Sales "Copy Writer"

[1manshow]

Anyone hired a sales copy writer lately ? $2500 minimum for a two-three page direct mail sales letter!! Some of these guys are demanding 12K to write a freakin letter. Kinda wishing I'd have paid more attention in class at this point

 

[Frank Stastny]

I have always been of the opinion that it is much better to write it yourself, make it sound like the kind of letter you would like to receive and are most likely to respond to.

Don't make it sound like a sales letter, use words people understand and put them together in such a way that what you are telling them sounds very logical. I don't think people respond well to "hype" and false promises designed to simply get a response.

I'm sure with a little time and research there are plenty of good ideas that can be gleaned from the wealth of information available on the internet.

I think this also relates to your other post about calling people on their birthday. Make your letter sound like you are telling a buddy about a company you are using that you have been extremely pleased with.

That's the kind of letter I would respond to.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

That price is rediculous.

 

[1manshow]

Ridiculous maybe, but many of these writers are booked three to six months out.

Frank, In 23 years I've gotten good responses from the copy I've written in the past.I've also used professional copy for direct mail programs. In all cases, the professional copy pulls a better response and a better ROI. I'd rather not risk the expense of a large direct mail campaign on the copy quality. It's a real catch 22.

 

[Frank Stastny]

Ridiculous maybe, but many of these writers are booked three to six months out.

Frank, In 23 years I've gotten good responses from the copy I've written in the past.I've also used professional copy for direct mail programs. In all cases, the professional copy pulls a better response and a better ROI. I'd rather not risk the expense of a large direct mail campaign on the copy quality. It's a real catch 22.

I've never used one so I'm sure you have a better understanding than I do. I just couldn't justify that kind of expense, not working the senior market anyway.

 

[Guest]

Anyone hired a sales copy writer lately ? $2500 minimum for a two-three page direct mail sales letter!! Some of these guys are demanding 12K to write a freakin letter. Kinda wishing I'd have paid more attention in class at this point

Hmmm. A lot of agents will "waste" far more than $2k for bogus internet leads but still make money on the entire "buy." It's a cost of doing biz for those who don't want to do it themselves.

Perhaps we should have some government regulation on what writers can charge?

I personally believe that all good sales people can learn how to write good copy. There are a ton of books out there on it and even more examples one can follow (or copy!)

The purpose of the "copy" piece is to get someone to become emotional about something and then DO something... make a call (operators are standing by), write a check, go to a website, quit smoking, buy something, or simply "etch" a message in to the reader's brain. ("Double A... M C O")

I think the most important writing an agent has to do in his career is on his website and most agents do a terrible job at that. They try to sell insurance instead of selling themselves.

Most agents think my website is total crap. Why? Because they don't know crap even if they step in it. You want to see crap? Look at the websites of 99% of the agents in this venue (that is the five or six who have the balls to post in the open and thus be identified.)

Why are they crap? Because they are informational, not emotional. The difference? Simple.

You're driving down a busy business street. A stop-sign is informational A billboard with a nude girl in a car saying "I'm naked here, but I'm covered by Nationwide" is emotional. (No, there is no such adv., I made it up just now... but you get the picture...

[editorial] or like most (not politically, but socially) conservative agents, you are too risk-averse to take the chance... and that's why the agents who understand the principles of good marketing (usually open-minded liberals) most often beat the crap out of you dollar for commission dollar."[/editorial]

If any of you had taken a marketing course (in college or extension,) this stuff is covered in the first two weeks.

Some of you need to study the "Cal Worthington (and his dog spot)" model copied by many others. He never sold cars. He sold himself (and his dealership). "I'll eat bug."



There is a difference between sales and marketing. If you don't know it, you probably won't be good at either.

I'm a better editorialist than an advertising writer, but it's not that wide a leap, and from what I've seen in this venue the past three years or so, a lot of you (oh hell, MOST of you) know a lot about insurance but not how to market. The analogy is the guy who knows fifty ways to have sex with a girl, but doesn't know any girls! (And that was ME in high school and my first year of college after reading the Kama Sutra !)

As always, YMMV.

OK, neos, hit me with your best shot. But remember... I've got a BA from a good university (U. of Virginia, '69,) an MA from a good college (Willima and Mary, '74,) I'm 61 years old and have been self-employed for the past 30 of those years, and I'm not quite as stupid as I look (or the neos (ins.dave, Ron VD, Freddie, Patriot, ABC, et. al.) here think I am) so please don't bring knife to a gun-fight!



Al
InsuranceSolutions123 Agency

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

I love to write my own content and always have. You have more control over content and your style stays consistent.

Of course, I started early (Here comes a shameless plug) when I was the Sports Editor of "Dayton Magazine" and the Sports Editor of the oldest college newspaper in the US (Miami Student).

 

[djs]

So my free advice is don't do a 2 or 3 page direct mail piece.

Al is right in the fact you want to make an emotional appeal, this needs to be done in a quick, brief, grabyou now tpe of thing, not something people have to read.

Simply put, people won't read 2 or 3 pages, no matter how well written it is.

Here's the rub.... a professional copywriters piece may not do any better than your own piece. They will not give you a guarantee on this. You need to make sure you use somebody that has experience in the type of direct mail that you are looking to do.

Sorry Al, no fight, I didn't even bring my knife, though I do have a red pen handy

Dan

 

[Guest]

Sorry Al, no fight, I didn't even bring my knife, though I do have a red pen handy

Dan

Any writer (well... of a certain age!) will tell you that a red pen "hurts" a whole lot LESS than a blue pencil.

 

[arnguy]

.....OK, neos, hit me with your best shot. But remember... I've got a BA from a good university (U. of Virginia, '69,) an MA from a good college (Willima and Mary, '74,) I'm 61 years old and have been self-employed for the past 30 of those years, and I'm not quite as stupid as I look (or the neos (ins.dave, Ron VD, Freddie, Patriot, ABC, et. al.) here think I am) so please don't bring knife to a gun-fight!
Al
InsuranceSolutions123 Agency

Al, did you mean Wilma and Mary? Just pulling your chain----it was a good post. BTW when I was stationes at Fort Eustis, VA, I really enjoyed my visits to W&M----particularly the co-eds!