Terry Dean has recently made two public statements on his blog about the value of copywriting. In one post, he wrote, “Copywriting really is the million-dollar skill.”
Only four days later, Terry wrote, “If there was one skill you could learn that would almost guarantee the success of your Internet business, it would be copywriting.”
Of course, I love it when Terry (or anybody else, for that matter) gives the skill of copywriting such high praise. After all, I am a copywriter.
But is copywriting really the most important skill in business?
I would like to suggest that it’s not. In fact, I believe copywriting is one facet of a broader skill. And so I want to elevate your thinking a little bit.
But first, let me tell you a story…
My Dad Tells Me Something, and It Sticks
Parents must say a million things to their kids in an effort to raise them up to be successful, functioning adults. And probably only a small fraction of what parents say actually sticks.
I’m the oldest of five kids. It’s funny to talk with my siblings because often something our parents said is firmly lodged in my brain, but my siblings can’t remember it at all. And vice versa.
Well, one of things that stuck with me was something my dad said. He said:
“Ryan, the most important skill you’ll ever master is communication. If you know how to communicate well, you can do anything.”
Boom.
I never forgot that.
The Most Important Skill
It’s my belief that communication is the most important skill you could ever learn.
There are then many sub-specialties within communication. For instance, copywriting, negotiating, direct sales, etc. Heck, even body language is communication.
Occasionally, someone will say, “Everything is copy.”
This is only partially true. I think it’s more accurate to say that, “Everything is communication.”
And by adopting this view, you can begin to focus on where you want to excel in the field of communication. Perhaps you want to be a copywriter. Perhaps you want to be a negotiator. Perhaps you want to be a public speaker.
All of these are different specialties within communication.
Become a Student of Communication
Ideally, you will not become a student of copywriting only, but a student of communication.
Because at the end of the day, you’ve got TALK with customers and clients, PERSUADE influential people to joint venture with you, NETWORK with other entrepreneurs at seminars, and WRITE the copy that appears on your blog and sales pages.
The list goes on.
Now you see why I say that copywriting is not the most important skill, although it certainly is a “million-dollar skill” just like Terry says.
Really, communication is the most important skill. And copywriting is one critical part of it.
-Ryan M. Healy
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Hey,
I notice I’m often the first to comment
on your blog … if you wanna reciprocate,
I’d just love ya for it?? :)
I haven’t become popular, yet!
I liked this post and definitely concur with
your assessment that copywriting fits into
the larger frame of ‘communications.’
As a fella copywriter, I do SO much more than
just write words that sell, persuade,
educate or inspire.
I also provide a good business and strategic
marketing sense to my clients.
A good copywriter needs an understanding
of basic marketing objectives, audiences, competition …
and the ability to DIG deeper to find that
little nugget that would provide the CORE
essence of the product/service.
A good CW also uses the same ‘investigative’
skills to uncover the deepest CORE benefit
that the prospects want and a specific product
or service will deliver.
And understanding human behavior is KEY!
I might also add another talent that I’ve
found most excellent copywriters have:
Keen intuition.
For me, after I’ve gathered all the intel I
can find and am immersed in it … I walk
away and let it simmer/stew.
And then, I let inspiration take over to
guide the words that usually just flow!
You know when you’re ‘in the zone,’ out of
ego, just being the instrument for good
work, as the words come through you from
another place.
Well … I just wanted to share a few things,
in addition to all aspects of communication,
that I’ve found to be vital to being a great
copywriter. :)
I’m gonna figure out how to add the sign-up
to send folks when a new post is out … like you
do.
A skill I do not possess is technical. Yikes!
Thanks,
Carolyn
Hi Ryan,
Yes, everyone feels that their contribution is the most important one. Copywriting is only one aspect of the sales function. I would suggest that sales is the most important one. Nothing happens without some customer being convinced to trade his money for some item or service. As copywriters we are a major part of the communication between the customer and the business. However we are not the only one. Let’s not get caught up with the hype the people selling writing courses are putting out.
Ed Anderson
http://www.edcanderson.com
http://www.masteringyourquest.com
I don’t think I’d want to have to pick a most important skill in business.
Is it communication? Probably, since that involves everything we do to a point.
Is it managing others (which could be considered communication), as most everything in a business can be outsourced to someone else. I don’t know if I could put that in as just communication though as many great communicators aren’t always willing to hand off work to others.
Is it coming up with the original business idea? I’ve seen inventors come up with a good idea who couldn’t persuade anyone and they eventually were able to team up with someone who could communicate it better.
So I don’t know if I could pick the most important business skill.
I’d have to say I disagree a little when you say you have to talk to customers, persuade JV partners, or network at events. I currently have a couple of projects where I’ve never networked with anyone in the field related to the website. I’ve never spoken to a customer (except from prewritten emails). And I’ve never went after a JV.
