Replace Your Elevator Speech With Your Elevator Story

Recently someone said to me, “I’m getting bored with my own elevator speech. I feel like I’m putting everyone to sleep … even me.”

No wonder. My own intro to elevator speeches was the Basic Option 1: “You know how stressed-out people get when they are changing careers? Well, I have a three-step system …”

Then there’s the variation, “I work with stressed out corporate executives who want to find a new career while they’re still employed.”

As a copywriter, I get tempted to add an edge to these openings. We could suggest something like, “I work with corporate executives who are one step away from a career meltdown, but want to stay employed while they … ”

Sounds good … almost too good. Good copy is invisible, like good authors of novels. When your audience starts to think, “Wow, that’s really clever!” they stop paying attention to the message.

It’s like watching that commercial where the dog gets a beer from the refrigerator and then we hear lapping sounds. I loved the commercial but couldn’t tell you the brand of beer.

Instead, take another page from the copywriting books and create your elevator story.

Elevator Story Examples

Some time ago I met a prosperity coach who opened with, “I help clients manage their finances. For example, one client was a recently divorced woman who just suffered a devastating financial loss. She was afraid she’d have to declare bankruptcy. Two years later, she’s living in her own home and buying investment property.”

Everyone in hearing distance leaned over to ask her, “Can I have your card?”

One of my own stories goes like this:

“For example, one client had a beautiful calling card website but all the revenue came from face-to-face networking events. We overhauled the website, added an e-course and created a section to showcase her services. Now the website brings in serious inquiries. She’s beginning to close sales after a single phone call.”

Now … what’s *your* story?

That phrase, “Use it or lose it,” echoes through my mind a lot these days, for both copywriting and possessions.

If you’ve been following me awhile, you know I moved to Philadelphia last June. Originally I planned to stay for a year but … hey, there’s a reason this is my third time to move to Philadelphia.

So I bought a pet-friendly condo and am sorting through my possessions. Fortunately the Seattle movers destroyed several pieces of furniture, so I’m working with less.

“Use it or lose it” can be read as a warning. If you keep saying, “I can’t wear this because it’s too special,” soon it’s out of date and ready to be retired. Useless!

Reframe as a guideline: “Use it or get rid of it.” That’s what my organizer friends say, so I am ruthlessly giving away lots of things that sat on a shelf for a year. Some of my possessions are old enough to buy their own beer.

And for copywriting …

When we’re writing copy, reports, articles or books, we often get ideas that seems truly magnificent. “Too good for what I’m doing!” we think.

Professional writers are taught to think differently. When you don’t hold back, you keep getting more ideas and better ones. “Give it all you’ve got!” applies whether you’re writing a flyer for a small one-time event or a website for a significant business entity.

And when it comes to copywriting skills, the adage “Use it or lose it” also makes sense. My copywriting mentor, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, used to tell her students, “Write every day.” That’s what she learned from her own mentors.

It’s true. When I write frequently, the words flow more easily and I produce better copy. That’s one reason a copywriter can get your project out the door so far: we do this every day … okay, some of us may take off for a birthday or Thanksgiving. But *almost.*

In next week’s workshop I’ll be sharing many tips to multiply your content so you complete your projects faster for stronger rewards. You can still qualify for a 20-minute consultation when you sign up today only: http://www.CopywritingWithCathy.com/multipliercourse.html

[Guest Post by Famous Copywriter Dan Kennedy]

Many years ago, I took over a business with mammoth collection problems: almost all of its customers had open accounts and paid their bills ten to sixty days late (except those who didn’t pay at all). We quickly instituted a number of corrective measures, including tighter credit controls and policies, interests charges, a sequence of past-due notices, and collection calls.

However, we also instituted a positive strategy. We started sending hand-signed thank you notes for prompt payment to anybody who did pay on time…those who were almost on time…and even late payers who responded to a past-due notice.

Guess what happened? Those customers who received thank you notes became better paying customers.

