Dear Business-Builder,
In April of 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt confiscated all gold coins, ingots and notes owned by Americans. Anyone caught with more than $100-worth of non-jewelry gold would be slammed with a $10,000 fine – about $143,000 in today’s dollars.
Fast forward to the early 1970s: Huge federal deficits from the Vietnam War were coming home to roost and inflation was raising its ugly head. The value of the U.S. dollar was plunging. Our cost of living was beginning to soar.
And because owning gold – the world’s most time-honored store of value and inflation hedge – was still a crime, American consumers, savers, investors and retirees had little choice but to watch helplessly as inflation robbed them blind.
That’s when an obscure Louisiana school teacher decided to force the mighty U.S. government to legalize gold ownership.
He didn’t care that he was “just one man” and that he’d be challenging America’s mightiest financial institutions and most powerful politicians.
Nor did his lack of funds to mount such a daunting national campaign faze him.
The fact that a horrendous automobile accident had left him paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair didn’t even begin to enter into his thinking.
Americans desperately needed a way to defend themselves against Washington’s wasteful ways. Only gold could give the common man the protection he needed against inflation.
Legalizing gold ownership and investment was the right thing to do … rising inflation made this the right time to do it … and this obscure Louisiana teacher believed he was just the guy to get it done.
And so James Ulysses Blanchard III – “Jim” to his friends – headed off to Canada, purchased a ten-ounce gold ingot and smuggled it back into the United States.
Ballsy – right? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet …
Jim’s next step was to buy full-page ads in newspapers from coast-to-coast – each one featuring a large photograph in which he proudly displayed his contraband, confessed to his crime and defied the federal authorities to do one damned thing about it.
Oh – and in each of those ads, he invited America’s inflation-ravaged citizens to a meeting where they could see and touch the banned substance for themselves.
Tens of thousands did. And at those meetings, Jim spoke eloquently about how gold and ONLY gold could protect their purchasing power and preserve their quality of life.
And he collected tens of thousands of signatures on petitions demanding that Washington legalize gold, then delivered every one of them to key members of Congress.
Brazen – right? It gets better …
When Gerald R. Ford was inaugurated as the 38th President of the United States on August 9, 1974, and with every TV news camera on the East Coast focused squarely on the Capitol steps …
… Jim hired a bi-plane to buzz the Capitol steps pulling a huge banner demanding that the new president … “LEGALIZE GOLD!”
And less than two weeks later, President Ford signed a bill doing just that.
Now, Jim could have found plenty of excuses – plenty of reasons NOT to mount his campaign. He had no credibility: Nobody had ever heard of him. He had no money to speak of. He could have been slapped with a huge fine. He might have even wound up in jail. He could have lost everything. Oh yeah – and he was in a wheelchair.
Instead, Jim just did the right thing.
And in the end, Jim did well by doing good: When it finally became legal to buy and sell gold coins and ingots on January 1, 1975, Jim began offering everyone who had signed his petitions the opportunity to buy some … from him.
By the time I met him in 1982, he was a millionaire many times over. And by the time we parted company a few years later, we had quadrupled his sales to more than $115 million per year and had sold his company to a subsidiary of General Electric for a king’s ransom.
I could tell Jim Blanchard stories for days.
Like the time at a Costa Rican fishing camp when Jim rolled up to the table where his CFO and I were playing chess … casually pulled a live, four-foot croc from beneath his shirt … and tossed it at us. (Given the choice between attacking a copywriter or an accountant, the croc promptly attacked the bean-counter, thus demonstrating that crocs, while hideously ugly, do, indeed, have excellent judgment.) …
Or how we crashed the Soviet Trade Mission in Washington DC – ostensibly to discuss sponsoring an investment conference behind the Iron Curtain – and how Jim looked the official (obviously a KGB agent) squarely in the eye and told him communism was dead as a doornail and that capitalism would rule in the Soviet Union within the year (he was right) …
Or how Jim had his picture taken atop a camel beside the Great Wall of China sporting a bright red tee-shirt emblazoned with a hammer and sickle and proclaiming “F@#! Communism!” in big yellow letters – and how that picture ran in dozens of newspapers before any Chinese official who could read English saw them …
Or how Jim smuggled himself across mosquito-infested rivers into Mozambique and brought blankets and medicine to the freedom fighters who were opposing the Soviet-backed government there …
Or my personal favorite – how Jim decided to get his son Anthem into The Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest person ever to visit the North Pole: When the weather made it too dangerous for their plane to land on the ice, Jim bribed the pilot to land illegally on an airstrip at a Soviet spy outpost.
