Marketing Experts Exposed

Put this cartoon on your blog.  

When the mainstream news media is allowed to exclude candidates from debates (both Kucinich and Paul were excluded when candidates with lower poll ratings were included - why?) …

When the mainstream news media can “predict” winners (and thus influence your vote) on statistically irrelevant information …

Has the news become propaganda?  Or are there just some really irresponsible decisions being made?

Theories?

…

On a lighter note … If you want to know who won the
Online Music Fame competition, you can - just scroll down to the bottom of that page.  (more about them later)

The other day I was asked, “How do I motivate a potential joint venture partner to bite? When you have a great idea and you’ve located the perfect partner, how do you motivate them to do business with you?”

In my last post, I talked about the power of a USP and how to define one. Being unique, or having an interesting twist or hook, will definitely up your chances of getting noticed.

But regardless of how you approach your prospective partner, whether it’s through an email, fax, or phone call, or by snail mail or FedEx, it is important to craft the offer in a manner that shows the benefits to your joint-venture partner.

However, there are a few extra tricks to motivate a potential partner.

Here are some of them…

More often than not, showing your prospective partner how their clients or prospects will benefit from your offering is a big step forward.

Look at all the potential benefits your partnership provides. Don’t stick with the obvious. Dig deep, and list all the advantages they get from doing this venture.

At the very least, and aside from the extra money they earn, if you can show your partner how your offering will benefit their prospects and make your partner look good, you have a headstart.

But don’t stop there.

Think about it: if your partnership will make your partner look good, what will that translate into?

More money? Sure.

But it can also translate into more sales of their own products. More publicity and visibility in the marketplace. More word-of-mouth advertising. More brand equity and trust from their people. New distribution channels to exploit. New markets to enter. New or increased opt-in lists. Different testing possibilities. And so on.

Personally, I hate it when a potential joint-venture partner approaches me, only to offer me a portion of the sales. This is typical of most commission-based affiliate sales, and is by no means a joint-venture partnership at all.

A joint venture is a joint venture.

(I particularly hate it when they also ask me to contribute to the product — such as providing some if not most of the content — or any of my products as bonuses. Why would I pay a JV partner a percentage of my own sales or intellectual property? It’s nonsense.)

Again, there’s got to be something different. Something extra. Something else that makes this a truly viable and worthwhile investment of your partner’s time, marketing, and intellectual property.

Bundling products or offers is an effective strategy. If the JV’s product is a non-competing one, complements your product, and fits your market too, then it can be bundled with yours to create an entirely new and separate offering.

If you have a list that can benefit your partner and if your partner has a list you can promote to, or if you can build a new one together that you both can share ownership, that’s another added benefit.

But let’s say there isn’t anything else.

Let’s say you have created a truly exceptional product that would greatly benefit your partner’s people. And let’s assume you’re looking to leverage profits from your product off of a joint-venture partner’s opt-in list.

First off, you need to have sales materials ready and tested to prove that:

1. Your product is in demand.
2. Your product is already selling.
3. Your product is selling well.

In this case, you can send your potential partner a letter or FedEx package, and you offer to give them 50% of the sales, and include a sample of your product and your proven, high-converting sales letter, if possible.

(Unless you have an existing relationship with your prospective join-venture partner, try to avoid email if you can. In fact, other than snail mail, picking up the phone and calling them directly often gives the best results.)

Again, point out the benefits. Their list will appreciate the valuable product they’re offering, and they will appreciate your partner for thinking of them, too.

But do your homework first!

Do you know and understand their market? Is your product a perfect fit? Is your market a perfect fit for their product(s), too? How many people do they actually have on their lists?

If you can discover how many people are on that person’s list, you can provide them with a little math ahead of time.

For example, let’s say you know that their list consists of 5,000 people. Based on a sales letter with tested conversion rate of 3% and an average open-rate of 40%, you can speculate that your partner will gross about $3,000 in profits on your $50 product by doing just one mailout.

But again, this is a seemingly typical offer any affiliate or commission-based promotion can make. So amplify the offer to increase your likelihood of receiving a “yes.” Make it a little higher than normal, if you can.

And if you do make an offer of a higher commission rate, don’t bury this fact! Make it stand out.

For example, put the higher commission rate in the forefront and tell them that it is higher than normal. In other words, give them the goods right away. It makes it look special and doesn’t drown the JV offer in a bunch of historical platitudes, or patronizing, hype-filled diatribe that’s only going to result in a few yawns.

But don’t stop there, either.

Point out, in no uncertain terms, that you’re making this offer to them and them only. And point out that you’re making this offer available only through this special partnership.

Yes, I highly recommend you do offer something extra-special or exclusive. (Remember, you’re looking for a joint-venture partner, not just an affiliate.)

If not, tell them you’re making this offer only to a very select group of people. But also, make sure to list all the facts and reasons why their promotions won’t get drowned in a sea of competing, promotional messages.

Nevertheless, say something like:

“Since I’m confident your people will love this product (and they will love you more for offering this to them), I want to reward you specifically by paying you 50% [rather than my standard 25% commission rate for affiliates]…”

Here’s an extra tip.

(This single tip is one of the most effective ways we use to gain partners.)

If you want your JV offer to stand out a bit more, then offer a bit more, too — such as 55% rather than the typical 50%.

It’s true: when people are offered 55% in special JV deals, it pulls more than 50%. Why? Because 50% is such a round, arbitrary number, where odd numbers like 55% sound “special.” (We’ve tested this by offering 51% and 53% in JV deals, and they did better than 50%.)

Another reason it works so well is that it makes the JV prospect feel as if they’re getting the better end of the deal. They are making more money than you are.

It’s all about lifetime customer value. If you’re doing this precisely to leverage their lists in order to build a bigger one for yourself from which you can profit more in the future, then who cares if they get paid more?

Finally, I would also add that you can go even a step above by offering a bundled offer after the initial promotion, where you and your JV bundle your products together at a higher price, and split the profits.

(Again, a true joint venture goes beyond a typical affiliate-based arrangement.)

You can promote this bundled package to both your lists. If they’ve offered your product in the past to their lists, then a bundled offer can get the remaining non-buyers to buy.

It might just be the extra nudge they need!

Say your conversion is 3% on average. Your JV partner promotes it as a standalone offer to their existing lists of people, with whom they have an established relationship. Their conversion is therefore 5%.

If you bundled your products together, you both can scratch up an extra 3-5% or even more in additional sales (I’ve seen as much as 11-12% by simply doing bundled offers).

These non-buyers might be more inclined to buy the bigger, more valued-added package.

If you can, offer it at a special price too, which is less than the two products sold separately. This helps you to abstain from offering any discounts, which can cheapen your product.

(The bundle and its price are separate and distinct from both individual products, so any special pricing doesn’t affect the value perception of each standalone product.)

