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How I Get Rich; 
How I Make My Clients Richer
Posted on August 1, 2005 by Clayton Makepeace
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8 Ways Business Owners,
Marketing Execs and Copywriters
Can Produce Bigger Winners More Often
Dear Business Builder,
A lot has been said recently about the fact that I make five to ten times more
money than most copywriters and even copywriting coaches.
The American Writers and Artists Institute is blasting out thousands of letters
bearing a headline announcing that I make more than $1 million a year. The
great direct response guru Bob Bly tells his readers that I earn more than any
copywriter alive.
Frankly, I wince when people say stuff like that. For one thing, who knows if
it’s true? Unless every copywriter in America submitted his or her tax returns
for comparison, there’s no way to be sure.
What worries me most is that when some people hear this, they figure I must
be the most expensive copywriter out there. Baloney. The truth is, my fees
are only a measly eight to ten percent of what I earn for my clients.
That said, it is true that I do pretty well in the royalty department. My best
year so far was 2003 – nearly $3 million. Next best? Nearly $2 million in
2002. My best month? July of 2003: $650,000 in royalties. In all, I’ve only had
two years under $1 million in the last ten, and in both of those years, I only
missed it by an eyelash.
So what’s the deal here? Do I make up to 1,000% more because I write ten
times more direct response ads and mail packages? Is it because I’m ten
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He DOES exist! He DOES exist!
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Do You Believe?
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times smarter or ten times the writer everyone else is?
Absolutely, unequivocally NO on all counts!
But I do have a secret – a secret that will multiply any good copywriter’s
income and send his client’s profits through the roof.
So if you’re a copywriter looking to make millions …
Or if you’re a business owner or marketing exec looking to help your
copywriters earn you tens of millions, even hundreds of millions more than
they do now …
… Snag a cup of Starbucks and have a seat. This will take a little while, but
when we’re done, you’ll have the keys to the kingdom.
I’m about to pull another one 
of my famous disappearing acts.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not welching on my promise to help you get bigger
winners more often in The Total Package. And if you’re a client who has
already reserved some of my time between now and Christmas, rest
assured: You’ll get your copy.
But that’s probably going to be all the freelance copywriting I do for a long
while.
Taking myself off of the freelance market is not unusual for me. I know: I’ve
seen me do it four times before …
The first time was in 1982, when I spent a year focused exclusively on
Security Rare Coin in Minneapolis (120,000 new customers; sales
jumped from $360,000 to $16 million a month in one year).
In 1983, I disappeared again, then showed up in New Orleans, working
exclusively with Blanchard & Company (quadrupled sales to $120
million a year; helped the owner sell the company for $45 million).
In 1992, I took myself off the market to focus exclusively on Phillips
Publishing (2 million new subscribers for Health & Healing plus many
more for other letters).
And in 1999, I did it again to give my undivided attention to Weiss
Research (more than quadrupled subscriber files, made Safe Money
Report the largest $99 investment letter in the world, helped quadruple
profits on the house file).
Each time I vanished, former clients began to wonder, “Why isn’t Clayton
calling for a new assignment?”
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Then, they noticed something funny on the data cards they use to select
mailing lists: A small competitor’s customer file was suddenly growing like
crazy – doubling …
tripling … quadrupling, or even more.
The marketing people got curious. They called a meeting to examine the up-
and-comer’s direct mail and try to figure out why it’s working so well. And
they put out feelers to see who’s writing the copy, hoping to get on the hot
new writer’s schedule.
Each time the answer has been the same: “It’s nobody new – just Clayton.”
Now, I’m about to go underground yet again. Here’s why …
My best years ever began yesterday.
Early this year, a dear friend and former accomplice of mine called to say
“Hi.” My buddy and I worked together on a variety of projects since the early
1980s – and he now owns a successful company that handles the nuts-and-
bolts end of things for small-ish direct marketers: Promotion and media
planning, printing, mailing, response analysis, IT, that kind of stuff.
Actually, my old pal was calling to say more than just “Hi.” He wanted to
know if I’d consider accepting a freelance assignment from one of his clients:
A small direct response company I’d never heard of. (Sorry – confidentiality
agreements prohibit me from disclosing proprietary information about clients
I’m currently working with – including in this case, the client’s name).
I declined, saying I was giving up the freelance writing racket. I was looking
for one good client in whom I could fully invest myself.
Ideally, I was looking for a client who would benefit from “The Total Package:”
Not just copy, but everything I have to offer – consulting on corporate
structure and marketing procedures … product development … new
customer acquisition campaign strategies … customer lifetime value
optimization … and of course, copywriting, graphic design, response analysis
and roll-out strategy.
In short, a client who would give me the freedom to take him to the moon,
thus making us both millions.
My friend got excited: “This could be the guy!” he said. “This guy is a dream
client. He’s smart, honest, hard-working, has a kick-butt product line. He’s
already growing his company by leaps and bounds, gives copywriters their
heads, and pays promptly. What more could you possibly want?”
I dunno – Angelina Jolie in a compromising position?
I accepted one assignment on a trial basis – a “first date” – to see if there was
chemistry between us, with both parties agreeing that the goal was a long-
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term, in-depth relationship.
Long story short:
The client was a dream to work with.The work went quickly.
My copy beat his control by three to one.
We drew up a long-term contract and got hitched.
Before the ink dried on our new contract, I asked the client and my friend to
meet me in Atlanta for an intensive weekend of review, brainstorming and
strategy – three days to rethink the client’s company, products and
promotions – and get us all ready for the explosive growth we were about to
create.
The cast of characters
There would be five of us, I figured: The client, my friend, The Redhead,
Carline and myself.
Introductions are in order:
The Redhead (A.K.A. “Wendy”) isn’t called that just because she has red hair
(which she does). We call her that because she is a redhead in every sense
of the word: Fiery, spontaneous, fast-talking, fast-walking, pert and
impertinent, impish and impudent, and smart as hell. Killer smile. Cute can.
The Redhead is a former Director of Marketing for Phillips Publishing – the
giant publishing company on the Potomac. She started in customer service at
the ripe old age of 18 and worked her way up over a decade – learning and
improving every facet of that direct response business.
She counted the money in the mail room … cheerfully handled cranky
subscribers in customer service … designed budgets and response reports
for the marketing departments she served … fought printers for every nickel
and sweated over hot press checks at 2:00 AM … created reams of
successful mail plans … built and managed a crackerjack marketing staff …
hired copywriters and critiqued their copy … and built Health & Healing into
the single most successful health newsletter in the history of health
newsletters.
Then one day, some unprincipled bastard stole her away from Phillips,
married her, and made her the mother of my kids.
So The Redhead was going to be there. So was Carline.
Carline Anglade-Cole is, well, a force of Nature. She’s got more energy
than Three Mile Island: Lights up every room she walks into. Makes you
laugh until your sides ache. Makes Robin Williams seem like an insufferable
bore. I adore her.
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When The Redhead was Marketing Director at Phillips, Carline was her
wingman – doing list plans, ordering lists, taking care of all the details. A few
years ago, Carline called to ask if I’d make her a copywriter. “OK,” I said. We
wrote a bunch of direct mail promotions together, then she took off on her
own.
She did good. Carline has more controls under her belt than you have fingers
on your hands. Her royalties are huge, and she’s living the dream: A custom
swimming pool for the family … a new Corvette for her hubby … a lavish new
home for her mom … college educations for all four kids … and most
recently, Carline’s royalties allowed her family to move into a brand-spanking
new Tara-style mansion in Atlanta.
So that was my part of the team.
On my client’s side, I expected him to bring himself – a brilliant, creative,
detail-oriented, and determined young man who has done pretty much
everything right. He doubled sales revenues every year for the first several
years. Last year, revenues grew by 50%, and this year, they’re on track for
30% growth.
And of course, I expected my client to bring my old friend – a marketing
organizer, implementer, expediter and analyzer extraordinaire.
But to my surprise, my client brought a much bigger team: His brilliant,
vivacious beauty queen of a wife, his four amazing kids, his winsome sister-
in-law and her son, and his business-savvy dad and mom!
When’s the last time a “copywriter” did all 
this for you?
Then we had the three most intense days I have ever had. We put every
aspect of my client’s company under the microscope.
At the end of each day, I was completely spent. My head hurt, my body
ached, and I collapsed unconscious into the bed.
I loved every minute of it.
Just a few of the high points …
We gave our new client powerful tools to maximize the lifetime value
of each of his customers …
We showed him how to attract tens of thousands of additional new
customers each year …
We showed him how to consistently create blockbuster products
with fewer misfires …
We showed him how to multiply the number of sales he’ll make to
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new customers in their first 60 days with him …
We ramped up the selling power of his existing promotion packages
with great new headlines and test ideas …
We helped him get more from his list brokers and copywriters …
We handed him a complete web strategy that will bring him tens of
thousands of new customers … ramp up sales among existing
customers … and even lower the average age of his customers – all
for less than $10,000 in start-up fees.
We gave him a dozen hot new product ideas …
And we gave him a 90-day plan for quadrupling his new-to-file
customers.
My fee for all of this: $0
It was the best money I never earned.
My guess is that the tools, strategies, new products and the new promotions
we’ll be doing will more than double the size of my client’s active customer
file in the next 12 months.
I’m also predicting that beginning in September, each new customer will
spend an absolute minimum of five times more money with him in their first
60 days on his file.
And I’ll bet dollars to donuts that the combination of these hot new products,
more efficient marketing strategies and more powerful sales copy will have
him at $200 million in two years – a 1,000% increase – and at $300 million in
three.
Of course, the royalties my team will earn on all of this will be well into the
millions of dollars each and every year – and still be about half the “tip” you
give to a good waiter: Only about 10% of his vastly increased net sales.
Any way you look at it, that’s a LOT better than
freelancing – BOTH for my client and for me!
Don’t get me wrong: Freelancing has been very good to me. If you’re a
freelancer, you accept assignments to create direct response ads and mail
packages for many different clients and for many different products. It’s a
great way to get started in this business.
But frankly, a lot about it really sucks.
First, there’s the whole “selling yourself” thing. You have to bang the phone
and pound the pavement to get assignments. You have to spend valuable
time scheduling your writing time – and then juggling your schedule to
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accommodate your clients.
Not fun. Worse than that, not productive. Nobody pays you to do this stuff.
They pay you to write. Period.
Then, there’s the learning curve on each new job. You have to spend days,
even weeks of each new project learning about the market … learning about
the client … wrapping your mind around the product.
Even if you write for the same client three, four or more times a year, you still
have to shift gears each time you return to him. And more often than not,
you’ll have to learn about a product you’ve never promoted before each time.
This, too, is dead time for copywriters. When we’re not producing copy, we’re
not earning money. When we’re not earning money, we’re spending it.
Next, there’s the chemistry thing. Some clients you’re going to love, and
they’re going to love you back. But sometimes, the chemistry is just all
wrong. The client doesn’t “get” you, or vice-versa. Or maybe you find yourself
working with a newbie who is intent on systematically destroying your copy.
Big bummer.
Finally, there’s the competition. It’s one thing to take aim at a control and
beat the living daylights out of it. That’s good fun. But more often than not,
the clientthrows your package up against two or three new packages by
other, equally gifted writers.
No matter how well you do your job, there’s a significant probability the theme
or premium or offer you’ve been assigned won’t resonate as well as those
given to your competitors. If so, you’re going to get creamed. No royalties for
you!
All that goes away when you choose to focus on a single client. There’s no
selling. No dead spots. No scheduling nightmares. No problems with
chemistry; you had it or you wouldn’t have the relationship. And you never
have to worry about the competition. You’re free to put 110% of your energy
into every project with no distractions whatsoever.
Is it any wonder that copywriters who pursue these kinds of relationships wind
up with bigger winners, more often, and greater income?
If you’re a copywriter, here’s my advice …
1. Expand your skills. OK, so you’re a creative pro. Maybe it’s time to
immerse yourself in the science of direct response. Take courses. Read
books. Attend seminars. Do whatever it takes to get a solid grasp of the nuts-
and-bolts side of the business.
Why? Because as you better understand the challenges your clients face,
you’ll be able to create packages that better fill their needs.
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Few copywriters give much thought to anything but the copy. You’ll be miles
ahead if you also consider …
What are your clients looking for? Maximum response at break-even
(produces the most new customers)? Or maximum return on investment
(produces the greatest profit per piece mailed)?
How does your client track response and read results? Is there a way to
help your clients get back out into the mail faster, therefore doing more
mailings per year? Roll out with bigger numbers sooner, sending annual
mail quantities and your royalties into the stratosphere?
Which kinds of test panels should you recommend to give you a better
chance of winning? What headline, guarantee, offer, response device and
other test ideas hasn’t the client thought of?
How does the cost of the format you’ve chosen for your package affect
your odds of winning? Should you stick with something cheap – say a two-
color report-style piece? Or will a big, tabloid-sized piece give you enough
of a lift to more than offset the added cost?
Go to school on web-based marketing. Get a grasp on how to launch and
promote an e-zine and a website. Study the differences between writing
for the web and writing for print. Then, offer your services for web-based
promotions as well as direct mail and print.
Having a mastery of the “other side” of the business can not only give you
bigger winners more often; but it also makes you a more valuable
contributor to your clients’ success.
2. Be more selective. Seek assignments from clients who have the
resources to help you to big winners. Avoid clients who drag their feet,
demand scores of unnecessary drafts or insist on treating you as “just a
copywriter.”
Covet clients who are eager to have you participate in a wider range of
marketing activities, and who welcome ideas for sharpening their company
and product positioning and their offers.
3. Seek long-term relationships. When you’ve found a client you work well
with and with whom you are able to produce strong controls, start a
conversation about how you might improve your relationship with them.
Consider innovative compensation strategies that work better for both of you,
up to and including a multi-year exclusive with that client.
Knowing the client’s company, market and products inside-out will save you
time on each job, enable you to produce more jobs per year, and get bigger
winners, more often!
If you hire writers, here's how to get their best …
I’ve spent a lot of time on both sides of this equation. And if you’re a business
owner or marketing exec who hires writers, I feel your pain.
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Copywriters can be a pain in the ass: Quirky, preening, self-willed, creative
weirdos who require careful handling to protect their fragile egos.
They’re almost never available when you need them and hound you for
assignments when you don’t. They constantly stray from the themes they’ve
been assigned … demand that you produce piles of costly new premiums …
write way too long or way too short … fail to substantiate crucial facts they’ve
presented in the copy … buck like hell against your compliance guidelines …
and pout like 3-year-olds when you critique their “brilliant” first drafts.
And of course, to a copywriter, your deadline is important only because it
indicates how many weeks late your job is going to be. After all – you’re just
one of their clients. If you get mad, they’ll just move on.
On the other hand, you have copywriters you love. And deepening your
relationship with the best of the best can only pay huge dividends for you.
So if you’re a business owner or marketing exec, why not …
1. Get closer to your best writers: Look for opportunities to meet face to
face and bond with writers who give you winners. Fly them in. Fly out to see
them. Invite them on the company picnic. Send them the company
newsletter. Have the prez send a balloon bouquet with every new control. A
strong personal relationship transcends everything – including money – in
keeping your writers motivated.
2. Think outside the box: It’s hard, I know; the freelance copywriter model
has been around so long, doing things differently feels risky. And unless
you’re the owner, you may have to fight some internal battles to break the
mold.
But why not identify the one, two or even three writers who consistently
produce winners for you and lock them up? Consider incentivizing them with
retainer deals or a small override on back-end sales made to the new
customers they produce for you. Sweeten the pot, and you’ll get the best
more often than your competitors will.
And why not ask your superstar writers to mentor and/or copy chief a junior
writer on a few projects? You’ll get more packages per year and maybe even
a great new writer!
3. Encourage your copywriters to give you more: Challenge your writers
to get more involved in the marketing process. Offer rewards to writers who
find ways to improve your offer, premiums or guarantee.
4. Engage writers to write back-to-back packages for the same product:
The one time a writer is most immersed in your product is when he’s just
finished writing a promotion for it. A second package right away requires no
learning curve whatsoever – and he’s got tons of ideas he couldn’t use in the
package he just finished.
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Try it: It works like a charm!
5. If a great writer makes an offer to focus exclusively on your
company’s products, jump on it!
Unorthodox? Yes. But aren’t all breakthrough ideas?
Remember: I’ve tried it four times. So far, I’m batting a thousand. Each time,
the client’s sales exploded. Each time, I made a mint. Any way you look at it,
that’s a big win-win for everybody.
Why wouldn’t it work for you?
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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6 Responses to How I Get Rich; 
How I Make My Clients Richer
Answers to Your Most 
Pressing Questions About Getting 
Bigger Winners More Often →
Brian Bailey says:
June 6, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Hi, very interesting thus far. Have you got any ‘magic’ advice you can
supply me so I can grow an incredibly viable marketing business,
currently only off-line (will become on-line too when I can afford to). I
own an entirely unique marketing product (a new way for businesses
to advertise) where we can produce results over 80% (norm is 0.02%
response) with a results guarantee. It operates as a ‘promotions
network’ with a closed-loop referral system, so generates client
loyalty and a buyer data-base too. So efficient and effective a new
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client costs around 70cents only.
My trouble? I’m a manufacturing systems developer(lean, continuous
improvement etc) so have no idea how to get it to market. Nor can
afford to throw any cash at it now, having wasted my small capital
trying to launch. So, where do I find somebody like you that will join
me, get us to market, grow us brilliantly and take a solid contracted
permanent percentage? I would love to know where the genius I
need is hiding. everything is ready to go in Australia, NZ and actually
anywhere else. It is a patent-pending business system too.
Reply
Rick says:
April 19, 2012 at 2:03 pm
I don’t remember how I found the training you guys put
together but I know it started with me wanting to learn to write
sales letters. I haven’t gone a day without using the training
you guys share here, for a long time now.
Thank you.
Reply
Nancy Hyden Woodward says:
June 6, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Clayton,Can hardly wait for a year to pass just to hear what you did
for your new client during that time. It’s pointless to wish you good
luck. Redundant to remark "Fabulous". Ridiculous to ask, "Nervous
about Number 5?"So, I just smile and say, I’ll keep learning from
you.Thank you.
Reply
Markus Trauernicht says:
June 9, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Gets my own thinking-cogwheels turning faster ….
Best wishes!
Markus Trauernicht
Reply
Ron Redner says:
October 17, 2008 at 7:52 am
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/how-i-get-rich-how-i-make-my-clients-richer/?replytocom=3781#respond
http://www.jimyaghi.com/
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http://woodwarddirect.com/
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http://www.optimusprimus.de/
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/how-i-get-rich-how-i-make-my-clients-richer/?replytocom=3854#respond
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Clayton, you’re a very down to earth person.
I appreciate your style.
Sincerely,
Ron Redner
Reply
Rhavda Emison says:
August 31, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I have really enjoyed reading this article. It has given me several
ideas but how to implement them is the question. I grow, manufacture
and make the only American Made Rose Oil for my aromatherapy
company. I am not very computer literate. I am learning something
new each day. The mind-set in the aromatherapy world at this point
in time is to buy anywhere but from the United States and that is a
major problem for the small growers and manufacturers like myself
and others. I’ve tried “creating a craze” over the rose oil but because
it is not from Bulgaria, Turkey or France no one wants to take a
chance on it. Got any ideas? I am open to trying them. At present I
started working for a network marketing company in order to build up
a larger client base so that I can introduce my American made
products to people but I’m not sure if that is going to work. I don’t
have the money for a large advertising campaign and my current web
site is very understated because I ran out of money. I am reading
your articles to bolster me and to give me ideas. Thank you for being
out here.
Reply
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Answers to Your Most 
Pressing Questions About Getting 
Bigger Winners More Often
Posted on August 15, 2005 by Clayton Makepeace
Like Sign Up to see what your friends like.
How to become a better marketer
Writing for the Internet vs. direct mail
What to do when you have no testimonials
How new copywriters get gigs
5 ways to get your envelopes opened
Long copy or short copy – what’s best?
Do you have to be an American to make it as a copywriter here?
Warm and fuzzy vs. hard-hitting copy: Which is best?
Why I’m really doing this …
And (as they say), Much, MUCH MORE!
Dear Business-Builder,
We get a lot of e-mails at The Total Package. Here are a few I’ve answered
personally – and I’m hoping my answers could help you too …
* * * * *
Clayton:
Can you offer some examples of how to expand my skills?
← How I Get Rich; 
How I Make My Clients Richer
Confessions of a 
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How do I immerse myself in the science of direct response? Where do I find
courses? What books would you recommend? How do I find out about
seminars?”
–S.S.
Congrats – expandingyour skills is the quickest way to multiply your
income!
I'd suggest you jump on Amazon.com and buy …
1. Successful Direct Marketing Methods by Bob Stone
2. Complete Idiot's Guide to Direct Marketing by Bob Bly
I'd also suggest that you Google Jay Abraham, Marlon Sanders and
Dan Kennedy. They all have great books and courses on direct
marketing techniques.
Also, keep reading THE TOTAL PACKAGE.
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Clayton,
I'm enjoying the hell out of your e-mails … keep-em coming buddy!
I'd love to know how you transition smoothly into the close.
As a salesman I enjoyed a high closing rate (I assumed the close) and the
presentation was so heavy with benefits that the customer would just come
right out and say: “So how do we get started?” Or, “Do I write you a check
now or at delivery?”
Sometimes they'd even say, “You've got to go see my brother or sister” – or
who-ever. Hell – one time, a customer not only gave me 27 referrals … she
even made all the appointments for me!
I'd love to know how to transfer that into my copy.
– P.B.
Sure, I can write about that – it's easy in my business.
I just spend the first half of the package selling a great free gift, then
say something like, "How to Get Your FREE Copy of XXX."
Then, I tell 'em it's free for anyone who accepts a risk-free trial of the
newsletter, or buys the book. Then, I sell the heck out of the main
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product, justify my price, relieve their risk and ask for the order.
Or, if I lead with the product instead of the premium, I just insert a price
justification section.
They've seen all my benefits and are thinking, "Wow! This is great! I bet
it costs a fortune!" So I make the value of my product the superstar.
"Normally, you'd expect to pay a gazillion bucks for something this
cool. But I don't want you to pay that much. So for a limited time …"
yadayadayada.
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Clayton:
Do you feel that the same headline works as well in direct mail and on the
Internet?
–S.M.
People are driven by the same fears and desires when standing at their
mailboxes as when sifting through their e-mail or browsing the Web.
However, the media are very different.
The negligible cost of posting an ad on the Internet or blasting an e-mail
promotion has attracted a lot of unsavory characters to the Web. Some
make all kinds of ridiculous and irresponsible claims. Others are
nothing more than rip-off artists.
As a result, I believe that prospects are far more skeptical of promises
made in on-line sales copy than they are of benefits promised in direct
mail, television, radio, or print. And so, I try to address this skepticism
very aggressively when writing for the ’net.
The Internet also gives you the opportunity to respond instantly to
current events – a huge advantage when writing for the financial
markets, for example.
Say Greenspan shocks investors by raising interest rates a half-point
(instead of a quarter). There’s no way I would go with a general benefit-
oriented lead in an e-mail blast when I had that kind of fresh meat to
work with!
Conversely, in direct mail, you have a much larger area to work with. A
24-page special report or tabloid-sized self-mailer gives you a LOT
more real estate to present your headline and proof elements than you
get on a Web page or in the subject line of an e-mail blast.
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So in most cases, my headlines and decks for direct mail are often
quite different from what I do on the Web.
And of course, direct mail pieces tend to be longer copy and have a
longer shelf life in your prospect’s home than Web-based campaigns
do, so response differentials driven by the added copy, credibility
elements and so on can be significant.
All said, I’ll consider the results of headline tests done on the Internet,
but I never assume that the results will be replicated in the mail – and
vice-versa. The only way to know for sure how one headline will work in
a given medium is to test it in that medium.
Hope this helps …
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Clayton:
I'm a novice copywriter (living in England). I have written some e-blasts for
Apple Computers Inc. and have compiled a spec direct mail sales letter and
some critiques of other weak sales letters (but not sent them to anyone).
I have two related questions for you.
(1) When you want to get a first assignment from a project manager/creative
director, do you have to make an appointment and see the project manager
in person, or can you conduct the transaction over the phone, in the mail or
by e-mail?
(2) What is the best way to approach a manager/creative director the first
time? By phone or with a letter (followed up by a phone call)?
Your newsletter is inspiring!
– E.B.
Great to hear from you all the way from jolly old England!
Hope these answers will help …
1. 99% of the time, everything you need to do can be handled long-
distance. No need to do the face-to-face thing. e-mail, phone, mail and
FedEx pretty much do it all.
Project managers don't care what you look like – only that you can write
kick-butt copy. However at some point in the relationship, it wouldn't
hurt to find an excuse to get eyeball to eyeball with them. Kind of helps
smooth out the work process over the long haul.
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2. I'd start with an e-mail. Project managers spend too much time in
meetings, and you're likely to wind up as just another message in his
voice mail.
I'd fire off an e-mail introducing myself, and letting him/her know that
I’m sending some samples. And I’d say that if I don't hear from him first,
you'll give him a ring in a few days.
Then, I'd make sure my samples were on his desk the next day and cool
my heels for two to three days. If he doesn't call, I’d ring him up.
If the manager is out, I’d leave a message, then fire off an e-mail saying
I’d like to discuss my samples with him and ask when would be the best
time to call – try to set an appointment.
I hope this helps!
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Hi Clayton,
Thank you for a valuable n'letter.
One of the biggest limitations facing the promotion process of new products
(particularly in the sales letter) is a lack of testimonials. How do you
overcome this?
– S.H.
I'd get a bunch of samples of the product and pass them out to
everyone I know, everyone my client knows and everyone his
employees know.
Send them to friends around the country (so your testimonial
attributions are well-distributed geographically). Ask them to read it,
use it – whatever – for a few weeks and then tell you what they think.
If you don't hear from them in a couple of weeks, call and get their
testimonial over the phone (be sure to document the time of the call and
date for substantiation). Or, write the testimonial yourself – accurately
reflecting their views, of course – and ask them to sign it.
Also: Ask for photos of the folks who are kind enough to help you, and
use them along with their testimonials in your promotion.
It takes a little time, but if you get the ball rolling at the beginning of the
writing process, you should have some great testimonials well before
the drop date.
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Thanks forwriting!
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Clayton:
I would like to know if you have any advice for young copywriters starting out.
I am just finishing the AWAI accelerated CW course by Mike Masterson.
I want to be a freelance copywriter and I really want to be in the top 1%.
I understand that copywriters get agents to assist them and others ghost
write for other master writers. Do you take on new young CW and assist
them?
– S.S.
Regarding your questions …
1. John Finn is the dominant agent for copywriters in the information
industry. He's an old friend of mine (since 1974) and a great guy. His
Web address is http://www.johnfinn.com/. I'd suggest that you send him a
nice note with samples of things you've written, and see where it goes
from there.
2. At the moment, I have all the help I need, but as copywriting jobs
come available at my agency, ResponseInk, my Total Package readers
will be the first to know.
Good luck – can't wait to welcome you to the "A" list!
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Hi Clayton,
Your e-newsletter is marvelous and is a pleasure to read.
I read the issue How I Bagged $5 Million In Internet Sales In 5 Short Weeks
and am even more intrigued with the information now than I was before I
read it.
Is it possible to see/read (or receive) copies of the pieces you wrote for the
promotion … especially since it has already been completed?
As a beginning student of “the art of copywriting,” I would sincerely appreciate
the opportunity to study them.
http://www.johnfinn.com/
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Thank you very much in advance for your response.
– B.S.L.
I tried to get samples of these promotions from my client when I was
writing the article – no luck.
My suggestion is that you subscribe to a couple of financial and health
newsletters. You'll be amazed at how many promotions you get to
study!
All these guys rent names from each other and mail their promotions to
each other's names. So by subscribing to just a few newsletters, you'll
be deluged with promotion packages – and I guarantee you, a bunch will
be mine.
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Dear Clayton …
I’m a blooming copywriter in need of some water and fertilizer.
I get the meat and potatoes of writing a good sales letter … but what about
the envelope or packaging of it?
What are some ways to put the "junk mail radar" out of commission long
enough to open?
Do I create a completely new teaser headline to include on the envelope?
– D.
If you're looking for "fertilizer" you've definitely come to the right place!
The five most common strategies for getting envelopes opened are …
1. Offer something free inside.
2. Address a dominant emotion that the reader has about the subject at
hand – a fear that you assuage or a desire that you fulfill.
3. Directly address your product's most powerful unique benefit (your
U.S.P.).
4. Key in on a hot topic currently in the news and connect your lead
benefit with that.
5. Make the envelope look like something the prospect would open
normally: A bill, a letter from a friend, etc.
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– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Hi Clayton,
As a full-time freelance copywriter over here in the UK, I have one question:
How can guys like us land the ‘big fee’ assignments? Are they only open to
US copywriters and, if so, how can we make ourselves known to US firms?
– M.L.
C'mon over, Mark … the water's fine!
At least one of the top guys over here is a Brit – does quite well for
himself. His name is Richard Stanton-Jones.
If you can produce sales, nobody cares where you're from. Heck. My
clients would even hire a FRENCHMAN if they thought he could beat
their control.
No shame.
Anyways, welcome aboard – and if you ever decide to jump the pond
and check out the climate over here, let me know …
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
I got a bunch of e-mails asking how long I think sales copy should be.
Here are two …
* * * * *
Dear Clayton:
Just subscribed to your Total Package material and it looks great!
Could you please possibly cover something on 'long copy versus short copy'
sometime in the future?
As you are aware this has always been a bone of contention in marketing
circles, and it would be great to have your thoughts on whether long/short
copy is best or whether it doesn't make any real difference.
Thanks.
– M.C.
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England
Wow. Third e-mail from England today. You guys must be busy over
there!
Short answer: LONG COPY!
I've never seen short copy win in a heads-up test.
In the early 80s, I tested an 8-page letter against a 16 pager. 16 pager
won.
So I tested the 16 pager against a 24 pager. 24 pager won.
So I tested the 24 pager against a 32 pager. 32 pager won.
I tried to test a 40 pager, but it wouldn't fit in the envelope!
Just this year, I've tested several #10 envelope packages with 8-page
sales letters against 8.5" X 11" self-mailers with 24 pages of text. The
long copy beat the short copy by 50% to 70% each time.
Now, granted – my only frame of reference is in my own business: The
marketing of books and newsletters on health, finance and investment,
as well as nutritional supplements. And with an average sale around
$150-$170, my clients have plenty of margin to work with.
The cost that goes along with longer copy plays a big role in this
debate. If your margin is smaller, you may have no choice but to go with
shorter copy. And if your market is best reached with print ads, TV or
radio, you're also limited.
My philosophy: Write until you run out of benefits. Then go back and
make your copy as tight as a drum. Then let the sales message TELL
YOU how long or short it wants to be!
So long as you're speaking to the prospect's self interest … so long as
you're deftly stroking his dominant emotions about the subject at
hand … and so long as the copy is clear, concise, even fun to read, he's
going to stay with you.
And of course, if he's sold before you finish, he knows where to find the
order form.
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Hi Clayton,
Do you normally believe in the long copy theory that longer copy brings in
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more customers or the brief copy theory?
Are too many people learning copywriting these days?
– J.W.
I'm a long-winded, long-copy guy. I write until I run out of benefits and
reasons why my prospect should buy.
Usually, for information products (books and newsletters on finance,
investment and health), that takes me 30 to 50 pages of single-spaced
12 pt. type. Then, for direct mail, I cut it down to fit a 24-page special
report or magalog, or if I'm lucky, a 24-page tabloid-sized piece.
For the 'net, I've never done a promotion longer than 12 pages – so far.
But you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be testing longer copy soon!
When the medium forces me to "write to fit" – print, TV and radio – I, of
course, comply. This often turns out to be more difficult for me than
writing longer copy. Choosing which benefits to keep and which to get
cut is not a Sophie's choice I'm comfortable with.
Can I imagine a situation in which short copy would work better?
Yeah. If your product meets a need no other product does … if the proof
is a dead cinch … then a few lines of text in a printad, a 15-second spot
or on a postcard might do the trick.
In almost every project I've done, though, long copy wins every time.
Fact is, copy sells. And in my experience, long copy sells better.
The answer to your final question is an absolute, unequivocal "NO!"
There are NOT too many people learning to be copywriters today. Direct
response companies are starving for great sales copy. The demand is
huge and growing by the day. And the number of writers available to
meet that demand is tiny by comparison.
The American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) and others are doing
a great service to the economy, direct response business owners and,
of course, to young writers by bringing the next generation along.
I'm absolutely convinced that our best years ever are still ahead – and
will be for decades to come.
So start window shopping for the new Mercedes and the big Gulfstream
jet now … it won't be long!
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
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Dear Clayton,
I first would like to say how much I enjoyed your informative piece on "grab
your prospect by the eyeballs."
It has come to my partner and I at a very crucial time whilst we are about to
launch our services. In announcing our company’s offer, my partner and I
have a disagreement on our approach concerning headlines.
When promoting to people who don’t know you, would you grab them by the
short and curlies and "get their attention" by using a loud in-your-face
headline? Or would you do a softer, warmer initial approach introducing our
company and services – and then do a few follow-ups prior to hitting them in
between the eyes with what we are offering?
Hopefully you can be of help and lend us a bit of your wisdom.
– A.P.
