Jared Matthew Kessler's Blog, page 5

Are We Dating?

Because if we were and I said something wrong… the relationship doesn't always move forward.

It's the same way when writing to your audience in a way that fulfills their need.  Their desire.  And get's them to take some sort of action to buy whatever it is we're hoping to sell them.

Say the wrong thing, and we don't close the deal.  Make the sale.  Or go home together – with the product or service that could've seriously helped to solve a major problem.

And sales are lost.  Sometimes two.

Anymore than that, the frustration starts setting in.  And it becomes pretty apparent that we're going to need extra help outside of what we're already doing to move business forward again. Because honestly…

We're all pretty much the same.

No one likes being sold to, or heavily persuaded into purchasing something they don't really want (or need). However, there also comes a time where it's just not worth losing any more sales or sleep over. When the cost of losing sales far outweighs the cost to hiring a professional that could potentially increase not just a handful of sales, but turn things around entirely.

Introducing my exclusive kick-ass copy special (revamping your entire website copy – 5 pages or less).

Not only is this close to 50% off of my original "kick ass" copywriting service, but it also includes a:

FREE 30-45 minute initial consultation – Because most people fear that hiring someone outside of what they do, just "doesn't get it…"  This is where someone like me gets to understand what it is you really do.  $149
FREE business diagnostic questionnaire -  A 7-page highly detailed questionnaire based off of thousands of dollars of psychological research and attending advanced level seminars on marketing, psychology & copywriting. Used for understanding every aspect of your market, this will help uncover the mysteries behind how to talk to you and your customers (for years past working together). $197
FREE download of the GROGB Tele-Summit - A week long event that a colleague and I put together from scratch.  It features over 11 hours of invaluable content from fellow ass-kickers and rule-breakers from around the world (doing amazing things with their business today).  It features myself, plus 10 other renegade entrepreneurs. $97

It's all for $185/hr (times 15 hours) $1,850 a flat NO HOURLY fee of $997

Just click the "ADD TO CART" button below.

Remember, you don't need to have a PayPal account to pay after you click "Add To Cart." Once there, just hit the "PayPal" button on the next screen. As you'll see, any major debit/credit card will do.  For any additional questions or support, please feel free to send an email to jared@thekickasscopywriter.com.

As an added bonus while working together on this project you'll also get:

FREE email support- So you'll never have the feeling that you don't understand anything that we're embarking on.
FREE personal access to yours truly - For any questions about what we're doing… or whatever I've done to help you complete your current project (or possible future ones – while working together).

SO IF YOU'RE FEELING LUCKY. HURRY!  THE DATE'S ABOUT TO END!

This offer is only valid from April 27th – 28th (for a handful of people who'd love to reach the next level).

Sale ends 11:59pm on Thursday April 28, 2011 when the above link will be inactive

SPECIAL NOTE: I've revamped the entire website copy for a wide variety of companies in just the last few months and even though I charged a lot more than what I'm offering here, every single time, the value outweighed the cost.  And that's the commitment I've always given to each individual client.  Great original work.  Great value.  And great service you can trust.

So if you're on the fence and have any other questions about this 2 day special, please feel free to email me directly at jared@thekickasscopywriter.com.  The "add to cart" link above will not be valid past a handful of sales and the mentioned expiration date above.

Oh and if your "the shy type" and want to find out more about the benefits of working together, you can do that by clicking here.  For more questions about the process we partake in, please click here.  Even more questions?  Visit the frequently asked questions page by clicking here too.  However, by this time you probably should've just emailed me already.  :)

Here's the link one more time:

I'm truly excited at the opportunity to finally work together!

Jared

BREAKING NEWS: The Consumer Is Now The Advertiser

Believe it or not.  It's true.

The tides have changed dramatically the past few years with the internet.  And the ability to start a company of your own with $0 (and a pretty good idea).

But it falls short a lot of times. Because as I've come to realize in holding my first workshop, a lot of people didn't know the "behind-the-scenes" so to speak. As I found out by asking everyone the question, "What do you hear of when someone mentions the word copywriter," there were a lot of different theories out there.

Perhaps the best was, "they make me want to buy stuff I don't really need." LOL!  And that's certainly the case, but I think if it's done well, we help solve a problem.  And position a product or service as the answer to that problem.