Look at it this way: you wouldn’t have generated these additional sales if you or your partner simply stopped after the initial offer.

In fact, this bundle might be just the perfect nudge to get your JV’s prospects to finally buy that JV’s own product! (Now, that’s a benefit you should definitely include in your request, if you choose this route.)

Or at the very least, ask your JV partner if you can become their affiliate and promote their product to your list, too. Again, it’s a win-win solution and beyond a typical affiliate arrangement.

Sometimes motivating a potential joint-venture partner takes a little massaging. Don’t be afraid to do your homework, show the numbers, presenting them in a light that most favors your partner, and listing all the benefits and possibilities they may not have considered.

Above all, don’t just talk about the money. While it is the most common reason behind joint-venture partnerships, list all the additional benefits your partner (and their prospects) will receive, too.

A good list-leveraging partnership is worth a little extra effort.

Related posts

• Why Freelance Copywriters Go Hungry (23)
• Your Reader Wants To Know These 5 Things (11)
• Multiply Your Marketing Like a Virus (6)
• Is Facebook a Viable Marketing Tool? (35)
• All Your Base Are Belong To Us! (6)

Sunday, 6:23pm
Reno, NV
The street’s become one big damn dirt-flavored slushie…

Howdy…

Hey — great job on the stories, guys (and gals).

I just grabbed a few, totally at random, for comment here:

Ian, one of the last to post, nailed it. As a dog lover, I laughed out loud about his short, vivid tale of the dog who didn’t know what to do with the squirrel — after a lifetime of chasing them, she’d never caught one before. And so it got away.

Weak segue into a product, but definitely the right idea. Nice work, Ian.

Karen, Dean, Jason — nice work. Especially Karen — vivid, funny, poignant finish.

Bill went long with his story about slacking his way into college while his poor brother struggled for good grades and failed… but it’s just damn good storytelling. Human interest, compelling narrative, an opening wide enough to begin a truly killer sales pitch. Kudos.

There were two very short posts, by Kris and Udo, that illustrate the lesson. I suggest everyone dig in and read them.

Kris relayed the old “3 men went out, only 2 came back” saw. I appreciate the thinking behind it, but it’s not a story. An opening line for a story, perhaps…but it’s totally unmoored, with no plot elements, no punch line, no action.

This is best illustrated by Udo’s submission about the 300 Trojans stopping 200,000 at Thermopylae (subject of the recent movie based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel), coupled with the modern idea of a single “Trojan” now stopping half a million. I’ll let you, the reader, fill in the details… but I “got” it immediately. Maybe a little too cute, but good — set up, plot elements, coy twist, punch line.

Two extremely sparse submissions, both trying for pithy delivery. One connected, the other fell into the trap of not completing the process of set-up/action/punch-line.

This is not a knock on you, Kris. Thousands of people read this blog, and you had the guts to sit down and give the task a whirl. You are already ahead of everyone else who didn’t lock into “think hard” mode… and your next effort (if you take the lesson to heart) will put you even further ahead.

This is how writers get good.

I’ve been studying writing since I was a kid (when I tried to figure out how Bradbury and Asimov were able to suck me into their novellas). And, as an adult, I’ve dug deep into the “art”, shelling out big bucks to attend fancy-ass writer’s workshops in various states (like the famous annual events in Swannee, TN, and Squaw Valley, CA).

And I discovered two very important things:

1) Writer’s write. It’s that simple.

Almost every accomplished writer I have ever met started out struggling…. and even after becoming successful, continued to drive to get even better.

Not a single one was “born” into it. Their early stories were garbled garbage… but they kept after it, learning the craft by making mistakes, and then absorbing the lesson.

2) Most of the people running around those workshops were not writers… nor did they ever intend to become one.

No. They shelled out the thousands and thousands of bucks required to attend these week-long workshops… because they wanted to have already written something, and enjoy the imagined self-respect and glory of “being” a writer.

The one thing they had in common: They seldom actually sat down and wrote.

They complained of “writer’s block” (which doesn’t exist), they knew how to talk a good game, they even set up meetings with publishers.

But since the only way to get a book written is to… um, excuse me if I shock you here… is to WRITE IT, these pathetic wannabe’s were just shit outa luck in their desire to be seen as writers.

They are the worst kind of poseur. (Unfortunately, the workshops can’t survive without them. The “real” writers — a definite, tiny minority — need the wannabe’s to fund the events.) (Though, after attending five or six, I’ve concluded they’re mostly a waste of time. If you want to become a writer, write. And find successful writers to study. Oh, and take advantage of free blogs like this one.)

I’m relaying this tale specifically because many people who posted their stories here did something that a HUGE part of the population simply cannot bring themselves to do: Face the blank screen, and then write.

For every marketer out there writing his own copy — and learning from his mistakes and testing and inter-acting with guys like me — there are a hundred more who are frozen just by the thought of putting their fingers on a keyboard and engaging their brains.

The invention of email — which wasn’t all that long ago — has been a godsend for many people… simply because it forces you to grab a coherent thought, wiggle it down through your body from brain to fingers, and type it out.

I’m sure you’ve experienced this same situation: My father (who, at 86, may be one of the oldest dudes alive who knows how to surf online), at first could barely peck out a single sentence in an email. He was so terse, it was hardly communication at all.

Quickly, however, by repetition, he got the hang of it. And now pens emails easily and unself-consciously.

He got better… by doing it.

Believe it or not… the essentials of killer storytelling require nothing more than the few specifics I handed out in the past few blog posts… combined with your continued effort to see the world around you, and translate it into a pithy, concise, well-told tale that meets the simple requirements of set-up/action/punch line.

If you’re doing it badly now, you soon won’t be. Just keep after it.

Now…

Here’s another challenge for y’all.

It ties in neatly with the idea of keeping after it.

Harken: Most folks know the “science” behind forming a habit.

I can’t quote you the research, but the standard anecdote is that it takes 21 days to create a habit… whether it’s a good habit, or a bad one.

You gotta get up every day, for three weeks in a row, uninterrupted… and do your thing in a proscribed way that eventually gets set into muscle memory and into your brain.

The bad habits are easy.

The good ones… not so much.

My trainer, Bryan, reminded of how important it is to focus on creating good habits last week. He’s forcing all his clients — he’s a sadist, the man is — to think about a good habit they want to cultivate… and he’s not shutting up about it once you make the committment.

This is great stuff.

Think how quickly your life could change if you had a slave standing behind you at your desk… and every time you did whatever it is you’re trying to change (like slouching in your chair, or obsessively checking email, or downloading porn) the slave would whack you upside the head until you stopped.

Well, what Bryan’s doing is pretty close. I see him three times a week for punishment (okay, for a workout)… and he is relentless about getting into my face about my goals.

Heck — I PAY him to do this to me.

