Among the really crappy things about this pandemic is the way it’s delayed everything—including the steady stream of James Bond films we’ve come to count on. That’s a real bummer because if there was ever a time we needed some escapism, it’s now.

But fall will come and so will “No Time to Die” and, as the trailer promises, we’re in for all kinds of fun like impossible car chases, motorcycle jumps, leaps off of tall bridges into great forested nothingness and cars fitted with forward-firing heavy machine guns. And you’ll think to yourself, “Man, if only I could be like Bond!”

I’m here to tell you that you can indeed be like Bond. In fact, you should indeed be like Bond. You don’t need stunts or the high-tech paraphernalia, even though it’s mind-blowingly cool. But if you want to be at the top of the copywriting game, you need to learn to spy like a boss. That’s right, “your mission, should you choose to accept it,” is to spy on your target audience so that you can write copy that will deliver every time.

If you’re familiar with my RMBC method for how to write better copy, this process is all wrapped up in the R (research) part of that method. If you skip this step, you’ll short-circuit the entire process and miss your mark.

To be an effective spy, you need to start hanging out in a couple of places to gather your intel: forums and Amazon.

Forums

Find the online forums where your target audience congregates and start sleuthing for important information. Let me give you a hypothetical example of how this might work. Let’s say I’m writing a sales letter for a natural supplement that helps with allergies. I’ll start by finding forums for people who suffer from allergies. Here are the kind of questions I want answers to:

• How are allergies affecting their lives? (Watch for emotion and anecdotes surrounding this question.)
• What can’t they do because of allergies?
• Conversely, what would they do if they were free from allergies?
• What else have they tried for their allergies? (This can spin some side research as you get familiar with the competition and prove why your product is better.)
• What are the buzz words that people are using?
• How have other remedies failed them?
• Are there any roadblocks to allergy relief based on demographics (gender, age, income)?
• What scares people about trying a new allergy remedy? Cost? Others have failed them? Side effects?

Let’s say you learn the following from your sleuthing:

• Allergies are miserable…they cause awful things like chronic sinus infections and painful, ugly skin rashes and colds that never seem to go away. (There was that Mom talking about her kid who actually earned the nickname “Slimy” because his nose ran so profusely.)
• Meds like antihistamines and decongestants don’t work for everybody.
• Even if they do, they come with some pretty bothersome side effects.
• Allergy shots are a pain—you have to keep going to the doctor’s office for shots.
• Allergy shots can be dangerous. (Maybe a contributor shared that they had an anaphylactic reaction and went into shock right there at the doctor’s office.)
• There’s a “treatment gap” for young kids with allergies who aren’t old enough to get allergy shots.
• People like the idea of a natural allergy supplement so they don’t have to keep popping chemical-laden pills, but…
• Other herbal supplements are too pricey…or they don’t have enough evidence behind them…or they’re not covered by insurance like medications are.

See what happened. No one even knew you were there, but you came away with a treasure trove of intel that you can now leverage into compelling copy. That’s how sneaky you are… just like Bond.

Amazon

This online marketplace for products is also an amazing marketplace for ideas for copywriters. It’s the “go-to” place for product differentiation. So get all incognito, head into the marketplace, and start looking around for products that involve the same pain point as the one you’re pitching.

Once you’ve read through the product descriptions, follow your top picks to product reviews. Pay special attention to the 5-star and 1-star reviews so that you can learn exactly what people love about these products and what they really hate about them. It’s easy, it’s free and it’s a really potent way to gather intel on the competition so that you can distinguish yourself from them.

If you’ve been a good spy, you’ve just done yourself a whole lot of favors. You’ve knocked out a big piece of the Research—the first step, and I would argue the most critical one, in my RMBC method. With that foundation laid, the rest of the steps should flow pretty easily.

One of the reasons my RMBC method is so important to copywriting mastery is that it helps you crank out copy fast. It also takes a lot of the anxiety out of copywriting. Once you use it, you’ll see that it works every time so you’ve got a proven framework to fall back on. You’re not constantly wondering if this is the sales letter that is going to fail because you know you have a tried-and-true backbone for success.

