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As a freelance copywriter who specializes in providing copywriting services, I believe that…

Direct Response Copywriting is THE Most Powerful Business Skill You Can Learn

Even with the rise in AI (Artificial Intelligence) writing software that promises to write like a human, there is NO comparison to being able to write your own copy or having a professional copywriter with REAL direct response copywriting skills write for you.

Why? Because no computer – no matter how advanced – can truly replicate human emotions like empathy which is CRITICAL to successful copywriting that speaks to and resonates with another person on a deep level.

A level that persuades them to act.

And that’s what direct response copywriting is truly all about.

In this article, I’m revealing (almost) everything I know from seven years as a freelance direct response copywriter. And over a decade OBSESSIVELY studying the subject.

How obsessive? When I got married almost ten years ago, I took a copywriting course by legendary ad man John Carlton with me on our honeymoon.

But I would say my catching the “direct response copywriting bug” has been VERY profitable for me as well as my many clients.

If you don’t just read this article but use what you learn, you’ll find what you learn to be EXTREMELY profitable for you as well.

Excited? Let’s get started…

What Is Direct Response Copywriting?

Direct response copywriting is writing that persuades your target audience to take IMMEDIATE and DECISIVE action.

That action could be to opt into an email list for more information or a free offer.

It could be to schedule an in-person appointment or phone consultation.

In most cases, it’s to MAKE A SALE.

That’s why direct response copywriting is such an important skill to learn. After all, your business can’t survive without getting those sales.

However, not all copywriting is direct response and that’s where things get a little confusing.

What’s the Difference Between “Traditional” Copywriting and Direct Response Copywriting?

The big difference is that traditional copywriting is about creating brand awareness through long-term advertising campaigns.

The goal is to build market awareness around your product or service that is always “TOP OF THE MIND” for your potential customers. This is so when someone wants a soda in a restaurant for example they usually say “Give me a Coke” or maybe a Pepsi.

For decades these brands have used cute slogans, jingles, and catchy gimmicks to make sure you always think of them first rather than some “no name” product that is probably just as good or often even better.

And brand advertising does work. In fact, if you have deep enough pockets to invest in it then it can be very profitable in the long run just as it has for Mcdonald’s or Budweiser.

That’s not to say that brand advertising only works for HUGE companies. Local real estate agents, jewelry stores, and car lots can often get fantastic results as well.

But in most cases, NOTHING compares with the power of advertising created by direct response copywriting which is about getting immediate, measurable, and scalable RESULTS which turn a profit as fast as possible.

What Are Some Critical Elements of Making Direct Response Copywriting Work?

Direct Response Copywriting is about writing marketing and advertising campaigns that can be TESTED and MEASURED so you know exactly what works and what doesn’t.

This gives you the data you need to optimize your campaigns without increased financial risk.

It also always includes a STRONG (or several) Call to Action at the end of your persuasive sales message compelling your reader to act.

Ultimately, direct response copywriting is much less about “writing” and much more about being able to SELL.

That’s why if you ask most top direct response copywriters what the primary factor was in their success, many will say it was having experience in face-to-face or over-the-phone sales.

Why? Because the fundamentals of getting a sale are the same whether you are peddling vacuum cleaners door to door, closing million-dollar real estate deals, or selling financial newsletters online.

What Is Selling Really All About?

Selling comes down to figuring out what someone wants and then showing them how your product or service will give it to them.

Yes, there’s more to it but I like to break things down to the simplest way of looking at things.

Now, if you want to be as successful as possible, it’s important to drill down to the most urgent WANT, NEED, DESIRE, or PROBLEM your prospect needs to solve.

You want to target what they are already thinking about.

Hopefully, something they are so consumed with, they are even having trouble sleeping at night or concentrating on during their workday.

Then when you find a way to reach them and start out your copy by addressing what is most important to them it’s easy to get their attention so you can tell them the full story of the benefits they’ll enjoy from buying from you.

How To Become a Great Direct Response Copywriter

So, can anyone REALLY learn to be a great direct response copywriter?