I can't tell you how many times I've had that debate. Fact is, softer and
warmer just doesn't cut it with me.
Today and every day, your prospect receives some 650 advertising
impressions. To get yours read, you need to lift it head and shoulders
above the others.
That means standing up and boldly addressing his/her fears and
desires – and how your product/service addresses those dominant
emotions. And it means doing this in a way that both seizes the
prospect's attention and then converts that attention to readership.
Nine times out of ten, the "softer, warm initial approach introducing our
company and services" with follow-ups is a waste of time and money.
Marketers who prefer the warm, soft approach tend to be folks who are
uncomfortable with selling and who rarely buy anything as the result of
a direct response promotion – if ever.
Tell your partner that being an enthusiastic, unapologetic advocate for
your company and product is professional – losing money on your
promotions is not.
Test if you must, but my suggestion is, let your partner pay for his test
and suffer the loss. You pay for yours – and keep the profits.
Good luck!
– Clayton
* * * * *
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Hi Clayton,
I've read all the greats like Gary Halbert and John Carlton and you are in a
class of your own.
Here's a simple question many starting copywriters must have that I've never
really seen any of these newsletters address …
How do you identify companies that would make ideal prospects for
copywriting?
Who are the big players hiring copywriters today and where do you find
them?
– A.K.
Thanks for the kind words!
As far as the big players go, the biggest in my industry are still Phillips
Publishing, Agora, Boardroom and Rodale. But to get good writers, a lot
of the smaller fish are paying just as well.
Google the Direct Marketing Association, Denny Hatch’s Target
Marketing and others to see what directories of major mailers they have
available. If you’re interested in working for newsletter publishers, get a
copy of the Oxbridge Directory.
My suggestion is to go looking for companies that find customers
through direct mail and/or the Internet, call to ask who hires
copywriters, and introduce yourself.
You'll probably get a great reception. There are FAR more projects
looking for copywriters than vice-versa!
–CLAYTON
* * * * *
I loved the contrast between the following two e-mails.
The first is from a skeptical guy in Chicago who’s never heard of me.
The second is from a fellow copywriter who has …
* * * * *
Clayton,
I never heard of you before but your story was spellbinding, informative and
inspirational.
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I don't mean to look a gift horse in the mouth. No on second thought – that's
exactly what I mean to do.
Because I don't get it.
If you are focusing full-time on one client …
And you apparently have made so many millions from ongoing royalties that
you could be enjoying it like Scrooge McDuck riding his bulldozer in his
swimming pool full of money …
And all this was developed with quiet stealth and relatively undercover …
So why this coming out party?
Why take the time to sweat out 26 newsletters to us less fortunate creative
types?
Is this a philanthropic gesture to give something back to direct marketing
which has been so good to you?
Are you a compulsive performer who will miss the applause?
Is this your crack at immortality – to pass on your secrets so they don't get
buried with you?
Or are you secretly "trolling the waters" for your next project in case the
romance with your one client develops unforeseen complications?
Or something else I missed?
Forgive my impertinence but I would love to hear your answer. So would your
other readers.
– J.F.
Well, you caught me red-handed.
You’re right: This is anything BUT a philanthropic enterprise. My
motives are purely, unabashedly selfish.
Mentoring the seven young writers I've worked with over the past few
years has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done.
When each of them hit the big time, I felt like a proud papa. When they
began having copy cubs of their own, I felt like I had grandkids.
Now, I get to do the same with HUNDREDS of young writers, marketing
folks and business owners – even BETTER!
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And I get to have fun doing it. (Can you imagine a stodgy financial client
letting me mention The Redhead's cute CAN in his copy?!)
Finally, it makes me think about how I do what I do – and why. And that
makes me a better copywriter and marketing consultant.
As far as your other possible explanations are concerned, I figure
"direct marketing" will do just fine without me after I'm gone. Heck. It
probably won't even send flowers to the funeral.
And heaven knows, others are equally well qualified to share winning
direct response strategies. But why should they have all the fun?
As far as "ulterior" motives go, hey – if THE TOTAL PACKAGE puts me
into contact with a great young company that's ready for some
explosive growth, I'll chalk it up to good karma.
But that will have to wait. I have more than I can say grace over for at
least the next year or two!
If I was doing all this just for filthy lucre, I'd be an idiot. I get much
filthier (rich) from spending that time writing hot new controls.
Fair enough?
Great to have you on-board!
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Hi Clayton.
It’s an absolute honor to have been mentioned in your first issue.Your work is legendary. I just scored a copy of one of your early, classic,
ground-breaking magalogs, and it still puts most of today’s efforts to shame.
It remains a killer template for how to do it right. And your depth of knowledge
in this biz is just stunning.
I can’t wait for your next issue. The “deep pocket” revelations you’re sitting on
are gonna change the landscape of the direct marketing world, and raise the
bar (again) for everyone.
With you, and Bencivenga, and others finally coming clean … it’s like we’re
all sharing some virtual online Algonquin Table of top ad writers.
There’s never been an opportunity like this before in the history of direct
response, and anyone who isn’t soaking it up is a fool.
– John Carlton
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Hi, John! Great to hear from you.
Yeah … I decided to take the plunge into teaching. Not sure I'm very
good at it yet, but I'm hoping I’ll improve with time.
Thanks for the testimonial. You can bet your bottom dollar we'll be
using it!
Cheers!
– CLAYTON
* * * * *
Keep the questions coming!
I love hearing from you – answering your questions is a kick. Please send an
e-mail to feedback@makepeacetotalpackage.com and let me know what I
can do to be of greater help to you.
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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3 Responses to Answers to Your Most 
Pressing Questions About Getting 
← How I Get Rich; 
How I Make My Clients Richer
Confessions of a 
Marketing Chauvinist Pig →
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Bigger Winners More Often
Cathy Sutter says:
July 10, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I printed this baby immediately…This is good stuff. Thanks, you are
aces helping novice, young copywriters like me. Well, OK, I’ll just say
novice…
Look forward to meeting you at Carline’s gig in September!
Cathy
Reply
Jeremy Reeves says:
July 11, 2008 at 8:41 am
Great post once again – I used those links you provided and through
a series of clicks to other websites, found some incredible resources
that I never knew was available!
Thanks again for an awesome post,
Jeremy Reeves
http://www.controlbeatingcopy.com
Reply
Rabbi of Response says:
October 18, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Clayton,
Your advice is priceless!
To be quite frank with you, helping people is great and all.
But you’re a true master in your field. And in my humble opinion, from
the looks of things, you wouldn’t dare do anything stupid to
jeopardize the good name you have well established over the years,
(unless you were a raving lunatic, or you happened to go out of your
mind, G-d forbid!)
So I don’t pay much mind to what your motives might happen to be.
In my opinion, your motive is to create good will, so that your
audience directly benefits from you day in, day out.
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Simple.
And it’s a darn good business philosophy… if one understands it.
At some point this can possibly be used positively, and you could
monetize on all this good will that is naturally being generated! From
a large responsive audience of fervent fans that cheer your name and
respect your counsel.
Stephen Pierce, spoke about this in his book – The Whole Truth!
(Incidentally for those who don’t know he is also the owner of a site
on Swing Trading) He covers this successful strategy in depth.
So I don’t see what the problem is?
You’re a nice guy. You write like a person who is down to earth. You
enjoy people and their company. And any writer that’s going to come
on board is not going to push you out of your livelihood.
So why be small minded, you probably think to yourself?
Go help those who want to get in to this business, and a natural niche
will unfold and present itself of plenty of eager copywriters that you
may even be able to sell something to.
What’s the problem?
I see none.
I wish you the greatest success! You really deserve it!
And thanks for sharing all this great information, too!
Warmly,
Ron Redner
“The Rabbi of Response”
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Confessions of a Marketing Chauvinist Pig | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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Confessions of a 
Marketing Chauvinist Pig
Posted on August 29, 2005 by Clayton Makepeace
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Make this one simple change 
in how you think about your company, 
and you’ll multiply your profits in record time!
Dear Business Builder,
A few days ago, I ran an article entitled, “How I Get Rich; How I Make My
Clients Richer.” In that issue, I demonstrated how having a grasp of the nuts
and bolts side of marketing has helped me make millions throughout my
career.
That’s what this issue is all about.
My suggestion: If you’re a business owner, read this issue until you can recite
it verbatim. If you’re a marketing pro, print this issue and pass it out to
everyone in your company. And if you’re a copywriter, memorizeevery line.
Heed what I’m about to say, and you’ll all get richer. Ignore these principles
and you’ll be putting your professional life in grave danger …
How to kill a great company in one easy lesson
Back in the 1980s, I agreed to help the owner of a small company grow his
business. Within three years, it was the largest company in its industry.
By combining five key marketing strategies with kick-butt sales copy, we were
attracting between 5,000 and 10,000 new customers every month. By 1988,
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we had more than 120,000 paying customers. Sales revenues and profits
quadrupled.
At that point, my client decided to cash out – take his profits and retire – and
asked me to help him sell his company. I created a 20-minute video and a
comprehensive “company profile” to help attract prospective buyers.
The buyers – who paid top-dollar – turned out to be a team of three Rhodes
Scholars with advanced business degrees from Oxford University.
Within a week after the papers were signed, the crackerjack marketing team
we had built was placed under an oppressive bureaucracy: An “Executive
Committee” made up of the new owners, their hand-picked CEO, the CFO
and the General Manager – none of whom knew one blessed thing about
marketing.
Within days, we went from being obsessed with marketing to being infatuated
with something called “Corporate Planning.” Key marketers were sidetracked
in day-long meetings – and sometimes, week-long out-of-the-office
marathons. Scores of crucial sales promotions were put on hold while the
marketing staff diddled themselves silly with endless research and reporting
tasks.
I, of course, went ballistic. I warned everyone who’d listen (at the top of my
lungs) that de-emphasizing marketing was going to drive the company into
bankruptcy.
That drew giggles all around.
“You’re overreacting,” said the new owners. “It’s going to be just fine,”
chanted the Executive Committee.
It wasn’t fine. Not by a long shot.
The flow of new customers faltered, then plunged. Our active customer file
began shrinking. Sales to existing customers plummeted.
Finally, unable to make the new owners see the error of their ways, I fired the
client. As I walked out of the office for the last time, I told the CEO, “I
understand what being a Rhodes Scholar does for you. You’d have to
STUDY to be this stupid.”
I told the CEO that his company would be belly-up within six months. I was
wrong. He filed for bankruptcy 90 days later.
Moral:
Smart Companies put marketing first.
OK, I admit it: I’m a marketing chauvinist. And it’s not because I think we’re
necessarily smarter and better looking than everyone else. It’s because the
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only logical place for marketing is out front – leading the charge for your
entire company.
It drives me nuts when executives who know nothing about sales and
marketing mindlessly parrot phrases about “putting the customer first” – and
then relegate the only people who actually talk to customers to an inferior
position in the company.
Before the Rhodes Scholars showed up, my client had put sales and
marketing first. And because their job was to respond to customers’ desires
and concerns … it meant our customers were #1.
But the Rhodes Scholars and
their preening “Executive
Committee” wanted to be first –
the masters of all they surveyed,
at the pinnacle of the corporate
pyramid. So, they put sales and
marketing in its place – under
their thumbs, no more important
than janitorial services – or any other department in the company.
And by doing so, they turned my client’s “Smart Company” into a dumb one in
one fell swoop.
In a Smart Company, 
the marketing department exists 
at the top of the corporate pyramid.
Armed with the freshest
intelligence on the desires and
complaints of prospects and
customers, the marketing
department directs …
The development of new
products and the production
of existing ones …
The scripting of the sales force or telephone customer service reps …
The creation of sales promotions and the layout of the catalog and/or
store …
The shipment of products and the delivery of services …
The management of the customer service department, and…
Every other activity in the chain of events that begins with contacting a
prospect or customer and that culminates with the cha-ching of the cash
register.
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In Dumb Companies, top execs fail to understand the supreme importance of
sales and marketing – or worse: See it as a “necessary evil.”
And their structure shows it. Marketers are kept under tight rein – slaves to
multiple layers of bean-counters, bureaucrats and other self-important
gasbags who have long forgotten where the money in their paychecks comes
from – if they ever knew in the first place.
Even worse: Dumb Companies make sure marketers – the only experts in
the company capable of boosting sales, revenues and profits – are frozen
into inaction and that crucial sales campaigns are delayed by corporate
procedures requiring marketing-challenged morons at the top to approve
their every move.
The CEO and top execs spend no more time or effort on sales and marketing
than they do monitoring human resources, or any other department.
Marketing is beneath them – something the weirdoes down on the fourth floor
are responsible for.
In a Smart Company, every employee clearly
understands that his/her job exists for one reason
and one reason only: 
To help marketing sell more, more, more!
Accounting exists to ensure that sales and marketing have the financial
resources it needs to attract maximum numbers of new customers and to
boost sales revenues …
Human Resources exists to ensure that the marketing department has the
best talent available and that supporting departments have what they
need to help sales and marketing be more successful.
Information Technology – IT – exists to give the marketing department the
daily reports it needs to monitor and analyze the effectiveness of its
strategies and tactics.
The Legal Department exists to help marketers create promotions that are
as effective as is humanly possible within established ethicaland legal
boundaries.
In a Smart Company, the business owner/CEO 
occupies not one, but two positions:
1. Leading the charge with the Marketing Department – setting goals …
monitoring key costs and response rates … helping them innovate new
products and sales approaches … breaking logjams … and providing the
quick approvals needed to kick winning sales campaigns into overdrive.
2. Taking up the rear – constantly driving everyone down the line to make
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supporting sales and marketing efforts their #1 priority.
BOTTOM LINE: Dumb Companies think that the marketing department exists
to sell products.
Smart Companies know that the only reason to have a product is to give the
marketing department a vehicle with which it can attract new customers and
produce revenues and profits.
My advice…
If you own or run a Dumb Company, changing how you and your
employees think about your business – the simple act of redefining it as a
marketing business and ensuring that your corporate structure and
procedures make sales and marketing #1 – is the first step to explosive
growth.
If you’re a marketing exec with a Dumb Company you’re never going to be
as successful as your peers at Smart Companies. If you can’t raise the
company’s IQ, pack your bags!
If you’re a marketing consultant or copywriter for a Dumb Company,
finding a better class of client will send your income skyrocketing.
How Smart Companies Can TRIPLE Revenues
and Profits In 12 Months or Less
This “30 Percent Solution” has helped me 
quadruple sales and profits for four companies 
and boost sales by up to 4,400% in one year
Once your marketing department is empowered to lead the way, it is
empowered to:
1. Attract more customers …
2. Sell more things to those customers, more often, and …
3. Increase the amount of money each customer spends on each purchase.
Do those three, simple things, and you can’t help but grow. Do them well,
and your growth can be explosive:
At Security Rare Coin, these three enhancements produced more than
100,000 new customers; sales jumped from $360,000 to $16 million a
month in one year – a 4,400% increase.
At Blanchard & Company, they also produced well over 100,000 new
customers and drove sales to well over $100 million per year.
At Weiss Research, they more than quadrupled subscriber files, made
Safe Money Report the largest $99 investment letter in the world, and
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helped quadruple profits.
Boosting 5 key metrics by just 30 percent each 
instantly TRIPLES sales!
On these and other occasions, I created quantum growth in sales revenues
and profits by “keeping it simple” – aiming for a reasonable, easily “doable”
30% boost in each of five key metrics:
1. Increasing the number of new customer promotions per year …
2. Increasing the size of each new customer acquisition promotion …
3. Increasing the response rate to each of these mailings …
4. Increasing the number of times each customer orders per year, and …
5. Increasing the size of each of those orders.
How much of an increase in revenues will compounding those five, 30%
bumps give you? Here’s what it’s doing now for one of my clients…
The best part is, the first two of those little 30% improvements are pretty
much slam dunks – things we can do simply and quickly:
More New Customer Acquisition Mailings…
To increase the number of new customer acquisition promotions by 30%, I
give my clients a handful of tools and strategies that let them read response
and react a couple of weeks sooner on each mailing.
To attract new customers, one client did about six major mailings to rented
mailing lists each year. He’d typically wait three weeks after he received his
first order from a mailing to see which lists were working for him, then order
more names from those lists and a handful of new test lists, prepare any
package refinements he wanted to test, then print and mail the next volley.
This process took about eight weeks minimum – sometimes longer – and
limited him to an average of six major new customer acquisition mailings per
year.
I figured that if we could just cut a couple of weeks off of the time he spent
preparing each mailing – mail every six weeks instead of every eight – we
could mail as many as nine times per year. That’s a 50% increase that could
bring him 50% more new customers each year.
Here’s how we did it …
First, I took his daily response reports for the last twelve months and figured
out, on average, what percent of his total return came in on each day of a
typical campaign.
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I compared how these percentages varied from month to month during the
year for several years to allow for seasonal factors. And I studied how they
were affected by package format – whether the promotion was a self-mailer
or an envelope package, for example.
Then, I had those projectors added to his daily response reports in a way that
predict what his final return on investment (ROI) will be for each list and each
package test panel mailed.
As you’d expect, these projections are wildly inaccurate in the early days of
each mailing. Unexpectedly fast or slow mail delivery in major urban areas
make them completely unreliable. But by 14 days after the first order pours
in, they prove to be amazingly accurate predictors of his final ROI.
… So now, instead of waiting three weeks to begin planning his next mailing,
he can get his next mailing planned two weeks after first response. That
alone adds one more new customer acquisition mailing each year.
The next step is to examine every process involved in planning and
executing his mailings – shaving a day from the creative process here, and
another day from his print and mailing cycle there, until we were confident
that we can get him up to 8 mailings per year, beginning immediately.
BIGGER New Customer Promotions …
Like many mailers, my client tests a number of rented mailing lists in each
mailing of a hot control. When a list brought him new customers at break-
even or better, he’d roll out to a bigger chunk of the list in each successive
mailing until he was using the entire file.
Fortunately, my client is an inveterate record keeper. He has data on
response rates, average sale and return on investment on every list he’s
tested.
It was a fairly simple matter to pick a handful of lists that consistently
outperform all others, designate them as “A” lists, and then index them
against every other list he’s tested. Then, once we have data on how well a
package/”A” list combination work, we can use that index number to predict
how well every other list he’s ever tested will respond to his new promotion
package, and roll-out big time.
Result: He’s able to roll much bigger with his “known” lists almost
immediately, adding millions of names to his new customer acquisition
mailings each year.
Plus, we found a way to broaden our mailing universe simply by getting list
brokers to work harder for us.
My client had pretty much been “faithful” to a single mailing list broker for
years. We instituted agreements with multiple brokers, promising each an
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exclusive on each new list they bring us.
Each of these ideas becomes a list test, entered on the mail plan using a
projector that reflects how similar lists have performed with the promotion
we’re using.
How to get a 30% lift in responseThis one’s a little trickier. But it’s not un-doable. I routinely see new
promotion packages – and even headline, premium, offer and other tests on
control packages – bump response 20% to 30% and even more. Sometimes,
much more.
Let’s say you’re getting a 1% response rate. That means 10 people in 1,000
are saying “yes” to your offer. All you need to do is find three more buyers
per 1,000 pieces mailed.
Piece of cake. The key here is to test aggressively in each and every mailing,
without allowing our tests to slow the process.
For this new client’s first roll-out of a hot new control package – for example, I
tested two new headlines and four offer variations. Next time, I’ll be testing
our best headline/copy/offer combination in two, maybe three cheaper
formats.
Bumping this client’s response by 30% is eminently doable. Heck. My first
promotion for him just beat his control by 300% – ten times more than our
conservative 30% target.
“If you make money on a customer acquisition
mailing,
you’re fired!”
A few years back, a client hired a new marketing director and told her that
she would be reporting to The Redhead and me! In my first meeting with the
new employee, the business owner stuck his head into the room and told her,
“Just do whatever Clayton and Wendy say. You report to them.” – and then
vanished.
It was a joke, of course, and I told her so. Everyone in that company reports
to the owner. I was just an outside guy. A consultant. But I did have a few
pointers to help her.
I told her, “Your Prime Objective is to produce as many new customers as
possible every month.
“Your goal is to do this at break-even. For every dollar we put into the mail,
we want one dollar back – AND a new customer.
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“If you make a profit in a promotion designed to attract new customers – if
you get $2.00, $1.50 or $1.01 for each dollar you spend – that’s a bad thing.
It means you didn’t mail enough promotion pieces or bring in as many new
customers that month as you could have.
“And that means our sales to existing customers – the engine that drives this
company’s profits – will be less than they could have been for years to
come.”
I showed her how each new customer stayed with us for an average of seven
years and made subsequent purchases that generated $500 in net profits
every year.
That meant each new customer was worth $3,500 to us – and every new
customer we didn’t get would cost us $3,500 in profits down the road.
“So,” I said, “as far as your boss is concerned, losing money on a promotion
now and then is forgivable. It just means you’re trying. Consistently breaking
even will make you a hero. But consistently making profits on new customer
acquisition promotions will probably get you fired.”
Right then and there, we established an aggressive new customer acquisition
strategy designed to break even on each promotion …
We test each new promotion package against the existing control in a special
panel consisting of an nth-name selection (a geographically balanced
portion) of each of our “A” lists.
If the new package wins – if it produces a higher return on investment (ROI)
than the control, we: 1) Look at how every other list in our universe has
historically performed against those “A” lists and 2) Use the new package’s
return on investment with our “A” lists to project what our ROI would be if we
mailed each “B” list in our universe.
Then each month, we construct a mail plan that:
Current Goal Increase
New
Customer
Acquisition
Mailings Per
Year
6 8 33%
Average
Mailing Size
1,000,000 1,300,000 30%
Total
Customer
Acquisition
Pieces
Mailed:
6,000,000 10,400,000 73%
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Response
Rate
1.0% 1.3% 30%
New
Customers
Per Year
60,000 135,200 125%
New
Customers
Making 2nd
Purchase
First 60
Days On-
File
5.0% 6.5% 30%
Average Net
Sale (Gross
minus
product
costs)
$150 $195 30%
60-Day
New
Customer
Net Sales
$450,000 $1,713,660 281%
Additional
12-Month
Purchases
Per New
Customer
3 4 33%
Average Net
Sale (Gross
minus
product
costs)
$150 $195 30%
Additional
12-Month
Revenues
From New
Customers
$27,000,000 $105,456,000 291%
After employing this “30 percent solution” for just 12 months, my client will
have generated more than twice as many new customers … his sales to
those new customers in their first 60 days with him will jump 281% to more
than $1.7 million … PLUS, he’ll sell another $105-million-and-change to
them in their first year with him – a 291% increase.
1. Includes roll-outs to every “A” list in our universe – the lists we know we
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can mail at break-even or better …
2. Add significant test panels of every “B” list that our history indicates will
perform at break-even or better – but not as well as our “A” lists…
3. Add as many test panels as possible of “B” lists that we expect to produce
a slight loss – and “C” lists (previously untested lists projected to produce
a 50% ROI) until our mail plan projects a total return on investment of
100%.
Result: For every dollar we mail, we get one dollar back – and a new
customer.
Over the next three years, we quadrupled the number of paying customers
on our file – and because we broke even on our average new customer
promotion, each one of them cost us $0.
At the end of 36 months, those customers were handing us more than $80
million in sales and tens of millions in net profit each year.
When you want to grow really, REALLY fast…
At Blanchard & Company, I set out to lose money on every new customer I
generated.
Crazy, right? Yeah: Crazy like a fox!
First, I did my homework. I studied our active customer file. I determined that
each new customer made an average of five purchases per year … that the
average purchase was $1,500 … and that the net profit on each of those
purchases was about $500.
Furthermore, I discovered that the average new customer made one
additional purchase in his first 60 days with us, producing a $500 profit. And I
figured out that if I could spend just $200 of that to “buy” new customers, I
could bring in two or three times more new customers each year.
I didn’t tell the owner that I was planning to “lose money” on each new
customer. I told him, “I just want an extra 60 days to break even on each new
customer. I just want to change the bookkeeping entry a bit – add the profit
from second purchases in customers’ first 60 days to the revenues generated
by my new customer acquisition mailings.”
I showed him how our Prime Directive had been to mail our new customer
acquisition promotions to as many prospects as possible while breaking
even. But the problem was, some of the biggest prospect files out there just
wouldn’t come in at 100% of cost no matter what we did.
I showed him how that meant we were leaving thousands of new customers –
and millions of dollars in future profits – on the table. And I demonstrated
how, if we could just mail down to, say, 85% to 90% of cost, we could add
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millions more names per year to our mail plans and tens of thousands of
new, paying customers to our house file.
So I suggested the client consider “cooking the books” a little bit. Instead of
insisting that his new customer acquisition mailings break even ($1 in for
every $1 they cost), I suggested that when we find huge files that we can’t
get to break even, we allocatepart or all of that first 60 days income to the
new customer promotion.
It worked like gangbusters. The company, which had been running a distant
third in its industry, rocketed to #1 within a year.
In fact, this strategy has worked so well for me over the years, I’m doing the
same thing for a new client right now!
Consider these numbers:
Right now, my client’s new customer acquisition mailings cost him $560/M
(list rental, postage, printing and lettershop): $56,000 to mail 100,000 pieces.
At break-even, that 100,000-piece mailing generates 1,000 new customers
and $56,000 (gross revenue minus product cost). He gets one dollar back for
every dollar he mailed. At an ROI of 90%, he loses 10% of his mailing
investment, or $5,600.
We know that 8% of his new customers make a second purchase netting a
profit of about $100 in their first two months on board. So those 1,000 new
customers will make 80 purchases, netting my client an $8,000 profit in their
first 60 days with him.
Now, I’ve found a few huge mailing lists that we’ve never been able to mail at
break-even. There are millions of potential customers on those files, but
when we test them, we only get 90% of our money back.
So, if a simple bookkeeping entry – allocating a portion of each new
customer’s first 60 days of profits – would open these otherwise impenetrable
lists to us – why not do it?
Even at .8% response, he’ll pick up 8,000 new customers for every million
pieces mailed. So he has to wait 60 days to begin making money with them.
So what?
We know that in the ten months after those first 60 days, his average
customer will make four additional purchases netting $100 each. For every
8,000 new customers, that’s $3.2 million in additional profit this year.
Furthermore, we know that the average new customer will continue making
five purchases per year for seven years. That means these 8,000 new
customers will hand us $28 million in net profit in their lifetimes.
And we’re not going to mail these marginal lists just once – we’re going to
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mail them over and over again – generating thousands of new customers
each time our control projects a 90% ROI on them. For every one million
names we mail three times a year, we add 24,000 new customers – and $84
million in future profits!
Seems silly to let a bookkeeping entry stand between you and that kind of
money – right?
Time to start optimizing lifetime value…
Now that we’ve got my client doing bigger new customer promotions, more
often, it’s time to kick things up another notch – by bumping the number of
times each customer orders, and how much he spends with us each time.
Until now, my client did what many direct response marketers do: He simply
mailed a couple of promotions to his entire customer file each month. I call
that “vertical” marketing. No matter who you are, no matter what kind of
product you’ve purchased in the past, you get the same offers as everyone
else on his file.
Not a terrible approach, but we can do better by combining vertical and
horizontal marketing techniques.
Horizontal marketing treats each group of customers on your house file in
ways that ensure optimum response and maximum order size. Horizontal
marketing asks …
“What kind of product has this customer demonstrated a desire for
before?” and then offers him an add-on that addresses the same desire
or concern.
And, “Where is the customer in his life cycle with us?” – and then sends
him promotions that are compatible.
And, “What’s going on in my customer’s personal life?” – and then sends
him promotions that are compatible.
So in addition to vertical promotions sent to the entire file – my client’s
customers receive horizontal promotions:
A 60-day campaign for a President’s Circle promotion designed to make a
quick second sale to our new customers in their first two months with us…
Upgrade mailings to buyers whose selection of products has
demonstrated a particular desire or concern, offering a new add-on
product that addresses that same issue…
Personalized “renewal,” “re-order” and “we-want-you-back” promotions at
the appropriate times…
Special discounted offers on the customer’s birthday, anniversary and
other special times of the year.
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Plus, for our vertical marketing, the entire file also gets two major mailings
each month: One focusing on one of our hottest products, and another kind-
of catalog mailing that invites customers to try anything in our product line at
preferred prices.
Will this kind of comprehensive strategy – along with harder-hitting sales
copy – give us the 30% bump in response, average sales, profits and
customer lifetime value we’re looking for? There’s not a doubt in my mind.
The final step
Once you’re generating thousands more new customers and thousands more
dollars in profits from sales to those customers, it’s time to turn an eye to
minimizing costs.
I put this step last for several reasons. For one, each of my clients has an
accountant or CFO – someone whose job it is to monitor spending and
overhead. For another, most marketing people are constantly looking for
ways to get it done faster and cheaper. And for yet another, cutting costs can
only get you so far.
As we’ve seen, a sharp marketing strategy and expert execution can
quadruple profits. Cutting costs may save you 5% here or 10% there.
Nevertheless, every penny you save on unnecessary expenses goes straight
to the bottom line. And over time, those pennies add up to real impressive
dollars.
Most of my clients offer premiums – free gifts – to attract new customers. And
most of those premiums tend to be special reports, which are included in the
“Welcome Kit” new subscribers or first-time buyers receive.
A few years ago, for example, one client’s Welcome Kit cost him $15 to
deliver. Today, he delivers most of them online – and the $15 per new
subscriber he saved is pure profit.
Adding a web-based marketing initiative can cut cost per sale by an order of
magnitude. Mailing a sales promotion to your house file can cost anywhere
from $400 to $800 per thousand pieces mailed, for example. Sending the
same promotion via e-mail costs next to nothing.
You could blast the promotion to your customers every day for a week or
even a month – with a slightly different headline and opening copy each time
– and actually generate greater sales volume at a fraction of the cost.
Sometimes spending more saves you a bundle. For high-ticket products, for
example, I’ve found that personalized sales letters mailed to customers via
First-Class Mail often generate a lower cost per sale than mailing a non-
personalized promo via the cheaper Third -Class bulk mail.
When I’ve tested this, the personal touch and the perceived urgency of
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personalized letters mailed First-Class usually boosted response
tremendously, thereby lowering our cost per sale.
With self-mailers especially, slightly altering format – like adjusting your trim
size one-eighth or one-quarter inch, for example – can save a bundle on your
printing bills. And although it’s not always possible to do, ganging jobs –
combining several similar printing projects into one large job – can shave big
bucks too.
I strongly endorse programs in which employees are rewarded for suggesting
ways the company can save money.
Worth thinking about…
What could you do right now – today – to …
1. Increase the number of new customer acquisition promotions you field
each year?
2. Ramp up the size of each of those promotions?
3. Increasethe number of prospects who say, “YES!” to each of those
promotions?
4. Boost – even incrementally – the number of additional times each
customer orders per year?
5. Pump up the size of each of those orders?
6. Cut marketing and fulfillment costs without adversely affecting the number
of new customers you generate or sales volume to existing customers?
How could focusing on these five key numbers help you, your employees and
your marketing people triple YOUR revenues and profits?
How could you tie employee compensation (raises, bonuses, stock options,
etc.) to how well key employees meet your goals in improving each one?
Answer these questions and you’ll be well on your way to at least tripling your
sales and profits!
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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18 Responses to Confessions of a 
Marketing Chauvinist Pig
← Answers to Your Most 
Pressing Questions About Getting 
Bigger Winners More Often
A Conversation With 
Million-Dollar Copywriter
PARRIS LAMPROPOULOS →
Ron says:
June 9, 2008 at 11:34 am
Dear Clayton,
How could you use this brilliant article to sell just about anything
you’re offering to any business owner?
Here’s my take on how to do just that.
Too often, when we ask business owners what a new customer is
worth, sadly, they don’t know.
But once that business owner commits to a number or you help them
figure out what they’re worth, you can make a case (because you
have forced the business owner to think long term about what that
customer is worth and tell you what that customer is worth) for just
about any service (such as copywriting, marketing service, whatever)
or product, figure out the ROI (Return On Investment) for providing
such services and virtually sell them anything.
I believe the key is just what you’ve outlined, and once you have a
business owner’s number (what his customer is worth – short term
and long term) you’re in the driver’s seat. You don’t have to do any
convincing, the numbers speak for themselves.
Am I on target Clayton?
Best regards,
Ron
Reply
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Stephen Chua says:
June 11, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Hey Clayton,
You’re certainly not whistling into the wind while on your Harley.
I came from many years in the corporate world and don’t you just get
so annoyed at these by the book types? When will they ever learn
that "book experience" is very much a 2 dimentional world trying to
work in a very multidimentional one?
I’ve picked up (at the time) companies going south and who is
typically at the helm? A super multiple Phd surrounded by like
minded types. I find it strange that I went to the same type of higher
education that they had but we thought so differently. I’d much rather
surround myself with marketing geniuses than a bunch of
overpaid hob-nobbing experts.
Great, great story. You have the makings of an incredible business
marketing book or course in this article for sure.
Hmm….maybe I should write one myself? If only I had known you
back then. You would have been on my list of go to marketing guys.
There is a wonderful but almost sinister business lesson in this story.
Thanks again.
Great Wealth and Prosperity,
Stephen Chua
http://www.ancientworldsecrets.com
Reply
Gayle Gruenemay says:
September 19, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Dear Clayton,While I doubt I’ll say anything that will lead to me being
cheefully vaporized, it does give a certain, um…spice and variation to
your statement.