I highly recommend it.

But even if you’re on your own right now… the whole 21-day challenge thing is worthwhile.

Just pick a single good habit you want to instill. And use the next 3 weeks as your “forge” to make it stick.

At the recent Altitude “check up” event, there were dozens of rich marketers who talked about this very thing — changing your life in increments, habit by habit. (The necessity for “being a good animal” ranks up there with “earn another million bucks” for the most successful guys in the game. Often enough, it ranks even higher.)

What could you accomplish in your life by, say… getting up an hour earlier every day?

Or forming a morning ritual that allows you to efficiently meet the day pumped full of good nutrients, clean, alert and already exercised?

Or setting up a single day each week to take the phone off the hook, and just write all day long without interruption?

Or, heck, even the old standby’s: Is it time to quit smoking? Time to get serious about mentoring your kids? Time to start reading a novel every month?

As humans, we are all woefully inept at creating our “movies” in any perfect way. I would never strive for perfection, anyway — sounds boring to me.

Still, there are ways I want to live that I cannot access until I create better habits. Incremental changes, made permanent, can quickly form the foundation for amazing transformation.

I’ll tell you what my little 21-day challenge is. I’m addicted to carbohydrates — bread, cereal, chips, all that good stuff. And so, despite being in excellent over-all shape and health (cuz, you know, I work out)… my cholesterol isn’t cooperating.

So I’m simply jettisoning all the crap from my diet. (The beer stays, though. I’m not a monk.)

It’s not tough. I’ve done it before. In fact, last year I got into the habit of NOT eating so many carbs… but over the holidays, I dedicated myself to perversely destroying that habit.

Such is life. Constant vigilance is required.

However, without an actual deadline, it might take me years to even attempt to readjust my diet. (I swear, I bought a big damn bag of tortilla chips in a trance last week. I told myself “Don’t do it, man” as I watched my hand reach out and toss the bag into the grocery cart. Carbs are great zombie fuel.)

So here I am, a week into it. And already thinking twice every time I walk into the kitchen. And just waving hello to the Cheeto’s at the deli when I grab a sandwich, and not buying them.

Because I set a simple, very reachable goal: Just do it for 21 days, and see what happens.

It’s cheating, of course. I know full well that, after 21 days, I will have replaced the old habits with a new one: Eating healthy.

So…

Wanna come along?

Pick a goal. For the next 21 days, engage in your chosen new behavior. Just 3 short weeks.

A cakewalk. (Unless it’s cake you’re trying to get away from.)

If you’ve done this before, then you know how powerful it is. If you’ve never done it, you’re in for a treat.

Start simple, if you like. Take a long walk every day. Start brushing your teeth more effectively. Meditate for twenty minutes in the afternoon. Be nice to your mate, no matter how aggravating they are to you.

Or… keep a journal, and every evening, write down a short story of what you observed during your day. Take ten minutes, and tell yourself a little tale.

Heck… post your new goal here in the comments section, if you like. It’ll be there for God and everybody to see… and that will help you breeze through the 3 weeks.

Twenty-one days is not an eternity (unless you’re quitting smoking, which is one of those big damn deal goals) (which you need to get to at some point).

It goes quick. (Think back to your New Year’s Even celebrating. That was FOUR weeks ago. A mere blink.)

And, at the end of your 21 days, you’ll have your new good habit.

C’mon, let us know what you’re eager to instill. We all need good ideas for the next challenge, you know. And I’ll remind you, each time I blog, about it. I’ll keep you aprised of my progress, and you can post yours.

This could be the year for you. The big breakthrough year, where it all comes together.

And it can start with just a little focus and dedication to change…

Don’t be a putz. Let’s change things around…

Stay frosty,

John Carlton
www.carltoncoaching.com

Carlton, copywriting, entrepreneur, freelance copywriters, Internet, life lessons, living life well, marketing, salesmanship, storytelling

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The other day I was asked a question I hear all too often: “How do I distinguish myself from other copywriters?”

To find the answer, look to one of the most effective and frequently used copywriting and marketing tools. It’s your “Unique Selling Proposition,” or USP.

(I prefer to call it a “Unique Selling Position.” If you’ve read my book, “Power Positioning,” then you’d know that I’m a big fan of positioning rather than prospecting.)

Your USP is also your “hook.”

Time and time again, I’ve told many aspiring copywriters and marketers that a USP is what distinguishes you from the pack. It increases perceived value, expertise, and credibility — without needing to state it outright.

But since I hear this question often, particularly from copywriters just entering the field, I sense that it’s because people need a little help in defining their USP.

So to help you, here’s a tip.

In marketing academia, they say that every product or service has three levels. They include:

• The core product.
• The product itself.
• The augmented product.

What does this have to do with developing a USP? Before I share it to you, let me explain what these three product levels mean.

• The core product is the actual end-result, the benefits, that the product offers. It’s what the product does for people. As Theodore Levitt once said, people don’t buy quarter-inch drills. They buy quarter-inch holes.
• The actual product is what the product is and consists of. This includes the things that make the product a product. Those are the features, the components, the ingredients, even the packaging.
• Finally, the augmented product is what is added to the product or offer to augment it. Things like free shipping, guarantees, customer support, premiums, etc.

Now, in the context of copywriting, you can look at it this way (and this is just an example):

1) Core Product:

Generate and/or increase response.

2) Actual Product:

The copy itself.

Writing the copy includes research, writing the first draft, and delivering the final draft, probably in the form of a Word document or plain text file. It includes all the elements that help to achieve the core product: headline, storyline, bullets, product details, offer, response device, etc.

It also includes the market you’re selling to, such as focusing on a specific industry or audience, or a particular kind of copy such as sales letters, direct mail, websites, etc.

3) Augmented Product:

Whatever you add above and beyond the actual product.

Extras, value-adds, add-ons, bonuses, premiums, and additional things, which can vary tremendously from copywriter to copywriter, and industry to industry.

For example, it can include formatting, graphic design, layout suggestions, project management, market research, rewrites, guarantees, split-testing the actual copy before the final draft, exclusivity, rush service for quicker turnarounds, etc.

How do you use these three layers to define a USP?

Think of these three layers in the form of a bulls-eye, where you have three concentric circles. The center of the bulls-eye being the core product, the middle layer being the actual product, and the outer layer the augmented product.

Now, to develop a unique selling proposition, you can add, remove, change, or give a unique twist to any of these three levels.

The easiest way, of course, it to go from the outside in. That is, find ways to augment your product that few do or that no one does. It may not be one single thing. It may be a combination of them.

(Why is this the simplest way? Because coming up with different angles or variations of the center of the bulls-eye requires a bit more creative thinking. Mind you, developing a USP from within usually produces the best “hooks,” the most prospects, and the greatest perceived value.)