That’s a question I’m often asked.

And my answer is Yes. But only if you are willing to work hard at it.

Let me explain further. Copywriting is not a talent you are born with.

While there are some aspects of natural talent that may make you a better direct response copywriter, it really can be learned.

But that’s not to say it’s easy.

I personally hate all the “gurus” out there who tell people they can become a “top direct response copywriter” in a single weekend of taking their crash course in writing sales copy.

It’s just not that simple.

To learn to be a world-class direct response copywriter I hunted down and read (multiple times) every book on copywriting and direct marketing I could, in addition to taking multiple copywriting courses.

Then I was absolutely OBSESSED with studying the top direct response ads written by whoever was considered the masters of copywriting.

And when I say I obsessed over them, I’m talking about reading them line by line, word for word, repeatedly plus … HANDWRITING them.

To really learn to be a great direct response copywriter on a deep psychological level…

Nothing Compares with Copying Great Sales Copy by Hand

I’ll admit, it is VERY tedious. And your hand will cramp up and ACHE just like your muscles after you hit the gym for the first time in years.

In fact, I promise you’ll HATE it! At first anyway.

But I’ve been doing it for so long now that I love it, and it is one of my greatest secrets to becoming a top direct response copywriter.

It’s something after almost a decade of studying copywriting that I STILL do every single day with the goal of continually sharpening my chops as a great direct response copywriter.

Now, a serious warning for you. If you are going to attempt this, DO NOT just copy any random advertisement or sales letter.

Only write out PROVEN ads like this one below by legendary copywriter Gary Halbert.

What I suggest is to get your hands on as many classic “Old School” ads from legends like Eugene Schwartz, John Caples and more from one of my heroes featured above – Gary Halbert.

You can’t go wrong learning from these guys and it’s relatively easy to find copies of their top-producing ads by doing a basic Google search.

Also, make sure you ONLY WRITE IN CURSIVE.

There is a proven neurological connection between writing something in cursive and in retention on a subconscious level.

Writing out complete ads and sales letters, exactly as written with each indent, underline, capitalization, etc. will download in your brain the rhythm and structure of great copywriting.

I promise you, that doing this is the fastest way possible to leapfrog to the top level of copywriting greatness. But please accept the fact that this takes time.

I spent YEARS writing out 8, 10 even 20-page sales letters and multiple-page ads before taking on my first copywriting clients.

Maybe it won’t take you quite as long as it took me but be prepared to put in the work.

I guarantee it’ll be worth it in the long run whether performing copywriting tasks for yourself or clients.

Another important tip is to start building your library of classic books on advertising and copywriting.

Here are some of the books in my library that I highly recommend you track down and start reading immediately.

(By the way, you don’t have to just go through Amazon. I’ve found many of these books in used bookstores, second-hand stores, and libraries where they sell off old books to make room for new ones.)

Here’s a partial list of my most prized copywriting classics:

Again, this is a partial list. There are many more but if I had to part with every book BUT five, these are the ones I would keep.

Go out… FIND THEM… READ THEM… STUDY THEM. Repeat at least once per year.

Follow this advice and you too can become a truly great direct response copywriter.

Now that we’ve gone over the basics of what direct response copywriting is (and isn’t) let’s go over the most important rules I’ve learned over my time as a professional copywriter.

The 10 Commandments of Direct Response Copywriting

I originally wrote these commandments with the idea of creating a “cheat sheet” of proven direct response copywriting principles.

Reviewing this list on a regular basis has helped me stay on course when writing for my clients and I know they’ll help you as well.

Now, these are not the ONLY rules for being successful with direct response copywriting. But they are the ones I am most confident you can rely on to help you supercharge the success of any sales message.

Why Is It So Important To Follow These Commandments?

The truth is, while we all want to think of ourselves as “creative” and there is a certain level of creativity involved in writing an effective sales message, there is something FAR more important.

What is that? It’s called getting RESULTS.

Remember, writing advertising is NOT the same as writing a novel or a screenplay.

