Sales Doesn’t Come Naturally
Copywriting as a skill isn’t a natural one.
Behind the bluster of “write how you talk” there’s a fact: nobody talks like a sales letter is written. Well, I say that, but in reality there are a few people that do talk like that. They’re the stereotypical car salesman with the slicked-back hair and the suit that looks expensive but there’s something off about it.
That’s really rare though, and for most people turning on the sales is a bit strange.
Why am I writing this?
Because that’s ok.
This morning, I found a guy on a forum somewhere who said something along the lines of, “We’re an affiliate marketing company and we’re always looking for copywriters because we’re constantly producing content and don’t have enough copywriters for the constant publishing we’re doing.”
Now, for me, this is like being given a golden egg on a silver platter. I’m a copywriter. I’ve got a couple of years’ experience with writing sales letters now, and I’m pretty good at it. You’d think that contacting this guy would just be a case of “Hey… I’m what you’re looking for. Send me the loot, buddy!”
In reality, that isn’t far from the truth.
Yet I’ve spent most of the day trying to come up with an angle to this email, because while it’s that simple, selling isn’t natural.
Bear in mind I’ve written hundreds of emails to companies before.
I’ve cold-called companies. I’ve cold-emailed them. When I’ve been referred I’ve thrown emails to people I’ve never met or spoken to.
In short, emailing this guy is nothing new.
Yet it’s still unnatural and strange enough that I still feel like I shouldn’t be doing it.
You’re probably not going to be any different… and that’s ok.
The Myth of Sales
There are a few myths regarding sales:
- You either have it or you don’t
- It gets easier
- You can magic away those feelings with a simple trick
These myths, like all good myths, have kernels of truth embedded in them.
Some people do have a natural gift for sales. It gets easier to sell over time in a sense and there are various things you can do to make the process easier on yourself.
But the fact of the matter is that approaching someone you’ve never met is going to feel weird. There’s not going to be some magic moment where you don’t feel weird because cold approaching people is weird and will continue to be an unnatural behaviour.
I’m not telling you this to put you off trying to improve at sales, nor am I trying to scare you away from copywriting.
In fact, I’m saying this for the complete opposite reason.
If you’re someone who thinks, “I could never cold approach a company because I’m terrified!” then you should feel pretty good about your nervousness.
For one thing, it’s perfectly natural and (almost) everyone goes through the same doubts and fears.
For another thing, and this is key, most people are going to avoid that fear.
When you think that maybe 1 out of 100 people ever entertain being a copywriter (and it’s not anywhere near that amount) and probably only 1 out of 100 of those actually ever read a book or practice copywriting regularly, and then only 1 out of 100 of those will ever try and get clients, you realise why companies are looking for copywriters.
The fear response is natural, but it’s also a great thing when you consider the above.
In fact, the scarier an activity, the fewer people will try it. Ironically, the better the offer, the fewer people will probably go for it.
When it comes to stuff like base-jumping, you might be better off keeping your feet on the ground, because there’s a real risk of death. But with copywriting, where the only outcomes are a “no” or a “Yeah sure we’ll give you some money” you might as well jump in and know that most people won’t jump in after you.
Final Thoughts
This article isn’t about giving you a nice, warm and comfortable blanket and telling you “It’s ok!”
It’s an article designed to get you up and out and out of the comfort zone, because what have you got to lose?
It’s mostly a lecture to myself, but useful for anyone who gets these unwelcome bouts of self-doubt.
If you’re doing something unnatural to you, it will feel odd – probably as a remnant from some genetic memory – but that’s a good thing. Do it anyway, and let the rational brain make the decisions as opposed to the emotional one.
Alright, I’ll leave you with that. It’s a short article today, but I’ve got an email to write.