Nevertheless, here’s an example of working with the outside layer: you can offer design suggestions, layouts and mockups, additional tips on how to best use the copy, offer free revisions, writing copy for other parts of the sales funnel (opt-in page, order page, thank-you page, autoresponders, etc), and so on.

Here’s an extra tip.

Don’t offer these willy-nilly. Always place a value on these augmented elements or add-ons. Why? Because if you don’t, people will assume that it’s part of your original offering. It may even decrease your perceived value.

The idea is to increase the perception of higher value. And to do that, you must not only add value to the core offer but also make it visible.

For example, don’t say your copy comes with formatting and layout suggestions. Say you will throw in formatting and layout suggestions, which are additional services, free of charge.

Plus, add a dollar value on those add-ons as if you were to sell them separately. Don’t say your copy comes with one or two revisions. Say your copy comes with an additional revision, free of charge, worth $500.

(Aside from the increase in value perception, this tactic also helps to prevent freeloaders and deal-seekers from asking for concessions before, during, and after the project, because they feel you’re already making some.)

Next in the layers is the actual product. What can you change, add, or remove from the actual product so that it makes you unique?

For instance, how do you conduct your research? Do you interview the client or the client’s clients? Do you have a preparatory questionnaire they must fill-out before work commences? How is your copy written and delivered?

While it is easier to work with the augmented product first, there is also an easy way to work with the middle layer. Which is, of course, niche marketing. It’s to focus on a particular audience, industry, or style of copy.

You could be a copywriter specializing in, say, health products. You could even hone it down to, say, nutrition and foods. You could even be a copywriter who focuses on diets and weightloss exclusively.

But don’t just focus on industries or niches.

Remember, it’s the “actual” product. What you choose to work on and deliver can also be specialized. You don’t have to add or change anything, either. You can simply remove something to make yourself unique.

In fact, offering less or focusing strictly on a certain type of copy can create instant demand and credibility, because being a specialist creates the perception of greater expertise and skill.

For example, you might be a copywriter who focuses strictly on headlines. As a result, you become known as the headline expert. When people (or other copywriters) need help with their headlines, they turn to you.

Or you might be one who only focuses on initial drafts in plain text. While that might seem like a lesser offering, you can say that this is a benefit since you’re entirely focused on the research and the content — unlike other copywriters who offer too much, overextend themselves, and dilute their value as a result.

A neurologist is still a doctor. But you wouldn’t have a general practitioner work on your brain, right? You want a doctor who specializes in the specific problem or area that needs attention.

Copywriters are no different.

I know some copywriters who specialize strictly in software copy, catalogs, or autoresponders, or a combination of niches and copy types — such as direct mail for the financial industry. And they’re doing quite well.

Finally, the innermost layer, the center of the bulls-eye, is the hardest part.

Copy is copy. And copy has one principal function. But let’s say that your copy’s goal is to increase the client’s response, as it is with most copy. Ask yourself, what other benefits do you offer?

I don’t mean additional benefits provided by the augmented product. I’m talking about the copy itself. What else does your copy do for your clients? What else does your copywriting service specifically bring to the table?

Sure, the ultimate goal is to boost response, sales, and profits.

But perhaps it’s to make the client look good as to increase referral clients. Maybe it’s to increase visibility or generate more word-of-mouth. Or perhaps it’s to attract qualified staff or potential investors.

You can and should think of all the benefits your copy delivers.

Don’t just stick with the obvious.

Take some time (even write a list, if you have to) of all the advantages your specific copy offers. What kind of results have you achieved in the past? What other benefits (including unsought benefits) did your clients receive?

(Sometimes, asking for or re-reading client testimonials can offer some clues. If not, take some time to interview some of your past clients. Ask them what your copy did for them, beyond just increasing sales.)

Say your client is also looking for copy that “sounds like them.” In other words, they want a copywriter with a knack for writing in their voice, their language, and their communication style.

In this case, it makes your ghostwriting ability far more effective than other copywriters. That’s a USP right there. (As your “hook,” you might call yourself “The Chameleon Copywriter.”)

Here are some real-world examples.

David Garfinkel is an excellent copywriter. He may label himself as a copywriter, but he is also known as “The World’s Greatest Copywriting Teacher” by his peers. That’s his USP.

Speaking of hooks, another top copywriter, my friend John Carlton, is a master at finding hooks for his clients. That’s his hook.

Brian Clark, also known as “The Copy Blogger,” publishes one of the most prolific blogs on the Internet. The reason is obvious: Brian focuses on writing copy for blogs. That’s his shtick.

Michael Stelzner is an excellent copywriter, too. But his focus is on writing for white papers, including reports, newsletters, and collateral materials. That’s his expertise.

While Tom Chandler deals mostly with corporate clients, he is the expert on something he calls engagement copywriting, which is copy that’s meant to engage the reader and encourage interaction. That’s his specialty.

(On the topic of hooks, Tom is also a rabid fly fisherman.)

What about you?

Again, you need to take some time to really think about this. It might not come overnight — for me, as an example, it took over a decade to find the various benefits my copy specifically brings to the table.

The difference is, you have a leg up because I’m letting you know about this now so you can work on it right away — without having to wait and learn it all by yourself, like I did.

In the end, there are so many ways to develop a good USP. There are so many variants. The idea is to be a bit creative, a bit of a contrarian, and a bit different — not necessarily a whole lot.

Just by being 10% different, unique, original, or special is enough to make you stand out like a sore thumb in an overcrowded, hypercompetitive marketplace.

Related posts

• The Seven Deadly Sins of Website Copy (21)
• Why Freelance Copywriters Go Hungry (23)
• How to Craft Cash-Creating Climactic Copy (16)
• No Such Thing As A Starving Copywriter (7)
• Gary Halbert And Michel Fortin… Part Deux (10)

Thursday, 5:34pm
Reno, NV
Okay, I’m tired of snow now…

Howdy…

Let’s go deeper into storytelling, what d’ya say?

And, if you’re still up for it, let’s do another exercise to get our chops honed to dangerous “street-wise salesmanship” levels.

But first… let’s do some triage on the previous posts.

I read every single comment that came in. And mostly, I was astonished at the quality of the stories told. It seems a lot of folks got fired up over both the 3-line limitation, plus the succinct efficiency of haiku.

If there was any glaring single fault in the group, it was the lack of a clear punch line. Many of the stories sort of “floated”, without moorings. And while meaningful to the writer, the tales remained mysteries to the reader.

So, there is a little more to be learned… especially when your final goal of good storytelling is to use it for selling stuff.

And before anyone starts huffing about how “crass” that sounds, let’s get straight on something right here: Most of the stories in our modern culture are about selling. Movies sell stars, and sell themselves. Television stories are just attention place-holders for commercials. (You think actors get the big bucks because they’re “good”? No way. It’s because they connect with a paying audience. Bob Hope was one of the richest actors to hit the stage, and he never even tried to “really” act — he just goofed his way through a stunningly-lucrative career. But people identified with him, and he cashed in on that identity.)