I am a very, very ‘newbie’ at all this online selling thing, (I haven’t
even gotten my website up yet), and perhaps in my newly found
excitment am a bit enthusiastic. I purchased a few informative items
to help me along, and with one of these I received some ‘free’ items:
articles, webinars, etc.
Yes, the first ‘click’ was free, but since that first ‘click’ I have been
receiving offers for numerous additional items for ‘only’ so much $.
I know this is a very lengthy way of saying this, but I really wanted
you to know how refreshing and wonderful it is for you to be sending
http://www.ancientworldsecrets.com/
http://www.ancientworldsecrets.com/
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me useful and beneficial information…for absolutely free, with no
hidden agendas inserted at the end. You give information, willingly
and freely, and with inside information that I can actually use.
Just a long-winded thank you! I wish there were more people like
you, but the ones like you sure make a difference in the lives of
others. And when I’m up and running, I will have your information
waiting to help me get where I want to go.
Sincerely,
Gayle Gruenemay
Reply
Kevin Baker says:
October 9, 2008 at 4:16 pm
I am relativelly new to the marketing world and as an engineer I
should not be here at all.
But, its more exciting to learn a new skill than to be devoid of interest
in an old one.
My take on this whole thing is that Marketing and customer targeting
is your business. Its like the whole chicken and egg thing, whats first
and more importantly what matters more the product or the end user.
Both share importance but without a product you have no sales and
without sales the product is basically junk.
I learnt to design and now I am learning to market. I have a greater
appreciation of the professional marketer now than I had and yet
something still tells me I have more to learn than I can teach right
now.
Your article has helped to re-enforce the reasons why I built the
business before I went to market. Now I only have to persuade and
bedazzle to grow rich. And that sir is the new game.
Kevin
http://truetrafficsecrets.com
Reply
Susan Connors says:
November 17, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Hi Clayton
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http://truetrafficsecrets.com/
http://truetrafficsecrets.com/
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http://www.marketingforlife.com.au./
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Thank you very much for this invaluable article!
Sue in Aus
http://www.marketingforlife.com.au
Reply
John Deck says:
November 17, 2008 at 5:34 pm
This is now the third time I have read this piece. What amazes me
the most is that when you step back and look at it solely as a process,
it make some much sense.
Clayton, quick question. What software do you use to keepsuch tight
tracking?
John
Reply
Chong Xin Yun Seth says:
November 17, 2008 at 9:29 pm
You’re kidding… these stories sound like they’re dug up from the
Atlantis. An example of the highest level in marketing – by a master.
Clayton will worth a good life to clients who hire him.
Sincerely,
Chong Xin Yun Seth
http://www.bookedcopywriter.com
Reply
Bernie says:
November 17, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Clayton, great post. Loved the direct mail math. Reminds me of all
the story problems I had to do in High School Math.
As one of those "Book Smart" guys (I have an MBA from a 1st Tier
School) we were never taught any of this stuff. It was very much
brand building, and cost accounting focused.
Like the saying goes, "It takes a lifetime to learn what you already
knew," that marketing should be front and center because along with
sales it drives the MONEY!
http://www.marketingforlife.com.au/
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Pingback: Support Your Business Journey » Blog Archive » When the Going Gets Tough …
Fire Your CEO First!
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Your CEO First!
Keep up the great work.
A longtime fan, Bernie
Reply
Michel Dupuis says:
November 21, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Thank you again and again,
 Finally, the word on making it online or off is out.
I never understood why marketing was always a secondary part of
most companies, now I do.
It makes so much sense, market your product before all the rest,
this department should be at the very front of any venture.
Thank you for your insight,
 Michel Dupuis
Reply
Chu D. Obii says:
November 21, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Wow!! What can i say, [deep inhale and exhale] that’s was some
deep marketing and business building session I would internalize and
of course its being printed right now and archived for future
referencing. Thanks Clayton… I so grateful. Chu
Reply
mohamed says:
February 19, 2009 at 11:45 am
hey
Reply
mike logan says:
December 4, 2009 at 3:00 pm
http://worlddreamer.org/2009/04/02/when-the-going-gets-tough-%e2%80%a6fire-your-ceo-first/
http://worlddreamer.org/2009/04/02/when-the-going-gets-tough-%e2%80%a6fire-your-ceo-first/
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http://mrjulio.com/2009/04/02/when-the-going-gets-tough-%e2%80%a6fire-your-ceo-first/
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Clayton,
Terrific article. It reminds me of all the time and money I wasted in
college learning from teachers who never ran a business or had to
actualy earn a living marketing in the real world.
thanks for the post! you are the best!
mike logan
Reply
Cheryl C. Cigan says:
December 5, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Terrific. What I needed to read today. Actually, I think I’ve read this a
few times already, but seem to pick up new information with each
reading.
Love the reminders of LTV (wasn’t it Federal Express which
instructed each driver to visualize $150,000 stamped on each
receptionist’s forehead), the clearly spelled out value of each new
customer. Also, taking the 60 day profits from Group A to get a Group
B at $0 cost and $0 immediate return is a great exercise.
Thank you again for sharing so much solid information.
Additionally, please tell The Redhead thanks for sending out the
Week in Review emails – because I look for them to get caught up on
the golden nuggets from you which I couldn’t get to during the week.
It is a great comfort to read her weekly recaps.
Best regards,
Cheryl C. Cigan
Cheryl
Reply
Manane says:
December 9, 2009 at 1:36 am
Hey Clayton!
Your “Smart Company” pyramid is not correct. Isn’t it supposed to be:
1. Employees – Marketing and Sales, in particular
2. Customers, then
3. The rest – shareholders and the the prez, etc.
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Great content as always …
Thanks
manane
PS Congratulations you quit smoking!
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A Conversation With Million-Dollar CopywriterPARRIS LAMPROPOULOS | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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A Conversation With 
Million-Dollar Copywriter
PARRIS LAMPROPOULOS
Posted on September 12, 2005 by Clayton Makepeace
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In this special interview issue …
How copywriters and their clients can get bigger winners, more
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How you can multiply your income without writing one more word
than you’re writing now …
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geniuses who’ve been so generous with their wisdom over the years.
Today’s hottest "A" level writers – Arthur Johnson, Eric Beutel, Parris
Lampropoulos, Carline Anglade-Cole and others – because I learn
something that’ll make me a bundle every time I read them.
Most of all, I love the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young guns just breaking
into this business, because they remind me of, well … me. They’re
younger, thinner and better looking to be sure – but so was I, once. Their
enthusiasm is contagious.
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A Conversation With Million-Dollar CopywriterPARRIS LAMPROPOULOS | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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I want you to meet a copywriter I’ve seen go from fledgling to top gun at the
speed of light – a guy who took his rightful place at the top of the "A" List
several years ago and whose accomplishments have pretty much guaranteed
him future installation in the Copywriter’s Hall of Fame …
PARRIS LAMPROPOULOS
When I first met Parris, he was about ten years younger, green
and cocky as hell, and was willing to work for cheap. So I hired
Parris and copy chiefed him on a few packages for Boardroom.
Next thing I knew, Parris was one of the hottest "A" list writers around – so
hot, in fact, that I couldn’t even get on his schedule (or for that matter, afford
his fees!).
Believe me – I’d like to take credit for his success. But the truth is, Parris
came to me with all the goods: Great writing skills, considerable persuasive
powers and a mind like a steel trap. When I saw his first draft of our first
package together, I knew he’d be one of the great ones.
A few days ago, Parris agreed to spend an hour with me on the phone for this
issue of THE TOTAL PACKAGE to talk about how business owners,
marketing execs and copywriters can produce bigger winners, more often.
I gotta warn you – this is going to be a long one. So if you need a potty break,
I’d suggest you do it now.
I’d also suggest that you save this issue – or better yet, print it out and stick it
on your bulletin board. The concepts Parris shares with us will make you big
money in the months ahead.
Here we go …
CLAYTON: Hi, Parris – thanks for doing this with me today!
PARRIS: I usually decline interviews – but who can say, "No"
to Clayton Makepeace? Actually, I’m looking
forward to it.
CLAYTON: Why don’t we begin by learning a little bit about
your background?
PARRIS: I grew up in Queens, in New York City, in a working
class neighborhood. Both my parents were
immigrants. And, I guess I got the work ethic from
my father who came here with nothing, worked his
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butt off and ended up buying his boss’ company. A
true American success story.
But when I was growing up, we were still poor. We
lived in this little house and all four of us kids shared
a single 10′ x 12′ bedroom.
So before we could go to sleep, we knew we had to
use the bathroom because once my sister’s pullout
bed came out, the door would be blocked and the
bathroom would be closed until morning.
All that had a big influence on me. You know, a lot
of people say, "Oh, we didn’t know we were poor."
We were poor, and we knew it! When you go to a
friend’s house and he has all these toys and stuff
that you don’t have – it has an effect on you.
CLAYTON: How big a role did your family’s poverty have in
creating your work ethic? Did it give you the desire
to make millions?
PARRIS: It did. A lot of things about my childhood were really
great and gave me wonderful memories. I had a lot
of close family, close extended family, friends, and
stuff.
But one thing I knew: I did NOT want to stay poor.
And I didn’t want my kids to miss out on going to
ball games and day camp like I did.
CLAYTON: That’s very similar to my own story – just a different
part of the country. How about your education?
How far did you go with school?
PARRIS: I got a bachelor’s degree in bullshit.
CLAYTON: You’re a Bachelor of Bullshit? I’d kill for a diploma
that says that!
PARRIS: [laughing] Actually, my degree’s in communications
and political science. That and a buck-fifty will get
you on the subway.
We studied stuff like Aristotle and all the old
rhetoricians from years gone by. You know – the art
of persuasion: Debate type stuff. Actually, it did
teach me some principles of persuasion that I still
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use.
CLAYTON: Socrates often used questions to make his point.
Do you do much of that technique in your copy?
PARRIS: Not so much. I do it more in face-to-face selling. In
sales copy, I’ll throw in a question here and there,
but more often, I’ll phrase it as a statement. You
know – one of those statements that get prospects
nodding their heads.
CLAYTON: How did you first hear about copywriting and decide
to get into this business?
PARRIS: I’ve always had an innate gift for writing. I had
English teachers in college tell me, "Oh, you should
be a writer."
But I hated writing! It’s hard work. I think
Hemingway once said, "Writing’s easy. Just open a
vein and bleed all over the page."
I wanted to do something lucrative – and easier – so
I got into real estate sales. I had to learn how to be
a salesman.
I was horrible at it at the beginning. I was really shy
– one of those people who’d make a cold call,
secretly praying the person wouldn’t answer so I
wouldn’t have to talk to them.
So, when people say "Great salesmen aren’t born;
they’re made," I totally agree. If I can become a
good salesman, anyone can.
CLAYTON: The job in sales gave you valuable persuasive
skills?
PARRIS: Yeah. I had to learn how to sell to survive. When I
first started, the market was booming. Any idiot
could sell property. The bottom fell out, and then I
had to learn how to sell.
I got to be pretty good at it, and became sales
manager in a small real estate office. My mission
was to grow the company … attract better agents to
work for us … and get better listings. So, I got
interested in marketing.
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One day, in 1990, I received a newsletter that
contained an insert selling the Gary Halbert Letter.
The headline was, "How To Get People To Line Up
And Beg You To Take Their Money."
I signed up immediately. And one of the articles in
the premium was about selling information through
the mail. I got all excited and decided there and
then to write a book on how to sell your home in a
dead market.
It was perfect, I figured, because the real estate
market was as dead as a doornail and people were
having a real hard time selling their homes.
So, I wrote the sales letter for the book first. I wrote
every outrageous promise I could think of, and then
created the book to fulfill those promises. And
threw it in the mail, and waited for the orders to
come pouring in.
CLAYTON: Did they?
PARRIS: I got a 3% response. Cash with order, no credit
card option, on my very first sales letter. And I
didn’t know that was a good response! I was
despondent. I thought, y’know, 50% of the people
aregonna buy it. I had no idea.
CLAYTON: Oh that’s wonderful. 3% on your first effort.
PARRIS: Yeah. And then I tweaked it and I got it up to 6%.
CLAYTON: Wow!
PARRIS: But I was still losing money at 6% because I was a
total idiot. I didn’t know anything about the business
except just how to write copy.
So I got the copywriting stuff okay, but I knew
nothing about postage, printing, mailing lists,
fulfillment, and inventory, or any of the other stuff
that goes with running a business. So, I lost my
shirt.
CLAYTON: What was your problem with that promotion? Was
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your price point too low?
PARRIS: My price point was too low, my printing costs were
too high. I was mailing everything first class, I
wasn’t really exploiting the backend at all, and it
was a one-shot product. I had no clue. So, I’m
getting a 6% response and losing money.
CLAYTON: How did you get your first professional assignment?
PARRIS: A couple of years later, I attended a conference in
Las Vegas where direct response pros like Ted
Nicholas, Dan Kennedy, Gary Halbert, were
speaking.
Before I left for the conference, I wrote a sales letter
for myself: "How To Hire A World-Class Copywriter
For Pocket Change."
I wrote about how I had created all these
successful promotions for my own products. And I
wrote about how the reason you’ve never heard of
this guy is until now he’s just writing for himself and
about how you’d better hire him quick because if
you wait, you’re not going to be able to afford him.
The first night of the conference, I stopped at
Kinko’s and had a few hundred copies of that letter
printed up, and then handed them out to anyone
who’d take them at the conference.
Four clients signed up on the spot. One of them
was Chip Wood of Soundview, who hired me to
write an insert for one of his newsletters. He’s still a
client today.
CLAYTON: Where did you go from there?
PARRIS: Well, from there, I was like okay, I’ve got a few
things under my belt, but jobs still aren’t coming in.
So, I started marketing myself some more, and I
hooked up with a fella named John Finn, who
hooked me up with a fella named Clayton
Makepeace.
CLAYTON: Okay. Why don’t you tell me what happened then?
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PARRIS: Well, there was this crazy guy named Clayton, in
Florida, who was like ah – the James Brown of
direct response: "The hardest working man in the
DM biz."
At the time, 24-page magalogs had become a big
part of the industry, and I would look at those and
say, "How do you write one of these? How do you
even begin?" It seemed like such a daunting task!
And one of the first things that I learned from you
was your step-by- step, methodical approach to
writing long copy. It was crucial for me because
after you had copy chiefed me on a few packages,
Chip Wood asked me if I would write a package for
Second Opinion, their flagship newsletter. And so, I
wrote a magalog.
I felt like this was my big chance to get to the big
leagues. And I felt I was only getting one shot to do
this, so, I’d better make it good. So I used every
trick I could think of to make sure that that thing
was successful.
It turned out to be one of the most successful
packages I’ve ever written. It mailed for about four
years.
I pulled out all the stops on that package. It was
packed with proof elements, testimonials, price
justification, so there was no way anybody could
argue with it.
Some of the claims were pretty amazing – about all
these weird alternative therapies. And so, I had to
prove each claim three or four different ways and
overcome every possible objection I thought the
reader might have.
I worked every possible emotion the reader might
have too – his desire to feel and perform better …
his fear of future health problems and what
conventional medical treatments might do to him …
and lots of anger copy directed against the medical
establishment.
CLAYTON: So, you used emotion effectively throughout the
piece. How did you make the connection?
Were there techniques that you used to make a
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connection between how the editor felt and how the
prospect was feeling about the conditions he had at
the time?
PARRIS:
I’m a big believer in this sort of
Stanislavsky method of
copywriting – where you try to
feel what the prospect is
feeling.
Sometimes, I’m more
successful than others. The
more I have in common with
the prospect, the easier it is to do. If I’m writing a
package for Men’s Health, for example, I can do it in
my sleep, because I am a member of the market for
that product. But, if I have to be a 60-year-old
woman, it’s a little more difficult.
But, luckily, I was a big believer in alternate
remedies and immediately identified with my
prospects.
And I liked the editor’s style. At the time, Second
Opinion was edited by William Campbell Douglas,
and he had a very great writing style: Sort of a
rough, sarcastic, curmudgeonly way of
communicating that really gave the copy a distinct
personality.
CLAYTON: A lot of times, you can copy and paste right out of
the newsletter for a sidebar or even for a section of
running text, and really capture the editor that way.
PARRIS: Yeah. And that’s something I learned from Bill
Bonner. He’d basically assemble the promotion out
of things the editor had already written.
CLAYTON: I remember that Second Opinion promotion. It really
launched you. As soon as it hit the mail, your phone
started ringing off the wall. Publishers couldn’t wait
to get onto your dance card.
PARRIS: I never had to go look for work again.
CLAYTON: Word gets out quickly, doesn’t it?
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PARRIS: It’s amazing, it really does. I remember being at a
Ted Nicholas seminar and asking him, what’s the
best way to get gigs? And he said the best way to
get gigs is to have one or two strong controls, and
then the work will come to you. I didn’t believe him,
I just said, "That can’t possibly be." But, it really is,
as you know.
CLAYTON: Give me a list of people you’ve written for over the
last, say, ten years.
PARRIS: Mostly the same people that you’ve written for:
Phillips, Agora, Boardroom, Soundview, Rodale,
and Georgetown Publishing – the usual suspects.
CLAYTON: Tell me about this inspired promotion you did for
Louis Navellier …
That was a huge challenge. It
was just after the stock market
crash, and nothing was
working at the time for bullish
advisors.
So I began by asking myself,
"What’s my prospect’s deepest
desire right now?" My answer:
To make back every dollar he lost in the decline.
So that was the promise in the headline. But I
needed a proof element in the head to make that
promise believable. And so my headline reads,
"Secret Flaw in Financial Markets Lets You Make
Back Every Dime You Lost"
I figured the "Secret Flaw" idea implied that I had
proof, and would make it nearly impossible for
investors to ignore.
Then I added another proof element – and a
paradox to the deck copy. It told about the money
manager who was making a bundle by playing it
safe. So there was intrigue there also, a fascinating
paradox.
Next, I demonstrated Navellier’s approach – and
kicked my prospects’ greed glands into high gear –
by romancing the heck out of the stocks he was
recommending.
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PARRIS:
CLAYTON: Great stock stories are the heart and soul of most
great promotions for financial newsletters. How do
you approach them?
PARRIS: First, I go to Fortune, Forbes and Business Week
and read every article I can find on the company
being recommended. Then I do something unusual:
I sit down and start writing "fascination" bullets for
those articles.
By doing that, I find all kinds of unexploited sales
angles. Those angles lead me to the "hook" for the
stock story. And once I’ve got the hook, the story
almost writes itself.
Second, I write about how great and amazing this
company is. Why it’s the best thing since sliced
bread and why the company’s customers are
tripping over themselves to buy its products or
services.
Third, I tell them why there’s this strange temporary
condition that’s causing the stock to be
undervalued. And I come up with some sort of
tangible measure of that.
I go to MSNMoneyCentral.Com, and use their stock
research wizard. It’ll tell you everything you need to
know: How the company’s Price/Earnings ratio
(P/E), growth rates, and just about every other
conceivable metric compare to other companies in
the same industry.
Now, if you look through there, somewhere, you’re
going to find some number that makes the case
that this company’s undervalued. And you romance
the heck out of that number.
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CLAYTON: I’ve also found, by the way, Parris, that the S&P
and Reuters stock reports give these same kinds of
comparisons. Plus, they give you dividend growth,
consistent quarters of dividend payment, earnings
growth, cash on hand, long- and short-term debt
and a lot more.
Fidelity.Com makes them available for free to
anyone with a brokerage account.
PARRIS: It’s worth opening a brokerage account just to get
that kind of research!
CLAYTON: Yep – so what’s your next step in writing a great
stock story?
PARRIS:
My third step is to
demonstrate how the numbers
behind this stock mean it
should be selling for two, three
or more times its current price.
So, now, you’ve written your
hook … you’ve explained why
this is a great company … and
you’ve proven that it’s a screaming bargain …
you’ve explained why it’s so cheap … and you’ve
shown how much the stock should be worth, and by
doing so, how much money the prospect stands to
make.
Now, it’s time to give them a catalyst – a trigger
that’s about to move the stock higher.
Maybe there was a lawsuit, but now the lawsuit’s
settled, so the stock’s ready to go back up again. Or
the company has just signed a lucrative contract
with the government or a bigger company, and
earnings are about to soar. Or the company’s a
juicy take-over target for a bigger company. Or
even just that very few analysts know about this
company yet, but it’s about to make a big splash
and when analysts and the big institutions jump
onboard – hold onto your hat!
CLAYTON: We’ve even pointed out that in the months ahead,
millions of people will be reading this report and
buying the stock.
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Shameless – right?
PARRIS: [laughing] Only you could get away with something
like that!
The point is, there’s a catalyst, and you’re creating a
sense of urgency. They must move now, or they’re
going to miss out. And I tap into the emotion of
regret my prospect has about opportunities he’s
missed in the past.
CLAYTON: Ken Roberts once had a P.S. on the end of his
piece that simply asked the question, "What if I’m
right? How are you going to feel three months from
now when this stock has jumped 100% … 200% …
300% or more – just like I told you it would – and
you missed the boat … again?
If you could name one thing that proved to be the
most important factor, in making you successful
today, what do you think it would be?
PARRIS: Boy, that’s hard. I mean, I know what I think the
most successful thing about writing copy is:
Understanding your audience and what they want.
CLAYTON: How do you do that when you’re writing for a market
and you’re not a member of that market? What are
some of the ways you get in touch with how your
prospects might be feeling?
PARRIS: I read the magazines that they read. I pay particular
attention to letters to the editor, because the people
who write them feel strongly enough about
something to actually sit down and write the editor.
And I listen. Like Gene Schwartz used to say, be a
listener, first and foremost.
Today, I’m mentoring a handful of young
copywriters, and I make them find people who have
certain health conditions and just listen to them.
I tell them, "I want you to go out and find somebody
who has arthritis, and I want you to interview them
for an hour. Listen to them talk about what it’s like
to have arthritis. Pick somebody you love, or who
you’re close to, or is a friend of yours, so you’ll have
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empathy for that person as they describe how they
feel."
Then, I tell them to write, a two-page description of
what it’s really like to have arthritis.
And, when you write, picture someone in your mind
who you’re writing to, a specific person.
When I write health promotions, I very often picture
my mother-in- law. Because, she is the right age
and demographic, and she’s having health
problems, and she’s sort of skeptical about this
alternative health stuff. So when I write to her, I
have to convince this skeptical person I really care
about.
CLAYTON: That’s wonderful. And it’s great to pick a skeptic.
Our prospects are becoming more and more
mature and more skeptical as a result.
I also notice from what you said earlier that you
sought out mentors who could help you get started
and grow as a copywriter.
PARRIS: It’s sort of a cliché, so people tend to dismiss it
because they’ve heard it so often before. But I can’t
impress upon people how important that is.
When I went into real estate, I didn’t have a mentor,
or rather, I had a mentor who wasn’t all that good at
it. So, I learned how to be not all that good at it!
And, it took me years to unlearn the wrong stuff and
learn the right stuff, by finding people who were
good at it.
So, when I got into direct response marketing, I
made it a point to find great mentors.
If you learn from somebody at an ad agency who
makes a hundred thousand dollars a year, he’ll
teach you how to make a hundred thousand dollars
a year. Why not find someone who makes millions
of dollars and let him teach you to do the same?
So that’s what I did. I started out by learning from
Gary Halbert and Ted Nicholas. Later, I learned
from Bill Bonner, Michael Masterson, Clayton
Makepeace, and Gary Bencivenga.
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By the way, you don’t actually have to meet all your
mentors. It’s great if you do get to meet them, but
you can learn a lot just from their work.
CLAYTON: You’ve told us about your big break – the
blockbuster control you wrote for Second Opinion.
Tell us about some of your other great
successes …
PARRIS:
Sure. The current control for
Bottom Line Health is a big
winner for Boardroom – and it
shows how to turn any
weaknesses youmight have
as a copywriter into strengths.
I’m not the most creative guy
in the world. I don’t get great
Jim Rutz type headlines coming to me from my
subconscious. I usually have to work consciously to
come up with my ideas.
When I’m writing to promote a book, for example, I
usually go through the product page by page,
writing fascination bullets. And then once I’ve got
those, several will suggest theme ideas and
headline ideas. The headline in the Bottom Line
Health promotion started out as a fascination.
So did my
control for Soundview, How To Undo Years of
Damage Done By Stress. This was written in early
2002, so you just had 9/11, anthrax in the mail, a
new war in Afghanistan and the build-up to the Iraq
war. My wife and I were talking about how stressed
out everybody was.
I jumped on Amazon.Com to check out the sales
rankings of books on stress. They were very high,
so I decided to use a stress lead.
It worked like gangbusters – Soundview mailed that
package for a good two years.
CLAYTON: Interesting. I work in a very similar way. I’ll write 24
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pages of copy, and then turn to the headline and
deck copy last. I just go through my text and several
phrases will jump out at me. I turn the strongest
ones into headlines.
PARRIS: Yeah. Well, that’s no accident, I learned it from you.
CLAYTON: I’m flattered!
There’s another element to that headline that I think
is particularly powerful: Forgiveness for past sins.
That’s really what I loved about the headline – the
idea that I can be freed from the consequences of
past actions.
PARRIS: That’s huge. Forgiveness for past sins. Undoing the
past – undoing things you regret. Y’know, you
always hear people interviewed and they say, "I’ve
got no regrets." I’m thinking, "Bullshit. He’s got a list
of regrets a mile long, we all do!"
CLAYTON: What mental processes do you go through when
you’re starting a new project?
PARRIS: I always start with bullets. Because, like I said, I’m
just not the world’s most creative guy. And if I didn’t
start with bullets, I wouldn’t even know where to
begin. I’d just sit there staring at a blank screen.
So, if I’m writing a Boardroom package, that’s great,
because half the package is done when you’re
done with the bullets.
But even if I’m writing a package where there’s not
a single bullet in the final package, the bulleted
notes I take when beginning still shape how the
package is gonna be.
CLAYTON: In that case, the bullets you’re writing relate to the
benefits the product offers to the customer, right?
PARRIS: That’s right. But always with an intriguing twist.
I had a great conversation with David Deutsch,
where he told me about teaching somebody how to
write fascinations and bullets. His copy cub found a
tip in the book about how keeping a wallet in your
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back pocket can cause back pain. So his
fascination read, "How A Pick-Pocket Can Get Rid
Of Your Back Pain."
CLAYTON: Beautiful.
You mentioned earlier that you read what your
prospect’s reading. Have you ever used, like polling
websites, for example, on financial packages? A lot
of the best ones tend to be quite topical. We might
be talking about rising interest rates and gas prices,
and commodity prices, for example.
Do you look for other sources of information on
what your market might be thinking and feeling?
PARRIS: Yeah, I look at polling stuff, I look at what’s in the
news, I look at Internet message boards and chat
rooms to see what people are writing about.
One thing about me, though, is I’m kind of, like,
lazy. I don’t wanna write a package and then have
to write a new one six months later when it’s not
topical anymore. So, I try to look for evergreen
material if I can.
But you know, as Dan Kennedy is fond of saying,
"You can make a living just going through USA
Today and getting ideas for new packages."
CLAYTON: Very true. And I’ve found that leaving the closing
copy – where you present the product and the offer
– the same for six months to a year at a time and
simply writing new front-end facing based on what’s
hot in the news today, can produce huge mailings
and massive royalties.
So, I’m lazy too, but I’m lazy in a different way. I just
rewrite the front ends and let the backends stand.
PARRIS: You know, the guarantee copy is something we
probably shouldn’t be lazy about.
If you look at Rodale’s sales copy, they’ve had the
same guarantee for like, twenty years. But, when
Gary Bencivenga would write that copy, he would
sell the guarantee in such a way that it sounded
new and fresh every time he did it. He would find a
new way of phrasing it that made it really sing.
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I was reading a package the other day that Arthur
Johnson wrote for Phillips Alternatives newsletter,
and he basically had the same guarantee Phillips
has run for several years now. But then Johnson
added, "250,000 people who ordered this did not
take us up on that guarantee."
CLAYTON: That’s beautiful. He turns a guarantee into a selling
device instead of just a risk reliever.
I often use my guarantees as contracts between the
editor and the prospect, in which I get to repeat all
the benefits the prospect is signing up for.
In fact I just finished a package this morning for
Sinatra, where the guarantee is a contract between
Dr. Sinatra and the reader. "Here’s my solemn vow
to you. I’m going to do these seven things, and if I
ever disappoint you, everything I sent you is free."
What could clients do for copywriters to help us
produce our work more quickly and give them
stronger copy?
PARRIS: Provide better research, more research – so the
copywriter can spend his time writing – NOT
beating the bushes for background stuff.
But the best thing a client can do to get really great
breakthroughs for information and advisory
products is to give the copywriter the freedom to
write about things that may not be in the existing
editorial.
The best packages I’ve ever written came from
ideas the client hadn’t thought of. I got an idea and I
told the client, "Hey, you should write about this,
this is hot." And so, the editorial arose out of the
copy instead of the copy arising out of the editorial.
Y’know, I started this interview talking about how,
many years ago, I wrote a book on how to sell your
home fast. But I wrote the ad first, and then wrote
the book. You get better copy that way, and you
also get better editorial that way.
CLAYTON: Well that’s an important point. In a very real way,
the editorial copy is marketing copy, because the
A Conversation With Million-Dollar CopywriterPARRIS LAMPROPOULOS | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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strength of the editorial drives renewal rates. So for
a publisher, making the connection between
editorial and what’s hot in the market place is a key
to profits.
I think implicit in what you’re saying is that
marketing should drive editorial. The marketer is
the one, not the editor, who’s going to the websites
and reading the magazines and the books and
asking the question, "What’s selling now? What are
people worried about? What do they fear? What do
they desire?"
PARRIS: Yeah. If you want good renewal rates, you have to
ask the question, "How can I best serve my
customers?" And the answer is, you give them what
they want and need.
That’s what Robert Rodale, Tom Phillips, Bill
Bonner, Chip Wood and other pioneersdid when
they first started this business.
CLAYTON: I think another part of it too, is that when Bob, Tom
and Chip got started, they were doing both the
editorial and the marketing.
Now, we have editorial managers and we have
marketing managers. They talk to each other, but
somehow, the singular vision – giving subs the
information and advice they’re hottest for – can get
diluted.
That’s just a challenge of growth.
One of the problems that I had early on, I think that
a lot of younger copywriters have, and I guess I still
deal with it – is that, y’know, from our youngest
years, we’ve been taught that the customer’s
always right.
The client is my customer. I want to please the
customer. And so, I feel torn. On the one hand, I
want my copy to be a grand-slam homerun. On the
other, I want to please the customer. Do you ever
have that experience?
PARRIS: I was – y’know, I got this sort of cockiness from,
like, Gary Halbert and people like that who were
early influences on me.
A Conversation With Million-Dollar CopywriterPARRIS LAMPROPOULOS | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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And so, I was a lot better at that.
It’s interesting because, I look back on it now, and it
surprises me because, like I said, I was always this
shy, timid guy. But, for some reason, I was pretty
good at asserting myself when it came to copy.
And, I think if you’ve done the work and you’ve
learned from the masters … and you’ve studied
Caples and Hopkins and Schwab and then some of
the newer people that we’ve talked about today –
and if you have some winners under your belt – you
need to fight for your copy.
Once, on a conference call, I heard Jay Abraham
say, "I don’t consider the client my customer. I
consider the end buyer, who’s buying the product or
service, that’s my customer. So, if I’m doing right by
that customer, then the client automatically gets the
result."
CLAYTON: Once, Jim Rutz told a marketing manager at
Phillips, "The heartbreak of a blown deadline is
soon forgotten in the warm glow of a hot new
control."
And the same is true, I think, of the process itself. I
think you can be nice, but firm. The client may not
like it in some cases, he may love it in others, but
the bottom line is that response at the end of the
rainbow.
CLAYTON: Parris, what’s the smartest thing you ever did to
increase your income as a copywriter?
PARRIS: The smartest thing that I ever did to increase my
income is the same thing you did. I become more
than a copywriter.
I can’t write more than three or four hours a day. My
brain just turns to Jell-O. So that leaves another
three or four hours that I could be making money,
but I’m not. That puts a ceiling on my income. Now,
it’s a pretty high ceiling, but it’s a ceiling
nonetheless.
So I started copy chiefing other writers. There’s a
huge shortage of A-level copywriters, so there’s a
value to the client to be able to go to the B and C
A Conversation With Million-Dollar CopywriterPARRIS LAMPROPOULOS | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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writers and then have an A writer copy chief that
and bring it up to a higher level.
I get to accept assignments that I wouldn’t
otherwise. Each project only takes a tiny fraction of
the time I’d normally spend on a package, and I get
a chunk of the advance and the royalty.
So I make more money. The young gun gets more
assignments, grows his skills on each project, and
makes more money. And the client gets the
promotions he needs. It’s a win-win for everyone.
CLAYTON: As I understand it, you’re getting involved in a lot
more than simply creative. Aren’t you also working
on marketing strategy, product positioning,
development, and those kinds of things?
PARRIS: Product positioning, product development,
marketing strategy, sorta coming up with a road
map to take them to the next level.
CLAYTON: When in your career, did you learn the nuts and
bolts side of the business? How did you pick up that
knowledge?
PARRIS: Mostly, learning from other people. Some stuff I
learned from clients, some stuff I learned from
business books, some I learned from studying guys
like Jay Abraham and Dan Kennedy.