I know a Doctor who started a procedure of giving fresh, long-stemmed red roses to his women patients who showed up for their appointment on time, or paid their bills on time, or referred another patient. “Funny thing,” he told me. “We no longer have patients missing appointments. Our collections have improved. Referrals are up. And, some guys are asking how they can get roses, too! Here are a few specific ideas you might adopt, as ways of saying thank you:

• Keep customers’ birthdays on file and send cards and/or mail gifts.
• Send Thanksgiving cards or letters. * Make it a habit to drop a personal thank-you note in the mail each day, to at least one customer.
• Send a gift certificate or discount certificate to a customer who makes an unusually large purchase.
• Host a “Customer Appreciation Event” – a Christmas party, a backyard bar-b que.
• Have an occasional closed-to-the-public, preferred customer sale.
• Drop in personally on your best customers, with a surprise gift.

I figured it up just the other day; last year, personally and for my various businesses combined, I signed checks for well over one million dollars, in payment for goods and services to all sorts of people and companies. And I don’t care what anybody says – a million bucks is a lot of money. Yet, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of the recipients of all that money who have expressed any gratitude in any formal kind of way. Only one of them found out and recognized my birthday. Just saying “thanks” is a big step ahead of the competition today.

DAN S. KENNEDY is a serial, multi-millionaire entrepreneur; highly paid and sought after marketing and business strategist; advisor to countless first-generation, from-scratch multi-millionaire and 7-figure income entrepreneurs and professionals; and, in his personal practice, one of the very highest paid direct-response copywriters in America. As a speaker, he has delivered over 2,000 compensated presentations, appearing repeatedly on programs with the likes of Donald Trump, Gene Simmons (KISS), Debbi Fields (Mrs. Fields Cookies), and many other celebrity-entrepreneurs, for former U.S. Presidents and other world leaders, and other leading business speakers like Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and Tom Hopkins, often addressing audiences of 1,000 to 10,000 and up.  His popular books have been favorably recognized by Forbes, Business Week, Inc. and Entrepreneur Magazine. His NO B.S. MARKETING LETTER, one of the business newsletters published for Members of Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle, is the largest paid subscription newsletter in its genre in the world. Learn more here. 

Recently I presented a webinar on 5 basic steps of copywriting. You can listen to the audio portion here.

One question from the audience was, “What’s the difference between content writing and copywriting?”

I have to admit I was stopped cold for a moment. As a copywriter, I write almost everything my clients need to create a successful online presence: websites, sales letters, video scripts, FB bios, even the “10 questions” set for being a teleseminar guest. Was I copywriting or just creating content?

Well, I said, I believe every time you create content for an audience you are copywriting. When your prospect sees what you write, after all, you are trying to make a sale. You aren’t writing just to educate, inform or inspire (although it’s nice if you accomplish those goals). And if you do want to educate your readers, you’re hoping they’ll be motivated to work with you in future, inspired by the quality of your content.

Therefore, everything you write is copy: ebooks, class learning guides, blog posts. social marketing posts … everything!

Copyblogger’s blog (which usually has gems that deserve attention) seems to be agreeing with me. They came right out and said:
CONTENT WITHOUT COPYWRITING IS A WASTE OF GOOD CONTENT.

Read the full post here.

I say – yes!

Of course, they go on to say:

COPYWRITING WITHOUT CONTENT IS A WASTE OF GOOD COPY.

Also true: readers want to get value from your message, not just a hard sell. Who likes to read ad copy? Just people who write ad copy.

If you’d like to talk about creating content under the influence of copywriting, let’s talk!
Start with the Laser Marketing Makeover.

Just what is an online presence, anyway? Is it just a website?

If you’re a busy professional, your online presence becomes a way of extending your marketing power without investing additional hours. You market more productively without reducing your billable hours or your personal life.

I used to encourage readers to think of the effect they created when they walk into a room at a networking event. Your movement style, walk, clothes, hair and general aura all create a professional presence.

But now I think your online presence goes deeper.  Let’s think of your presence as having  dimensions.

Depth - This is the element of presence that’s like walking into a room. It’s sharp, immediate, focused and subjective as well as objective. You create this depth by the look and feel of your materials: your header graphic, type face, colors and (if you add one) logo.

Those are the obvious components of depth. Your words also become your signature. Think of people you follow on the Internet. If you had to describe their conversational style, you probably could.

“Girl next door.”

“Edgy.”

“Sarcastic.”

“Light-hearted.”

“Always serious and businesslike.”

