EDITOR’S NOTE:

Copywriting & Inside Sales:

My face… 

I must’ve looked confused. Or maybe scared?

“Ed?” said Pat. “You look confused,” he said. “Or is that fear?” he chuckled. 

Pat was a veteran copywriter, an ol’ pro. I was as green as it gets, just a few days into my first gig. He was critiquing something I wrote. 

I snapped out of it. “Nah,” I laughed it off. “Just a lot to take in.”

Pat nodded. “What did you say you did before this?”

“Inside sales,” I said. “I was on the phone. Right out of college. Did it for a year.”

Pat threw his hands up. “Ed!” he said. “You’re closer to all this than you think, bud.”

Inside Sales is selling 1-to-one. Copywriting is selling 1-to-many. 

It’s not the same thing. But the overlap is undeniable…

Because people are people. Psychology is universal, consistent. And selling, whether in writing or in person, boils down to the same few factors. 

Probably why Kevin Dorsey, an Inside Sales expert who writes, produced one of my favorite VeryGoodCopy Micro-Interviews yet. 

In only 349 words, Kevin shares: 

• Something that will accelerate your career more than anything else…

• His proven Green-Red-White productivity system…

• The 5 marketing & sales books behind his success…

And more…

Thank you, Kevin.

Let’s get started:

1) “What’s your work routine?”

I really try to bucket and block my time. 

I have Green time. These are things that make me money: manager 1x1s; director 1x1s; team trainings and coaching. 

I have Red time. These are the things that support Green time: research, metric reviews, deep dives, finding the biggest levers that would have the biggest impact. 

And I have White time: Time for meetings; time for interviews; times just to THINK. 

I keep everything on my calendar and truly fight to follow it. 

Also I hate meetings, so I try to have as few of those as possible. 

2) “What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

The 80/20 rule. 

80% of your results come from 20% of your activities. Instead of trying to do EVERYTHING, I would have doubled down on the 20% that has the biggest impact. 

Learning to delegate better/sooner is also something I wish I'd known earlier. 

3) “What did your biggest professional failure teach you?”

To ask better questions and FIGHT for what I believed in. 

One time I was truly taken advantage of because 1) I was too trusting and 2) didn’t ask the right questions. 

Another time I just went along with things I knew weren't the right choice, but because I didn't fight for a different way, I was the one who ultimately paid for it. 

4) “What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your craft’s learning curve?”

Reading and Mentorship will shorten your learning curve significantly. 

Read more books and learn from people who’ve already done what you're trying to do. 

5) “What book has helped you the most over your career?”

In my career? Ooh that's a tough one because I feel like they all stack on top of eachother. 

But if I had to choose some foundational books, I’d suggest these 5: 

Sales Manager Survival Guide by David Brock

Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy 

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

6) “And your parting piece of advice?”

Learn more to earn more. Invest in your development. 

Read books. Buy courses. Find mentors. 

Outworking people is actually pretty easy. It's the out-learning part that will accelerate your career more than anything else.