You know, as Dan Kennedy says, it’s no great
secret. There’s this big building in your town, with
books in it, called the "library." All you have to do is
go down there and you’ll find out all kinds of stuff.
CLAYTON: And "stuff" equals money. So helping your client
with marketing strategy and all the rest that creates
another income avenue for you. Your client isn’t
getting that wisdom from you for free?
PARRIS: No. I mean, it’s free up front, it’s based on
performance. I pretty much patterned what I’m
doing after what I saw you doing.
CLAYTON: It certainly was a breakthrough for me in terms of
income, and it appears to have been for you.
A Conversation With Million-Dollar CopywriterPARRIS LAMPROPOULOS | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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But it’s not always easy to get clients to break with
the old freelance copywriter paradigm … to think
about us as more than wordsmiths … and to involve
us earlier in the process, or at deeper levels of the
process. How are you able to do that?
PARRIS: It’s the old risk reversal thing, you know? Make ‘em
a risk-free offer.
I called my client and said, "Hey, y’know what? I’m
trying something new, it’s kinda crazy, I don’t know
if it’ll work, but it could pay big dividends. I’m gonna
be in your town next month, what if I stop by there
for half a day and we throw some stuff around?"
So I went to my client’s office and we took out all
his newsletter inserts and I changed headlines on
the spot. When he ran them again, he got a much
higher response.
Then, I strengthened their telemarketing scripts.
Pretty soon, we were talking products, positioning,
marketing strategy, creative strategy, and mailing
list strategy – the works.
Joe Sugarman said, "Two things you need to be a
good copywriter are, you need specific knowledge
about copywriting and about the client’s product,
but you also need general knowledge, because that
gives you ideas that maybe they never thought of."
If you’re well read and spend some time thinking,
you’re going to get ideas on how to increase your
client’s business that has nothing to do with
copywriting. You’re going to be watching the news
one day and say, "Wow. That idea could make my
client a gazillion bucks."
CLAYTON: I can definitely relate. I find that when I’m focused
on a client or a product, my brain is working on it 24
hours a day and great ideas come at the oddest
times.
And so, the clients really get much more of you
than he would if you were merely a freelancer,
working at arm’s length.
Plus, so much of what we do is chemistry between
us and the client. And a lot of that chemistry
A Conversation With Million-Dollar CopywriterPARRIS LAMPROPOULOS | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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depends on how well each of you understands and
respects the other’s work process, and having a
relationship with that person that frees you to give
them everything you’ve got.
And then there’s the learning curve on the product
and the market. When a freelancer has to go
through a new learning curve every single month,
that’s time down the drain. When you have a
deeper relationship with a client, you can skip the
learning curve and focus intensely on the copy.
And since you get paid for writing – not for your
time learning – you just naturally work faster and
make more money.
PARRIS: Absolutely. There is a downside though. Sooner or
later – it could be years – you’re going to run out of
ideas for a particular product. That’s where your
copy cubs come in handy.
Bringing moregood people into the mix and
allowing them to contribute keeps the great ideas
coming.
CLAYTON: Yes. And more than just the "idea" thing – if you’re
doing your job well; your client’s going to grow.
Fast. And at some point, there will be more work
than you can possibly handle – even with copy
cubs.
At that point, I like to bring in other "A" writers and
let them work directly with the client. They put more
customers on the file, and since I’m also writing
sales promotions to those customers, they make
me money.
At Weiss, I asked him to bring in Eric Beutel,
Richard Stanton- Jones, Carline Anglade-Cole, Bob
Bly and many others. I even rang you up and tried
to get on your schedule.
The secret is to have a compensation schedule that
rewards you for the client’s growth no matter who
does the work. That way, everybody makes a
bundle.
This has been great. There are tons of ideas here
that both copywriters and their clients can use to
make millions.
A Conversation With Million-Dollar CopywriterPARRIS LAMPROPOULOS | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/parris-lampropoulos-with-clayton-makepeace/[11/29/2012 7:30:47 PM]
Thanks again, buddy.
PARRIS: You’re welcome.
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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12 Responses to A Conversation With 
Million-Dollar Copywriter
PARRIS LAMPROPOULOS
← Confessions of a 
Marketing Chauvinist Pig
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Ruth says:
May 1, 2007 at 12:32 pm
These interviews are so helpful to me as a beginner. Actually, I get
more thoughts and creativeness from them than others..people get so
wordy…I hate that.. when jeweels can come from just a few well-
worded paragraphs. I have a BS in Psychology, and I believe that is
where I started to hate so many nonsensical words. Well, anyway,
thanks so much.
Reply
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Gerard LeBlond says:
July 24, 2008 at 10:30 am
Red Alert! Red Alert! As of 24 July 2008 the "Click to Enlarge"
feature attached to each ad image is faulty…
Reply
graham says:
July 24, 2008 at 11:22 am
Hey, Gerard. Thanks for the catch. We can’t find the larger versions
of those images right now – so the links are gone. Thanks for the
heads up!
Reply
Francis Ablola says:
July 24, 2008 at 11:24 am
It’s inspiring to see how someone like Parris came through the ranks.
Very insightful. I consider myself a cub with a lot to learn…great
article for someone like myself. Now how does one go about being
chief’ed by an A-level writer?
Reply
Chuck says:
July 24, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I’m with Francis above… How about an article titled, "How To Get
Chiefed By a Master Copywriter and Rocket from Idle Cub to
Overbooked A-Lister!"
Chuck
Reply
Adam says:
July 24, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Parris is the king! Rock on baby!
Reply
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Marcelino Latorre says:
July 24, 2008 at 3:19 pm
This interview was an inspirational jewel. Thanks for the lesson
guys. -Marcelino Latorre
Reply
Gene Ingle says:
July 24, 2008 at 6:26 pm
As a longtime interviewer, I must say this: It’s one of the best
interviews I’ve ever seen. Fantastic! If wannabe copywriters can’t
learn from this, maybe they should try something else. The Total
Package — always something of value.
Reply
Markus Trauernicht says:
July 25, 2008 at 1:18 am
"And I tap into the emotion of regret my prospect has about
opportunities he’s missed in the past."
Cool.
Thanks!
Markus Trauernicht
Reply
Richard Muir says:
July 25, 2008 at 2:08 am
Hey great post and extremely insightful on the path of a copy writer.
Cheers
Rich
Reply
Robert J Chamberlain says:
October 22, 2009 at 7:47 am
As a novice/beginner myself, I find this text to be a gem, an absolute
classic. It is definitely well worth the read, and I can say without a
doubt that I will be returning to it in the very near future. I have been
in hiding so-to-speak for various reasons, but I am certain that I will
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have a great future career in this field. As a very creative person
thanks to my ADHD, writing and persuasion come pretty easily to me.
My future is bright.
It is an interesting subject. Hell, I love marketing. I can sell sell sell
and usually outperform everybody.
Thanks for sharing.
I will be implementing the techniques outlined here.
Reply
Alexander Herrera says:
April 12, 2012 at 10:45 am
Great article! I will be reading the rest of the archived articles on this
web-site, starting with 2005.
This interview with Clayton & Parris was inspiring to date, even
though it took place in 2005. Nothing really changed a whole lot in
regards to writing quality copy. I aim to digest as much as i can on
this site to better my shitty skills at writing.
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Face Your Fears
Posted on October 17, 2005 by Clayton Makepeace
Like Sign Up to see what your friends like.
Your #1 obstacle to turning dreams into reality 
– and how to kick its fanny …
Dear Business-Builder,
I love people who have the audacity to dream big dreams – and who have
the courage to actually follow those dreams through to fruition.
And in the last few days, I fell in love 200 times.
I’m writing this on Monday morning, October 10 (one week before you’ll read
it) – after returning from attending and speaking at the American Writers &
Artists Institute’s (AWAI) Boot Camp in Delray Beach, Florida.
This was a big first for me. For one thing, I don’t “do” conferences. I attended
my first – and last – marketing conference in 1975 … that was 30 long years
ago, and I hated every minute of it. It was a cattle call: Hundreds of hungry
writers, artists, list brokers, printers, and other vendors desperately mobbing
anything that resembled a potential client. And since acting like a teenage girl
chasing rock stars through hotel lobbies isn’t my idea of fun, I never did it
again.
But I’m impressed – no, that’s wrong – I’m utterly BLOWN AWAY by the
whole AWAI Boot Camp experience. AWAI’s Michael Masterson, Paul
Hollingshead, Katie Yeakle, Denise Ford and their staff are some of the
greatest folks on Earth. They made The Redhead and me – and everyone
else there – feel right at home.
The organization was flawless. The programming was inspired. The speakers
were brilliant. And every one of the attendees proved to be the kind of people
I admire most: Everyday folks taking action to turn their dreams of freedom
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and wealth – of a better life – into reality.
If you were there, I know you’re nodding your head right now. And frankly, if
you weren’t – and if you really are serious about sharpening your copywriting
or copy-chiefing skills – you blew it.
For every business owner, marketing exec or copywriter in America looking
for ways to produce more effective ad copy, the annual AWAI Marketing Boot
Camp is simply a “must attend” event. I strongly recommend that you begin
making plans now to be there next year.
I’m going to be – NO MATTER WHAT!
Just saying “yes” to AWAI
scared the bejeezus out of me.
If going to an industry conference was a big deal for me, actually speaking at
one was a life-changing experience.
This will probably sound strange to you – but ever since I was a kid, I have
suffered from a raging case of stage fright. Just standing in front of 20 or 30
people got my knees quaking. Once, my hands shook so violently, I couldn’t
even read my notes.
And so I turned down every speaking invitation offered to me in the last 33
years. Instead, I spent 99% of my time alone in darkened rooms, cranking
out reams of direct mail, print, TV, radio and Internet promotions.
My aversion to public speaking has cost me a LOT over the years. Once, the
prestigious Economic Club of New York – the august body to which J.F.K.
delivered his famous “tax-cuts-INCREASE-tax-revenues” speech – invited
me to address their members.
They told my secretary they’d spring for First-Class airfare and
accommodations, steer my family and me around Manhattan in a stretch limo
and even let us use their helicopter for sight-seeing – if I would only consent
to speaking.
My stage fright was so severe, I didn’t even return the call – and missed out
on what would have surely been one of the greatest experiences of my life.
But the folks at The American Writers & Artists Institute have been so
unbelievably gracious to me over the past few months – repeatedly
recommending THE TOTAL PACKAGE to their students – only a jerk would
have declined their invitation to speak.
So there I was; saying “yes” to AWAI … agreeing to face my fear … and
risking the possibility of sucking BIG time.
Face Your Fears | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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Evidently, I didn’t suck.
So, at 11:15 AM last Friday, I spoke about direct marketing in public for the
first time ever.
I presented the copywriting outline I’ve used to create some of the most
successful financial newsletter promotions of all time. These promotions have
consistently brought my clients as many as ten or fifteen times more new
subscribers than the competition gets in a year, and have repeatedly
quadrupled their customer files (not to mention my personal income!) in
record time.
I figured this stuff should be pretty handy for any copywriter to know. All I
wanted was to: 1) Not suck on-stage, and 2) Enjoy the experience enough to
not dread doing it again.
So when my buddy Bob Bly introduced me, I bravely checked my fly, clipped
the mic onto my shirt, treated myself to a quick mental snapshot of the
audience in their underwear (especially the cute blonde in the third row in the
imaginary Victoria’s Secret get-up), and began talking.
I thought I did OK. I didn’t choke up, nobody fell asleep and the material I
presented was real.
The Redhead, bless her heart, says I was hands down, the best speaker at
the entire conference … in fact, the best speaker there ever was on any
subject in the whole universe since the Big Bang, period (aren’t wives great?
).
The folks who work for me – the TOTAL PACKAGE staff and my new copy
cubs – were complimentary too. No surprise there, either: After all, I am the
boss.
And of course, the AWAI folks said I did great. They’re just too nice not to.
But the rest of the attendees blew me away. They lined up – scores at a time
– to tell me that my ramblings really helped them. Only one person – a nice
lady from Belize – offered a criticism: “Stand up straighter” she said,
“Slumping screws up your internal organs.” “Thanks, Mom,” I said.
Copywriter of the Year
Around 5:00, Sandy Franks presented AWAI’s first-ever award for the
“Copywriter of the Year.” Want to guess who won? Me, that’s who!
They put my name on a plaque that’ll hang in their offices forever and
awarded me a cool etched-glass trophy for my bookcase PLUS a silver
money clip from Tiffany & Co.!
Now, I don’t want to brag, but the other guys whowere nominated are among
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the greatest copywriters ever. Some are also my buddies. And so
to them, I say with the deepest sincerity…
… NANNY NANNY BOO-BOO!
When the comely and brilliant Sandy Franks handed me that trophy, I felt like
spiking it, strutting around like a Banty Rooster and breaking into an end-
zone dance!
… But while I was doing all of that on the inside, I didn’t let on. I just told the
crowd that if a high school dropout like me can make millions writing copy
and be honored like this, you can too. And I said that somewhere in the
crowd, there were several future “Copywriters of the Year”, and urged them to
stick with it.
It truly was a humbling experience. You see despite what you may read
elsewhere, there is no such thing as “The World’s Greatest Copywriter.”
Anyone who tells you different – who claims that he or she is the greatest – is
just … well, writing copy.
I’ve seen lots of great copywriters flop. Heck. I’ve done it myself! And just a
few weeks ago, I saw a no-name in-house writer beat the daylights out of
copy written by one of the most famous guys (and one of the most shameless
self-promoters) in the biz.
So thanks again, AWAI, for the honor. I’m thrilled to accept – whether I
deserve it or not. And to all my peers who voted for me, bless your little pea-
pickin’ hearts!
Is fear holding YOU back?
This whole AWAI Boot Camp experience taught me one of the most valuable
lessons I will ever learn. Facing my fear freed me from it!
Whether you’re a business owner, a marketing exec, a copywriter or an artist,
I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts that fear has steered you into some of the
dumbest and costliest decisions of your life – and AWAY from decisions that
could have proven to be huge breakthroughs for you.
Fear is what keeps us where we feel safe – and what dooms us to mediocrity.
It keeps us from trying bold new things: Things that break the rules … things
that have the potential to create breakthroughs and make us legends, not to
mention, richer than Midas.
Last week, I introduced you to Carline Anglade-Cole – a former copy cub of
mine who now earns well into six figures every year spinning out hot new
controls for major clients. In addition to being a great writer, Carline is one of
the most fearless people I’ve ever met. Her lack of fear has enabled her to
put her talent on the line … fight for her copy … and become an “A” – list
Face Your Fears | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/face-your-fears/[11/29/2012 7:30:59 PM]
writer in record time.
But not all of us are like Carline. Most of us do struggle with self-doubt,
intimidation and outright fear. But that moment when we finally set those
fears aside can lead to tremendous breakthroughs …
Carolyn faced her fear – and now, she’s ON HER
WAY!
Carolyn – an attractive, very intelligent lady in my Boot Camp Peer Review
Group – is an excellent case in point. She works in a particular type of
financial services company and is disgusted with the way her industry
exploits and in some cases, even rips off everyday Joes like you and me.
Carolyn’s dream is to publish and then write hot sales copy for a book that
will expose these abuses, help consumers get a fair shake, and save them a
not-so-small fortune. But that would mean she’d have to quit her job and
gamble that profits from book sales will be substantial enough make up for
her lost salary.
Just yesterday, she wrote to tell me that – thanks to the encouragement she
got at the AWAI Boot Camp – she went straight home, quit her job and is now
pursuing her dream FULL-TIME!
You know what? I think she’s going to make it!
Andrew faced his fear – and I HIRED him!
After my speech, dozens of nice folks lined up to say “HI!”, thank me for THE
TOTAL PACKAGE, and to say kind things about my presentation. I was
humbled that some waited 20 minutes or more to chat.
As I met each person, I couldn’t help but notice that the fellow at the very end
of the line was literally quaking in his shoes. He looked as terrified as a guy
who was about to be led before a firing squad!
When he finally reached the head of the line, he introduced himself: “I’m
Andrew,” he said in a shaky British accent, “and I want you to mentor me.”
And he shoved a big envelope with writing samples into my hand.
Now, this happens to me a lot. I get scores of e-mails each week from writers
asking me to mentor, copy-chief, critique or coach them – but my time is
severely limited, so in most cases, I have no choice but to kindly decline and
urge them to continue reading THE TOTAL PACKAGE to find the help they
need.
But a couple of days later, I had time to look at Andrew’s writing samples –
and within an hour, I’d fired off an e-mail offering him a “first-date”
assignment for one of my clients.
Face Your Fears | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/face-your-fears/[11/29/2012 7:30:59 PM]
Now, because he too faced his fear, Andrew is on his way: If he works hard
in the next few weeks, he has a shot at a long-term contract worth five, or
even six figures – and a fast start towards the copywriter’s life he dreams
about!
… So what are YOU afraid of?
Maybe your worst fear is that someone might tell you your copy stinks –
destroying your dream before it has the chance to really take flight. And
so you decide to put off those phone calls to prospective clients for yet
another day.
Maybe you have some great copy or marketing ideas – but you’re afraid
to see where they’ll lead you, or fearful of presenting them to a client and
having him or her think you’re some kind of a kook.
Maybe you’re paralyzed by the fear that your new copy will “fail in the
mail” and make you look and feel like a loser. So you second- and third-
guess every decision you’ve made – and weaken your copy with each
succeeding draft.
Or, perhaps you’re too intimidated to fight for your copy when a client
starts messing with it – so you just stand by impotently and let some fool
gut it.
My advice: It’s OK to feel fearful. We all do from time to time. When fear
raises its ugly head, acknowledge it. Say, “This scares me” – and then do it
anyway!
Be SURE to read the next two issues 
of THE TOTAL PACKAGE 
for even MORE exciting news!
Since today’s issue was mostly motivational in nature, I’m going to make it up
to you – in SPADES – with some super-heavy-duty nuts-and-bolts content
next week.
So stay tuned, dear friend … and never, EVER lose faith in your dreams.
The Redhead and I – and the entire TOTAL PACKAGE team – are doing
everything we can think of to help make your dreams reality!
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
Face Your Fears | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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Looking for past issues of The Total Package? Click here for our archives.
Want to share or reprint this article? Feel free. Just give us full
attribution and a link to our Home Page when you do.
Attribution Statement: This article was first published in The Total Package.
To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and
claim four FREE money making e-books go to
www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.
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Scary LEGAL Issues 
You NEED to Know About
Posted on October 31, 2005 by Clayton Makepeace
Like Sign Up to see what your friends like.
3 Golden Rules for avoiding most legal nightmares …
4 MORE secrets for KEEPING the millions you're going to make as a
savvy business owner, marketing exec or copywriter …
And MORE!
Dear Business-Builder,
One year before 9/11 – almost to the day – I was cooling my heels on the
86th floor of Manhattan's World Trade Center, waiting to be grilled by a
team of government investigators and wondering how IN THE HELL I'd
ever wound up there …
I flashed back to the moment, two years earlier, when a FedEx truck had
rolled up to my office and disgorged an innocent-looking box. Inside the box,
I found a bunch of investment newsletters written by a guy I'd never heard of
– and a letter from my agent asking me to "take a look."
As I read the first issue, I felt like somebody had just poured ice water down
the front of my shorts. What the editor was saying shocked me … chilled me
– and ultimately, electrified me!
This guy was saying truly outrageous things about President Clinton's past
and making extreme, negative predictions about the future of the economy
and the stock market.
In short, his audacious, uniquely powerful message was in stark contrast to
the Pollyanna pabulum I was seeing from other financial publishers.
The fact that I disagreed with most of the editor's views was immaterial to me
at the time. If ad agencies and copywriters only worked with clients and
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He DOES exist! He DOES exist!
We’re still here…
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media whose opinions we agree with, there wouldn't BE any ad agencies or
copywriters!
To me, the editor was simply …
A U.S. citizen, expressing his (admittedly outrageous) opinions, and …
An American businessman, attempting to attract new customers.
Now I feel it's only fair to remind you: I did NOT graduate Harvard Law
School – or any other attorney assembly line for that matter.
 … But I am a proud graduate of McKinley Elementary School in Tremonton
Utah. And when Mr. Walden tested my sixth-grade class on the U.S. Bill of
Rights and Constitution back in 1962, I passed with flying colors (OK – so
maybe it was just a "C+").
I distinctly remember those dusty documents saying – and I'm quoting from
memory here …
"We the people say it is O.K.
to speak your mind and make money."
Besides: It seemed clear that, crazy or not, the editor passionately believed
what he was saying. Plus, I knew that thousands of investors did share his
views. And his copious use of facts, figures and quotes from well-respected
outside sources helped make his views seem at least plausible to thousands
more.
Finally, I did the math: This guy's unique (and uniquely entertaining) views …
plus powerful sales copy … equaled huge promotional potential for him – and
six- or maybe even seven-figure royalty potential for me.
So I called my agent and asked if the publisher was reputable. Did he deliver
what he promised? I was assured that he was and he did. The prospective
client worked with several other reputable copywriters, printers and mail list
companies – and as far as my agent could tell, was on the up-and-up.
Anyways, I accepted the job.
I wrote a promotion or two for the guy … they mailed well … he paid me
promptly … and I banked some VERY healthy royalties. It was immediately
clear that this client was probably going to be a $1 million-a-year cash cow
for me.
It wasn’t long, though, until word got ‘round that I had written the client’s
control. Suddenly, people I respected were calling, positively mortified that I
was working with this guy. 
Scary LEGAL Issues You NEED to Know About | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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According to them, the editor was a convicted felon on the lam from federal
authorities. And not only that, his partners were as crooked as a dog’s hind
leg, too. 
“He’s not delivering the newsletters you’re selling,” they said, “nor is he
paying refunds to dissatisfied subscribers. And what’s more, the track record
he gave you is a complete fabrication.”
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
I'd worked with scores of clients in my nearly three decades in the direct
response biz. Until then, only ONE of them had proven to be a skunk – and
even he gave me the straight poop on his investment track record and paid
refunds promptly.
He delivered products to his customers too – as it turned out, much poorer
quality products than I had been led to believe (hence the "skunk" part) – but
at least he delivered something! (When I learned the skunk was cheating his
customers, I resigned the account. Within a year, I heard he'd been nailed for
his sins, had set up housekeeping with a cellmate named Bubba at a federal
correctional facility, and would be getting his mail there for the next decade or
so.)
Now, as I digested the horrifying news about this new client, I suddenly felt …
well, dirty, somehow – like I needed to take a long, hot shower and scrub my
entire body with #40 grit sandpaper.
My Momma raised me better than to be party to a scam. If she had ever
caught me hanging out with such unsavory characters, she would have said,
"Birds of a feather flock together," – and proceeded to give me the thrashing
of my life.
So, thanks to Mom, I didn't even have to think about what to do next. I
promptly bailed – and by doing so, walked away from the millions I would
have surely made with the client.
Then, one fine August day in 2000, my phone rang again. This time it was a
nice lady from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) – the
federal agency charged with the responsibility of skewering anyone who
breaks the law while selling futures or futures options.
The nice lady politely asked me if I would be so kind as to …
1. Send her every communication I'd ever had with the client …
2. Send her everything I had ever written for the client …
3. "Visit" her in New York to tell her everything I knew about the client.
Again – I am NOT a lawyer – but I do know one thing: When an investigator
at a government agency "invites" you to pay him or her a visit, it's not really
Scary LEGAL Issues You NEED to Know About | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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an invitation. It is an order.
One way or another,you are going to talk to them. Your only choice is
whether the record shows you did so voluntarily or only after some guy with a
badge and a gun shoved a subpoena into your face.
And so, I was nice right back at her. "Sure," I said, and we settled on a date.
Then, I speed-dialed a famous New York lawyer who specializes in such
things and asked him to walk me through what I was positive would be more
of a "grilling" than a "visit."
Don't shoot ME; I'm just the copywriter!
And so there I was that September day in 2000, in a windowless room at the
World Trade Center, awaiting my turn on the CFTC's spit. Long story short, it
went OK.
I swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me,
Buddha. I told them everything I knew about the client (not much, as it turned
out) and they let me go sans-handcuffs. I haven't heard a peep from the
CFTC, or any other regulator for that matter, in the five years since.
Besides the thirty-thousand smackers my lawyer and travel expenses cost
me – and the month of writer's block and lost productivity I suffered while
waiting to give my deposition – there were no permanent scars.
And frankly, I had re-learned a valuable lesson: Uncompromising personal
ethics, plus a working knowledge of the legalities involved with marketing and
strict adherence to those laws – and, of course, the phone number of a great
attorney – are absolutely essential to succeed over the long haul in any
business today – especially this one.
99.99% of all direct marketers are honest, good
people.
When someone suggests that direct response marketing is a sleazy
business, I have to resist the urge to slap 'em. In fact, the only reason I don't
brain these cynics is that I, for one, find physical abuse of the mentally
retarded morally reprehensible.
The God's truth is, the vast majority of the companies in this industry – and
certainly every client I have ever had a long-term relationship with – provide
quality products at fair prices and in doing so, bring tremendous value to their
customers' lives.
Yes, there are some bad apples:
Insurance sharks that push children's burial insurance policies to guilt-
Scary LEGAL Issues You NEED to Know About | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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ridden parents and whole-life policies to addled seniors …
Bankers who sell "low-interest" credit cards that whack you for up to 30%
the second you're even one day late paying ANY bill …
Drug company fat cats who send lavish mailers to doctors touting stuff
they know will kill thousands just to make a quick buck (Thalidomide,
Tambocor, Fen-Phen & Redux and Vioxx) …
"Natural" quacks who claim their non-prescription remedies will make you
skinny, erase your bald spot and make your wilting willy snap to
attention …
Congressional candidates and other politicians who fill your mailbox with
fundraising appeals promising you the world if you'll only donate and vote
– but never deliver (Why can't you ever find an FTC cop when you
REALLY need one???) …
Every one of these scam artists should be rounded up … liberally doused
with Chanel No. 5 … shoved into a very small cell with a very large, very
lonely Bubba … and have the door locked behind him.
And it should be done NOW – before he sullies the reputation of honest
direct response companies any further, and certainly before he has the
chance to reproduce!
But the fact is, these kinds of shameless swindlers represent only a tiny
minority of the massive direct marketing community. And to those of us in the
biz, it's easy to avoid them.
Anyone with an IQ as large as my shoe size (I wear size 11 – and according
to the psychiatric textbooks, an IQ of 11 is about one-fifth of what you need to
be officially classified a "Moron" and well within the official "Idiot" range) – can
see them coming.
Their slick silk suits, greasy hair, implausible promises, shoddy products,
outrageous prices and Congressional imprimaturs are a dead give-away.
Beyond avoiding these obvious scoundrels, I also follow three "Golden
Rules" when working with clients …
Golden Rule #1 
Lie down with dogs and you'll get up with fleas: 
Never agree to partner with or promote products 
sold by people you know to be less than honest.
Golden Rule #2 
Never promote products you suspect 
could be defective or dangerous: 
Avoid things you wouldn't want your mom or dad, 
your significant other, or your kids or grandkids 
paying for and using (Attention, Merck and Pfizer execs!).
Scary LEGAL Issues You NEED to Know About | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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Golden Rule #3 
Never, ever lie: 
Say only what you are convinced is true –
and have substantiation to back it up.
More legal stuff you need to know
It would be wonderful if avoiding legal entanglements was as easy as
following my 3 simple "Golden Rules." Unfortunately, in today's highly
regulated, lawsuit-crazy world, it is not.
So here's some more great advice designed to help save you a bundle and,
hopefully, keep you out of hot water …
1. Memorize everything you see at
http://www.ftc.gov/
– the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC)
home
on the World Wide Web.
The FTC is the arm of the U.S. government that sets the rules for all
advertising, marketing and sales conducted in this country. In my experience
anyway, they're a pretty decent and reasonable bunch of guys and gals. They
just want everybody – consumers and businesses alike – to get a fair shake.
They know that for the U.S. economy to be successful, consumers need to
have a level of confidence in the advertising and marketing messages we
send to them.
And, the FTC also knows that it's important to protect consumers from
ALMOST all of the scammers and scoundrels named above (I'll let you guess
the only kind of swindler on the above list that even the FTC leaves alone!
Hint: They're both headquartered in Washington D.C.).
And on balance, they also know that advertisers and marketers need to
employ animated sales copy (they seem more concerned with content than
tone) to produce effective sales campaigns.
For the most part, the FTC wants to make sure that you follow my 3 "Golden
Rules" above. If you do, you'll be miles ahead of the game – but you will NOT
be home free.
There are other little wrinkles you need to be aware of – like the thing some
folks call the "reasonable person" rule – and it goes beyond merely insisting
that you tell the truth.
In a nutshell, it says that nothing in your sales message should – whether by
omission of key facts or by the presentation of supposed product benefits –
http://www.ftc.gov/
Scary LEGAL Issues You NEED to Know About | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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deceive, mislead or leave a reasonable prospect with a false impression.
In FTC parlance, ads that mislead are "deceptive" and in the FTC's own
words, certain elements undergird all deception cases …
"First, there must be a representation, omission or practice that
is likely to mislead the consumer.
"Practices that have been found misleading or deceptive in
specific cases include false oral or written representations,
misleading price claims, sales of hazardous or systematically
defective products or services without adequate disclosure,
failure to disclose information regarding pyramid sales, use of
bait and switch techniques, failure to perform promised
services, and failure to meet warranty obligations.
"Second, we examine the practice from the perspective of a
consumer acting reasonably in the circumstances. If the
representation or practice affects or is directed primarily to a
particular group, the Commission examines reasonableness
from the perspective of that group.
"Third, the representation, omission, or practice must be a
"material" one.The basic question is whether the act or practice
is likely to affect the consumer's conduct or decision with regard
to a product or service.
"If so, the practice is material, and consumer injury is likely,
because consumers are likely to have chosen differently, but for
the deception. In many instances, materiality, and hence injury,
can be presumed from the nature of the practice. In other
instances, evidence of materiality may be necessary." –
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/policystmt/ad-decept.htm
In Plain English, I'm pretty sure that means as a business owner, marketing
exec or copywriter, you are required to do more than simply tell the objective
truth. You must also avoid giving your prospect a false impression about your
product by omitting or failing to mention a key fact about it.
Unless you have a secret desire to spend a few years honeymooning with
Bubba, I strongly recommend that you spend a few hours at:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/guides.htm
That's where the FTC keeps its "Plain English" guides for advertisers and
marketers. I suggest you commit them to memory.
I also recommend that my clients have sales copy reviewed by an attorney
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/policystmt/ad-decept.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/guides.htm
Scary LEGAL Issues You NEED to Know About | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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who is steeped in FTC regulations and who stays current with the actions
being taken against other marketers.
2. If another regulatory agency has jurisdiction
over the clients you serve or the products you sell,
study their regulations carefully!
While the FTC watches advertisers and marketers in nearly every industry,
some types of businesses are also governed by their own sets of regulators.
If you or your client is selling stocks, mutual funds and other kinds of
securities investments, for example, you'll need to understand the ground
rules set out by the Securities & Exchange Commission (http://www.sec.gov/)
as well as the National Association of Securities Dealers
(http://www.nasd.com/). [UPDATE: In 2007, the NASD merged with the New
York Stock Exchange's regulation committee to form the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority, or FINRA.]
If you're involved in the selling of commodity futures or futures options, you
need to study the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's site at
http://www.cftc.gov/cftc/cftchome.htm.
And, if you sell nutritional supplements, you should study http://www.fda.gov/
for guidance in preparing your advertising and marketing materials.
If you don't know which agency regulates the industry you're working with,
you can check out the list at the U.S. government's web portal:
http://firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml
3. Keep your legal antennae tuned!
It would be nice if the laws and regulations governing the advertising and
marketing of products and services were black & white and carved in stone.
Unfortunately, they are not – so it is absolutely crucial to make sure an
attorney reviews sales copy before it is mailed and keeps you on top of both
current and possible future shifts in the legal landscape.
Many years ago, for example, the SEC hauled a guy named Chris Lowe up
on charges. He wasn't selling regulated securities – just publishing a monthly
investment advisory newsletter. Each month, he merely offered his opinion as
to what the stock market would do next, and made a few recommendations.
The way Chris saw it, sharing his opinions and recommendations was
protected speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. And
so, Chris happily, even blissfully ignored the SEC's prohibitions against using
testimonials, his track record and other credibility devices when promoting his
newsletter.
Then, in a startling display of brilliant business judgment, Chris hired me to
http://www.sec.gov/
http://www.nasd.com/
http://www.finra.org/index.htm
http://www.cftc.gov/cftc/cftchome.htm
http://www.fda.gov/
http://firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml
Scary LEGAL Issues You NEED to Know About | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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write a promotion package for him. I did, and then sent him my invoice for, as
I remember, around $10,000.
The check bounced. Then, it bounced again. And again. So I got Chris on the
line and said, "Golly gee, Chris, what the heck's going on here?" – or words
to that effect.
Seems the SEC had not appreciated being ignored … had promptly shut
down Chris' little publishing operation … hauled him up on charges … seized
his bank account – and left me holding the bag for ten grand plus about
$3,000 in bounced check charges. My first and only promotion for Chris Lowe
never went very far: It didn't even make it into graphics – let alone into the
mail!
Chris, on the other hand, did go far – all the way to the Supreme Court. I
once paid an SEC attorney $300 an hour to help me understand what
happened next. According to him, the learned arguments went something like
this:
CHRIS: "You can't do this to me – I'm operating under the First Amendment
here."