Breadth - This dimension refers to the distribution of your online presence. Do people say, “You’re out there in a big way?” Are you everywhere, within the realm of your target market? Do a lot of people know about you?

I recognized my own breadth when I went to a conference where I knew almost no one. Several people came up, saw my name tag and said, “Cat Chats! I’ve been there.” Love when that happens.

Height - This dimension refers to your status or stature. Does your online presence signal credibility? Are you seen as strong, powerful and competent?

I just heard from someone who heard me speak on a teleseminar a few months ago. She remembered me and she wrote, “I was impressed. I will want to work with you soon.”  That’s my dream version of height.

If you like this topic, check out my free Report: 3 Essential Steps To Create Your Fabulous Online Presence.

Schedule a Laser Marketing Makeover to transform your own online presence – fast!

Business owners tend to be busy. Really busy. When I say “time-starved” they nod immediately. They also want to Do The Right Thing.

When you’re operating outside your area of expertise, it’s not always easy to know what’s important. So you can invest a lot of time trying to get something Just Right when it’s not important.

For instance, the first time I bought a home, I thought the color of the walls and carpet were really important. Never mind little things like wiring, windows and walls.

People choose websites the same way. I’ve met clients who waited 6 months or more because they thought they needed certain things. They left money on the table but even worse, they worried!

So for the holidays my copywriting gift to you is … here are 4 things you DON’T have to worry about. You’re free to spend time with your family, serve more clients or plot your escape to your next adventure.

1 – Domain name. I’ve seen people wait 6 months or more to get the perfect domain name. Your URL is important but it’s SO easy to change and forward.

A memorable name will do wonders for almost anything: a company, product or program. But if you can’t come up with a good name, jump in and offer something anyway. You’ll get better.

Just reserve your own name. Most people remember your name – not your company name or URL.

And don’t let anybody else do the godaddy thing for you. Get registered in your name with your own credit card. That’s a non-negotiable.

2 – What to write on your holiday card for clients and customers.

This question actually has appeared on several forums. It’s tempting to say, “Who cares?” but it’s holiday time and even copywriters are starting to feel mellow around now.

Frankly, I suspect your clients will not even notice who sends a card and who doesn’t. I can’t imagine someone saying, “We can’t do business with Morticia: she didn’t send a card.” Anyway most clients know the real message of a card or gift is, “I hope we keep doing business together.”

If you feel a special bond to a client or find a gift that seems just right for that client, you won’t need to wonder what to write on the card. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness and kindness (although their spending plans won’t change a bit).

When I get an impersonal card from a vendor, I barely notice the message. I know they’re really saying, “I love you and I really love your credit card. Keep coming back and spending with us!”

3 – Whether your new content will really sound like you.

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know my answer. The Authenticity Paradox (a phrase I made up myself) says you will often sound more like yourself when you hire a professional copywriter.

More than once, a client has given me an assignment with a request to “please include this paragraph which I wrote.”

Inevitably, when I return the finished copy, they HATE that paragraph.

“Where’d you get it?” they ask. I never tell.

4 – What colors to use on your website.

Yes, I know color is important. You send subtle messages when you use tomato red versus geranium pink. But changing the color just isn’t that hard for a competent designer.

Anyway, once you get the content written, your colors will probably emerge from the copywriter’s tone. An upbeat, perky website will use color differently from a solemn website.

5 – Adding just the right photo to your blog.

Sure, blogs look better with photos but they don’t look like anything till they’re published. Your blog can still be colorful with words and images… and you can always add later.

You don’t need to wait for a logo either. Lots of people make lots of money without bothering.

There … don’t you feel better already? Now you can summon the energy to sign up for my Content Multiplier course whee you’ll discover how to make one piece of content do the work of 3, 4 or 5.

Coming Tuesday Dec 6: Sign up here.

An artist friend walks into my home and spots a picture that’s not quite straight – but she notices. A musically trained listener will go to a great orchestra and pick up mistakes that 99% of the audience won’t.

Writers notice word choices. I have to admit there are examples that make me wince.

First, I want to get one thing out of the way. Copywriting classes will tell you that certain styles are not acceptable. It’s okay to begin sentences with “And” and “But.” It’s okay to end with a preposition most of the time. At first I resisted these ideas, but now I endorse them and use these styles all the time.

