When Money Stops Talking

In This Issue:

• Main Essay: When Money Stops Talking by Krista Jones
• Resource Referral: The Big Three
• Quick Copy Tip: Take Some of the Heat Off

When Money Stops Talking

by Krista Jones

I live only a few miles from my sister so I spend quite a bit of time with her family. Over the past few months, I’ve noticed that I see my niece less and less. She’s at the age where trips to the mall are becoming more important than hanging out with the family. I’ll admit it’s not always easy playing second fiddle to the nail salon. But I’m smart enough to know that it’s not personal.

After all, the deepest craving of young people is to be accepted and liked by their contemporaries. So they begin to play follow the follower: They do what the other kids are doing; and the other kids begin doing what they’re doing.

So day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, these young wonderful impressionable people conform to one another. Everyone acts just like everyone else; no one is particularly interested in being themselves. Their goal is simply to belong.

It’s okay to play that game for awhile. But after we’ve grown into adulthood, we’re better off if we do one of two things: play follow the leader or strike out on our own path.

Last week, I spoke with a lady named Vicki about her desire to become a copywriter. No stranger to hard work, Vicki is a mother who currently earns six figures as a middle manager. Although she is well-respected within her industry—and despite earning a nice salary—Vicki is anything but content. She knows who she is and what’s important, and her current work life doesn’t come close to fitting the bill.

Tired of playing along, Vicki wants to do much more than pay the bills. So she is working on a plan that will enable her to leave her job as early as March 2008. By 2010 she plans to be a six-figure freelance, stay-at-home copywriter.

It takes a lot of courage to leave a six-figure job to follow your own path. Although I don’t know Vicki personally, I feel really good about her chances. Here’s why:

1. She is 100% committed to leaving her job.
2. She is willing to work hard and follow a systematic plan.
3. She has put her money where her mouth is. By that I mean Vicki has invested in the best training materials I know of and, more important, she uses them!

Vicki is a great example of why a little discontentment is a good thing. It keeps you from standing still—no more matter how good others might think you have it.

With Vicki’s drive and level of commitment, I’m sure that one day she will be able to say, “I gave it my best.” And if you too are committed to following your own path, and are willing to learn from others and follow a plan, you’ll likely be joining her.

Remember, you’re not alone on this journey. Vicki had questions about the market for copywriters and which resources are the most beneficial in transitioning into copywriting. If you have specific questions we can help you with, let us know and we’ll do our best to answer them in future issues or emails.

Resource Referral: The Big Three

If I were in Vicki’s shoes and initially could only devote time to a few resources, there’s no question what those resources would be. I would take AWAI’s basic copywriting course, subscribe to Monthly Copywriting Genius (MCG), and get a coach.

Here’s why:

I didn’t know the first thing about selling or copywriting before I took AWAI’s course. So the course took me from ‘A to Z’ in getting me started earning a living as a copywriter.

However, I was a nervous wreck when I got started. So I got a veteran copywriter to coach me. Having someone to guide me gave the confidence to be able to tell clients I could deliver. It was very comforting knowing someone had my back—and would help me out of the fire if need be. As it turned out, I got in over my head on one of my early assignments, and my coach saved my behind big time.

Finally there’s MCG. All I can say is that to this day MCG helps me embody the concepts and techniques for great sales writing. When I study the promotions featured in MCG, I have one “A-ha” moment after another. One of my favorite things about MCG is being able to get inside master copywriters’ heads. It’s invaluable learning what they were thinking when they came up with a brilliant headline or how much research they had to do to pull off a compelling idea.

Together these three resources are a powerful combination. Check each one out by clicking on the links below:

Copywriting course: www.thewriterslife.com/cpcw
Monthly Copywriting Genius: www.monthlycopywritinggenius.com/cpb7
Coaching program: www.acceleratedtrainingservices.com/cp

Quick Copy Tip: Take Some of the Heat Off

When you’re making a name in copywriting, your clients will often set your deadlines for you. Occasionally, however, you’ll find yourself in a situation where you get to dictate when the deadline will be.

When that happens, make sure you overestimate how much time it will take you to complete the assignment. Believe me, it will take longer to write and polish the copy then you think it will. Whether you need some extra time to do research, you struggle coming up with the big idea, or you have trouble with the headlines having a little extra time will come in handy.

How much time should you ask for? If you think it will take you 80 hours, estimate 120 hours. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you ask for an extra week. You might ask for an extra 3 or 4 days—realizing that you might have to put in some long hours toward the end.