Serve It Up

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
–Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

In This Issue:

Serve It Up
by Krista Jones

What are the best things about copywriting? The freedom and money, right? That’s certainly what initially got me hooked. Of course being able to work in markets you enjoy, getting to travel for free, and avoiding rush hour traffic aren’t too shabby either.

And here’s another perk you don’t hear much about that I also love about this field: serving others.

I’ll write about serving clients and customers in another issue, but today I’m referring to service without thought of remuneration. Over the past couple of years, I’ve found that kind of service to be just as rewarding.

Let me give you a few examples.

My neighbor Keri stopped by my house on Saturday afternoon. When I opened the door she handed me a flyer announcing her new husband’s handy man and construction services.

When I asked her how Abraham was doing, she informed me that although he had been in the country for six months (they’re from South Africa), Abraham hasn’t been able to get a job. As a result, Keri has been working two jobs six days a week.

As looked over the flyer, Keri mentioned that Abraham’s biggest problem is the language barrier. The flyer had bullets and ellipses in the wrong places…misspelled words…and incorrect grammar, so I immediately offered to re-write it.

Keri was very grateful…not to mention relieved. And I was pleased that I could help this young couple.

And about six months ago, I ran into a young lady who was starting a pet-sitting company. She was passing out flyers in the parking lot near a dog park. When I reviewed the flyer later that morning, I saw several ways the flyer could be improved. Plus, I had several suggestions for things she could do to improve and differentiate her service.

So I called her up and talked to her about ways she could improve her service and attract more clients. Then I asked her to send me the source file for her flyer so I could make it more readable, benefit-oriented, and highlight her USP.

Last year, I also did several similar jobs. I helped my sister create an e-book on mystery shopping. I wrote a lead-generating letter for my uncle’s new financial services business. And I provided free marketing consulting to several small-business owners.

Even though I didn’t earn a penny for any of these projects, each one did more for me than a fee ever could.

I hadn’t envisioned helping others in this way when I decided to take copywriting on, but it sure is a nice bonus to the freedom and money I was initially aiming for.

Serving others by giving away your time is no less important than giving away your money. And with a skill that helps others build businesses and raise funds for charities under your belt, serving others is a great way to give back to the world.

I’m not saying you have to give your skills away to find copywriting rewarding. It’s just icing on the cake if you do.

Resource Referral: Take Control of Your Busy Life

I recently read an email from a Copy Protégé reader who is overwhelmed with the demands of her job and her personal life—something I’m sure we all can identify with.

As I’ve explained in past issues of Copy Protégé, for me feeling overwhelmed and frustrated is a sign that I need to re-organize and simplify my life. In addition to slowing down and listening to my heart, one of the best tools I’ve found for re-focusing is Brian Tracy’s audio program called The Power of Clarity.

If you’ve ever seen Brian Tracy live you know he is a dynamic speaker. He spoke at the 2005 AWAI bootcamp and it was one of the best presentations I attended.

I have a few Brian Tracy programs, but The Power of Clarity is by far my favorite for two reasons. First, it helps you think better so you can become absolutely clear about what you want to achieve and why. And second, it gives you actionable ideas that you can use right away to help you make the best use of your time, minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour.

Brian teaches you a process for setting clear priorities—and that helps you stop wasting energy on activities that aren’t bringing you closer to your goals. Little by little, you’ll become more productive. Stick with it and you’ll see a real difference after just a month.

If you struggle with time management, I’m sure you’ll get a lot from this program. Check it out.

Quick Copy Tip: The Best Things Come in Pairs

I had a direct mail package due yesterday. When I sent in the draft copy, I submitted three envelope teasers and two headlines. If I had been writing an e-mail promotion, I would have submitted two to three subject lines and headlines. Occasionally I even provide two leads.

I do this to give my clients the absolute best chance I can of sending out copy that generates winning results. Many times the client will like both variations of the copy and decide to test them against each other.

Unless asked, I never tell my client which headline, teaser, or subject line is my favorite. Why? Because sometimes the client chooses the copy that I like the least. Those experiences have taught me a valuable lesson that you can benefit from as well: No matter how strongly you feel about a headline or envelope teaser, give your clients a second choice whenever possible. Your gut instinct might be very different from theirs