But what if your writing is too dry?  Isn't unique enough to stand out from the competition?  Doesn't get the attention of the people who need it most?  And isn't communicated in a way that your audience truly understands?

To me, it's kind of like dating (which I'll talk more about in my next email – and special offer)…

But honestly, now I understood the bigger scope of what my first original mentor said in, "The Poet And The Billionaire: A Personal Journey Of Conversation."

He said, "Your'e a walking billboard.  What are you advertising?"

And then it started to make sense.  You see, we're all advertisers now.  We're all communicating to others who we are and what we offer. Without even talking.  Without even meeting in person.

It's in the clothes we wear.  The cars we drive (or don't drive).  The web sites we visit – and hope to trust.  Or try to throw together and make on our own.

But then we must also ask ourselves, "Who will win?" The person who really understands the "behind-the-scenes?" Who knows what they're doing? Or the I-have-a-great-idea-I'm-going-to-tell-the-world-and-see-how-many-people-buy-what-I-have mentality?

Remember… it's getting noisy out there.  And standing out from the noise isn't just about standing out from the noise anymore. It's bigger than that.

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn't be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you've spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe you're just way too embarrassed to even share it with anyone because you know deep down inside that whatever you write, doesn't accurately represent who you are (and what your business is about)?

If any of that sounds familiar, click here .  Let's talk!

Proud Or Embarrassed?

It's something I think we've all dealt with at one time or another.  So embarrassed by something we've done or shared, that we hide our heads in shame (barely wanting to tell anyone about it).

On the other hand, we're sometimes incredibly proud to represent something that shows who we really are. Something we'd love nothing more than to tell the world about what we have. What we've done.  And feel nothing better than to boast out loud to everyone we know (and don't know), about how great things are going in our life.

I've recently experienced that with the first live workshop I've put on.  As you can see here on my Facebook Fan Page, it went quite well.  In fact, I capped it out at only 25 attendees and within just a week of writing and posting the copy for it, it was filled to capacity – with a few additional people on a weight list.

I guess what was even crazier were the accolades afterwards.  People left kind notes on the events page that said:

"Thanks for the great session on Copywriting today, Jared. Well done!"

"Thank you Jared. Was well worth the drive."

"Great workshop today Jared!! So now I know what a copywriter is (vs. a copyright) and furthermore, the difference between a truly 'kick-ass' copywriter (you) & the hundreds of others out there who write copy."

"Great style, it work's! Thanks for the event. Time well spent."

"Thanks for a great workshop, Jared! It was really helpful to have you share with us some of the basic principles behind good writing. Of course we will never be the amazingly creative copywriter that you are!

"Also, appreciated you looking at our website and sending some of your pearls of wisdom our way!"

I guess what I'm trying to say here, is that I was really proud of myself.  If you asked me about a year ago that I would've spoken in front of a group of people, and that it would turn out so well, I would've thought you were nuts!  Really.

Because to tell you the truth, public speaking was one of the biggest fears I've ever had to overcome.  And much like you, I've avoided doing it for so long because I honestly thought I'd be embarrassed if I flopped. Embarrassed over the fact that if I couldn't get people to the event (even if it was for free), I'd be looked at as a failure.

So what's my point with all of this?

At some point we all just have to say, "screw it!"  Despite our fears.  Despite how stupid we think we'll be perceived. And go make something happen.  Make something that's useful for other people and not be so embarrassed over what some may or may not say about the products or services we offer.

Stand proud!

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn't be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you've spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe you're just way too embarrassed to even share it with anyone because you know deep down inside that whatever you write, doesn't accurately represent who you are (and what your business is about)?

If any of that sounds familiar, click here .  Let's talk!

What Do We Really Do?

Sometimes it's hard for people like us to describe what we really do in words.  Because whether or not we'd like to admit things, what we say we do and what we really do are two completely different things.

Let me explain.

When people come up to me at a networking event one of two things happen.  Someone tells me their profession.  Or someone goes on some long tangent on what they do and either way…

I still think it's pretty weird how many people don't actually know what they really do.  I mean, I guess for me, I'm still confused how many people don't even understand what "copywriting" is.

However, to better understand this, let's take a look at Zipcar.com.  Because so many small businesses still have an issue with this whole grammar thing – to the extent that too many businesses are losing sleep over the wrong thing.  And I believe you can learn a lot from other companies out there that really know how to effectively communicate to their audience what it is they really do (and help others with).