With your spy operation complete, you’ll know your target audience intimately. And when you have that intel at your disposal, you can lay down all of those ideas and words with all of the smoothness of, well, James Bond.

Video

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The post “Do I really want to be a copywriter?” first appeared on Stefan Georgi.

I was reading a book called “a Mind for Numbers” by Barbara Oakley, Ph.D.

I was only about three chapters into the book but there was one interesting concept that she’s been talking about…🧐

And that’s the difference between “focused” and “diffuse” thinking.

Focused thinking is exactly what it sounds like – it’s what happens when you are intensely focused on solving a specific problem.🕵

We all need focused thinking because this is where we zoom directly to the most pertinent information in order to execute a task…

Like solving a math problem, throwing a football, or even the act of writing sales copy.

Meanwhile, diffuse thinking is more about big picture thinking. This mode is all about distractions. In fact, distractions are good.

In diffuse thinking, you let your mind wander freely and make connections at random. 

What’s also interesting is that while focused thinking happens primarily in the prefrontal cortex of the brain…

Diffuse thinking happens all over the brain.

Now normally, diffuse thinking happens while you’re engaged in other activities.

This is the reason why good ideas often come to us in the shower, or when we’re out on a walk, or when we’re driving. 

The brain is not focusing on a specific problem, and yet because your brain is so active, it’s quietly connecting dots in the background and helping you move towards a solution.

So as Dr. Oakley writes in her book, you need both types of thinking to successfully solve problems – whether they be mathematical, intellectual, emotional, or something else.

At first I kind of thought of this distinction as being sort of obvious…

But having had time to practice some diffuse thinking on my own…

I can see that it’s actually very explanatory and also very valuable. 

For example, I’ve often talked about how I get great ideas in the shower…

And it’s no secret that I love taking walks since I end up having a lot of my “aha moments” during them.

This is also why, while RMBC Method allows you to write a full sales letter in as little as one day…

But it is better if you do allow yourself a few weeks on a project. 

For me personally, what I find is that when I’m working on coming up with a unique mechanism…

I’ll go to various websites that are directly related to the problem that the product is trying to solve…

But I’ll also embrace rabbit holes…

And start reading about tangential but not directly related things…

Or watch a YouTube video from an expert in the field, even if that person doesn’t appear to be talking about the specific pain point the audience faces.

What I realized today is that during those times, I’m practicing diffuse thinking…

And as I go through this process over the course of several days…

My brain starts making different connections, and synthesizing all of the information I’ve been gathering…

Until suddenly, everything just clicks…

And I’m able to put it all together and write a killer piece of sales copy.

Plus, here’s one more interesting thing I thought about:

There are actually entire weeks where I am focused, and entire weeks where I’m more “diffused.”

Take this particular week for example:

I didn’t have any sales copy that had to get done…

I had a lot of “freedom”…

And yet there were times last week where I felt kind of frustrated…

Because it didn’t seem like I was moving the needle or accomplishing very much.

When this happens, it’s hard not to want to beat yourself up…

Or feel like you’re procrastinating…

And that’s how I felt during some stretches last week.

But then one morning, while on a walk, I asked myself an interesting question:

What if last week, and others like it, are times where I’m just practicing diffuse thinking?

As I reflected on this a bit more, it actually really seemed to make sense…

And as a few pieces of anecdotal evidence that support this:

Friday afternoon I had an amazing conversation with Jake Hoffberg and that led me to a big “aha” moment…

Which is that, in addition to Copy Accelerator, I really need to commit to one major area of focus.

Because right now I’m doing stuff like CA, writing copy, growing my personal brand, consulting on various businesses and projects, etc…

And while yes, I’ve been able to get away with all of these things…

I’ve also found that when I don’t have a sales letter that ‘must’ get done in a given week…

I don’t know where I should be spending my time.

So instead, I kind of wander from task-to-task haphazardly…

And then feel frustrated.

Does that make sense?

It’s not that I can’t do CA, focus on one big task, and not still write copy when I want to…

It’s just that, unless I have a clearly prioritized hierarchy…

I’m not going to be as effective as I want to be.