If you think stories should be “pure”, then move away from society. Even your weird Uncle Whazoo has an agenda with most of his stories — he wants attention, he wants to shock and entertain, or maybe he just feels family gatherings would kill the young-un’s with boredom if he didn’t retell the adventure behind his filthy hula dancer tatoo.

So, just to refresh: If you offer something that your prospect needs or wants… then shame on you if you don’t use every tactic available to get your sales message across so the poor guy can justify buying it.

And stories are just a killer way to set that situation up.

Okay?

Okay.

So… back to the lessons.

The idea behind limiting your stories to just 3 lines is an effort to help you become more concise. Even the most rollicking tale can put people to sleep if it’s too long, and has too many tangents.

And most people are not natural storytellers… so they ramble off on quirky paths, repeating themselves, unable to clearly explain plots, and bombarding the listener with irrelevant bullshit. “Did I tell you about the UFO that attacked us? No? It was Tuesday last week… no, wait, it was Wednesday. Yeah, it must have been Wednesday, because I was headed to IHOP to meet Suzy for waffles — you know they have specials every Wednesday, don’t you…”

This is how people get strangled.

In my long experience trying to force people to tell better stories, the first task is nearly always trimming the excess verbiage and fluff.

The outline to follow is: Set up (the tease of the payoff to come)… plot elements… action (the fulfillment of the tease)… and moral. Which doesn’t have to actually be “moral” in any righteous sense — it’s just the punch line of the story.

You have a reason to tell your story… which could vary from pure entertainment, to pure desire to sell lots of stuff. When you’re done, you want your listener or reader to FEEL something. Happiness (aww, the puppy got rescued)… alarm (my God, I’m gonna keep a loaded gun by my bedside from here on out)… astonishment (my neighbors are doing what at night?)… or, yes, even greed (hey! I want that kind of deal, too!)

To be more biological about it… the process can also be described like this: Foreplay… climax… resolution.

Stories, like sex, benefit from a focus on the goal. The less extraneous interruption, the better.

In other words: It’s not about you at all, even if you’re the star of the story.

It’s about your reader.

Ideally, he will “see” himself in your story. Or feel like he’s temporarily “in” the world you create with your words.

Have you ever read a story to a kid? Once they get the taste for it, just saying “Once upon a time…” will glaze their eyes over, as they eagerly prepare themselves to be transported to a world far different than their own.

(Side rant: I think it’s a friggin’ travesty that kids today are being shielded from the violence and chaotic messages of such wild tales as the Brothers Grimm laid out. I had zero idea what life was like in the Middle Ages, but I readily suspended all disbelief because I craved the story so badly. If everyone was wearing lederhosen and eating gruel — whatever that was — then fine. Just make sure the wicked witch or headless horseman scared the bejesus out of me.) (And I grew up fine. The real world, and all the people in it, is not some Kumbaya fantasy… and the often morbid lessons of classic children’s tales are damn good preparation for living amonst the deceit, the unfairness, the unpredictability, and the raw unbridled terror of reality. So there.)

The concept of “transporting” is critical. You’re driving the story, and it’s your responsibility to keep it on the road. Your reader will abandon you at the first hint you don’t know where we’re going… and he’ll despise you for getting his hopes up for a good tale, if you then dash them with a feeble punch line.

That’s why striving for pithy, concise stories is so important for writers. Set up… action… punch line.

And the 3-line tactic is classic. One of the best:

“I’ve been poor. And I’ve been rich. Rich is better.”

No need for any other detail. In this example, the words “rich” and “poor” are Power Words… carrying their own payload of emotional backstory with them, because in this context nearly everyone will have a feeling about the concept of being rich, and a feeling (probably very personal and visceral) about being poor. Any long-winded rant about HOW poor you were, or HOW rich you were, is excessive.

Concise, memorable stories pack a punch.

Even better, there is a segue into the life of the reader in that 3-line beauty. “Rich is better” may seem like an obvious statement, but coupled with the set-up lines, it delivers a strong message that smacks of truth.

Now, the classical “rags to riches” sales pitch requires more detail, of course. But not so much that you lose the flow of a quick story, told with feeling, ripe with implications for the reader.

However, good ad copy doesn’t rest on implications.

It’s got to move quickly to specifics.

So here’s a simple tactic from my Bag of Tricks that has helped me bring many a story “home” to readers: First, you tell your story, and you aim for the kind of breathless prose that makes your prospect afraid to exhale, for fear of missing a delicious detail.

Then, you tidy it up. Deliver the punch line, or the moral, or just the ending. Don’t try any clever transitions back into your sales pitch.

Instead, you merely say: And here’s what that means for YOU…

When reading fables to kids, any such attempt to explain the moral would ruin the transcendant pleasure of listening to stories. Ideally, you’d want the end of the story to rattle around in their heads, while they mulled over the ethical implications and came up with their own (right) conclusion. (Kids hate it when adults wag fingers and try to force lessons on them.)

But when you’re writing to adults, you can’t assume anything. Adults are so numb to incoming data, they will suck up even a great story, absorb it, and move on to the next volley of arriving stimuli without coming to any conclusion whatsoever.

So, as the copywriter, it’s your job to complete the thought.

Not in any condesending way, of course.

You just continue the thread, going deeper into your sales message.

“I’ve been poor. And I’ve been rich. Rich is better. Here’s what that means for you: You can continue on with your life believing that ‘money can’t buy happiness’ if that makes you feel better… but I’m here to tell you that having a pile of extra cash is actually a fabulous feeling… and your life will get better almost immediately. Plus, since I’ve already done the hard work of going from clean broke to filthy rich, I know all the shortcuts… and I’ll share them with you…”

Et cetera.

So, if you’re up for it… here’s the next assignment: Tell a short, 3-line story (using the concept of set up, plot, action and punch line)… and then write a one or two line segue bringing your story home to your reader.

You’re allowed to be non-sensical for this exercise. In other words, you don’t actually have to be selling anything. You can make it all up.

Just think — really, really hard — about how the moral or punch line of your story MIGHT lead to a sales message.

If you read all the stories in the comments section of my previous posts, you probably noticed the frequency of “we met, we kissed, something went wrong” stories in the submission pile. That’s great — to get good at story telling, you first want to practice (a LOT) with telling tales that have emotional impact or meaning to you. Everyone remembers their first legitimate kiss. (Those sloppy pecks from Auntie Mame don’t count.) Most people’s stories tend to be pretty typical, but if they’re told right, they can still be funny, or shocking, or even corny in a way that gets the reader nodding in agreement.