SEC: "Are not."
CHRIS: "Am too!"
SEC: "Are not!"
SUPREME COURT: "IS TOO!"
SEC: "Damn!"
And so, ever since the famous "Lowe Decision," marketers of investment and
financial information products have been pretty much free to operate under
the far more liberal FTC guidelines ("Don't lie, cheat, steal or mislead")
instead of worrying about the SEC's prohibition on the use of testimonials,
track record and other crucial selling tools.
Nevertheless, the SEC or CFTC still take a run at a financial publisher every
few years, trying to expand their jurisdiction and powers. So if you're writing
for financial publishers, it's important to pay attention. The rules could
change.
Something similar happened with the FDA not too long ago. While allowing
big drug companies to get away with murder – literally – the agency had
taken to kicking down doors at the offices of doctors who prescribed
supplements.
In the case of one doctor – a Harvard-educated M.D. named Jonathon Wright
– FDA enforcers reportedly held nurses and patients at gunpoint while they
confiscated his supply of vitamin B12, his medical files and computers,
http://www.sumeria.net/health/raids.html
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effectively putting him out of business.
And so in 1995, FDA regulators found themselves at the center of
Congressional Hearings on FDA abuses, held by Congressman John Dingel
(R-TX). The FDA boys got spanked pretty good and behaved themselves for
a while. But like the SEC, the agency has not abandoned the quest to
expand its power.
Most recently for example, the FDA endorsed something called the Codex
Alimentarius (Latin for "nutrition code") established by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
Should CODEX become the law of the land in the U.S., all the rules about
marketing supplements would change radically:
It would be illegal to sell a vitamin, mineral, herb, or other nutritional
product to help consumers avoid future health problems …
It would be a crime to sell supplements that exceed potency (dosage)
levels set by WHO …
It would be against the law to market any new dietary supplement before it
has passed through the CODEX approval process.
So again – keep your ear to the ground: The rules for marketing supplement
products are constantly changing – and when they do, you do NOT want to
be the last one to know!
4. Why experiment on animals
when there are so many LAWYERS?!
While following the 3 Golden Rules … getting a grasp on pertinent
regulations … insisting on a legal review of sales copy … and staying on top
of any changes are crucial, you're still not home free.
Problem is, according tothe American Bar Association, there are now more
than ONE MILLION lawyers in the U.S. alone – about one for every 218
adults in America.
It only feels like most of them are in Congress or working for regulatory
agencies. In fact, far more work in the private sector – and of these, hundreds
of thousands are just praying you'll screw up.
According to the American Tort Reform Association, lawyers wrangle about
one-quarter of a trillion dollars out of the legal system every single year. And
according to the U.S. House of Representatives, lawyers – not their clients –
get 33% of that.
That's … let's see … carry the "1" … a whopping $81 BILLION per year:
Enough to send a check for $81,180 to each and every lawyer in the country!
(http://www.atra.org/wrap/files.cgi/7963_howtortreform.html;
http://www.sumeria.net/health/raids.html
http://www.atra.org/wrap/files.cgi/7963_howtortreform.html
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http://www.house.gov/jec/tort/tort/tort.htm)
No wonder America has gone lawsuit happy! Just a few ridiculous recent
examples I found at: http://www.snopes.com/legal/lawsuits.asp:
January 2000: Kathleen Robertson of Austin Texas was awarded
$780,000 after she tripped over a toddler who was running amuck inside a
furniture store.
THE OUT-OF-CONTROL KID WAS MS. ROBERTSON'S OWN SON!
June 1998: 19-year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and
medical expenses from a driver who ran over his hand.
AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, MR. TRUMAN WAS STEALING THE
DRIVER'S HUBCAP!
October 1998: Terrence Dickson of Bristol Pennsylvania was awarded
more than $500,000 when a faulty door opener trapped him inside a
garage and forced him to subsist on Pepsi and dog food for 8 days.
MR. DICKSON HAD BEEN ROBBING THE HOUSE BEFORE HE GOT
TRAPPED IN THE GARAGE!
Okay, I’ll come clean. Those lawsuits aren’t real. But with access to a news
database and a few minutes to spare, you can easily find real lawsuits of
equal stupidity.
The fact is, anyone can sue you at any time and for any reason. And even if
you win, the suit is going to cost you tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
Business owners can buy insurance for this kind of thing – and most probably
should. If you're a copywriter or a marketing consultant, consider adding the
following to your contracts:
1. A clause that says your client takes full responsibility for determining the
accuracy, legality and regulatory compliance of all statements in the copy
before it is used …
2. A "Hold Harmless" clause that says if your client is sued for any reason,
he can't turn around and sue YOU, and …
3. An "Indemnification" clause that says if YOU are named as a party in any
regulatory or legal action against your client, he will reimburse you for any
legal fees or awards assessed against you.
Pretty scary stuff …
but absolutely CRUCIAL to your success!
As you can see, it's one thing to make big money as a business owner,
marketing exec or copywriter. HOLDING ON to the money you make is
another matter entirely!
http://www.house.gov/jec/tort/tort/tort.htm
http://www.snopes.com/legal/lawsuits.asp
Scary LEGAL Issues You NEED to Know About | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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So follow the 3 Golden Rules … follow your regulatory guidelines … get a
lawyer's help when appropriate … and CYA with contract provisions that
protect you when the worst happens … and you have a good shot at both
getting rich and staying that way.
Hope this helps …
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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attribution and a link to our Home Page when you do.
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14 Responses to Scary LEGAL Issues 
You NEED to Know About
← Face Your Fears Ad Writer’s Arsenal →
DK Fynn says:
August 28, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Clayton,
I’d say that in the opening or ending of this post, you should state
something to the effect that "the information presented here is for
informational purposes only. I’m not a lawyer. This is not legal
advice."
That’d be true, and kind of paradoxical.
Reply
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Clayton Makepeace says:
August 28, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Hi, DK! Did it — right up there near the beginning: "Now I feel it’s
only fair to remind you: I did NOT graduate Harvard Law School – or
any other attorney assembly line for that matter."
Plus, if you think about it, my advice in this article is 1) Know the rules
and 2) Use a real laywer.
Thanks for your concern, though …
Reply
Clarke Echols (Not a lawyer but my son-in-law is...) says:
August 28, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Amen Brother Clayton…
Also don’t bet on the judge helping.
My son-in-law had an air-tight case against one of the "big pharma"
corporations you mentioned. Took it to U.S. District Court, expecting
a slam dunk.
It appears the judge didn’t even bother to read the case file. He just
signed a 2-page order dismissing the case. A case for damages
caused by blatant malpractice within the defendant company.
Most likely the U.S. District Court judge had his eye on a nomination
to a U.S. Court of Appeals, and from there the Supreme Court. And
he certainly wouldn’t want a drug company calling a Senator they’d
appropriately bribed with a "campaign contribution" to derail approval
of that nomination.
The case involved an individual disabled for life due to a "hot batch"
of vaccine manufactured by a company purchased by the "big
pharma" company in question (live viruses in the vaccine that weren’t
properly killed). They built a new production line in the 1980s and
instead of using current acellular technology invented by Eli Lilly and
made public domain when E.L. got out of the vaccine business, the
went back to a "killed cell" technology from the 1930s that was
banned in Japan in the 1960s when a better "split-cell" technology
was put online.
My son-in-law had copies of internal memos from company
management talking about the $millions they’d save with the older
technology.
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When a "hot batch"showed up in a U.S. state (won’t mention but I
know which one), it was easy to track. So the manufacturer went to
Plan B: Don’t
package a batch in the same case. Split the bottles up so they go all
over the country, making it "impossible" to trace.
Enter the CDC and their computerized records. They tracked the
batch numbers from MD records and still nailed the source.
So, Clayton — when you talk about the money-grabbing, don’t-give-
a-rip-about-ordinary-people goons of big pharma, you are NOT
exaggerating.
I think it would be useful to prohibit any attorney from running for
public office of any kind (possibly excepting U.S., state, and local
criminal prosecutors) unless they had a minimum of 10 years’
employment *outside* the field of law, or in their own business which
must have zero connection with the legal profession. [Given former
Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar's record in the U.S. Senate
and his brother John in Congress (I grew up with their babysitter),
maybe it should include prosecutors. They're from a hamlet
you can't even identify as a town!]
Then maybe (just maybe) we might see a teensy weensy bit of sanity
within the "hallowed" (shallow?) halls of Congress…
But don’t hold your breath.
I have a simple way to keep my sanity about this stuff:
I know there is a God in Heaven. He is real. He Rules. And all of
these clowns are mortal. They will die. Records are being kept of
their every thought, their every deed, their every act.
And there will be a judgment day. They will stand before their
Creator.
The books will be opened. They will be judged out of the books
according to their thoughts, acts, and deeds (as we all will — food for
thought).
And there will be no wondering about the meaning of the word "is".
And for those who say they don’t believe in God? No problem. They
don’t have to. That’s not required. But Truth isn’t a matter of opinion
or philosophy. They don’t have to believe in gravity either. But that
doesn’t mean they can jump off the roof of a 40-story building,
proclaim their non-belief in gravitational attraction, … and FLY!
Won’t happen.
Truth and reality are not a matter of opinion. And if I have to choose
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sides, I’ll take truth and integrity.
I do web site consulting. I can choose not to help certain businesses
because I don’t like the owner or the owner’s attitude. I won’t
associate my name and reputation with anything of dubious nature. I
may make less money, but if I’m working for/with people of integrity, I
can keep mine…
Plus, I can sleep a lot better at night, not having to worry about the
eternal consequences of my mortal acts (as well as avoiding the
worries about
sharing a space with Bubba).
Clarke 
Reply
Winston McDaniel says:
August 28, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Being extremely new to this business of Copy Writing, I am puzzled
at your mention of "your agent" being the initial contact that led to
your unfortunate involvement. Is an "agent" necessary in this
business?
Otherwise, I would say that this article is right on as any and all others
have been.
Thank you for sharing your invaluable knowledge and insight!
Reply
Gerard LeBlond says:
August 28, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Clayton, Your advice is right on the money and terribly important for
all copywriters and markets to know.This post, along with some of the
comments, should be printed and put in a special folder marked
"Legal Side Of Marketing" and put right next to Gary Halbert’s "The
Boron Letters."Thanks for the valuable lesson.Respectfully,Gerard
LeBlond
Reply
Craig says:
August 29, 2008 at 8:23 am
Just a quick note Mr. Clayton to once again express a resounding
"THANK YOU" for providing such profound, accurate and useful
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http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/legal-issues-every-marketer-should-know/?replytocom=6390#respond
http://aboutyourwealth.com/
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/legal-issues-every-marketer-should-know/?replytocom=6391#respond
http://www.sunrisecopy.com/
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information that we ALL can use and prosper from…
It truly is a crying shame that our society is in the condition it is in
(Sue Crazy, Ultra Legalistic pollitically correct etc., etc., etc and all of
that other garbage) therefore, I belive it goes without saying that it is
because, as Mr. Clarke Echols touched on, people just either are not
willing to submit to or just willingly refute the fact that one day, they
WILL have to give an account to God in Heaven for their negligent
and irresponsible actions in relation to their positions and
responsibilities with which they are entrusted to their fellow man while
here on this big blue ball called Earth.
To those who conduct themselves in such manner…… Repent now
or Face the Judgement in Eternity!
Thanks Again..
Craig Thomas 
Reply
deanna says:
August 29, 2008 at 9:11 am
Hi Winston,
To answer your question about copywriting agents … you definitely
don’t need an agent to succeed in this business. They basically find
clients for you – for a fee - freeing up your time to focus on writing. 
But you can also find clients for yourself. Check out Clayton’s article
in the archives: How to Attract Killer Clients Who Will Pay You the
Money You Deserve.
Deanna Blanchard
Copywriter
Response Ink
Reply
Apryl Parcher says:
August 29, 2008 at 10:32 am
Hey Clayton:
Thanks again, buddy, for scaring the POO out of me. Having to take
a turn on the grill in front of any regulatory body must be the ultimate
colon cleanser. Ironically, I was just writing an email campaign for
one of those [cleansers] when I got your post, and was considering
asking the client for some to try, but I think I’ll just save your post and
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http://www.aparcher.com/
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re-read that instead, should I need a boost. 
I’ll never complain about having to submit my work through an FDA
lawyer again!
Apryl
http://www.aparcher.com
Reply
Stacy Karacostas says:
August 29, 2008 at 11:39 am
Hi Clayton,
Thanks so much for this post. I’ve been working as a copywriter for
years, and have clauses in my contract stating that it is up to the
client to make sure what we say is legal, as well as E & O insurance.
And I do my best to keep up on regulations.
Your post just gave me a few more good ways to cover my butt.
Much appreciated!!
Stacy
Stacy Karacostas
Practical Marketing Expert, Speaker, Author
SuccessStream Sales & Marketing
Reply
Henry says:
August 29, 2008 at 4:38 pm
its sad,,,, you can do good by the truckloads.
but people will latch on to any misperception. 
Its sad that Clayton needs to remind us to CYA. Its not legal advice,
just prudent advice.
Reply
Roshawn says:
August 30, 2008 at 1:18 am
Thanks for alerting us of these legal issues. Many of us, newbie and
veteran copywriters alike, were completely unaware of these things. 
Your experience wasn’t in vain.
On a different note, that stuff about Codex Alimentarius makes me
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http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/legal-issues-every-marketer-should-know/?replytocom=6398#respondhttp://www.funding-factoring-solutions.com/
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sick. It hurts to know that our own government has betrayed us by
stripping us of our God-given right to health. This where the great
copywriters like you, Mr. Makepeace, can truly use your talents for
the good of all. YOU can help spread knowledge of such FDA
foolishness, which would anger the American people and encourage
all to contest our goverment’s acceptance of this disastrous code. 
Using those skills solely for profit and not to inform people of a
great evil about to befall them is just as big a crime as accepting
bribes from Big Pharma (who would no doubt be the main
beneficiaries of Codex implementation) or any other crime
mentioned in this article!
Thanks again. 
Reply
SB says:
August 31, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Thanks for the warnings and cautions, Clayton. I’m a newbie
exploring whether Copywriting is what I want to be doing next and this
was definitely one of the issues I had to look into. Your sharing e.g.
this kind of experiences you’ve been through is definitely
appreciated.
Reply
Donna says:
September 3, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Hi Clayton,
Thank you SO much for this very eye-opening article… the more I
read what you write, the more I realize that you have one of the best
and most informative blogs on the entire internet. Kudos!
Stay cool (as you already are)!
Donna
Reply
Vickie says:
July 28, 2010 at 4:17 am
Hi Clayton. WOW- what a really cool read this was…THANK YOU!
Your humour really pulled me in straight away and made what could
have been a very boring topic very readable- and of course so
entertaining! I have been writing for years but have just started up in
this field ‘officially’ with my own brand new little business. Though I
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MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
am down under in Australia, the information on your site is still very
relevant, and so helpful to me. Thank you for the insight, and for the
giggles too! I will be back for sure. Thanks again…Vickie aka “Lust for
Words” …in the wonderful land of Oz!!! x
Reply
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1990s, we were never really “competitors” – because both of us did our dead
level best NOT to go up against each other’s controls!
At Gary’s “Retirement Party” this year – and also in a TOTAL PACKAGE
interview we hope to publish in the next week or two – Gary says the first
question he asked clients when considering a new assignment was, “Did
Clayton Makepeace write the control?” If the answer was “Yes,” Gary refused
the assignment.
Fact is, I did exactly the same thing – and so we spent the last two decades
studiously avoiding every opportunity to compete with each other. You get
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/
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bigger winners trying to beat weak controls than strong ones.
No business owner, marketing exec or copywriter worth his or her salt would
even consider missing a single issue of Gary’s brilliant eLetter,
BENCIVENGA BULLETS. So if you’re not already a subscriber, just CLICK
HERE.
And while you’re online, you should also claim your subscription to the
eLetters offered by Gary Halbert and John Carlton. Both of their letters
contain excellent tips for creating powerful ads, and neither will cost you a red
cent.
Also: I’d strongly recommend that you sign up for the free eLetters offered by
Dan Kennedy and Jay Abraham. Each claims to be the greatest marketing
genius and/or copywriter ever. And each charges truly obscene prices for
their books, courses and seminars. But don’t let their hype and the high cost
of their products put you off. Their free e-zines are extremely helpful.
Super Weapon #7:
Get a rock-solid foundation 
in the art and science of writing great ads
If you work in any aspect of marketing … if you own any kind of business …
or even if you’re just beginning to plan your own business … and hope to
make sales over the Internet, with direct mail, or in print, TV, or radio ads…
Michael Masterson’s course, the Accelerated Program for Six-Figure
Copywriting is by far the finest grounding available in the art and science of
writing effective ad copy.
As I’ve mentioned many times before, I often hire and mentor beginning
copywriters to help me on direct mail, web-based and print promotions for my
clients. I’m keeping six of them hopping right now – and every one of them
began their copywriting careers by completing Masterson’s course.
And you DO NOT have to be a copywriter to make this remarkable course
worth many times its $507 cost! Masterson’s course should be required
reading for ANYONE who works with ad agencies or copywriters … and
especially for business owners and marketing people who write their own
copy!
Just CLICK HERE to get Michael Masterson’s Accelerated Program for Six-
Figure Copywriting and to subscribe to the American Writers and Artists
Institute’s free eLetter, The Golden Thread.
Super Weapons #8-16:
Buy and study the world ’s greatest advertising
classics
http://www.bencivengabullets.com/
http://www.bencivengabullets.com/
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/
http://www.marketingrebelrant.com/
http://www.dankennedy.com/ns/1a.htm
http://www.abraham.com/
http://www.thewriterslife.com/cmm3/
Ad Writer’s Arsenal | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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These are the books that got me off on the right foot so many moons ago –
and that I insist my copy cubs read and re-read today …
Successful Direct Marketing Methods – by Bob Stone: This is the
classic and constantly updated guide to how direct marketing works. I
was fortunate to read this book very early in my career, and
understanding these nuts-and-bolts principles has produced most of my
biggest paydays.
Confessions of an Advertising Man and Ogilvy on Advertising – by
David Ogilvy: These two books present an entertaining overview of the
advertising world, and contain many penetrating and inspiring insights that
will make you a better copywriter and a better businessperson.
Scientific Advertising and My Life in Advertising – by Claude
Hopkins: These are the classic works by one of the greatest copywriters
who ever lived. Though written in the 1920s, most of Hopkins’ ideas are
still applicable – yet sadly, too often ignored – even today.
Tested Advertising Methods, How to Make Your Advertising Make
Money, and Making Ads Pay – by John Caples: These three books by
the man who wrote the famous “They Laughed When I Sat Down at the
Piano …” ad are chock-full of valuable and vital information about
improving your ads and sales letters. Well worth studying.
How to Write a Good Advertisement – by Vic Schwab: Another
excellent book, full of great tips, tricks and insights.
Fund Raising Letters – by Jerry Huntsinger: The title sounds like it’s a
collection of actual sales letters. Instead, it’s Huntsinger’s classic guide on
how to write fundraising letters and contains some of the best advice
about copywriting you’ll find anywhere.
The Copywriters Handbook – by Bob Bly: A terrific A to Z guide by my
good buddy and fellow writer.
The Robert Collier Letter Book – by Robert Collier: Robert Collier was
one of the pioneers of the direct mail business. And this book is chock-full
of his timeless advice for writing effective sales letters.
Breakthrough Advertising – by Gene Schwartz: This book can be
tough going – but if you can master it, the principles are solid gold.
Amazon.com carries most of these books. However, if you find one or more
is currently out of print, you’ll probably be able to find them offered on E-Bay
or through a used book seller.
Super Weapons #17-45:
29 powerful emotions your prospects already have
–
and how they can multiply response to your ads
http://www.breakthroughad.com/
http://www.breakthroughad.com/
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If you’ve been with me for more than a couple of issues, you’ve probably
read one or more articles on how connecting with my prospects’ dominant
resident emotions gives me a big edge over writers who focus only on the
benefits a product provides.
I’ve been buried under a blizzard of emails asking, “How can I know how my
prospect is feeling?”
My answer: It’s easy.
First, you can be sure that every customer or prospect you will ever talk to
shares at least 10 common fears … 11 common frustrations … and 8
common desires …
10 fears every human being experiences
1. Fear of the Unknown…
2. Fear of Embarrassment …
3. Fear of Failure …
4. Fear of Poverty and Want …
5. Fear of Loneliness …
6. Fear of Dependence …
7. Fear of Betrayal …
8. Fear of Illness …
9. Fear of Death …
10. Fear of all of the above for people who are close to us.
11 frustrations that drive us nuts …
1. Frustrated by feelings of Inadequacy…
2. Frustrated by the feeling that we’re Inconsequential or Unimportant …
3. Frustrated when we feel Unappreciated …
4. Frustrated when we feel Powerless or Trapped …
5. Frustrated when we feel Used or taken advantage of …
6. Frustrated when we feel Oppressed …
7. Frustrated when we feel Deprived of things that others enjoy or even take
for granted …
8. Frustrated when we feel Demeaned in key relationships and when others
seem to take us for granted …
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9. Frustrated by constant feelings of Guilt imposed upon us by parents,
religious institutions and even by our own expectations of ourselves …
10. Frustrated with the feeling that life is going by too fast and that we’re not
getting all we could be out of it.
11. Frustrated with things that shouldn’t be difficult or time-consuming, but
often seem to be true.
And each of us shares 8 common desires …
1. To feel OK about our past and to find Justification or Forgiveness for past
mistakes…
2. To feel Free and in Control of our own lives …
3. To feel Happy …
4. To feel Alive, Excited and Exhilarated …
5. To feel physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually Fulfilled …
6. To feel accepted, respected, admired, needed, desired and Loved …
7. To feel Successful …
8. To feel Optimistic, even excited about our futures.
From the moment I begin thinking about writing a sales message until I hit
the last keystroke, I’m constantly asking myself …
1. How each of these emotions relates to my prospect’s life in general – and
how, by acknowledging and validating them, I can make my sales
message resonate at a visceral level…
2. How each of these emotions relates to the benefits of the products or
services and the free gifts I’m writing about, connecting each tangible
benefit with an emotional benefit – showing how the tangible benefit
assuages a fear, eases a frustration, or fulfills an emotional desire, and…
3. How each of these emotions relates to my offer and the entire process of
ordering – assuaging fears and easing any frustrations my prospect may
have with similar offers he’s accepted in the past.
This is so crucial to the success of my direct response copy that I’m going to
spend the three of the next four issues showing you exactly how I do it.
So stay tuned!
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
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Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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A Conversation with the Legendary Copywriter Gary
Bencivenga Part I
Posted on April 24, 2006 by Clayton Makepeace
Like One person likes this. Sign Up to see what your friends like.
In this special interview issue …
Welcome, Business-Builder!
If the thought of an extended interview with Gary Bencivenga doesn’t already
have you quivering with anticipation, you are obviously in desperate need of a
quick course in direct response marketing lore.
Three decades ago, when I was just beginning my journey in this fascinating
business, eagerly devouring everything by John Caples, David Ogilvy, and
Dan Rosenthal I could lay my hands on, Gary Bencivenga had already
served a personal internship with each one of them.
When I was barely scraping by as a freelancer – writing ads for water heaters
and local banks and dreaming about breaking into the super-lucrative
financial publishing business – Gary ruled the roost, writing one blindingly
brilliant control after another for the biggest mailers in the industry.
Gary doesn’t know it, of course, but in a very real way, he was my mentor. I
spent a fortune I didn’t have at the time subscribing to every publication he
promoted just to make sure I got samples of his promotion packages.
Whenever one of Gary’s inspired promotions arrived in my mailbox, it was a
red-letter day: Like the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New
Year’s Day all rolled into one. Studying those Bencivenga controls taught me
more – and made me more money – than all the books by all the great
masters who had gone before combined!
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(And other snippets 
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He DOES exist! He DOES exist!
We’re still here…
Time for a Change
Before you take the copywriting
world
by storm, there’s something
you should know …
Do You Believe?
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So let’s dispense with hype and horsesh*t: Right now, the Internet is crawling
with charlatans claiming to be the greatest copywriter alive – and then urging
you to pay them a fortune for their books and courses. Many are complete
frauds – scam artists who have never had a single hot control for a major
mailer – looking to make a quick buck off of you.
Other self-proclaimed experts really have made millions writing copy – most
of it aimed at selling their own books, courses and conferences, but rarely if
ever competing against top writers in the real world.
Only a handful of copywriters in our generation have ever competed at
anywhere near Gary Bencivenga’s level over the long haul. And if our little
fraternity held an election today, Gary would be unanimously elected King.
Gary showed us the way and we worship the ground he walks on.
And as a bonus, Gary is the nicest, sweetest, most humble, and the most
generous guy you could ever hope to meet.
Yeah, I admit it: I genuinely love Gary. I want to marry him and have ALL his
babies.
… So as you can imagine, it was an absolute thrill to spend a full 90 minutes
picking his massive brain for ways to help you get bigger winners more often.
Here’s how it went …
USP Heresy: Why your obsession with the “Unique Selling Proposition”
could be lowering your response …
Winning the Mind Game: How to quickly and easily program your mind
to automatically create grand-slam ads for you …
No Pain, No Gain! The painful (and enormously profitable) secret for
honing your sales copy to razor sharpness – and driving response rates
through the ever-lovin’ roof!
“Yeah, Sure!” The two most dangerous words in your prospect’s mind –
and the single best way to neutralize them …
The New Magalog: The next great direct response format breakthrough
is already here – are you making the most of it?
Beyond Benefits: Why prospects don’t give a hoot about what you think
you’re selling … and what to offer them instead to drive response rates
sky-high …
And way too much more to list here!
Clayton: Hi Gary, I really appreciate you doing this.
Gary: I like doing this. Especially with somebody as
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knowledgeable and somebody I respect as much as
you. So this should be fun.
Clayton: That’s awfully nice. I spent some time on the phone
this morning with Carline. Did she send you the
picture of the two of you?
Gary: Yes, I looked at it about a half hour ago. What a
beautiful picture. I just wrote her a little note back. I
said, “Thanks for the photo,” and I just wondered
how you came by it because you weren’t at the
meeting.
Clayton: No. Carline is or was one of my copy cubs. I kind of
got her started in the business.
Gary: She’s fantastic.
Clayton: She is – I have her booked up for the next two years
with one of my clients. You were doing mostly
freelance when you were really active. What I’ve
done more of lately is to pick up a client and get
involved in all aspects of his marketing and then
bring in other copywriters to get both acquisition
packages done for them and also back-end
promotions.
Gary: That makes a lot of sense, Clayton. I know that
some major clients now are starting to pay royalties
just for those who do the copy chiefing.
Clayton: Right. It’s cool because I get to bring in more
copywriters and bring in more people and do less of
that opening the vein and bleeding on the page.
Gary: I wish I had thought of this idea. I’d have more blood
in my veins. That’s really a smart way to go. I guess
you have to be very careful, Clayton, about who you
decide to bring in on a project because you don’t
want extra work trying to untangle a mess rather
than fine tuning a few things.
Clayton: That’s true. Quite often, you find a writer doesn’t
work out and so you don’t return to that writer and
end up writing it yourself. But other times, you wind
up finding these little gems. It’s how I found Parris
Lampropoulos and Carline and Bob Hutchinson and
Kent Komae.
Gary: Oh my goodness, you have a better farm system
than the Yankees.
Clayton: Well, I’ve struck out a few times, too.
Gary: The names you’ve mentioned are stars.
Clayton: They’re all doing quite well. That’s gratifying. As you
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know — and I think we’re of one mind about this —
one of the most rewarding things you can do is to
help younger writers get going.
What are you doing now? I know that you’re semi-
retired but I suspect you still have lots of irons in the
fire.
Gary: Yes I do. I really don’t take any client work anymore,
with the one exception of a food and wine
newsletter that I’ve become a partner in. That’s just
been a lot of fun. My wife and I are active in helping
a charity for disabled children and we throw a big
Hamptons food and wine party every year.
During that first event, we met somebody named
David Rosengarten who is a TV chef and has a
newsletter. And he said, “Gee, well, I’ve helped you
with your charity event, can you just take a look at
my newsletter?” And I said to myself, “Oh, another
guy with another newsletter. They all think it’s so
easy.”
But I read the newsletter and just fell in love with it.
David is a brilliant writer. In my view, he’s the
world’s best food and wine writer. He’s so colorful
and just makes the subject come alive.
As things wound up, I became a partner in the
marketing part of his business and that’s one thing
I’m doing now. So we’re having a lot of fun hanging
out with great chefs at their restaurants, having a lot
of wine and traveling and eating a lot of great food
and it’s all part of business research. So it’s a lot of
fun.
Clayton: Cool! Why don’t we go ahead and get started with
the “official” part of our interview? Let’s begin by
having you tell us a little bit about your background,
your family life, childhood, growing up.
Gary: I was born in 1946 in Brooklyn. It was a very
fascinating time and interesting place to be because
Brooklyn really had been a bedroom community to
New York City — Manhattan. Just on my street, for
example, I’d say, counting both sides of the street,
one block, there were maybe 12 apartment houses
at least six stories high with anywhere from 50 to
100 families in each one.
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As the baby boom really exploded, just on my one
little block, there were literally hundreds of kids and
every block for miles in each direction had the same
situation. So Brooklyn was just teeming with kids my
own age of every kind of background you could
imagine. From hoodlums and gangs to kids who
would ace a perfect score on their SAT when they
grew up, and everybody in between. You got to
know and interact with just about every personality
imaginable.
On our floor in my apartment building,next door to
us there was a rabbi with his family. On the other
side of us was a man who was an investigative
journalist for the New York Herald Tribune
newspaper. In an apartment on the same floor was
a gypsy woman who always wore a kerchief and
would bring us strange concoctions when one of the
children was sick.
It wasn’t a melting pot — it was a melting vat. And
when you were swimming around in this great soup,
you couldn’t help but pick up the flavors and
seasonings of many other people and cultures and
backgrounds. It made me tremendously curious
about life, and I think that’s a trait that any writer
really benefits from, being curious. I think it was
Ezra Pound, the poet, who penned the line,
“Curiosity. Advice to the young, curiosity.”
Larry King grew up in that same environment, not
too many blocks away from where I lived. Living
among so many people instills in you a curiosity
about anybody that you meet. Like Larry King does
on his show, he can be interested in a person from
any type of background and find very interesting
questions to ask. That’s a great trait to have as a
copywriter.
Clayton: It sounds too like you were fairly outgoing to have
met and spent time and actually experienced all of
these different people.
Gary: Yes, I guess so. You could not help but be outgoing
when there’s so many people around you. During
World War II, not many apartments were built in
New York City — which was also true of most of the
country because of the war effort.
My parents were very lucky to have landed our
apartment when they got married. It was a two-
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room apartment, just a kitchen and a bedroom for
four people.
So you had to be outgoing because you couldn’t
spend much time inside, in such a tiny apartment.
We were out on the sidewalks and on the stoops
and playing in parks most of our young lives.
Clayton: What did your dad do?
Gary: He worked for the New York City Parks Department.
He came of age in the Great Depression and felt
there was nothing better than a secure city job. So
he took a job at the New York City Parks
Department. He loved working with flowers and
bringing beautiful greenery to the city.
But he also had a great knack with words and he
was an amateur copywriter. And one of the things
that led me into becoming a copywriter was just
seeing how my dad would always enter these
contests — 50 words or less on why you like a
particular product. He got really good at winning
these contests. He created some great slogans. For
example, he penned, “If it’s Borden’s, it’s got to be
good.” For Gimbel’s Department Store, he wrote,
“From pianos to thimbles, you’ll find it at Gimbel’s.”
The most famous one that he ever wrote was for
Rice Krispies, “The cereal with that snap, crackle
and pop.”
Now, he wouldn’t win much for these prizes. There
was one contest that he won when he was young, in
the Great Depression. He won $5,000 during the
depths of the Great Depression, which really helped
his family stay afloat for a while. But for these much
more famous slogans he would win relatively minor
prizes. This was his hobby. He would collect all the
box tops and send them in with his 50 words or less
slogan and very often would win.
He didn’t create the cartoons for Snap, Crackle and
Pop; that came later from Kellogg’s ad agency, Leo
Burnett. But he did write those words for one of
these 50 words or less contests.
Clayton: Amazing! It sounds like your future was pretty much
predetermined.
Gary: In an odd way it was. TV started becoming available
in households in the 1950s and I started watching
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commercials. I was just attuned to them because
my dad was always talking about advertising and
his latest slogan.
Now when I tried to get into copywriting, my first job
was in direct response. I really wanted to wind up
doing TV advertising, but the only opening I could
get into was in the direct response department at
Prentice Hall. And I thought, “Well that’s a start and
I’ll get my feet wet here and eventually migrate over
to the more glamorous world of TV advertising” —
which still has never happened, after 40 years.
It was funny when you mentioned that my future
was set. The first assignment I got from my copy
chief, he said, “Write a letter about this book.” It was
a biology teachers’ guide. They would sell these
books by mail order to the educational market, to
the self-improvement market, and so on and this
was my first assignment. For each chapter I wrote a
slogan. Not knowing any better, I just imitated what
my father might do. And the copy chief said, “What’s
with these slogans? This is not how you sell.” He
had to educate me about the difference between
sloganeering and writing direct marketing copy,
which was my start. Since then, I’ve never gotten
out of the direct response department.