To me, this was an important realization…

And I don’t know if it would have happened if I’d been deeply focused on specific tasks that week…

Instead of being a bit more “all over the place” and “diffused.”

So, from that perspective, that week actually wasn’t a waste at all…

Instead, it was me giving my brain the time it needed to float around…

Collect various pieces of evidence…

And then combine them together to reach an interesting, and potentially life-altering conclusion.

Pretty cool…

And one last note: I’ve noticed this pattern in my life before…

But the way I used to explain it was as the difference between sprints and downtime.

Sometimes I’d go really hard for a few weeks (sprint)…

Then I’d have a few weeks where I didn’t work as “hard” and got more easily distracted (downtime).

I liked that analogy, but now I’m realizing that it was only partially accurate…

Because it’s not just that those non-sprint weeks are about downtime…

More so, they are about diffuse time….

Where I’m thinking about various ideas…

Reflecting on various ideas..

Generating various ideas…

And connecting all of these ideas together.

So yeah, just wanted to share…

Since maybe this reframe of focused thinking vs. diffuse thinking can be valuable to you as well.

– SPG

P.S. This post originally came from an email I sent to my private list. If you want to see more stuff like this from me, you can apply to join my list using this link.

The post Flipping the script on procrastination… first appeared on Stefan Georgi.

Perhaps you’ve heard the buzz about the Grape-Nuts shortage.  Yes, I’m talking about that dense and absorbent wheat cereal that, since the late 1800s, has been soaking up milk about as quickly as we can pour it into the bowl.

Now, this shortage is interesting because for the past few years, cereal demand has been plunging.  Seems that with our busy lifestyles, nobody can be bothered to sit down and chew their way through a bowl of cereal when they can grab an energy bar on their way out the door instead (especially if that cereal taxes their jaw as heavily as a bowl of Grape-Nuts does).

But things are a-changin’ with the pandemic.  Now, we can attend our morning work or school meetings and, if we have the luxury of turning off the mic and camera, navigate a brimming bowl of cereal with impunity.

The pandemic has breathed new life into cereal sales and, in the case of Grape-Nuts, led to empty shelves where fans once found their old reliable ol’ box-o-fiber.  Turns out, the Grape-Nuts production process uses “proprietary technology” that isn’t easy to scale up, which has hobbled Post’s ability to keep up with the heightened demand for the cereal.

But the other day, I saw something in the grocery store—not the typical emptiness above the Grape-Nuts label on the shelf, but several boxes of the stuff!  I swiped them into my cart.  I’m acknowledging here that I don’t particularly like the cereal, but I know what happened with toilet paper and Clorox wipes and baking flour last year, and I was not going to be a victim of scarcity.

Scarcity is a powerful motivator.  It makes us do stuff we might not normally do because we don’t want to get caught in a shortage situation.  When it comes to sales copy, the concept of scarcity is your ally.  If you aren’t using it to move people to action, you’re missing out on a critical tool.

If you get my copywriting emails, you may have seen what I’ve written about the Average Order Value (AOV) Money Close.  Scarcity is the driving factor behind it.  I first started using this Money Close in 2017, and it drove my Average Order Value up from $150 to $220 overnight.  All of that came from just adding a few lines of copy highlighting the concept of scarcity.

So how do you incorporate scarcity into your copy to drive sales?  Here are a few important steps.

1. Let your readers know that smart people buy more.  Think about it.  Smart people don’t get caught with no Clorox wipes at the start of a pandemic.  They don’t have to wait in the cold in a line that winds around Costco only to be told that they just missed the last box, and now they are alone to face a virus multiplying before their eyes. People want to be associated with those who come out on the right side of scarcity, and you’re here to help them do that.

2. Create urgency. Whether you’re highlighting limited production capacity or limited inventory or a limited-time promotion, let your reader know that they’re in a race against time and supply.

Here’s a simple formula for creating urgency…and then kicking it up a notch.

• Explain that supply is limited because of ABC Reasons…
• And because so many people are ordering the largest quantity of this product because they don’t want to run out…
• It’s straining the limited supply even further…
• Which means the supply is even more limited.