And while it may not seem obvious that you could possibly sell anything, after sharing the humorous story of your first fumbling efforts at romance in junior high… just reflect on all the commercials and ads you’ve seen that blatantly couple sex and product.

Heck, they sell laundry detergent with sex. And while Warren Buffett might put you to sleep with his theories on compound interest, a real entrepreneur would explain the exact same concept from the deck of his yacht, surrounded by bikini-clad beauties. And get more attention, too.

Be concise, and bring it home to the reader.

You cannot “fail” at this exercise, because you’re just warming up your chops.

And, as a number of commenters noted, these are MEGA-important exercises if you want to get good. You COULD have been honing your storytelling chops all along, every day of your life. But you didn’t, did you.

Because no one challenged you to do it.

So, here is an excuse to engage that scary brain of yours, and force it to work for you, for once.

You don’t learn to ride without hopping into the saddle. And it’s okay to fall off, as long as you climb back on.

Again, I’ll read every submitted story, and comment as needed.

Stay frosty…

John Carlton
www.carltoncoaching.com

Carlton, copywriting, freelance copywriters, life lessons, living life well, marketing, storytelling

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The other day I was asked the following question: “Should I use active or passive voice in sales copy?”

The answer may surprise you.

The premise behind this question is simple. Traditional copywriting rules state that writers should use active voice. And it makes perfect sense.

Active voice engages the reader and makes it easy for them to quickly understand the copy. They don’t have to sort through a sentence to understand it.

Writers are told again and again to focus on using active voice. But I’m telling you that, in some cases, you shouldn’t. And here’s why…

It is agreed that active voice is best for most web content and even the body copy in a marketing piece. Active voice compels and propels.

However, using passive voice can increase your readership and response because it front-loads important keywords, especially in headings, captions, bullets, and lead sentences.

Based on eyetracking studies, there is some interesting research behind this theory, which reveals counter-intuitive results focusing on the first two words of the opening sentence.

I think this is particularly applicable in copy.

With the active voice, the object of the sentence typically appears at the end. For example, “John throws the object” is better than “the object is thrown by John.”

But the idea is that people never read sales letters. They first skim, scan, and scroll.

Eyetracking studies show that people only read the first few words. They also show their eyes tend to gravitate toward prominent markers.

People scan for these markers in an effort to make a decision on whether the content is of interest to them and worth reading.

(For example, think of the times you’ve bought a newspaper or magazine, and quickly scanned the headlines and photos to determine which articles you wanted to read.)

Of course, photos, graphics, and multimedia provide eye gravity.

But in sales copy, these markers also include headlines, leading sentences in paragraphs, subheads, bullets, and captions.

The passive voice allows the object to appear earlier during those crucial first words. So when people scan for these markers, important keywords appear at the beginning and therefore may be able to stop scanners more efficiently.

They may be able to persuade more effectively, too.

From a usability perspective, front-loaded keywords in header tags do increase things like SEO effectiveness and readability.

They also increase traction as front-loaded keywords appear first in search engine results, which in some cases are truncated.

But from a copywriting standpoint, this idea of passive voice construction in your subheadings can also help in many ways. For instance, passive voice can:

• Stop scanners since they have to actually stop and read a sentence to understand it.
• Push readers to start reading what follows. It’s harder to understand a passive sentence at a glance, which in many cases can be a good thing. Readers now have to really dig into a sentence to grasp it, and once they do they’ll continue reading.
• Help readers grasp the gist of a subhead, or a headline, lead, bullet point, etc, because they have to focus on it.
• Compel readers more effectively, as persuasion and psychological techniques can be applied to those first few words, such as focusing on words that build curiosity, increase desire, create mental imagery, and drive action.

Here’s an example of a subhead using active and then passive voice:

Active: “Australian scientists discover three enzymes that beat stomach cancer.”

Passive: “Three enzymes that beat stomach cancer are discovered by Australian scientists.”

Or, to make it pithier:

Passive: “3 stomach cancer-curing enzymes discovered by Australian scientists.”

From an SEO standpoint, people wouldn’t search for the phrase “Australian researchers,” unless they knew about it beforehand. But they would search for words like “enzymes,” “stomach,” “cancer,” and “cure.”

From a copywriting standpoint, the keywords are now prominent. They lead the reader. And they also tease, cause readers to learn more, and force them to read the rest — which is the point of a good headline in the first place.

By the way, I broke another rule in the above example. Normally, the rule is to spell single-digit numbers, and to use numerals with double-digit numbers or more (such as seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12).

I use numerals because the mind doesn’t have to read the number, and it can instantly grasp what it means, which is particularly crucial during those first few seconds.

The bottom line is, the less hoops the mind has to go through, the easier it is to read and the more effective the copy is.

Nevertheless, to improve usability and SEO, apply the passive voice to your web page title tags, meta-description tags, header tags (such as H1, H2, H3, etc), anchor texts in links, lead copy, excerpts, ALT tags, even domain names.

(For example, one my friends, Heather Kirk, who is also a great graphic designer, owns “GraphicsByHeather.com.”)

However, apply the passive voice to strategic elements in your copy, too:

1. Headlines
2. Subheads
3. Testimonials
4. Johnson boxes
5. Guarantees
6. Bullets
7. Captions
8. Calls to action
9. Titles (in multimedia)
10. Email subject lines
11. Navigation menus
12. Above-the-fold sections
13. Order forms or response devices
14. Lead copy (introduction)
15. Lead sentences (first sentence of each paragraph)

Look at your current salesletter or marketing piece, and try to reword those prominent markers into the passive voice or in a way that places important keywords at the beginning. This technique will boost your sales and profits.

(Or should I say, your sales and profits will be boosted by this technique?)

Related posts

• Write Magnetic Headlines With These 7 Tips (17)
• Headlines That Pull, Persuade And Propel! (9)
• Eye Gravity Draws Attention And Interest: Study (19)
• Three Tips To Raise Your Response (9)
• Risk-Reversal's Role Reversal (5)

Put this cartoon on your blog.  

If you want to understand why some folks are making a fuss over “Habeas Corpus” these days, here’s a little primer.

Habeas Corpus is a legal term that defines the basic right of someone to question why they are being held by the government.  If the agency holding someone is presented with a “Writ of Habeas Corpus” the agency must either release the prisoner or present a valid justification for their arrest.

As I understand it, Habeas Corpus rights have been suspended for “unlawful enemy combatants” in the United States per the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

However, the MCA also states that even US citizens can be declared as “unlawful enemy combatants.”

Here’s where it gets spooky:  the power to declare someone as such rests with the Executive Branch (the President) and once declared there is no right of appeal.

In essence, you could be declared an unlawful enemy combatant at the discretion of the President and held forever - without even the right to defend your innocence.

Whatever you think of the current President (it’s totally irrelevant), just remember that this power, unless the MCA is overturned, will rest with all future Presidents as well. 

