The first SALE your copy has to make is...

> you have to "sell" the reader on
> the single idea to...

> KEEP READING...

Aha! BTW, still like the way you twist and tease and lead with your post titles. How could I not read them?

> BUT before a single word of copy gets
> written down, you must know, NO, you MUST
> KNOW who it is you are addressing.

Agreed, Mr. Influence! Drawing circle...

> There are those products that just CAN'T be
> sold by copy, and I don't care who writes
> it...the things that Don Alm does so easily,
> that face-to-face advertising (or any
> product) is what a lot of people NEED to do,
> but want some magic copy to do that job for
> them.

Aw, shucks, you don't have any magic copy for me?

I know exactly what you mean, Gordon. I can attest to this in my area as well. Tried some remote stuff on restaurant owners. As a test. No response. Of course, would've done marginally better (I'm guessing) if followed up with phone calls, but wanted to test the letters as stand alones.

> I tend to be "brutally" honest
> about products I write on, and don't
> hesitate to tell people that I can't do it
> (I'd bet no one can, but that's what keeps
> advertising agencies in business see?)

I wondered what kept advertising agencies in business...

> Some things have to be sold in person, there
> is NO WAY around this.

I'll remember that. Thanks.

> Just those three questions will take you
> miles down the road when you are trying to
> write copy that produces results.

Great. They'll get a permanent place beside me anytime I have to write any copy!

Thanks for keeping us in the loop with what you're thinking and working on, Gordon.

Success,

Erik