Warning: Do Not Attempt This On Your Own

“To get the most out of yourself you need to tune yourself regularly, just like a musical instrument needs regular tuning. Personal coaching is one of the best ways to help you improve yourself and stay focused."
 – BeingLive.com

In Issue #206

Warning: Do Not Attempt This On Your Own
by Linda Kaun

I am so excited. A week ago I typed “textile copywriting” into Google to see if my newly launched website made it anywhere near the front of the line.

And not to be too overly dramatic … but I literally burst into tears. There I was in the Number 1 position out of 324,000 hits!

At long last, I feel like all the effort and hard work of these past two plus, plus years, is about to pay off. I’ve been an active AWAI member since a few months before the bootcamp I attended in 2005.

How Do You Launch Your New Career … If You’re Not A Shooting Star?

I was so inspired by stories from people like Krista and Monica and how they zoomed straight to the top – or so it seemed to me. I thought sure I’d be soaring into the stratosphere in no time. Instead my very earth-bound wheels felt stuck in mud, spinning faster and faster, going nowhere. It was easy to get frustrated and filled with doubt.

That’s when the words of Don Mahoney, one of AWAI’s founders, came to my rescue. His advice? “Write, write, write. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up. Persistence pays.”

This little mantra burned into my mind. I decided that no matter what, I wanted to make this happen. About that time, I realized that I simply needed help. A guide. A mentor. Someone I could talk to and learn from through an established program.

Find a Guide to Lead the Way

That’s when I signed up for Chris Marlow’s Get Great Clients coaching program. Even though the program is demanding, and I didn’t always understand the “whys,” I could begin to see the steps ahead I needed to take.

One of Chris’ key points is to help you choose a niche market for yourself. At that time, I’d spent months honing my skills to be a fundraising copywriter. But in the end, I decided to push myself in a whole other direction … one I think is better suited to who I want to be today.

Was I always a “good student?” No. I procrastinated and backtracked and doubted myself many times.

That’s when I reached out further to one of Chris’ past students, Pam Magnuson. She’d recently been exactly where I was – both with AWAI and working with Chris. She was just enough ahead of me on the path that she could shine a light for me to see by. According to Pam, all I had to do was keep walking and following the directions. It really would all come to pass. She gave me just the boost I needed.

I look at a sign on my bulletin board every day reminding me the official start of my copywriting career was September 2, 2006, when I earned my first check. Since then I can see that I’ve steadily gotten better jobs and more experience. With my website now online and my own marketing sales letters heading out the door, well, the sky’s the limit. I’m grateful for every moment of the journey.

Lessons Learned?

Keep at it. Don’t give up. Step back now and then and give yourself a big round of applause. The prize is just a few more steps away. And if you make one of those steps to sign up for a coaching or mentoring program, you’ll reach your goals so much faster.

It’s important to find someone you “click” with, at least in terms of what their program offers and hopefully on a personal level as well. There are many choices available, including Copy Protégé’s wonderfully inspiring Krista and Monica. Make the decision you’re worth it and just do it. But I’d stay away from newbie coaches whose program consists of “OK, so what would you like to talk about today.”

And if you’re heading to AWAI’s bootcamp, you’re really in luck. Chris Marlow will be there along with three of her past students. All of them were exactly where you are just a short time ago, Pete Savage, Ed Gandia and Pam Magnuson. Ask all of them lots of questions. But in the end, do yourself the biggest favors you possibly can. Find a coach/mentor and keep pushing yourself forward.

[Sales catalyst Linda Kaun helps B2B textile companies generate more qualified leads and boost their ROI through targeted, benefit-driven copywriting. Check out her website at: www.lindakauncopywriting.com]

Resource Referral: Only Four Spaces Left …

I totally agree with Linda. If you’re serious about making it in this field, find a coach or mentor to help you. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my coach’s support and guidance.

And Linda’s right about something else too. It’s important to find someone you “click” with. Do some research and if you feel Monica or me is right for you, let us know. The Copy Protégé Mentoring Program offers a combination of one-on-one and small group coaching via phone and email. We still have four spaces left in the last two groups that we’re convening before we go public next month.

If you are interested, entrance will be first by application, and second, on a first come, first serve basis. Send a writing sample (no more than 2 pages) and your goals for the next six months to admin@copyprotege.com.

Quick Copy Tip: Your Copy Should Look Good on the Page

When you’re looking at your copy on the page or screen, the paragraphs shouldn’t be equal length copy blocks.

In other words, you shouldn’t have three or four paragraphs in a row that are all four lines long. Mix them up. Make one paragraph one line. The next might be two, three or four lines.

Maybe you’ve noticed pages that contain paragraphs that are mostly the same length. The page might look gray, hard to read, or just plain uninteresting.

Like changing the cadence of your sentences, varying the lengths of your paragraphs keeps things interesting for the reader.

Notice how the paragraphs in this tip are roughly the same length. Not particularly inviting. Make sure you mix things up in your copy.