Posted by: Clayton Makepeace
November 9, 2009
Issue #797

A Standing Ovation …
Bar Stool Stories …
and an Amazing Copywriting Tool for All!

Dear Business-Builder,

Greetings from Delray Beach, Florida!

Clayton and I have been having a blast at the AWAI Fast Track to Copywriting Success Bootcamp. 

Especially Clayton!

Not only was his presentation on Saturday morning a smashing success – he got a standing ovation – but he’s been hanging out with bootcamp attendees in the bar every night until 1:00 am!

He’s been giving out a ton of copywriting advice – enough to kick-start even the most sluggish copywriting career into high gear.  But that’s not all …

We’ve also been giving out a valuable form packed with five copywriting checklists to conference attendees – and it’s been getting rave reviews. 

I don’t think it’s fair that you’re missing out on all this great stuff, so I want to give you something too …

Here are the very same checklists the AWAI bootcampers received:

40 Headline Idea Starters
to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing!

1. Hitch Your Wagon to Breaking News
2. Call Out Your Prospect
3. Personalize It
4. Propose a Proposition
5. Go for Shock Value
6. Use an Intriguing Word or Phrase
7. Try an Interesting Juxtaposition
8. Let’s Make a Deal!
9. Ask a Burning Question
10. Express a Common Frustration
11. Tell a Riveting Story
12. Put it in Your Reader’s Voice
13. Put it in a Customer’s Voice
14. Drop a BIG Name
15. Be an Advocate for the Reader
16. Show a Little Leg
17. Directly Address your Prospect’s Dominant Emotion
18. Create or Solve a Mystery
19. Use the Power of "IF" and "WHEN"
20. Pound the Pulpit!
21. Offer Sweet Revenge
22. Attack the Enemy Head-On
23. Breaking News
24. Arouse Prurient Interest
25. Confirm a Dark Suspicion or Fear
26. Expose a Scandal
27. Start a Stopwatch
28. Set a Deadline
29. Set a Benchmark
30. Write a 1,000-Word Headline
31. Make a Startling Prediction
32. Wrestle with a Paradox
33. Become a Name-Dropper
34. Debunk a Myth
35. Get Star Struck
36. Defuse a Sticky Situation
37. Offer a Cheap Alternative
38. Go Out on a Limb
39. Paint a Vivid Word Picture
40. Draw a Startling Comparison

16-Point Headline Checklist
for Rock-Solid, Attention-Getting Impact:

1. Does It Fit the Strategy?
2. Does It Touch a Nerve?
3. Does It Enter a Conversation the Prospect is Already Having With Himself?
4. Is it "YOU" Oriented?
5. Does It Provoke Curiosity?
6. Does it Have Conviction?
7. Does It Offer a Compelling Benefit for Reading?
8. Does It Make a Unique Statement or Claim?
9. Is It Credible?
10. Is It Specific?
11. Is It Easy to Understand?
12. Is It Colloquial?
13. Is It Focused?
14. Does It Have a Newsy Element?
15. Does It Imply a Quick and Easy Solution?
16. Does It Point to the Copy Below?

Pretty Darned Good Outline:

1. Grab ‘Em by the Eyeballs
2. Support and Expand on Your Headline
3. Establish Credibility
4. Bribe Him to Read This
5. Deliver Value
6. Present Your "Big Promise"
7. Prove Your Point
8. Snapshot of the Future "Him"
9. Present Your Product and Prove Each Benefit
10. Make the Offer
11. Trivialize Your Price
12. Add Value
13. Relieve Risk
14. Sum Up
15. Ask for the Sale
16. Make Ordering Stupid Easy
17. Place Him at the Crossroads
18. Ask for the Sale – AGAIN
19. Sweeten the Pot
20. Add an Urgency Element

16 Dominant Emotions to Trigger Powerful Copy!

1. Anger
2. Betrayal
3. Revenge
4. Fear
5. Frustration
6. Greed
7. Happiness
8. Hope
9. Love/Caring
10. Passion
11. Relaxation
12. Sadness
13. Security
14. Shame
15. Powerlessness
16. Urgency

12 Steps to Offer Bliss – How to Seal the Deal!

1. Restate Your Product’s Benefits With Energy and Excitement
2. Cite Other Products That Cost Far More
3. State Your Regular Price
4. Present Your Rationale for Offering the Prospect a Discount
5. Present Your Discounted Price
6. Dimensionalize Your Discounted Price and Savings
7. Trivialize Your Price and Make It Sound Like a Bargain
8. Justify Your Price
9. Add Value
10. Relieve Risk
11. Set a Deadline
12. Ask for the Sale

Good stuff, huh?

If you want the actual form that we handed out at AWAI’s event, click here to download it.  It’s a full-color, 11" x 17" page – so you’ll probably need to take it to a Kinkos to print it. 

Or, you can simply print out the lists above and stick them next to your computer.  Either way, these checklists will help you rev up the power of your sales copy! 

Now stay tuned.  The ETR Info-Marketing Bootcamp is just getting underway.  We’ll give you an update about that event next week.

