How Being a Personal Trainer Helped me Become a Better Copywriter

I learned, back when I was a personal trainer, that I couldn't motivate my clients... they had to want it badly enough themselves.

Sure, I could scream at them and yell for them to give me 10 more reps, and give it their all, but that would just make me tired over time.

And whose to say they wouldn't go home and binge on junk.

That's why one day, I just stopped trying to become a motivator
and decided to become a teacher/instructor/guide.

I figured my clients were either motivated or they weren't. If they were, my job was to show them what to do. Not to motivate them.

When I write copy these days, I don't waste my time trying to motivate
the reader.

The first thing I do is actually try to get my mindset in a place where I can almost "feel" like I'm my prospect.

I picture them sitting down, going to Google, and typing in their problem or what they're looking for.

I'm trying to get into their mindset... I want to know what they're thinking so I can WRITE that down on a page... so that when they land on my page, their first sight is of a message that matches what they're thinking to themselves.

So, that's the first step... match their mindset with what is on the page.

If they're typing into Google "how to get rid of acne" and they see an adwords ad that says "get rid of acne in 5 days".... and they click... you want to make sure they land on a landing page that has a headline that says something like "How to Get Rid of Acne in 5 Days"

In other words... you want to make sure there's no disconnect between what they're thinking and what they first see.

After all, you're only trying to buy a moment of their time, at this point.

Then the REAL work comes in.

Back to thinking like my prospect.

What is the single biggest thing I can think of, that if my prospect saw it written down on a page, or heard it in a video, would push them to buy this product or service?

In other words, you want to think like your prospect again, and try to think of all the reasons why they wouldn't buy... and then knock those down, one by one.

People who are typing problems into Google are already motivated. My job as a copywriter is to write those things that will channel that existing motivation into my product or service.

My job is to find out what motivates this prospect... and write to target THAT. And then, simply show them how they can get what they want.

If they have a problem, you show them how you can solve it. You do this with proof, tackling objections, and highlighting your USP.

But again, many copywriters make the mistake of trying to drum up motivation FIRST in their copy.

But the person reading it is already motivated. Well, that is if they went to Google and typed in their problem.

Your job as a copywriter is to channel that motivation right to the product or service... showing them that it will help them get what they want.

Again, it's back to the mindset of the prospect. I picture them sitting there, typing into Google what they're looking for... what they're motivated to do... and then I want them to land on a page that literally is talking to that motivation. no more, no less.

People don't buy products or services... they buy what those things will do for them.

A copywriter's job is to make those things as noticeable as possible.

Try to relate each line of your copy BACK to that prospect's motivations or problems.

So, that's where proof comes in, tackling objections, having your USP... those all tie back into the prospect's motivations to solve their problems.

You're trying to write as many important things on that one page... so that your reader may see one of them and think "bingo, that's it. that's the solution.

And buy.

You tell them... this is what you want. This is what you need. This will solve your problem. This is your solution. This will satisfy your desires.

But again, you can't motivate them or change what they want... your job is to channel it into your product or service... and demonstrate that what you have, that will do what they want.

Selling is finding out what people want and showing them how to get it.

So these days, when I'm writing copy, I no longer start out trying to motivate the reader. They're already motivated by something, or they wouldn't be reading your page.

Your job as a copywriter is to find out what it is, and appeal to it.

And that's done by trying to get into the mindset of your perfect prospect... and like me, it starts with picturing them sitting at Google, typing in what they want solved.