Our first objective isn’t to entertain (although being entertaining, interesting, and engaging for the sake of grabbing and holding attention can be an effective tool).

Our ONLY real goal in direct response copywriting is to get a specific, pre-determined ACTION from our target audience.

I believe if you do more than just read these “10 Commandments of Direct Response Copywriting” but actually put them to work in your business, it will be much easier to succeed in accomplishing ALL of your goals.

Now, let’s jump into the “10 Commandments of Copywriting”…

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 1 –

Give A Reason For Everything

Direct response copywriting is ultimately all about multiplying the power of master salesmanship and using it to reach as many of your ideal prospects as you can.

But not just ANY message but a powerful message that will persuade them to buy what you are selling.

But what if you are multiplying an advertisement that’s a big fat ZERO when it comes to effectiveness? Well, it would guarantee to bring you back a big fat ZERO in profits.

So, what kind of advertising is most likely to bring you back that ZERO? It’s called traditional or “brand advertising”.

Now, brand advertising is okay if you have DEEP pockets.

Like the company that makes the soda, you are probably drinking now…

… or the corporation that runs the fast food place you grabbed dinner from last night.

But, for the most part, brand advertising consists of limp, trying to be “catchy” or funny slogans, and almost never actually asks for a sale.

Its mission is to constantly bombard you with an image… a slogan… or a jingle that gets stuck in your head.

Then when you are out and about shopping and have a choice to make between a known product and a brand you have never heard of, you automatically reach for the one you are familiar with… EVEN if it’s the more expensive and possibly less quality choice.

So, I’m not saying this tactic doesn’t work, as it does, over time.

But how many of us have MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of dollars to spend… just hoping to get our product name into the psyche of our potential customers?

In fact, trying to be “Cute” or “Clever” in your advertising is a surefire way to go broke.

That’s why I preach HARD the Fundamentals of Direct Response Copywriting and more specifically…

“REASON WHY ADVERTISING”

Now, what do I mean by “Reason Why Advertising”? Well, that’s a term coined by legendary adman John E. Kennedy in the early 1900s to describe the foundation of his form of advertising.

What kind of advertising is that exactly?

It’s about advertising that is direct to the point and ALWAYS asks for the sale…

… while consistently backing up and explaining in full detail each point, promise and claim made throughout your advertising copy.

You need to…

Give your readers a REASON why they should listen to you
Give your readers a REASON why they should believe each and every word you say
Give your readers a REASON to buy what you are selling

When your ad contains a good, strong, clear reason why someone should buy your product or service you automatically increase your chance of getting the sale.

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 2 –

Put Some Passion In Your Writing

In direct response copywriting you will ALWAYS achieve more success if you get excited and write with PASSION.

Why is this so important?

Because passion is something missing from most writing of any kind and especially in any sort of advertising or marketing.

When you write with real, heartfelt passion your readers will immediately take note and be affected by the message you are conveying to them.

There’s also another important reason why writing with passion is so critical to being successful with your copywriting. And that’s if you present nothing but cold facts and logic you risk boring your prospects practically to death or at least putting them to sleep.

Nothing Will Kill a Sale Faster Than Losing the Attention of Your Prospect

The second your potential customer starts yawning or thinks what you are saying doesn’t relate to them…

… or offer them some sort of benefit to keep reading or listening…

… then you’ve lost them. Maybe even forever.

Now…

There IS a place for logic.

There IS a place for facts.

There IS a place to highlight features.

But, facts, logic, and features all need to be passionately tied to the emotional benefits that your prospect is really interested in.

Passion Is the Secret Ingredient To Effective Copywriting

Now, you might be thinking…

“How do I write passionately about a subject that bores me to tears?”

Well, it really makes no difference at all if you feel the product or service you are writing about is inherently dull.

You really must find a way to bring some excitement into your copywriting.

And the best way is to find an emotion to attach to what you are selling.

Let’s think of a relatively dull product and try to come up with something we can get passionate about.

Hmmm, let’s take a Hot Water Heater. Now, that is certainly not the sexiest thing to write about, so how would we inject some excitement into writing an advertisement or marketing piece about it?