So let's use Zipcar as an example.

"Zipcar, which has 400,000 members in 13 cities and on 150 college campuses in the United States, Canada, England, and Scotland, has increased its share of the market. Zipcar's revenues grew from $13.7 million in 2005 to $131.2 million in 2009, according to the SEC documents."

That's a pretty decent size business.  Wouldn't you agree?  But how can they still exist and be such a successful company with grammar so bad, that it sucks the big easter egg?

I mean even Apple, Inc. does it too!  In fact, currently launching the "iPad 2″ (not to mention the fact that "iPad" isn't even a word in the dictionary), Apple currently has on their home page:

"Thinner.  Lighter.  Faster.  Facetime.  Smart Covers.  10-hour battery life."

What's up with the one and two words sentences?  And how can they get away with that?

The same way Zipcar does.  Because like Apple, they know what they really do – underneath the surface.

Because any other small business would've tried to say, "We rent cars by the hour.  We're cheaper than Hertz, Alamo, Avis.  We're great – give us a try."  But Zipcar communicates through their "copy" that their more than that.  More than what the boring, stale competition does.

Because unlike a lot of other businesses out there, Zipcar knows they're more than just another other business that does what they do.  They solve a need.  And they recognize the need to communicate it to their audience in a way that answers it, instead of being so focused on "the grammar" – to the extent that their customers wouldn't like them as much as they do.  So listen…

We all need to understand more of what our business really does.  Who we really are.  And how we can communicate more effectively to our customers what we really do and offer.

In short, let's go beneath the surface.  Beneath just telling someone our profession and/or how good or bad someone's grammar is.  Because what matters most, is how you're going to solve someone's problem.  And whether or not you know how to communicate it in a way that your customers understand (not just you).

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn't be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you've spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe it just takes you way too long to get the necessary thoughts out.  And once you do, it doesn't do much to increase your sales.

If any of that sounds familiar, click here .  Let's talk!

How Do I Benefit?

It's very much about that.  How someone benefit's from the service or products we sell.  However, so many people talk about their features that we barely even reach the benefits part.

And that's not good.

So the next time you start writing about your business in a way that describes feature after feature that you provide, stop and ask, "Yeah but how does someone benefit from this?"

Save us time.

A few months back.  A lady inquired about my services.

Low and behold she talked about how it wasn't much time she spent writing for her business.  Yet, upon further examination, I caught her lying her ass off.  Seriously.

But we do that.  Don't we?  Just because we think it's going to save us a few bucks.

However, the amount of days per month she mentioned spending on trying to figure out what I could do in about 10-15 hours was just ridiculous.  And not only that, whatever she was writing was really just awful.

So I added up what she charged clients (and broke it down to what she made per hour).  Then I added up the amount of time she spent on TRYING to write copy for about 4 really lengthy pages on just one site… but three…

And to say the least, she was spending a few thousand dollars of her time "writing copy" (as she called it).  But to tell you the truth, it was all just a waste of her time – and all she really did was write what sounded good to her (far from anything "copywriting" really is).

So when you write for your business, try to show how you'll save us time. And…

Save us money.

I think it's kind of a no brainer.  But still, not many people know how to communicate something like this (through words, without just coming out and saying, "we save you money").  And that's the trick.

Using the previous example, the benefit of the professional speaker that inquired about my services would've gotten from employing my services, would of saved a tremendous amount of money – through time.  And as you know "time is money."

So every time someone spends unnecessary time away from what they do best, it costs them big time.

From the solo-preneur trying to do just about everything themselves, to the small business who's looking to save a few bucks to spend on whatever… we have to remember that any time away from doing what we do best, is costing us more than just money.  It's costing us new business.  It's costing us growth.  It's costing us from having to move forward to where we really want to go because we're doing what we're not supposed to be doing.

And that's not good.

So describe the benefits people get from saving money through using your product or service – or how much money it will cost us from not using it.  And…

Save us frustration.

When I talk with people I always give an example of the lady that did a pretty amazing seminar called, "Ignite Your Spark."

When I met Angela (the lady who started it a few months ago), it was something she was really passionate about and had a tremendous amount of women entrepreneurs interested in.  However, she was really frustrated with trying to find a way to better communicate to her audience about how it benefits them (and say things in a much better way than she could of).