I still get well-meant notes from readers who tell me, “You can’t begin a sentence with ‘and.’” In fact, I get so many of those notes that I now resist using these perfectly fine styles in my blog posts and emails.”However” sounds a lot more formal than “But.” But some of my audiences will cringe at sentences like this one.

Where do we draw the line? I want to single out a few expressions and pronunciations will make a huge impact in a negative way. Mostly they occur in spoken English, but occasionally we see related examples in writing. Mostly you, as readers of this blog, won’t be using and abusing them. You can pass this post along to someone you know.

(1) Some words are easy to mispronounce. I once listened to a lively teleseminar presentation by a fairly well-known marketer. All went well until she referred to “Realtors.” She said (and you guessed it) “real-a-tor.” Up to that point I was taking her content at face value, but now I began to question her credentials.

(2) Adverbs will kill us all. “Let’s get it done quick” is becoming more common, but in any kind of presentation it’s important to say, “Let’s get it done quickly.” Omitting those two small “ly” letters will mark a speaker, and not in a good way. I realize that sometimes this construction is part of a regional dialect, but teleseminars give you a national platform.

(3) Some speakers invent words. I just listened to a presentation about a fitness DVD. The speaker was talking about “preventative medicine.” Preventive medicine? Yes. Preventative? I believe it’s okay as a noun.

Can you be successful without these fixes? Absolutely. I believe these speakers lost some credibility, but only with some audience members. Still, it’s a good reason to ask a professional copywriter to listen to your audios and make suggestions. Changing just a word or two can change a message.

When  clients ask me how to strengthen their copywriting, I often refer to painting word pictures. Sometimes this concept is difficult to understand and it’s not easy to implement, even for experienced copywriters. Recently I came across an article from Econsultancy with some excellent examples. The article targets products but the principles apply even more to services, info products and programs such as teleseminars. You can read their article here.

(1) Create a different page for each product. You maximize SEO opportunities and you also help customers stay focused. Typically customers want a very specific type of product or service so they appreciate simplicity However, your page loses conversions when you appear to be “stuffing” keywords, i.e., tossing in keywords as an obvious bid to the search engines.  Experienced copywriters will use keywords carefully.

(2)  Make the copy easy to read. One copywriter refers to some pages as being “text-y” or “text-heavy,” which is not a compliment. I find my first drafts tend to be rather dense with text; as I improvise they get lighter.

-  Use lots of bullets, images, bold and sometimes colored text to break up the pattern.

- Warn your web designer: “I need LOTS of white space! Give me dark type on a light background.” Who cares if the page is drop-dead gorgeous if nobody reads it?’

- If you have complex technical info or requirements, consider using a table. You can also use a text box with a shaded background and a contrasting type face.

(3) Use a friendly tone when you write. Often your copy works best when it comes across as talking to a good friend. Humor works when it doesn’t distract from the main message; when the reader remembers the joke better than the product, it’s not working.

(4) Sell the benefits of the experience… which can be the stuff of dreams. 

Here’s where you can paint word pictures to inspire your reader’s imagination. One of the examples presented by Econsultancy seems  especially brilliant.  The J. Peterman company describes a simple men’s winter coat as a “scene-stealing greatcoat.” The copy begins, “If ever a coat evoked high-flying deeds, this is it.” The copy then evokes World War II scenes, since the coat is modeled “loosely” after a Royal Air Force officer’s greatcoat: a “heartbreaking goodby” when the hero’s train pulls out from Waterloo; a poignant moment “on the front” where he reads the letter from home.

Suddenly an everyday clothing item evoke scenes of a romantic war movie. And the rest, as we say, is history.

Time-starved service business owners typically want to use their websites to get more clients. After all, if you’re already busy, the more your website can do the heavy lifting, the more time you will have to do the rest of your marketing (not to mention deliver your services).

That means you have to motivate visitors to convert from prospects to clients. As a copywriter, I deal with these challenges regularly. Here are some strategies I use – and you can incorporate them into your website planning too:

(1) Go with Organic SEO

Hiring an SEO expert may bring results for a short time, but few people can keep up with the fast-paced changes of Google, Yahoo and other search engines. Ultimately it’s organic SEO – traffic that arises from search engines without payment for traffic generation.