Well, imagine you are writing to the ideal prospect for a hot water heater.

I guess this would be someone who doesn’t currently have a working hot water heater or has never had one.

What are they sick and tired of? Well, I would think they are fed up with having to take COLD showers. I know I would be! Even ONE cold shower would be enough for me. I’d be ready to shell out a small fortune to remedy the situation immediately!

So, what is it that our prospect is feeling after they have bought their new hot water heater that we could highlight in our sales message?

Hmmm, let’s write about how wonderful that first HOT shower is going to feel, okay? Maybe, something like this:

“Imagine your new hot water heater has just been installed.

You walk into your bathroom with anticipation of how wonderful that hot shower is going to feel.

Next, you turn the faucet of your shower on and step in.

Ahhh, it feels like heaven on earth as the hot water massages your skin, washing off the layers of un-cleanliness you have been suffering with.

As you turn off the water and step out into your awaiting bathrobe you soak in the wonderful feeling of being fully clean and refreshed.”

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Maybe you’re even thinking about how good a nice, hot shower would feel right now.

If you do your research and put yourself in the shoes of your prospect, you’ll find there are usually ways to make even the most mundane product or service more enticing.

From this point on I give you permission to…

Be BOLD with your writing.

Be FEARLESS with your writing.

Write with PASSION!

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 3 –

Write To One Person At A Time

Here’s a lethal mistake often made in direct response copywriting.

It’s the idea of speaking to “Everyone” instead of speaking only to “YOU”.

What does this mean?

It means you write out your sales message speaking to a group of people instead of with one person in mind.

The Dialogue of Your Message Should Be YOU and ME…

Never ME and EVERYONE

If your prospect starts reading your sales message and they get a sense that it isn’t specifically for…

… THEM and THEIR unique needs…

… they will quickly abandon your web page or discard your sales letter into the closest garbage can.

You always need to write to your prospect like you are two old friends sitting in a sports pub throwing back cold ones. It’s like all of the sudden say excitedly to your friend…

“Hey! I heard something I think you’re going to be REALLY interested in.

Let me tell you all about it! Here it is…”

And then you go into the details of your sales message.

This is really the bottom line of EVERYTHING written in this special report and everything you need to know about copywriting and advertising.

It’s really all about passing along a feeling of excitement about “something” to another person.

You should know through research what this person will be interested in hearing all about it.

Then take that whole package of BIG EMOTIONAL feelings and the message that conveys it.

Then send it out to the masses but speak only to … ONE PERSON AT A TIME!

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 4 –

Understand The Real Purpose of Advertising

Do you know what the REAL purpose of advertising is?

It’s NOT to entertain, although sometimes being entertaining in the process is effective.

It’s also NOT to inflate your or your client’s ego which is something that happens WAY too often, especially in local television or radio advertising.

So, what is it?

The sole purpose of direct response advertising is to get the sale or convince them to take any action that leads to the sale.

The Direct Response Copywriter’s Job is to Induce Action

In order to accomplish your goal of selling you must always start with your customer in mind.

To do that, continually ask yourself these questions while you’re writing:

Does this make sense to my prospect?
Is what I am saying important to my prospect?
Am I speaking to my prospect on their level without appearing to speak down to them in any way?
Am I writing to them about what’s important to them and not to me?

Selling is All About the Transfer of Emotions

This is why you always write to your prospect like you are speaking to an old friend about something you are both interested in.

Keep in your mind as you write that you are speaking directly to them about what they desire.

How do you know what they desire? Through Research!

Before you start writing you must know your market inside and out but never assume you think you know your client without first putting in some serious research time.

What’s the fastest and most effective way to know what your prospect really wants?

It’s simpler than you probably realize. You just ask them!

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to get face to face with anyone or even on the phone (although that is still probably THE most effective way).

There are some very powerful online tools you can use to find out what your perfect prospects are looking for.

You can use QUIZ and QUESTIONNAIRE apps and plug-ins for your website or Facebook Page to target your ideal customer’s thinking and what they really want so you can focus your product or service on fulfilling it.