Wishing You Every Success,

Wendy "The Redhead" Makepeace
General Manager
THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Looking for resources related to this article? Try some of these.

Looking for more of Clayton's articles? Check these out.

Looking for past issues of The Total Package? Click here for our archives.

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17 Comments »

1. Comment by Lydia Mills — November 9, 2009 @ 11:57 am

   It was great meeting both of you at Bootcamp! Clayton’s presentation was awesome!

2. Comment by Cathy Chapman — November 9, 2009 @ 12:18 pm

   I was one of those that stood up and cheered after Clayton’s talk. I was ready to hear more … and, of course I will through The Total Package. Thanks so much. Good to put a face to The Redhead!

3. Comment by Gloria Rand — November 9, 2009 @ 12:21 pm

   Thank you for the wonderful handout! I’ve got it tacked up on my bulletin board for easy reference. Your presentation at bootcamp was terrific. Thanks again.

4. Comment by Doberman Dan — November 9, 2009 @ 12:56 pm

   Thanks, Wendy.

   That’s very generous of you.

   All the best,
   Doberman Dan

5. Comment by Greg Patrick — November 9, 2009 @ 2:09 pm

   I had an awesome time at Bootcamp. I already miss the energy, copy advice… and of course the pool bar!

   Just wanted to say thanks to Clayton for being so approachable and for answering a few of my specific questions after the presentation.

   I’m thinking that 5 minutes worth of ‘free’ consulting with Clayton was worth the Bootcamp fee itself!

   For the benefit of others who might wonder the same, one of the pressing questions I’ve had is:

   “When you’re writing copy to sell a newsletter, what’s your process? Do you look at the editorial content of the newsletter and then write a promo that helps sell it? Or do you come up with a big idea and then try to tie it in to the newsletter?”

   Clayton: “Don’t sell the newsletter. Write your copy on your big idea, package it in a premium, and then give away the premium with a subscription to the newsletter.”

   That’s not word for word, but that’s the take-away I remember after a Corona or two

6. Comment by lawton chiles — November 9, 2009 @ 2:25 pm

   Are you guys still in FLA? I wish I knew! Dang it.

7. Comment by Jack Settles — November 9, 2009 @ 2:56 pm

   So Sorry I couldn’t make the bootcamp this year
   I had planned to come for over a year but It just
   didn’t work out. Thanks for the list It will be
   a great help. I look forward to any more tidbits
   you may offer. Thanks…Jack Settles

8. Comment by Mark Dresner — November 9, 2009 @ 2:59 pm

   Great to meet you Clayton … and Wendy … and your entire crew in Delray Beach.

   Sorry to hear you’re defecting from a Porsche 911TT to Bimmer. After all … “there is no substitute” and nothing “kills bugs faster”!

   Your presentation at the bootcamp was excellent. And thanks too for the wall chart checklist.

   Hope to hang with you again sometime soon.

   All the best,

   Mark Dresner

9. Comment by Shane Arthur — November 9, 2009 @ 3:22 pm

   Clayton,

   Couldn’t make it this year, but I’m curious…how many people attended? I’m sure it was full capacity.

   Regards,
   Shane

10. Comment by I.A. — November 9, 2009 @ 3:33 pm

    I would have paid for this.

    Awesome.

11. Comment by Carolyn Warren — November 9, 2009 @ 4:42 pm

    I love you Wendy and Clayton!

    Thank you for this fabulous gift!

    Carolyn

12. Comment by Marcia Studenski — November 9, 2009 @ 5:07 pm

    Thanks, Clayton for your time at the AWAI bootcamp. It was inspiring to hear your speech. I was the first one standing…wanting more! Thanks for the gift! (got mine at the bootcamp!)

13. Comment by Chris McMorrow — November 9, 2009 @ 7:18 pm

    Clayton, the generosity of you and Wendy and the rest of the fine folks at The Total Package never ceases to amaze me.

    Best marketing resource on the world wide web.

    Many thanks,

    Chris

14. Comment by Rezbi — November 10, 2009 @ 5:33 pm

    G..g..golly gosh.

    I was just about to copy and paste that.

    Amazing. Thank you.

15. Comment by Clayton Makepeace — November 11, 2009 @ 6:10 am

    Hi, guys! We’re still down here in Del Ray Beach with the Early to Rise folks and the bootcamp is fantastic!

    Of course, I’m a bit biased: They gave me their “Lifetime Achievement Award” yesterday AND I got to hang with Mike Masterson and Rich Schefren at their favorite cigar bar.

    Doesn’t get any better than that!

    Thank you so much for all your nice comments above. I’ll be back with a brand-spankin’ new TTP article on Monday — see you then!

    – Clayton

16. Comment by Deep — November 14, 2009 @ 7:43 pm

    Thanks for the list.

    Have it pasted up right on the wall over my work desk.

    Deep.

17. Pingback by Invaluable resources FOR FREE — CopyClips — November 15, 2009 @ 10:19 am

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