Out of all the possible candidates, imagine the one you trust the least.  Would you trust them with this power?

And that is why some folks are raising such a fuss.

Are they insane?  Are they crazed “Bush Derangement Syndrome” victims with an axe to grind? 

Or have they made a valid argument about a major shift that has stripped us of one of our most basic rights?

Chime in by clicking on the “comments” link below.

If you’re a musician check out the competition we’ve started at the
Simpleology Blog. 

Scroll down to the post titled “How to Be a Rock Star (Part 1)” for details.

7 Winners will be promoted to our database of 250,000 people.

Monday, 4:41pm
Reno, NV
Overcast, cold and yet oh, so toasty here in my office…

Howdy…

Just a quick note here about how the stories are going.

Mostly, I’m very impressed. Those of you who kept to the 3 lines really worked at it, and that’s the idea. You learn to be concise, to stay on target, and still deliver a good story.

For those who had to go over 3 lines: Some very nice stories… but they can all be trimmed to 3 lines. Trust me on this.

I had an idea of how to help: Check out “haiku” on Wikipedia. It’s the Japanese poetry form that is strictly limited to 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each. No more, no less. Forced to adhere to such limititations, the resulting Zen poetry is crushingly beautiful. In the West, we tend to go more for story lines (rather than koan-type mysticism)… but it’s still the 5/7/5 form.

The marketing equivalent: Adwords. You have strict character limits for each line (though you can do less, but never more). We’ve taken to calling it “Adwords haiku” because of that.

Few Westerners have been forced to “write inside the lines” like this before, and we tend to struggle with limits. But I’m telling you, it’s worth doing.

As you listen to great storytellers, notice how economical they are with words. They find just the exact right word, or short phrase, to nail the mood, direction and plot. This is “power words” in action.

You may scratch your head, at first, looking at haiku. But notice how long the entry is in Wikipedia… and know that it’s long because people care. And it’s good stuff.

You’re about to be enlightened in ways you won’t understand for a long time yet.

Side note #1: Kudo’s to Moffatt for his insight on the exercise. People who collect and tell stories lead better lives… and when they sell, they almost always do a better job of it. Stories are about the human experience, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about — broadening and enjoying the experience you’re having, as a human.

Side note #2: Karen, is that YOU? In Kiwi land? (Of course, I know it is. No one else knows the piano disaster story.)

How are you? I tried to find you in the phone book during a short lay-over in NZ last year, but you weren’t listed. Damn. I’d love to catch up. The boys have my private email — just shoot Kevin a note. Hope all is well.

Great story, too. Hard to believe we survived the chaos of those times…

Side note #3: I hope everyone is reading all the stories. When you hang out with writers, you don’t really need Hollywood at all, you know. Even a relatively uneventful evening at the hotel bar with a snaggle of wordsmiths will put the entire acadamy awards to shame…

Side note #4: Dean, I recognized your KKK story. Made me laugh out loud. And would somebody translate Javier’s comment for me? I just wanna make sure it’s not dirty or anything…

Side note #5: Weird things happen when you collect stories, too. “John” in the comments told a nice one about some train tracks in his home town that disappeared… a nearly identical experience to one I had. I grew up ninety feet from a Sierra Pacific line, and the house rattled twice a day for fifty years. I both love and am comforted by the sounds of trains… but one day I went home to visit Pop and the tracks were gone. Just gone. Big weedy path where they once proudly laid, like a scar running through my old stomping grounds. Whew. So much of the world that surrounded me as I grew up is now alive only in memory and photos, always at risk to wash away like tears in rain…

Stay frosty,

John
www.carltoncoaching.com

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Sunday, 6:35pm
Reno, NV
Crispy clear evening, with a canopy of stars twinkling like lighters during a Neil Young encore…

Howdy,

I’m gonna ask you to write a little mini-script here in a minute. For your “inner” home movie.

You did know your life is a movie, right?

Okay, maybe you’re no DiCaprio or Clooney or Scarlett… or even Giametti… but you’re the star of your own show just the same.

There’s a script, which you have enormous sway with. You don’t like the way things are going, do a rewrite.

There’s direction, and even lighting. You want something flashy or big to happen… well, you can arrange it. Whatever you want, as long as you’ve got the cojones to get after it. (No, you’re not guaranteed to get what you want… but if that’s how you want your movie to go, you can at least call for it in your script. Run for prez, dude, if that floats your boat. Heck, if the current crop thinks they’re worthy, then most of the rest of us are, too.)

Lighting, by the way, plays a bigger role in your life than you might realize. Most of us live under ridiculously harsh wattage, both at work and at home… and it’s like blasting angry music into your head all the time. It can change the way you see yourself, and act in the world. Heck — bright lights are used as “extreme interrogation” methods by the CIA. So is Barry Manilow music, as well as thrash metal. Because relentless use of it hurts.

As a side note: Experiment with the subtle elements of your life. Get some indirect lighting for your office, use non-white bulbs or even candles… you don’t have to go for any kind of gaudy bordello-style mood, but just try lighting your stage differently for a little while. See how it affects the way you do things.

Same with music — get out of your rut, for sure, but also stretch a bit. My iPod is crammed with rock and roll, but also lots of classical and acid jazz and country and folk and alternative stuff. And I carefully plan out hour-long playlists that create a mood, and keep it going.

When you live like you’re a star, you pay attention to these kinds of details.

The benefits: Time slows down… routines become exercises in pleasurable rites rather than zombie habits… and your awareness level kicks up a notch.

All are excellent tools for living well… and being a better marketer.

Especially the “awareness” part.

Have you ever wondered where the knack for finding stories and hooks — the main ingredient of any great copywriter’s bag of tricks — comes from?

It’s a direct result of being hyper-aware. Of living life like the greatest movie ever filmed.

Think about your life.

No, seriously. Think about it.

Most people have trouble “seeing” themselves in the world at all. Without a mirror, they’re not even sure they exist. Their daily experiences are like watching a “monkey cam” — the filmed result of attaching a camera to the back of a chimp and letting him wander off.

It’s not a smooth, thought-out, coherent narrative. Instead, it’s jerky, chaotic, and (unless there are “happy accidents”) mostly boring.

There. I’ve said it.

Most people lead boring lives.

And do you know why?

It’s because they refuse to believe they have any control over the script, plot, or action of their life. And, if you don’t believe you do, then you don’t. That’s the way it works, most of the time.

I’m not talking about adopting a selfish attitude of “it’s all about me”. No way. Most of the really savvy people you know — the ones who have their personal and biz lives put together well — are not selfish weasels. And yet, they live like they’re the center of the action, because they are.