Use these inexpensive tools to your advantage!

Never write a single word of your ad until you know exactly what your prospect really wants and THEN and ONLY THEN start writing.

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 5 –

Write As You Talk

Have you ever sat down to write and suffered over what to type?

Then you fight to get a few sentences down and then when you read them back, they seem really stiff and robotic.

Well, don’t get down on yourself. We’ve ALL been there.

For some reason, most of us can ramble on and on verbally with no problem at all. Yet, when it’s time to write something down our brain just shuts off. We end up struggling to string along a couple of basic sentences.

At least any sentences that sound anywhere near like normal conversation. And that is the BIG problem.

We for some reason don’t naturally translate our thoughts to our fingers to get out what we want to say so we beat ourselves up thinking we just CAN’T write and that is total nonsense.

Every one of us is capable of writing.

The truth is…

You just need to train yourself to write exactly as you talk. Because if you can talk then you can write.

It sounds simplistic and it is… but it’s also EXTREMELY effective.

How do we actually accomplish this? You start by turning off your internal editor and inner critic.

What I mean by that, is when we are talking out loud, we just let it all flow.

We don’t worry about every word before we say it.

We don’t start a sentence and then stop and start over with what we think is a better word.

We don’t worry about punctuation or concern ourselves much about what people will think about how we say things (although in many cases we should).

Nope, but when we are writing, we find ourselves constantly judging every word we write, and then we start, and we stop and then we get frustrated and give up.

So, what should we do? How do we conquer this?

Well, I believe the solution is to write in two completely separate phases.

In Phase 1 You Just Simply WRITE

You must learn how to turn off your “inner editor or critic) (mine has a REALLY loud voice which sometimes paralyzes me with anxiety) and just let everything pour out of your heart, soul, and mind out through your fingers onto your pad or computer.

During this phase, you must give yourself permission to NOT be perfect.

Now, this doesn’t mean you stop trying to do your best. You still strive to be as good as you can, but if you’re not, WHO CARES?

No one has to see your first, second, or even third draft of something. I’ve sometimes written and re-written something OVER 20 TIMES before turning it into a client or even before using it for my own products or services.

Then, when you get to Phase 2 you take off your creative hat and put on your editor’s hat. This is where you meticulously read and cut and revise and read and cut again until you have trimmed away all of the fat and have gotten your writing into the place where you are satisfied enough to turn it in and move on to something else.

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 6 –

Establish Your Authority

To be persuasive with your writing you need to be able to answer these questions to establish the proper authority with your prospects:

Why should I listen to you?
Why should I listen to you about this?

This is particularly important if you are writing something which asks your prospect to change a habit, or negative behavior or to convince them to follow you down a new path in life.

If you haven’t been able to establish both TRUST and PROOF in your copy then it will be very hard to lead them to a newly desired action.

Having authority with your prospect should result in them agreeing with your suggestions and allowing them to accept your offer and then actually USE your product to help them live a better life.

Ways in which you can establish authority:

Highlight Your Accomplishments In This Area or Niche.
Proudly Flaunt Any Relevant Status You Currently Enjoy.
Display An Attitude of Indifference

Now, I’m not saying here that you should be a jerk in any way. But you don’t want to come off as a pushover either.

You want to work on developing a persona that is calm, confident, strong, and indifferent to their approval.

There needs to be a mutual understanding that – THEY NEED YOU… YOU DO NOT NEED THEM!

Let them know it’s not going to hurt you if they don’t follow your lead… it will be their loss and you are not afraid to let them know it.

Most importantly, when you are in this phase of trying to establish your authority make sure and TELL YOUR STORY! If you have a story that can somehow be used to influence your prospect or create a connection between you and them, then tell it.

This is something I learned from legendary marketer Dan Kennedy.

He has remarked how there were times when he got sick of hearing his own story and assumed his audience was sick of hearing it too. But he found when he left out his story, his sales dropped dramatically.

So, tell your story every chance you get.

