Probably not expecting this

I want to talk about three surprising revelations that helped me learn how to write great copy. They're not what you expect.

To view this email as a web page, click here

                                                           

Candidate, You already know my copywriting course, Call to Action, closes tonight at 11:59pm. But you might not be expecting what I'm about to write in this email. See, a normal "closing" email would tell you 24 reasons you "NEED" to join this course, and add in 14 bonuses and scarcity tactics. So I'd like to talk about something different here, something most people wouldn't talk about. I want to talk about three surprising revelations that helped me learn how to write great copy. They're not what you expect. SURPRISING REVELATION #1: Being different is hard Why do so many websites sound the same? I'm not just talking about the 99% of life-coaching sites that use the exact same phrases ("Work with me") or the inscrutable language on enterprise software websites. I'm talking about how if you ask people, "Do you want to sound the same as everyone else?" they'll shake their heads no. Then they'll go back to writing the same words, wearing the same Gap clothes, and scrolling through the same Instagram memes. Just look what you're wearing, eating, and writing right now! I get it. The same is safe. The same is comfortable. Shit, I like Instagram memes. But in business, the same is death. When I started really learning copywriting, I was terrified of sounding like everyone else. I started with one hand tied behind my back — the name of my site, I Will Teach You To Be Rich — so I had to work twice as hard to make sure people wouldn't think it was a scam. I tried to highlight how I went to Stanford. I highlighted my New York Times best-selling book, and even my photo in Forbes Magazine next to Warren Buffett. Still, I had skeptics. But the thing that made the biggest impact was actually learning how to write in a totally different way than everyone else. We've all had enough with the generic-sounding platitudes, the vague testimonials, and the "kumbaya" promises of being able to help everyone under the sun. ENOUGH! Think of the last time you looked for something online. Maybe it was eyeglasses, or a new salon. You look at 10 different places and they all sound the same, so what do you do? Go to Yelp? Read some random review? That's exactly what your customers are doing to you.  You may have spent years working on your business, but your customers will give you mere seconds. They want to be convinced — they're actually BEGGING for someone to cut through the noise and help them — but if your copy doesn't show why you're different, you've failed. Don't be misled by the identical-sounding copy in most markets. You may think there's a reason they're all using the same phrases … but in reality, most business people have never studied copywriting at all! There's no method to the madness. They're just following the same worn-out path as everyone else. (And frequently, the only difference is who can shout the loudest!) I never wanted to play that game, because the minute you try to compete with 5,000 other sites using the same old tactics — scarcity! steal these headlines! make sure you include 4 bonuses, then an upsell worth 25% of the original purchase price! — you've lost. In life, being the same is comfortable. In business, being the same is death. SURPRISING REVELATION #2: The humility to learn from other people Yes, I also find it hilarious that humility was a surprising revelation. At a certain point, I started to get better at copywriting. I'd been reading books, practicing writing, and even selling a few small products. Eventually, my business crossed the $1 million mark. Then $2 million. And beyond. This was a pivotal moment because my business was now generating more than the people who I'd originally learned from. So I had two choices:  Decide I was doing pretty well and I didn't need to learn from those books or courses. Kind of logical, since I was generating millions of dollars. Double down on learning. Who knows how much better I could get? Guys, this isn't a hypothetical. Look at the email I got when we first launched this course. What he's really saying is, "Am I too advanced for this?" If it's not already obvious, I doubled down on option #2, learning. In fact, I still buy books and courses from people who make a fraction of what IWT generates. I'm talking about $10 books and $5,000 courses, even though my business has continued to grow! I never think I'm too advanced to learn from anyone. We have Call to Action members who already generate hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why do you think they joined? They could sit back and continue generating lots of revenue — but they know there's a limit to how far they can go. The best always invest in themselves. Even LeBron James practices the fundamentals (dribbling, layups, etc.) every day. Humility — even when you get to the multimillion-dollar level — is incredibly rare. You won't see many other people talking about this, because it's easier to write a blog post about 87 Headline Ideas You Must Steal Today. But the humility to keep learning is what fuels the very best — the ones who sail past the formulaic copywriters and actually grow solid, profitable businesses. SURPRISING REVELATION #3: FUN I always laugh when I see these 27-point principles of how you should write a sales page or an email funnel. Can you imagine if we used the same techniques in the real world? "OK, Jimmy, this is a playground. Remember what we talked about? First, I want you to take 3 laps. Then, twice on the monkey bars. ONLY ONCE — this is important! — only once down the slide! Then repeat 27 times." It's totally ridiculous. Sure, we can guide kids on how to use the monkey bars once or twice, but then we just let them play … and we watch them come to life. No formulas. No strict rules. A few guidelines, then let them explore. Do you see how this is true in copywriting? In fact, do you see how this is true in this very email? I could have given you "15 steps to having fun," but instead I used a metaphor we all understand — children playing. Why do you think it connected so deeply? What if you didn't have to play in the same sandbox as everyone else? What if you could use examples, metaphors, stories … and your customers would actually look forward to hearing from you? When your copy is different and it truly connects, your competitors will be scrambling to understand what you're doing. But it doesn't matter. Because you and your customers will have built a tight, profitable relationship … and that's something nobody can ever take away from you. Ultimately, copywriting is very simple. You use words to engage with people at every stage of the process — awareness, deeper engagement, sales, and post-purchase relationship. But the subtle wrinkles are where the magic is. Not the beat-them-over-the-head, MUST-USE-ALL-CAPS style of copywriting. Just 3 subtle wrinkles. First, you can have the best product, but the only thing anyone sees is your copy. So your copy better be engaging and instantly arresting. Second, sounding the same as everyone else is death. Write a single page. Ask your friends to look at it compared to 3 competitors. Can they tell the difference? If not, why would anyone choose you? Third — I love this one — great copy pays you again and again. This isn't easy. Anyone who tells you it is is lying to you. But when you learn how to write great copy and use it as a tool to grow your business, you can "lock in" those gains for years to come. That great sales page can continue to inspire people to join your program for years. So, you have a choice today. I'm not going to beat you over the head telling you 462 reasons to join Call to Action.  I could tell you how Call to Action will help you double your revenue. I could also show you the dozens of strategies we used to stand out in some of the most competitive markets in the world, including personal finance, careers, entrepreneurship, and even fitness. But there's really only one thing that matters. You're reading page 6 of this 1,500+ word email on a Friday afternoon. I'm not yelling or using tired old scarcity tactics. In fact, even if you don't buy, that's fine — I'll still continue to send you free material that's better than anyone else's paid stuff. Sure, you could try to learn copywriting on your own. Do what most people do. Get a couple books and give it your best shot. But the way I think about it is … once you've decided to learn copywriting, wouldn't you want to give yourself every advantage? Wouldn't you want to know how to stand out among a litany of identical competitors … and play a totally different game?  And when you've made the decision to learn, wouldn't you want to learn from someone whose copy you're reading right now? If so, I'd like to welcome you into Call to Action.  It closes tonight at 11:59pm. I hope to see you inside. Click here to join Call to Action.   Join Call to Action now   X This email was sent to 247translationwork.dailywork@blogger.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may unsubscribe at any time. I Will Teach You To Be Rich 548 Market St #89946 San Francisco, CA 94104-5401