[What does it REALLY mean to be a copywriter?]

What if I told you it's actually EASY to convert on cold traffic?

Would you believe me?

Well, it isn't easy.

But it isn't hard either.

In fact, there's a very specific reason WHY I write winning VSL's...

More often than I don't;

I understand how to position and brand a product... and an offer,

So it connects with the most people,

At a critical point in the conversation they're having with themselves...

About the problem WE can solve.

And my formula, while simple, is, I believe, the most effective approach to writing copy...

In the industry.

But first, how did I come up with my basic, effective formula?

Now, I look at copywriting differently than most.

The cliche is...

Copywriting is salesmanship-in-print...

Whatever the $%&! that means.

But that's what a lot of people think copywriting, is.

It's just not true.

Or at least,

It's just a fraction of the truth.

Copy, at its core, is the language of emotion.

It's how we connect, communicate...

And reach people at the very root of BOTH their pain...

AND massive desire for...

Something better.

So what does it REALLY mean to be a copywriter?

Well, to me...

Before you can ever truly call yourself a copywriter...

You need to fully live your own life;

Exploring the boundaries of limitation and life itself,

And experiencing as much authentic emotion as you possibly can.

That's HOW I accidentally became a copywriter,

Before I even knew what copywriting was.

Here's what I mean:

I'm ALWAYS going through a LOT of personal growth in my own life.

And before you write this post off as hippy, dippy, trippy nonsense,

Stick with me...

Because whether you're a copywriter...

Or an entrepreneur who simply wants to discover how to easily write effective copy for COLD traffic,

Keep reading;

I'm about to reveal why busting through your own struggles...

Is the path of least resistance towards writing the most profit-producing-copy of your entire life.

Okay, now...

Self-growth.

It's cliche as ****, right?

WRONG!

Here's why:

Reality changes, in direct proportion, to how much YOU change...

And grow.

Now, I didn't KNOW that...

Until I watched it happen...

In my own life...

As the amount of abundance I created...

Was a direct reflection...

Of how much I immersed myself...

In letting go of the limiting beliefs...

That no longer (or ever) served me.

Ugh, what a mouthful, huh?

But as a 4th grade dropout,

I HAD to grow.

Because I never had an education to boast or fall back on.

That's why...

I didn't have a choice, but to trust myself to write an ebook, back in 2005,

Rather than getting a job...

When I could have made my family homeless...

Which is what everyone said I "should" have done.

But had I listened to everyone who told me to do the "right," safe thing,

I'd still be broke, scared, exhausted, and intimidated as **** by life.

It was immersing myself in all my problems...

Challenges...

And breakthroughs...

In my own life...

That gave me the emotional FUEL to write multi-million-dollar winners...

In the very beginning of my copywriting career.

In other words...

I used... and continue using... my life experiences...

To write more effective copy...

For my clients.

Let me give me an example:

I recently had a client-from-hell.

He told me he was concerned that my life would inhibit me from writing copy. (I was recently divorced... and now have an ex-wife, of 15 years, that ignores me at coffee shops. Or having Lupus. Or having cancer. Or having a mom that's quickly falling prey to Alzheimer's.)

Honestly, all of that is my own personal, "So what?!?!"

We ALL have problems.

And we ALL get to decide how we SHOW UP (or don't show up) for the people we want to help.

Now, don't get me wrong...

I've personally known a handful of copywriters, with %$!& for brains, that used their life's circumstances as an excuse for failing to write the copy they were hired to write.

As a copywriter...

Let me apologize for low-lives who take your money...

And don't perform.

But let's get real:

Nobody lives a drama-free life.

And why would anyone want to???

Seriously, because guess what...

After all...

Everything YOU want or desire...

Is because of experiencing what you DON'T want...

And DON'T desire.

Sure, sometimes the discomfort and growth is more intense than other times...

But no matter HOW MUCH it hurts... or feels amazing...

It's our JOBS, as copywriters, to constantly dive into the emotion we're going through...

To discover as much about ourselves...

As we possibly can.

Because again...

Immersing myself in MY REAL LIFE...

Is the most effective and important form of research I've ever done for my clients (i.e. constantly observing my own emotions reactions, desires, fears, hopes, disappointments, challenges, breakthroughs, etc.)

Now, I mentioned earlier that I have a specific formula for writing copy.

So here it is in a nutshell:

1. I isolate the emotional patterns, and repetitive circumstances my prospects are (and have been) experiencing.
2. I write down all the emotions and circumstances I've discovered in two columns.
3. I write down (in a future pacing methodology) what my prospects truly want.
4. I map out each section in my VSL presentation, and decide where to target specific circumstances and emotions.
5. Finally, I "take stock of" all of my "ingredients," like a chef in the kitchen... and decide how to position the offer in the marketplace to have the maximum emotional impact.

As a bonus tip...

I start off every main VO (in a VSL or sales letter) with a "What if" question...

To interrupt people's heuristic patterns.

That's important.

Because if you don't INSTANTLY get through people's natural, predictable defenses,

They'll NEVER watch your presentation...

Or become a buyer.

Again, how do I know all of this?

Well, it ain't from books.

Because truth be told...

I have NEVER read a copywriting book from beginning to end.

I find them mostly a waste of time, except for finding little golden nuggets, every once in awhile.

Nah, I'm here, making people lots of money...

Because I'm always on a journey of self-growth.

Which means...

Yes, I experience a lot of pain, hurt, sadness, disappointment and incredible breakthroughs.

But it's SO worth it.

Because I fully LIVE LIFE.

If I didn't do that...

I wouldn't be here having this conversation, with you, right now.

The point of saying all of this is...

If you're feeling yourself bump up against discomfort, fear...

And not knowing what to do, next...

STOP!

Rejoice.

Appreciate.

And observe.

You're smack-dab in the greatest copywriting class there ever was;

Life.

Mark

P.S. Here's a 2nd bonus tip: Stories are the quickest, easiest way to emotionally connect with people, because it triggers their mirror neurons, if your story is something they identify with. So $^!%! Isolate all the "identification factors" in your story... or the stories of the people you've helped... to connect with MORE people... and make infinitely MORE money.

Class dismissed.

lol