Drayton Bird Unplugged: Wisdom, War Stories and Slashing Wit

by BrianMcLeod

Posted: 11 years ago 18 replies

COPY WRITING

I'm excited, humbled, proud and, honestly, a little star-struck to announce an incredible evening with direct-marketing legend Drayton Bird for the June 2013 Fast Effective Copy Live Monthly Training plus Q&A with myself and David Garfinkel.

Drayton Bird Unplugged: Wisdom, War Stories and Slashing Wit From The World's Most Exceptional Copywriter

The webinar is this coming Wednesday, June 12th at 8 PM Eastern and it's absolutely free for you to attend - so please come as my guest.

Monthly Live Training Webinar | Fast Effective Copy

Here's one of my favorite Drayton Bird videos - was this Rezbi's?

Drayton Bird - how to charm your prospects... -...

NOTE: When you sign up, you'll be automagically registered for the webinar in GoToWebinar and added to the FEC monthly update list in Aweber for upcoming event announcements.

This is not a pitch webinar, it's monthly member training that you're invited to participate in (as a guest).

Hope you guys will come. I'm really stoked about this one.

Best,

Brian

P.S. I'm thinking some of you are sitting there silently seething that I've "spammed" or "abused my privileges" by posting this. If this subscribed 3 dozen people to that non-pitch Aweber list I'd be shocked.
Get real. THIS is what adding value to this joint looks like...

#bird #drayton #slashing #stories #unplugged #war #wisdom #wit

ASCW 11 years ago

I'll be there dude. This is awesome.
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Site being revamped.

If you want help with copy stuff, pm me.

Cool.
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max5ty 11 years ago

Good video...thanks for sharing.
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The Copy Nazi

Banned 11 years ago

Well, at the risk of appearing like a killjoy (yet again), I do find it odd that in the video he's talking about writing simple, plain English using less words... and then he goes on to say "... very often that's much more strong" - when he could have said "very often that's stronger".

Grammar Girl has a good post on active/passive voice.

A recent study suggests that less educated people--those who dropped out of school when they were 16--have a harder time understanding sentences written in the passive voice than those written in active voice. I only had access to the press release, not the original study, but the results made it seem as if you should stick with active voice if you're writing for the general population.

In other words - write in simple short sentences - that even a five year old can understand - using active voice.

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RickDuris

11 years ago

Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod

This is not a pitch webinar, it's monthly member training that you're invited to participate in (as a guest).

Hope you guys will come. I'm really stoked about this one.

Best,

Brian

P.S. I'm thinking some of you are sitting there silently seething that I've "spammed" or "abused my privileges" by posting this. If this subscribed 3 dozen people to that non-pitch Aweber list I'd be shocked.
Get real. THIS is what adding value to this joint looks like...

Great job. And quit apologizing for adding (incredible) value, damn it.

- Rick Duris

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CopyRanger.com

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CopyMonster

11 years ago

Brian thanks for giving us the Bird (did I just write that?) The Bird is good.

@Mal before I discovered copy, I wrote a lot of stuff in passive voice. I blame all them textbooks from college days and reports at the office. They all sounded so knowledg... smart!

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Scary good...

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The Copy Nazi

Banned 11 years ago

Originally Posted by CopyMonster

"Thanks for giving us the Bird" - brilliant!

[ 1 ] Thanks

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deezn 11 years ago

I just signed up. These monthly seminars are awesome, thanks for putting them on.
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- BrianMcLeod 11 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by deezn
  
  I just signed up.
  
  Thanks.
  
  These monthly seminars are awesome, thanks for putting them on.
  
  You're welcome.
  
  Thanks
  
  Signature
  Brian McLeod
  
  Direct Response Copywriting
  
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BrianMcLeod

11 years ago

From Drayton's email questionnaire for the slides:

I was there forty odd years ago when direct marketing became fashionable.

There is a fair number of people who were fortunate enough to get on the ball with the internet early. As a result they built large lists and reputations and did very well. This persuaded them that they were geniuses.

This in turn has led to their writing boastful stuff that would never do well if they didn't have those big lists. Unfortunately quite a few of them are prone to making promises which in print would land them in jail.

One man claims he has generated $175,000 a month in consulting fees since January. Why does he need to sell advice to the teeming millions?

Gotta love it... some sacred cows could be in danger tomorrow night.

Thanks
2 replies

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Brian McLeod

Direct Response Copywriting

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CopyMonster

11 years ago

Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod

From Drayton's email questionnaire for the slides:

I was there forty odd years ago when direct marketing became fashionable.

There is a fair number of people who were fortunate enough to get on the ball with the internet early. As a result they built large lists and reputations and did very well. This persuaded them that they were geniuses.