Upon a few minutes of looking over her sales page and web site, it was incredibly clear to me.  Angela talked about how it's all about "Ignite Your Spark" and…

I looked at it and thought, "Um… that's close.  But I don't think that's really it."

Posing certain questions to a lot of people to try to figure things out herself, I had a 20 minute call with her and said just a few little things, that seemed to make a pretty big impact.  You see it wasn't about how you want to "ignite someone's spark."  It was more about "have you LOST your spark.  Let's ignite it!"

Now do you see the difference a little shift like that can make?  And do you see how quickly a hiring a professional can figure things out – instead of thinking you can do what we do?

So make sure whatever your product, service or business is… put the features aside for a bit, and in your "copy" make sure to cover more of the benefits.  Not only will this allow you to stand out from the noise, but it'll also help you to stand out from it.  Don't you think?

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn't be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you've spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe it just takes you way too long to get the necessary thoughts out.  And once you do, it doesn't do much to increase your sales.

If any of that sounds familiar, click here .  Let's talk!

Unselling To Sell Things

I've been looking over a lot of prospective client's web sites lately, and I've consistently seen something that I really believe can be avoided.  In short, you need to talk more about your customers, than you do about yourself.

And listen… it doesn't have to be complex.  You can do this by completely taking yourself out of the picture, through putting yourself in your prospect's shoes.  Not just yours.

After you do that, you can literally just ask yourself a few simple questions.

To start, a great question to ask might be, "If I was a customer needing my service, what would I want to see on this web site? What would get me to do business with you?  What would I actually respond to without feeling like I'm being sold to?"

This, I believe is the quickest most effective way to communicate to your audience, so that you build the necessary rapport. Lead someone to a sale.  And prevent the hard sell UNsell.

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn't be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you've spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe it just takes you way too long to get the necessary thoughts out.  And once you do, it doesn't do much to increase your sales.

If any of that sounds familiar, click here .  Let's talk!

 

How To Sell Or Unsell Us

I've been looking over a lot of prospective client's web sites lately, and I've consistently seen something that I really believe can be avoided.  In short, you need to talk more about your customers, than you do about yourself.

And listen… it doesn't have to be complex.  You can do this by completely taking yourself out of the picture, through putting yourself in your prospect's shoes.  Not just yours.

After you do that, you can literally just ask yourself a few simple questions.

To start, a great question to ask might be, "If was a customer needing my service, what would I want to see on this web site? What would get me to do business with you?  What would I actually respond to without feeling like I'm being sold to?"

This, I believe is the quickest most effective way to communicate to your audience, so that you build the necessary rapport. Lead someone to a sale.  And prevent the hard sell UNsell.

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn't be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you've spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe it just takes you way too long to get the necessary thoughts out.  And once you do, it doesn't do much to increase your sales.

If any of that sounds familiar, click here .  Let's talk!

 

How To Be Paid What You're Worth?

That's a great question for a lot of business professionals out there that I think is really worth discussing (especially with where things are at in the world today – at least in the US).  As I can only speak for myself, I'd like to thank Robert for posing the original question to me.

More specifically, he asked;

"Where do you find quality clients, connect with them, and be paid decently for your work?"

Since I have a ton to say about something like this, I'm going to try and answer as best as I can (in as few words as I can). Ok?

1 – I think the first thing that comes up for me (in terms of being paid "decently") is a matter of self worth.

Someone once told me, "Your rate is your announcement to the world of what you're worth."  So what do you feel you're worth?  Really.

Once you know what you're worth it can't stop there, though.  You then have to be comfortable in saying it to people.

And at least for me, it really takes a bit of time to get used to.  Even in person, I used to cringe a bit when I said my rate. However, I think your number should make you a bit uncomfortable at first.

Doing this, I was able to raise my rates to more than double what I charged last year.

So trust me.  It works.  But you also have to feel you're worth it – providing much more value (than what you actually charge).  Otherwise, it's just a number you're pulling out of your butt.

2 – Once you get comfortable with your rates.  Start to increase them in small increments each time you book clients at your current rate.

Why?

It's easier to adjust your rate, and mentally step into smaller increments than just doubling it (unless you've GROSSLY undervalued yourself to begin with).

And… I know.  I know.  What happens if some people can't afford you?  Just remember, that some people will not hire you because your rates are too low.  As far as other people who feel uncomfortable doing this, you may want to see where you adopted certain belief systems around money.

