Copywriting genius, Eugene Schwartz, has some advice for you:
“You don’t have to have great ideas,” he famously said, “if you can hear great ideas.”
Schwartz once listened to a client talk about their product for almost 4 hours.
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When the client hit a lull, Schwartz would just ask another question. And the client, a talker, was glad to answer. And the copywriter, a listener, was glad to be attentive, take notes, and think.
That night, notes in hand, Schwartz wrote the ad: About 70% of the copy was the client’s own words. And the headline was a direct quote!
And the ad pulled.
The product sold out. So the client and the (royalty-paid) copywriter both made a lot of money.
Now, did Schwartz really deserve his payday? After all he got the words for the ad — the copy — directly from the client…
Yes, he deserved it. Every nickel.
Because unlike the client, the copywriter knew where to focus, and when to zoom in. He recognized the one BIG idea in a sea of ideas, a sea of words.
That’s not nothing.
In fact, it’s proof you don’t have to have great ideas (as a copywriter working with a client) if you can HEAR great ideas.
So how do you hear ideas?
Here’s my simple 3-step process for hearing ideas:
STEP 1: Create a list of efficient “research” questions. (Or steal some.)
STEP 2: Ask these questions on a *recorded* call with your client. Ask, then listen. Try not to interrupt.
STEP 3: Transcribe the recording. Let it sit for a bit. Then read it.
And ideas will begin jumping out at you, again and again and again.
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Hey there, thanks for reading. :)If you want more “micro” content, feel free to explore 100s of articles, interviews, courses, and series — all free. Enjoy!Eddie Shleyner
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