Please help with my USP, Bio and Samples

[Nicola Lane]

Hi Friends,

I am busy learning the art and science of copywriting. I am also building a website to showcase my emerging talents. This is where I need help. I have two particular issues.

1. My Bio and USP.
A few years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD and Aspergers Syndrome. Getting the diagnosis was life changing for me. I am able to embrace the advantages of these conditions and accept the disadvantages.

I would like to turn being "a bit crazy" into my USP - my conditions do have many advantages for someone who is looking to hire a freelance copywriter:

Some positive aspects of ADHD can be:
creativity
quick to grasp essentials
flexibility
intuitiveness
enthusiastic, passionate
tries to do better next time
willing to take risks

I am sure that I can put these down as benefits, and perhaps craft a paragraph on the subject. I can do the same for Aspergers.

What do you think? Will a potential client immediately pass me over because of these traits? Or will they accept them if presented properly? Do you have any advice on this subject? (Thanks!)

2. Samples I can't show!
I have worked on a number of grass roots political campaigns - very successfully. Unfortunately because of election law I can't actually show samples of the work I have done - would a client accept a case study explaining what I did, why and the results, backed by testimonials?

Some of the work was for myself (I was elected to public office twice) and some for other people.

I am sure that my bio/resume would be unusual - probably unique! So I would like to bring out the positives - and benefits to potential clients.

I welcome any constructive help here. Thank you for your time - and thanks in advance for your help.

Nicola

[MikeHumphreys]

Nicola,

Your USP needs to produce confidence in your prospects that hiring you is the right thing to do. It needs to be about them and what they will gain by hiring you. What benefits will they gain?

Answer that question and you will have the foundation of a strong USP.

I wouldn't recommend using any medical condition in your USP.

Hope that helps,

Mike

[travlinguy]

You only have a condition if you believe you have it. Focus on your strengths and forget you've ever heard the rest. As for what clients will think, who cares? How would they even know?

They only want one thing, results. Clients don't care if the copy was written on parchment by the Elephant Man in the dark shadows of the freekin' Bat Cave as long as it brings in the money.

As for your 'condition,' Emerson said, "The only thing that can grow is the thing you give energy to." So if you want to write, be about it and forget the rest. Give your energy to your work.

[Nicola Lane]

Thanks for your input - it is very welcome.

I was going to compare myself to Einstein, Da Vinci and Edison. In order to do so I was going to offer the proof that we all have/had Aspergers and or ADHD. Can I compare myself without saying why?

Thanks

[Paul Hancox]

Hi Nicola

Great to hear you're putting your emerging talents to good use!

I don't know whether I would actually mention or bring the ADHD or Aspergers into the copy.

A lot of people have been conditioned to see ANY "condition" as a "disadvantage" rather than an advantage, even if they don't know what ADHD or Aspergers is.

I personally would suggest focusing on all the positive aspects you listed, but not mention the ADHD / Aspergers at all. Just my opinion, I appreciate it could still be made to work.

After all, those positive aspects are more a product of YOU than a product of any condition.

They only need to know things that are important for them to know. As long as those conditions aren't going to affect THEM in a negative way, then I'd keep it out. It's like your hair color or what you had for breakfast... none of their business, really ... unless what you had for breakfast is going to negatively impact upon them!

Still, what you listed are great distinctive features of your writing service, so yes I'd definitely sell your service based on those... but speaking personally, I'd leave out any references to ADHD or Aspergers, just based on how most people are conditioned to think about "labels" and "conditions".

As for samples, I would definitely recommend telling your story in the political field, as a justification for WHY you can't show samples.

Remember, when you tell your story, tell it in a way where EVERYTHING you tell them is relevant to them. Ultimately, people only really care about the stuff that matters to them, so every story you tell should have a meaning for the client, above and beyond "this is an interesting anecdote you might enjoy".

[Ross Bowring]

Nicola, I sent you a PM, but I thought I'd add a little public "note" too.

Paul's not wrong in his advice above.

However, you can use disabilities, but ONLY if you spin them into a genuine advantage they give your prospect. Your first post touched on this. The special insights and perspectives your life experience gives you.

Temple Grandin for example. Her clients are slaughter-house owners. She uses her autism as a big PRO over other "cattle-consultants" because her brain only thinks in pictures.

From personal experience as an autistic person, she's felt overwhelmed by sensory overload. So she invented a machine that gives her a "pressure hug" to relax. Turns out, Temple's insight allowed her to know that the same goes for cows. They calm when they are given a mechanical hug, so to speak. So she invented a machine that does just that. A machine used to keep cattle calm and keep them in a more humane way by slaughter-houses all over the world.

