Hey Special Friends!
I've really been enjoying the discussion and banter here, and have wanted to throw my two pence in, but haven't really been able to give it the attention that I've wanted to be able to contribute a VALUABLE addition to everything that has already been said on this very valuable thread-
But, since everybody here is clearly interested in the universal and evergreen topic of copywriting and sales in general, I wanted to share two of my latest acquisitions which interestingly (and perhaps serendipitously enough- yes that's a word!) go RIGHT ALONG with everything this little "cadre" of BBHF's finest have been discussing here-
THIS is a share that I could sit down and write a little "BBHF copy" for and open it to the masses, but I wanted to reward those here who have been actually digging in to discuss this ever-important topic- SO here is my share, I am going to PM some of my closer friends here but otherwise, let's let these two hidden gems remain OUR SECRET!
Of course, any feedback you have about this share would be great, and maybe will help continue the discussion- But again remember, this is JUST for US! ;^)
Code:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/80xw8lo8bqejfc5/Surprise.zip/file
An interesting read and comments from a wide range of people I respect on this site.
Some of you that have read my previous posts know I like copywriting.
First some general comments:
1) I Like AWAI products. I have purchased a wide range of them over the years and have gotten great value from them. They have helped me to increase my skills and ability to generate income.
2) I like getting paid. I offer value in exchange for something. If my client is NOT happy, I return the funds and we go our separate ways. That being said, if I deal with someone that is a butt hole, I do not fight, I just cut them from my life and NEVER deal with them again.
3) For me, copywriting is 100% about solving problems. It is helping people to make an informed decision and feeling good about it. Honesty is key to long term success. I never purposely hype or trick anyone as that rubs me the wrong way like wet sand in my bikini.
4) I use Dragon Dictate a LOT. This allows me to talk in to my mic and auto convert it into written format. Much of my copywriting is done this way and in fact, I am using it right now to write this post. Maybe you should call me a copyspeaker!
And now a short story.
A sage is sitting on a rock outside a small village when a traveller approaches him. "Please tell me about the people in this village", he asks.
The sage says, "Sure, but before I do, tell me about the people in the village you just left".
The traveller replies, "Oh they were terrible people. they lie, cheat, steal and are always looking for a way to take your money from you".
The sage replies to the traveller, "I am sorry to tell you, but the people in this village are the same way".
A little later that day, another traveller approaches the sage and asks. "Please tell me about the people in this village", he asks.
The sage says, "Sure, but before I do, tell me about the people in the village you just left".
The traveller replies, "They were fantastic. They were so helpful to me, let me sleep in their barn when it rained, shared food with me and were always so happy".
The sage replies to the traveller, "I am happy to tell you, the people in this village are the same way".
How we view life and the events that happen around us is heavily influenced by our belief systems.
E + A = R (EAR). Event + Action = Results. You can not change the event, but ONLY YOU are responsible for the Actions you take and those Actions have a direct correlation to the Outcomes you get.
After almost dying three times in my life, I have learned to be grateful every morning when I open my eyes and am still here. This viewpoint of looking at even very small things and being grateful for them has opened the door to an abundance of joy in my life.
Just look at BBHF. I am SO GRATEFUL for this site and some of the awesome people on it. I love information and understanding how things work more than anything else in my life. Here I have been able to collect and utilise a truck load of information that has made my life more interesting.
I have been helped by some and helped others when asked. I attempt to be an active member of the community.
As with all things in life, the Ying and Yang of it, some people are honest and some are not. Some copywriters speak truth and some do not. Over the long haul, I believe that it all comes out in the wash and those that face life and offer honest, truthful service end up with repeat business and referrals.
Cheers,
G.S.
Bravo, GordonShumway. I couldn't have said it any better if I tried. Thank you!
Layna61524
(05-15-2021 10:04 AM)smithnowt Wrote: [ -> ]...
The Freebies section of the forum is meant to post DOWNLOADS.
It's NOT MEANT TO POST QUESTIONS !
