Call me a dunce, but I can’t write a single line of copy until I write my opening paragraph.
Unlike many successful copywriters, I can’t follow the advice of the many direct mail copywriting gurus who suggest I write the reply device first because that’s the tool that closes the sale. I can’t start [...]
Written on November 26th, 2008
Read more articles on Become a writer.
Call me a dunce, but I can’t write a single line of copy until I write my opening paragraph.
Unlike many successful copywriters, I can’t follow the advice of the many direct mail copywriting gurus who suggest I write the reply device first because that’s the tool that closes the sale. I can’t start there. That’s the last thing I write.
So writing for me is agony. I can’t begin anywhere else but at the beginning. Which, for me, is the opening line of the letter.
So I write “Dear [blank].” Then I hit the return key twice. Then I wait for inspiration. Or hunt for inspiration, depending on how close my deadline is.
I get an idea. I craft the opening as a question. Too pompous. Hit delete.
I start with an anecdote. Too long in getting to the point. Backspace through that one.
I quote Aristotle. Too obscure.
I quote Mark Twain instead. Funny. But irrelevant. Delete.
I head in another direction. A statistic. A real grabber. But I sound like I’m preaching, not starting a letter written by me to a real, living prospect. So I delete again.
I hunt through 3,500 Good Jokes for Speakers. Nothing.
Maybe I should try a colloquial approach. I hunt through Yiddish Wisdom, Yiddish Chochma. “The husband is the boss–if his wife allows,” I read. Now there’s a great quote. But not for this letter.
A search through The Forbes Book of Business Quotations lasts over an hour because I get sidetracked by a great line from Henry Ford and end up reading every quotable thing he said, none of them germane to my topic.
And so it goes until I finish my start. Only when I am confident that I have hooked my reader do I have the courage to write the copy that will keep the reader hooked to the end of the letter. I can’t enjoy my trip until I know where I’m headed.
Now if only I knew how to end this article with a bang I’d have it finished by now.
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About the Author
Alan Sharpe is a direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers attract new clients using direct mail and email marketing. Sign up for free weekly tips like this at www.sharpecopy.com/newsletter
Written on November 26th, 2008
Read more articles on Become a writer.