Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
February 20, 2006
Issue #31
I don’t say it often enough – but THANK YOU, friend!
The greatest rewards of publishing this eLetter each week – by far – are the thousands of kind and complimentary emails you’ve sent, thanking us for THE TOTAL PACKAGE.
It has been a wild ride: Since the first issue of this eLetter quietly schlepped onto the Internet in June 2005, we’ve …
- Published a mind-blowing 31 issues …
- Completed a dozen or so eBooks and reports …
- Conducted in-depth interviews with 20 of the most highly respected direct marketers in America – many of which you’ve read in these pages, and many more that will soon be available to all of you.
- Presented a highly acclaimed teleseminar series for our readers last fall, and …
Plus, for the last three months, we’ve been busily preparing a brand-new website and a passel of valuable new tools for boosting response … for helping copywriters and marketers connect … and even a blog to help you network more efficiently with other direct marketers!
And of course, we’re now in the throes of preparing for my Power Marketing Summit (April 20-22 at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel) – and I am truly gratified by your early response to this first-time-ever meeting of copywriters and their clients!
Many of the biggest direct marketing companies in the U.S. have already reserved their seats. Dr. Martin Weiss of Weiss Research is bringing a half-dozen marketing folks – and Motley Fool, Healthy Directions, Boardroom, Health Resources, Agora and others have each reserved multiple seats as well.
Plus, many of America’s hottest copywriters have locked in their places – luminaries such as Parris Lampropoulos, Carline Anglade-Cole, John Carlton, Kent Komae, David Deutsch, Kim Krausse- Schwalm, Brad Petersen and others.
And I also see a rich mix of small business owners and hot new copywriters are coming – one from as far away as Australia!
My Power Marketing Summit is going to be a great time – with oodles of thoughtful and thought-provoking insights, deep secrets and cutting-edge strategies to help boost your response on the Internet and in the mail. (If you haven’t already reserved your spot, I sincerely hope you do – while there are still seats available!)
None of this would have been possible without your support and encouragement …
… And it’s important to me that you know how thankful I am – and that all of us here at THE TOTAL PACKAGE are redoubling our efforts to make this the most value-packed service of its kind – and to help you get bigger winners, more often.
So, enough of the warm fuzzies – let’s get down to making you some moolah …
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Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
February 13, 2006
Issue #30
Welcome, Business-Builder!
Nothing does my heart more good than to see a young copywriter take root and blossom. And of all the copy cubs I’ve worked with over the years, NOBODY has blossomed bigger or better than Kent Komae has!
Kent’s hard-selling direct mail packages are legendary in the health supplement industry. His fabled controls for Sun Chlorella, Healthy Directions, Health Resources and many other major mailers have made Kent one of the top two or three choices for supplement companies looking to grow – FAST.
I first hooked up with Kent back in the 1990s – when he was an eager younger writer, looking to make a name for himself (and, of course some truly obscene royalties). I hired him to help me on several health promotions for a favorite client – and on his very first draft, it was clear to me that this guy had what it takes!
Since then, Kent has gone on to fame, fortune and a jamb-packed dance card as one of the half-dozen or so most in-demand copywriters in the alternative health industry. I’m proud to count him as one of my closest friends.
A few days ago, Kent took time out of his insane schedule to talk copy with me – here: Listen in…
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Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
February 6, 2006
Issue #29
- The Questions About Copywriting I Get Asked Most Often …
- How to Ramp Up Your Productivity and Creativity …
- And much, MUCH MORE!
Dear Business-Builder,
Many years ago – in 1983 or ’84 as I remember, I met the great copywriter Gary Bencevenga for the first time on the phone. I had more than I could say grace over, and had hired Gary to help me on a new package for The Money Advocate.
And on that phone call, as we compared notes about our trade, Gary said something I’ll never forget: “I can generally write better than anyone who writes faster,” said Gary, “and faster than anyone who writes better.”
Now, if you know anything about copywriting, you know that Gary is one of the greatest copywriters the world has ever known. So, I thought, “Gee – maybe I should try writing slower!”
So, on my next project, I really tried to take my time – and think my way through the copy — the way I thought Gary might think his way through.
I sucked at it.
I got bored. Distracted. Unfocused. And finally, had to force myself back into the copy and finish up like I usually do. Fast.
And so, we come to the first principal of the copywriting process: Do whatever works best for you!
There’s no right way or wrong way to approach the task of writing sales copy. Each of us has our own process. And that process generally reflects our personalities, our life situations and our talents.
Nevertheless, I have been doing this for some 34 years — and may have learned a trick or two that could help you get more done in less time.
Younger copywriters often ask me questions like these …
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