How To Smash Past The Inevitable Brick Wall
Ahh…the brick wall…gotta love it.
You’re working on a project… burying your nose into mounds of research, studies, statistics and facts…writing out dozens of headlines to choose the best…brainstorming the best lead…
…eventually, you even begin writing the letter.
You start writing and maybe 1-3 days later (if a rough draft takes you any longer than 2-3 days…you might want to consider figuring out how to shorten your writing time)…you finally have a rough draft written.
Hooray!
After writing the rough draft and getting your mind off it for a few days, you head back to work and start polishing it up.
And everything is going well…until…the brick wall smacks you in the forehead.
All of a sudden – you don’t care as much about the product or service as you did when you started. It’s not “new” anymore. It’s getting old, you have a new exciting project…and you’re now dragging your feet just to try and finish the one you started.
Because I don’t know about you…but I know that for me personally…the real “magic” happens on about the 3rd edit or so. That’s when the black chunk of raw coal starts getting cut and polished into a sparkling diamond!
So…how do you do it?
My 3 No-Fail Ways To Smash Down The Brick Wall Like A Wrecking Ball
Listen, this happens to everybody. It’s NOT your fault if you aren’t quite as excited about a project as you used to be. Hell, I bet your CLIENT isn’t as excited about his or her product as they used to be – so don’t “feel bad” if that’s the case.
But in order to do the best job you can, and write a kick-ass promotion… I suggest you follow the 3 tips below which have personally helped me jump past the brick wall and write promotions that convert like crazy.
1) Re-evaluate The Product – First of all if you’re not studying the product you’re writing about like your life depended on it..shame on you. I see this way too often – copywriters try to take the “easy” way out and simply glance over it once and be done with it. STUDY whatever it is that you’re selling! Many times (as long as it’s a good product) you’ll begin to get re-excited about the project.
2) Think About The Money – I’m not doing much freelancing anymore (I’m using my skills for my own businesses lately), but when I do take on a client – I’ve been doing a few deals lately where I get a percentage of the increase in business I give my client. In my opinion – EVERY copywriter needs to do this. Why? Because it FORCES you to write to the best of your ability. If you don’t – you don’t make money!
3) Take Some Time Off – If your schedule/client allows (and it/they should)…take a friggin day off for Pete’s sake. If you don’t feel like working on a Wednesday afternoon and want to curl up on your couch with a bowl of ice cream, a beer, and a full season of Lost (I just started watching Lost – and LOVE it!)…then DO IT! Although society wants you to believe that working non-stop is how you should be living life…trust me, taking some time off can do wonders for both your creative mind as well as your motivation levels.
Before I end this post I want you to know that yes, I realize these concepts are pretty simple and elementary. But…have you tried them?
If not…I suggest you do.
And by the way – I’ll most likely be doing #3 today (minus the beer/ice cream) and working until about noon…then taking a few hours off to watch Lost. If you’re a fan and remember the first season…you know why this is more of a necessity and not a choice 🙂
P.S. (Who uses P.S.’s on blogs?) – I’m starting a new and more “personal” blog about my life and basically how to achieve more health, wealth and happiness in your life. If you’re in to that sort of thing and want to become a better person overall…shoot me an email – I’d love some ideas for the new blog!