This in turn has led to their writing boastful stuff that would never do well if they didn't have those big lists. Unfortunately quite a few of them are prone to making promises which in print would land them in jail.

One man claims he has generated $175,000 a month in consulting fees since January. Why does he need to sell advice to the teeming millions?

Gotta love it... some sacred cows could be in danger tomorrow night.

Wooooo... is it who I think it is? Sounds like it will be even more fun than normal. Always fun busting sacred cows!

Thanks

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Scary good...

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The Copy Nazi Banned 11 years ago

Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod

From Drayton's email questionnaire for the slides:

Gotta love it... some sacred cows could be in danger tomorrow night.

OK...NOW I'm interested. ;-)
- Thanks
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Marvin Johnston 11 years ago

This was a great listen in hearing Drayton Bird reminisce about his days in direct marketing. Lots of good information and I'm looking foward to hearing the replay!

Marvin
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The Copy Nazi Banned 11 years ago

I'm listening to the replay. I'm gobsmacked (as the Brits say). David Garfinkel only heard about a "Brief" two years ago? This is the problem with I.M. copywriters. As Bird says...copy fails for five reasons - "the brief...the brief...the brief...the brief...the brief.

And guys - you've got to stop interrupting your guest. I mean ...this is Drayton Bird here. You keep making inane comments and putting him off. The impression I get is that you've paid him so you feel its OK to do this. It's not.

And the Halbert comment? I literally squirmed. What is it with you guys? You think Halbert (God rest his soul and I think he's one of the greats) was the only decent copywriter around? Sugarman, Ogilvy...God there's heaps...were just as good. Maybe better.

I'll be back. This is a long webinar.
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BrianMcLeod 11 years ago

Oh good, looks like it's my turn for a Lambasting.
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Brian McLeod

Direct Response Copywriting
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- The Copy Nazi Banned 11 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod
  
  Oh good, looks like it's my turn for a Lambasting.
  
  I was hoping you wouldn't see it like that. So if that's the case...I won't comment further. I haven't had time to continue watching. But I will. The "brief" thing, for instance, could help a lot of people here - if they cared to stop self-advertising and bickering.
  
  I'm tired of this place. I'm tired of twerps taking cheap shots at me. Twerps that hide under pseudos and claim to be all sorts of thing they can't prove.
  
  This webinar resonated with me because I've had similar experiences. Bird was maybe ten years before me but I know exactly where he's coming from. I love watching MAD MEN for the same reason.
  
  BTW if you think I'm "lambasting" in this forum...LOL...I constantly have to hold back...under the threat of being banned.
  
  Thanks
  
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BrianMcLeod

11 years ago

Bad read - I'm totally okay with you slapping us around.

You've always been on my good guy list - even if you like to mix it up in here.

And keep going... some of the better segments of the call happen later on.

Thanks
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Brian McLeod

Direct Response Copywriting

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The Copy Nazi

Banned 11 years ago

Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod

Bad read - I'm totally okay with you slapping us around.

You've always been on my good guy list - even if you like to mix it up in here.

And keep going... some of the better segments of the call happen later on.

OK. I'll keep going. BTW - it's not that I "like to mix it up in here" - it's that I won't suffer fools. I don't actually enjoy arguing - drains me.

There's some very good stuff in this webinar. I don't like webinars - I prefer to read. But I'm at 50 minutes. Drayton just said -

Really great ideas come from the unexpected juxtapositon of things that at first glance don't seem to have anything to do with each other. There are elements of surprise.

You may recall last week or so I was talking about the Taco Bell "licking" thing. And I suggested that perhaps they should run with it. And some of the geniuses here derided and attacked me. "You can't associate food with licking" blah blah blah.

That's the sort of dull, conventional thinking that means those guys will never cut it. Never.

Look at this. Yes...it's not food...but it's certainly out there. I can just hear these same prats saying "You can't say that".

http://youtube.com/I03UmJbK0lA

As Drayton says -

Rise above mediocrity

The "what makes a good copywriter" stuff could be very helpful to people here as well.

Perhaps you need to post some "Cliffs Notes"? This is a very interesting webinar. My God it's long though. I'm only half way through.

Drayton says - "Copywriters are curious - they're interested in everything"..."Copywriters are interested in people"..."Copywriters are argumentative". Who would have thought?

This is the book Drayton recommends -

Amazon.com: Changing the World Is the Only Fit...

[ 2 ] Thanks

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DavidG 11 years ago

I don't mean to offend anyone but Drayton reminded me of Halbert. Not that Halbert is better or anything... but Drayton kept telling story after story.

I saw all 2 hours of it. Wisdom for sure.
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Drayton Bird Unplugged: Wisdom, War Stories and Slashing Wit

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