Ben Settle

Last summer I met a copywriter from the U.K. named Adam Carroll.

Adam works with some of the big name direct mail copywriters and has sent me links to ads from guys like Gary Bencivenga, Clayton Makepeace, Parris Lampropoulos, and Jim Rutz.

Anyway, instead of hoarding these ads for myself in my swipe file, I thought it’d be fun to share some of them publicly on this blog.

So without further ado, let’s get crackin’…

1.) The first ad is from Jim Rutz.

Jim Rutz is an amazing copywriter who co-invented the magalog.

According to Adam, the ad below is one of his health market ads:

http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/blpnet/offers/order_ihs_mag.html?sk=157412

2.) Next, here’s a Gary Bencivenga ad that’ll get your mouth watering (literally!):

http://www.davidrosengarten.com/landing_page.asp

If you’ve been on my blog “alerts” list you already saw this last month.

(If you aren’t on my blog “alerts” list, and want updates when I come across great ads and useful resources like this, you can subscribe at the right hand side of the page where it says “Free Copywriting Newsletter.”).

By the way, if you hear a “growling” noise while reading this ad, don’t worry.

It’s just your stomach.

3.) Another Gary Bencivenga ad sent to me by Adam:

http://www.markskousen.com/visitor.php?offer=10441

From what I understand, this ad has been running a LONG time now.

And the psychology of the headline is discussed by Gary Bencivenga and Clayton Makepeace at:

http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/ezines/library/ezine40.html

4.) Speaking of Clayton Makepeace…

Here’s one of his ads:

http://phobos.doctorspreferred.com/Emails/JRCA/mcm_default.html

Notice how this ad isn’t just one continuous page?

It’s more like a “web magalogue” (webalogue?)

Interesting, eh?

5.) Finally, some ads from my swipe file I haven’t had a chance to post until now.

Eugene Schwartz’s famous “Dr. Chang” piece:

http://www.bensettle.com/Swipe-File/Dr-Chang.pdf

Warning: This is a little blurry on some pages. Special thanks to Alger Cavalloro for helping me shrink it down and fix it up so it’s more readable.

And here are some older Eugene Schwartz ads from back in the 1960’s:

http://www.bensettle.com/Swipe-File/machine-evening.pdf

http://www.bensettle.com/Swipe-File/twice-young.pdf

http://www.bensettle.com/Swipe-File/human-computer.pdf

http://www.bensettle.com/Swipe-File/live-100.pdf

Okey-dokey, that’s it for now.

I’ve learned a lot from studying these ads.

I hope you do, too.

P.S. Special thanks again to Adam Carroll for sharing the Gary Bencivenga, Clayton Makepeace and Jim Rutz ads above. If you’re looking for a copywriter, and would like to see his work, email him with the words “Copywriting Project” in the subject line.

Make sure you let him know I sent you and he’ll treat you right.

Who would have thunk it?

Even government bureaucrats are realizing simple, easy-to-read language results in more “sales.”

Think I’m joking?

Then check out this USA Today article.

Washington state lawmakers tripled the revenue they receive from one of their (many) business taxes simply by wording the tax in “plain English.”

Amazing, isn’t it?

And let’s face it.

If a bunch of dorky politicians can use this “secret” to make money…anyone can.

Besides “the nuts and bolts” of writing copy… it seems a lot of people who read this blog want to know the business side of things — how to make a living writing ads for clients.

I’ve never pretended to be an expert on this subject.

Especially since I don’t do a lot of “client” work anymore.

And on the rare occassion when I do accept a new client, it’s because they found me by word-of-mouth.

Even so, I do know of at least one powerful (and free) resource that can help you find quality clients.

It’s a report called “Make More Money By Writing Less” by a direct mail copywriter named Richard Armstrong.

You probably won’t hear much about Richard Armstrong in the usual copywriting “echo chambers.”

But he’s been in the copywriting business for a long time and knows it inside and out.

He has written direct-mail letters for publications like Smithsonian, Prevention, Men’s Health, Kiplingers, The New Republic, The American Spectator and National Review.

And several years ago he invented an extremely simple way to attract more clients, better clients, and, most importantly, better-paying clients — no matter who you are or where you’re at in your business now.

