Once upon a time, “pick up artist” Mystery made a rather objectifying comment about women:
“Treat a six like a ten, and a ten like a six. You won’t go wrong.”
What does this have to do with copywriting?
Nothing probably.
Except it mirrors very closely the product marketing advice of direct response genius Joe Sugarman. Says Joe:
“A rule of thumb is to explain a complicated product in a very simple way and explain a simple product in a very complex way.”
For example:
When Joe was selling the first electronic blood pressure unit back in 1980, many people were still intimidated by computers. So Joe didn’t harp on the circuits inside or the assembly code that made this gadget work.
Instead, in a one-page ad, he devoted a total of 3 sentences to how the electronic beast works (wrap it around your arm, inflate it, listen for the beep).
No technical jiggery-pokery, no intimidation through jargon.
But sometimes, jargon is just what you want.
For example, a student of Joe Sugarman, named Frank Lewis, was selling grapefruit through direct mail.
Grapefruit. A pretty simple product.
So in a one-page ad, Lewis devoted five paragraphs to describing the unique features of his “Royal Ruby Reds” — everything from their color (“rich red”), taste (“natural sugar”), acid balance (“low”), juiciness (“high”), meatiness (also “high”), smoothness (can’t be “wind scarred”), and shape (can’t have a “sheep nose”).
He really sold this thing.
Mystery would be proud.
Anyways, this advice can be directly applied in case you’re a freelance copywriter, offering your services on online platforms such as Upwork.
For example, it influences how you structure your description of the services you offer — and how you convince clients that you’re worth hiring.
I lay out all the details of this in my upcoming book on how to become a highly paid, top-rated sales copywriter on Upwork.
If you’d like to get notified when this book goes live on Amazon (and when there will be a short free promo period), sign up below: