sales copy

When I talk about the conversational approach to copywriting, some of my peers think I’m doing writers and marketers a disservice.

They believe the direct sales approach will always be more effective, and that my “softer”, conversational approach is somehow just a feel-good compromise.

I’m happy to report they are wrong!

When done well, conversational copywriting can be way more effective than hard-selling, pushy sales copy.

To support my position, I recently asked ChatGPT to analyse dozens of testimonials and case studies from alumni of my course, Conversational Copywriting. GPT-4 is really good at that… analyzing large bodies of text in search of patterns.

Here are three of the benefits it identified:

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An item of sales literature is printed and sits around in a physical form. It can exist for months, years, or even decades.

The photo above shows a Book Society promotional postcard I found while rummaging through some old papers in my mother’s house.

It had been sitting there for about 50 years.

But a conversation, held between two people, or a group of people, is ephemeral.

A conversation takes place only in the present. In the moment. Now.

On the face of it, you might conclude that when you’re selling stuff, permanence is better than being ephemeral.

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Interview on conversational copywriting with JoAnna Brandi

In this post I get to talk with JoAnna Brandi – a consultant, speaker and trainer who believes in the power of happiness in the workplace.

I met JoAnna at an event held by our mutual friends at American Writers & Artists Inc.

After talking for a few minutes, it became clear to me that she was a fellow traveller in the pursuit of positivity and transparency in the world of marketing and sales.

While there are plenty of authors and speakers on the “happiness bandwagon” these days, JoAnna stands out because she’s been speaking about Customer and Employee Happiness for over 25 years.

It’s that depth of experience I want to tap into with this interview.

So… let’s get started…

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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.

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Everyday English

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.

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Drayton Bird copywriter interview

In this post I get to interview Drayton Bird… one of the all-time greats in the world of copywriting.

If you’re not familiar with Drayton Bird, it’s time to catch up. According to advertising legend David Ogilvy, “Drayton Bird knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world.”

That’s a heck of a testimonial.

I’ve been a huge fan of Drayton and his work for decades now. And when I finally got to meet him a couple of years ago, he continued to amaze. He’s all passion and energy!

I’m really grateful for this opportunity to ask him a few questions.

Let’s dive right in…

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