Jim then promised the enraged KGB colonel who met their plane $2,000 in gold for the use of a nearby Soviet Army helicopter … then stiffed him … and then had me write a nice letter to Gorbachev thanking him for the use of his chopper …
The point is, in business and in life, Jim was the most fearless man I have ever met.
And in Jim’s life as in yours and mine …
Courage Is Everything.
I figure that by now, the folks who are reading this should have at least doubled America’s gross domestic product. And those of you in the 60 or so other nations where The Total Package is consumed daily should have done the same thing in your countries.
It’s all here for you: Proven direct response and copywriting principles that magically transform advertising from a cost center into a profit center … that produce huge leaps in response and average sale … that multiply sales revenues and profits – and that can make you filthy, stinking rich in the process.
Just take a few days to study the nearly 700 articles in our archive, and you’ll know a heckuva lot more than I did when I began writing winners and quadrupling my clients’ companies.
The good news is, I know you’re learning. I read the e-mails you send us. I see what you’re writing on our forum and on other message boards. You know your stuff.
Thousands of you could get up tomorrow morning, walk down Main Street, pick up two, three or more new clients, create sales-doubling campaigns in a week or three, and get the money rolling in.
But quarter after quarter, I check the government’s GDP numbers – and you know what? It’s not happening!
Sure – we get plenty of “Thank-You” notes from folks who are multiplying sales and profits using what they’ve learned in these pages. But not nearly enough.
So my message to you this week is a simple one. Look …
- You want to make a better living … six figures, seven figures, maybe even more …
- You know that mastering the principles of direct response marketing gives you the power to make that kind of money – even to go from zero to big bucks in a matter of months …
- You know there are 25 MILLION small businesses in America that desperately want more customers and to sell more to each one of those customers – and there are millions more in just about every country on the planet …
- And if you’ve been paying attention, you know precisely what each one of them needs to do NOW to help those business owners get what they want.
So what’s stopping you?
My guess? For many good folks reading this, it’s fear.
See if this sounds familiar …
You’ve told everyone you know that you’ve decided to become a freelance marketing consultant or a copywriter or to start your own direct response business …
You’ve spent a bundle on books, courses and live events and you’ve acquired the tools you need to succeed …
… Now, it’s time to go to work.
But what if nobody wants to hire you? Or worse: You create the best campaign you know how to create – and it flops?
How are you going to explain that to your friends? Your parents? Your significant other? How are you going to deal with that yourself?
Look. Let me tell you something that all the gurus out there probably won’t.
All the free e-zines … all the $100 books … all the $1,000 courses … all the $5,000 seminars in the world won’t do you one freaking bit of good if you don’t put them to WORK.
Because it’s not until you begin applying this stuff in the real world that you REALLY begin to learn!
I don’t care if you can quote Hopkins, Schwab and Caples chapter and verse. Or that you can debate the finer points of copywriting with the best of them. Or that your spec copy reads as compellingly as a Bencivenga masterpiece.
Unless and until you persevere through the rejection that’s required prior to bagging your first real clients … and until you suffer the humiliation of getting your butt kicked – repeatedly and publicly – by real prospects when there’s real money on the line … you’re still just a student.
Students have to pay to learn. Once you begin doing, others PAY YOU to learn.
That’s why I just told you Jim Blanchard’s story. In the ‘60s, he was a nobody. He was broke. He was in a wheelchair. And he could have been fined within an inch of his financial life or even imprisoned for doing what needed to be done.
He did it anyway. And by doing it, he changed the world … and provided a way for us common folk to protect our income, savings and investments from the drooling morons in Washington who insist on gutting the value of our money.
