The One Critical Skill That Makes For Home-Run Copy

So you’ve decided to hire a copywriter.  You’ve looked at their portfolio, and they’re not a “swipe file superstar”.  You’ve asked them about how much time they spend researching a new promotion and they passed with flying colors. But there are a few more questions you need to ask before you hand over your hard-earned cash.

I’ll show you how to use those 3 critical questions to make sure you get maximum value for your money.

Question 1: Do they have real-world sales experience?

As Dan Kennedy likes to point out, the best copywriters often have a strong background in real-world selling.  But not just any type of sales.  In fact, there are two specific types of sales experience that help a writer crank out home-run copy effortlessly.

You see, the best copywriters tend to have experience in the cutthroat world of face-to-face, commission-only selling.  And that’s important, because there’s a world of difference between salespeople who are paid a salary plus commission and salespeople who only are paid when they sell something.

That’s because the commission-only salesperson is forced to sell to survive.  If they don’t make a sale, they don’t eat.  It’s that simple.

The high-pressure world of commission-only selling forces you to either get good…or get out.  That’s why so many salespeople burn out or quit within the first 12 months.  Most of the ones who survive those first 12 months will make an “OK” living.  But a select few will master the art of selling.

And of course, the same skills a successful salesperson uses every day translate perfectly into copywriting.

For instance, if a salesperson doesn’t know how to create excitement about whatever it is they’re selling, they get nothing for their time and energy.  If they don’t know how to clearly present the benefits of their product, they lose out. And if they’re not willing to ask for the order, they won’t make a penny.

Likewise, good copy uses emotional language to get the prospect excited.  It clearly presents the benefits in a way the prospect can understand.  And it always asks for the order—usually more than once.

After all, what is copywriting but “salesmanship in print”?  The same skills that make a face-to-face sale are what makes for great copy.  So if the copywriter you’re talking to has zero experience in face-to-face, commission-only selling, think twice about hiring them.  Unless they can show you a portfolio of proven home-run promotions, they may cost you far more money than you’ll ever get in return.

That’s it for today.  In my next article, I’ll tell you about the second most important question you must ask before you hire a copywriter.  The answer to that question may surprise you. It will blow one of the biggest copywriting myths out of the water. And it will certainly upset many of the “gurus” in the copywriting world.

But that’s OK by me.  My goal with these articles is to dispel the myths around copywriting.  I want to give you the tools you need to make the right choices.  And if that upsets a few of my fellow copywriters along the way, so be it.

See you next time!

– Paul