Organic search means
… keyword rich content – and LOTS of content
… backlinks from websites that would naturally link to your site

“Link swap links” are so 1990s and early 00s. Today you’re expected to generate meaningful links. One approach is to seed the Internet with well-written articles. Your resource box includes a link to your website.

(2) Create your selling premise (a/k/a USP).

Show why you are different and why you stand out from the pack. You’ll need to be unique and original. Strong copywriting will get away from common promotions, such as, “Let us take your business to the next level.” An experienced copywriter will probe for your USP: what makes you different from others in your field.

Tip: Even if you are working with a wonderful marketing coach, don’t be surprised if a copywriter finds a new way to express your USP or a new USP altogether.

(3) Be very clear on what you offer.

The best way to tell if you’re not clear: Prospects say, “I didn’t know you did THAT.” I got caught in that myself: someone said, “I don’t know if you do sales letters.” I’d buried them under “Promotion.” In fact, I write sales letters all the time:

http://www.CopywritingWithCathy.com/salesletters.html

It seemed clear to me and I was so busy writing them for clients, I didn’t realize that some potential clients were confused.

(4) Include social proof.

Conversions increase when you add testimonials from satisfied clients. Testimonials from clients who resemble your prospects will be especially powerful. If you’re got a few famous names, you may add credibility, but people get convinced when they read about others who are like them.

Use LinkedIn to collect testimonials, too. They’re very public so they are especially powerful.

(5) Let your graphics follow your content, rather than vice versa.

New clients often think they need to get the design nailed down before they hire a copywriter. In fact, your website project will go faster if you start with the content. Your design needs to support the content, because nothing should get in the way of your message.

A few blocks from where I live, an optometrist posted a sign:

A year of manicures and pedicures – $186

One eye exam to save your sight – $45

Wow. That’s a show stopper! An eye exam seems expensive … until you think about what we pay for manicures or even getting our hair done.

The truth is: we hear numbers differently, depending on the context. If you’ve been in the Internet Marketing world awhile, $97 seems very reasonable for a Report related to business; $37 seems like a giveaway. To someone who’s accustomed to bookstores, the number $37 seems high because you can get a hardcover book for $25.

Internet marketers understand this principle so we often promote numbers to gain an advantage. If you’re selling, you may be able to do well by turning large amounts into smaller fees. As far as I know, you’re doing nothing illegal or unethical, by most standards, as long as you disclose everything. If you are buying, you need to be aware of what you are getting.

Example 1:

You get two quotes for copywriting. One quote sounds outrageous: $2000. Another copywriter quotes $40 an hour. Many business owners will grab the $40 an hour copywriter. Sometimes you get great copy. But sometimes that copywriter ends up taking 20, 40 or even 100 hours to write your content. My own rule for most services is, “If you can’t give me an upper limit, I can’t hire you.”

The exception? Most VA’s can’t quote by the project. Each task is just too small. That’s another article.

Example 2:

Your design company offers to create a website free (or for a shockingly low rate). When you read the fine print, you discover you also pay hosting for a year or more. From the designer’s perspective, it’s a good deal. It might work for you, too.

But … does the hosting company offer 24/7 support for hosting issues? If not, you won’t know what to do if your site mysteriously disappears at 3 AM on a weekend. If you’re with a good hosting company you probably clicked the wrong button when you uploaded content and it’s an easy fix. If your host isn’t available, you’re stuck.

Sometimes the hosting company promises to help you with maintenance. Frankly, most sites just don’t need that much maintenance, other than updating content. Modifying WordPress content is about as hard as sending an email, once you’ve learned the basics, or you can hire a VA for updates. If you’re making major changes or adding new pages all the time, you need to find affordable support (and you’re hopefully making decisions that lead to a healthy return on your investment).

My own hosting company, hostgator, charges less than $8 per month for hosting. So if you’re paying $40 a month, you’ve got almost $400 to spend on services you really need. You can choose the services so if you’re not happy – no problem.

My newest service – express websites – doesn’t require ongoing maintenance. You pay one time. For some businesses, it’s exactly what you need. Learn more.