Actually, there is a big difference in the different
worlds of advertising. Most people don’t understand
the reason why much TV advertising is like it is. Or
the reasons why slogans and brand image
advertising are more important. Or even the theory
of the USP, the Unique Selling Proposition, which
was initially created to create better TV advertising.
With TV advertising, the point of sale is far removed
from the exposure of the advertising to the
audience. So if you’re watching a commercial on 60
Minutes on a Sunday evening, you might not get to
the store until Thursday, so you have to have a
mnemonic device or something very powerful
embedded in your mind so when you do see that
product on the shelf, you’ll remember the
commercial.
We in direct marketing don’t have such a heavy
burden of having the sales separated by time and
place. We can close the sale right on the spot. So
much of what works in TV advertising — namely
mnemonic devices, or USP, which focuses on one
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reason to buy — really doesn’t apply to direct
marketing.
I know this sounds like heresy, but I’d much rather
have in a good direct mail package three or four or
10 good reasons to buy, than to have to sacrifice
nine of them in favor of the one USP. The USP
really can be misapplied to direct marketing where
you have the luxury of closing the sale on the spot
and can give one dominant reason to buy but also
seven or eight other reasons. You don’t have to
abide so religiously to a single Unique Selling
Proposition.
Clayton: Our 24-page magalogs would be pretty short if we
focused on just one selling proposition.
Going back just a little bit, tell me about school. Did
you have the experience of others recognizing
writing ability or salesmanship in you at a young
age?
Gary: No, not really. I didn’t seem to excel much in school.
I did go to Catholic school for most of my school
years. My Catholic school was very good about
drumming in the basics. We didn’t have music
appreciation or drama appreciation. What we did
have, though, was a constant focus on what makes
good sentence structure and basic arithmetic and
later algebra. So it was those basics — how to
construct a sentence, how to diagram a sentence —
which, at least in my experience, gave great
understanding of how sentences should be built and
how paragraphs should be built on strong sentences
and how whole essays eventually could be built on
the same very rational and logical structure. So that
did help a lot.
My dad and mom really couldn’t afford to send me
to collegeafter high school. So I had the choice of
finding some blue collar work, like most of the other
relatives who had come in generations before. And I
really wasn’t sure. I knew I wanted to do something
with writing because I seemed to have an aptitude
for it and, as you pointed out, an exposure to
advertising because of my dad’s involvement with it.
I got a job writing copy during the day and I went to
college at night. It took me eight long years to get
through college at night, but I did. The thing I’m
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most proud of my whole life is just hanging in there
for eight years of college at night, though the degree
never really did much for me at all. It really didn’t
count because eight years into a copywriting career
I really knew what I wanted to do with my life. But
I’m proud of just having had that persistence.
Maybe a thousand times during those eight years of
going to night school, I would say, “Why am I doing
this? I’m not even interested in these courses. I’ve
got a term paper, I’ve got exams to study for, I have
a young family and they need attention, I have a full-
time job and I’m taking work home from that. What
am I
doing this for?”
But I just kept hanging in, saying, “I committed
myself to that and I’m going to do it and I’m going to
see it through.” That habit has stood me very well
through the years. Once I know I make a
commitment to something, it’s going to be very hard
to stop me. I attribute it to that experience of just
developing enough persistence to get a college
degree in eight years of night school.
From that I really am a believer in that old aphorism
that your thought becomes your action —your
action becomes your habit, your habit becomes
your character, and your character becomes your
destiny.
I had found that whenever I wanted to develop
something, whether it’s a habit of becoming a better
copywriter in some way or just some other type of
self-improvement, this line of thinking really helps.
Maybe I’m jumping ahead here, but I had really a
great leap in my development as a copywriter when
a famous writer whom you know, Daniel Rosenthal
— I worked with Dan for a while — introduced me to
the book Think and Grow Rich. I was learning my
craft very well until then, but I had never really been
opened up to these ideas about how to enhance
your own mind power for any reason including
making your own mind work better. So that book
was really a turning point in my life as well because
it opened me up to many other self-improvement
books.
The secret’s right there in the title, Think and Grow
Rich. It starts with your thoughts, and then your
thoughts become actions, and your actions become
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habits, and your habits become character, and
character becomes destiny. So that line of
reasoning really has helped me throughout my life.
Clayton: What subject was your degree in?
Gary: I have a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.
Clayton: Great. How did you come into contact with the great
David Ogilvy?
Gary: I have had the privilege of working with some really
top people in advertising. But I probably learned the
most from John Caples. After Caples, I probably
learned most from my first several copy chiefs —
names that nobody would ever know. They were
really wizened copy chiefs who had seen thousands
of split run tests and could save you a lifetime of
learning.
The very first one gave me probably the best advice
I have ever gotten. He said, “You’re new to this field,
here’s how you’re going to learn. On each
assignment, I’m going to tell you to go to the files.
I’m going to tell you to bring out one handful of ads
that have worked like gangbusters. Then I’m going
to tell you the book titles and files of ads that have
bombed. I want you to look at the ones that bombed
and don’t do anything that they’re doing. I want you
to look at the ones that were blockbusters and try to
assimilate much of what they do into your new
piece, and that’s how we’re going to take every
assignment.”
It was great advice and even to this day when I
have a young writer or somebody who wants to get
into the field and wants to know the best thing they
can do, I tell them to do pretty much the same thing.
I also recommend that they get themselves a great
mentor who will review their work, such as I imagine
you would do with the copywriters you work with.
Other than that, the best way to learn is by just
going to the files or, if you don’t work at an ad
agency yet, signing up to receive the publications
and offers of great direct marketers like Agora
Publishing, Phillips, Healthy Directions, Rodale,
Boardroom, KCI — the usual gang of suspects. And
before you know it, you’ll be getting a free course in
the best advertisements that are being written
today.
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That was what my first copy chief taught me. I
eventually wound up at BBD&O — Batten Barton
Durstine and Osborn. Somebody once said that
agency’s name sounded like a man with a suitcase
falling down a flight of stairs. BBD&O is where John
Caples worked for most of his life. I worked in the
direct marketing department there and got to know
him.
He was a great teacher and a very congenial, kindly
man. And you can pick up so much from reading his
books. Even today I like to reread his scriptures of
direct marketing. It’s like the Old Testament. You
just read it. It never gets tired. It’s just so fresh and
powerful.
In fact, I was having lunch with David Deutsch once
— great copywriter — and he said, “You know, I try
to keep up on my craft and instead of reading
maybe 100 books, Gary, what I think I should have
done with much of my learning time is read 10 great
books 10 times each.” I thought that was a very
trenchant observation because books by Caples
and Ogilvy and Claude Hopkins, those are the ones
you really need to read more than anybody else.
After working with John Caples I got to work at
David Ogilvy’s company, Ogilvy & Mather, in their
direct marketing division. And that’s your original
question: how I got to work with David. I never really
worked with him. It wasn’t like John Caples, where I
knew him personally.
David was the head of a giant agency, probably one
of the biggest four or five agencies in the world and
was very fond of direct marketing. He would gather
all the copywriters in big groups and teach us the
principles. Or we’d have big assemblies around the
holidays, and he would tell us what campaigns he
thought were great from the various departments at
the agency.
In that way I learned from him. But it wasn’t like he
would come into my cubicle and put his arm around
me and go over my copy sentence by sentence with
me. It was much more being in the army with a
great general at its command and learning all you
can because you never knew when he would
pounce upon your ad as one of those he was going
to analyze in front of the group. You had to always
be on your toes.
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Clayton: What were the lessons that you learned from
Ogilvy?
Gary: Ogilvy said that he and Rosser Reeves, who were
two of the greatest copywriters in general
advertising of the 20th century, learned more from
John Caples than anyoneelse. More people know
David Ogilvy than Rosser Reeves today because of
his books. But both Ogilvy and Reeves said that
they learned more from John Caples than anyone
else and they shamelessly stole from him and most
of what they espoused came indirectly or directly
from him. So there is that lineage of masters
teaching other masters.
Many of the lessons that Ogilvy would preach came
directly from John Caples — mainly that your
headline is 80% of the sale in space ads. And I
make that distinction because sometimes people
mistakenly apply that to direct mail. In direct mail,
Ogilvy said, your format is even more important
than your headline. And I have certainly found that
to be true as a magalog almost always outpulls an
envelope with the same headline on it.
So that was one great lesson in space advertising:
your headline is 80% of the sale. And your format is
equally as important in direct mail
Other lessons — Ogilvy loved to write with charm.
He said, “You’ll never bore somebody into buying
something,” so he would fill his copy with charm. He
taught this mostly by example. If you ever read any
of the great ads written by David Ogilvy, you’ll see
they’re very tightly written. He wrote a whole series
of ads to help sell clients on joining his ad agency
— “How to Write Advertising that Sells,” “How to
Write Food Advertising that Sells,” “How to Write
Travel Advertising that Sells,” and so forth. He
loved, as did the nuns in my Catholic school, nouns
and verbs. He wasn’t big on adjectives and fairly
despised adverbs, such as “very.” Almost always
you can dispense with the word “very.”
He wrote tightly written ads that were charming and
very interesting. He would do great research on
whatever product he was selling and come up with
fascinating facts about it. He wanted his ads as
interesting as articles and he wrote them that way
and expected his copywriters to do the same.
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Clayton: Arthur Johnson told me that one of his biggest
secrets is understanding that the ad needs to be
entertaining to a degree. To keep a person reading
for 24 pages.
Gary: Yes, that’s true. However, it can also be a trap.
Rosser Reeves, who wrote and theorized about TV
commercials, warned about “vampire video,” where
sometimes the entertaining element can run away
with the ad and you come away from the
commercial remembering the joke, but not the
product. For example, take the famous campaign for
Alka-Seltzer, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.” It
was one of the most entertaining campaigns, but it
turned out to be one of the worst campaigns ever
for Alka-Seltzer because after they really went gung
ho with it, sales plummeted.
As you know, we have a much stronger discipline in
our work, so entertainment has to be used carefully.
You have to leaven in just the right amount because
you can’t let it run away with itself. While a touch of
entertainment, like a pinch of salt, can add flavor,
the main meal in advertising is well-targeted
information of great interest to your prospect, which
has a natural connection to what you’re trying to
sell. Many ads try to be entertaining with extraneous
elements, which really don’t lead to a closed sale.
But if you can make your copy interesting with
thoughts and facts that not only are extremely
curiosity provoking and interesting but also help you
close the sale, that’s really getting good.
Clayton: Tell me a little bit about how you became a
freelancer.
Gary: After working at the Ogilvy agency, I was ready to
go out on my own and try to make some big bucks
as a freelancer. I had heard of other copywriters
doing very well and I received a call from an
executive headhunter who said, “Gary, I know
you’re thinking about going out on freelance but
there’s this little ad agency up in New Rochelle,
New York” — which is a suburb of New York City,
about 45 minutes northeast — “that is looking for
somebody just like yourself. Somebody who knows
direct marketing and worked at Ogilvy, or knows the
Ogilvy style of advertising. Why don’t you go see
them even though you’re thinking of going out and
doing freelance?”
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So I went to see them mainly because of a letter
that Dan Rosenthal, the agency’s owner, had
written to this headhunter. It said, to “try and
persuade somebody who really knows how to write
salesmanship in print because if they do, we treat
the copywriters at our agency like salespeople. In
fact, our top copywriter here this past year has
made” — this is in today’s money — “$750,000 a
year.”
It wasn’t that high, it was about one tenth of that but
that’s what inflation has done. This was in the early
1970s. So at that time a salary of $75,000 was
equal to about $750,000 today. That’s what Dan
Rosenthal was making just from commissions on his
advertising.
I wasn’t making anywhere near that, so I thought
maybe I should see these folks. If nothing else,
maybe I could freelance for them. But Dan
convinced me to join him by saying, “No, it’s not
really in your best interest to go into a freelance
career yet. Why don’t you hang out with us? We are
applying methods of salesmanship in advertising
that’ll go way beyond what most people have even
discovered yet and you’ll have a chance to make
some really good money.”
So I did go with Dan and I lasted there for about five
years. I became a copy chief and a creative director
and then he wanted to have a whole new path in his
life. He wanted to move to California. But our copy
department was in New Rochelle, and he tried to
make that work for a while but it was very
cumbersome to get copy through a department that
was half in New York and half on the west coast.
We didn’t have email then, I don’t even think we had
fax machines. We had a very rough form of a fax
machine …
Clayton: The old Qwip machines?
Gary: Yeah that’s what it was. I couldn’t remember the
name. One page, long time to send, and for some
reason a horrendous garlic smell oozed from the
machine.
Dan and I along with several other good
copywriters, worked together for about five years. It
was sort of like the Beatles, we had a great team for
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about five years, and then it was just time to go out
on our own, in our own direction, so that’s when I
went out on my own.
It was about 1977 and by then I really knew what I
was doing. I had spent about 10 years, prior to
teaming up with Dan, learning from these great copy
chiefs at Ogilvy & Mather and a lot from John
Caples so I had a lot of street-smart copywriting
tips.
And with Dan, we formulated a system that was
really very powerful, and with those two things
together — we virtually could not be beaten. We
took out an ad that said, “Announcing an ad agency
that guarantees to beat your best ad by at least
10% or your pay us nothing.”
We were so cocky that we even said, “You test us
and if we don’t win, not only won’t you have to pay
us anything, we will pay for whatever you spent to
test us. In other words, if you take out an ad in The
Wall Street Journal and you spend $10,000 testing
our half of the test — and our half loses — we’ll give
you $10,000. That’s how sure we are we’re going to
win.” We got a lot of clients that way. Mainly it was
due to our methodology of focusing on the key
points that make direct marketing copy work.
So after that, I went out on my own and I did very
well with what I learned at the agency.Clayton: Did Dan have Silver and Gold Report at that time?
Gary: Yes, yes. In fact, Dan was the owner of that
company because we also would launch our own
products as well as do work for other clients. So,
sure, yes, he was the publisher of that newsletter.
We had so much success and so many
opportunities because we were among the few
people who knew what we were doing. We were like
alchemists who could turn products into very
successful businesses because of the direct
marketing knowledge that we had. It wasn’t widely
known, not nearly as well known as it is today.
Clayton: Can you tell me a little bit about the approach or the
template that you and Dan used?
Gary: It wasn’t so much a template, it was just applying
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everything very religiously that we had learned from
studying Claude Hopkins and Rosser Reeves and
David Ogilvy and John Caples and several other
great masters of selling in print. More than anything
else it was what Dan would call the “CRIT” system,
which was short for Critique System.
I think you’ve worked with Dan, haven’t you Clayton
Clayton: Sure have.
Gary: I’m sure you’ve heard that word, that odious little
word, “Crit.”
Clayton: Were his crits as ruthless back then as they are
now?
Gary: Yes, yes.
Clayton: He’s sadistic. He takes joy in making his crits as
insulting and negative as possible just for the fun of
it.
Gary: I know. I have the scars, believe me. But it was a
great system. You had to be on your toes. For those
who don’t know what we’re talking about, it was a
system by which the writer would distribute his copy
to everybody working in the ad agency — the
receptionist, the account executives, the art director
— anybody else who could be persuaded to read it.
Everybody would take their best crack at ripping the
ad apart. Now this sounds like a devastating
experience but you develop a thick skin after a
while. Most of the time it would be up to you to
accept or reject the criticisms that were coming
back at you. All the people involved in the process
would do their best to rip the copy apart, to point out
holes in the argument, to say, “You’re not
convincing me here, I don’t believe this for a
second, this offer makes no sense,” and so forth.
Every possible mistake from grammar and spelling
to psychological missteps or paragraphs that didn’t
connect well, paragraphs that went on without
subheads, all of it noted. Everything that could
make something less readable or just annoyed
anybody for any reason or just made them not want
to read any more. They’d say things like, “You’re
boring me here” — and that would be a comment in
the middle of one paragraph. You’d distribute the
work this way in the copy department which is
itching to vent some of the fury that they have just
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been put through because they recently went
through the same process.
Clayton: You nailed them last week.
Gary: Exactly. It’s payback time. As weird and as sadistic
as it sounds, it produced fantastic copy. It didn’t
produce fast copy by any means because you would
go through many, many drafts this way until almost
everybody in the place said, “Wow, this is singing
now. I’m ready to sign up for this myself.”
So it was a very cumbersome, lengthy process.
Sometimes clients would be on the phone month
after month yelling, cajoling, begging, “When is my
copy going to be ready?” And we’d say, “It’s being
worked on, it’s being worked on.” When it was finally
finished, they’d have a campaign that they could run
for years and outpull virtually anything else they’ve
ever run unless they were very lucky beforehand.
This was the system we followed. We had a lot of
knowledgeable people take out their blue pencils
and just scratch out or question anything that they
didn’t like. But then after a time you learned to
internalize that process. You probably do it in a nicer
way, Clayton — but I’m sure with the people that
you mentor that you point out weak spots and shore
up areas that need more proof or persuasive
arguments or whatever. I’m sure you do that.
Clayton: Absolutely, and it really honestly just depends on
what kind of mood I’m in.
Gary: I’m sure that’s not true. For the process to work,
you have to be intellectually honest. Evaluations
should not change with your mood.
Clayton: Well sometimes I look at it as a creative writing
assignment, especially when the copy’s boring.
Then I’ll dive in and get rather verbose with my crits.
Other times, you’re right, you’re looking for
credibility, you’re looking for persuasiveness, and
you’re looking for specificity.
Gary: I think the biggest enemy we face today is not weak
headlines or artwork. It’s the tremendous amount of
clutter that you have to compete against. When you
look at your email this evening, you’ve got maybe
100 emails that need attention and each one was
crafted lovingly and with lots and lots of care — and
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you couldn’t care less. You’re just deleting each one
with a very quick trigger finger. That’s an enemy
that we have to face rather than going to a very
receptive audience and having them judge us
paragraph by paragraph. You don’t even get a
hearing much of the time these days.
Clayton: You had a fantastic article in one of the early issues
of Bencivenga Bullets on, if I remember correctly,
the two most important words in advertising. You
said, it’s not “you,” it’s not “free,” it’s “yeah, sure.”
Gary: I gave a seminar at Rodale once. I had the good
fortune to never have lost a split run test at Rodale
against some very tough competition selling books
for the book division. I competed against Gene
Schwartz and most of the top names out there, and
I never lost.
So they called me in to ask, “How are you doing
this? Tell us the approach that you’re following.” So
I ran through a whole list of headlines from their
advertising, as well as many other examples from
our daily lives. For example, what politicians
promise every November — “I’m never going to
raise your taxes and I’m going to give you universal
health care” … “I’m going to get rid of crime in our
schools.” And what does everybody say once that’s
out of their mouths? They say, “Yeah, sure.”
That’s the biggest problem that most B-level
copywriters face. They’re always looking for ways to
increase the strength of their headline, and the
easiest way, apparently, is to increase the hype or
ratchet up the promise. But usually that’s going on
in the wrong direction because you’re sounding
more like the politician who is promising an even
more undeliverable promise. Since everybody out
there is looking for a way to dismiss you as quickly
as they can because they’ve got 100 other
messages to get through, as soon as they see an
over-promising headline, that is the first permission
that they have to just blow you off.
You’re usually much better with an under-promising
headline. A great example that I learned in the days
that I was working with Dan Rosenthal was for one
of our clients who sold gold and silver coins and
bullion. In this case it was an ad for silver. The
headline was a famous headline that ran for many
years, “Why the price of silver may rise steeply.”
Thinking I was such a hot-shot copywriter, I said to
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Dan Rosenthal, who I believe was the author of that
headline and the great, great ad that followed it, I
said, “Why are you saying, ‘may rise’? You should
test a headline that sounds a little stronger, a little
bolder, such as ‘Why the price of silver will rise
steeply.’ That way it sounds, Dan, like you believe
what you’re predicting.”
So we tested my version and, of course, it bombed.
It’s counterintuitive, but “Why the price of silver may
rise steeply” outperformed “Why the price of silver
will rise steeply” maybe by 200%. And the body
copy was exactly the same for both versions. It went
into why inflation and why a silver shortage is about
to exert irresistible pressure under the price of silver
to cause silver prices to go higher. It gave every
reason why silver was going up. It was full of proof
and full of facts and full of figures, plus an
opportunity to send for a booklet on how you can
profit on the coming rise in silver prices. As I say, it
created land office business on the strength of that
ad but I could never understand why “may rise”
pulled so much better than the more forceful “will
rise.”
But it’s because of that disbelief factor. Most
investors are savvy. So as soon as you promise
something that really is unknowable such as “will
rise,” they know that you can’t predict the future. But
when you build in a little bit of understatement, you
suck them right in.
So I’ve learned to apply that principle in many,
many headlines. One of my best headlines for
Hume Publishing was “Get Rich Slowly.” I created
an enemy out of all of the get rich quick investment
courses and opportunities out there by saying,
“Look, if you’re tired of all the hype, this is the
course that you should be buying because if you got
$2,000 to $3,000 to put aside each year, this is a
course that could easily get you to the $1 million
mark. It’s not going to happen in three, four or even
five years, but if you want to retire with $1 million
and can only put $2,000 aside in an IRA each year,
this is how it’s done.”
That ad was virtually unbeatable for several years
with a headline that the client didn’t even want to
test, “Get Rich Slowly.” They said, “Gary, have you
lost your mind? Who wants to get rich slowly?” So I
said, “Look, people are so tired of ‘get rich quick,’
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it’s not believable anymore.” Nobody buys without
belief, so if you advertise something that can be
believed, then most of the battle is already won.
Clayton: I think that’s fascinating, and I think it kind of ties
into that the “Lies, Lies, Lies” package you did for
Mark Skousen’s Forecasts & Strategies, which you
must be tired of talking about.
Gary: No, no, not at all. Most people probably don’t even
know that package but yes, you’re right…
Clayton: That is the classic of financial newsletter promotion.
Gary: Oh thank you. That was extremely successful and
ran for many years.
Clayton: And it was really wonderful because there’s not
even a hint of a benefit in your main headline. It
simply seized on a resident emotion — the
skepticism and frustration of investors who had
heard it all, tried it all and were continually
disappointed. And then in the deck copy, you came
on with “Why we investors are sick and tired of
these things that are happening to us.” And then the
real payoff was, “How getting richer is the best
revenge.” I’m doing that just from memory — that’s
how powerful it was.
Gary: You remember it better than I do.
Clayton: My goodness, when was that?
Gary: It was the early 1990s.
Clayton: Yeah, and I still remember that headline. I can still
visualize the package and the wonderful cartoons
they used.
Gary: That was an example of humor actually working in
copy. We took every target of anger that an investor
can have — lying politicians, with a cartoon of a
classic looking politician, taking an oath to the flag,
and if you look closely, his fingers are crossed. And
he says, “I promise never again to raise taxes.”
Clayton: And the broker in a pinstriped suit behind a desk,
smoking a cigar.
Gary: And the guy from the IRS was Darth Vader. The
cartoons were just wonderful and that added a little
bit of that entertainment factor you were talking
about before but in an appropriate way. It was part
and parcel of the sale.
Clayton: There were a couple of things that I loved about
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that. One was the little phrase, “we investors” in the
deck copy. Because it immediately got Skousen on
the side of the reader, it immediately made us
friends.
Gary: That’s so true. I’m so glad you picked up on that,
Clayton, because that is a great technique to use.
Instead of the usual “I’m trying to sell you
something,” which sort of sets up immediately in the
reader’s mind a you-versus-me mentality, I found a
way to shift gears by saying, “it’s you and me
against these other guys.” And if you can create an
enemy in your copy, that’s what happens. You set
up a three-point discussion and you come around
from your side of the desk to be on the reader’s side
of the desk and then it’s you and the reader against
the enemy that you’re railing against.
It’s a very effective psychological and copy
technique to use because it takes the copywriter out
of the role of trying to sell the prospect something
and puts them both on the same side, as if the
copywriter were a friend, consumer advisor, and
helper.
Clayton: There’s another thing about that headline that’s very
instructive, especially as I look back on it now.
People often wonder why Rush Limbaugh, for
example, is so successful. He has no real product to
sell. He doesn’t make your life better in any way.
There are no benefits, really, for buying his books.
But the service he provides for you is that he puts
your thoughts and your feelings — assuming you’re
in agreement with his politics — into words. He
gives you an outlet for the emotions that you’re
feeling about the things that are happening in the
country. That emotional release is valuable to
people, and as a result, 20 million people listen to
him every week on the radio and buy his books and
newsletters and so forth.
I felt that the “Lies, Lies, Lies” package did
something very similar and it did it beautifully. It was
one of the first-rate resident emotion packages that
simply went to a group of people who had strong
feelings about the subject at hand and spoke to
those feelings, and by doing so, validated them. But
they were actionable feelings and you were able to
come back with a solution, a way to assuage that
frustration in those people. I felt that was so much
more powerful than simply going back to them as
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one more direct mail package promising huge
profits.
It was wonderful and it opened the way for me and
also for every other copywriter I’ve talked to, to
begin thinking about how much more powerful
emotions are than a mere intellectual argument in
terms of making a sale.
Gary: That’s a very astute analysis, Clayton. I think what
helped me to create that package — and this is
something I do before I start any assignment — was
to ask, “What are we really selling?” And you try to
come up with different answers to that question.
We’re not really just selling a newsletter, which is 12
sheets or eightsheets of paper a month. What are
we really selling? If it’s just a newsletter, everybody
had always answered, “We’re selling investment
tips.” But since there was so much competition from
other copywriters and other publishers selling the
same kind of investment tips, I reasoned if we
change the answer to the question “what are we
really selling?” we can open a whole new way to
talk to our market.
Let’s think about it. What are we really selling when
we sell a newsletter from an investment advisor who
wants to advise you on the most important financial
decisions of your life? Well you’re really selling a set
of values, a partnership with somebody that you
have to trust. The best way to come to trust
somebody is to see that they do share your same
values.
I call this the “Credo Technique of Copywriting.” The
first issue of Bencivenga Bullets is about this
technique. In fact, in that bullet I say what I believe
about advertising. I believe advertising is designed
to sell and not to win awards and applause. I
believe you can always sell with integrity. I give the
other beliefs, very strongly held beliefs that I have
about advertising and that accomplishes a couple of
things.
Number one, it tells what I’m about and if you have
the same values, then we’re a match. So I sell you
on me before I try to sell anything else. If you sell
not only the end product that the advisor or the
person behind the product of service is offering —
whether it’s the chiropractor who’s selling his
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services or attorney or whoever it is — but also
mention the person’s values that you also feel very
strongly about, you sort of bond with them in a way
that’s much more powerful than any list of how-tos
or other types of bullets purely based on
information. You’re bonding with them on a level of
trust, which makes you different from every other
person out there who is just trying to sell something
because they want to sell it.
Clayton: You probably don’t remember, but in the early
1980s, you and I had a telephone conversation. I
was with a company called Security Rare Coin.
Gary: Oh yeah, that’s coming back to me now, yes.
Clayton: You are my mentor, by the way.
Gary: Oh, I didn’t know. Well thank you, what an honor.
To be continued in next weeks issue …
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
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8 Responses to A Conversation with the Legendary
Copywriter Gary Bencivenga Part I
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Pavel says:
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A Conversation with the Legendary Copywriter Gary Bencivenga Part I | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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June 17, 2008 at 7:10 am
Wow, finally! I found this interview. I knew it had to be somewhere on
this site but nothing (including the search box) helped… until I
occasionally decided to check the top menu buttons.
… which leads btw to the conclusion that site navigation is not exactly
user friendly (considering also the fact that this comment seems to be
the first, after all:).
Anyway… Bencivenga is my favorite copywriter (maybe because of
psychological mindset), so this interview is a real treat. Thanks a lot!
Reply
Taufan Putera says:
October 15, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Thanx for this interview…opening my mind to be more effective
copywriter.
Thanx a lot…
Reply
Joe Swopes says:
March 16, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Awesome Clayton, incredible to read the convo between two
awesome writers. Dang I wish it was in audio though! I much prefer
audio lol, but I read it anyway, will finish the second half later tonight.
peace.
Reply
Hidradenitis says:
April 5, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Great interview, packed with nuggets of helpful copywriting gold. I
appreciate you making this available free of charge. Is there anyway
to get the audio version?
Reply
Jon Dalrymple says:
January 7, 2010 at 3:45 pm
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/a-conversation-with-the-legendary-copywriter-gary-bencivenga-part-1/?replytocom=3991#respond
http://www.taufanputera.blogspot.com/
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/a-conversation-with-the-legendary-copywriter-gary-bencivenga-part-1/?replytocom=7277#respond
http://www.copytraining.com/
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/a-conversation-with-the-legendary-copywriter-gary-bencivenga-part-1/?replytocom=9914#respond
http://hidradenitisuppurativa.com/
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/a-conversation-with-the-legendary-copywriter-gary-bencivenga-part-1/?replytocom=10369#respond
http://www.studio9scotland.com/
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Pingback: Por el Poder del Marketing! | Marina Escribe
I came across your site by accident when trying to find out more
about Gary Bencivenga.
As a graphic designer interested in how best to communicate through
– well – graphics and copy, I found this interview highly instructive
and can’t wait to read the next part.
Many, many thanks for sharing this freely.
Jon
Reply
jim staughan says:
September 18, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I wish I had read this years ago .
Reply
Eric Niergarth says:
October 1, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Mr M,
first off, Thank you.
second, What a refreshing mine of hardcore copywriting gold.
Gary’s emphasis on integrity and earning trust is missing in almost
everything else I’ve come across. What a counter- -intuitive notion,
that of actually reducing the hype factor to increase believability. I’ve
seen his bullets site before but I’ll pay MUCH closer attention now.
Eric
Reply
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A Conversation With the Legendary Copywriter GARY BENCIVENGA Part ll | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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A Conversation With 
the Legendary Copywriter 
GARY BENCIVENGA 
Part ll
Posted on December 19, 2005 by Clayton Makepeace
Like Sign Up to see what your friends like.
Glad you’ve joined us for Part II of our interview
with Gary Bencivenga. Let’s jump right in where we left
off last time.
Clayton: I read Rosser Reeves and Ogilvy and Caples and the
rest, but without a doubt, the greatest advances in my
career have come from reading you.
Gary: Thank you, Clayton. What a compliment. You have just
made my day. Thank you. Considering how high
you’ve carried the banner, that’s quite a compliment.
Thank you.
Clayton: Well, studying every one of your packages has been
just eye opening for me and I remember telling you in
that conversation that one of the things that struck me
was that you consistently made a friend before you
asked for the sale.
Gary: I think you have to do that because people don’t buy
from other people unless they believe them and unless
they trust them. If you don’t sell yourself first, you’re
trying to short circuit the process by just rushing to the
bottom line, rushing to the close of the sale too early.
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Salesmanship has changed over the years. It used to
be, in the days of Elmer Wheeler and “Sell the Sizzle
and Not the Steak,” the life insurance agent or the real
estate broker would try to corner you and answer every
objection you could raise and just out of exhaustion,
the hapless prospect would buy the policy or agree to
do whatever the salesman wants. Buy the
encyclopedias or the pots and pans that the door-to-
door salesman was selling.
But you know something? You don’t see door-to-door
salesmen much anymore. I haven’t seen one in years.
You don’t see the Avon ladies anymore. You don’t see
life insurance agents going around door-to-door
anymore. Why is that? It’s because salesmanship has
changed. We’ve all been marketed to so much, we
won’t stand for being manipulated that way anymore.
As a prospect, you just won’t put up with it. People
don’t like to have to buy because they can’t come up
with a clever answer to the life insurance agent’s
comeback. We’ve evolved because we’ve been
marketed to so much over the last several decades.
We’ve evolved from a nation of much more
manipulable prospects to tough customers and the
whole nation is like that.
So if you just try to come onto people with the same
old forms of salesmanship that used to work 10 to 20
years ago, they just don’t work anymore because a)
you don’t have my trust; b) you don’t have my values;
and c) you’re not my friend — and I’m not going to buy
from you unless I first have those feelings. So you’re
not going to just trick me into buying with snappy
comebacks to my three or four reasons I’m not sure
that I want to buy.
There’s a great movie about this called Boiler Room,
where they show how these people who used to do
telephone marketing from the boiler room would have
scripts with the snappiest comebacks to anything that
the person might say about why they may not buy.
They would try to embarrass people into making an
investment over the phone. That way of selling, in most
cases, has gone by the boards. It’s dying.
This is especially true in our field, where we try to sell
to 1,000 or a million people at once. They could blow
us off without us even knowing about it just by tossing
our mail or clicking “delete.” Given that, I think that the
best way to be selling anybody in the marketplace now
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is to win a friend first and the best way to do that is
through an e-zine.
More and more, ice cold direct mail packages sent to
ice cold prospects are going to fare poorly compared
to promotions sent by people who have an e-zine
relationship with somebody. And by that I mean an e-
zine that really gives very high value as opposed to
selling so much. I counsel people in all markets of
goods and services to really develop a relationship with
their prospects through a very valuable e-zine. Hold
back on the selling. Just resist. Rein the selling in for a
while. Establish a relationship of giving very valuable
helpful information first and then introduce the sales
later.
Even with e-zines, I get so many of them now, and I
don’t even open them much anymore. I send most of
them to an email address I have at a place called
Spam Arrest. And at Spam Arrest, I go through all my
marketing-oriented e-zines and I’m sure I’m not
untypical in this way. They’ll give me a listing of the
latest emails that I have — 25 at a time — whether
they’re e-zines or personal messages or whatever.