The late Christian Godefroy, one of the best copywriter in the world years ago, told his students that it's not important if you lie. The important is your credibility.
I was mad each time I read this, and we fought many times in forums.
Mister Bstard Godefroy has extorted millions of dollars to gullible people because he was very good with words. Fcking world...
Maybe I should join the herd and start making money without worrying about people, most of them being immoral and ready to fck or kill me when they can...
I was just reminded of what I'd posted here...
Someone was equating copywriting with deliberate manipulation of others.
THAT is what I should have pointed out - but did not think of it at the time of making the OP.
I do equate being deliberately manipulative of other folks with dishonesty.
That POV came into my life when I was quite young via watching too many of my supposedly wise family elders always doing just that for their incomes.
This is why I've always been a lousy salesman as well - that work seems to go poorly for folks who are 'excessively' truthful and open.
There may be a branch of copywriting which suits me, and I may yet find that - hopefully before I 'graduate' from this world gone crazy !!
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Best Wishes to ALL for Happiness in Perfect Health !!
There is a private program from Dan Kennedy that is all about Manipulation
And as he explains manipulation is not bad all the time
Its all about how you use it.
and sometimes manipulation is essential.
Think people with addiction to fast food. Sex addiction. Or any kind of addiction.
Like downloading all the crap online and wasting YEARS running after every opportunity under the sun.
They want to stop but cant.
Motivation is not enough.
Goalsetting crap is not enough.
Almost nothing is not enough to make them change.
So the only way to help them change is to use ALL the tools in the wagon.
That means to use MANIPULATION as well.
Is it bad?
It can be if you sell a crappy product.
Do you dare not to use manipulation if you know their life depend on really buying your product and using it?
I dont know.
Cant make that decision for ya.
You have to decide for yourself will you save your client or let him down just because you cant convince him right here and right now to stop eating that crappy food. Or having that poisonous relationship. O that sucky job. O whatever problem is hunting your client day in day.
(09-15-2021 04:04 PM)GetStuffDone Wrote: [ -> ]There is a private program from Dan Kennedy that is all about Manipulation
And as he explains manipulation is not bad all the time
It's all about how you use it.
and sometimes manipulation is essential.
Think people with addiction to fast food. Sex addiction. Or any kind of addiction.
Like downloading all the crap online and wasting YEARS running after every opportunity under the sun.
They want to stop but can't.
Motivation is not enough.
Goalsetting crap is not enough.
Almost nothing is not enough to make them change.
So the only way to help them change is to use ALL the tools in the wagon.
That means to use MANIPULATION as well.
Is it bad?
It can be if you sell a crappy product.
Do you dare not to use manipulation if you know their life depend on really buying your product and using it?
I don't know.
Can't make that decision for ya.
You have to decide for yourself will you save your client or let him down just because you can't convince him right here and right now to stop eating that crappy food. Or having that poisonous relationship. Or that sucky job. Or whatever problem is hunting your client day in day.
It all comes down to T R U T H .
"What is Truth?" —Pontius Pilate
Especially today — “Truth” is based on "accepted" public opinion. (Check CNN for that “truth” )
The “truth” of such issues as abortion and euthanasia, homosexuality and war; are decided by “community standards”. (Again, check CNN for that “truth” )
In Afghanistan, raping 10 year-old girls every day of the year is perfectly ok, if you claim to have "married them" (in absentia) first. (No comment from CNN)
No need to continue down this path. You either get the point or you don't.
In the long run, everyone dies.
Long before that eventuality, we need to be aware of the "threats" to our lives and liberty and possessions - or someone who believes they deserve them more will liberate them by whatever means they can.
Like creating fake emergencies and taking away your personal liberties.
Somebody is writing that "copy" on the news 24 hrs a day. And paying $10 billion/month in aggregate to the media promoting a "new" order where you will never again live your life like you did in 2019.
That's why T R U S T is the #1 component of communication and copywriting.
Who do you trust?