And he became a very, VERY wealthy man.
Sure – you’re going to have to bang the phones for hours every day until you get a client – and those first few clients may not be worth a bucket of warm spit.
You’re going to have to create five, ten, twenty or even more promotions before you get your first huge winner.
But nobody’s going to arrest you and nobody’s going to fine you $143,000 for giving it your best.
Courage – true courage – means being scared to death and then doing what needs to be done anyway.
You can do this. I know you can. We’ll help any way we can. Just do me this one favor this week:
Think about what scares you most – what’s holding you back or limiting the amount of money you could be making … SHOULD be making right now.
Write those fears down on a scrap of paper. Then make a point of taking on those fears one by one this week.
When I was beginning my career, my biggest fear was approaching prospective clients. So I forced myself to do it for two hours every morning. I dialed the phone until my fingers bled – and before long, I got pretty good at selling myself. Next thing I knew, I actually looked forward to the times I set aside to fill my writing schedule.
My prediction: You’ll be shocked to discover that the very things you’ve feared … the very things that have stood between you and the success you dream of … become the things you love doing the most.
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often,
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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“Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
Thanks, Clayton. I knew this already but your reminder is timely.
How true about fear.
It’s always the threat that is more fearful than the actual event. So face your fears, pull back the curtain, and you find it’s just like the guy behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. A pathetic little weasel hiding behind smoke, mirrors, and a curtain:)
Once again Clayton, you’re the man!
– Caleb
Nice swift kick in the seat of the pants. More like an NFL
field-goal kicker.
I can relate… Been fighting that problem for years and know better.
Charles E. “Tremendous” Jones was interviewing a college grad who had asked for help. The kid said he couldn’t find any job he thought he liked.
Jones told him, “If you ever find a job you really like, would you come and tell me? Maybe I’d like it too.”
The kid was baffled. “Don’t you like your job?” he asked.
Jones replied, “I ***HATE*** it.”
He then goes on to explain in his book “Life is Tremendous” how things he likes — conventions, parties, etc. — don’t pay very well. To make the big money you have to step out and do the things you don’t like to do.
The book is full of all kinds of practical wisdom. Well worth reading.
A lot of people run around seeking happiness, thinking it lies in never having troubles or viewing it as entertainment and continual personal gratification. Hence the focus on “things” — more money, more stuff, more leisure, more parties, more casual relationships… The list goes on.
True happiness comes from learning to love doing what you *have* to do. Learning to plow through what you have to plow through to get the most valuable prize of all.
None of the “stuff” has any lasting satisfaction or value. Happiness is found in *relationships*. Quality relationships. Whether it a spouse, parents, your own children, extended family (for those fortunate enough to have these things), knowing who you *really* are and why you’re on this planet in the first place.
That extends to relationships with clients. Are they “just a source of income”, or do you **REALLY** care about their success. It’s a lot easier to talk to a prospect when you already care about them. And they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Are you showing that in what you do, what you say, and how you say it?
Life’s greatest rewards come from being of service to others. Find someone to serve, and do it well. It’s also smart to find very valuable ways to be of service because income is a reflection of the value others put on what you do for them. And they get to decide how much value was received. Your job is to demonstrate to them just how valuable your work really was.
Clarke
I loved this story about Blanchard, had read his stuff on Gold and Silver in 70′s (Which YOU probably wrote for him!)and had used his info, had no idea of the “real man”. WOW!!!! Inspires me. Thanks.
Hi Clayton,
It’s exactly what I’m feeling at the moment. I can’t thank you enough for the huge boost of confidence and inspiration from this article.
I want to go the extra mile to get good clients; I’ll do it with great perseverance.
Anyway, thanks for the TOTAL PACKAGE gold mine, you give it for free!
Solomon
Hey Clayton,
You got me pegged… it is fear that is keeping me from achieving what I deserve.
And thank you for sharing the Jim Blanchard story. Research showed me that he passed away in 1999 at the age of 56. That is far too soon in my opinion…
I would love to know what Jim would be doing today…
regards,
John Scola
Dear Clayton:
Amen!