3. Illustrate what life looks like without this product, or with an insufficient amount of it.

“Scientists predict that the pandemic could last for X months, and without enough of the Clorox wipes, you’ll be fumbling around for a convenient way to wipe down germ-covered surfaces while you still have months left of the virus running rampant.”    

4. Illustrate what life looks like with this product.

“With the assurance of the 12-pack of Clorox wipes, you’ll be free to clean all of the areas where germs can accumulate (door handles, shopping carts, toilet flushers) so you can stay well and worry-free… and enjoy your Netflix while everyone else is waiting in that long Costco line.” 

And here’s another tip.  Always put the largest package in your call to action.  Remember, people want to be told what to do.  Drive them right to that 12-pack of Clorox Wipes…or that box of Grape-Nuts. Then sit back and watch how many people reach out to grab it.

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Up until my mid-twenties, I HATED dealing with a beard…

And the reason why is pretty embarrassing:

I legitimately didn’t know that beard trimmers were a thing.😬

So until then, if I grew out a beard…

I’d just let it keep going until it reached a point where I looked like a scraggly mountain man…

Then I’d either use an electric shaver or a manual razor…

But somehow nobody, not even my father, thought to tell me that you could just buy an electric beard trimmer for $30…

Then cut your beard to your desired length in about 5 minutes.

When I finally realized that this was a reality, I felt like an idiot…

But it also made my life a hell of a lot easier…

And in the past decade, I’ve almost always had a nice, neatly kept beard.

Here’s another example…

Up until a year ago…

I always HATED the winters in Las Vegas. 

A lot of folks don’t realize this…

But in Vegas, you’ll have several months where the highs are in the 40s and the lows are in the 20s…

And during those months…

I would pretty much never go outside unless I was driving to one place or another.

That was it…

And it meant that during the winter…

I didn’t do my walks…never went on hikes…and didn’t want to play outside with my daughter.

Then, last winter, something clicked…

And I realized that people all over the country spend winters in similar, or much colder temperatures…yet still do plenty of outdoor activities.

So I went to REI and bought real winter stuff…

Gloves, beanies, insulated/thermal jackets…

And guess what?

Suddenly, being outside was completely fine.

I realized I could still go for walks and enjoy the fresh air…

Still play outside with my daughter…

And that I had a great time while doing it.

So, why do I bring all of this up?

Because it’s a reminder that a lot of the time…

The things that we think we hate are actually completely agnostic…

But instead, we simply don’t have the right tools at our disposal.

I think about this with copywriting and my RMBC Method…

A lot of people like the idea of copywriting, but hate the writing process…

Then they get a system like RMBC and suddenly, they’re cutting their writing time by 90%…

Never feeling stuck…

And their copy gets a lot better too.

This is what makes The RMBC Method so damn effective…

But it’s true for almost anything: 

Having the right tools makes all of the difference.

Imagine if a professional excavator worked for a company where they were only allowed to use shovels.

He or she might hate their job…

But then, suddenly, if the owner of the business realized that they could be using a giant, mechanized excavator…

And bought a fleet of them for their employees…

That would change the individual’s opinions on their job almost overnight. 

It’s the same with RMBC…

As well as other frameworks out there too.

So the takeaway here is that, for the things in your life that you hate doing right now…

It’s worth considering whether it’s the action…

Or the tools you have at your disposal…

And if it’s the latter…

Finding a way to upgrade those tools as quickly as possible.

– SPG

P.S. This post originally came from an email I sent to my private list. If you want to see more stuff like this from me, you can apply to join my list using this link.

The post This Is Embarrassing But True… first appeared on Stefan Georgi.

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Hello 🙂

Have you heard of Bill Ackman?

He’s a billionaire activist investor…

And up until last spring…

Bill was mostly known to the masses due to his famous “short” of Herbalife.

Long story short, he thought/thinks that this MLM company is a scam…❌

So he took a massive short on the company for years…

Even as it bled cash from him.

Well, Herbalife is still chugging along…

And so, for at least the time being, Bill has been proven wrong on Herbalife (at least from a market-based standpoint)…🤷

So, for the last few years, Bill has received a lot of ridicule.

