QUESTION: I am new to copywriting wondering how much do you use your swipe file? Do you do what some of the other copywriters do and create a whole ad directly from other ads or what? I am confused on this. Please tell me how much you use your swipe file.

BEN: As far as I’m concerned, an ad that’s completely put together with a swipe file is nothing more than the copywriting equivalent of a boob job.

Everything may look good from a distance.

Or even at first glance.

But if you get up close and take a good look, it’ll be obvious you’re looking at something that’s… well… less than genuine. (Nothing against boob jobs, by the way, I’m just sayin’…)

Don’t get me wrong.

Swipe files are great for getting inspiration for offers, headlines, specific phrases and things like that (I use mine for different ad structures — similar to the way John Anghelache teaches.)

But it’s the ideas behind your ad that make it work. Not the words.

And a terribly “written” ad with a great idea behind it will usually demolish a magnificently written ad with a crappy idea behind it.

QUESTION: I read your newsletter about reading other writers besides copywriters. And I was wondering if there are any other non-copywriter writers and writings you suggest studying?

BEN: Yes, read political writings — the farther to the left or right the better. Just make sure you stay away from the middle of the road, “I’m afraid to offend the establishment” (on either side) people.

In fact, I have found political junkies, especially those who post on message boards and reply to blog posts — to be the best “copywriters” in the world (whether they realize it or not).

Why do I say this?

Because the best “copywriting” is often done by people who are emotionally charged about something and just letting the words flow, exactly as they speak. And you will find no better place than people whining and complaining about politics.

Here are a couple sites to get your started:

www.voxday.blogspot.com

www.mikemaloy.net

Just know:

You’re going to either love or hate these guys, and you’re probably going to be offended. But the people who frequent these sites — even the nasty and bitter ones at the Malloy site — have some of the best one-liners and turn-of-phrases (perfect for copy) you’ll ever read. And in a lot of cases, their ability to “say” a lot in just a few words is worthy of serious study if you’re a copywriter.

QUESTION: I have joined AWAI’s copy writing program. Could you please reommend 1 or 2 books that will help me accelrate my learning?

BEN: Yes, the first is free. And the second will set you back about 100 dollars.

1.) The first one is the “Boron letters” and any of the copywriting newsletters on Gary Halbert’s site

2.) And the second is Eugene Schwartz’s copywriting masterpiece “Breakthrough Advertising”.

I’d read Gary Halbert’s stuff first, ten times straight through, then Breakthrough Advertising next (again, ten times straight through).

And also, take lots and lots of notes. Then read a bunch of ads that have pulled in millions (check out hardtofindads.com) with your notes, and mentally take note of how the stuff you’re learning about in those books is used in those ads.

Yes, it’s work.

But if you do it — and apply what you learn — you’ll be light years ahead of almost anyone you go against.

And that’s it for today. Send your questions about copywriting, advertising, marketing or business by clicking here.

If you’d like a 100% “fool proof” way to boost the credibility and believability of your ad copy, then here’s how Socrates did it centuries ago — and why you can easily do the same thing today.

Let me ask you, do you know who Socrates was?

Amongst other things…he was known as the greatest master of persuasion who ever lived. He was especially famous for converting people who passionately disagreed with him to his side of an argument.

What was his secret?

This: Socrates would simply get the person he debated to keep saying the word “yes” over and over during the conversation by asking questions people would have to agree with.

And he would keep doing this again and again and again…until he racked up a pile of “yeses.”

The result?

Nine out of ten times is opponents would eventually find themselves agreeing with him…even though they were 100% dead-set against him at the start of the debate!

Dale Carnegie, in his book “How To Win Friends And Influence People” called this “The Socrates Method” and it’s extremely powerful.

If you don’t believe me then find someone who disagrees with you on something and play around with this tactic yourself.

Seriously.

You’ll quickly realize this isn’t just a bunch of dorky philosophical mumbo-jumbo.

I’ve used this method to argue everything from politics to sports and it really does work.

Who else does this?

You’d be surprised how many hard-core sales people (especially the “door-to-door” types) do this.

In fact, if you call Encyclopedia Britannica and tell them you’re interested in possibly buying a set of their encyclopedias, the sales rep they send will immediately begin to use this method on you.

World-class sales trainer Brian Tracy once said that every time you get your customers to say “yes”…you raise the chances of them buying from you another “degree” or two.

The more they say “yes” the better the chances of them saying “yes” when you ask for the sale.

So how can apply this to your ads and sales letters?

Easy: Simply sprinkle little “yes” questions throughout your ad. Questions the reader has to agree with like:

“If money were no object, would you own Encyclopedia Britannica?”

“Would you like to see $1.00 grow to $60.00 – $8.00 grow to $500.00 – by next April?” (NOTE: this was written back in the 1930′s when $500.00 was a lot of cash)

“Simple enough? You bet it is. And that’s just one of over 200 recipes found in this practical and money-saving book.”

“Does that excite you? It should because…”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

“Have you ever….?”

“Would you be interested in this widget if you could get your hands on it today — absolutely free of charge? With no strings, commitments or obligation whatsoever?”

“Would you like to be one of the privileged few to own one of the only 12 of these guitars in existence today?

“If I told you about a brand new way to quit smoking in JUST 3 HOURS — that has a documented 90% success rate and came with an unconditional 100% money-back guarantee, would you be interested?”

And so on and so forth etc etc etc.

This is especially effective around the close (i.e. “do you want to snuff out those burning, painful hemorrhoids as early as tonight? If so just pick up the phone and call…”).

Okay, that’s one way of doing it.

Another way — a more “subtle” way — is to constantly say things your readers will “nod” in approval with.

They don’t have to be questions necessarily. They can be simple words and sentences that describe their problems or symptoms.

For example, if you’re writing an ad selling a book on speed reading, you can get the reader nodding in agreement by saying something like:

Anyway, this simple little technique works like gangbusters.

Because it lets you create a subconcious “chain of acceptances” (as the late, brilliant copywriter Eugene Schwartz called it) in your reader, building your credibility and making even your most outrageous claims more believable.

Try it in your own ads and see what happens.