The one thing that sets the doers from the wannta be copywriters is ACTION!
Start right now today! If I did it, You CAN DO IT too!
Take a chance and start out like I did on http://www.elance.com and ifreelance.com. All you need to do is sign up for a membership to bid, and bid for a copywriting project and bid low. You will be working REALLY HARD for a couple hundred dollars. BUT the jobs are there and once you have a professional portfolio built up of REAL copywriting projects you completed then getting more paying projects is easy. I prefer elance to ifreelance as the clients are more professional and there is less competition for better pay.
I started on elance and ifreelance and got my first PAYING job right away. You can too!
You can have your porfolio on line at elance and ifreelance with your membership to bid on projects. Ifreelance is $108 a year ($9 per month) and elance is $60 to $99 per month depending on how many categories you want to bid in. Please email me if you like for ideas on how to get started on elance or ifreelance. 1 project on elance per month will pay for your membership, so I would suggest elance if you have some experience writing copy. See my portfolio on ifreelance and elance under “seoexpertconsulting” I do SEO work too, but my bread and butter is web sales copy.
Right now, I have 4 sales letters that I have on my schedule for between $450 to $950 for the next two weeks. In the last 8 months I have completed over 40 projects on elance and that does not count the jobs outside of elance. The projects range from $350 to $950, they are not top copywriters wages but they sure pay the bills!
No, the money is not great right now, but I am just starting out and now have 8 months experience as a paid copywriter. As my rep goes up I will increase the price. But right now that is more work than I can do! That is a great problem to have!
Clayton, you hit the nail on the head.
STOP BEING AFRAID AND JUST DO IT!
Clayton’s Ultimate Desktop Copy Coach is the best copywriting course as far as bang for the buck and is my bible for writing sales copy. I have the AWAI Michael Masterson’s 6 Figure Copywriting, AWAI Graphic Design Course and AWAI Nick Osbourne’s Internet Copywriting Course as well as Yanik Silver’s Internet Copywriting Courses (over 1200 pages).
But, Clayton’s Ultimate Desktop Copy Coach Course is the best buy and will teach you what you really need to know to write copy that sells and YOU CAN SELL.
Love to read your copy, Clayton, it warms my heart and gives me the kick in the pants, that I need to have faith in myself to keep writin’.
Warm regards,
Jennie Heckel
Wisconsin Copy Cub
email: jennieheckel@aol.com
Very motivating!
This post reminds me of the definition of
fear I heard from someone.
And to those whom this might help…
F – False
E – Evidence
A – Appearing
R – Real
Peacefully,
I.A.
Well put.
Something that has to be done everyday.
Clayton,
Great advice, and words to live by.
I like this part best: When I was beginning my career, my biggest fear was approaching prospective clients. So I forced myself to do it for two hours every morning. I dialed the phone until my fingers bled – and before long, I got pretty good at selling myself. Next thing I knew, I actually looked forward to the times I set aside to fill my writing schedule.
My prediction: You’ll be shocked to discover that the very things you’ve feared … the very things that have stood between you and the success you dream of … become the things you love doing the most.
Courage is everything.
It reminds of success advice by Randy Pausch in his famous last Lecture .
What he said about success and I‘m paraphrasing: Walls
( obstacles ) aren’t built to keep you out – they are there to keep out the ones that don’t want it bad enough.
So I guess fear can be a big wall keeping us from what we all want.
And I hear there is a big ol’ party that never ends on the other side of that wall.
Success… how bad do you want it?
I dont know Clay – stiffing the KGB agent $2000 and then blabbing to Gorby probably got the poor guy a free trip to Siberia with the rest of his slave labor pals.
Clayton,
You warmed my cockles when you mentioned Ford. My father was a speechwriter for Ford. He once got to ski Vail Mountain with Ford and a dozen others after the Secret Service had closed the mountain.
Both those men are gone now, but you brought a smile to my face just thinking about them.
It’s a tad ironic that copywriters are so lousy in marketing themselves. Seeing that copywriting’s all about selling, it should be a snap.
My old boss used to say, “Successful people make a habit of doing the things unsuccessful people don’t like to do.”