But then in February of 2020, Bill made a new bet…

Where he basically spent $27 million in a bet that credit-default swaps would balloon after COVID-19 became a thing in the U.S…

And he netted over $2 billion a few months later when that bet paid off.

So now, when people talk about Bill Ackman…

They talk about how he made one of the smartest trades in Wall Street history.

And the reason I share this with you…

Is because it’s a strong reminder of the fact that no single moment defines you.

We all have failures…

We all have moments where we “look” stupid…

We all have times when we mess up.

Yeah, it sucks at the time…

But if you keep pushing and persevering…

Generally, the wins will come too…

And those turbulent times will start to be forgotten…

Both by you personally, and those who pay attention to the things you do.

It’s a good lesson for all of us 🙂

– SPG

P.S. This post originally came from an email I sent to my private list. If you want to see more stuff like this from me, you can apply to join my list using this link.

The post From laughingstock to making $2 Billion in a few months… first appeared on Stefan Georgi.

Hey 🙂

During episode 23 of The Road to a Billion…

I started off the show by sharing a metaphor I’ve been playing with…

Which is how Plato’s Allegory of the Cave can change your belief system and your life. 🧐

This framework is really something that has bought a TON of clarity to my life…

By answering the “why” behind the things I do…

So I’d love for you to check it out when you’ve got a sec. 

It starts at about 2 minutes and 28 seconds into the replay…

And in case you’re wondering…🤔

Here’s a full breakdown of the episode and the timestamps as well:

2:28 – What Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” can teach you about your beliefs and preconceived notions about life.

5:52 – How a flashlight, rope and compass can help you challenge the status quo and live a life of possibilities.

11:32 – Why 90% of people get stuck in the “cave”, even if they say they want help to escape.

17:31 – The 2 fundamental factors required to escape the “cave”. It’s impossible to get out without the other.

21:47 – 5 things to consider when creating and launching an offer. Plus, a lean organic approach that helped Ed grow his list to 200 people in just 2 days.

32:18 – Why being open to any project can be an advantage, especially when you’re just starting out.

37:29 – 4 ways to charge higher and what you’re worth. Plus, Ed shares a simple trick that helped him make more income by doubling the value of a deal with a potential client.

55:47 – Stefan’s secret to juggling multiple sales letter projects simultaneously.

1:03:22 – 3 ways to discover your ‘why’ and a common misconception that many people have about it.

1:10:51 – Identify what to focus on in your business by aligning these 3 factors. Plus, Ed shares the RICE method to decide on what projects to work on.

1:21:36 – A sneaky way to reach out to big brands and write copy for them. Remember to avoid this FATAL mistake when cold emailing prospects.

1:22:37 – How you can get paid to learn rather than lose money to learn.

1:23:34 – How to secure a daily email copy retainer project by starting small.

Lots of good stuff here, so hopefully you enjoy it…

And as always, if you do watch…

Please take a second to smash the like button…

And leave a comment letting me know

– SPG

P.S. This post originally came from an email I sent to my private list. If you want to see more stuff like this from me, you can apply to join my list using this link.

The post Escaping Plato’s Cave… first appeared on Stefan Georgi.

You’re at your computer sending off your final email of the day. You go to attach a file and…

NOOOOO…

The spinning wheel of death—that multi-color symbol of computational frailty in the machine that’s supposed to know and do it all.

There go two minutes…three minutes…seven minutes.

You were supposed to put the steaks on the grill. Now dinner is going to be late, but there you are, stuck at your computer, darn near hypnotized by that circling wheel.

But wait! You have options. Specifically, the reboot.

The reboot is a gift, a Get out of Jail Free card, a whisper of hope for rescuing the steak dinner after all.

But what if your brain is the spinning wheel, and there’s no button to push? That’s the story of writer’s block.

As a copywriter, you depend on the free flow of creativity and words, but what happens when your brain gets stuck? And you have a deadline? And you really need the money from this job?

First of all, relax. You’re not some strange outlier. Through my copywriting courses, I’m asked all of the time about writer’s block. In fact, I’d venture to say that in this field, there are very few people who haven’t experienced writer’s block at some point, and most have dealt with it many times over.

