Copywriters Channel Enthusiasm

by Ryan M. Healy

Question: If your client is enthusiastic about his product, but you’re not, should you write the copy?

In a perfect world, you would always write copy for products and services you’re personally excited about. But I’ve occasionally found myself in the position of writing copy for products and services that don’t get me excited.

Here’s the thing: Copywriters are hired guns. If you’re a copywriter, your job is to channel your client’s enthusiasm using the written word — and not necessarily your own.

This is where trust comes in.

If I’ve accepted a client, I trust he is being honest and truthful. And I trust that his enthusiasm is warranted. Just because I don’t have the same vision and excitement as my client doesn’t mean I can’t or shouldn’t write the copy.

That’s why I say it’s the copywriter’s job to channel enthusiasm. And to do this effectively, you have to trust your client.

So as a copywriter a better question to ask is this: “If I don’t trust my client, should I write his copy?”

And the answer is clearly: no.

All good business relationships are founded on mutual trust and respect. So long as this foundation is in place, then you can easily channel a client’s enthusiasm (not to mention, his customers’ enthusiasm) when you’re writing the copy.

Obviously, it’s an advantage when you are excited about a product or service you’re writing copy for, but it’s not totally necessary.

In the end, so long as you believe the product or service has value to someone (although maybe not to you personally), then it’s perfectly okay to write copy to sell the socks off it.

-Ryan M. Healy

{ 13 comments }

1 healymonster May 14, 2009 at 9:16 am: Copywriters Channel Enthusiasm: Question: If your client is enthusiastic about his product, but you’re not.. http://tinyurl.com/qd5qll

This comment was originally posted on Twitter
2 Marya Miller May 14, 2009 at 9:26 am: That’s a valid point, Ryan. So far, I’ve never had to work hard to channel a client, though I have had projects that leave me “cold”. However, I find that no matter how cold I am about a project, by the time I’ve written the bullet points, I genuinely am enthusiastic, LOL! I end up wanting to buy the product (“Hey, wait a minute… I wrote that eBook…”).

I find the clients I turn down every time are ones that won’t let me see the product, won’t even give me a table of contents, and want me to make stuff up out of thin air.

That, I won’t do.

Thanks for your seasoned insights. It’s fun (and helpful!) to see how you work. (How’s that new book coming along?)
3 osmosisfutzing May 14, 2009 at 10:03 am: RT @michelfortin: Reading: Copywriters Channel Enthusiasm | Business Growth Strategies by @healymonster http://bit.ly/11HBz1

This comment was originally posted on Twitter
4 Temogen May 14, 2009 at 11:42 am: Good post Ryan…and also good response Marya Miller.
This is a situation that is a true test of a skilled and seasoned professional copywriter. Why should every asssignment be easy? We need this kind of challenge to test and challenge our metal. If we can successfully write copy that converts high on a product that we do not initially get excited about, we as copywriters have once again bolstered our confidence in the gifted talent that we possess. I know that I can consistently invent strong copy quicker than people can copy what I am doing.
Thanks for your posts Ryan!
5 Robert Park May 14, 2009 at 12:30 pm: Good post Ryan,

There’s one overriding circumstance that must be considered; at least from my perspective…if the long, long sales letter results in what I call stealing from oftentimes misinformed wanna-be online guru’s, then I’m thinking twice if I really want to be part of this scenario.

How many of these so called new launches of some fantastic, new and improved… end of all ways to make it big, are ever proven by the seller?

How many of these kinds of deals are a total success unto themselves? They’re usually touted that way! When most won’t work without…say traffic, or even meaningful support just to understand the details that also show up missing.

So, do we effectively prostitute ourselves with helping along these kind of people that are flooding the ether with a SP showing screen shots of numerous bank accounts sucking in the unwitting new-bee’s hard earned cash?

I must confess Ryan, I’m just getting sick of the lack of integrity I see out there. It has been replaced by greed at any cost.

There I’ve said it!!!

Thanks for the opportunity to share.

