How a Failed Sales Call Made me a $1 Million Copywriter
Published: Sat, 07/30/22
How a Failed Sales Call Made
Me a $1 Million Copywriter
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Please--whatever you do--remember this story as you begin your copywriting journey.
Because this one failed sales call launched my copywriting career to heights I never expected.
The year was 1988. I spoke with an investment newsletter publisher about creating a promotion for him.
He said his customers were like those who subscribed to widely a circulated publication called “The Retirement Letter.” He send me samples to study and was looking for a proposal.
I worked two weeks crafting and writing this proposal, which ended up being much more than that. It was closer to a paid consultation in print, with headlines, leads, bullet points, etc. Only without the PAY!!!!!!
Guess what? He never returned calls, never returned my calls, never returned my calls.
Frustrated, I thought…”Why not call the publisher of “The Retirement Letter?”
I did. I got him on the phone and read my analysis of his publication word for word--him not knowing I was reading a proposal for someone else!
At the end of the call, he hired me to brainstorm ideas with him and ultimately hired me to write a magalog for him.
That magalog called “The Great Retirement Betrayal’ became the biggest promotion for this publication ever--with them mailing over 25 million pieces over three years.
At a penny a piece royalty, I not only made $250K but also got the opportunity to create more and more direct mail, email, and landing pages worth millions.
As a result the editor of Who's Mailing What tracked me down and wrote a three-page article about ME which helped further launch my career.
All thanks to that one failed sales call that made an A-list copywriter.
So as I tell my coaching students, don’t let the “nos” get you down. You will hear no more than yes. People will not return your calls.
Just do what I did, turn those “failures” into opportunities.
Do this and you, too, could become a million-dollar copywriter.
If you love this simple thread, please pass this message along to others so that they may benefit as well.
As your reward, here's a special DISCOUNT opportunity to add this mega-hit to your own swipe file, which includes a copy of the article written about me that helped launch my career.
As a seasoned direct response copywriter, Doug has created hundreds of profitable direct mail packages, emails, and video sales letters for the world's largest specialized information publishers—generating over $100 million in direct sales.