Anyway, you can download this report by going to:

www.goddoesntshootcraps.com

and clicking on the navbar that says, “free gift for copywriters.”

Make sure you check it out today, while it’s still up.

It’s only seven pages long, and yet it’s some of the best advice on getting and dealing with clients you’ll ever see.

Not long ago I was reading a short interview AWAI did with master copywriter Jim Rutz.

And in that interview he said something extremely interesting about testimonials.

He said while it’s great to have testimonials, the reality is almost nobody reads every testimonial in your ads word-for-word.

Which means, if you have really great performance and “celebrity” testimonials… the kind that do wonders for your credibility and make it easier for people to believe what you’re saying…then you’re probably not getting the best “bang for your buck” out of them.

Take, for example, this ad I wrote for a martial arts home study course.

There are testimonials from a bouncer, a security guard, a policeman, soldiers in Iraq and the chief self defense instructor of the New York City Police Department.

All of them extremely powerful credibility boosters.

Yet all of them practically useless if nobody reads them.

So what did we do about that?

We simply worked the fact these people use the product in the copy itself.

Like this:

That’s why people who deal with violent criminals and other “whack jobs” on a daily basis — like bouncers, security guards, inner-city cops and military soldiers in Iraq — use this exact same system I’m sending you.

Even the chief self-defense instructor of the New York City Police Department — who’s a life-long student of dozens of different martial arts styles — says he uses this system.

See how that works?

You simply reference those great testimonials in the ad itself.

That way, even if someone skips reading your testimonials word-for-word, you still harness the credibility from having those people endorse your product.

And you can do the same thing with any “celebrity” or “authority” testimonials you have.

Don’t just let them linger in a sea of other testimonials where they will, at best, get glanced at.

Reference and even expand those suckers right in your copy.

Tell your readers how the mayor of your town eats at your restaurant… Or that your local high-school’s star athlete takes your vitamins every day… Or about how that world champion cat breeder feeds his own cats your cat food, etc.

If you don’t tell them these things in your copy then they’ll never see them if they ignore or don’t feel like reading your testimonials.

For the ultimate impact, do this right before or after the most outrageous claim in your ad.

That way you will add a big fat layer of credibility to that claim and make it 100% believable.

Anyway, give it a shot and see what happens.

I think you’ll find your copy becomes more believable, more effective and more profitable.

A while back a friend of mine was having a problem selling a high quality juicer in the housewares store she works at.

Since my friend uses the juicer herself, she had no problem explaining its advantages, performances and benefits.

But one customer demanded to hear the juicer before buying it. And the second she turned it on the customer was immediately put off by its obnoxious, super loud noise.

He didn’t care that it squeezes out every last drop of juice. That the motor has a lifetime warranty. Or that it’s light weight, easy to clean and small enough to fit unnoticed in the corner of almost any kitchen.

As soon as he heard its ear-splitting sound he moved on.

“Any ideas on what I can do about that?” my friend asked. “It’s a great juicer, but it really is loud.”

I suggested two things.

1.) Admit the noise up front.

I mean, how long can she keep it a secret?

If nothing else, her customers will discover the juicer’s loud noise when they get home and end up returning it.

2.) Try to “spin” that noise into a reason to buy.

“Why is the juicer so loud?” I asked.

“Because the motor has to spin at super fast speeds to extract the maximum amount of juice and separate it from the pulp. So it makes a loud noise.” She replied.

“There you go,” I said. “Just say that for now on.”

Since then, she hasn’t had a problem with that objection.

Now, why am I telling you this story?

Because this concept of spinning flaws into benefits is just as relevant to copywriting as it is in face-to-face selling.

In fact, there’s a great story about this on page 154 of Eugene Schwartz’s classic copywriting book “Breakthrough Advertising”

Back in the 1930’s Lifebuoy sold a soap that was perfect in every way… except for its nasty medicine-like smell.

Their solution?

Their ads said body odor could not be eliminated with “ordinary” soap, and what made Lifebuoy’s soap so effective at eradicating “B.O.” was the strong medicinal-smelling ingredient built into every cake.

In other words, they spun that horrible smell into a compelling reason to buy.

And nabbed millions of sales as a result.

