I talked about the legendary copywriter Gary Bencivenga yesterday.
Gary wrote sales letters that brought in millions of dollars for big publishing companies. He rarely if ever lost a split-run test, even when competing against the highest level, against other top-of-the-pile copywriters.
I’ve been going through Gary’s farewell seminar for the fourth time. I’m finding all kinds of nuggets of gold that I had missed before.
For example:
At one point during his farewell seminar, Gary mentions in a slightly exasperated tone the idea of “relationship marketing.” And he says:
“I buy an aspirin because I have a headache, not because I want a relationship with my druggist.”
Maybe you’re ready to pick this statement apart. And I’m sure you can. I’m sure you can do a good job proving that Gary’s statement isn’t true, not most of the time, not with all people, and that it doesn’t apply to your particular situation or to the way the whole market has changed since Gary was in his heyday.
That’s fine.
I don’t have a dog or a cat in this fight. I’m just here to share Gary’s idea with you, and maybe give you something new to think about.
But if you think a bit, and realize that maybe your customers aren’t primarily interested in buying from you because you are you, because they want to imagine you’re their friend and they like your sense of humor and they feel good about obeying your commands, then what are you left with?
Well, you can always talk about your offer.
Or about your customers’ problems.
Or about convincing proof that your offer will solve your customers’ problems.
Or simply about your customer’s deep hidden desires, about his identity, and how your offer naturally reinforces that.
If this is what you want to do, and you want to do it well, then you can learn to do it with my Copy Riddles program.
It teaches you to write copy by showing you how A-list copywriters have done it, starting with a dry source text, and ending with a sexy and sparkling sales letter that netted millions or tens of millions of dollars. Often, without the slightest shred of personality or relationship.
And yes, among the A-list copywriters that Copy Riddles looks at is Gary Bencivenga himself. If you’d like to find out more, take a look at the page below: