How many times have you asked a friend to listen to some of your copy?
Lord knows how many
times I have in my career.
In fact, it's a BIG TIME behind-my-back joke amongst my friends not to call Doug D'Anna because he's going to read you one of his ads.
I can't blame them.
They call to say hello and at some point in the conversation I'll say something like, "Hey, how does this sound?" It's really not fair to them. Nor am I really getting a professional opinion.
Believe it or not, many of my friends don't really even know what I do for a living let alone can appreciate what I'm trying to sell. But I have to admit, I really love reading my copy out loud to anyone who will listen.
The reason is two-fold:
It gives me the ultimate spot check that my copy is truly conversational, and
It also makes sure that the excitement in my voice can be found in print when
someone reads it.
However, the biggest thing I get from reading my copy to even those who know absolutely nothing about what it is that I do are their interruptions and the questions that I get in the middle of my dialogue.
Why?
Because this shows me in REAL TIME what a potential reader is thinking when I get to a certain point in my copy. Their questions and interruptions tell me if I have triggered the thoughts that I want to trigger.
The insight this one simple exercise will give you is something you simply can't put a price on. What the coolest thing about the feedback I get from my reluctant listeners are their verbalizations of the mental "A-has" that I'm going for.
And that's something you can't get by simply looking at a results spread
sheet.
To me, it is the reading of copy to others that brings your words to life in a real way that will allow you to fine tune and hone what you're writing in order to take it to the next level.
It also will help you
capture what I believe to be one of the hidden persuaders that no other copywriting coach that I know of talks about today --the cadence and beat of your copy.
I have always believed that the difference between a hit song and just another song can be found in a song's underlying beat that strikes a chord with listeners.
Ever hear of the band Earth Wind and Fire?
You would have if you've been to as many weddings as I have. Their song "September" has to be the No. 1 song played at every
wedding I've ever been to next to "Brick House" by The Commodores.
(You know, "She's a brick ... house.")
Truth is, once you hear that beat you want to get up and start dancing.
The same can be said about the beat in your copy--only your reader doesn't get up and dance. The click the buy button to send you their money.
And that's the whole reason why I've recorded the lead to my multi-million dollar
selling The Great Retirement Betrayal magalog protion for you.
That way you can hear in my voice the kind of excitement and passion that I try to put down on paper but also hear how it impacts your readers.
Mark my words--once you begin to read your copy aloud to others, and take advantage of the feedback, I guarantee you'll not only see your copy come to life in the minds of your
readers but also see your sales and conversions rise exponentially.
No other outcome is possible.
That's it for today.
All good wishes,
Doug P.S. Would you like to read your copy to me?
If so, I would love to hear it!
We can set something up on the calendar as part of a one-off copy critique or as part of a my monthly $100 Million Copywriting Formula mentoring program.
No matter which one
you decide, you'll get:
Expert feedback and learn from a seasoned professional with decades of experience in the industry.
Identification of areas of improvement and personalized suggestions to make your copy more persuasive and engaging.
Fine-tuning of your writing style and mastery of the art of storytelling to capture your
readers' attention and keep them engaged.
Improvement of your overall marketing strategy and seeing better results with your copy.
Gain confidence and skills to write winning copy that will make your brand stand out from the competition.
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.
