Dear subscriber,
I don’t want to be patronizing (that means “talking down”) but geez…
… some of my subscribers (NOT you of course) obsess far too much over techniques, formulas, and tricks. This obsessing over tricks and techniques will only get you caught in the “overanalyzing” trap. In other words, you’ll start seeing things that aren’t even there!
A case in point:
I once signed off a promotional email with this: Bye now!
A zealous subscriber knee jerkily hit the reply button and praised my clever use of NLP. This guy thought my signoff (“bye now”) was some type of subliminal “buy now” message.
Pffft!
I don’t even know what NLP is. I kinda know, but it doesn’t interest me. Frankly, I’d rather study foreign tax laws than NLP. I’m not saying NLP is total gobbledygook; I just think in the bigger scheme of things, NLP is minutiae. Perhaps even manure. The point is, my signoff was just that – a signoff! Sigmund Freud was right, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Understand this:
If you’re more focused on looking for sales techniques, hacks, secrets, and silver bullets instead of mastering the fundamentals (you never really master them), then you’re majoring in the minors and minoring in the majors. You aren’t keeping the main thing the main thing.
In other words…
… You Have a Worm’s-Eye View!
No good can come from that, Sparky.
Look, there’s nothing wrong with techniques, tricks, and tactics per se. But know this: they are simply the icing on the cake. So, what’s the cake? The cake, my friend, is the fundamentals. Every field of endeavor has its techniques, hacks, and tricks, but without first mastering the fundamentals, those tricks and techniques will be about as useless as an accordion player on a deer hunt.
Hear this:
In a world full of mediocrity (caused by the obsession with tricks, techniques, and secrets), if you can just stay the course and continue to master the fundamentals, then eventually (I hate that part)…
… You’ll Stick Out More Than
Gene Simmons’ Tongue!
I’m serious.
Those who master the fundamentals are the ones who eventually rise to the top.
Kelvin, what are the fundamentals of sales and copywriting?
By golly, that’s a great question. Welp, if you want to ground yourself in the fundamentals of copywriting and sales, then don’t waste your time asking me here. You see, I’ve already answered that question in my 5-Hour Copy Course. It covers the fundamentals. But, if you’re like me, you like to have a bit of icing on your cake, too. Well, there are plenty of copywriting and sales techniques and tricks, too. If you’d like to know more about this book, whoopity scoot here: https://kelvindorsey.com/5-hour-copy-course/
Your friend,
Kelvin
Email Marketing Maverick
P.S. I believe the most persuasive form of communication is using plain English delivered in an honest and straightforward way. Works for me.