Bob Park
6 Ryan M. Healy May 14, 2009 at 1:59 pm: @Marya – I’m with you; hard to create copy for a product that doesn’t exist. Although… that can be an effective way to work sometimes — so long as you then create a product that delivers what the sales letter promises. (The book is coming along nicely. :-) )

@Temogen – Yes, difficult projects give us a chance to grow and become better.

@Bob – And I’m glad you said it! :-) When I ask a client, “Why did you create this product?” and they answer, “To make money,” that is a very unsatisfying answer. There’s got to be something deeper to get emotionally on board with any project. Greed and enthusiasm are two different things.

Ryan
7 Teresa May 15, 2009 at 12:17 am: Good thoughts one and all
First Ryan, I think that what we are really talking about is getting to know your market or the market that you are writing for. Because if you are with the product or not, you have to write as though you are the biggest fan of the product because that is where you create the best value.
Second Robert, that is why I have service based clients that actually help people, such as pc repair, professional organization services, etc. I want to write for the make money on line niche, but I want to show that copy can be written in other places as well because then you don’t have to deal with the greed factor.
8 A. J. May 15, 2009 at 9:54 am: Interesting post as usual Ryan!

What I’ve discovered in my many years of scribing is that the writer always shows up in the copy. It’s so subtle. Whether it’s a unique turn of phrase or choice of words, his personality, her likes/dislikes, their worldview always manage to leak out onto the page.

I can usually tell after a few paragraphs if the writer truly believes in the product they’re promoting or if they’re some schmuck in it solely for the money. There seems to be more “passion” in the writing of a sincere copywriter. The fakers give themselves away with their liberal use of generic – sometimes sterile – words and phrases.

I can only speak for myself when I say I’d have a very hard time writing about a product I didn’t believe in.

Keep up the good work Ryan.

Thanks,

A.J.
9 Mike Filsamie and Launch Tree May 15, 2009 at 12:38 pm: No is right, your always trying to better your work, if you beleive that something is no good then why would you wnat to write about it?

Launch Tree Website
10 Leisa Good May 17, 2009 at 2:58 pm: I’ve often wondered if all of us believed 100% in the product, how much writing would we do. Whether I can–with a moral conscience–write copy (or press releases, articles, or anything) about a questionable product is something every copywriter or VA must confront.

As long as I am not 100% opposed to the product, I can usually write copy or whatever else is needed. It does help me think and write out of the box.

Great insights about strength and growth, Ryan.

Leisa
11 Dot Pecson May 17, 2009 at 7:25 pm: I think when you write to sell a product, your words as a trained copywriter carry a lot of power.

This power needs to be used ethically, imo. I became a copywriter and marketer because I deeply want to help people, to make their lives better somehow. This is my mission, if you will.

Selling a not-quallity product does not help either the consumers who basically wind up feeling ripped-off… nor does it enhance your own reputation. After all, think about it. If you write to sell a sub-standard product once, it’s logical that you’d do it again.

And conversely, if the product fills a need, I can very easily get enthused about it. For example, everyone needs to have a referee-style whistle by the phone … to blow into the mouthpiece at unwanted callers [I once had someone confuse my phone # with a, uh, brothel shall we say? Talk about calls at all hours!!] This whistle can easily improve the lives of people – I could sell it for that reason and get quite enthusiastic. [You should've heard the cussin' from the other end!]

BTW, the whistle concept works GREAT on obscene phone callers as well.

Hope this helps,
Dot Pecson
12 Leisa Good May 18, 2009 at 8:26 am: Great points, Dot.
13 Ryan M. Healy May 21, 2009 at 9:45 am: @Teresa – Excellent point: “You have to write as though you are the biggest fan of the product because that is where you create the best value.”

@A.J. and Launch Tree Guy – I’m not suggesting we promote products we don’t believe in or that are “no good.” I’m suggesting we can write copy for products that we’re not personally enthusiastic about — but may still fill a genuine need in the market.

@Leisa – Love that question. If I had to personally be 100% excited about every product I ever promoted through copywriting — then I wouldn’t be writing a lot of copy.

@Dot – Again, to clarify, I’m not suggesting we sell products that are junk. I’m suggesting it’s okay to sell a product that we personally may not be totally excited about. (Your whistle idea is great — but I think I’d have a hard time doing that!)

Ryan