Tell your story even if your prospect has heard it before.

Don’t ever assume anyone knows or remembers your story.

Keep telling them.

Keep reminding them who you are and why they should care about what you are saying.

If your story contains elements of BEFORE and AFTER, it is especially powerful as this kind of demonstration creates a sense of camaraderie and a feeling of…“If He Can Do It, Then So Can I”.

This is how you will establish the authority you need to resonate with your prospects and turn them not just into buyers, but loyal followers who will come back time and time again to buy from you.

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 7 –

Make the Skeleton Dance

I first heard the term “Making the Skeleton Dance” from Ben Settle of BenSettle.com, but he credited it to George Bernard Shaw who said…

“If You Can’t Hide The Family Skeleton, You Might As Well Make It Dance!”

It means that if you have flaws with your product or service, don’t try to HIDE them… instead, you point them out and figure out how to use them to your advantage.

It is a VERY memorable way to remind yourself that NOTHING is perfect, and your prospects already know that.

If you act like your product or service is perfect with no flaws, your prospect’s BS alarm will go off, they’ll assume that you are full of it and won’t believe ANYTHING else you say in your sales message.

If You Present Your Product as “Perfect” You’ll Only Increase Doubt In Everything You Say

So, go ahead and reveal a flaw or two in your product or service as it will create a report with your prospect and will shine a new and very positive light on the big promises that you make.

By admitting that there might be an area where your product is lacking your customers will find the benefits you are stressing much easier to believe.

This will contribute to the trust factor which is vitally important in moving your prospect toward making a positive buying decision.

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 8 –

Respect The Amazing Power of Your Words

Often a single word can make a huge difference in the ability of an advertisement to make money.

In the 1920s, an ad for a Music Correspondence Course featured a headline that ran with a mistake.

The original headline was “Put Music in Your Life” … it ran with the mistake of a single letter being changed and the result of that letter change created an increased response of THREE TIMES the original ad.

What was the mistake?

The new headline added an “S” to the first word making the headline “Puts Music In Your Life”.

Why did this one change make such a difference in the pulling power of the ad? It’s all about human psychology.

Put make you think “Work”. Puts make you think “Done for you”. Or easy. Or no work involved.

We as humans are inherently LAZY and are always searching for a FASTER and EASIER way to do something.

If you can emphasize the FASTER and EASIER in your advertising, you will always have a selling advantage!

More importantly, this example shows you how much POWER there is in your words.

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 9 –

Remember What People Are REALLY Buying

What is that people really want?

What is it people are REALLY looking for when they buy your product or service?

From all of the research I have done and everything I have read about human motivation, I would say:

Everyone desires a change of some sort
Everyone seeks a transformation from where they are to where they want to be
Everyone wants a better, more fulfilling life

This means different things to different people, but we are all human and are constantly searching for the missing intangible that we think will make us happier. Even someone who seemingly has everything this life can offer is rarely completely happy and satisfied.

You look at someone who is a multi-millionaire, lives in a mansion, is married to a super-model, drives a luxury car, and think, “This guy has got it all!”

But in reality, even with all of the physical comforts of life, all of the toys, all of the things which are supposed to make you happy, this same person is probably quietly dissatisfied and looking for a real solution to whatever they feel is lacking.

It’s your PRIMARY goal as an entrepreneur or as an advertising writer or marketer to spend the majority of your energy finding out what that solution is your primary prospect is looking for.

And then how your product or service is going to fulfill all or some of those WANTS, NEEDS, DESIRES, or urgent PROBLEMS they are facing in their life.

To be successful with your advertising you MUST position the product or service you are selling as a savior. Their knight in shining armor. A hero on the proverbial white horse, riding into town to rescue them from whatever is causing them pain.

Or, you need to be able to show up excitedly at their proverbial front door, like a salesman of old, there to fulfill a great DESIRE they are longing for either overtly or secretly.

Maybe, something that they are lusting for down deep inside where we often bury our true emotions.

This is how entrepreneurs hit gold in the world today.

You fill a hole that is lacking in the marketplace.

