A powerful lesson from Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

A powerful lesson from Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

So, you want your prospects to pay attention to your selling message? … Knowing if you don’t, the sale’s dead and you don’t eat (in other words, don’t get your royalties or commissions)… The answer about how to make it happen runs contrary to your best logic....
There’s no such thing as B2B or B2C marketing…

There’s no such thing as B2B or B2C marketing…

“My business is different.” It’s an all-too-common refrain when it comes to approaches to marketing. Sometimes it’s based on the product type.  Sometimes it’s based on industry.  Or location.  Or size of sale.  Or affluence of the target audience. There are a million...
40 ways to improve your offer…

40 ways to improve your offer…

My very first freelance copywriting client was David Bullock… David has an interesting history.  He was an engineer, working on high-end robotics in manufacturing situations. Then, he got involved with marketing, but from an engineering perspective. He learned this...
How to ask for more money — and get it

How to ask for more money — and get it

He wants to know how to negotiate a pay raise, from a past/current client… It’s Mailbox Monday — the day every week where I answer your most pressing questions. Marketing, copywriting, selling, business, life — whatever — if you’ve got a question I’ll take a whack at...
The power of the “pivot”

The power of the “pivot”

This is the hard thing you must do to make your life easy… Have you ever been doing something, or going in one way, and not getting the results you want? I doesn’t have to be big, direction-of-your-life stuff.  It can be as small as the way you’re writing an ad. Or,...
How to conduct a great interview…

How to conduct a great interview…

I’ve done a ton of interviews… Both as the giver and receiver, the interviewer and the interviewee. The interviews have been designed to create content.  They’ve been designed to simply gather information, such as when gathering information from a client for a...
The difference between “good” and “great”

The difference between “good” and “great”

To be great at something often requires you to do the exact opposite of what it took to be good… Today’s issue is going to be quick. I was on the phone with the CEO who runs a company for one of the world’s top marketing and business thinkers. I won’t go into too many...
Outwitting the algorithms for better SEO and organic traffic

Outwitting the algorithms for better SEO and organic traffic

Watch out! I’ve got a feeling this is going to be one of those “pull no punches” issues. It comes from an email I got.  Which normally I would reserve for a Mailbox Monday issue. But it has me a little inspired.  Riled up. And so I’m just going to go ahead and speak...
4 ways to write better sales copy…

4 ways to write better sales copy…

Today, four ways to write better sales and marketing copy… It’s Monday — which means today I get to open up the ol’ mailbox and answer YOUR questions! To have your question answered in a future Mailbox Monday issue, drop the question in my mailbox here. Here’s today’s...
My tech problems mean you get a massive gift…

My tech problems mean you get a massive gift…

I flubbed… I’m having video production issues today. I can’t seem to record a video that’s not choppy as heck — to the point of being unwatchable. So I’m given a couple options… — Skip out on Video Friday completely — which is not going to happen, not today. — Dig...
What Mr. Rogers can teach you about effective advertising…

What Mr. Rogers can teach you about effective advertising…

This is something mainstream advertisers screw up all the time… Maybe you’ve had this experience.  You’re watching TV.  You see a commercial.  You’re watching it, trying to figure out what the heck they’re saying.  And then, when they actually pivot and mention the...
How to make your prospects pick you over competition…

How to make your prospects pick you over competition…

Your prospect doesn’t know what they want, and they don’t necessarily know what’s best for them… That’s not to say they won’t find out. In fact, they will. When any prospect enters a market, meaning they decide that they have a problem or...
Six ideas to help you pick your copywriting niche…

Six ideas to help you pick your copywriting niche…

So, you’re trying to decide on a niche for your copywriting business… It’s Monday, which means it’s time to open up my mailbox for our weekly Mailbox Monday issue. You send in your most pressing questions about marketing, business, selling,...