Her negative has become a positive. And it's not "spin". It's a genuine advantage she has in attracting clients.

I'd do some focused thinking on what genuine benefits your life challenges have made to your ability to pen winning copy. Insight or perspective others just don't/can't have. Then develop a "hook" to make it as compellingly simple as possible.

It might turn out, you can't come up with anything. It might be that your challenges are too "heavy", as Paul touched on above, to include in your initial marketing contact with potential clients.

But you'll never know unless you give it deeper thought and time to mentally percolate.

So I wouldn't rule it out. But if you can't come up with anything powerful and distinctive I'd opt for Paul's solid advice above.

-- Ross

[Paul Hancox]

I agree 100% with Ross. It could be made to work, IF you spin it correctly (as your posts suggests is perfectly possible)... and leave no doubt in their mind that, not only will your condition NOT be a problem for them, but will actually be in their own best interest.

I think the only solution would be to somehow TEST both approaches. Write two sales letters... one that does this powerful reframing of the "problem" into meaning it's actually the "best solution" for them... and one that doesn't mention your condition at all... and basically see which works best.

I would suggest paying careful attention to the feedback you're getting from each version (i.e. what potential clients say to you), as this will also give you a feel for how they are perceiving the advantage of your condition to them.

I get the impression that TESTING is ultimately the only way to know for sure which angle is going to serve you best.

[Andrew Gould]

Here's an example bio of an elite level fitness trainer and martial artist who overcome tremendous disabilities to reach the top of his profession:

RMAX International

It transforms his problems into benefits for both himself and his clients. The writing's not great copy but it'll at least let you see how others are doing it.

[MillionDollarCopy]

Hi Nicola!

I wouldn't use it in my USP if it were me. I agree with others that "you only have a condition if you believe you have it", and that being said, if you truly have faith in your talent and ability to write awesome stuff, then use something else as your USP..

It's one less hurdle you have to jump trying to convince your prospect that you're the right one for the job...

Good luck!

~Renee

[Iconik]

Hey Nicola,

As Paul said, trying to sell your condition as a
benefit to the client is an up-hill battle.

Many people have a preconceived bias regarding
these kind of things, and you'll end up writing
an entire bio discussing the merits of your condition
and not the benefits you can provide to them.

You can however...

Use your condition as part of your hook to get them
into you copy and then sell them on your services.

Here is an example of a hook John Carlton used to
sell thousands of golf courses...

Amazing Secret Discovered By
One-Legged Golfer Adds 50 Yards
To Your Drives, Eliminates Hooks
and Slices... And Can Slash Up To
10 Strokes From Your Game
Almost Overnight!

The One-Legged golfer is part of the hook and is tied
in directly to the benefits (Adds 50 Yards, Eliminates
Hooks and Slices, Slash Up To 10 Strokes, Almost
Overnight) that the reader will get.

Use your bio to discuss your strengths as a copywriter,
but use your condition as part of the hook that gets
your prospects into your copy.

Here's an example of how you can use it...

"How An Autistic-Savant Got Himself
Elected to Public Office TWICE!... And
How You Can Use The Same
SECRETS OF PERSUASION
To Drastically Improve Your Bottom Line!"

Then include your story and how your condition gives
you a unique perspective in to human psychology that
allows you to push the emotional hot-buttons that cause
people to buy.

I hope you don't take offense to the use of the word 'autistic'
as it was not meant to degrade your condition, but instead to
be used as a hook that will empower your copy and allow you
draw in more business.

Good luck with your site, Nicola.

Mike

[Hank Rearden]

Little note:

One-legged golfer... Disabled martial artist... Autistic politician...

They all serve two roles:

1) Pure intrigue. But most importantly...

2) Proof.

"If HE can do it, damn, so can I! Look at HIS disabilities... And I'm perfectly healthy! Better than healthy, even!"

It's the same story as the broke guy living in a basement making $100,000,000.00 - even though he was thousands in debt... or High school dropout making money writing ads - even though his English teacher flunked him out of class...

John Carlton calls it: "The Incongrous Juxtaposition"

So unless you're using your condition as proof someone else can achieve what you've achieved... You may want to think very carefully about using it at all.

Food for thought.

- HR

[Iconik]

Originally Posted by Hank Rearden

So unless you're using your condition as proof someone else can achieve what you've achieved... You may want to think very carefully about using it at all.

Hank,

That's a very good point.

Mike