You solve a problem that no one else has been able to resolve.

Often, you “create a problem” your prospect doesn’t even realize they know they have… until you let them in on it… and then introduce your product or service as the hero.

Obviously, this is a huge subject and many books have been written on it but the bottom line with direct response copywriting to always keep in mind is:

“Find Out What Your Market Wants and Then Find A Way To Offer It To Them!”

Direct Response Copywriting Commandment 10 –

Just Get Started

When you have a writing job to do, what is the best way to get started?

Do you meditate and wait for inspiration to hit you?

If you are not feeling “inspired” do you get up from behind your laptop or writing desk and … go fishing … or to a movie …

… or (insert any other mindless distraction) until you get hit with the proverbial ‘lightning bolt” of sudden inspiration which you have been waiting for? NO!

The Truth is if You Have a Writing Job to do… JUST GET STARTED!

A good example of this comes from one of my true copywriting and advertising heroes, Eugene Schwartz who was a copywriter who made millions marketing his own books via mail order in the ’60s, ’70s, and early ’80s.

He is the author of “Breakthrough Advertising” which in my opinion is one of the two best “Classic” books on copywriting ever written (along with Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples).

Anyways, in a seminar he gave to a group of advertising professionals, Mr. Schwartz gave his secret to maximum productivity as a writer and never having to worry about that most common of enemies… “Writer’s Block”.

Basically, he said that he started each workday with one simple goal. Just to sit down at his desk, with a cup of coffee and a kitchen timer.

The timer would be set for 33 and a half minutes and the only requirement he made of himself was to sit there until the timer went off. No other goals. No mandatory pages are written. Not even a minimum word count.

Nope, just sit there doing whatever he wanted… as long as he didn’t leave his desk.

He said that normally after just a couple of minutes of sitting there sipping his coffee he would start typing some thought into his typewriter.

Maybe he would look at something he wrote the day before and make an edit or two. Pretty soon, without even thinking about he was banging out a fresh, new copy and when his timer went off, he would have had a VERY productive writing session.

Then he would take a short break. Stretch. Grab a snack or whatever. And then he would repeat the same ritual again. Over and over, he used this method to be one of the most prolific writers and most powerful copywriters who ever lived.

It’s a GREAT lesson that I have taken to heart. Now, my methods are different, but the basic idea is the same.

When you need to write something, just start with a small, easily attainable goal and then let yourself gradually build up momentum until you’re moving along breezily.

Remember that great saying by Woody Allen:

“80% of Success is Just Showing Up”

I think that may be a bit simplistic, BUT there is definitely some truth to it.

Everyone is different. You will need to find a routine that works for you, but your main goal should always be to JUST GET STARTED!

Conclusion to the Ultimate Guide to Direct Response Copywriting

I hope you enjoyed the Ultimate Guide to Direct Response Copywriting as much as I enjoyed writing it.

If you put everything you’ve learned here to work in your business I KNOW you’ll experience better overall results.

Now, if you want to take your writing to an even higher level please download this special FREE gift…

This FREE Headline Writing Toolkit Will Give You A HUGE Edge In Writing Powerful Headlines In Your Business.

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Direct Response Copywriter Robert Sean Pascoe

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About Direct Response Copywriter Robert Sean Pascoe

Robert Sean Pascoe with Copywriting Legends Matt Furey and Ted Nicholas

Robert Sean Pascoe is a direct response copywriter and marketing strategist who works with entrepreneurs worldwide to create advertising and marketing campaigns that maximize their profits.

With 16 years of copywriting experience and a lifetime in sales, Robert knows how to use the power of words to sell virtually anything to anyone, especially if the market has been properly defined.

Robert enjoys primarily working with small business owners to sell more of their products and services through the power of direct response advertising and marketing.

He has written sales copy for companies in such diverse niches as Weight Loss Supplements, Skin Care, Male Enhancement, Local Marketing Agencies, Live Event Seminars, Software Developers, Insurance Agencies, Real Estate Brokerages, Marketing Consultants, and many, many more.