I’m the first to admit it.
I’m not the world’s greatest listener.
I tend to talk more than listen. I have the bad habit of waiting impatiently for the other person to stop talking, so I can carry on saying what I want to say.
I’m not that bad all the time. I’m making a conscious effort to shut up and really, truly listen.
And I’m getting better, I think.
I get asked this question from time to time.
Can conversational copywriting go head-to-heard with traditional, direct-response copywriting and win?
Well…
If you’re talking about making an immediate, direct sale from the page of a website…
And if you’re executing a side-by-side, A/B split test, and comparing revenues before the end of the day…
Then no, the conversational approach is unlikely to win.
But you’re probably asking the wrong question.
I admit it. I’m turning into a total conversation geek.
But honestly, conversations are fascinating.
Conversation is the bedrock of every relationship we have.
First dates begin with a conversation. That interview for your job… that was a conversation. The relationships you have with your kids is based on the conversations you have with them.
That cluster of people in hallway at a conference? They’re having a conversation.
At coffee shops, in bars and restaurants, even on airplanes… people are connecting, learning and growing through the power of conversation.
As marketers and writers, we can tap into that power as a way to better connect with our customers and prospects.
Let’s look at just 3 of the lessons we can learn from having a good conversation.
Truth be told, this video is an outtake.
I’ve been trying to record a video to put on the Conversational Copywriting homepage… but have yet to get it right.
Not even close, really.
To start with, I’m aiming for just under two minutes.
But the video above is a little over 4 minutes.
And I did a ton of takes before this one. And that meant the sun kept getting lower, right to the point where I got that highlight on the background on the right side.
Not a big deal, but enough to make me want to try again.
A few months ago Seth Godin was a guest on this blog. You can find the interview here.
We talked about a lot of things, including Conversational Copywriting… and his new book, This Is Marketing.
He was kind enough to send me a proof copy of the book, so I’ve had some time to work my way through it and digest its lessons.
You can see my copy in the photo above. Well thumbed and with plenty of pages and paragraphs marked along the way.
As I’m sure Seth anticipated, I love what he’s teaching. Why? Because my work on Conversational Copywriting is built on many of the core values he talks about… honesty, respect, engagement and trust.
But as you can imagine, the scope of Seth’s book is a lot broader, and deeper.
For me, this is his most important book since Permission Marketing.
My first language is English.
But I live in Montreal, where the first language is French.
As a result, I’m used to translating French into English.
I’m not very good at it. But translating into English is something I do every day.
Now for the weirdness.
Sometimes, when I’m reading marketing copy or even business writing – in English – I have a moment of recognition in my mind.
I think, “Hang on, this feels like translating from a foreign language. I’m having to translate marketing language or business language into everyday English.”
Interesting notion… having to translate English into everyday English.