AbeLincolnBart
![[Image: 50f56a90ee3e013975b0005056a9545d]](https://assets.amuniversal.com/50f56a90ee3e013975b0005056a9545d)
You seem to be stuck on manipulation. Manipulation isn't good or bad. Manipulation by definition is to control or influence something. You can manipulate a light switch, a knife, a phone, a computer or a person. We all manipulate. We do it every day.
The question is: do you manipulate for good or bad?
You can manipulate someone so that it leaves them better off or worse off.
Marketing, sales, copywriting are all forms of manipulation. You can expand that to any media. The aim in media is to manipulate a person's understanding, their view by offering an experience, sharing an idea, pointing to data.
This may surprise but people actually love to be manipulated... movies, theater, books, music, art... and even social media all aim to manipulate our thoughts and emotions. People gladly pay lots of money for and/or attention to these every single day of the year. Netflix is just one multi-billion dollar ($250B give or take) company built on manipulating its customers thoughts and emotions. They laugh, cry... get surprised, saddened, excited, inspired, entertained... sometimes informed, sometimes delighted... all from the words, images and music they hand their own money to Netflix for. Yes, people are paying someone to have their minds manipulated day after day, month after month... willingly.
Copywriting - using words on a page or in a video presentation to direct an action is manipulation. The choice you have isn't "good" copywriting or "bad" copywriting. It's copywriting that promotes products and services that deliver value and leave the buyer better off or not. Focus applying copywriting techniques to offers that deliver on promises and you can sleep well and live a comfortable lifestyle.
Bottom line, don't write copy for sucky products and services and you're good.
Thanks for making such thoughtful replies here Folks !!
Looks like this is a very difficult subject to address with sufficient clarity.
What I've tried to express is about when salesmanship and manipulation are used to attain the seller's goals minus any real compassion or regard towards the potential buyer's well being.
Another example of what I'm attempting to describe here:
I knew a family who ran a highly successful gallery of very artsy handmade items.
It was located in a tourist town near where I used to live and last I knew made them a very tidy living for many years.
The items themselves ranged from being purely for display to variations of practical things and all tended to be quite pricey.
The owners were very clever about only hiring the sort of folks commonly referred to as 'starving artists', who of course thought it was great to sell artsy stuff.
Those folks were paid a very low wage with commissions based upon meeting relentlessly increasing goals, which of course is not unusual - but the pressures the owners exerted were unusually demanding - such that anyone who managed to stay working for them for even a year was viewed as a marvelous person for others to hire.
My POV:
For these folks to smilingly convince young newlyweds that they absolutely could NOT live without some $2000 light fixture - which clearly would not match their developing lifestyle or incomes based upon simple, casual observations (I've seen this...) bordered on criminal in my personal opinion.
Of course there was more to that place, but this is just a simple example based upon what I saw their when waiting to go get a coffee with one of the owners who was a friend of mine.
(And no - I never bought any of their fancy stuff as I have a very simple lifestyle - but they did try to sell me stuff !!)
It is salesmanship and manipulation like that which I refer to in a less than positive manner here.
As to truthfulness - for me it boils down to a simple matter of conscience functioning as a guide towards a preferred level of personal integrity - which will differ widely for different people.
For myself - truthfulness, honesty and being open are quite easy and simple as manifestations of an inner knowing directed by the desire to do no harm as one of my own central values.
As ALB and other good folks here have mentioned above - it is not the basic idea of manipulation, nor the cultural or societal definition of trust to which I refer or subscribe to in relation to selling and the like.
I am not hungry or desperate enough to sacrifice my chosen level of integrity - even to the point of easily being able to turn my back towards the world's current insanities no matter the personal cost it may incur to me.
It may yet happen that I will embrace some form of copywriting as a means of adding a supplemental income.
That event has not come yet due to my own conditions and limitations at present - but I do have what look like some very good study materials which I will make use of as my times of having higher energy become more frequent.
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Best Wishes to ALL for Happiness in Perfect Health !!