Shhh! the Real Secret to Writing Amazing Copy

What I’m about to share with you is a secret so juicy that most copywriters don’t dare let it out to the public because it could put them out of business. It took me about four years to refine this technique and now I’m ready to spill the beans to you. This one hidden technique alone can forever change how you write emails, sales copy, direct mail…in fact anything you need to write so you get more leads and convert those leads to sales.

I figured it out the hard way – struggling for years making lots of mistakes in my copywriting. I don’t remember the exact moment this technique revealed itself to me…but I use it all the time now. Last week I shared the secret for the first time to a good friend…

We were sitting at an elite golf club here in South Florida. She was complaining how everything in her business was taking off beautifully…except for one thing…
She HATED writing copy.

For her writing copy was like walking on a wet carpet with socks on.

And it’s not like she can outsource copywriting so easily. The good copywriters charge as much for one sales letter as a used Cadillac (or two!) (And good luck trying to find someone who’s reasonably priced and still an effective copywriter.) There’s no avoiding the fact – if you want to succeed in business you must write great copy.
I leaned closer to her, “Do you want to know the secret to writing great copy that has your personality AND that works AND that you can write in a fraction of the time?”
“You’d better tell me!” she said.
Okay…here’s what to do:
There’s two parts to this technique – Swiping and Infusing. The first part is swiping…

 Part 1 – Swipe the Structure of Master Copywriters

Bookmark the sales copy of master copywriters: John Carlton, Dan Kennedy, Ali Brown, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, etc. Get on their lists and keep all their emails.
When it’s time for you to write your sales letter or email simply follow their STRUCTURE. When they establish credibility, you establish credibility. When they agitate, you agitate. Go down the line and imitate the architecture of their letter or email.

Look – it’s called COPYwriting for a reason!

Now let me be clear…don’t copy them exactly! That’s plagiarism. It’s not cool and will get you in trouble. AND you don’t have to copy them exactly – this is where the second part of my technique comes in…

 Part 2 – Infuse Your Personality in Your Writing

Follow the layout of great copy from the masters…but don’t copy their style. It’s their style – not yours. Instead, look at what they wrote and ask yourself, “If I was sitting at a coffee shop with a potential client, how would I say the same thing in my own language?”

The secret is to write like you talk.

When you’re excited about something, how do you talk? Do you have a certain rhythm to your speech? A special flow? THAT’S what you want to capture in words – while sticking to the structure of the masters.

This may take some practice…

The biggest mistake I see entrepreneurs make when trying to write copy is they think they have to sound important. It’s like they put on a Napoleon hat that says “Doing Official Business.” No, no, no. That’s not it at all. You want to write like you talk to your best friends.

There’s an art to writing like you talk. It’s still crafted writing. Look at Hemingway. The trick is writing like you talk and then editing like crazy. The best book on the subject is “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser. (This book changed my life. In college I spent weeks laboring over a simple essay. After I read this book I can now write pages and pages with ease and grace.)

As you get good at this technique you’ll look forward to writing that next article or email. And your readers will appreciate it because your writing is suddenly interesting. This all translates to a more loyal following and more sales for you.

Good luck and have fun with your writing. Make it your own. Make it another form of self-expression and you’ll be free from ever having to pay ridiculous amounts to a copywriter.   

© 2008, James Roche