I’ve definitely communicated though. And all of those would increase the profits of those projects. It’s just that they’re secondary projects.
Without good communication between the client, the copywriter, and all others involved, the copy can’t get the message to the audience. I see the lack of communication at my job every day.
Without the right communication, the wrong message goes out, sometimes with excellent delivery.
Carolyn – Thanks for your comment. I just left one on your blog, although I don’t know that you’ll love me for it. :-0
Ed – Good observation. I remember when I was employed, everybody thought their job was the most important one.
Terry – Thanks for dropping in. Naming the most important business skill may very well be impossible.
Your question proves the point: “Is it coming up with the original business idea?”
Communication is only relevant once you have something to communicate… for instance, the business idea.
I also appreciate and respect your experience where you’ve not spoken with anybody, networked, or done any JVs. In which case, the skill of copywriting becomes more important.
(I realized after I wrote this post that I had written it from the perspective of a service provider. I talk with clients and prospects often.)
I don’t have any answers about the most important skill.
More of a question to pose.
Maybe it’s not really a “skill” that’s the most important — but a specific action?
Specifically, finding out what people want/desire and then showing them how to get it?
I’m going to link to a rather “crude” product ad (well, at least to some people). There is no real “copy” for it. No audio. No video. There isn’t even any pre-selling for it.
Nothing but a one line description of the product and a short little blurb about what it is.
Hope this is okay to link to, Ryan, but just wanted to make a point that if you find out what someone REALLY wants (or a problem they want to rid themselves of) you don’t have to work too much “magic” in your business to sell it:
http://www.mattfurey.com/how_to_take_a_crap.html
(BTW: I do not know how well this product sells, so it may not be the best example. But the marketer is one of the best in the business, and I just wanted to make the point.)
Ben
Charlotte – “The wrong message goes out, sometimes with excellent delivery.” Good point.
Ben – Very insightful, Ben. “How to Take a Crap” says it all, doesn’t it?
The most important skill?
Hmn?
Interesting question. I think it’s communication
but a specific kind of communication. Because
you can say plenty without really saying anything
meaningful.
In my opinion, the most important skill in business
is persuasive communication.
To Ben: Man, thanks for that link. I can’t believe I’ve
been doing it wrong all these years. Gotta get that
product. I wonder what else “The Furious One” can teach me. LOL
John – Excellent point. “Persuasive communication” is a clearer way of saying it. Just like “persuasive copywriting” is probably clearer than saying only “copywriting.”
Question: If somebody is saying plenty without saying anything meaningful, are they really communicating?
Copywriting, marketing collateral, email, telephone calls, etc… All forms of communication.
Sales isn’t the most important part of business in my opinion, because sales don’t happen until a form of communication generates a lead to convert.
Communication is involved in every facet of business, from marketing, to sales, to follow up and future sales generation…so…
Ryan seems to be right that developing your communication skills is the most important part of business…because communication transcends all parts of the business process in general.
Obviously, communication would have to be persuasive at some points, but at all points?
Joe – Giving directions for how to use a product wouldn’t need to be persuasive, only clear and concise. (Although it might help to “resell” the customer to help ensure they use the product.)
Just an example of a point where communication wouldn’t necessarily need to be persuasive.
Good points Ryan, especially because I think some people trying to write copy need to get out of their “copywriting box”…
I once wrote a sales letter so “good” that people actually emailed me congratulations on the great ad. The only problem was that no one actually BOUGHT from the sales letter.
Another time I achieved an 8-10% buy rate, and while it was definitely a sales letter, I think readers thought of it more as communication than a pitch. Nobody emailed me any compliments about the sales letter… they just bought in droves. :-)
With the increasing transparency and two-way communication that’s continuing to grow online, this is a perfect time to be discussing getting rid of some of the self-imposed rules copywriters have about what constitutes a sales letter. It’s ALL about communication :-)
Tim – Thanks for sharing your story. Sometimes it’s the ugly ads that get the best response.
I don’t know if this is infinite monkey theorem or what, but my dad actually said the same thing to me…
Actually, I suppose it isn’t. My name is Eric.
Good point, Ryan. I like looking at communication, because that covers copywriting, sales, consulting, family dynamics, and much more. But theres one subset of communication that I don’t think anyone mentioned yet:
L I S T E N I N G !
The more I listen, the better I am at all the persuasive communication–and maybe that’s why my business has shifted from straight copywriting to a lot more strategic marketing consulting.
_____
Shel Horowitz, copywriter and award-winning author of five marketing books Blogging on the intersections of ethics, marketing, media, sustainability, and politics: http://www.principledprofit.com/good-business-blog/