True. And selling yourself is right at the top of that list of things people don’t like to do.
Ergo, it’s the most important thing we can do to create a successful business.
Thanks for reminding us.
John
It’s not fear for me — it’s Fatigue
Clayton wrote:
“You know there are 25 MILLION small businesses in America that desperately want more customers and to sell more to each one of those customers”
I’m fatigued from hearing small business owners blame everyone but themselves for why their businesses are struggling.
They blame local politicians for not putting up “shop local” signs… blame the local newspaper rep for not coming around to take the ad order… blame residents of the municipality for not appreciating superior quality goods… and this week I heard one blame the local illiteracy rate and lack of culture.
Small businesses are small because the owners think small. Tho tired, I’m still seeking one who’s willing to make the effort necessary to become big.
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“My prediction: You’ll be shocked to discover that the very things you’ve feared … the very things that have stood between you and the success you dream of … become the things you love doing the most.”
It’s true. I used to be scared silly of marketing – until I faced it and decided to learn what I needed to learn. End result? I discovered copywriting and am now a copywriter.
Thanks for the reminder! Just the kick in the pants I needed.
And PS. Thanks for this blog. It’s one of the few I read regularly because it’s worth the time and effort.
Clayton… talk bout “divine timing”… I’m just about to launch my 1st site, and it’s a totally new concept in my niche… (untried… untested).
I’m a technophobe, an Asperges sufferer (a mild form of autism which screws up mental cognition [getting/comprehending things]… executive planning & functioning [getting shit done] and the big daddy… “self confidence)…
… and my name is Jim.
Boy I can’t say how much of an impact this post has had. To me it’s an obvious sign that says… “Go Do It”… because it’s too much coincidence that you decided to post this daimond now.
You done more than you thought you did…
Thank-you
“Jim”…
… ps, I “bookmarked” this blogpage… (so I wasn’t kidding):-)
Jim
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As a former salesman of precious metals for one of the oldest, most reputable precious metals companies, I was certainly aware of the name Jim Blanchard. I was not aware of his heroic (and daring) accomplishments.
Thank you for a most enjoyable post.
John
Not fear — just fatigue — gets a vote from me, too. Not for reasons mentioned in comment #15. But from burnout.
They say a change is as good as a rest. Maybe I just need to switch my niche to get fired up about copywriting for small business and home business clients again.
For now, I’m taking a brief break to write a few of my own products. Maybe I’ll go back to copywriting for others. Maybe I won’t. Chances are high right now that I won’t.
Hi there Clayton
Thank you for this great story! True life and one we can all relate too – crocodile sounded very interesting
“Courage – true courage – means being scared to death and then doing what needs to be done anyway.”
A true story – floods re3cently decimated our home areas. Lots of major damage and so on was done to many homes. We didnt get any damage (fortunately).
Our community pre-school not so lucky. $20,000 plus damage and no funds forth coming to fix it.
Government departments said didn’t qualify for flood funding despite having a business number which is all that was needed to qualify.
So on a Friday night, I watch the news, see out director saying that the school could not get funding and may close.
I got so angry I thought $20,000 – come on not a lot – what can I do.
So on Monday, I contacted some major media people I know. Lets say, that one phone call and email got a lot of publicity, national interest and the school now is staying open. Plus what I didn’t know was there was a meeting on the Friday night previously, and the minister handling the
paperwork was working to reverse the no=pay decision.
When you think your voice does not matter it does. Part of me felt like a whinging do-gooder, complaining about the fate of our school. Funny thing is it wasn’t taken like that.
The pressure of the national media, plus the community got the school the funding needed. Instead of the normal grant, they got the full amount and the department that said no – is also donating to fix the yard up.
Fear is a funny thing – flight or fight. Its designed to protect us – how we choose to respond is up to us.
It takes courage to survive and thrive in life. Step outside your comfort zone you will be surprised where it can take you.
From this one act – our kids have their school, the community has their pre-school and I have work coming = now known as the lady who gets things done.
Funny how things work out!
You can learn so much from reading these archives that Clayton talks about. There are treasures waiting to be uncovered, ideas to be rediscovered and more unknown.
