• What about plain, straight-forward honesty and enthusiasm?
• Can a genuine approach succeed, or do all 'great marketers' need to be button-pushers?

Anyone can become anything they want to be, it's just that most won't; either because of social norms, barriers to entry, they don't have the drive to see patterns and adapt, or they're just lazy. Saying that all the majority of people can achieve is adequacy in something is a logical fallacy based off of common human behavior.

Anyhoo, enough with pointing that out - onto my actual point

Copywriting is just a spin on a type of marketing. All marketing has a pattern. Once you are able to see that pattern, then you're able to "bend it to your will" so-to-speak.

To find that pattern, you have to have develop the ability to see it in whatever niche you're entering and then anticipate how your words will trigger the desired response in the reader. Since most people are either ignorant of that foresight or just don't care to develop it, there aren't that many great copywriters.

Still, anyone can develop that skill, they just have to have the drive.

"Can ANYONE become a GREAT __________?? Or are they actually a ELITE breed?"

So, is Kunal supposed to learn, practice and try to improve? Or is he supposed to just give up because someone said he can't?

And when is his copy good enough to subject people to it?

Good idea. Let's do it.

Who's in?

I submit that this is *not* the premise of Gladwell's book.

His (actually, Ericsson's) "10,000 hour rule" is meant to be a benchmark...an amount of practice or participation it takes someone to become successful at some complex and competitive field of endeavor. If that's sufficient to prove "greatness," then so be it. But I feel his premise applies to a .200 hitting shortstop with a five year career in the majors as much as it applies to Albert Pujols.

Naturally, he cherry picks famous, world class examples, because that sells books better than the study of the really, REALLY competent tax accountant would.

But I suggest this:

A whole lot of practice AND a whole lot of talent = greatness.

Either a whole lot of practice OR a whole lot of talent, but not both = competence.

Anything less = incompetence or failure.

I feel like I know, including online acquaintances, about a half dozen people who I sincerely believe could become Bencivengas with ten solid years' practice.

I feel like I know a whole lot more who couldn't.

Maybe we're just referring to different things when we say the word "great."

(Ed. note: I say this as a .200 hitting shortstop in the world of professional writing.)

If SEO guys were so elite we'd all be ranked #1 right now.

Any troll on YouTube could tell you that.

Too funny.

Is it sad that headline makes me wish there was more to read? lol

Sounds like a great story to be heard! (with JC and others discuss as being the key to a successful sales letter)


To the original poster: "Can anyone become a great copywriter?"

Answer: John Carlton has devoted 30+ years to becoming a "great copywriter," the question is are you willing to do the same? Then you have your answer.

Tiger Woods didn't just pick up a golf club one day and start swingin' ...

~Dexx

Not really. Good copywriting is the type that makes your cash register ring.

That is the ONLY thing that matters.

The best comment yet, in my opinion, is that "greatness" is subjective, so striving for it is a frail wish.

Also have to agree with the comment that you're always being judged by what and HOW you write - especially here, where future clients lurk much more than you think.

Your grammar and punctuation is atrocious, dude. Believe me, I make plenty of mistakes (probably make a few in this post) but you've at least got to go back and cap the "i" if you want to be taken seriously as a writer.

With that out of the way... you've got some things going for you that make me believe you could do well - if you're serious:

1. You take criticism well. A tough skin is at least as important (if not more) as natural writing ability. People who get pissy at the chirping of their peers will have their heads split clean open when a client calls screaming that your crap copy is losing him "a hundred thousand dollars an hour!" (No matter how untrue it is, it's a gut twist for any writer who cares about what they do)

2. You have some "in the trenches" sales experience. If you took the telemarketing gig seriously at all, and got jacked over turning a stiff prospect into a lap cat to close the deal, then you just may be a real closer. That will get you further along than a masters in English every time.

Now, just to let you know that I'm speaking from experience here, I've taught John Carlton's SWS one-on-one in the mentoring sessions to over 100 students. Is it the "end all be all" course?

No... none of them are.

But I do believe it's the best course for quickly learning the fundamental elements of a strong ad from a proven master.

I also like what you said in your OP about how the course has awakened you to all the good and bad ads we encounter every day. It is damned exciting to suddenly wear those goggles, isn't it?

You asked how to become "great" at persuading readers to take action...

Here's what I know it takes to become a successful freelance copywriter (based on the handful of copywriters I know who qualify for the "greatness" title):

1. You have to LOVE writing.

Sure, you can hate writing and still put together a "good enough" ad for yourself, but you'll never find your groove as a pro if the act of writing doesn't satisfy you viscerally. Why torture yourself like that?

2. Those who get good, tend to get good fast.

Now, before everyone starts citing examples to the contrary, let me say that when Bencivenga says his ads were "horrible" for years, consider his standard. (Plus, he stayed employed, so it had to be at least passable.) The difference is, with the Internet, we get to test our stuff immediately now, so if you suck, you'll know quickly and if you're good, you'll get even better quickly.

Point is... if you're still posting "can I be great at this" threads here a year from now; hang it up.

3. "Making it" as a freelancer requires much more than the ability to convert a sale.

Getting results for your clients is only the first prerequisite. The real job is client management. Brutal grind learning the steps to that dance. If you survive it, you can have a relatively peaceful business life. But - if your sane - your immediate goal will be to move beyond client work.

I'm fortunate to have great clients, but learning to filter out the ones I'm not a good match with (and achieving a level where I'm fortunate enough not to need them), took a good year off my life and all the hair from my head.

Good news is, if you handle your business with class, own your mistakes and learn to be "The Adult in the Room" (greatest and most difficult lesson my mentors like Montello and Carlton ever taught me)... you will get to a place where partnering with your best clients just makes more sense for all parties.

That's the stepping stone to real freedom. Until then, no matter how staggering your fees, you're still trading hours for dollars. Not the prize we're after.

But I'm wandering out past the buoy now...

The answer to your question is: Yes, you can be great! And the first step is capping your "i's".

All the best,

Kevin

I strongly disagree.

Why would you waste time trying to discover things for yourself when there are enough people out there who could teach you the ropes?

Of course, if you've got time to waste and don't mind at least doubling your learning curve...

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There is more truth and wisdom in this post than almost ALL of the others combined. Great observation. If more marketers understood and employed this simple concept they would be clearing a path for huge success.

Yep, At the moment...I am working on some mock sales letters and opt-in pages. And i have also offered to help a warrior fix his squeeze page and re-do it until he gets the desired conversions. I spent an hour just re-writing the headline. Now i understand why copywriters are so well paid and why the good ones charge the fee they do.

Following John Carlton's advice i am writing everyday and reading novels and trying to find plot points and a LOT of other fun stuff. I just subscribed to a few direct mail lists to see how their advertising is... Every time i sit down to write and brainstorm ideas, it feels like my brain is bleeding, but when i come up with that one sentence that i know is a winner...it's totally worth it and it gets easier with practice... When i started writing first, it was a nightmare...I'd be staring at that blank screen for what seemed like hours, looking at that twitching vertical line and i eventually started having second thoughts. But again i remembered John's advice and turned myself into a "Snarling Beast" i got angry, i literally got angry at EVERYTHING... and then like magic, the words started flowing. It wasn't the best but it was good enough.

I'll spend a few more months perfecting this and making myself better. I am a freelance deejay in real-life and i know the kind of rewards that come with talent and a good reputation... i work my own hours and charge what i feel like charging, its the best feeling ever and being able replicate that online with my copywriting, would just mean so much. Plus, copywriting is a fun thing to learn. For the first time i am actually enjoying writing.

Cheers,
kunal