You can do the same thing.

If there really is an annoying flaw in your product — or even a small drawback — don’t hide it.

Instead, spend some serious time thinking about how you can spin it into a real and believable reason to buy.

Not only will you add a thick layer of credibility to your sales pitch (since you’re being honest), but if you do it right, you’ll make your product even more irresistible.

If you want to dramatically improve your copywriting skills… and if you want to do it as quickly as possible… then here’s all you have to do.

For now on, whether you’re writing an email to a friend, a letter to your grandmother, or a memo to a co-worker… start writing in “copy.”

In other words, forget about formal structure, forget about proper grammar, and forget about trying to sound “professional.”

Instead, treat everything you write like it’s sales copy.

You know what that means, right?

Short, choppy sentences. One or two word paragraphs helping break up the page. Easy-to-digest language that sounds like you’re talking and not writing. And words that induce emotion, image and belief — instead of just cold, hard logic.

Trust me.

Doing this will explode the speed at which you are able to write profitable copy faster than you ever dreamed possible.

How do I know?

Because I’ve done this myself.

And almost like magic — my response went up and more money went into my bank account.

And you know what?

I can almost guarantee you can do the same thing.

Anyone can.

You just have to learn the basics of writing copy and then apply it to everything in your life whenever possible.

But here’s the thing.

While writing everything in “copy” will almost certainly make you a better copywriter… it will murder your other writing skills.

I kid you not.

Back in high school and college I used to get straight A’s in English class. I even used to help people write their term papers and reports when they got stuck. I had a natural “flair” for writing that astounded my teachers and made breezing through my English classes a piece of cake.

Now?

Well, now I’m not so good at “writing” anymore.

I’d even go so far as to say I suck at “writing” in any kind of formal style. My old English teachers would cringe if they read my ads, articles and other writings.

In fact, I tried to submit an article to a real newspaper a few weeks ago and it totally flopped.

Even though the idea behind the article was something any paper would want to publish… and even though I had help from a friend with dozens of published books and articles (and truly understands what good writing is) I couldn’t get it right. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran out of ink in his red pen while marking it up!

So just know, if you choose to learn to write copy this way, you will not be impressing any of your colleagues or people who really are good “writers.”

Frankly, many of them will laugh and sneer at you, and try to “correct” you at every opportunity.

But that’s okay.

Because your copy will improve by 100% (at least) and the ads you write will be that much more powerful, and make you that much more money.

A couple weeks ago while lurking in an Internet marketing forum, I saw an ad selling a book on natural bodybuilding tactics used over 100 years ago, that was posted online for people to read and critique.

It was actually a pretty good ad (especially for someone just learning how to write copy). But since English is the author’s second language, he had trouble making his ad flow and sound unbroken.

Anyway, strange as it sounds, that’s where the real strength of his ad was.

In fact, I suggested he trumpet the fact English is his second language right up front, before saying anything else.

Why?

Because not only would it make his ad stick out from all the slick ads written by copywriters and marketers who have more experience than him — but it would actually help his response because he would sound like a regular person, and not a “copywriter.”

And so, in my response to him, I copied and pasted the opening paragraph of an ad similar to his (selling a body building product) that said:

“My name is Leo Costa. I’m a professional weight lifting trainer, strength developer and nationally known educator. I’m not a professional ad writer. But what I have to share with you is so extraordinary and so powerful, I decided to write you myself. So bear with me a little.”

And I suggested he simply modify the details and “essence” of his opening paragraph to match that one.

Not only would it make him (and his ad) sound more believable and personable…but it would also create an air of mystery (and credibility) to the product.

And you know what?

If you’re just starting out… or if you’re simply writing to a hyper-skeptical market (who are always on the lookout for hype and “BS”)… you should consider doing the same thing.

Why?

Because many times when you go out of your way to say you’re not an “advertising guy” or “copywriter” — even going so far as to include a few grammatical blunders and well-placed typos — you actually make yourself (and your claims) more believable and “real.”

Which makes it much easier for your readers to bond with you, trust you, and ultimately, buy from you.

If you’d like to persuade thousands of people in your community to vote a certain way, then doing so is easier than you might think.

Here’s why:

One of the fastest and easiest ways to influence mass numbers of people in your community is with a simple “letter to the editor” in your local newspapers.

People read these letters every single day of the week, in big cities and small towns alike.

And a well crafted letter to the editor often influences the way people in your city, county and state vote on an issue.

And guess what?

If you have at least the “basics” of copywriting down, you can write a short letter to the editor of your local newspaper, and potentially persuade thousands of people to your side of a political issue.

In fact, all you really have to do is tell a simple story.

A brief, one or two paragraph story can pry open even the most tightly-closed mind — and literally change the entire way a person thinks about an issue.

A perfect example of this is a story from radio talk show host Michael Savage’s book “The Enemy Within” about his first job fresh out of college as a social worker.

He was dead broke, living in a tiny apartment, and was sleeping on a mattress on the floor with two orange crates as lamp stands and no other furniture.

And yet, the welfare clients he was helping got free beds, free coffee tables, free sofas, etc — all the things most people have to work their fingers to the bone for — without working, and on the taxpayer’s dime.

This short, simple story perfectly illustrated his point about why the system is so flawed.

No complicated statistics or expensive government studies were needed to make his point.

That’s the power of stories.

They open closed minds.

Let you “say” more with fewer words.

And give people the chance to convince themselves your point is valid — without lecturing, arguing or confrontation.

And if you use this “power” correctly… you’ll give “your side” in a political debate an enormous advantage when election time rolls around.

For example…

Do you see rampant corruption, perversion and bureaucratic unaccountability rotting your community’s schools?

Want to stop your local officials from trying to seize your property by abusing eminent domain laws?

Are you angry with the way your state politicians are voting and spending your tax money?

Then simply grab a pen and paper, hammer out a simple story that illustrates your point, and submit it to the letters to the editor section of your newspaper.

But don’t stop there.

Send it to everyone and anyone who will listen.

Mail it to your mayor, city council, state congressman and senator.

Email it to your neighbors, friends and family.

Post it on community bulletin boards, blogs and Internet forums.

Look, it may not work all the time.

It may not even work some of the time.

But when it does work, you can influence the hearts and minds of thousands of people.

If you want an almost foolproof way to generate profitable headline ideas for your copywriting promotions quickly and easily, without struggle or pain… then here’s a way you may not be aware of.

Not long ago I was working on a very important copywriting promotion under an almost impossible deadline.

And at the “11th hour” before the deadline, the entire ad was finished — except the headline.

For whatever reason, coming up with a good headline was not happening for me.

It was a nightmare.

I had two hours to go and the hundreds of headlines I had written were all but useless.

What to do?

Well, all I could think of was to “remove” myself from the situation and find something unrelated to the task at hand. Doing so had worked wonders for me before when I couldn’t figure out the answer to a problem, just never under a deadline like this one.

Not sure what to do, I logged online and started surfing around.

One of the first sites I went to was a discussion forum for people who own dogs (my mom’s dog was sick at the time and I was looking for answers).

And I noticed there were certain posts in that forum with an incredible amount of views and replies compared to the majority of posts.

And then it hit me.

All these people reading and responding to these particular forum posts were obviously caught up by the words and ideas of the post titles.

If you’ve ever read an online discussion forum you know what I’m talking about.

You can see a list of all the posted topics (or titles) and their respective number of replies and views. And some of these titles are so irresistible they’re literally impossible not to read or reply to.

Anyway, with no time to lose, I immediately went to some forums related to the product I was selling, hoping maybe I could get some ideas for my headline by reading the most-viewed posts.

It was a miracle.

The first forum I went to had four or five posts with over a thousand views. The other ones I visited had even more.

And I copied each and every one of the “most-viewed” forum posts, and played around with the different combination of words, ideas, themes and phrases they contained.

Half an hour later I had the headline for my ad, and made the deadline.

Anyway, online discussion forums are gold mines of information when you want to know what your market is talking and thinking about.

They reveal the worries, interests and desires of people in a (mostly) relaxed, informal atmosphere. It’s the next best thing to going to a convention of your prospects and eavesdropping on their conversations.

And if you simply pay attention to the things people are talking about in forums related to what you’re selling, you won’t be able to help but get great ideas for your headlines and ads.