And I’ll just go down and I’ll check them all to be
deleted. And then I’ll uncheck maybe three that I’ll
want to read, out of 25. And the others get
automatically deleted when I hit the return key. I delete
them all just based on the subject lines. And we all do
this.
Even very top marketers have entered a place in my
mind, and I’m sure in the minds of lots of others, where
I automatically don’t open their email anymore
because I know I’m just going to be pitched something.
I only open those e-zines where there’s going to be
honest to goodness nuggets of information, not just
another sales pitch. So most of the people out there,
even with e-zine marketing, they’ve gotten the
technology right but they don’t have the psychology
right.
Just as you say, win a friend first and then try to sell
later. It’s so much easier to sell something to
somebody who you have a relationship with. So the
first sale that you have to make is that relationship, not
the product. You just put it so well before, you first want
to make a salesperson a trusted friend rather than
somebody who is just selling you a product.
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Clayton: And that’s what I feel that you’ve done whether by
design or just intuitively in so many of your packages.
In the Skousen package, the line “We investors are fed
up” was that way because friendship is quite often
based on commonality. Instead of the vaunted expert
touting his past successes, youjust climb in the boat
with the prospect. “What are we going to do with this
problem?” And that’s wonderful.
Gary: And I feel that’s so much easier to do once you’ve
established an e-zine relationship with your prospects.
You can capture names very easily with an e-zine if
you give good information and use that as a basis for
growing your own list.
You’ve seen this, I’m sure, Clayton, in your work. Who
do you get most of your business from? It’s not from
people who are just walking in the door for the first
time. It’s from clients that you have a relationship with.
When they think of a new assignment, you’re probably
booked up for 10 years but whether it’s you as a writer
or you as the copy chief or creative director on the
assignment, they don’t even have to think twice.
Because they know you, they like you, they trust you,
and you’ve gotten great results for them. So it’s not
even a question of, “Should we use Clayton for this?”
It’s, “Gee, can we get on Clayton’s schedule?”
I’m sure you’ve had that experience. And it’s the same
for everybody who has sold anything over a period of
time. We’ve all found that it’s much easier to sell
something to somebody who’s satisfied with the
relationship with you and with your past performance.
And that’s one of the most important principles of
marketing and yet so many people just ignore it.
So many people in the internet marketing world just
want to find that one hot product to sell, make a
fortune, then find another hot product to sell in a totally
different market. But business just doesn’t work that
way. You really need to find a product or service from
which you can get lots of repeat business because
that’s the most profitable and easiest business — when
people are coming back to you again and again. I’m
sure that’s worked for you in your business. It has
worked for me in my business. For 25 years, the same
people were keeping me as busy as I could be.
Clayton: Gary, I would be fascinated to hear about your process
when you’re approaching a package. Everything from
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the ways you identify themes or the approaches you
want to address to one of the things that you just said
that I think you could probably do a 500-page book on
— the concept of “What are they really buying?” What
are you really selling?
Gary: Right. You’re not selling grass seeds, you’re selling a
greener lawn.
Clayton: You’re not selling drill bits, you’re selling holes.
Gary: Exactly right. But you can really expand that. As I was
saying before, you’re not just buying a newsletter. I
want to buy a relationship with somebody, one person I
can trust in this investment world, where everybody
else is on commission trying to sell me something.
Boy, I would really appreciate a relationship with
somebody who is truly objective and doesn’t have any
product they’re going to sell me except their advice.
That’s what I realized we were really selling with
Skousen, and it’s why that package was so successful.
So if you dwell on that question more deeply than the
next copywriter might, “What are we really selling?”
you’d be surprised at the answers you can come up
with. Major, blockbuster breakthroughs.
Clayton: I notice in a lot of your financial packages for Phillips,
for example, you were selling things like simplicity or
reliability, consistency, growing reliably richer and
those kinds of things instead of just selling the obvious,
which was the big profit.
Gary: Right, exactly. Because most people don’t put their
serious money into risky, “ten bagger” opportunities.
Again it gets back to knowing your market — and some
of this I can elaborate on as I answer your question
about the process. But it really comes from knowing
your market well, as to what most people in that market
believe, and if you try to exceed their level of belief,
you’re going to lose them. I learned long ago that the
only people who invest and who therefore are going to
buy an investment newsletter are people with money.
Most people with money are probably over 50 years
old because you usually need that much time to
accumulate a substantial amount of money.
Furthermore, they really don’t want to lose it. So
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they’re very risk averse, though they may like to hear
about the occasional investment that goes through the
roof.
Sure, there is a sub-market of people who really are
into that — the way casino gamblers are red hot for
that kind of information. But most investors, by and
large, want a safe way to invest their nest egg, their
retirement money, and they’re not going to bet it on a
penny stock. They might take a flyer on a penny stock
but if you could address the main portion of their
wealth, they will really reward you handsomely.
To get back to your question about my process — it’s
probably a little bit unusual, but it is more
encompassing than you might at first think you would
hear from a copywriter.
I mentioned before about how Think and Grow Rich
and similar books and tapes have influenced me. I’m
probably Nightingale-Conant’s biggest customer. But I
think every great achievement begins in the mind first,
before it manifests itself in the material world. Think
and Grow Rich — well, how do you grow rich? At first
you have to start with a thought that you want and
intend to grow rich, and the same holds true for a great
breakthrough in a package. But let me back up for a
moment to the very start of the process.
This doesn’t happen anymore because I’m not taking
clients anymore, but when I was taking clients, the
phone would ring and somebody would ask if I’d like to
do this assignment. And I’d say, “Sounds interesting,
send me everything you can on it. Let me get to know
it.” And I would receive everything and go through it
very carefully. I especially wanted to see the
advertising that’s being used for it. In terms of the
advertising, I will call upon my knowledge of the craft
that I’ve developed over all these years.
What I really want to know about the advertising is
whether or not I see an easy way for me to beat it. If
the advertising was created by somebody like Clayton
Makepeace, it’s an immediate turnoff. In fact, there are
about five or six writers who I would feel that way
about, and you’re certainly at the top of that list.
If Clayton Makepeace has written the advertising, and
you’ve done a bang up job, but this client is just getting
greedy and curious to see what somebody else can do,
I’m not very interested. I’ll know right away if it’s your
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work, Clayton, even if you didn’t tell me you wrote it. I
could usually tell. I can certainly tell if a great writer has
written it and if a piece is a great piece. And if it is a
great piece, I’m much less interested in competing
against it. After all, why should I waste my time with a
much lower likelihood of success? We’re not in this to
prove how macho we are by taking on all comers.
We’re in it to maximize our return on investment.
That’s like Warren Buffett. He doesn’t try to turn every
wacky investment into a superstar performer. He says,
“You don’t have to swing at every pitch. I’d sooner let
1,000 bad pitches pass me by at the plate — there are
no balls or strikes — than swing at every pitch. I just
want to swing at the one I think I can whack out of the
park.”
I’m the same way. I like to see a great product
suffering from really weak advertising. That’s my
perfect scenario. It’s just as Warren Buffettwants to
see a great investment that the rest of the world
doesn’t realize is a great investment yet.
At first I would look at the advertising and the product
to see how strong the product was and how strong the
advertising was. In terms of the advertising, I can tell if
it’s strong based on my knowledge of the craft, just all
the things that we copywriters learn over time. You
learn to recognize good headlines and good offers and
good guarantees.
So I apply that screen to the assignment and see if I
can find a toe hold somewhere. If it’s fairly well written,
do I see a toe hold? Do I see someplace where I can
beat it? So I’ll analyze every part of the package. Is the
headline very strong or is it just fair to middling? If I can
find myself coming up with something that I could
pretty much realize is going to be stronger in that
department, well that’s a plus.
Then I’ll look at the body copy, the bullets, the offer,
the guarantee, the premium, every component in there
and if I can come up with a good feeling that I can beat
each one of those components, then it’s a slam dunk.
Then I can beat the overall response rate because the
package is nothing more than the sum of its
components and if I can see my way clear to improving
upon each component, then it’s a slam dunk that I’ll
beat the whole thing.
So I’ll look at the advertising through that screen. I’ll
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also — and this is where a lot of copywriters go astray
— look at the product from the point of view of my
product knowledge. And this is why I think it’s so
important that copywriters should specialize in certain
parts of the marketplace. I don’t think there are many
copywriters who can be equally successful in all areas
of the market, with all different products. Especially not
when there are other very well trained copywriters in
every other market that they’re thinking of entering.
I’ve always been very knowledgeable about health. I’ve
been a health nut for about 30 to 40 years. And, just
because that’s where most of the work was, I was
always into financial products. So I know those two
marketplaces very well. I know what will generally sell.
I know lots of tests that didn’t perform well — and that
knowledge is very valuable in knowing whether this
product is valuable or not. This marketplace is always
changing so you have to keep up on what investors are
reading now. You’ve got to know the books and
newspapers that they’re reading and understand
what’s on their minds now. You’ve got to keep up with
what’s happening in the economy and what they’re
worried about. Once you reach a certain level of
knowledge, it’s fairly easy to keep up with the
marketplace.
If I’m really comfortable with those two things: 1) that I
can beat the advertising that I see in front of me or at
least have a reasonable chance of doing so after doing
a lot of research; and 2) the product is a strong one
with great credibility elements to it and some great
reasons why the prospect can benefit from this, then I
feel very confident about it and I’d be willing to take the
assignment.
Like you, I imagine, I always have an incentive in my
compensation agreement where the better I do for the
client, the more money I could make myself. I really
want a very strong likelihood of long-term success with
it. Assuming all of those factors are positive, the next
step I would take is to envision a blockbuster success.
As I said before, every achievement begins in the mind
before it manifests itself in the material world, so I
would envision a great success.
In my mind, I would hear my client calling me in two
months saying, “Gary, you did it again. This is
unbelievable. The phones are ringing off the hook. The
postal trucks are lining up, bringing these bags of
orders in. Oh man, the next time you’re in town you
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have to let me take you to dinner.” I would envision the
entire phone call with a thrilled client absolutely
jumping up and down with how thrilled he was that I
wrote the package and how the responses are just
pouring in, burying his mailroom with checks and
orders.
I would see this whole vision in my mind. I would taste
the celebratory dinner that I was going to experience
with my wife Pauline to celebrate this latest triumph.
Your subconscious mind wants to manifest the images
you place before it with great emotion. So indulge your
fantasy about success.
See the accomplishment in the rehearsal studio of your
own mind. Tell your subconscious, “This is what I like
to experience, help me do it!” So if you start celebrating
before you’ve even put pen to paper or fingers to
keyboard, just getting that very exciting vision of how
you’re going to experience success, it frees up
tremendous subconscious resources for you to achieve
that success and very effortlessly also.
You’re effortlessly teaching your mind what’s going to
be happening. Your subconscious mind, as Maxwell
Maltz taught in Psycho-Cybernetics, is a goal-striving
mechanism. When you give your subconscious a target
that you want to hit, it will pull into itself and eventually
share with your conscious mind all kinds of resources
that you never knew you had within you to make that
happen.
This is the goal that you’re telling your subconscious
mind that will be enjoyed and experienced in a month
or two, six months, or whatever your time schedule is
for completing the job and having it tested. This is
what’s going to happen. Most writers don’t go through
any preliminary stage like this. There are lots of ways
to do it, but whatever methodology or ritual you have
for doing this, the key is envisioning the success even
before it unfolds. That very process helps the steps
unfold and you want to make it very vivid to your
senses because that will make it real to your
subconscious mind.
You want to feel the emotion especially. You just want
to close your eyes and feel how great it’s going to feel
that you’ve chalked up another big winner and that the
word is getting around in the industry that “Wow, this
guy is almost unbeatable. Almost everything we’ve
given him, he hits a homerun for us. He’s
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unbelievable.” You just fantasize about all of these
things. You combine that with your knowledge of the
craft that you’ve accumulated throughout the years and
you combine that with the specialized knowledge of the
marketplace. If you combine those three things, I can
guarantee you’ll almost be invincible.
How can anybody else beat you when you have all that
going for you? We’re not like athletes where, mentally,
they reach the peak of their knowledge just at the very
time when their physical skills are going into decline.
The quarterback at age 35 knows so much more than
the young rookie about how to read a defense and how
to craftily send a receiver downfield for a touchdown
pass. His mind is so much further ahead and educated
than a rookie quarterback just out of college.
Unfortunately for people who earn livings from physical
skills, their physical skills deteriorate at the very time
when their mental powers are at their peak.
In copywriting that doesn’t happen. We need to always
build on our knowledge base. Over time you must build
these three key areas of knowledge.
First the knowledge of what works in direct marketing,
your knowledge of the craft.
Second, your knowledge of a given marketplace —
whether it’s health or finance or chiropractic, or
whatever interests you orwherever you’re getting your
current work from.
And third, the knowledge of how to unleash the
competitive and great instincts that you have within you
that you don’t even know about. It’s the 90% of your
mind that you don’t normally use. Once you unlock that
90%, if you add that to the mix of knowing your craft
and market, you will be virtually invincible in whatever
you chose to do.
Clayton: That’s wonderful.
Gary: I’m sure, Clayton, that I’m not telling you anything you
don’t know because when I look at words that you write
for your clients, there’s no way I want to tangle with
that stuff. I’m sure there are a lot of other copywriters
who feel the same way.
Clayton: That’s very kind. Psycho-Cybernetics is one of my
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favorite reads.
Gary: You’ve never told me that, but in a way I knew it. I
knew it because you couldn’t produce at such a high
level without the tailwind from your subconscious mind.
You’re at an emotional level when you write. And that
can only be achieved through your subconscious mind,
which is, in effect, channeling the desires, hopes and
dreams of a lot of other subconscious minds. It’s only
when your subconscious mind is engaged that way
that you can produce work of the compelling power that
I see you produce. Not having ever known that about
you, I knew that you must have been somehow
harnessing your subconscious mind in a way that most
copywriters don’t.
Clayton: I have my entire life. I think part of the process for me
too is envisioning early in the process the client being
completely blown away by the first draft.
Understanding the purpose of the first draft is to have a
second draft and a third. The purpose of the final draft
is to accomplish all of the other things — career growth
and the out-of-the park homerun and all of that.
I also spend time thinking about under-promising and
over-delivering to the clients as well as the longer
effects. I’ve also found that one of the little ideas in
Psycho-Cybernetics that’s extremely valuable in terms
of allowing your subconscious to work, is getting away
from the work in one way or another. Napping, for
example.
Gary: That’s very true. That’s when your subconscious gets
the chance to connect with the conscious as Gene
Schwartz put it. He used to talk about that all the time
in his methodology where he would put himself in front
of his typewriter or computer and not put any pressure
on himself to do anything. He used a little time clock
and he would punch in 33 minutes, 33 seconds on it,
just so he wouldn’t have to punch in more than one
button on his timer. And every 33 minutes and 33
seconds he would get up and go for a stretch and
when he came back for his next 33 minutes and 33
seconds, somehow the answers were ready for him.
To relieve the stress and pressure of having to write
great copy, Schwartz had only one requirement. He
had to stay in his chair for the entire 33 minutes. He
didn’t have to work on the copy if he didn’t want to, but
he didn’t allow himself to work on anything else or to
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answer the phone or to read the mail.
That’s the same process. You have to get away from it
so the subconscious can give you the answer it’s just
dying to give you but can’t because your conscious
mind is so rigidly trying to force the issue. So when you
open those channels by napping or getting away from
it, the subconscious at that point can whisper the
answer in your ear and it just bubbles right up to the
conscious mind.
Clayton: I wrote the Health & Healing launch package in one
day by a swimming pool in Huntington Beach and I did
it just that way. I wrote for an hour and I swam for an
hour. I wrote for an hour and I swam for an hour. By
the end of the day I had a complete first draft.
Gary: Isn’t that amazing? Oh, Gene Schwartz, in
recommending that very methodology, said that’s how
Mozart used to compose his concertos and
symphonies. It’s obvious, of course, that Mozart was a
genius, but people were amazed at the process he
used. He would play billiards — I think billiards is what
they called it then. And Gene Schwartz said that
Mozart would hit the billiard ball with his pool cue and
then write some notes. It was an activity that got his
conscious mind off of what he was working on and
then by the time he went back to the music notation,
the next phrases were all right there, he didn’t
consciously have to think about it.
Clayton: How many hours a day would you write? Is there a
hard and fast rule?
Gary: It’s hard and fast. I always believed that if I can get
three hours of quiet time, I can achieve anything in the
morning. And that three hours includes researching. In
the research phase — once I’ve agreed to take
something on — I’ll devote about 40% of my time on
the project to research, maybe 40% to writing the first
draft, and then 20% for polishing and rewriting after
that.
I love to write. I guess I’ve had an aptitude from an
early age. And once you get successful at something,
you really feel like you have the aptitude to do it. I
really do like the writing process. Winston Churchill
said that he hates writing but loves having written. A lot
of people are that way; they hate the process of
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writing. But I enjoy it.
Once you get into a rhythm and a groove, as I’m sure
you have over the years for approaching your
assignments, it’s not that hard. If you do enough
research, the writing comes fairly easily.
To answer your question, I would usually like to do
three hours in the morning, and I still try to do that. I
still get a little antsy if I don’t. I wake up and get three
hours in on something, like a major project that I want
to work on.
Those early morning hours are, to me, the most
productive time, especially if you can harness in the
subconscious before you go to bed. You just go to bed
reading something over and posing a question you’d
like to have solved by the morning. Your subconscious
mind tends to millions of cellular and biological
transactions every night. You’re breathing and
swallowing and goodness knows what else, literally
millions of other activities. It’s nothing to give you a
headline by the morning if you just say, “I’d like a good
headline on this in the morning. I’ve just read it over
and I have no idea, so you come up with it. You’re the
power behind whatever my conscious mind does, so
give me a good headline or ten or twenty in the
morning and I’ll just be ready with my notepad.” And
that’s pretty much what happens.
I know Dan Kennedy has said that’s how he is so
productive. He’ll tell his mind what he wants to have
written when he wakes up in the morning and it all
flows out like a computer dump. It’s not like you’re
sleeping fitfully — it’s totally subconscious. If you let too
much time go by, however, if you don’t get to your
writing until the afternoon, you might have lost it. That’s
why I like to do my writing first thing in the morning
because my mental computer’s been running all night
with whatever I wanted to write about and it just pours
out almost word for word.
Clayton: Absolutely. It’s amazing because I do the same thing.
Gary: Do you really? Wow.
Clayton: Years ago I got into the habit of going to bed very early
around eight o’clock and getting up at four in the
morning when there would be no sounds in the house,
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no distractions, no phones ringing and be able to just
totally engage the work without interruption for several
hours.
Gary: Yeah that’s what I like. I still wake up naturally, no
alarm clock. I wake up with the morning light and
sometimes I wake up 4:30 or 5:00. We’re on the east
coast out in the Hamptons — the sun comes over the
ocean really early.
I used to stay up late. I used to do very well being a
night owl but Pauline wakes up really early. She bolts
out of bed at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning. When she
does, I find it hard getting back to sleep so I had to get
in sync with her rhythm. And once I did, I found it much
more productive for me to wake up at that time
anyway, using the night as a time when I just sleep
soundly and let my mind review whatever it’s reviewing
to give me my answers in the morning.
Early in the morning too, as you say, there’s no phone
ringing. But you’ve got to train yourself not to get into
your emails and see what’s happening. There are so
many things that tug at your attention. Try to get into
the discipline of — and I’m saying this obviously for
your listeners or readers who don’t do this, because I
know you must already do it — training yourself to
focus on one major task at that precious, most
productive time of the day.
That’s really the 10% of the day that’ll give you 80% of
your results. So you should really save it for that most
important assignment that you’re working on at that
moment. Then the rest of the day will be phone calls
and emails and meetings and things that come up or
people coming to the door. You know a million things
that distract you, but at least you will feel very
productive for that day because you’ve logged your two
to three hours first thing in the morning, and you’ve got
something to show for that day. And if you could do
that pretty much every day, it’s amazing how much
you’ll write, how much you’ll produce.
Clayton: I also find that the work we do on each package is
easily divided into two camps: 1) the creative work; and
2) the detail-oriented work. And quite often they
require two very different aptitudes. I’ll tend to focus on
creative issues very early in the morning. Then, when I
feel my creative energy flagging, I move to more detail-
oriented tasks such as research and other things like
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that.
Gary: I couldn’t agree with you more, Clayton. In my mind the
tasks break down the same way. I like to reserve the
really tough problems for that high energy period in the
morning. And I find they usually get worked out right
away. But you have to have that focus, that clarity —
almost like a still lake — to follow the thread of a new
creative line of thought. And then there’ll be many
parts of a package that are just much more mundane
things, but are just as important in the long run
because you need the foundation for the brilliant,
creative idea that leads off the package.
I call that “grinding out the yardage.” Instead of a
beautiful Hail Mary pass that covers 70 yards at once
— which I toss in the morning — this is just three feet
and a cloud of dust … three feet and another cloud of
dust. For the rest of the day it’s a series of small gains.
It’s just grinding out the yardage, reading the stuff
that’s got to be read, capturing a little bullet from this
paragraph and the next one and the next one after
that. It’s rote mechanical work and it’s time consuming,
but it’s got to be done. But if you put those two halves
together, that’s where the power is.
Clayton: We’ve already taken a half-hour longer than I promised
but I would like to ask you one final question. Let’s
discuss the client relationship. A lot of the people who
will be reading this are people who hire copywriters
and work with them. What are the things the client can
do to help you produce stronger copy, and do it more
quickly?
Gary: That’s a very good question. Over the years I
developed a “please don’t do this” list. Here’s an
example:
“Suppose I work my tail off to produce a breakthrough
package for my client and it becomes the control.
Eventually, that new control starts to weaken. At that
point, they will often invite some other writers to take
their best shot at beating me.”
What would gall me is when another writer would look
at my package and then capture every essential
concept almost in the same sequence of
conceptualization and put it into “his” package. He’d
put different words around it of course, perhaps add a
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different premium or two, but his package is really just
a mirror image of what I’ve done, with just enough
changes that he, under some guise of fairness, could
call it his package and not mine anymore. In other
words, the words have changed, but the concepts
really haven’t. Or if he did add a concept or two, they
probably didn’t help or hurt that much. I call this “barely
legal plagiarism.”
Basically, in effect, the writer does a mirror image of
my package under his name. That would drive me
crazy. The point is — and this goes back to my “please
don’t do this list” — I would tell clients, “Look, if you
want me to reserve my best ideas for you, don’t let this
happen. It’s for your benefit as well as mine.”
How does this hurt the client? Well, there are many
writers out there who, if you let them be lazy, will be
bone-lazy. If you let them get away with just mirroring
what somebody else has done without breaking new
ground, you’ll never get anything else out of them —
even when you demand it. They’re always going to
take the path of least resistance because everybody in
life seems to have more work than they can handle.
And if you’re a client who settles for somebody merely
imitating somebody else’s package, that’s the only
thing you’re going to get from that writer. If you spoil
each writer you work with that way, you’re never going
to get original breakthrough packages.
It also de-motivates your best writers. It de-motivates
me to give you my best ideas. After all, if I have a
breakthrough concept, why would I give it to a client
who would allow it to be swiped, when I have other
clients who will protect my ideas?
This isn’t a legal issue, by the way, where the imitative
writer violates the rule of copyright. The person does
change the words but the melody is pretty much the
same. So I have no legal recourse — and really have
no desire to go after the client or the writer legally
anyway. I have better things to do with my time.
So, it’s not a legal issue, it’s an incentive issue. I say to
my clients, “When you let other writers swipe my ideas,
what have you done for my incentive to give you the
next blockbuster idea? You’ve just trained me to give it
to somebody else who will protect me — and I don’t
want to do that. I don’t think you want me to do it to you
either. You don’t want me to go elsewhere with my
best ideas. If you want to protect the flow of great
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ideas, by all means test other people but don’t let them
get off easy by taking either half or two thirds of my
package and just rewording it and cheating everybody
in the process, including the lazy writer himself. The
writer shouldn’t, for his or her sake, be allowed to do
that because then they’re not being forced to come up
to their best level of originality and thinking.”
That was a bugaboo and I’m sure you’ve seen that too,
Clayton. You have a great control package and all of
the sudden arriving in the mail is a packagethat sort of
looks like yours, all the same ideas…
Clayton: It’s paraphrased. They just sat down and paraphrased
your copy.
Gary: Some hot new writer! The client may even say, “Wow
Clayton, you’ve got to meet this guy, he’s really good.”
Meanwhile you’re thinking, “Yeah he must be my kind
of guy, he sounds so much like me!”
That’s one. And I have another. I didn’t have this so
much after I got a reputation and people would learn to
trust me. But earlier in my career, people would retain
me and then want to tell me what to write. Ogilvy had a
great saying for that. Whenever a client would try to
dictate the copy or come up with some cockamamie
headline that Ogilvy knew wasn’t going to work, he
would say, “Look, why keep a dog and bark yourself?”
I look at it the same way: “If you hired me to do this,
just let me do it and then judge me on that basis. Don’t
try to dictate to me what I should write and judge me
on whether I succeeded or failed. At the very least, let
me have my own test. I can try to work with what you
have your heart set on working, unless it’s really
atrocious.” I don’t want my name on a package that’s
atrocious.
Of course, very often a client has a really great idea
and you shouldn’t resist that. You should run with it.
Sometimes they’ll have an idea that’s not so great and
you think it’s not going to work, but who knows?
Maybe he’s onto something but give me another shot
at something, which I feel has a much higher
probability of working.
That’s another thing that I’ve always done through my
career is take at least two swings at the ball. I would
tell a client, “Look, in researching this, I’ve come up
with several ideas, any one of which could work. My
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favorite is a very high-probability concept, but I have
others I’d like to test, as well.” You want to always put
your best efforts forward. You always want to have
house odds. It’s like casinos and gamblers are both
participating in the same activity. They’re both
gambling but the casinos always make money and
gamblers almost always lose. Casinos always rake in
good fortunes just by slanting the probabilities in their
direction ever so slightly.
So I say to the client, “Let’s do that on your package.
For Package A I’m going to employ every high
probability technique I know that has created
breakthroughs for other people over my career in this
business. And I’m going to take certain powerful
techniques from other people’s packages that I see
working. Everything that I can bring to the table to raise
your probability of having a homerun, I’m going to put
in this package. That’s Package A.
“But over here in the second package, Package B, I’m
going to break a rule or two. We’re going to really get
original. I’m going to use most of the same high
probability bullets and offers and premiums and
subheads but maybe I’m going to try a headline that
has never been done before to give you that element
of freshness. So grant me two test panels and I will
double your chances of succeeding.”
The smart clients say, “Sure, it’s not going to cost me
that much more to test the second panel, and the
benefit I gain is that I’ve virtually doubled my chances
of success.” The point is, every now and then, that
second package will win.
Now, most of the time the high probability tests will
win. That’s the one with the big benefit headline, an
expanded subhead — I’m telling you the formula that
I’m sure you probably follow, Clayton — curiosity-
provoking bullets, a great credential up front, and so
forth. Following all the way through, it looks very
interesting to read, under a hot subject, emotional
language all the way through — all the things that we
pack into our magalogs and other formats. So that will
be the high probability one.
Also, I love to test something that is really different,
something radically different. Even in the offer, the
back-end, maybe instead of charging $200, let’s test
$3,000 for this. Who knows? It might just work. It could
be anything that could, if it works, gives you a whole
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new business. Sometimes, not as often as the high
probability one, but every now and then you hit on one
of those and it really is a blockbuster. So I call that my
package insurance.
I never want to go naked into a test without my high
probability version because, for everybody, that usually
will be the winner. But you don’t want to cut yourself off
from those riskier packages that every now and then
open up a success unlike anything that anybody has
ever seen before.
Clayton: That’s wonderful. I wish I had thought about that in the
early going because whenever I was going up against
the control, I was always torn by that question. It was
always an either-or for me. It was, “Do I try something
radically new and different and pick the smaller odds,
or do I go with a high probability concept that is more
of a sure thing?”
Gary: Yes, that’s exactly the choice you face. Most packages
that are working utilize concepts that have come
before. So if you’ve come up with a concept that you’ve
never seen, it’s probably not a good sign but it could
be a great sign, we just don’t know. The odds are small
but the payoffs could be much greater.
Clayton: Just a bonus question: as far as I know you were the
first to really exploit magalogs.
Gary: No, actually not. That honor belongs to Jim Rutz, the
copywriter, and Ed Elliott, the designer. They did the
first magalog for Personal Finance. I did the second
one for Personal Finance, which beat theirs. But as
soon as I saw that format, my eyes lit up. These guys
discovered a format so powerful I don’t even think at
first they knew how powerful it was even though it did
become a control. I had a standard number 10-
package control for Personal Finance for KCI. They
came in with a magalog. On the front was a cartoon of
an investor with a dartboard and he was picking his
teeth with one of the darts and on the dartboard were
the various investments.
I had the background from Ogilvy and Caples who said
to never make your space ad look like an ad — always
make it look like an article. Ogilvy had tested this and
when a space ad looks like an article, his very scientific
readership study showed that 500% more people read
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the ad than if it looked just like an ad. In other words,
headline, body copy, call to action —– every word is
identical except the layout. If you run in The Wall
Street Journal and you make it look pretty much like a
Wall Street Journal article, even if they slap that slug
on there that says “Advertisement,” you’ll get a 500%
boost in readership for that ad.
And that was pretty consistent across all the space ads
that he tested. That means right out of the gate you
get a 500% increase in readership by making your ad
look like an editorial article. Caples has always
preached the same thing. As a matter of fact, in one of
his books, he tells about a test in Reader’s Digest. I
think it was an 81% increase in actual orders for
Reader’s Digest when it looked like an article instead
of a typical ad.
There’s lots of evidence for space ads but I could
never think of a way to harness that same principle
with a direct mail letter. As soon as I saw that first
magalog, I knew these guys had done it. And they
didn’t realize they had done it because very few
magazines have a cartoon on the cover. So they found
a very entertaining and informative format but most
magazinesreally look like magazines with a photo on
the cover, like Business Week or Forbes or Time.
Magazines aren’t cutesy with a cartoon — so I saw my
opening, my toehold. I went back to Personal Finance
and said, “Look, I know you’ve got a new format and I
can do that format too. I’ll make mine totally different
with different copy. I believe my existing copy is still
very strong actually but there’s this great new format.”
And they asked, “What do we even call this format?” I
said “Well, it looks something like a magazine but it
sells like a catalog, so let’s call it a ‘magalog.’” So I
named it, but it was Jim Rutz and Ed Elliott who
invented it.
Now, what I did for mine — having had that training
from Ogilvy and Caples saying to camouflage your ad
and make it look like an article — was to make our
magalog look just like Time magazine. We gave it a red
border. We used a real photograph — not a cartoon of
an investor. It looked just the way Time magazine
might. We put a real photograph of a headshot of
Richard Band. He looked like the “Man of the Year” on
the cover of Time. We said something like, “Hottest
investment opportunities of the next year,” and the
bullets said “Great opportunities in treasuries, page 5;
A Conversation With the Legendary Copywriter GARY BENCIVENGA Part ll | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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Once in a lifetime real estate opportunity coming up
next year, see page 7,” and so forth.
We had all the same body/copy articles on the inside
as my previous direct mail package, but we made them
look like real articles with photographs. And then the
copy read like an article written by Richard Band, the
editor. Let’s say we’re talking about real estate. We
talked about which forms of real estate are hottest right
now and said, “By the way, we have a special report on
how to make money in single-family homes. They’re
great investments for the small investor. You’ll get that
report free for signing up with Personal Finance.”
For every article, whether it was on bonds or stocks or
whatever, we had a little tie-in to a premium. But the
article was a real article, it gave a lot of good
information. This new venue, called a magalog, was
very valuable to read itself.
When I asked myself, “Can I beat Jim Rutz’s package?
” I saw that I had a much better cover. We had a
bigger, broader table of contents just the way a
magazine does. And we had lots of photographs
throughout that looked more like a magazine. So when
I analyzed all the components of my package versus
Jim’s, I felt pretty confident that I was going to win, and
I did.
When we started rolling out, Time called up and said,
“You’re using our red color on your cover.” And we
said, “What do you mean your color? How can you
copyright a color? You can’t copyright a color.” And
they said, “We have a lot of lawyers who say we can.”
Vickie Moffett at KCI didn’t want to get involved in a big
legal tangle so when they mentioned their lawyers, she
said, “Well, how do you feel about blue?” They said,
“Blue’s okay, that’s not our color.” So
we went with blue, and it went almost as well, not quite
as well but still
it was a giant hit for several years.
Clayton: All of us remember what a huge lift we got when we
started testing magalogs. I was in 6 x 9s at the time
and was running very long copy, up to 24-page sales
letters. But going with magalogs really radically
changed how I wrote my copy as well. Instead of being
a sales letter, I was now writing value-added copy that
rewarded the reader for plowing through my 24 pages
by giving him practical things that he could use now.
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Gary: That’s very true. That immediate gratification is very
important.
Clayton: Yeah. Everyone’s looking for the next big format
breakthrough though.