Doesn’t have to be a “movie” metaphor, either. Think of yourself as the protaganist in a great novel, or the hero of the best video game ever created. (Don’t be that guy who dresses like a Wookie, though. When you finally kick your life into high gear, it will be part action, part comedy, part drama, part tragedy, and yes, part fantasy… but try to think in well-rounded terms. It’s a mistake to get hung up on any one thing, because it’s so limiting. Expand. Live large.)

Whatever works for you, works. It may take you a little time to get clear on what kind of script you really want — most novice goal-seekers screw it up the first few times (like thinking they really, really, really want something… and then being disappointed when they get it).

But you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly, if you just realize this gift of consciousness you’ve been given. The natural tendency of any human being who has attained some measure of creature comfort, is to sleep-walk through the rest of his days.

And that’s not living. That’s zombie city.

Living your life like a movie means that you are constantly aware of the ROLE you play. It can change, or mutate, or solidify… but all of that can be your choice. Part of the plot twist, if you want.

You can never control EVERYTHING, of course. No one’s ever said you can. Every second of your existence is fraught with unpredictable events, from earthquakes and heart attacks to stalkers and food poisoning. Or an unexpected call from the ex. Or a hacker discovering your bank password.

Nevertheless, there remains a HUGE portion of your moment-to-moment life that you CAN control. If you choose.

And getting into the swing of writing your own script as much as you can, will redirect your life in ways that please you. You become the captain of your ship.

The OTHER advantage of living this way… is that the STORIES of your life become more vivid.

And the best copywriters and marketers and salesmen in the universe… are all great storytellers. Without exception.

Again, think about your life.

Consider how it has progressed in actual chapters, or acts. Maybe it’s as straightforward as childhood, adulthood, starting a biz, getting married. Or maybe it’s more nuanced, in peculiar ways that make sense to you but may sound fuzzy to outsiders. (I know guys who have sectioned thier past under the heading of whichever female was in their life at the time: Jo (junior high), Nancy (freshman year), Roberta (summer he got his license), Yolanda (first part-time job),etc. They will fry your ear with great stories, too.)

The more precise you can be, the better your stories will become. And the better your OWN parcel of stories are, the better you can spot — and use – stories from the world around you when you’re writing to influence and persuade.

I was really lucky to grow up in a family of storytellers. And since I was the youngest by 8 years, I learned quickly to be pithy and interesting… or to lose the floor (because few people have the patience for meandering stories with no punch line, especially from kids).

My auto-biography is already written, you know. In my head. It’s been a work in progress since the day I first realized I was alive… and I remember vivid, interesting stories from every minor period of my life.

Stories aid memory, and retention, you know. Every ancient culture on earth was based on stories until writing came along. They HAD to be short, fascinating and memorable, too… because any story not retained, was lost forever.

Even if this “consider the movie of your life” concept is new to you… you should be able to look back and see how certain periods of your life evolved. You don’t have to get it all organized right away… take your time. Focus on some pleasant period, and re-gather the stories from that period into a mental file cabinet.

I also urge you to write these stories down. In short, well-thought-out vinettes that pass the “won’t bore your buddies” test.

In other words… leave out the dull parts. You can write up the longer version — the “director’s cut” that only you will truly appreciate — for personal indulgence… but while you’re honing your storytelling chops for the outside world, focus on short, crisp, rollicking tales that get to the point quickly.

The best stories are concise little mini-movies. With a beginning, a middle, and an end. Or, like a good joke, with a premise, a set-up, and a punch line.

They can be serious, or funny, or rueful, or just “hmmm” inducing.

But they must be complete stories. Remember Suzy, your first real relationship? Sure, it went on for a long time, and any day-to-day explanation would put even someone tweaked on speed to sleep.

So start editing, with an audience in mind. For example, to strut your credentials for understanding young love: “Suzy, the first love of my life. Teenagers, convinced we would live forever, and no one had ever felt a love so strong before. We spent most of our time in the back seat, or in secluded spots, fumbling with biological imperatives and hormone dumps. Torrid affair. Shocking heartache when her biology shifted away from me. Sad, sad boy, convinced no one had ever felt such pain before…”

Or, something more mundane: “Interviewed for my first real job right out of college. Cinched up my tie, answered every jack-ass question seriously, shook hands like a candidate. Got the job. Hated every second of my life for six months, never quite caught my breath, and then got fired. Joy, again.”

Or, here’s a tidbit from my own biography: “We were vandals as kids, mostly ineffective and innocent, but occasionally stunning models of terrorism. Asked an engineer how many railroad ties his cow-catcher could handle… and the next day, put all those plus one on the tracks. Derailed the train, and our genuine horror of success was deepened by the realization we better watch our asses if we were gonna engage with the adult world like that.”

Three sentences. Yeah, long ones, but three coherent, correct sentences. A complete story, with entry point, action, and quasi-moral ending.

Consider how looooooooooooong I could have dragged that tale out, and been absolutely justified in doing so. Because, hey, the thing took place over a couple of days, and there are details of our gang and the neighborhood and the derailment that are fascinating.

Just friggin’ fascinating.

But longer stories should only be told if you’re invited to tell them. As in, writing your thousand-page biography, and selling it. Anyone buys, it’s a tacit agreement to put up with every long-winded tale you’ve got up your sleeve.

Watch a bad movie tonight. Not a good one, or even a cult sleazoid one, appreciated for being bad.

No, watch a dull, plodding, no-thumbs-up disaster. You’ll discover that it has nothing to do the stars in the cast, the money in the budget, the director, the studio, or even the script. (People have screwed up Shakespeare, you know.)

Watch it critically. Consider WHY it’s boring you. And think of ways it could speed up the pace, nudge your attention, be better. The culprit will almost always be the storytelling.

Now, it’s your turn.

Leave a 3-sentence story from your life in the comments section. Don’t be shy — we’re all trying new stuff this year (or should be). Trashing old limitations, stretching new boundaries, waking up and engaging the world on new terms.

I promise to read every one. I’ll even toss in a few comments myself, when warranted.

This is a SAFE forum, you know. We’re all friends, or at least cohorts in the quest for better living and finer biz results.

Honing your storytelling chops requires releasing your shy restrictions, and just doing it. Get comfy with the concept, and get better with the details each time you try again.

I won’t mock anyone, and I’ll read every submission. Some of you are already damn good, others can use a lot of work… but we ALL need a kick in the butt once in a while to continue getting better at storytelling.

C’mon. Three lines. That forces you to be concise, to consider every single word carefully, and to crunch large chaotic experiences into tidy little narratives with a point.

I’m not looking for funny. Not looking for tears. Not looking for anything profound.

Just a story.

For some writers, this will be a true test, because you aren’t used to pushing yourself like this. However, the best already do.

Stay frosty,

John Carlton
www.carltoncoaching.com

Carlton, copywriting, entrepreneur, freelance copywriters, life lessons, living life well, long copy websites, marketing, salesmanship, storytelling

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