Why Writer’s Block?

If we don’t want it to happen, why does that spinning wheel of writer’s block death start turning? Here are some explanations that may resonate with you.

• We ‘re naturally hard on ourselves. This can take the form of negative self-talk, including comparing ourselves to other writers and telling ourselves that we just don’t measure up. Enough negativity can shut us down.
• We’re scared of failure. Nobody wants to fall on their face, and some of us tend toward perfectionism. That can make writing feel overwhelming.
• We lack motivation. Being a freelance writer requires discipline, and, let’s face it, there are some days we just want to binge-watch old Star Trek episodes, and, well, resistance is futile. Cue the spinning wheel.

The Big Seven

Whatever the cause of your writer’s block, I want to share seven tips to help you reboot and move forward.

1. Make the most of your mornings.

I’ve recently shared thoughts on the virtue of mornings. It’s quiet in the morning, and your mind is fresh and uncluttered. I’ve been trying to get after my biggest needle movers in the first few hours of the day, and it’s working. So stop banging your head against the keyboard at 11 pm. Go to sleep, wake up refreshed and try it again. Let the body’s sleep processes clear the clutter out of your brain. The world will look better, and your ideas will be more likely to flow in the morning.

2. Chat with your imaginary friend.

I know. You may not have talked with him since childhood, but I’m going to recommend that you invite him back into your life—at least while you’re pushing through writer’s block. Sit him down, tell him in plain words exactly what you’re trying to say in this high-centered sales letter. Don’t try to sound lofty or clever, just get the words out there. Then type them out—no matter how rough they may be—and keep typing. You can always fine-tune later, but this can help you get the fundamentals on paper.

3. Get outside.

When we’re wrestling with writer’s block, our life and our future can shrink down to the size of our computer screen, but there’s a big sky out there and, depending on where you live, mountains and trees and grass, and the neighbor’s dog is barking. Life is bigger than just this frustrating moment, so put on your sneakers, step outside and let the world around you reset your perspective.

4. Keep a growth mindset

If negative self-talk and fear of defeat are giving you one big brain freeze, switch your mindset. We’re all on a journey to become better at our craft, but we get ourselves in trouble when we see each new project as a finish line that we may or may not cross in time to win. This copy that you are writing—it’s one of many you’ll generate along your journey, and with every piece you write, you’ll learn a little more and get a little better. So give yourself permission to write both pieces that knock it out of the park and others that could use a little improvement—and be willing to learn from all of them.

5. Get really familiar with the brand.

I recently wrote an article on writing quickly like a sociopath, in which I told about the time I wrote a new promo (11,000 words) in 2.5 days. Not bad. I don’t always do this, but the thing that made the big difference for me was that before I started writing, I got really familiar with the spokesperson and the brand—so much so that the whole time I was writing, I had the Avatar’s voice in my head, propelling me along. I knew his accent, quips, mannerisms. You can gain and maintain momentum and be less prone to writer’s block when you do your legwork and truly “inhabit” the brand you are writing about.

6. Call a friend

Go ahead, use one of your lifelines, and reach out to the people who keep you afloat in life. Call your spouse or your old college roommate. Throw a ball with your kid. Limber up a little. Laugh a little. Human connection and seeing life through someone else’s eyes can help reboot the brain

7. Move it

Shift the stress from your brain by getting your body busy. Lift some weights, vacuum, fold some laundry, weed the garden. Sometimes the rhythm of mindless, repetitive physical tasks can take the pressure off of your mind so that you can think more freely and creatively.

Writer’s block is not your end state; it’s a little bump on the road. So relax, step away from the screen and mix it up with one or more of these tips. I have full confidence you’ll be able to put a new “spin” on your creative flow. And if you want a “shortcut” to writing better copy faster, make sure to check out The RMBC Method. I created this method to help me break through writer’s block and write winning sales copy consistently. It’s already helped hundreds of writers speed up their writing time AND write killer copy.

Video

The post Writer’s Block? Seven Ways to Stop the Brain Spin first appeared on Stefan Georgi.