Gary: I really think it’s here already. I think it’s the e-zine. I’m
finding that with the clients that I’m a partner with, I
almost don’t want to do direct mail anymore. It’s too
tough to send a 24-page magalog to a prospect who
doesn’t know you. I don’t think direct mail will ever be
dead, but rising paper costs, rising printing, and rising
skepticism argue against people responding to cold
mailings that are trying to sell them something right on
the spot. I think these factors argue instead for an
elongated courtship of an e-zine that is of great value
— where
the selling process starts more subtly, a lot more softly.
Perhaps in the
future the most profitable use of much direct mail will
be to drive people
into an e-zine relationship.
Direct mail is also destined, inevitably, to become the
province of higher-cost products. When I started, you
could sell a $12 book by direct mail and make a lot of
money. You can’t do that anymore. My first freelance
client was a little company called Farnsworth
Publishing and we sold a lot of books. I would write a
space ad that would run in The Wall Street Journal on
estate planning or some form of investing or how to
buy a small company or other very esoteric subjects.
We also had an active direct mail campaign for the
same book, a #10 package and a letter selling a book
for $12 or $19. You couldn’t possibly cover that cost
today, you’d go in the hole.
That bar is constantly being raised. I think pretty soon
it’ll be very hard to make money on a $39 offer unless
you’ve got a very healthy back end and are willing to
break even or even lose a little money up front. Again,
it depends on what you’re selling.
I think one of the great things that you did, Clayton, for
Phillips Publishing was your package for Health &
Healing. It wasn’t just a homerun, it was a grand slam
World Series winning blast in the bottom of the ninth
inning. That’s how memorable your Health & Healing
launch package was for Phillips.
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That package built that newsletter to astronomical
heights. I don’t think anybody could’ve ever envisioned
that. I’m sure that Tom Phillips never thought that this
little newsletter on health that he just launched as an
additional product to have, would become the towering
profit maker of Phillips Publishing.
But not only that, it was such a perfectly natural vehicle
for selling vitamins and supplements to those who are
signing up for the newsletter. So the newsletter in
effect became a paid advertisement. The prospects
would literally pay to receive additional offers for
supplements and cruises and everything else that you
would want to sell associated with Dr. Whitaker, who is
the editor of the newsletter.
So you had 500,000, or however many subscribers
they had in time, each one paying $50 a year to start
with and I guess those prices ratcheted up over the
renewal period. I can’t even do the arithmetic. I think
that would break my calculator just to figure out the
money they were making on the subscriptions. And
then there’s all the money coming in from supplements
and vitamins and all kinds of arthritis remedies and
water filters and all the other back-end products. That
was just a gigantically profitable business that you
helped them create.
Clayton: They only thought I wrote that package. That was a
Bencivenga package from beginning to end.
Gary: Is it too late to tell Tom this because I understand he
was just made extremely wealthy by the sale of that
company? Maybe somehow you can finagle for me a
slice of what he just received.
Clayton: We sold between one and two million subscriptions in
three years.
Gary: Wow. Clayton, I had nothing to do with that. We all
learn from each other and I learn from you and that
was your homerun totallyunaided by me.
Clayton: I think this interview should be absolute must-reading
for every soul in the direct response industry, Gary.
Your insights are staggeringly brilliant. Is there
anything else that you’d like to add before we close?
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Gary: No, that’s it, Clayton. When I was coming up through
the ranks of the direct marketing agencies in
Manhattan — Ogilvy & Mather, BBDO and a couple of
others — my favorite time of the week was on Friday
afternoons when most writers would kick back and just
meet in the copy chief’s office and shoot the breeze
about great campaigns and funny art directors and
neurotic account executives and other comical gossip.
We’d just tell jokes and learn from each other about
advertising.
Mostly we young guys just shut up and listened
because the old timers had so many great war stories
of campaigns that were breakthroughs and how they
were developed and funny characters they met along
the way, like the art director who slept in his cubicle
because his girlfriend threw him out and he had no
place to go and that’s the real reason why he was so
early for work in the morning — he lived in his cubicle.
Those sessions were just so instructive and I think this
is sort of the modern day equivalent of that — where
two guys just talk shop on the phone and if we can help
others save some time by avoiding the mistakes we
made, so much the better.
Clayton: I just want you to know, Gary, that
if there’s ever anything at all that I can do for you all
you have to do is ask. I don’t
know what plans you have for Bencivenga Bullets or
future products or services
or educational tools or whatever, but just count me in.
Gary: The Bullets are free and I offer them to anybody who
wants to learn what I know. Just go to
www.bencivengabullets.com.
I want to leave something of a legacy, partly to carry on
in the same tradition
of those great old copy chiefs who taught me. You
don’t have to know thousands
of things to be a really good copywriter.
A relatively small handful of insights as your
guideposts will save you years of effort and save
clients perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars in
their testing. Those are the secrets I share for free in
the Bullets.
http://www.bencivengabullets.com/
A Conversation With the Legendary Copywriter GARY BENCIVENGA Part ll | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
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Clayton: Gary, thanks a lot, I really appreciate it.
Gary: Okay, Clayton, it’s been great. Take care.
Clayton: Take care. Bye.
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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2 Responses to A Conversation With 
the Legendary Copywriter 
GARY BENCIVENGA 
Part ll
Pingback: Tap Into The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. | Hans Klein | Direct-Response
Web Copywriter
← Ad Writer’s Arsenal Three New Years Resolutions 
GUARANTEED to Make 2006 
Your Best Year EVER →
Daniel Cajiga says:
August 26, 2009 at 6:07 am
Thanks for everything at The Total Package. I´d love to know where
the 1st part of this interview is?
Thaks again and thanks in advance.
Daniel Cajiga
Reply
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Three New Years Resolutions 
GUARANTEED to Make 2006 
Your Best Year EVER
Posted on January 2, 2006 by Clayton Makepeace
Like Sign Up to see what your friends like.
Dear Business-Builder,
Maybe it’s just me … but don’t you think Thanksgiving Day is scheduled at
the weirdest possible time of the year?
I mean — what genius decided we should all give thanks for the year’s
blessings on the fourth Thursday of November? Heck — November isn’t even
finished, let alone the year!
When I become king, I’m moving Thanksgiving Day to January 1. That way,
we can all know just how good the whole year was — and be properly
thankful for all the good stuff!
Right now, for example, as I think back over 2005, I’m absolutely blown away
by all the amazing new things the last 12 months brought to my life …
The sixth year of the 21st Century was easily one of the most exhilarating —
and certainly the strangest — I’ve ever had. I worked harder, took more risks
and did more new things than at any other time in my 33-year career.
I ended a long-standing exclusive relationship with a client who had paid me
millions … accepted two exciting NEW clients … spoke in public for the first
time ever … and was thrilled when the American Writers and Artists Institute
honored me with their 2005 “Copywriter of the Year” award.
I launched THE TOTAL PACKAGE in June … wrote 24 content-rich issues …
received and responded to 2,049 fun, positive emails from subscribers (and
only 3 nasty, negative ones) … self-published my first half-dozen or so
← A Conversation With 
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GARY BENCIVENGA 
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eBooks … held my first teleseminar series … and launched QwikCrit™.
Plus, I copy chiefed and critiqued a couple dozen projects for seven younger
writers … and personally wrote nine, 24-page direct mail and Internet
promotions for Health Resources, Phillips Publishing, Boardroom, Agora,
Weiss Research and Healthy Directions.
And next week, I’m announcing my most exciting “first” of all: My first-ever
live event — the Clayton Makepeace Power Marketing Summit, in
Washington D.C. on April 20-22, 2006 (Keep an eagle eye on your eMail box
… trust me: You do NOT want to miss it!).
So to everyone who made all this amazing stuff possible …
The Redhead (wife Wendy) — my greatest champion (as well as my
unrelenting task mistress) …
Tanya — my long-suffering Jill of all trades …
Julie — who works diligently to introduce this eLetter to new readers each
week …
Steve — who has been a godsend on the editorial side …
Mary Ellen, Christine, Richard, Kat, Nehal and to everyone else in our Florida
offices who make THE TOTAL PACKAGE possible …
And of course, to my clients, copy chiefs, copy cubs — and every single one
of my wonderful subscribers …
… THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!
I am truly grateful to each and every one of you for helping to make 2005 a
banner year for me!
… and HELLO, 2006!
For me and mine, 2005 was one for the record books. I sincerely hope it was
for you, as well.
Now, with 363 days of 2006 still before us, it’s time to take stock – and to
make three solemn resolutions together …
“I Resolve to Make 2006 My Best Year Ever.”
I’m often amazed at how many folks begin each new year-long journey
without a roadmap — or even a clearly defined destination in mind.
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The one thing you can count on is this: 363 days from now, you’re NOT going
to be where you are now. You’re going to be someplace else.
How far you go and how fast you get there will largely be determined by two
factors: 1) The destination you choose, and 2) The quality of the choices you
make at each step of the way — beginning right now.
So what’s your destination? What do you want your business, your bank
balance and your personal relationships to look like one year from today?
How many new clients or customers will you have? How many big winners
will you have under your belt?
How much money will you be making? What will you do with all that money
and with your free time? What fantasies will you fulfill? What new
experiences will you enjoy? How will your personal relationships be
strengthened?
Be as specific as possible and write it all down — longhand. And most
importantly, fully explore how you will FEEL about all of the above one year
from today.
See yourself looking back over 2006 and basking in the warm glow of all
those amazing accomplishments and in the admiration of your family, friends,
customers and/or clients.
Make your word picture as vivid and rich with emotion as possible.
And to keep your vision as fresh, exciting and motivating as it is right now,
resolve to read it aloud 52 times in 2006 — at the beginning of each working
week.
“I Resolve to Expend Every Effort
and Make Every Sacrifice Required
to Reach My Destination In 2006.”
Once you know precisely where you’re going, it’s time to create your own
personal roadmap — the shortest distance between where you are now and
where you want to be on January 2, 2007.
Identify each individual step you’ll take … each turn you’ll have to make …
the obstacles you’ll have to overcome — and set the dates by which you will
have done all of the above.
What do you need to LEARN to fulfill your personal vision for the year? What
do you need to DO — step-by-step — in the next 12 months to reach your
destination?
What beliefs do you need to change? What lifestyle changes will you need to
make? And perhaps most importantly, what sacrifices will be called for?
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At the unveiling of a remarkable new statue of a magnificent bull elephant,
the sculptor was asked how on Earth he could create such a lifelike image
from a common chunk of stone.
“It’s easy,” replied the sculptor. I just started with a block of granite and
chipped away everything that didn’t look like an elephant!”
What’s in your life now that doesn’t look like the new version of “you” you’re
creating? Chip it away!
Sure — it’ll take discipline. Vision, Desire and Discipline are the very stuff of
success.
If your vision is vivid enough, it will empower your desire.
If your desire is powerful enough, it will fuel your discipline.
Conversely, when you find yourself lacking the willpower to consistently do
what’s necessary to succeed, you can bet your bottom dollar that your desire
is in dire need of recharging.
And the only way to recharge declining desire is to return to, power-up — and
vicariously experience — the fulfillment of your personal vision!
“I Resolve to Be Good to Myself Along The Way.”
At age 53, I still happily rise at 3:00 AM and work until 5:00 or 6:00 every
evening. And since I typically follow that schedule on weekends as well as
weekdays, I average nearly 100 hours at my desk each week.
How do I do it? Well, I have a secret. I try to make sure that I’m never more
than a few weeks away from doing something really fun and exciting and that
has absolutely nothing to do with work!
See, I am definitely NOT into delayed gratification. If I ever tried to wait a
whole year to savor the fruits of my labor, I’d run out of gas in no time flat.
So I make sure I always have something to look forward to, no more than a
few weeks down the pike. Maybe it’s a family trip … a solo adventure on the
Harley … or a weekend with The Redhead at a spa.
At various other times it has been flying or scuba lessons … a cruise … or
the purchase of something I’ve wanted for some time.
It doesn’t have to be expensive — just fun. In the old days, before the money
got good, it might be something as simple as a few days off at home … a
massage … or a meal at a favorite restaurant.
Plan right now to be good to yourself along the way. Set four, six, even
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twelve interim goals during the year and connect an appropriate short-term
reward with each one of them.
Start Building Your Foundation for Success
in 2006 Right NOW!
When I began publishing THE TOTAL PACKAGE just over seven months
ago, I told my little handful of readers that I was going to do everything in my
power to bring you bigger winners, more often.
I also said that I can’t do it for you. I can show you the way. I can share the
tips, tricks and tactics that have helped me. But in the final result, you’re
going to have to invest the time, the mental energy and the physical effort to
make it happen.
The same is true for the year ahead. It’s a blank page, practically begging
you to write your own success story any way you like.
I sincerely hope you follow my advice and begin building a rock-solid
foundation for your best year ever — right now.
Choose your destination wisely and visualize all the rewards that will be
awaiting you when you reach it.
Draw up your personal roadmap to success and reward yourself for each
major mission you accomplish.
You’re going to get out of 2006 what you put into it. Let’s give it our BEST!
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTALPACKAGE
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Part ll
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11 Startling Forecasts for 2006
Posted on January 16, 2006 by Clayton Makepeace
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Will these Marketing Mega-Trends make you
– or break you – in the year ahead?
Dear Business-Builder,
If I’ve learned anything in my 30-odd years of promoting investment
newsletters, it’s that predicting the future can be a dangerous game.
And so, to prove that I really HAVEN’T learned anything in my 30-odd years
promoting investment newsletters, I’ve decided to polish up the old crystal
ball – and try my own hand at prognostication.
Sounds like I’m about to crawl out on a limb just before I saw it off – right?
Not really – ’cause I’m cheating a little.
Each of the predictions you’re about to read is ALREADY coming true. Some
of these trends have been developing and accelerating for two or three years
now. And human beings what they are, each one of them is a slam-dunk to
continue – not only in 2006, but for years to come.
The thing is, the marketing environment is changing faster now than at any
time in my career – and the Internet is the reason why.
No matter what anyone might tell you, the Internet is NOT just another
medium. Other mediums cost money. Lots of it.
Send a direct mail package to 1,000 prospects and it’ll cost you five hundred
smackers or more.
Contact the same number of prospects through Print, TV or radio and you
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could pay $5/m, $10/m or $20/m – maybe more.
But you can send e-mails to 1,000 folks over the Internet for next to nothing.
And not only is the Internet nearly free for marketers, there’s a lot of free stuff
on here for consumers, too. Like the eLetter you’re reading now, for example.
See, if this was 15 years ago – say, 1990 – and I wanted to help a bunch of
nice folks sharpen up their ad copy and marketing strategies, I’d have:
1. Started a print newsletter …
2. Written a red-hot direct mail promotion for it…
3. Mailed my promo to everyone who had ever bought any information
product relating to copywriting or direct response marketing at the cost of
around $450 per thousand pieces mailed ($450/M), and …
4. Popped champagne corks if I got my $450/M back.
I would have been thrilled to break even on my new subscriber effort. It
meant I got a new subscriber for free. And even though I’d have to spend $12
or $15 over the next year to actually fulfill each subscription, I’d have counted
on renewals and additional product sales to those subscribers to make me a
tidy profit.
The Internet, of course has changed all that. Now, you don’t have to pay
$450/M to attract subscribers. And you don’t have to pay through the nose to
print and mail the welcome kit or regular issues to subscribers.
So – at least for the time being, the Internet has made marketing and
fulfillment of information products a lot cheaper. But in doing so, it has also
cheapened the value of published information. So much on the Internet is
available for free, selling informational products isn’t as easy as it once was.
OK – so I guess I’ve pre-ambled enough. Let’s get on with the forecasts …
Forecast #1:
The Cost of Talking to Prospects 
And Customers Will Continue to Rise
– BOTH in Direct Mail and on the Internet
Rising marketing costs are a fact of life – and there’s no end in sight.
Direct Mail Costs Will Jump By Double Digits: In direct mail, new
postage rate increases effective January 9 will drive postage rates more
than 5% higher in 2006. Paper costs – driven by a global surge in natural
resource prices as well as energy surcharges – are rising as well.
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And if history is any indication, soaring federal deficits, combined with
downward pressure on the U.S. dollar around the world and accelerating
consumer and wholesale inflation here at home guarantee that this trend
will continue throughout 2006 and beyond.
Internet Marketing Costs Will Soar Even HIGHER: While the cost of
contacting prospects and customers via snail mail is moving incrementally
higher, the cost of making sales on the World Wide Web is also soaring at
an alarming rate.
Search Engine Costs Will Continue To Surge: The explosion in the
number of websites vying for top ranking on commonly searched
keywords is causing massive inflation in search engine costs.
In its most recent quarterly report on search engine marketing,
DoubleClick reports that search engine cost per keyword was up
about 15% and cost per click was 30% higher in the third quarter of
2005 than in July 2004 – and this trend can only accelerate as the
proliferation of new websites causes competition for surfers’ attention
to heat up.
Banner Ad Costs Will Soar: The rapid adoption of the new, larger
IAB-recommended standard ad units at the expense of smaller
buttons and banners has resulted in an overall reduction in the amount
of ad space available to advertisers. This is at a time when spending
on iNet ads is jumping at the rate of 31.5% per year.
As this limited supply of advertising space collideswith soaring
demand in 2006, look for Internet ad costs to jump substantially.
Email Marketing To Rocket Higher: While there has been no
dramatic recent surge in the cost of sending email blasts to prospects
and customers, delivery rates are being reduced in many cases by
over-enthusiastic spam filters and other things, driving the cost per
delivered email substantially higher.
Rising costs mean one thing to marketers: They’re going to have to sharpen
their products, marketing strategy and ramp up the power of their sales copy
to maintain current levels of profitability. That’s great news for consumers,
copywriters – and in the end result, for marketers themselves.
Forecast #2:
Most – But NOT All Response Rates 
Will Continue to Decline
Direct Mail Response Rates Will Continue to Be a Challenge: To
anyone who sells books, print newsletters or nutritional supplements
through direct mail, it’s no secret that response rates have fallen
precipitously since 2001.
As a result, mailings are shrinking in size and frequency and the universe
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of current, active buyer names and addresses is declining.
Increased competition … the propagation of wild and unbelievable product
claims … increased pressure from litigators and regulators … and rising
consumer skepticism in these maturing markets will keep this trend intact
throughout 2006.
Many Internet Response Rates Will Continue Falling Throughout
2006:
Search Engine Conversions Will Continue to Decline: In 2005
alone, the number of people who click through and make a transaction
(including free ones, such as registering or opting in to an eZine) on
the average search engine keyword has fallen 22% – from around
4.5% to around 3.5%.
Look for this trend to continue as consumers become increasingly
bombarded with a dizzying array of choices.
Email Open Rates and Click-Through Will Continue Their
Downward Track: In the latest quarter for which data is available,
DoubleClick reports that email open rates declined a staggering 23.6%
– to 27.5%. Furthermore, of those who opened their emails, 6.5%
fewer clicked the links in those e-mails than in the preceding quarter –
about 7.2%.
Hardly surprising – especially when you consider the sheer volume of
emails sent to the average web user each day. As the quantity of
emails sent by marketers continues to skyrocket in 2006, expect the
decline in open rates and click-throughs to fall even farther in the year
ahead.
Astonishingly, Bottom-Line Internet Response Rates Will Remain
Relatively Unchanged: While fewer prospects are opening email
advertisements and clicking the links, higher percentages of those
clicking through are ordering.
In the most recent quarter, click-to-purchase rates jumped 27.8% and
actual orders per email delivered rose 18.2%. As a result, revenue per
email sent is holding steady – at an average of 20 cents per email
sent.
For this reason, the Internet will continue to be a gold mine for
entrepreneurs and business owners who adapt quickly in this rapidly
changing environment. And again – “adapting” means offering better
products, using sharper marketing strategies and more compelling
sales copy just to stay as profitable as they are now.
Forecast #3:
Internet Marketers Will Be Forced to Focus 
On Accountability, Tracking, Forecasting & Testing
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While response rates are dropping and costs are rising in direct mail and the
Internet, the World Wide Web still presents the greatest opportunities for
attracting new customers and for selling more products to existing customers.
Don’t get me wrong: Direct mail is NOT dead. We’re still mailing tens of
millions of pieces each year for nutritional supplement companies and
millions for alternative health newsletters. And major positive investment
developments have created some strong direct mail promotions for
investment newsletters over the last year as well.
But whether you’re a copywriter, graphic artist, marketing pro or business
owner, you can NOT afford to ignore the fact that the majority of new
customers most direct response companies will attract in 2006 will be
generated on the WWW.
However, the reality of today’s rising costs/falling response virtual world will
require increasing vigilance in order to maximize profits while minimizing
capital risks.
Once upon a time, marketing on the web was cheap or even free. Ill-
conceived and poorly executed promotions that would have bankrupt any
company paying $500/M for a direct mail campaign were making Internet
marketers fat and happy.
With little if anything to lose, few iMarketers paid much attention to tracking
which promotions produced a bottom-line profit – let alone which techniques
produced the highest response rates and bottom line profits.
Today, with iNet marketing costs rising and many response rates dropping,
savvy iMarketers are beginning to demand that each dollar spent to generate
an eZine subscriber or website visitor produce a positive return on investment
in a reasonable amount of time.
At the same time, the twin demons of declining response rates and rising
costs will demand that Internet marketers produce stronger headlines, subject
lines and sales copy – and that these lynchpins of direct response be
constantly tested for relative effectiveness and to lift response and revenues.
And any way you look at it, that creates tremendous, exciting new
opportunities for copywriters, artists, marketing folks and entrepreneurs of all
stripes.
Forecast #4:
Cheaper Media & Multi-Step Promotions
Will Gain In Prominence
As email open and click-through rates continue to decline, increasing
numbers of Internet marketers will turn to other media – television, radio,
print and others – to drive prospects to landing pages and websites.
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Internet giants eBay, DiTech, Geico and Progressive Insurance are already
leading the way – and in 2006 the savviest entrepreneurs and business
owners will follow.
This is exciting because it creates new opportunities for us direct response
types to learn and grow, expanding our repertoire into new media – and to
seize unlimited opportunities to create winning campaigns in them.
Forecast #5:
Cooperative Marketing Arrangements 
Will Gain In Importance & Frequency
In a rising-cost, falling-response environment – both on the Web and in direct
mail – cooperative campaigns will bring breakthroughs in 2006.
Affiliate promotions … ride-along promotions … joint ventures and product
combinations, and … subsidized promotions will take center stage in 2006,
producing massive breakthroughs for cutting-edge marketers and huge new
opportunities for copywriters, artists and marketing pros.
Forecast #6:
Innovative, Consumer-Friendly Marketing
Strategies 
Will Take Center Stage
To overcome rising consumer skepticism and falling response rates,
increasing numbers of Internet marketers will abandon “blunt instrument”
marketing strategies and messages in favor of …
“Permission” Marketing or “Invertizing” – in which consumers invite
marketers into their lives. Business owners, marketing people and
consultants who innovate ways for consumers to request advertising
materials will prosper.
Advertorials that bring value to consumers’ lives while making a sale will
double and triple revenues and profits for many companies. This is a
HUGE area of opportunity on the Internet, where advertorial advertising is
still a novelty.
Involvement Devices that intrigue and entertain – games, contests, self-
tests and other devices that makes sites “sticky” will produce greater
increases in trafficand sales.
Viral Devices – content deemed by recipients to be valuable enough to
be passed on to others of like mind – will turn each email address that
marketers pay for into two, three or even four that they DON’T have to pay
for.
Come up with effective ways to get sales messages passed around the
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Internet, and you’ll quickly become a hero – and get rich in the process!
Blogs Will Become an Even More Powerful Marketing Tool: Blogs –
websites on which visitors are invited to share their opinions on a variety
of topics are still skyrocketing in popularity. In 2005, 33% more people
visited Blogspot.Com than read the New York Times!
Creating a Blog and requiring visitors to register in order to share their
opinions – PLUS including links and ads on your blog site – will become a
huge source of new email addresses and revenues for anyone using and
creatively using them.
Rich Media will rule! With about 35% of U.S. households boasting
broadband connections to the Internet, the delivery of high-impact rich
media (streaming animations, video, audio, interactive games, etc.) will be
a major force in boosting response to iNet promotions in 2006.
In a recent study, DoubleClick found that banner ads featuring animation,
roll-overs or other rich media produced FIVE TIMES the response as non-
rich media ads!
Keep THAT in mind the next time you’re tasked to create any kind of iNet
ad!
Forecast #7:
Innovative Delivery Formats Will Make Millions 
For Information Publishers and “Infopreneurs.”
The format in which information products are presented will become
increasingly important. Simple “special reports” delivered as PDFs will
continue losing their appeal to consumers while higher impact formats will
attract hoards of new customers.
Information products sold and delivered as streaming audio & video reports
… PowerPoint presentations with audio … Webcasts & Webinars …
PodCasts … live TeleSeminars … group and one-on-one telephone coaching
and other innovative products will attract ever larger audiences and earn
fortunes for cutting edge marketers.
Forecast #8:
For Consumers, The “Free Internet” 
Will Become Harder and Harder to Find
Like the Internet, TV and radio once provided the majority of their content to
consumers for free. So long as you were willing to watch the ads, you paid
nothing to watch ABC, CBS or NBC.
Today, the television and radio industries derive the majority of their
revenues and profits NOT from advertisers, but directly from consumers:
Cable TV companies like Comcast and others … content providers like CNN,
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FoxNews, The History Channel and others … premium channel providers
such as HBO and CineMax, XM Radio, Netflix, DirecTV and others.
This trend has already begun on the Internet: U.S. consumers are now
paying nearly $2 billion per year to subscribe to websites, eZines and to
access other content online – that’s nearly THREE TIMES MORE than in
2001!
Expect many publishers of free eZines and websites to begin qualifying
prospects and bringing revenue forward by providing brief trial periods
followed by promotions aimed at converting leads to customers who pay
monthly, annual or per-access fees.
Forecast #9:
International Prospects Will Gain in Importance
While U.S. consumers have been bombarded with a mind-boggling volume of
web-based promotions and are increasingly resistant to their allure, Internet
users in many other countries have escaped much of the onslaught. As a
result, many Internet marketers will discover rich veins of gold overseas in
the year ahead.
According to the CIA World Factbook, 186 million Americans — roughly 63%
of the U.S. population — now have Web access. That’s only about 19% of
the global web community.
A whopping 81% of all Internet users do NOT live in the U.S. – and to a huge
percentage of them, emails and Internet sites delivered in English are
gibberish.
If you translate your email blasts and websites into Spanish, you'll pick up
about 76 million more prospects in the U.S., Mexico, Central America,
South America and, of course, Spain.
Add French, German, Russian, and Portuguese sales messages and you
can talk to 116 million more future customers.
And if you can figure out a way to make your sales messages readable to
Web nerds in China and India, you'll pick up another 136 million
prospective customers.
Look for an increasing number of entrepreneurs and businesses to tap this
largely virgin audience of consumers in 2006 – and to get richer than Midas
as they do!
Forecast #10:
The Customer Takes His Rightful Place
Many marketers who use cheaper media – TV, radio and the Internet, for
example – build their entire businesses on making a single sale to each
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customer.
Now, with rising costs and falling response rates, look for more Internet
marketers (as well as more TV and radio infomercial producers) to adopt the
venerable “Lifetime Customer Value” model that has turned masses of direct
mail marketers into millionaires.
In the year ahead, increasing numbers of Internet marketers will build vast
companies and fortunes by 1) Generating maximum numbers of new
customers at break-even and 2) Systematically increasing the lifetime value
of each customer through regular monthly, weekly, even daily promotions to
those customers.
In short, the most successful Internet marketers in 2006 will be those who
view marketing holistically – as an unbroken chain – and who design
campaigns which focus on taking prospects from first contact to first purchase
in a single step, then continuously upgrade the value of each customer over
time.
This will force vast improvements in the quality of products offered. It will also
cause savvy marketers to think of each product sold as a promotion for the
next product to be offered.
Forecast #11:
Marketers Who Are The First to Capitalize
On These Locked-In Trends For 2006
Will Grow Richer Than Midas in the Year Ahead!
Each of these trends presents truly spectacular opportunities for
entrepreneurs, business owners, marketing pros, copywriters and graphic
designers.
The old marketing models are fading in effectiveness even as costs are
rising. Consumers are demanding radical new approaches to both marketing
and in the products they purchase.
Reviewing, testing and revamping product formats, pricing strategies,
promotional strategies from the ground up – and ramping up the selling power
of both marketing and editorial copy – will pay rich dividends in the year
ahead.
Hope this helps make 2006 your RICHEST year ever!
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often, 
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
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The Heart of a Champion
Posted on January 30, 2006 by Clayton Makepeace
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3 inconvenient facts self-appointed copy gurus never tell you …
How logic lapses and organizational flubs kill great sales copy …
How many drafts are enough?
The single most important quality of a great writer …
And much, Much MORE!
Dear Business Builder:
I’ve been married. Twice. For a total of 32 years (so far). And if I’ve learned
anything from the experience, it’s that it’s always wise to apologize before
doing pretty much anything.
… So for the article you’re about to read, please accept my humblest
apologies.
I do not intend to insult, degrade, discourage or belittle anyone – least of all
you, dear reader. To the contrary: My mission is to equip, challenge, inspire
and motivate you.
In truth, my vision for you is greater, higher and richer than your own dream
is for yourself. Tremendous success, wealth and personal fulfillment await
you further down this path that you have taken – the road to achievement in
the direct response marketing industry.
But to help you realize that dream, it’s high time someone told you the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth …
What the Internet’s “Direct Response” hucksters
never tell you
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We’re still here…
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Before you take the copywriting
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Do You Believe?
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Right now, the Internet is lousy with ads promoting seminars, courses, books
and reports on how to write great direct response sales copy.
A few – products offered by Michael Masterson at AWAI, Bob Bly, Gary
Bencivenga, and a few others I could name – are by people I know and
respect as great direct response marketers and are worth their weight in
diamonds.
But many other copywriting and direct response products are promoted by
poseurs: People whose only qualification is that they once attended a
seminar or read a book on how to write sales copy. Truth be told, none of the
best direct response companies would ever even think of hiring these people.
Ask any of these guys or gals to name the clients they’ve written huge
winners for … the names of the great copywriters they’ve beaten in the real
world … the names of companies whose sales and profits they’ve exploded
… and you’re likely to get a blank stare.
Still, I’ve ordered a bunch of their stuff just to see what they’re selling. And
you know what? Most of it isn’t half bad. These guys and gals have dutifully
regurgitated many great principles that really can boost response.
The problem isn’t so much the quality of the information they sell as the tone
and content of their ads. To read many of them, you’d think that direct
response copywriting is just another “Get Rich Quick” scheme.
“It’s easy,” they say. “Just pay me a not-so-small fortune for my
book/course/seminar – and YOU TOO can get rich in direct response!”
But in their haste to sell you something, the “infopreneurs” fail to mention a
few “inconvenient” facts. And as fate would have it, what they’re not telling
you could make all the difference in the world for you …
Inconvenient Fact #1:
You have to think – HARD!
Writing effective ad copy isn’t about throwing a lot of random thoughts at a
prospect until he’s willing to do anything – even buy your product – just to
shut you up.
When you address prospects, you are talking to people who are busy,
distracted and overwhelmed with competing advertising messages. So, it
goes without saying that, to get and keep his attention, your message must
be high impact, personal, benefit-laden and convincing.
But to keep your prospect with you, there’s something else: He must never
feel as though you’re wasting even a second of his time. And that means your
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sales copy must also unfold in a tight, rational, logical, “If ‘A,’ then ‘B,’ and so
‘C’” way.
If your copy leaves the prospect confused or disoriented at any point in this
process …
… If he ever finds himself wondering where in the heck you’re going with this
… if he feels you’re moving too slowly – taking two steps forward and one
step back … or if he begins to suspect that you’re going nowhere …
… Or worst of all, if he spots a critical flaw in your logic – or feels your
argument is flimsy or just doesn’t hold water …
… Mark my words: You are going to get your tail kicked!
That means you need to painstakingly think your way through the entire
chain of logic in your sales message. And frankly, that could be a bit of a
challenge, because the vast majority of us never learned how to think in the
first place!
Uh oh … I feel another one of those trademark Makepeace rants coming on
… helpless … to … stop it …
Now, maybe you passed college-level logic classes with flying colors – or like
yours truly, had a tyrannical father whose secret fear of insanity sentenced
me to endless lectures on how to think rationally. If so, you’re a member of a
tiny minority.
Because when it comes to teaching us how to think, the public school system
is a miserable failure. Fact is, most elementary and secondary schools I know
of don’t even try to teach kids how to think.
Don’t get me wrong: It’s not that the people who run our schools don’t deem
thinking to be important – it’s just that they know how dangerous it can be –
especially when you’re the one doing it!
Heck. If everyone in the U.S. suddenly began thinking about the politically
slanted, historically incorrect, economically ignorant mumbo-jumbo that
passes for “fact” in the public school system … in Washington D.C. … and in
our pop culture and media …
… We might realize how much of the stuff we’ve been taught is pure
crappola. We might even stop behaving (and voting) the way we’re supposed
to!
Since we can’t have that, thinking is out; and learning – that is, remembering
“facts” (or reasonable facsimiles of facts) as presented by (you guessed it!)
them – is IN.
So, deprived of the most elementary tools required to connect thoughts in a
logical or rational manner, we are treated to entire TV shows called “The
The Heart of a Champion | MakepeaceTotalPackage.com
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/the-heart-of-a-champion/[11/29/2012 7:39:50