What Do You Want From A Copy Coach?

Hi David

It's great to hear that another Top Gun Copywriter may add coaching to his portfolio

I feel that there are already plenty of "how to write copy" coaching courses but there is almost a dearth of "how to market yourself as a copywriter" stuff.

In my humble opinion, I think that learning the writing bit is relatively simple (but may not be easy) however it's the marketing your service bit that's the sticky bit (speaking from experience).

As I've learned from Paul Hancox, it's important to develop marketing systems so that we constantly have new leads streaming in and don't dry up.

But the information on how to market/position ourselves since we are just starting out in this business is sorely lacking.

To quote Mike Morgan in his comment on a blog post of yours "YOU’RE IN THE FREAKING MARKETING BUSINESS!"

To answer your question...

What keeps me awake at night, it's thinking:

"Man, if I could just get clients, then I'd really get somewhere with this copywriting thing..."

My two cents

Shaleniie

Hi David,

It's strange because I get exactly the same requests! If I had $10 for every client who asks me to coach them so they can save money on their copy, I'd be a very rich man!

It seems there is a huge market out their for copywriting coaching but most of us are just too busy with paying clients that we don't have time to dedicate to formulating and creating a great training program.

Great idea putting it out there for people to request what they're looking for...I'd be curious to hear what potential students are looking for.

Good luck!

Hi David...I just saw your thread and had to jump in on it. If I were to hire a copy coach the only thing I would want him or her to do is read my copy and then critique with suggestions. Then have a follow up after all the edits had been taken care of. I have been writing my own copy for over a decade now and have been skillful (or lucky!) enough to be able to support my family of eight from it. But having said that I know I'm a hack and having a trained eye helping out would be immensely beneficial.

Hi David,

If I was going through the copywriting coach gauntlet again, number #1, I would want someone to be ruthlessly honest with me about my pieces.

I would want them to unleash. Sentence by sentence, word by word. Every dash, every period, every exclamation point. I would not want them to hold back, even though I may curl up into a fetal position for a day or so afterward to lick my wounds and nurse my bruised ego.

BUT--having said that, number #2, I would expect, in fact I would demand, that whatever coaching they give me WORK. Meaning if they say I should change my copy, it converts far better than before.

In other words, I would expect the coach to *KNOW*, without equivocation, that whatever coaching they give me regarding my copy is going to convert.

Otherwise, it's just another BS opinion.

I don't think that's asking too much, if you're going to establish yourself as a copywriting coach.

- Rick Duris

PS: And yes, I do this with the people I coach. I know firsthand what it's like when literally millions are on the line and my coach/partner says "Not good enough. Here's what you should do..."

PPS: David, something to think about: You may be unintentionally posturing yourself inappropriately. Calling yourself a SWS "tutor" and your Clients "students" tells me your service isn't about coaching, it's about teaching copywriting one-on-one.

As a fact: I suck as a teacher. I really do. I have zero patience. I have no "curriculum." I work with real pieces my Clients give me to critique.

Stated differently: I watched every episode on HBO's Hardknocks. It's about the NY Jets football training camp. I suspect everybody on that team knows how to play football. But the coach isn't teaching players how to play football. He coaching players to win a championship.

To the point, I think you need to get clear about your offer.

PPPS: One more example and I'll quit. A week or so ago, I stopped into Kenny's, the local music store. Saw a guy practicing before his lesson. I have some time to kill and and I ask "Hey, wanna jam for a bit?"

He's practicing "House of the Rising Sun." Getting ready for his lesson. So I pull a guitar down, grab a pick and have some fun. He plays rhythm and I play lead.

It was pretty good.

Then he said "How do you do that?" I mapped the fretwork out on the backside of his lesson. He was amazed. A new world opened up for him that day, I swear.

Now, I'll probably never see him again, but I know the feeling when someone shows me the secrets to success not found in some lesson plan.

Hey David,

I second all the guys that want help getting clients.

I'm currently running Adwords campaign for clients. Getting a lot of interest but few who are willing to pay the price.

I reckon teaching how to get qualified leads would be a winner.

Colin

P.S. See you in NYC.

Brother Raybould,

Lots of assignments (actual writing), with none too gentle critiques.

With maybe the final assignment to write the copy for our own website - to sell
copywriting services.

Also as others have said, direction on getting and negotiating with clients. Though the "getting" part goes hand-in-hand with the craft, by definition. -no?

Eric

1 - Someone who WRITES better copy than me.

2 - Someone who knows how to TEST copy better than me.

3 - Someone who can show me more ways to get traffic to that offer
through mini-ads on various web properties.

I would like to learn how to easily find customers.

I would also like to learn many interesting and totally different writing techniques