All I can say on this, is that "Belief System" really does stand for B.S..  :)

3 – Now once you figure out a rate that works best for you, you'll have to find out where the people are that can afford you (and your service).  But you also can't do that until you…

"Dress like where you want to be.  Not where you currently are."

Now the trick here, though, is to make it in alignment with WHO you are.  For me, I can't stand khacki's and a polo shirt (or being told how to dress or what to wear).  It makes me really uncomfortable – and I can't be myself in it or do great work looking like I'm not.

So dress like where you want to be.  Not on where you currently are.

4 – Listen to your current clients, and do the research in why they chose you.  Not only that, you have to find out who exactly who loves you and your brand and why they choose you over everyone else.

Once you find this out, you'll know who to market to (before you think you know your market) because…

"You don't choose your market.  THEY choose you."

And that starts with analyzing everything about the people that do like you (versus those that aren't).

So I guess that's about it.  Did I miss anything?  :)

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn't be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you've spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe it just takes you way too long to get the necessary thoughts out.  And once you do, it doesn't do much to increase your sales.

If any of that sounds familiar, click here .  Let's talk!

 

Looking For The Right Words To Say?

I honestly know how that feels.  Because for a lot of people like us, writing for our business can be quite exhausting at times.

We're not sure where to begin.  What to actually write.  Where to draw the line in how much we share and…

Even though we may know a lot about our business, we sometimes feel that at some level, we're REALLY not the best ones to be writing for it.

But we do it anyway.

Cause we're a new business.  And we think that by saving money on doing it ourselves, we'll be saving more than it's actually worth (to pay someone to do it).

But does it really save us any money?  Or is it possibly doing more harm than good?

So listen, there are so many unanswered questions when it comes to writing copy for your business.

One of which seems to be, "Should I even hire a professional copywriter?  Cause I'm the expert.  I know more about my business than anyone else.  I mean shouldn't I be the one writing for it and…"

If any of this sounds familiar, you'll probably want to learn more about my "Simple Solutions Pack" for your business.  Just click here .

Be one of the first 3 people to take advantage of the offer and…

That's really it.  It's pretty simple.

For those who want to beat everyone else to the punch, just email team@thekickasscopywriter.com on how to get started right away (and what other creatively effective copy solutions may exist for you & your business).

"I had been working on my messaging, particularly for a new website as well as my overall message for over two months. I was tweaking it here, making a change there and never being totally confident in what it was communicating to my market. After a consultation with Jared, we got to the core of my messaging. Jared is fun and easy going while being absolutely brilliant and precise with his suggestions for messaging and copy. He truly is kick-ass at helping people formulate their compelling messaging easily."

-Angela Johnson, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Coach

SPECIAL NOTE: While the "Simple Solutions Pack" may kick ass for some, it may not for others.  So let's talk first (by clicking here ).  This way, we can at least see if we're a good match.

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Why Are Simple Solutions Necessary?

For a really long time we've tried to take on everything ourselves.  As a matter of fact, we've gotten to the point where a lot of things in our business can really suffer because of it.

From bringing in new clients.  To servicing current ones.  To trying to attend as many networking events that we can fit into our week, it can sometimes be a LOT more time consuming than ever expected.

And I don't know about you… I'd wish there were an easy way to do things. An easier way than trying to control every little thing about our business (even if it's driving it into the ground).  Because the fact of the matter is… we all aren't the best at doing every little thing that surrounds it. In fact it can do more harm than good.

As one person said, "You can sound like an idiot" when writing for your business and… if you have a pretty high priced product or service… you could've just lost a few hundred to a few hundred THOUSAND dollars (from taking things into your own hands).

And I don't know about you, that's just not a smart thing to do.

So… yes.  Simple solutions aren't only necessary.  They're vital!

Vital to helping the often times complex problems that arise from not taking the time to say; "Ok… it's just better if I pay someone else to do this – because quite honestly, I'd rather spend my time on the things that matter to me and my business the most."

So welcome to the world of simple solutions!  Now all we need is the willingness to notice them, when they magically start appearing right before our eyes.

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn't be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you've spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe it just takes you way too long to get the necessary thoughts out.  And once you do, it doesn't do much to increase your sales.

If any of that sounds familiar, click here .  Let's talk!

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