… Down the Rabbit Hole …

Welcome intrepid adventurer …

Come over, have a seat.

If you have yourself a cup of coffee, great!

I usually do

Before I get into how I’m not “selling” you what I have to sell …

Let me tell you what this is all about here.

In my past life (entrepreneurial life), I ran a business publishing a magazine all about coffee. Extracted Magazine (I still own it, the project just sits in the halls of glory for me as I’ve moved on to bigger and better things)

I’ll get into that more another time, because it does inform why I do what I do now.

One of the things I did with that business which was so so effective was running series of content side by side. Mostly between email and the website, but also youtube.

My most engaged and effective email series I’ve written for myself involved something like this, where I deep dived outside of email.

Some people just LOVE to get deeper into ideas.

(and I love to do that)

Anyway

What you’re seeing is the beginning construction of this for my “copywriter” business. (I put copywriter in quotes because you’ll see in time that this is like a master craftsman calling himself a “hammerer”)

In short, it’s a living experience at the moment, growing as I build out the pieces.

Being here means you’re one of the first to experience this and enjoy watching it grow!

As I update, I’ll reach out and let you know.

Ok,

Now, let me explain.

No wait.

There’s too much.

Let me sum up.

Why I’m Not Going to Sell You What I have for Sale

or

The semantic problems with business word choice.

Ok I’m getting a little cheeky there.

Here’s what I mean when I say “selling” …

“The act of trying to get someone to buy what you have”

In the literalist possible sense.

The key is “trying.”

And you’ll see this theme unfold through the email series.

But I’ll give you a sneak preview of things to come here.

When I think about selling what it is I have to sell, and I consider human behavior…

I am much more interested in giving people opportunities to buy when they are ready to buy.

The usual approach of marketers is to bring people to an INCREDIBLE HEIGHT OF EMOTION

(big echo)

And then harvest that emotional energy to drive the sale NOW.

Some sophisticated marketers will say “The key isn’t to get them to buy, it’s to get them to buy NOW” – highlighting that you want to harvest the immediate potential energy of people who are curious but not sure.

There’s a big problem with that approach, and it has to do with what’s on the other side of the peak of the emotional mountain.

More later, aaannnd…

Back to selling:

Obviously, running a business, we need to “sell” our products and services.

Which is why so many get stuck in the perspective that they need to be “selling” what they have.

(Also, to a certain small percentage of any given audience, it works, so this is a deceptive problem)

Consider this.

For all of your possible customers, only 15% will buy in the first 90 days. The other 85% will take up to two years to buy.

(That comes from Dean Jackson over here)

“Selling” tactics are short-term actions which try to drive as much upfront. However, this brings no long-term benefit.

Back to ME and why I’m not selling you what I have for sale.

My goal with my marketing isn’t to sell you.

(Making Claude Hopkins shudder in his grave? Perhaps not – more later)

It’s for us to get on the same level.

I want us to speak the same language and think and feel similarly about all of these ideas.

WHY? For one, people buy from those they know, like and trust.

But more importantly … and this is one of the core concepts I unravel through the email series (and further in these rabbit holes) … people’s reality is driven by belief. You buy from someone because your belief aligns strongly enough to drive emotion and justify with logic.

Again … deep subject, I’ll keep unraveling.

In this initial email series (and these rabbit holes) I’m starting by presenting to you my foundational beliefs which drive the work that I do.

If you AGREE – if what I say resonates – then we can sit at the same table and work together (and it’s likely you’ll feel driven to do so … although now that I’ve said that, I may trigger rebellious objection).

And if you do agree, and desire the kind of outcomes I produce, then you’ll be ready.

And at that point I’ll open the door and say, would you like to step in and get to work?

That’s it.

I’m not going to tell you my way is the only way.

I’m not going to try to make a no-brainer deal for you (because no-brainer deals create brainless problems).

I’m going to lead you down a path which I believe in, which I’ve found effective.

And if and only if you desire to walk the path with me, will we possibly do business together.

What do I actually have for sale?

Right now, it’s my services.

I work as a copywriter, strategist, and guide for my clients.

I’m not a copywriter like you might be thinking … to me copywriting is a tool. One which I greatly enjoy using to be sure, but still it’s just a tool.

Like an architect with a pen.

The impact of my work is far more expansive than the words I create (you’ll hear from one client whose biggest gain from us working together is HAPPINESS – I’ll take that over a million dollars any day … but by my calculations, he’ll be seeing millions in growth over the next couple years because of this anyway).

To be clear …

I’m not offering my services to you NOW.

There isn’t even a way for you to schedule on my calendar on this website.

I protect my time very carefully. I have a family and kids who are my world. And the time I do spend with work, I give first to my current paying clients.

Since you have taken the time to dive down this rabbit hole with me, I’m giving you the frame, so you can follow along and perhaps see more in-depth how this works.

Ready?

Check your inbox for my next email 🙂

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TLDR:

(First … why the hell did you click to “go down the rabbit hole” where I explicitly explained I’d go ramble on tangents and then scroll down to a TLDR? What are your motivations really?)

(If you’re here AFTER reading everything, and you’re still looking for more, I love you)

It’s not worth trying to get you to buy (selling).

Far more effective is helping you believe what I believe.

Then buying will be obvious.

THEN I open the door.

Ya?

(PS. the effectiveness is in the end result … ie, the transactions I create are MUCH higher value and longer lasting because they are built on real relationships with people who get it.)