of …
Are You Busy?
How many times has someone asked you that question this year? It feels like I’m into the hundreds already, and we’re not even halfway through 2019 yet. It’s like entrepreneurial shorthand for “tell me about what you’re working on” – which is fine as a conversation topic, but isn’t it weird how …
Your Favourite Show (No Spoilers)
First, a warning: This post contains NO spoilers at all. Not one. I promise. Ok, now that’s out of the way, how do you feel about it? Relieved? Or maybe just a teeny bit… disappointed? See, our ‘need to know’ is a powerful need. Maybe not as powerful as the need for food, water, …
Enough Is Enough
Everybody has their breaking point. I know, that sounds like the tagline for some long-forgotten cheesy revenge movie from the early ‘90s. I can see the trailer now… Gravelly-voiced voiceover: “EVERYBODY HAS THEIR BREAKING POINT…” (Shot of Arnold Schwarzenegger – or Steven Seagal, …
Dog Food Belief Soup
There’s this scene in Mad Men that has a peculiar truth to it. (I know. A copywriter who watches Mad Men? How predictable. I guess I’m no better than a small town hoodlum bingeing on The Sopranos… Or some junior trader bro lapping up the macho-bling-soap opera Billions (fun show, …