It may be in the reading that you see something vital to your work. It may be personal or business related. Many times I have found this to be true and still learn something every time I come here.
Yes, I get scared, you know what if I majorly stuff up? My work is crap? What if this and everything else. It does not matter. I can learn from it. What comes in the learning is the doing. As Clayton says and its true for all of us. Learning is in the doing.
Look at a child learning to crawl and walk. How many times do they get up and fall over, get up again and go? The sheer look of excitement that is on their face when they discover they can move.
Our lives don’t have to be boring and bland. Yes there are going to be days of good, bad and ugly and everything in between. Fail forwards – learn to crawl and walk. Even run and win that marathon you want to do.
Learn to not only survive – to thrive!
All the best
Susan Connors
Australia
How can you capture a one time market? I have an Estate sale Co.90% of our clients need our services once,have expanded our services to in clude home staging as well to ready homes for selling.
Dear Clayton,
Wonderful piece. Vision and foresight, are the tools used by the LORD, to give LEGS to the dream of that which is to be accomplished, even though it looks and sounds impossible – perception which is everything, drives the ability to do the very thing which seems impossible.
Would there have ever been a man to walk on the moon, if a
perception coupled with foresight, had not first been given
in the heart of a man to do so?
Webwriter777
TO CLARKE (#4): Thanks for the tip on the book. I’ll have to grab a copy and send it to my son!
TO JENNIE (#8): Congratulations — having more work than you can accept is a great sign you’re ready to raise your rates!
With that many projects finished, you should have plenty of material for your portfolio — which you can use to market yourself to clients OFF eLance (or justify your raised rates). Stick with it — you’re on the way!
TO DAVEC (#15): I feel your pain… in fact, I think most experienced direct response copywriters and marketers do. There will always be plenty of small businesses that either don’t want to grow or aren’t willing to do what it takes.
But keep the faith.
You’re absolutely right — these are NOT the businesses you want as clients. Sure, they’re fine for some people… but you’re looking for clients whose businesses you can explode — and make both them and you a pile of money.
And Clayton gives the scoop on how we can attract those killer clients here:
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-attract-killer-clients-who-will-pay-you-the-money-you-deserve.html
Good luck!
TO JIM (#18): Congratulations … good luck with the new site, and be sure to let us know how it goes!
TO K MYERS (#22): Deciding to write copy for yourself can be one of the best “career” moves you ever make — especially with info-marketing. Not only will you have much more control over what happens with the copy you write, but you collect money from both sides of the equation. And if you ever need another client, you can just create another product and market that as well.
For more on info marketing, be sure to check out Confessions of the Info-Marketing Superstars: http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/online-store/confessions-of-the-infomarketing-superstars/
TO SUSAN (#23): Great story — thanks for sharing!
TO ADELE (#24): What sets you apart from all your competitors? What is it you do differently … or that nobody else is talking about? Take a close look at your company and the services you provide — you might just find the gem you need to make your business the first one your target market thinks of.
Now, as for reaching them in the first place …
What media do you currently use to approach your prospect? Do you rely mainly on newspaper, radio, or television advertising … or do you also market by direct mail? Sales letters or even postcards to your prospects may be just the vehicle you’re looking for.
But regardless of how you’re marketing to your prospect, you still need to rise above the clutter and grab your prospect by the eyeballs. And that’s why it’s so important to know what distinguishes you from your competition.
A few resources you may find helpful:
While mainly targeted for restaurants on the brink of disaster, this advice can be adapted to help almost any business stand out from the crowd …
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/troy-white/marketing-lessons-from-chef-gordon-ramsey.html
Using Info-Marketing to Sell Physical Products and Services …
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/daniel-levis/using-info-marketing-to-sell-physical-products-and-services.html
A Guilty Glance Inside Your Prospect’s Bedroom … http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/know-your-prospect-like-yourself.html
Hope this helps!
Len
Re: post 23
Thank you Len for the positive feedback
Thank you everyone else for your thoughts as well,
Success for all,
Susan in Aus
Hey, great post, really well written. You should write more about this.
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