Business owners and executives, stop writing your own copy IMMEDIATELY!
Yes, I know, times are tough….
Businesses are forced to make cutbacks and tighten spending on expenses deemed unnecessary. Unfortunately for them, many unaware decision-makers consider marketing and advertising an unnecessary or “cut-worthy” expense.
“How hard can it be to write?” We can do that ourselves and spend the savings on other investments.”
Sound familiar at all? If it does, your business is suffering and you most likely don’t know it. By all means, avoid picking up the pen or keyboard to invent your own sales copy! What do I mean by sales copy? Words properly constructed to convey a message. Sales copy is seen in:
The list could go on much further, but I’m sure you get the point: Business owners and executives are bad writers when it comes to marketing! Let’s discuss why:
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1. Emotionally Connected to the Product/Service
Without taking many steps back from your interests, you can’t see the forest for the trees. You need an objective viewpoint to truly measure the value and likability of your product or service. The only way to achieve this is to partner with a writer who has no attachment to your offerings, but who is knowledgeable in capturing the interest—and the incomes—of your ideal prospects. Using words.
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2. Telling isn’t Selling
Bad writers spend a great deal of time explaining away—why their goods should be given the time of day. Business owners and executives are usually highly adept in product knowledge and customer trends; however, selling is an art and not a science.
Listing your track record, product features and highlighting your company’s excellence doesn’t ensure a connection with your prospect—it just drives them to your competition while making you another commodity. Put that pen down now!
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3. Secretary Syndrome
Does your secretary or executive assistant prepare the majority of your communications: email, memos, reports, letters and more? Another reason why many business owners and executives are bad writers is because they pass the literary work on to their assistants!
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4. Sounding Too Artificial
If you write your best copy as an owner or executive and compare it to a novice copywriter, chances are it will pale by comparison. Yes, you run or manage a business, think strategically; find products and services to bring to the market and find customers for your wares. However, most often your copy will sound like it was produced by an executive or manager—not a professional copywriter. Does that make you a bad writer?
Well, if your marketing collateral reads more like a product description or term paper than a persuasive, hard-to-pass-up, advertising piece—you are a bad writer (of copy). Leave it to the big boys!
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5. No Track Record
You’ve probably cold called entire countries and closed numerous deals because of it. You amassed a stable business or a growth in sales and/or productivity; and you write business proposals for prospective clients with great success. You have the drive and determination to keep pushing the envelope and expanding your boundaries—and your business. But there’s just one thing wrong:
You have no track record in writing copy which persuades and motivates prospects to buy!!
Bad writers and good writers alike should leave this to professional copywriters. Good writers get results; results equal sales; sales equal revenue in the bank. See what I’m getting at?
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If you’ve never written a piece of copy, which by itself propelled a product or service to sales success, your track record is not up to task. Thus, if you’re a business owner or executive, take a step away from your desk; pick up the phone and call a real sales-writer to convey your message in the best—and most profitable—way possible.
Until next time…don’t be a bad writer.
Yours truly,
By Jarvis Edwards - Commercial Copywriter
